Trying Not To Explode

A short film

[tryingnottoexplode]

Trying Not To Explode

For information about TRYING NOT TO EXPLODE (premiering at the Nashville Film Festival 4/16), visit our facebook page.

[tryingnottoexplode]

We've uploaded our script here for the remainder of our kickstarter campaign. It's a selling point, and we're trying to sell something, so here we are.

That said, the truest way to appreciate what we're working on is to be patient and wait for the finished project. We've taken the liberty of uploading it online for those who are on the fence about backing us--it's really a nice read, and should instill a bit of confidence in the would-be backer.

This should go without saying, but SPOILERS AHEAD.

[tryingnottoexplode]

Storyboards.

[tryingnottoexplode]

Nashville's JS Yeary (http://www.jsyearymusic.com) with another entry to our score search.

[tryingnottoexplode]

Update 4: TNTE Update! (11/15) · Trying Not To Explode

A few updates on our scheduling, profiles of some of our Associate Producer-level backers, and an earnest request that all of you out there let your friends know about the most exciting spontaneous combustion-centric film of all time.

[tryingnottoexplode]

A lovely piano score sample, this one from Daniel Ciurlizza. 

[tryingnottoexplode]

"Favorite name: Mr. Poopypants." -actor Braden Lynch

Name: Braden Lynch

Occupation: Actor

Role: LEONARD

Questions adapted from the Proust Questionnaire.

Your favorite virtue: Humility.

Your favorite qualities in a man: Humility.

Your favorite qualities in a woman: Really?

Your chief characteristic: Are these questions getting redundant, or is it just me?

What you appreciate most in your friends: No, seriously... 

Your main flaw: I'm way, WAY too awesome and attractive.

Your favorite pastime: Contradicting myself.

Your idea of happiness: It’s all attitude. I think a more fun question is, “What’s the happiest you could imagine being?” And to that I would answer, “71 degree temp in the mountains, surrounded by my favorite people, my girlfriend’s arms around me, a Nate Blondes sushi roll in my mouth.” Or something along those lines.

Your idea of misery: Losing my mind.

If not yourself, who would you be? David Attenborough. If you don’t know him, shaaaaaaamme.

Where would you like to live? In a country where everyone is rational, selfless, and funny.

Your favorite color and flower: Booooorrrriiiiiiinng.

Your favorite writer: OOO! OOOO!! Terry Pratchett. Followed closely by Joe Abercrombie and Patrick Rothfuss.

Your favorite poet: I don’t really know any? I could throw a name out from the recesses of my mind to sound cultured, but I couldn’t quote anyone to save my life. I don’t really spring for poetry.

Your favorite heroes in fiction: sounds like you want a description, but I’m gonna say Kvothe in the hopes of throwing you off.

Your favorite heroines in fiction: NOT Katniss. What a whiner.

Your favorite musician: Bobby McFerrin. Again, if all you know of him is “Don’t Worry, Be Happy,” shaaaaaaamme.

Your real-life heroes: I don’t really spring for that either.

What real-life characters do you most dislike?  See the first couple questions and work backwards.

Favorite meal: See the one about happiness. 

Your favorite name: Mr. Poopypants.

What you hate most in the world: This is getting super heavy. Ugh… Okay. Cruelty.

What natural talent you most wish you had: Oh, come on. What the hell is a “natural talent"? I want to talk about this, cuz it’s a bullshit idea that makes some people feel special and others feel like doodoo.

How you’d like to die: I wouldn't.

Your present state of mind: Irreverent.

The fault you tolerate most in others: Incessant questioning.

Your motto: Is it time for pie yet?

[tryingnottoexplode]

Eric Cutshall sent us four samples, each inspired by different scenes. They're all fantastic. Blow up his website: www.eric-cutshall.com

[tryingnottoexplode]

New poster contest entry, courtesy of Robert Calcagno.

[tryingnottoexplode]

Score sample from Matthew Humphrey. Check him out at http://www.matthumphreymusic.com.

[tryingnottoexplode]

Our first score sample, courtesy of Maxwell Sterling.

[tryingnottoexplode]

"I have reasons for admiring this serial murderer." -Ivy Khan, actor

Name: Ivy Khan

Occupation: Actor

Role: JOAN

Questions adapted from the Proust Questionnaire.

Your favorite virtue: Patience.

Your favorite qualities in a man: Humor.

Your favorite qualities in a woman: Humor.

Your chief characteristic: Courage.

What you appreciate most in your friends: Loyalty. Second to that, humor. 

Your main flaw: I tend to see the world through only my eyes.

Your favorite pastime: Let's get serious here: browsing through facebook. But second to that: reading. Walking. Annoying people.

Your idea of happiness: Feeling 100% okay with who I am and where I am in my life.

Your idea of misery: Feeling wary, unsure, unsteady.

If not yourself, who would you be? Keri Russel. cuz I think I may be in love with her. Or, ya know. Jesus.

Where would you like to live? LA is fine right now. But I'd like to live in New York for a bit. 

Your favorite color and flower: Yellow. Snap Dragons. They have jaws, for crying out loud.

Your favorite writer: Raymond Carver, Steinbeck, Jhumpa Lahiri, Toni Morrison

Your favorite poet: Emily Dickinson.

Your favorite heroes in fiction: Quentin (The Sound and The Fury), George (Of Mice and Men) Damien (Damien) Kevin (We Need to Talk About Kevin). That one is a disturbing choice if you're read the book, but I have reasons for admiring this serial murderer.

Your favorite heroines in fiction: Rosa The Beautiful (One Hundred Years of Solitide), Sethe (Beloved), Cathy (East of Eden), Estella (Great Expectations), Dolores (She's Come Undone).

Your favorite musician: Bob Dylan.

Your real-life heroes: My mother. She was simply the best person I've ever known. My boyfriend, Jacob. A truly well-rounded, honest, luminous individual. Women love him and men want to BE him.

What real-life characters do you most dislike?  Posturing braggarts. Completely self-absorbed actors and artists. People trying to cover deep insecurity with evil.

Favorite meal: Pizza. I know it's low brow, but It's just true.

Your favorite name: Lucy

What you hate most in the world: Things that are alive and in pain.

What natural talent you most wish you had: I wish I was a world-class dancer. 

How you’d like to die: Saving someone else.

Your present state of mind: Content.

The fault you tolerate most in others: Constant complaining. 

Your motto: You can't change the past; you can't predict tomorrow. Try your best to live this day as if it was the only day.

[tryingnottoexplode]

Two new poster contest entries, courtesy of Matthew Solomowitz.

Accepting entries until Dec. 1!

[tryingnottoexplode]

CALLING ALL COMPOSERS: TNTE score search

Are you a musician or composer? Do you know a musician or composer? Have you ever considered becoming a musician or composer? Has anyone you know ever considered becoming a musician or composer? Are you aware of the existence of music and composition?

Then you should know about the…

Graphic design by Robert Funke.

TO ENTER:

Send an email to [email protected] with subject “SCORE SEARCH.”

We will reply with a copy of our 10-page script.

Read the script. Ask any questions you have.

Create a piece of music (or multiple pieces)--at least 30 seconds--that represents the direction that you'd take the scoring of this story.

The winner will be our composer, be brought onto the production team, and will receive a "Music Composed By" credit.

ALL ENTRIES will be published on our blog and facebook page, provided they are inoffensive. Heck, we’ll probably also publish some offensive ones.

Entries must be received by December 1. Decision will be made shortly thereafter.

It’s pretty simple. All styles/approaches welcome. We’re making a one-of-a-kind film; we’d like a one-of-a-kind score. We’ll do whatever we can to provide you with any necessary assets.

Send any questions to [email protected].

[tryingnottoexplode]

Set photographer Andy Jordan, writer/producer Robert Funke, and friend of the production John DeBruin took a trip to the desert last weekend.

[tryingnottoexplode]

Hey. Just watched your teaser vid for Trying Not To Explode. I immediately understood the premise, chillingly so. Across 3 years (8-11 y/o), I had recurring hallucinations caused by extreme body temperature. During these seizure-like episodes, I would have a fear as real as anything I knew on this earth of "gravity reversing and being sucked into the sky." The fear of the unknown, what I could only reason, meant being stranded in an infinite abyss that made me shudder, panic, scream, and clutch to the most stable object in the room; at best, the object was my mother. A whole slew of specialists couldn't figure me out. The fear bled into my normal consciousness; physics seemed to support my fear. During my worst and 7th episode, I uttered the hardest words I had ever said, and with no logical expectation of what would happen, I asked my mom to take me outside in the night. Unprotected by the roof above my head, I clung to her as hard as I probably ever have in my 26 years of life. My horrified mother, with no other options, obliged, and miraculously the cold of the winter night brought my body temperature back down. That was the last incident I had. My fear of gravity's reversal soon subsided. In short, I think you have a brilliant movie premise. Does it terrify me? Yes. Am I wildly intrigued? Yes.

A note from an old friend

[tryingnottoexplode]

Our first poster contest entry, from Eric Rosner.