While Hollywood producers are flocking to Canada to lessen
production costs, one Canadian producer is heading to Hollywood to
expand his production.
Michael Maxxis is offering UCLA graduate students and alumni the
opportunity to direct his second feature-length film, tentatively
titled “Boxing With God,” a gritty street drama about a
boxer struggling with his wife’s tragic death. Maxxis, who is
currently in post-production for his first feature-length film,
“Halo,” said he hoped an American director could bring
something new to the table.
In an industry where most producers rely on agents to acquire
their directors, Maxxis said he opted for a more direct approach in
hopes of recruiting fresh new talent to his project.
“UCLA is one of the top film schools as I see it, and the
faculty is by far my favorite,” he said. “But really,
by offering (this job) to UCLA, I knew I’d get some of the
most talented filmmakers out there today.”
As a filmmaker from Canada, Maxxis said he faces a lot of stigma
as a producer because of Canada’s lack of successful
filmmakers.
“Normally you can watch Canadian films in five minutes,
cause they really aren’t that good,” said Maxxis.
By selecting an American director, Maxxis hopes to create a more
successful film and give someone a rare opportunity.
“I love offering these opportunities to these new,
talented directors, said Maxxis. “Sometimes it is hard to get
in this business without knowing someone, especially in Canada
where there’s not a lot of filmmakers.”
However, according to Maxxis, the land of the free does not
entirely live up to its name. By shooting the film in Canada,
Maxxis said he can avoid the pricey shooting permits that often
cause the costs of making a film in America to dramatically
increase.
“By shooting the film in Edmonton, we still have a big
city to work with, we just don’t have to pay for the all the
location permits,” said Maxxis. “It’s really
unbelievable the support we’ve generated, and there’s
literally thousands of volunteers offering their help.”
While Maxxis is not yet revealing the budget for “Boxing
With God,” he does say he has already accumulated a few
million dollars in funds through private investors. This is
important, as a larger budget can often yield greater expressive
freedom, especially for a director.
“As a producer, I’m not looking to take control of
the project, so I’m glad that I don’t have to tell a
director they can’t do something because of the price of a
shooting permit,” said Maxxis.
Maxxis said he also sent out his job offer to to University of
Texas, Austin, Cal Arts, NYU, USC, Columbia (Chicago) and Emerson,
but added UCLA has replied with the strongest response. He already
has received roughly 150 applications, about 70 of which were from
UCLA alumni and graduate students.
“I think it’s great as far as the people that it
brings to the table,” said Maxxis. “Even If I was
making a $100-million film, I would want to do the same
thing.”
Because jobs for young filmmakers are hard to come by,
applicants can appreciate this opportunity, but must keep things in
perspective.
“The whole thing really is a lottery,” said
Elizabeth Becker, an AFI graduate who heard about the job offering
through a friend from UCLA. “I just decided I can’t get
emotionally invested in every opportunity or I’m just going
to be let down. You just have to be sending out your reel all the
time as a process and hope for the best.”
Maxxis said he will be accepting director applications until
March 15, and have a decision made by April 15. As for what Maxxis
is looking for, he said real talent is something difficult to
ignore.
“For myself, when I select people that I am going to work
with, a lot of it comes through personal contact,” said
Maxxis. “Personality as well as their reasons for working on
the film carry the most weight with me.”