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SCSU Grad to present 'Visions of a Misfit'
By John Behling
Published:
Thursday, February 13, 2003
John Behling -- Film Critic
"Hope for everything, expect nothing," This is the motto of independent film director Kevin Zinniel. Audiences should expect something from the man whose previous, "Uprising: Revolution from the Roots" film earned attention from the Minnesota Film Board
Zinniel and his Guerrilla Squad company, produced their second feature film "Visions of a Misfit," on an ultra-low budget of under $10,000. Feb. 13 it will be screening at Atwood Theatre.
Sporting equal amounts of artistic talent and self-destructive zeal, artist prodigy Dylan Forte struggles through drug addiction, self-doubt and the dual worlds of his brother and sister. Dylan's older sister Jessica is the positive role model, she lives in the suburbs with her blue-collar husband and provides Dylan with the portrait of a well-balanced yet mundane existence.
Dylan might be comfortable with this lifestyle if it wasn't for his inability to say no to his brother Robb.
Robb is Dylan's inlet to an indulgent lifestyle filled with drugs, sex, violence and mischief that jeopardizes his chances for success. Throw in a love interest, early commercial success and a lot of sarcasm and you have "Visions of a Misfit."
Shot on low-cost digital equipment, "Visions," may be a little difficult to watch for those who are used to film. "Visions" has a much more homely look, that seems more reminiscent of the television production values that Zinniel showcases in his day job working for AT&T Broadband
The colors are bright, the images are sharp, but it doesn't have the professional sheen that is taken for granted by movie goers today. Of course this is no fault to the filmmaker, whose entire budget couldn't account for an hour of shooting on a Hollywood film.
The R-rated subject matter appearing in "Visions of a Misfit" is a departure from Zinniel's previous film, "Uprising: Revolution in the Roots" (which screened at SCSU last year). "Uprising" is a politically themed film a fugitive activist who comes out of hiding to discover that his former activist friends have given up on the cause and moved on with their lives.
Although "Visions of a Misfit" is more politically tame, it raises a handful of sociological questions about commercialism and the life of an artist.
"(It's about) what you want to get out of your work (whether) you make movies or play sports, or whatever. Do you do whatever because you love to do it, or are you doing it to please other people or make money out of it?" Zinniel said.
The name "Guerrilla Squad Productions" comes from Zinniel's "run and gun" methods, taking to the streets of Minneapolis without shooting permits.
When it comes to orchestrating an independent film, the hardest part is working around other people's schedules, day jobs and responsibilities Zinniel said. Principle photography was done in a little over a week of 12-hour days, with a skeleton crew shooting as many as three locations in one day.
This hurried schedule actually contributed in a positive way to a crucial scene taking place in a rented gallery. When a wireless microphone fell into the shot on a scene that could only be done once, Zinniel had to rethink the editing of that particular scene. The result is arguably the film's best moment, and a break in style that remedies a mid-film lull.
With the advent of low-cost digital equipment, prospective directors are able to get their projects made for cheap. "This film wouldn't have been made if it wasn't for digital," Zinniel said. However, this new technology is also the reason that film festivals are getting bombarded with more and more entries every year
"You send your film off and at that point you don't know who's on the other end and what actually happens. Do they watch the whole thing? Do they (only) watch 10 minutes of it?" Zinniel said.
"Visions of a Misfit" is currently being submitted to a number of film festivals and so far has not been selected by any. "Uprising" was submitted to 40 and accepted by two.
The film program at SCSU has grown substantially since Zinniel graduated in 1995 with a minor in film theory.
"You don't need formal education to make it as a film artist, but formal education does give you a great historical background and the opportunity to nurture your critical skills," said SCSU film studies professor Brad Chisholm. "That way each new filmmaker is aware of the traditions of the art form and does not have to reinvent the wheel, so to speak."
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