craigslist Tagged Articles at Cinematical

Oh, the horrible human beings people become while trying to cut deals on Craigslist. With the holiday weekend approaching, and with news pretty slow, here's a story that certainly won't cheer you up. Apparently back in April, a single father put out an ad on Craigslist for an actor to come and literally steal his dog because it was becoming too overwhelming of a responsibility for him. Me describing it doesn't do the ad justice, so, here, read it yourself:

"My deceased aunt gave my two kids a Cocker Spaniel a few months back. The dog has been a terror and become overwhelming for me. I am a single father raising two young children. I cannot face telling the kids that the dog must go. I have found a good home for the dog, and just need someone to transport the dog, and play the villain.

Premise: You will be the dog walker hired by daddy (me) to walk Skittles. I will introduce you to the kids, and you will tell them you are going to help Skittles get her exercise when Daddy is too busy to walk her. At that point you will walk Skittles to your car and take her to her new family 20 minutes from my place. Then return holding just a leash. The story will be that Skittles broke free of the leash and took off. At this point prepare for crying, things being thrown at you, and possibly cursing. My kids are young and dramatic, their girls.

Pay will be $500. The job will take roughly 2 hours at best.

This job is ideal for an actor looking to diversify their role base, or someone who genuinely likes to make children cry. Acting experience is a plus, but not necessary. Please inform me of any prior experience in this kind of situation."

As we enter day two of the strike, news is scarce, hopeful presidential candidates have come out to support the writers and those on strike are turning to Craigslist for new jobs. First off, I'll need to apologize for us not churning out our usual number of posts each day as movie news is pretty slim this week. We're doing the best we can, but don't be surprised if you stumble upon a few random posts as we struggle to come up with content. Oh yes, there are some writers still working. So what's the latest with the strike? Is there a deal yet? And what does Hilary Clinton think of the whole what-to-do? Well, the strike is still ongoing, folks (including writers and actors) were picketing all day yesterday and are expected to do the same today. Here's what Clinton had to say (courtesy of Deadline Hollywood): "I support the Writers Guild's pursuit of a fair contract that pays them for their work in all mediums. I hope the producers and writers will return to the bargaining table to work out an equitable contract that keeps our entertainment industry strong and recognizes the contributions writers make to the success of the industry." Additionally, Barack Obama and John Edwards have both come forward with their support for the writers.

So what are writers doing when they're not on the picket lines? Well, they're on Craigslist looking for new jobs. And it's not just the writers either; check this ad out: "So this is what it has come down to. I am about to become an unemployed executive due to the writers strike. Perhaps my loss is your family's gain. I am a mother of a 5 year old which translates to 5 years nanny experience. I have employed a nanny so I know what's expected." I love the way she finishes her ad: "Email me if you think I might work for your needs. Hopefully we weren't competing for a spec once upon a time." Ha! Nice. Only in LA.

Apart from that ad, there's a couple writers looking to be personal taxis and another ad that claims the WGAW is hiring blacklisted writers to help fill in for late night television shows. In a statement from WGAW President Patric Verrone last night, he said (among other things): "Based on what I saw and heard on the picket lines today, therefore, all bets are off and what we achieve in this negotiation will be a function of how much we are willing to fight to get our fair share of the residuals of the future, no matter how they are delivered." More updates as they come in ...

I've seen weirder ads show up on craigslist, but this one certainly takes the cake for being one of the more pathetic (if it's true). Here's what we know from the ad: A male director (age 33) is looking for a male date to take to a movie premiere in Los Angeles. And based on the following description (provided by the mystery author), it appears to be a fairly big event. He writes, "Yes, there will be celebrities and industry weirdos at the premiere. Yes, there is a big party afterwards. Yes, I really am the director. Yes, it really is a real movie with real celebrities at a real premiere with a red carpet and everything." Really? You don't say.

He goes on to explain that the reason why he's on craigslist looking for a date is because he just recently moved from New York to LA (to make the movie) and he hasn't had time to meet anyone seeing as he's been too busy working "14 hours a day 7 days a week." Of course he lists a bunch of requirements ("not insane," "reasonably intelligent," "clean and sober," "not an actor looking to network") and if you're also a fellow ex-pat New Yorker then that should win you a few extra bonus points. Now, judging from the fact that he's a "director" who doesn't know anyone in LA, that he calls this premiere a "once in a lifetime event," and that he's actually looking to take someone he met on craigslist -- chances are he's either a first-timer premiering some indie film or a real moron. Ooohh ... is it Michael Bay?! Well, Bay is 42, not 33, but I wouldn't put it past him to lie. Then again, that guy's ego is way too big for something like craigslist.

Slashfilm points out that it might be George Ratliff (38) who's indie flick Joshua (filmed entirely in NYC) is due out July 6. Yes, he's 38, but the ad calls for someone between the ages of 25 and 40 (which means he may be fibbing a bit on the age to throw off his identity). Or -- and here's a gigantic leap -- the entire thing could be fake; just some jackass talking himself up so that he can meet a handsome young male. You be the judge, and feel free to take some guesses as to who this mystery man could be.

This week on Eat My Shorts, we're going to do a little something different. Instead of coming up with a theme and finding a few short films that relate to it, I figured we would talk more about the vast resources available online for people interested in creating their own shorts.

While I'm definitely no expert, I've been involved in the making of a few short films and I'd like to offer this as my first piece of advice: Don't waste money on stupid things. Budget isn't everything. Lighting is a nice touch, but it's nowhere near as important as, say, your story and cast. Another key aspect in filmmaking is coverage. As defined by Wikipedia: "Camera coverage, in filmmaking, is the amount of film footage shot and different camera setups used in filming a scene. When editing, the more coverage shot means that there is more footage the editor can work with in assembling the final cut." Trust me on this one folks -- coverage is everything. Shoot the crap out of your film. In the end, while your day may be longer, you will be that much happier once you hit the editing room.

As always, feel free to keep sending me your shorts ... so long as I can watch them online. When it comes to a short film, any exposure is good exposure, and I'm always looking for something to watch. Please send all links, tips and suggestions to shorts AT cinematical DOT com. Okay, let's go talk some shorts ...