Past Events at the Grand Central Art Center
10-11-02
Michael W. Dean
D.I.Y. OR DIE: HOW TO SURVIVE AS AN INDEPENDENT ARTIST
2002, Un-rated, 55 Minutes,
"D.I.Y. or DIE" is a 55-minute documentary depicting the methods and motivations of independent American artists in various genres and mediums- a celebration of the Underdog. A collection of portraits and profiles from a fascinating group of underground icons and overlooked unknowns working in various media including print, film, graphic art, performance art, and music. The two-dozen interviewees are all true mavericks that operate outside of any "studio system", are beholden to no one, and produce influential and quality art regardless of a continuous paycheck.CRITERIA
Our basic requirement for inclusion is that all subjects meet at least
three of the following:
1. They do something very unique.
2. They've influenced many
people in their respective medium.
3. They make a living at art.
4. They impress the heck out of us.
UNIQUE FACTOR
A main difference between this and other arts documentaries is that the people included are given face time based on what they say rather than who they are. The unknowns are given equal weight with the famous interviewees.Everyone shouts from an equal ground.
Dermott Petty
Paddy Takes A Meeting
Orange County Writer/Director Inspired By Real Life Experiences
IRVINE, Calif. – Independent film writer and director Dermott Petty has released his newest short film, “Paddy Takes a Meeting.” Inspired by Petty’s various real life experiences with movie-making moguls, “Paddy Takes a Meeting” combines the nuances of the entertainment industry with the historical significance of the epic war of 11th Century Ireland against Viking invaders. The result is a comedic and satirical blend of filmmaking, which cleverly reveals the lack of relevance that Hollywood and the corporate world attribute to small nations such as Ireland.
‘Paddy Takes a Meeting’ is a story of an aspiring screenwriter’s dream being decided, and then tragically manipulated, all in the span of the most important 10-minute meeting of his life," said Petty. "Although our protagonist Paddy McNulty is confident with his script, he trepidly goes into a meeting industry bigwig B.P Mogul. What follows are Mogul’s twisted interpretations and misunderstanding of history, taking viewers through everything from Celtic Kung Fu to an Irish Nazi regime.?
Petty and his production crew represent a ragged bunch of individuals committed to making Orange County a hotbed of film-making. That isn’t to say that "Paddy Takes a Meeting" didn’t pose some unique filmmaking challenges.
"One of the first difficulties we encountered was trying to scout a location in Southern California that resembled Ireland,? explained Petty. ?In Ireland it rains quite a bit and is rather green. In Orange County the sun shines all the time and the terrain lacks the green lushness of Ireland.? Ironically, after an extensive search, the ideal shooting location materialized in Petty’s own back yard?literally less than a thousand yards from his apartment in Costa Mesa.
Finding authentic medieval Irish costumes added another layer of difficulty. This problem appeared to solved…at least up until the last minute when the contracted designer clearly missed the mark. “Fortunately, Orange County has quite a few Halloween costume stores,” recalls Petty.
