Or at least some footage that will now magically turn itself into a movie.
Best moment of the day: 15 minute crew freakout to try and figure out what to do with hauling the equipment back home. U-haul cargo van? Calling up other people we know? Coming back tomorrow? Paying an extra day for rentals? AHHHHH!!!!
Note: it is important to figure out how you will transport people and equipment. Make friends with those who have big cars. It will come in handy in the future. Trust me.
Let me count how many times things go wrong today.
post an ad on craigslist and hope that someone sees it a day before your scheduled shoot.
By the way, if anyone reading this happens to be living in the Metro Vancouver area and is a photographer or an aspiring photographer and/or would like to do EPK (filming behind the scenes footage, interviewing ppl), then let me know because I just so happen to have a spot on our crew for you this weekend!
evil_ice_dragon@hotmail.com
Updates:
No new official crew updates today, although I did get an email from someone about being an Art Director. We’ll see how that goes. I also forgot to mention my good friend and former co-worker Chris might be able to “lend a handy hand”, as he called it. He’s good with pretty much all positions so I’ll just say he’s a wildcard.
Crew update:
Director: me!
Cinematographer: Joe
1st Camera Assistant: Chris
Gaffer: Zac
Drivers:
Elaine
Kelvin?
Chris?
To be filled in:
Makeup
Sound
Gaffer/lighting
Art Director
Camera op.
EPK
Stills photographer
1st AD
Got distracted today and didn’t get to look for a frame. I should really stop doing that.
I also added the role of still photographer to the list, which means I have another person to look for.
For all those who actually have producing experience: is $200 to use someone’s place for a film shoot for a day a reasonable offer? The woman whose place we’ll be shooting in has also suggested $300 if we are to be needing both weekend days.
Is it wrong of me to want to negotiate with her? I mean, I’m more than willing to pay her something — of course she should get something. But $300? Hmm… my gut feeling says it’s quite a bit. I’d feel more comfortable paying $200 for both days, but I think I need other opinions.
I also spent the day sending out emails to some old film friends to see if they’d be up for helping out. I got one response back, and he’s in Japan. So not going well so far.
Perhaps tomorrow will be more productive since it’s a weekday. Let’s hope so.
PS. If this experience has taught me anything, it’s that I really dislike producing. Part of it is not knowing anyone/anything.
Should I be concerned about how this is all happening? I’m sure I’ll start panicking later.
After turning on my phone this morning, I get a text from Joe, saying the following:
My Ear infection spread to my throat and it started to swell up so I had to go to the hospital.
My immediate response was something along the lines of, “When did you have an ear infection?? Also, OMG!!”
But seconds later, another text popped up:
But I’m better now. It’s like that time we filmed the pill movie and I had no voice.
Six days to go and I have an almost-mute cinematographer with an infection. Just what I need.
Updates:
We have a gaffer! YES!!!! (courtesy of Joe) We may also have a driver, my friend Kelvin, to help get equipment on Friday (courtesy of me).
Crew update:
Director: me!
Cinematographer: Joe
1st Camera Assistant: Chris
Gaffer: Zac
Drivers:
Elaine
Kelvin?
To be filled in:
Makeup
Sound
Gaffer/lighting
Art Director
Camera op.
EPK
1st AD
I posted an ad for an Art Director on craigslist. No response as of yet.
Was supposed to go shopping for a photo frame but didn’t have enough time, as I had to send out frantic emails to the woman whose house we’ll be using for the shoot. Eventually, she texted me tonight about things, and mentioned a “rental fee”, which of course, I completely forgot about. If I were to be writing a guide book, one of the things I’d advise wannabe-filmmakers to be aware of is paying people — everyone associated with the shoot. Not just cast and crew. And paying doesn’t have to be money, either. It can be food, or copies of DVDS, or a credit on IMDB or something. You gotta work that out. But be aware that people will probably expect something from you, unless you’ve made it perfectly clear that you are a dirty broke artist making a film for absolutely no money.
Joe said the total for the equipment rentals is about $144, which isn’t too bad, really. I don’t mind paying it, if it’s what we need to make a good movie.
Since I have the day off tomorrow, hopefully we can sort out some more details. Let’s hope no one else gets any infections.
This has taken forever.
Obviously not forever, but months — half a year, to be precise — certainly seems forever. I’ve been planning this short film project for almost a year now. It was supposed to be filmed in the winter of last year, but due to many, many issues, most of which were my fault in one way or another, it has been postponed again and again.
Until now.
My cinematographer, Joe, has finally given me the thumbs up to proceed filming on the weekend of the 21st and 22nd of this month, which is next weekend. We, thus, have 8 or so days before filming begins. This isn’t so much a guide to making a short film as it is a document about how things are going (probably for the worst) to the lead-up to the shoot, our progress, and planning.
A bit about the project: it’s a silent film titled June. The story is about a ghost who, in the middle of the night, tries to communicate to his still-alive lover by attempting to play piano.
Here’s our confirmed cast and crew so far:
Cast:
Ghost: Kam
Man: Jordon
Crew:
Director: me!
Cinematographer: Joe
1st Camera Assistant: Chris
Drivers:
Elaine
To be filled in:
Makeup
Sound
Gaffer/lighting
Art Director
Camera op.
EPK
1st AD
I think that’s it. There actually might be more crew positions, but I’m not super knowledgeable about crew positions like Joe is. As you can see, we still have many crew positions to fill. Most of them are being handled by Joe, who actually knows film people, whereas I, the writer, know, well, writers. I did find the actors though! I get points for that, right?
Other things:
Food:
We also have food to take care of. We’ve got an idea of what we want, but need to get ingredients. Since the shoot is next week, we can put that off until the day before.
Props:
Almost have everything. Need to get some flowers, a 5×7″ picture frame, and a (preferably) red point and shoot camera. The last one might be hard, apart from going to Bestbuy and buying one, then returning it when we’re done.
Music:
Right, I gotta re-record some music for the film. Thanks for reminding me, me.
Transportation:
We need a few people to help transport people and equipment. My dear friend Elaine is up for it, which I very much appreciate.
As Elaine told me, I have a lot of work to do. I thought about this all earlier, and I wondered if all short films are this rushed and crazy. I think so. But then I think about people like Jason Karman, who seems super organized and has things planned months in advance and I think, “But…. wha?! How????”
Here’s to the film project that will, fingers crossed, come together in seven days. *fingers crossed*
I’ve been watching lots of films lately, and I’ve noticed a trend.
Movies where the protagonist, the main character whom we see the unfolding of events, is an ass, rude, fucks up not just their life but others’ around them, makes stupid decisions that no one with even single digit brain cell count would make, and generally just isn’t all that cool– I don’t get it.
As a viewer, we’re supposed to have sympathy for these characters because we see things from their perspective. But, as I’ve learned, it doesn’t always work like that. I saw a movie recently where the main character continuously– and clearly– made the wrong decision, like ditching his best friend… or ignoring his best friend… or going to his love interest’s house when he knew he was in the closet. And then the protagonist throws a hissy fit/tantrum because things don’t go his way, and I’m supposed to feel bad for him? Sorry, but no.
I realize, of course, that movies are fictional, and it’s easier to hate on a fictional character than someone who is alive. I guess I know I wouldn’t make those decisions, and it was frustrating to see someone do something that was 1. clearly not good, and 2. something I wouldn’t do. It took me out of the movie, and overall, I didn’t enjoy it.
A movie like Scarface, for instance, features a gangster as the protagonist (I’m talking about the 1932 version, but I’m sure the 1983 one is very similar). While watching, I didn’t have sympathy for this killer, who was going around playing with machine guns like a child, killing people with seemingly no remorse, stealing his boss’s girlfriend/woman, controlling his sister, and getting away with it all. Maybe this is the point, to show that this guy is completely ruthless and greedy for power, but when it all goes awry and (Spoiler alert!) he kills his best friend and walks around like a zombie, we’re supposed to think, “Man, that’s gotta be tough. Poor thing.” Yeah… couldn’t think like that.
Someone in my film class mentioned how the police are depicted in the movie as almost as brutal as the gangsters themselves, that they’re willing to do anything to bring this guy down and they’re harsh or whatever. The student cited how in the beginning of the film, a police officer punches the gangster in the face for no reason. Well, honestly, if you compare one punch to the bloodbath in the rest of the film, it’s not really a whole lot. Sure, a cop shouldn’t be punching anyone, but am I the only one in thinking this guy… kind of deserved it?
Anyway. That is all. If I take anything away from these movies, it’s that even if I do very stupid, questionable, and even immoral things, that I can still receive sympathy. Then again, no one’s watching my life like a movie.
… but dammit. I didn’t think it would be this hard. Or maybe it’s being a producer.
Either way, it makes me want to stick to writing and only writing.
A piece that will likely be in my short film I’m shooting on Saturday. It’s so simple and mournful that I couldn’t imagine anything suiting the scene better than this. I know I’m being vague because I’m not explaining the scene, but if you really do want to know, click on this to find out more details: http://www.indiegogo.com/June-a-silent-ghost-short-film
Hey everyone! Here’s my next film project that’s in the works at the moment. We’re looking for some help from all of you so take a look and leave a donation for some swanky stuff!
http://www.indiegogo.com/project/widget/54226?a=336375
The Impact
This project is one that I hold very close to me, one that I want to spend a lot of time to make perfect as a work of art. The painful experience of losing a loved one and being haunted by them (metaphorically) is something to which everyone can relate. In essence, June is universal in its message about love and loss.
As well, there are many romantic gay-themed films out there that feature typical gay people or that have all-too familiar plots. Although June is a romance film with two gay characters, it’s not a gay story per se; there are no stereotypes, no dramatic coming out scenes. I believe this is an honest, simple story, which are hard to find amongst gay/lesbian cinema today.
What We Need & What You Get
We’re looking for a total of $2500 for equipment rentals, food, to pay our cast and crew, and post-production services including video transferring (it’s really expensive!). As of now, indiegogo is our only funding source.
There are lots of amounts you can choose to donate! And for the highest amount, $250, I will either write you a one-minute ditty about you or perform a cover song of your choosing and post it to youtube for the world to see how fantastic and generous you really are! Only a limited amount of people can claim this, so get on it!
Other Ways You Can Help
Help spread the word about the project! Blog, tweet, mention it on facebook/myspace (for those still using myspace).
aaron's random musings 