By: David Rookhuyzen
Source: http://tucsoncitizen.com
Category: Film School Online
Rob Gardner’s fairy tale movie just won a happily ever after ending.
Last month Amazon Studios named the Mesa resident’s submission “12 Princesses” as the first winner of its Annual Award in the best test movie category.
In addition to a $1 million cash prize, Gardner’s musical recounting of a classic Grimm Brothers’ tale has a chance of becoming a major motion picture by Warner Bros. Pictures.
Gardner, who wrote, directed and scored his movie, won against 10 semifinalists and five finalists who submitted test movies to Amazon Studios over the past year. Test movies are full-length but low-budget films meant to demonstrate the movie’s potential for development.
It was the catchy music and script of Gardner’s family friendly tale that made it rise aboce the rest, said Roy Price, director of Amazon Studios.
“’12 Princesses’ won for the imaginative, magical world that Gardner was able to create and share with his audience,” Price said.
The movie is based on Gardner’s play of the same name that was commissioned by Mesa Community College for summer 2004.
After the show’s run, Gardner considered turning it into a movie himself, but in the pre-production stage decided it was beyond him. That’s when he heard a story on NPR about Amazon Studios.
“Amazon’s premise is that movie making has changed. It’s better to do a test movie,” Gardner said.
The original version was submitted in June and won the monthly test movie prize. After talking with Amazon Studios and getting feedback on how to improve the script, Gardner submitted a new test movie incorporating the suggestions.
Still, Gardner said he wasn’t expecting to win.
“It was mind blowing. I didn’t let myself think that this was something that could win,” Gardner said.
Gardner is no stranger to performance. In addition to the stage version of “12 Princesses” he wrote “Blackbeard,” a play that ran at the Herberger Theater for four weeks in 2008. He is the president of Spire Music, a non-profit business that produces sacred and inspirational music. At Westwood High School he was a founding member of the seven-man a cappella group 259, which released five albums.
This month he’ll fly to London to record some of his own compositions with the London Symphony Orchestra for the second time in his career.
Gardner majored in business at Brigham Young University in Utah and did graduate work in film music at the University of Southern California’s prestigious School of Cinematic Arts.
Now he will be sitting down with representatives of Warner Bros. to talk about “12 Princesses” as part of a “first look” deal with Amazon Studios. The movie will also continue to be shown on Amazon Studio’s website for feedback.
Price said Amazon Studios will work with Gardner to make tweaks to the movie and test it with audiences. If the development process proves fruitful, Amazon would develop “12 Princess” into a feature film, Price said.
Gardner said he’s not getting his hopes up too high about seeing “12 Princesses” on the silver screen.
“In the film world, there’s no such thing as committed,” Gardner said.
Amazon Studios holds the rights to “12 Princesses” for 18 months from the time it was submitted. After that, if it does not renew the option or buy the script, the rights go back to Gardner, Price said.
Amazon Studios is a division of online shopping destination Amazon.com. Price said the division was formed because the Internet can improve the way movies are developed. By having filmmakers and screenwriters collaborate online, Amazon Studios hopes to transition great ideas to the big screen, he said.
“It’s now easier than ever to create a test movie to see how your movie will play out on its feet and then share that test movie for feedback,” Price said.
Since opening in November 2010, Amazon Studios has received more than 700 test movies and 7,000 scripts and awarded $1.9 million in prizes.
Source: http://tucsoncitizen.com/arizona-news/2012/03/10/mesa-mans-movie-12-princesses-is-1-million-winner/
Source: http://tucsoncitizen.com
Category: Film School Online
Rob Gardner’s fairy tale movie just won a happily ever after ending.
Last month Amazon Studios named the Mesa resident’s submission “12 Princesses” as the first winner of its Annual Award in the best test movie category.
In addition to a $1 million cash prize, Gardner’s musical recounting of a classic Grimm Brothers’ tale has a chance of becoming a major motion picture by Warner Bros. Pictures.
Gardner, who wrote, directed and scored his movie, won against 10 semifinalists and five finalists who submitted test movies to Amazon Studios over the past year. Test movies are full-length but low-budget films meant to demonstrate the movie’s potential for development.
It was the catchy music and script of Gardner’s family friendly tale that made it rise aboce the rest, said Roy Price, director of Amazon Studios.
“’12 Princesses’ won for the imaginative, magical world that Gardner was able to create and share with his audience,” Price said.
The movie is based on Gardner’s play of the same name that was commissioned by Mesa Community College for summer 2004.
After the show’s run, Gardner considered turning it into a movie himself, but in the pre-production stage decided it was beyond him. That’s when he heard a story on NPR about Amazon Studios.
“Amazon’s premise is that movie making has changed. It’s better to do a test movie,” Gardner said.
The original version was submitted in June and won the monthly test movie prize. After talking with Amazon Studios and getting feedback on how to improve the script, Gardner submitted a new test movie incorporating the suggestions.
Still, Gardner said he wasn’t expecting to win.
“It was mind blowing. I didn’t let myself think that this was something that could win,” Gardner said.
Gardner is no stranger to performance. In addition to the stage version of “12 Princesses” he wrote “Blackbeard,” a play that ran at the Herberger Theater for four weeks in 2008. He is the president of Spire Music, a non-profit business that produces sacred and inspirational music. At Westwood High School he was a founding member of the seven-man a cappella group 259, which released five albums.
This month he’ll fly to London to record some of his own compositions with the London Symphony Orchestra for the second time in his career.
Gardner majored in business at Brigham Young University in Utah and did graduate work in film music at the University of Southern California’s prestigious School of Cinematic Arts.
Now he will be sitting down with representatives of Warner Bros. to talk about “12 Princesses” as part of a “first look” deal with Amazon Studios. The movie will also continue to be shown on Amazon Studio’s website for feedback.
Price said Amazon Studios will work with Gardner to make tweaks to the movie and test it with audiences. If the development process proves fruitful, Amazon would develop “12 Princess” into a feature film, Price said.
Gardner said he’s not getting his hopes up too high about seeing “12 Princesses” on the silver screen.
“In the film world, there’s no such thing as committed,” Gardner said.
Amazon Studios holds the rights to “12 Princesses” for 18 months from the time it was submitted. After that, if it does not renew the option or buy the script, the rights go back to Gardner, Price said.
Amazon Studios is a division of online shopping destination Amazon.com. Price said the division was formed because the Internet can improve the way movies are developed. By having filmmakers and screenwriters collaborate online, Amazon Studios hopes to transition great ideas to the big screen, he said.
“It’s now easier than ever to create a test movie to see how your movie will play out on its feet and then share that test movie for feedback,” Price said.
Since opening in November 2010, Amazon Studios has received more than 700 test movies and 7,000 scripts and awarded $1.9 million in prizes.
Source: http://tucsoncitizen.com/arizona-news/2012/03/10/mesa-mans-movie-12-princesses-is-1-million-winner/
