View: the common Cell Phone could lead to more and better Poker Movies.
I have read that with the improved quality of cell phones, a feature film could actually be made using a high quality cell phone. In fact, famous director Steven Soderbergh who directed "Erin Brockovich" and Oceans 11, 12, and 13, has made 2 features totally with an iPhone 8 cell phone. One of those movies is called "High Flying Bird". Another feature movie made with only a cell phone is called "9 Rides". That film was shot in less than a week using an iPhone 6 in 4K quality. This method of filming could be great news for screenplays like mine.
Some of you know that I have written a poker themed screenplay that has won 3 honors in various film festival screenwriting contests. I have tried to go the Hollywood route but it’s very difficult for a new writer without connections and not living in California to break into that arena. And it’s especially difficult now with Hollywood never having fully recovered from Covid and also changing audience tastes that has hurt box office attendance.
But I think the good news now for a poker/gambling themed movie is that gambling entertainment has been exploding across the nation in the last few years. If you would have told me 6 years ago that the NFL and other major sports would be promoting betting on their games I would have thought you were crazy. The times have definitely changed with regard to gambling in this country.
I’ve seen the two movies mentioned above that were made solely with a cell phone and was quite impressed with them. The movie “High Flying Bird” had at least 2 scenes where the light weight cell phone camera was an obvious advantage. In one of those scenes the camera followed an actor as he was walking all around downtown. The lengthy walking downtown scene would have probably cost a fortune to film with standard Hollywood filming techniques and all the film crews required. I was also impressed how good the “9 Rides” film was able to film the interior of a car as it was moving in traffic at night. My screenplay has several (in a moving car) scenes and they could be done very cheaply with a cell phone.
Also my script has several poker tournament scenes. Filming those scenes with a cell phone would allow the phone operator to easily walk from table to table capturing the essence of a big tournament rather than just having a big stationary camera focused on one table. Also my film has location scenes in several places like the desert and Hoover Dam which would be expensive to transport a fim crew to. No big deal if your just using a cell phone.
Sure there are a lot of changes going on in Hollywood today and a lot of people are losing jobs. But this idea of films being made with cell phones opens up tremendous opportunities for people with video making talent that they never had before when the big studios were the gate keepers and access to that industry was extremely restricted.
Heck, nowadays a trust fund kid with a lot of time and good cell phone skills or an investor with a couple hundred thousand could make a feature film. I heard the famous actor/director Orson Wells say in an interview that a cinematographer told him that he could teach Wells everything he needed to know on how to make a movie in 2 days. Wells took him up on his offer and made his first movie ever at 26 yrs. old. The movie was "Citizen Kane" and was generally considered by movie critics of the 60's and 70's as the greatest movie ever made. Not bad for a 26 yr. old kid who never made a movie before.
Will this new environment in filmmaking lead to an increase in new movies made outside the expensive Hollywood system of old? Only time will tell I guess. But I know of one multi-honored poker themed screenplay that is out there for the person with 1) access to a decent amount of funds, 2) the talent, 3) the energy, and 4) good video/cell phone skills. Anyone who believes they might have what it takes, or knows someone who might, can take the first step and message me. Let’s give the gambling world, and the world in general, that one great poker themed movie we know is possible.
On a side note, I will post in this thread 3 full pages of my copyrighted script 2 weeks from today. For the record those pages have never been shown before on the web.
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Above I mentioned that the feature film "9 Rides" was filmed entirely with a iPhone 6 Cell phone. Some of you might be interested in some of the trailers of that film;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66jY579U...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSbqZdcv...
I mentioned that my script had several (in moving car) scenes. It would seem logical to conclude that the visuals of Vegas at night would be somewhat more interesting than those shown in the above film.
If this is a View, shouldn’t it be moved to NVG, where it would probably get more feedback, and would definitely raise the current quality of discussion there?
Do hope this screenplay is produced.
Nobody loves you in NVG, but hold tight -- we'll have the script doctored and ready to go in no time. You can start helping us by identifying these three key elements:
Who will play the hot chicks in party dresses;
What kind of vehicles are in the car chases, and how many; and,
How original and violent are the sight gags?
Don't worry about dialog--we don't need it yet, if we need it at all.
TIA, tl;dr
Nobody loves you in NVG, but hold tight -- we'll have the script doctored and ready to go in no time. You can start helping us by identifying these three key elements:Who will play the hot chicks in party dresses;What kind of vehicles are in the car chases, and how many; and,How original and violent are the sight gags?Don't worry about dialog--we don't need it yet, if we need i
No hot chicks in party dresses, just hot chicks in bikinis. Megan Fox and Sofia Vergara would be good in the roles.
No car chases, but there is a speeding car on a desert road, and someone jumping out of a car on the Vegas Strip.
No violent sight gags. But there is one tourist souvenir, an Elvis "all shook up" snow globe.
And yes this is a poker themed movie . Anybody have an iPhone 6 and a decent amount of funds so they can make it.
What would happen if you typed your script into AI and had it generate the images and dialog? I know dick about AI but this is something that seems possible. I imagine you would have to be pretty savvy at prompting exactly what you want.
I think we will see a whole bunch of self made AI projects soon and some of them will probably be pretty good. Some kid with a computer and an idea will be the next Spielberg and never set foot in Hollywood.
I think you would have to do a little (lot?) of AI study and playing around with it for a while. My first step would be to ask AI that question 😀
You could recreate A Big Hand For The Little Lady where Tiffany Michelle flashes her hand to Texas Mike and he transfers some crypto to her.
Well I said I would post some of the screenplay. There's a lot of poker in the script but I'd rather not post the poker stuff because it might give away too much about the story.
Anyway in the following post I’ve included 3 pages of the actual script.
The following is an excerpt from the copyrighted screenplay “Vegas Knights”. It should be noted that this story takes place in the year 2005 (the height of the worldwide poker boom).
EXT. LAS VEGAS STRIP - BRAD’S CAR - Dusk
Brad and Gary are now stuck in HEAVY STRIP TRAFFIC.
GARY
Man, what’s with this traffic.
BRAD
Oh, ****, I forgot, that big computer convention starts tomorrow.
GARY
Damn, that’s right... we should of went down Paradise.
Gary and Brad show their frustration. [NOTE: During these huge conventions you sometimes have to wait 5 or 6 light rotations to get through a Strip traffic light.] Gary sees a MARQUIS on a small casino. It reads “All Bottled Beer 99 cents”.
GARY
We’ll be here for 10 minutes. I’m gonna to run in there real quick and grab a beer.
BRAD
Well hurry up; this line might move.
Gary gets out of the car and JOGS into the SMALL CASINO. He goes to the bar and gets a BOTTLED BEER. He takes a SWIG, then goes to the street entrance. He sees that Brad hasn’t moved an inch. He goes back inside, drinking his beer along the way. He goes to the CRAPS TABLE, gets a $5 bill from his pocket and throws it on the table.
GARY
(to craps dealer)
$5 on the Field.
DEALER
Money plays 5 on the Field.
The dice thrower throws a 12 (which pays double)and Gary wins $10. The dealer takes the $5 bill and gives Gary 3 red $5 chips. Gary thinks a second and puts the 3 red chips on the Field again. The dice thrower throws a 2.
DEALER
Snake Eyes! Pay the Field double...
(Gary wins $30)
GARY
Guys, I hate to hit and run but
I really gotta go.
He tosses a $5 chip on the table.
GARY
5 for the boys on “Any Seven”.
The dice thrower throws a 7 and the dealers win a $25 TIP. Gary chuckles, and the DEALERS THANK HIM. Gary heads for the street exit. Just before exiting, he glances at a BLACKJACK TABLE that has a BEAUTIFUL BLONDE DEALER. The pretty dealer smiles at him; Gary smiles back and heads for the exit. When Gary reaches the exit he stops, turns around, and looks at the blonde dealer again. He then looks out to the STREET and sees BRAD’S CAR has only moved a short distance. He goes to the blackjack table. He thinks a beat, and puts his eight $5 chips into one of the circles.
GARY
(to dealer)
Play ‘em all.
The dealer counts the chips and turns to her pit boss.
DEALER
(to pit boss)
Checks play, $40.
The pit boss nods OK. The dealer wishes Gary good luck. There is one other player at the table, a black male about 40. The pretty dealer deals the black player a blackjack and he reacts happily. She then deals Gary a king and a queen which makes 20.
GARY
Alright!!
The dealer pays the black player his winnings and Gary stands pat with his 20. The dealer has a 2 showing as her up card. She flips over her other card and it is an ace. She now has a total of 3 or 13. She flips over another deuce which makes a 5 or 15. Gary is very anxious as the dealer flips over a king which gives her a 15. Gary can barely stand it as she flips over a 6 which gives her the dreaded 21.
GARY
Shiiittt!
DEALER
Oh, that was a tough one.
Gary looks at the dealer with contempt.
GARY
Yeah, that was a freakin’ tough
one alright! ... ****! ...
Gary shakes his head in disbelief. He angrily grabs his beer.
GARY
(totally disgusted)
Thanks for the memories, hun.
Gary storms off and goes outside. He sees that Brad’s car has moved about 50 yards. He begins to RUN ON THE SIDEWALK, BUMPING INTO TOURISTS along the way. He reaches BRAD’S CAR, and gets in. Brad notices Gary looks upset.
BRAD
...How much did ya lose?
GARY
$5, big freakin’ deal!
BRAD
You look pretty upset for losing $5 ...
GARY
I don't know man-- it's just this losin’ streak I’ve been on.
Ya know one of these days we ought to blow this town- move to Idaho or somewhere..
