Ryan Strandjord

Doomtree – Beacon

prescriptionhappiness — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 04:59:33 +0000

A good friend of mine, Sergio Rapu, was producing a Doomtree music video this week and like all good friends should do he was working to get me involved. My day job kept me from playing a more significant role in the shoot, but I was able to drop in Friday night for a few hours to shoot some behind-the-scenes footage.

The location was the Schmidt Brewery in Saint Paul, and what a gorgeous place to shoot in! It looks like it hasn’t been used for 50 years, and has tons of rooms and industrial spaces to use. There were at least 2-3 rooms in play at all times. While they were shooting in one, another two rooms would have people littered about setting them up. They even had a second unit crew wandering around the place with an LED light and DSLR shooting footage.

It was also quite interesting to see Bo Hakala, the director/DP moving about a resetting lights all the time. It’s pretty unusual to have a director take such a hands on approach, but Bo being the perfectionist he is I guess it’s not that strange. In the background of a section with P.O.S. they had several cans of dry ice producing steam and all kinds of flames. They even blasted him with giant fans blowing freezing cold air!

The highlight of the shoot though had to be Dessa rigged up and spinning eight feet off the ground. It was quite an ordeal to get her rigged and in the air, and I was very much impressed with the professionalism of the rigging crew. They did everything they could to make sure she was comfortable during the shots, and she performed phenomenally well.

Looking forward to diving into the footage and cutting a short piece. I got to interview P.O.S and Dessa on a few occasions. Also snagged a number of shots of director/DP Bo Hakala deep in thought and running into problems, which is always nice in videos like this! People like drama, and they sure had their fair share on this shoot, but in the end the footage they got looked amazing and I’m really looking forward to seeing the final video.

The 7-Shot Symphony

prescriptionhappiness — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 04:17:54 +0000

I had the great pleasure of working with Live Action Set to create two trailers for their show 7-Shot Symphony. I watched the show a few times beforehand on my computer, but being there for a live performance was an entirely different experience. Most of my focus was on operating the camera, yet the raw emotion of the actors and their stories were something I couldn’t close out. They’re taking the show on the road to the southeastern part of the US and after their tour they’ll be performing a few times again in MN. I’m very much looking forward to the opportunity to see the show as an audience member. This is without a doubt a show you don’t want to miss.

Many thanks to Joanna Harmon, the Executive Director of Live Action Set. She was the one who first got me involved with the project, and provided a great amount of guidance and support as this video came together.

A Trailer of a Different Kind

prescriptionhappiness — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 06:52:29 +0000

Last night I had the pleasure of video taping a performance of The 7 Shot Symphony. They were putting on a performance fundraiser at the Loring Theater before their upcoming tour of the show next month. I’ve been in touch with their Executive Director Joanna Harmon about some other projects, and when she mentioned they were looking for someone to tape this performance I jumped at the opportunity. They performed their Lord of the Rings in 9 Minutes at our Award Show for the Minneapolis 48 Hour Film Project, and knowing how great that was I figured The 7 Shot Symphony would be terrific as well.

It was, and so much more. Stay tuned for the finished trailers soon.

Let’s get VEGUCATED!

prescriptionhappiness — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 01:33:10 +0000

I’ll be hosting the Minneapolis premiere of Vegucated at the Riverview Theater on Monday November 7th at 7pm. Vegucated is an award-winning documentary that follows three meat- and cheese-loving New Yorkers who agree to adopt a vegan diet for six weeks. Lured by tales of weight lost and health regained, they begin to uncover the hidden sides of animal agriculture that make them wonder whether solutions offered in films like Food, Inc. go far enough. This accessible, entertaining documentary showcases the rapid and at times comedic evolution of three people who share one journey and ultimately discover their own paths in creating a kinder, cleaner, greener world, one bite at a time.

Writer-director Marisa Miller Wolfson and producer Demetrius Bagley will be in attendance for a post-screening Q&A. Edibles from the film’s sponsor So Delicious will be passed out before and after the movie, and Ryan will be encouraging everyone to observe Meatless Mondays throughout November. You can learn more at the film’s website or at the Facebook event page.

this making movies sh*t ain’t so glamorous

prescriptionhappiness — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 20:56:28 +0000

Some people think filmmaking is glamorous. Anyone who has made a film knows that the vast majority of the time, it’s not. Bottom line, it’s really really hard work.

I recently emailed a friend of mine about a project I’m working on. I kept my message short because I know he’s on location producing a feature film. I thought his email exemplified the insanity one has to put themselves through in order to pursue this dream:

can’t quite describe the amount of work i’m piled under at this moment/every moment.

you’re welcome to say you have my support. i never sign anything without giving serious attention to it first and i can’t give that now/don’t know when i’ll be able to.

first i need to get this shit insured/not sleep/not spend any more money/appease SAG/not sleep/find a way to get an 80,000 cam and lens package for a measly fraction of that/coordinate about 600 moving parts and people and so forth in a harmonious way/not sleep/make some tea/not sleep some more.

if there’s a single free moment i’ll read and give proper attention to this but right now i’m practicing the utmost negligence by even breaking to write this email.

apologies/well wishes/i may just nap for the first two months i’m back in mn/this making movies shit ain’t so glamorous.

Dream Big

prescriptionhappiness — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 06:14:33 +0000

This article (SUNDANCE: Why Paramount Paid $4 Million for ‘Like Crazy’) is nearly a year old, but the film it’s about, is still an unknown in most circles around the country. I believe that will change in most sectors once the film is released in theaters later this month. The film was made for $250,000 (financed by Minnesota Vikings owner Zygi Wilf) and premiered at Sundance earlier this year. Within 16 hours of the screening Paramount acquired the worldwide rights for $4 million. Don’t believe me? Click on the article link above.

The film was shot on a Canon 7D, which in many ways has become the new staple for independent filmmaking. While the size of the budget and relative cheapness of the equipment involved will conjure up delusions of grandeur in filmmakers around the country, I hope people remember that the screenplay is paramount (no pun intended). I saw the film at the recent Twin Cities Film Festival and it certainly delivers the goods on that end. Plus having Anton Yelchin and Jennifer Lawrence in the cast gives you a lot of street cred with savvy filmgoers. It’s the relative newcomer though that steals the show in this film, and you can expect to see a lot more from Felicity Jones in the near future.

MTN Interview

prescriptionhappiness — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 14:58:13 +0000

Many thanks to Bill Borea for sitting down and talking with Ulysses Awsumb (producer) and I about our film Prescription Happiness on his MTN show Spectator: Live.

Semi-Finalist at Vail!

prescriptionhappiness — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 16:03:21 +0000

Our screenplay was submitted to the Vail Film Festival a few months back and I recently learned it placed as a semifinalist! Check it here: Vail Film Festival

Directors’ Workshop

prescriptionhappiness — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 05:52:24 +0000

For awhile now I’ve wanted to spend more time working with actors in a relaxed and fun environment. A couple weeks ago I took the first big step in that direction by contacting a group of local directors I know and by sending a notice to a local casting director. We have now set our first meeting for March 13th and I’m VERY excited.

It’s going to be A LOT of work keeping this thing organized, but I’m eager to see where it leads and who will be involved. I’m certain it will be great fun, and surely everyone involved will learn a great deal about acting and directing.

Minneapolis City Producers of the 48HFP!

prescriptionhappiness — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 05:53:32 +0000

Towle Neu and I are the new Minneapolis City Producers of the 48 Hour Film Project! Last year the competition was hosted in over 80 cities worldwide, continuing its place as the largest timed film competition in the world. Minneapolis has traditionally been one of the largest competitors on the tour since 2004. We intend to breath new life into the Minneapolis competition to make it the biggest, baddest competition ever. For the last three years I was the Minneapolis producer of another film competition, and Towle is active with several local film festivals and has led teams in time-based film competitions in the past, including the 48 Hour Film Project. So get ready! The 2011 Minneapolis 48 will be like no other!”