lessons I learned

Lessons I have learned from anything that I have done is always have a backup plan. That includes if a camera breaks, have another. Bring extra tapes, extra power cords and extra anything. Reading one of my books, it has an intire section on dealing with backup plans. And within that there is another section of advice geared towards low budget films. The idea is to make sure for everything that you have going on that there is a backup plan, including talent. My lead talent backed out and I have been having trouble with finding people that would be able to replace him. So what am I going to do?

Well Josh planed ahead and maybe to the enth degree. I did not plan on a backup for people but I did have a backup film incase this film did not work. After all I want to graduate. I was thinking that the film would turn out poorly, and I would not show something that was poorly done. So I always had another script and a film idea on the back burner.

Why did my film fail? First the time frame. The weather decided it was going to stay winter and destroyed any chance of me filming the scenes that are suppose to have a spring or summer look. The time frame that I have means that there is NO time to wait.

Second, I don’t want to say pre planning because I did a ton, but I might of focused on the wrong things. I don’t think I focused enough effort on gathering talent and assumed that they would be able to just fall into place, which was not the case.

But overall college and capstone is designed (in my eyes) to teach lessons for the “real world,” well I have learned a lot from this project. But I am not scared yet. I am still planning on filming over spring break and everything else is scheduled as planned.

Murphy's Law

It’s really funny to me that the main characters last names are Murphy. The name spawned from the famous Murphy’s Law, where what can go wrong will go wrong. Boy I should have picked a different last name like Mr. and Mrs. John “nothing is going to go wrong on my capstone film.” I know it’s a lengthy last name but maybe I jenksed myself, and well I wish that name was able to be used.

I have been hitting one road block after another with filming, and everything along with this, and I see right now why low budget films are such a pain in the butt. Frankly my budget is zero and that in itself is its own problem. I have to beg people to give up a TON of their time to help me out, and not everybody is willing to do that. Besides playing a juggling game with my talents schedule so that I can get this done, talent and locations and whatnot are a pain too.

I finally locked all my location shots and I called the cast members to give them dates. These, in all reality, are the only days that everybody is able to be there to shoot. Calling my lead to talk with him about dates, he is not able to work on the film anymore. Which this puts me in quite a pickle.

My options are as followed

I act in it as was planned from day one, and I find another person to run camera

I run camera and find another person that will work

I run camera just grab somebody and pray for the best.

Frankly I am trying to find the silver lining in the situation. Hell, Jack Nicholson was not even close to the top three picks for Randle P. McMurphy in One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest, and look how that turned. I am really nervous about the situation considering that I am planning on shooting in 2 weeks and I do not have a lead. ANY IDEAS PLEASE!!!!!!

My Script

I have never written a script before in my life and at some points I feel like I have bitten off more then I can handle at times. I want to make the best film that I can and frankly I am not a writer. I am getting better but I’m still a far way off from where I should be. I had my friend take my script and review it and proof it and the amount of notes and questions about the script. To put a long story short I still have a lot of work to do and not a lot of time

His suggestions are very valid, and ideas or thoughts that I did not think about. I think that the hardest part about this process is the fact that I have the story in my head and I am struggling to put it on paper. And not only putting it on paper but making the story real.

Jimm (my friend who has been helping me write, and is my alumni advisor), feels that there is an issue with my characterization. I agree after reading back threw the pages. My struggle is how to add more characterization in the pages, and keep the film around fifteen minutes. Jimm thinks that my story is good.

My life just freed up majorly because the play that I was in is now over and that means that I will be putting 120% of my time working on my project. My scheduling for shooting is locked and ready to go. Now it is a race of time to get my script finished in time.

I have decided to put a little more work upon my shoulders and not only have a script and a shooting script but also an editing script so that I have an even better idea of what kind of shots I need.

But back onto topic because I did stray a little bit (I enjoy this being a stream of consciousness blog). Over all the input I have been getting is good. There is a lot of work that still needs done which is frustrating because I thought that my writing part was finished. But I am not worried or stressed just anxious.

My Progress

I will be the first to admit that I have slacked majorly on my broadcasting capstone this semester. Part of it is a play that I am takes up majority of my time, and when I get a second of free time I sit and do nothing. Another part is that I am drained from other school assignments. And I think a major part is my internship cuts into a huge chunk of my sleeping time. But the play will be over this coming up weekend, and my internship is now over.

But I have not been totally dragging on my BC capstone. I have been keeping up on my blogs. I finalized my script. I have talent and I’m racking my brain trying to put together a shooting schedule. Location scouting is almost done and majority of my sites are picked and locked in. For my final scene that needs police, and New Wilmington dept. said they are willing to help out.

I am excited about the talent that I have. Adam Rady graduated last year from Westminster College. He is a great actor and is committed to working with me. Adam and I have worked on a short film project together before so I am comfortable with working with him.

I also locked in some key crew positions. I have a sound engineer, Joe Husak, which is amazing. I am not worried at all about the audio quality, which is a key part of a film.

Travis Levers, is going to be my lighting tech. Travis has been running lights for over three years. It will be nice to have someone who knows what is going on so I do not have to worry about that.

But not everything is smooth sailing. I am an avid believer in using story boards for anything production wise. From my experience some times it’s easier to have a visual representation then trying to explain. I broke my finger the other day, and it’s a struggle to hold a pen or pencil or even a computer mouse, so I need to come up with a way to overcome this obstacle. (I’m open to any and all suggestions)

Overall I made a lot of headway in the last 2 weeks with my project. It took a lot of stress out of my life for a tiny bit ( that will be returning as I start filming). I have a solid idea of what is going on and don’t feel rushed, somehow.

Showing my project

The issue of presenting my capstone is beginning to become a bear. For my capstone I have applied for a grand from the school so that I will have a small budget to work with. If I am awarded this grant I have to present my project at the Undergrad Research Symposium. Not a big deal because I have to present my capstone in some fashion, and I have to be at the URS for a grant that I was given to participate at a theatre competition. The issue becomes that I am signed up for the Art Show to present and début my film. That is a few weeks after the URS. I am not worried about time (in the sense of rushing to finish my film), more that I made a commitment to the art department, and a peer of mine (who will also be débuting her documentary the same day).

My question is how involved does my part of the URS have to be for me to fulfill my requirements to them if I am awarded grant money. Is a poster with pictures, text about the research, and a trailer feasible? Or will I have to show my film? Or because I am showing it at the art show do I need to present anything for the URS?

These questions are hanging over my head and quite frankly stressing me out. The first thing I need to find out is if my application has even been approved. Overall my film is starting to take shape, script is in order. I began to round up talent (which is a lesion for another blog). But I feel confident in this.

Ranting and Raving

This post was inspired by my friends ranting and raving about movies. My attempt to explain the different types of film making, and what you think is true about some types of film really isn’t.

In the film world there are two types of movies, studio and independent. Studio films are made by studios, and they are putting their own money into a film expecting a turnover. Independent films have private investors that are hoping for profit. In reality the two are the same, but who is fronting the bill is the difference. Independent films typically thought of as being seen as “artsy,” or bad or cheap, or many other things. I feel that there is a bias that when people know that they are watching an indie film. Most people don’t realize is that most companies have a section that is devoted to just supporting indie filmmaker, which doesn’t that create a paradox? Even companies that have nothing to do with film are jumping on the bandwagon.

A small example of this is Section Eight production (now closed). Section Eight was an independent production company that was fronted by a major motion studio. With star power behind the company (George Clooney) the films were independently made, with a studio backing.

Staying on that thought a movie that people don’t realize is indie film that people love is Oceans 11. Section Eight produced this and paid the writer, Clooney, $1.00.

Is having a studio movie better than an indie film? In some aspects I believe it does, there is money that is there. And well frankly it takes money to make a film. On the other hand there is greater pressure to make a profit. Doing this the studios typically try to appeal to the mass audiences.

Both sides of film have their problems. Story telling for a profit causes people to create art for money and not for betterment of though. There isn’t anything wrong with this honestly, because your message can still be told through this medium. I guess what I am saying is that just because something is called indie doesn’t mean that it is not a good film.

just my thoughts

I’m back in school for my final semester of college, and I can’t even began do describe my feelings. I think that they span the whole spectrum of the human emotions. I am excited that I will be done, worried that I will screw something up and not be able to graduate and what I’m going to do after school. Anxious for the future but also hesitant of what that path will bring.

Already I have been getting a lot of questions of what I am going to do after I graduate, if I’m going to move stay around here or go home and live with my parents, and frankly I have no idea. I’m young and don’t have much keeping me at bay from being able to just pick up and leave, besides the lack of funds.

For fun I have been applying to T.V. stations in Hawaii just to see what would happen. The sad part is I know I can’t afford to move out there, because I would have to start totally from scratch (and well I can’t frankly drive my car out there). Just to get out there and if I do bring my car it will cost upwards of $3,000 just to get to the island.

There are so many choices of what I want to do and so many paths along the way. I interned at WYTV over Christmas break and it just showed me once again how much I dislike news. I think that the business aspect of making a buck really kills the ability to show good stories. In a three hour chunk of time I was sent out on three stories. There was not the ability to get good video good interviews, just turn on the camera for five minutes and boom get out.

I really want to follow my passion of story telling and work with film. But I am not the only person in the world that shares my passion, so how do I make myself stand out. I think the path that I will ultimately take is trying to find good compelling stories and try to independently fund the films myself. Good theory but putting into practice this notion is where the trouble starts.

I know this log has been random and hasn’t quite flowed to one topic to another, but these are just some things that I have been thinking about. I have a lot of choices for me to make in the next couple of months that will change my life and direct me where I will be. Frankly its scary.