ON THE LOT
Episode 16
The Finale

Fourteen weeks and here we are.
So Will the Family Man drives off to the gates of Dreamworks, where Steven Spielberg waits with the keys to his new office.
Yes, that final scene may have smacked of anti-climax (these guys really don't know how to play up the drama), but the idea was nonetheless wicked. I mean, this is Steven Spielberg, who directed great stuff we grew up on. Will’s just been let into that great big sandbox to play with the big kids. How sweet is that? (I just hope Will’s got some shark repellent, `cause that sandbox ain’t exactly the safest place on Earth.)
At this point, I’m really curious what film Will is gonna make with that $1 million development deal.
And hey, Adam. I’m waiting to see your stuff too, dude.

Now, curious thing: Adrianna kept on stressing “winner of On The Lot 2007,” as if we could look forward to another season of OtL. Considering the show’s low ratings, I honestly thought this would be it. And who knows, maybe it is.
But if they do come back for more, I say, “Bring it on.”

I mean, this is honestly a good idea in theory. Considering there’s that new breed of bland A-list directors are out there at the moment, it’s good to get fresh blood out to La-La Land, and over the course of a season, you can get to see just how creative these young turks can get.
Of course, in the end, the winner is crowned by popular vote, so you could still get the safest, most conventional director of the lot, but still, all the other contestants get their stuff out on national television and hopefully, can attract the eye of other Hollywood bigwigs.
And no matter who wins, the votes will always come in handy. At the very least, Dreamworks can tell which contestants have got the public’s eye. The votes are also a good barometer of what the public likes to see. If, for example, the number of votes were highest during, say, Horror Night, then it could be safe to say people want to see scary sh!t in the multiplexes. So it’s a reality show and market research all in one go.

A sophomore season could also be a chance for the production crew behind the show to get it right. Even for those who stuck with OtL from start to finish (like yours truly), I think it’s an accepted fact that the show itself has got a lot of room for improvement.

Well, it’s been an interesting ride, and at the very least, the show gave me a number of new names to watch out for.
Let’s see if Will can deliver…

(Contestant image courtesy of thelot.com.)

ON THE LOT
Episode 15
The Final Three

Sam. Dude.
Like Andrew and Zach, I’ll be keeping my eye out for you.
And “Replication Theory” still rocks.

So we’ve got the Final Three, and for that crucial final vote, they each chose two shorts from everything they’ve directed for the show: Jason chose “Eternal Waters” and “Sweet,” Will chose “Glass Eye” and “The Yes Men,” and Adam chose “Dough: The Musical” and “Army Guy.” (See my past reviews in the Archive for my reactions to them after their first runs.)
For those of you who’ve been following my reviews of the show’s shorts, you’ll know that I’m rooting for two of these guys, but based on the choices tonight, Adam takes the cake, since both his picks were Favorites of mine during their respective premieres (and “Dough” is pretty much a stand-out from the entire competition).
But of course, what do I know?
I mean, Jason’s got that whole country boy thing going, and Will’s the family man. (And let’s face it, in these sort of reality competition shows, image and personality count too.) It really is anyone’s ball game, and next week should prove interesting.

(Contestant images courtesy of thelot.com.)

ON THE LOT
Episode 13
Road Night

Well, that was a shock.
I was scared one of my favorites would go home tonight, but I didn’t think it would be Andrew.
And he was in the bottom two with Zach! Another shocker.
I’m really bummed to see Andrew go, and I’ll never quite forget the drunken aliens from “Spaced Out.”
Here’s hoping the right people are watching On The Lot and give Andrew the break he deserves.
I’ll be keeping my eye out for you, dude.

You know the drill…

MY FAVORITE: Will Bigham’s “Road Rage 101”
A guy stuck in traffic takes it out on his car… then his car takes it out on him.
Is it just me or is the caliber of the work going down as we head into the home stretch? This was the only really good short tonight. Will’s choice of shots and editing are spot on, and the cars all coming together in musical union was an interesting (and chilling) note in this excellent entry.

Sam Friedlander’s “Backseat Driving Test”
A son gets back at his backseat driving mom by getting some expert help.
Unlike Carrie Fisher, I don’t think this is Sam’s best; in my books, that would be “Replication Theory.”
I mean, this one’s funny, sure, but we spend too much time preoccupied with the driving stunts, and the punchline is kind’a what you’d expect.

Adam Stein’s “Driving Under The Influence”
A guy gets a second-hand car, cheap, only to find out that the radio makes anyone who hears it, dance.
So Adam gave us “Dance Man” and “Dough: The Musical” (still your best, dude, and like Sam’s “Replication Theory,” definitely one of the best of the entire competition’s shorts). What does he do tonight? Give us more of the same, but bigger.
Of course, if we’ve learned anything from Hollywood, it’s that bigger isn’t necessarily better. (Look at any random sampling of sequels.)
Sure, we’ve got lots of dancing extras here, but in getting that large production number on the screen, Adam lost the charm that was so evident in his former, smaller, and far better work.

Zach Lipovsky’s “Bonus Feature Two”
And speaking of sequels…
We follow the adventures of the couple from Zach’s limp entry from last week, as they’re accosted by… pirates.
Errrr…
Granted, unlike many a sequel, this one is actually better than the original. But then again, the original was easily Zach’s worst short in the competition. (And he ended up in the bottom two because of it.)
I commend Zach for not lying to us when he said “To Be Continued Next Week,” but still. I understand Carrie’s frustration. Zach’s a whole lot better than this.
You gotta wonder, was Zach planning ahead when he had the DVD player in a car last week, so he could have a sequel this week, with the “Road Night” motif? But there was a reason why “Bonus Feature” was in the bottom two. So to follow up a short that nearly got him eliminated with this…
And pirates?!
Using elements that are currently cool on the pop culture radar is not a surefire thing; take a look at what superheroes did for Andrew. (And take a look at the trouble Mark Burnett is having with the dreadfully-titled Pirate Master.)
Snap out of it, Zach!

MY UN-FAVORITE: Jason Epperson’s “The Move”
Jerry O’Connell is conflicted about driving off with a bunch of furniture, only to leave the stuff (and a little surprise) out in the forest.
Jason took last week’s Box Office champ, and got O’Connell, but wastes him in this pointless exercise that feels like really really bad M. Night Shyamalan; you think one thing is happening, only to get a reveal that tells you that you were wrong.
The thing is, this reveal was a pretty lame one.
Oh, and look, my Un-Favorite category is back… Thanx a bunch, Jason.

Tonight, we get two guest judges, Penny Marshall, pinch-hitting for her bro (who’s apparently busy with Happy Days: The Musical), and Gary Ross. Pleasantville’s a personal favorite, so this was a treat for me.

Next week: shorts based on the winner of the On The Lot logline challenge: a man wakes up in a dress, but can’t remember the night before.
Cross-dressing hi-jinx galore!

(Contestant image courtesy of thelot.com; Penny Marshall image courtesy of es.movies.yahoo.com; Gary Ross image on the set of Seasbiscuit courtesy of kids.yahoo.com.)

ON THE LOT
Episode 12
Comedy Night

So Kenny and Mateen are sent home and we’re down to a half dozen, with three more weeks to go.
And without further ado…

MY FAVORITE: Will Bigham’s “Unplugged”
In an office locked up for the night, two table lamps fall in love…
Will takes a concept you might normally see in a CGI short and makes it work in live action.

Adam Stein’s “Girl Trouble”
A dude finally gets lucky… with a dude.
The performances help sell this one, and the American Beauty bit was a hoot and a half.

Andrew Hunt’s “Keep Off Grass”
A superhero couple argue in an innocent bystander’s backyard.
Fun idea, though the couple may have spent a little too much time arguing verbally. I mean, that’s what normal people who don’t fly do.

Sam Friedlander’s “American Hoe”
A couple deep in wedding preparations get into an argument over the stamps for their invites.
Fun and funny, Sam makes this involving even if it is just two normal, non-flying people in a room. I could’ve asked for a better punchline though.

Zach Lipovsky’s “The Bonus Feature”
The bonus feature on the DVD player of a guy’s car zaps a couple into a number of very familiar situations.
This basically just bounces us around from movie to movie, and for Zach to deliver his weakest short in the competition thus far at this late stage is troubling. Maybe the pressure’s just gotten to the wiz kid. I’m hoping this is an aberration, and not a fatal misstep.

MY LEAST FAVORITE: Jason Epperson’s “Old Home Boyz”
A man at his 50th anniversary reunion with his former high school classmates has a dance-off over the girl that got away.
This one got the judges, though it really didn’t get me; I realize Jason knows how to please the crowd, but he’s just not pushing my buttons.
Of course, maybe it’s just that me and hip-hop aren’t exactly close.

Having gone on the record with my rundown tonight, I’ll be nonetheless surprised if Jason’s sent home, as I get the feeling he’s got a lot of the voting public in his pocket. We’re down to six contestants, five of whom I like, so next episode is the first that could genuinely make me feel bad when the elimination is announced.

Next week: shorts about the American’s love for the automobile. (Can anyone say, “Ford is a sponsor of the show”?)
Additionally, the box office winner from tonight’s batch gets Jerry O’Connell to star in their next short.

Tonight’s guest judge: Brad Silberling; see reVIEW (10).

(Contestant image courtesy of thelot.com; Brad Silberling image courtesy of dvdtoile.com.)

ON THE LOT
Box Office Results 1

It alarms me that all 3 of my Un-Favorites from last night survived the cut. (Is this where my personal tastes diverge from those of the American viewing/voting public?)
It doubly alarms me that Phil Hawkins was sent home. “Please Hold” may not have been on my Favorites short list, but it looked great and was still pretty funny, funnier than the shorts of some of the other directors who squeezed through to the next round. Does this actually mean “Wacky Alley Cab” or “Bus #1” was funnier in the eyes of the voting public? Errr…

I also thought Claudia La Bianca’s “Blind Date” was visually interesting, so it’s odd that she went home, when other shorts (like, ahem, “Bus #1”) weren’t particularly inspired as far as their visuals were concerned.

And though I did love Marty Martin’s “The Big Bad Heist,” placing him alongside Carolina de San Martin just made the fact that he submitted a trailer instead of a short film with an actual story seem like a glaring, unfair oversight. De San Martin’s “Deliver Me” may not have been the funniest short, but at least it displayed a single situation, as opposed to a bunch of cool money shots (which is really what a trailer is all about).
But hey, Marty, “The Big Bad Heist” was great. Really. “24 angry little ninjas.” Classic.
Boiling it down to you and Carolina in front of the television audience was in all probability the producer’s choice, so we’re all good.

On the other side of the coin, only one of my favorites (Zach Lipovsky’s “Danger Zone”) was in the top 3. The other two were Will Bigham’s “Lucky Penny” and Jason Epperson’s “Getta Rhoom.”
I enjoyed the former, so that’s cool, but Epperson’s “nerd” really did seem off the mark. I just hope that Epperson can come up with better stuff in the next challenge.

Which is what I also hope the 3 directors on my Un-Favorites short list last night—Jessica Brillhart, Hilary Graham, and Kenny Luby—do as well. Based on the comedy shorts, I honestly think Phil Hawkins is a better director than either Graham or Luby; Brillhart is arguable, as I have a feeling I haven’t seen what she’s really capable of yet.

So on that note, here’s the final 15:

Adam Stein, 29, freelance film editor, born in Miami, FL, currently living in Los Angeles
Andrew Hunt, 31, promo producer from Minneapolis, MN, raised in Pittsburgh, PA
David May, 23, admissions counselor living in Santa Ana, CA, but grew up in Aurora, CO
Hilary Graham, 37, stay-at-home wife and mom who lives in Francestown, NH, and raised in Chelmsford, MA
Jason Epperson, 30, owner of film production company, born and raised in Winchester, KY
Jessica Brillhart, 22, computer specialist, grew up in York, PA, currently living in Brooklyn, NY
Kenny Luby, 28, freelance director and painter, born and raised in Owego, NY
Marty Martin, 26, creative director of a multimedia company, born and raised in Seattle, WA
Mateen Kemet, 41, teacher, currently living in Los Angeles, CA, raised in the Bronx, NY
Sam Friedlander, 28, web producer, living in Santa Monica, CA, raised in Westchester, NY
Shalini Kantayya, 30, freelance director, raised in Hartford, CT, currently living in Brooklyn, NY
Shira-Lee Shalit, 38, acting teacher, born in Johannesburg, South Africa, now living in New York
Trever James, 24, film editor, currently living in Los Angeles, CA, and raised in Great Falls, MT
Will Bigham, 31, film editor, originally from Canyon, TX, currently living in Glendale, CA
Zach Lipovsky, 23, special effects editor from Vancouver, BC, Canada

And before I go, I have to ask, would it kill Adrianna to announce, “Next week, on On The Lot…”?
I mean, part of the fun of American Idol is the anticipation of, “Can Contestant X handle Disco Night?” or “How will Contestant Y do an Elvis?” As it is, I’m in the dark as to what’s coming next, and I can’t even seem to find that information on the website. (Or am I looking in all the wrong places?)

(Contestant images courtesy of thelot.com.)

ON THE LOT
Auditions Round 1

Opening with one of those interview montages Oscar loves so much, we get to hear some of the 50 would-be contestants of this reality show, as they talk about why they love movies so much, and this is the sort of effective intro sequence that hooks your audience. As one of them says, everyone loves to watch movies.
So, yeah, seeing the boulder roll after Harrison Ford, that was a Movie Moment, and we’ve all had that, whether it was with Raiders of the Lost Ark, or some other treasured film of our perpetual youth.
Sometimes, it isn’t just the movie that sears itself into your brain; sometimes, it’s the experience too. The anticipation of the night before, the trip to the theatre, the standing in line for the ticket; all this melds into one seamless memory of that movie.
All this is successfully conveyed in On The Lot’s opening, as is the reality that here are 50 dreams, 49 of which will be basically dashed by the end of this season.
And yes, other dreams may emerge over the course of the show, new opportunities present themselves, but let’s face it: 49 of these people taking the Universal tour will not get the dream that is inside their heads at this precise moment in time. But then again, that’s the nature of the beast that is reality television, and On The Lot has the potential to follow in Project Runway’s footsteps, in being that rare reality competition show about creative people where the audience can actually see what the judges are making pronouncements on (as opposed, say, to all those chef shows where someone at home can’t really taste the food, can they?).

And speaking of the judges…
Garry Marshall. Cool. He’s done some funny stuff, but I think more importantly, he seems (like his sister Penny) to be a really funny individual who doesn’t exude an air of Hollywood pretension.
Carrie Fisher. Way cool. I mean, Princess Leia. Come on! And, post-Star Wars, she proved she was an excellent writer (for the printed page and the screen).
And then there’s Brett Ratner. Wha?!
Note that they were introduced as Hollywood “legends” (or something to that effect).
Brett. Ratner.
Let’s just leave it at that, shall we?

At any rate, the first episode shows just how insane this show can be: the first challenge, given one of five loglines*, you’re to come up with a pitch for a feature-length film overnight, and present it to the judges the following day.
On very little or no sleep, the 50 finalists (from a field of over 12,000, from 33 countries) go through their pitches, and there are the overconfident ones, the hyperactive ones, the nervous one, the ones who are just all over the map.
14 don’t make it through, and for the 36 left, they’re told to form groups of three for the next challenge: write the script for, shoot, and edit a 2 and a half-minute short film… in 24 hours.
Insane!

And though it’s at that early stage of a reality show where you’re still getting a feel for the contestants** (harder still with shows of this sort where you’re privy to the preliminary elimination rounds, when there are far too many contestants to keep track of), I will say that they interestingly decide to present the second challenge and show us the initial part of it (ego clashes, two crews attempting to shoot at the same location at the same time), before coming to the end of the show, thus leaving the audience with a cliffhanger of sorts.
For a premiere episode, it’s got enough of a hook to make me come back for round 2, and though not as cleverly shot and edited as Project Runway, it kicks off to a promising start.

* Personally, my favorite one was the one where a man is watching television, when on the news, his picture is flashed on the screen, and he is reported to be either missing or wanted.

** There are of course, the ones who were focused on who actually got through the first round: Andrew Hunt (confident pitch) and Will Bigham (pointed out by Ratner as having very commercial ideas). Still too early for me to say whether I’d bet on either of these two guys, though Hunt did have a particularly strong and effective pitch delivery.

(Images courtesy of fromscripttodvd.com [Marshall], schwartzmanpr.com [Fisher], and yahoo.eonline.com [Ratner].)