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The Queen of Austin

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Midnight Cowboy (1969)

‘Queen of Austin’ is a story of an underdog, part of the forgotten class, so naturally it should take inspiration from one of the best “lost souls” movies.

The grittiness and authenticity of the Oscar winning movie is a powerful visual North Star. It also ushered in the auteur films of the ‘70s, of which ‘Queen’ is inspired.  
‘Cowboy’ is about the power of the face. Despite his plucky demeanor, the lived experience of Leslie will be written on every inch of his face and conveyed in every closeup.
The film will depict the TEXTURE of Old Austin in some of its most legendary locations: Black Cat Lounge, Oil Can Harry’s, Zilker Park, Graffiti Park.

Paris, Texas (1984)

In addition to being a visual marvel of COLOR, Wim Wenders’ road movie is an aching love letter to America with a heartbreaking character at the center—just like our film.

The visual schema of ‘Queen’ will be to take ordinary locations and turn them into lush, evocative places that are extensions of Leslie.

Slacker (1991)

There’s no better INSPIRATION than the most Austin movie of all time.

Linklater’s indie classic is a baseline for recreating “Old” Austin. 16mm or a 16mm feel is essential to capturing the city in the late ‘90s.

‘Slacker’ is a textbook example of using space to define character. Through production design and a camera that’s always searching, ‘Queen’ will have that classic indie feel.
EXTERIORS will favor “time of day,” planned around the azimuth of the sun and the season we’re depicting. Sundown is a key visual motif, representing the foreboding of the night when things can get dangerous or exciting or both.
INTERIORS will be a shadowy space where outsiders roam, favoring artificial light and neon. Music is a huge part of 90s Austin and of Leslie’s nightlife, so night interiors will have the energy of live shows and lively people.   

Naked (1993)

Mike Leigh’s masterpiece is a character study of a charismatic but troubled individual. It shows how raw PERFORMANCE can be cultivated through a deep actor/director relationship. Our Leslie will be created in such a way.
We hope through an extensive rehearsal process, Leslie can come alive on screen in the same way David Thwelis’ monumental performance does. So much humor, idiosyncrasy, and volatility can seep into the frame and inspire not just improvised moments but improvised images as well.

The Big Lebowski

While ‘Queen’ isn’t a full on comedy, it’s still a funny and quirky picture like the Coens’ classic. What they do have in common are stylistic detours into the SURREAL.

Whereas the “present day” scenes will be gritty and handheld, the dream and hallucination sequences will be more composed and stylistically diverse.
While ‘Queen’ isn’t a road movie, it offers a diverse array of locations, especially as it spans 13 years and multiple seasons. The shooting schedule will be broken down by summer/spring exteriors and
winter/fall exteriors.

‘Wild’s’ bittersweet TONE is a terrific model for a lonely soul looking for connection and purpose.

Into the Wild

Sean Penn’s film about
individuality amongst a changing world is a great example of a contemporary period piece. It’s also a template for how to move an audience through powerful images and performance.

No (2012)

Our initial hope was to shoot our film on 16mm but given budget constraints, we came up with a resourceful solution.

Taking a cue from Pablo Larrain’s 80s period piece, we believe shooting ‘Queen’ on early 2000s digital will create a nostalgic quality that’s germane to the era.

The interlaced, aliased IMAGE evokes a time of burgeoning technology and when the democratization
of filmmaking came to the consumer.   

The Beach Bum (2019)

Harmony Korine’s hallucinatory visuals and oddball humor are aspirational for our film. Not only is McConaughey an Austin legend, but he plays a very Leslie character: a transient, philosophical, substance abusing sage with a lust for life.
Korine and DP Benoit Delbie are perfectly in sync with color and COMPOSITION. Even though ‘Queen’ will be handheld, emphasis will still be placed on framing. Leslie is a mythic figure and will have moments to honor his iconic status.  
Whether at the BAR…
…in a DAZE
…being a LEGEND
…or living like one, Leslie Cochran’s story deserves a visually daring telling.
We’re going to use all the power of the image to tell it, and the spirit of Leslie to guide us.