Arab in America -The Movie!

Colin’s history of Arab in America: The Short (Part Two)

// April 7th, 2009 // No Comments » // Making Arab

Let’s pick up where we left off…

This is Colin.

“Tell me about that idea you had again.” I say to Nabil as we walk to the Motel.

“Well, it’s about an Arab-American guy who can’t get a job, and it’s about his struggle to make it.”

I was a little interested at this point, but still in a bad mood, owing to the fact that we were going to be stuck in Florida for the night. So, Nabil and I made it to the Motel. We checked into our tiny, smelly room with rock hard beds and fornication stained sheets. Glamorous to say the least. And that night we had the first creative meeting about the short “Arab in America.” I don’t know what exactly we spoke of, or what specific idea’s were thrown around that night… but one can surmise that a work of genius was being created in that stifling motel room.

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The History of Arab (pt.2 of many)

// November 25th, 2008 // 1 Comment » // Making Arab

This is Nabil.

This post continues on from The History of Arab (pt. 1). To go to that post, click here.

After coming home from work, I quickly sat down at the computer and banged out the first two pages of the short Arab in America screenplay.  I had this AMAZING idea about starting the movie in an airport and having the main character, Osama (based on my brother, myself, and my uncle), get into a world of trouble because of his name, race, and religion.  I was pretty confident that I created a work of comedic genius with the scene (but time would soon tell that I was one of about 14 other people who also had the same general idea).

After finishing the first two pages of the screenplay, I quickly called Tim Bryan (my DP that hated my first script) and sent him the file.  “Do you like it?  Am I on to something?” After Tim’s out-right rejection of the first script, I was in desperate need of approval.

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Colin’s history of Arab in America: The Short (Part One)

// November 21st, 2008 // 3 Comments » // Making Arab

This is Colin.

I remember the day Nabil pitched Assassinate George to me. Much like Tim Bryan, I didn’t care for the idea that much. I didn’t go so far as to say it was a “Dumb Fan-Film” but I wasn’t on board. “It’s a funny concept Nabil, but I don’t know. You should make something else.”

“Why make something else? This is a great idea! Two friends driving across the country to kill George Lucas! It’s great!”

Well, needless to say – but I’ll say it anyway – Assassinate George was never made.

So Nabil went back to thinking about new ideas. I went home to Rhode Island and began thinking about new things as well. I wanted to make a short based on Macbeth, but in modern times and revolving around a mob family. I had a script written and everything! Well that script had too much prose and descriptive paragraphs that would take up half the page. Nabil didn’t much care for the idea either. (It’s just because he thinks Macbeth is Shakespeare’s worst play. But we all know that his worst is Much Ado About Nothing.) But I digress.

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