Living In Oblivion - Tom DiCillo

10:19 AM |

"The film is really a love/hate letter about the mechanics of filmmaking. I love this business but at times it really does feel that the entire process of making a film is designed to drive you into an insane asylum. Just when some miraculous moment is blossoming to life in front of you the camera screws up and that fragile, fleeting glimmer of beauty is gone. Of course the opposite is also true. But on a no-budget film the 'unhappy accidents' can drop you to your knees."

- Tom DiCillo

The entire film is based off of DiCillo's own nightmarish experience as an independent film maker. Many of the scenarios DiCillo depicts are hilarious from a third party standpoint but I can only image how trying it would of been to experience even one of the numerous mishaps that take place on the set within Living In Oblivion let alone back to back.

It seems right that a film about a no-budget film would have no budget. If it is the feel and look of a no-budget film you are going after you have to deal with the constraints of not having any money. I wonder since this is a meta-film about making a film if it got confusing on set when 2 different people are saying action for two different crews. That must of been an issue DiCillo did not foresee in pre-production.

I have been on the screw for two shorts films at Rowan University and in some ways can relate to this film. Specifically the sound guy. That is my job and what I love to do. But one take someone's phone goes off, another someone sneezes and the worst thing of all is being quiet for room tone. What a great scene when the cast and crew are standing there being quiet for tone. DiCillo did a perfect job at portraying what goes on inside everyone's head. Each person wonders off for thirty seconds or more in complete silence, or air conditioning hum. Someone is holding in a sneeze as someone else shuffles their foot and the sound guy shoots a stabbing glare their way. "Don't you dare make a sound!" gets communicated in less time then it takes to blink an eye. DiCillo loves film but at times can also hate it. Buscemi's character represents DiCillo and when he drifts off to the award ceremony the audience and every knows that deep inside DiCillo really loves the films. It is an art form where the beauty of something can sometimes be crafted but does not shine until it is on screen for the world to see... if the camera guy caught it on film. If not the "fleeting glimmer of beauty is gone" forever.