Project Greenlight
December 2002 Reviewed by: Josh Barber Format: DVD	(all ratings out of 5): Overall Enjoyment Picture Quality Packaged Extras Sound Quality

Project Greenlight is an odd beast. It was the brainchild of Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, and Chris Moore. The basic idea was to give some young unknown screenwriter the opportunity that the three producers didn't have when they were trying to turn out Good Will Hunting: the chance to direct his or her own film and have it released through a major studio.

In an Internet contest sponsored by Sam Adams, LivePlanet, Miramax, and HBO, more than 10,000 amateur filmmakers submitted their scripts for consideration. Through peer review and several rounds of elimination, Pete Jones's writing, direction, and vision ultimately saw him selected as the winner. Every week HBO chronicled how a first-time director handled the difficult process of creating a film, from casting and financial issues to shooting and editing.

There were 12 episodes in the television series, and they are divided between discs two and three of this four-disc set. The first five episodes cover the entire process of pre-production, beginning with an explanation of the Project Greenlight contest from submission to selection. We view snippets of the biopics that the hopefuls submitted, meet the ten finalists, and see them winnowed down to three. Episode 2 is made up primarily of the intense deliberations involved in choosing the ultimate winner. It closes with a contrived announcement on The Tonight Show.

Episodes 3 through 5 recount Jones's first days at work, so we see this poor guy get in over his head as he deals with budgetary issues and goes on his first press junket. He does receive some advice from Affleck and Damon's patron saint, Kevin Smith, about making a low-budget movie and dealing with the studio. However, there are casting problems and script issues, budgetary concerns, and location dilemmas. Episode 6 shows the initial day of shooting and, for the first time, we find out whether Jones is actually up to the challenge of directing his film. On a day plagued by tight schedules and poor choices, his prospects do not look good.

Disc 2 begins on day two of the shoot and, of course, everything continues to go wrong. Setup takes longer than planned, the caterer disappears just at lunchtime, and a camera shorts out. There's bad weather, personality conflicts among the production team, money-devouring special effects, and mounting tensions. We find ourselves 75% of the way through the series on day 21 of this 25-day process, and everyone but the actors seem to be stumbling through their roles. What do you do when you get to Lake Michigan and find that your two child actors can't swim in anything larger or colder than a Jacuzzi?

Overall, the show was good. It gave great insight into the actual meat of creating and releasing a studio film. While it's fascinating for the merely curious to see this back-lot Hollywood fairy tale, it is really of more interest to a writer/director hopeful, if only he or she catches a glimpse of what might have to be faced. The idea itself proved successful, and submissions for Project Greenlight 2 just closed in October. The top-ten finalists will be announced December 17; the final winner will be named on 17 January 2003.

Disc 4 contains special features about the contest, including "Notable Filmmaker Videos," "Top 10 Filmmaker Videos," "Top 10 3-Minute Scripted Scenes," and "The Chris Moore Challenge." "The Project Greenlight Experience" comprises seven "Lessons" that cover disparate topics, from crew profiles, which explain everyone's responsibilities, to outtakes from the documentary, and Project Redlight, which is a parody that does a great job of picking apart the series.

Stolen Summer, the film that Pete Jones created in Project Greenlight, has been criticized as being "After School Special" fodder. While that may not be entirely undeserved, Jones's script and direction, along with the powerful performances he draws from his cast, help this tale of two young boys and their loss of innocence in the mid '70s Midwest rise above its weaknesses.

There are a few extras on this disc as well, including an audio commentary, theatrical trailer, deleted scenes, and a comparison of Jones's submitted Project Greenlight scene with the finished film version. Lest you get lost, all the discs' content is listed on an interior flap.

When you open this box set, you will have a choice to make, and something will get lost. If you watch the film first, you'll know how the creative battles from the television series turned out; if you watch the series, you'll know many of the film's plot points. By packaging Stolen Summer on disc 1, Miramax Home Entertainment seems to give preference to the film, but you will have to decide what holds the most interest for you and proceed accordingly.

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