29/06/06 - 2 BECOMES 1

We had two weekends coming up for shooting two seperate scenes. This was to make the schedule less hectic and not take up everyones entire weekend with work on the film, very important if you have been 9 to 5'ing it all week (not for me...I couldn;t care less and would be filming 24/7 if I could...but you HAVE to be respectful of other people's lives!).
However, an opportunity for a decent role in a short came up for Lee, right on the weekend that i had just lined everything up for the School Room shoot!!! Goo dopportunity and Lee was more than willing to turn it down if things were too booked up. Good man!
But no need as I knew he should not turn this unforseen opportunity down. So we both thought about how to work round and wondered if we could indeed get two days work in instead?
Quick texts and calls around set it up that not only was everyone able to do this, and on the relevant days needed, but the schedule meant some cast who appear in both scenes we would have access to for one weekend so was less of an issue for them too!
AND on top of that, one of our cast, Emma, who has quite irregular and demanding day job hours is actually more available on the day we now want her for and so we can shoot an addtional mini-scene without having to ask her to come back again! Triple bonus!
So once again, thinking on feet and being flexible means that we can put 2 scenes into play in 1 weekend without stress to anyone involved. Can't wait!....

27/06/06 - BACK TO SCHOOL PART II

A props excercise today too.
In order to dress our school room set with relevant props, we want to use posters etc of a religious nature, but aimed specifically at youth. Such things exist for sure, aiming to be "trendy" and appeal to younger generation to get into the church.
We had bid for some posters on eBay but not got them. So we did what we should have done in the first place....we MADE THEM OURSELVES!
What great fun! A trip to a local art and craft shop later, armed with paper, pens and paints, we set about making posters. It's ok if they did not look too good because they are supposed to be done by youth offenders. Not Picasso or Rembrandt!
I looked on the internet for grafitti art designs I could use and me and Ruth set about creating some really cool posters for use in the background. Including Ruth covering her hands in paint and making shapes like a primary school child! Was great fun and we now have some awesome props for background use. I will try and feature them in cutaway shots, but is not really important as it's all about attention to detail! I have seen this in many student films, where a hall or room is used...but not dressed!
Whatever your environment you should make a concious effort to stop and look at it before aiming a camera anywhere near it. If it's kind of ok, what can you do, no matter how small, to make it look better and fit the scene more! Rich detail, not blandness. And cheap too! Make your own!

27/06/06 - BACK TO SCHOOL

OK, an update since the first day of shooting. We have needed the use of a school room in order to shoot a scene where our "hero" is discussing biblical matters with a class of children.....or so I thought. Awhile back in production we realised that the subject matter of this piece was religiously controversial, and also vulgar in places (not for the sake of it, it's part of the story and character). I had great ways of shooting things out of sync, or in long shot to dub later that would mean that the vulgarities and controversial elements would never be done while the children were actually present. Could have done that easily....however, someone pointed out quite rightly that if we are getting cast and crews kids to be in the film, SURELY they will want to see it later! And it is not family material by any means.
So....back to school in more ways than one. For starters, we rethought it, again looking for same effect / impact but in a different light. So what was decided is rather than have a classroom of children being "taught" religion...why not make it a classroom still, but for a Youth Offenders group. This means we can still use non-adults, but not so young as to offend. And justify it in the story by citing that they are being taught religion as a way to correct their behaviour. Still works just as well and causes less problems later!
We also went back to school by ...well...going to school! We needed a classroom and to build a set was going to be costly and time consuming. So how about an ACTUAL classroom? No school would ever allow us to use one though, again due to the nature of the film. I remembered that near where I used to live was an old school building that had been converted for use as a community centre. The reason I remembered it was due to the fact I knew "The Full Monty" had been shot their, and the scene they shot (in a job centre mock up) was kind of what I was looking for. So I found the place out, and not only did they have actual school rooms to lease...but they used them for Youth Offenders meetings! And at a cost of £15 for 4 hours I would not argue!
Is this fate playing a hand again? Maybe Gaylon Peglegg himself has summoned the hand of God to assist in the making of this film?! Before booking this however, I felt it was again important to see it for real before filming. So we asked if we could come and look and the veyr nice caretaker was kind enough to not only let us in, but also to tell us that whatever we needed to use in the building (chairs, boards, lights etc) were all at our disposal.
Now you may think it was lucky that such a place existed on our doorstep, but I bet if you need a place, don't want to build a set, and want it cheap...a bit of creative thinking will find a way!
And as a bonus, not only is this place IDEAL for the scene, but the whole building and complex has so much more in there for our future use too. A room that has a bar kind of set in it, or cafe set, yards, corridors, halls, studios. So check out your loacl facilities and see what gives!

16/07/06 - FIRST DAY OF SHOOTING

Yesterday was the first day of shooting. What a great, great day! It was a perfect days work and fun and I will remember it for many years as how things in film making ought to be.
One thing I must stress as important is an early start. May not be your ideal thing on a nice Saturday when you have been doing the 9 to 5 all week, but you should never underestimate how long things can take. Well, to put another way, I knew upfront on this project that in order to give it the look I wanted and be a more thought out shoot, much time would be needed to set up for shots. Now fortunately for the cast and crew I had done so much work before hand on shot choice and overall vision that I was able to quickly get in position and set the camera up. And those long hours of practicing all manual apsects of the camera paid off too. I knew they would!
One point for any readers looking into gear, I used the Sony Z1 in woodland environment with NO external lighting at all, 100% natural lighting (which was thankfully on a glorious summers day) and it performed amazingly well. The shots are stunning. Well done Sony!
The thing I was very concious of on the day was keeping people waiting, so my mind was buzzing with remembering 6 million functions to hand on the camera so I was drawing a balance between taking my time to remember the functions, check shots, keeping everything in good spirits (on set vibe being the thing I feel will save or sink your days shoot)...and oh...a small matter of...directing!
The cast were amazing, contributing to the characters and taking the job seriously while also having fun with it. Crew people were superb too, and I think I was more demanding on them than the cast (not barking orders but certainly being less, ...well, less nurturing). I must work on this on the next shoot as one must remember taht they are again there for free, are friends, and don't have the excitement of being on camera! But everyone was on hand and enthusiastic despite being dragged through the woods on an early Saturday morning.
ONE MAJOR POINT: Even though the cast and crew are working for free and you are having fun as well as making a movie...you should NEVER settle on a shot if you did not feel it was right. The average number of takes per shot today was about 4 or 5. Don't be an over indulgent Kubrik style egotist though, getting more shots for sake of it. But DO have the honesty to get another take if it was not right.
HOWEVER, you should do this in a well mannered and thougthful way. My approach was to be totally honest and positive by saying "one more take", but explaining exactly WHY we needed another one, AND telling them what DID work on the last one, and giving further direction.
Lee and Ruth both commented later that they noticed my approach was both professional and thoughtful and in no way took away from the fun side of the work.
Another element that I feel will be KEY later for both entertainment and fondness was the inclusion of a camcorder on set to shoot various "making of" material. We watched some back later and it will be really cool to add for both gag reels and a making of show. So if you have access to a second smaller camera, and someone free to shoot with it, do it. If nothing else it will serve to help you relive a great day!
Adaptability came into play once again (did I mention this one or two times already?).
A couple of occassions where a cast member was not comforatble with a script element, or where a planned shot would not work due to lighting or reflections etc meant quick script revisions or improvised shot changes. be prepared to do this rather than get a sub standard shot or piss off your awesome cast for a minor issue taht the script CAN bend to.
The day was topped off by an amzing vegetable chilli and rice that the welcoming cast made for us all and we all sat and watched back the footage, raw and unedited.
This was really interesting, enteraining and fun for all involved. They actually get to see what you were seeing behind the camera. Even in this format it got massive laughs.
I felt so proud of my work and everyone else's at the same time. There were some obvious errors that need addressing later (like boom mics in shot or reflections or mic shadwos) but my philosophy as always is to see what happens in the edit. I am a magician in the editing area and am super positive I can either digitally fix things (another skill you should learn...you should learn ALL aspects if you ask me) or better still use the good footage to maximum advantage. That starts today...watch me go! this is where I feel the magic happens. in the editing which I will go into in detail another time....till then, I leave you with the beautiful face of Gaylon Peglegg: Exorcist (as created by Lee Civico-Cambell)............................

12/07/06 - SHOT STYLES

Here is an idea I am going to implement that I have conceived in order to be able to better and more quickly adapt to changes.
THIS IS ANOTHER TOP TIP IF ANY FILMMAKERS ARE STILL WITH ME!
Rather than quickly think of whole new shots to plan when plans change, I am going to concentrate on the STYLE of shooting to have in mind more. I don't just want to make up shots willy nilly, but don't have loads of time to intricately design new shots on paper, computer, or in my head as I have been doing the past few weeks. I don't want to slip into a fast documentary style shoot, it's not that kind of piece and will looked rushed and out of place.
So I will spend the next few days concentrating on the structure of the film, where this scene fits into the pace of the film, and make sure the shooting STYLE is in mind for this scene.
That is to say, I can have some shot ideas, but more so have a general grasp on the pace at this point in the film, the overall style ideas (lots of slow moving push in shots for example) and how pacey this scene should be. So at least any shots I do grab on the fly will be to an agenda I know belongs in the final piece, and at this time in it.
So I will know what TYPES of shots I need, rather than actual storyboard shots themselves. I have some definite shots in mind but the rest (on such a short notice change of location) will work to a style ethic I will be creating.
I cannot really explain lots of this to Amanda and Lee as they are not actual film buffs and my language would be that of films I have loved and studied for years. I cannot simply say to them "Oh, we need like an ET style shot here" or "This should be in Carpenter style". The best way is to SHOW them that they can trust my vision.
Oh, one last lesson on flexibiltty and adpating to challenges. One sceen planned for this weekend in the script involved a supermarket interior. In hindsight, for a no-budget film this was ambitioius to start with. Well, kind of. I reckon I could get the use of a supermarket by doing it guerilla style! To just turn up in one with minimal equipment and just do it before getting asked what we were doing, or being kicked out. But there are other issues with this. You see, no major supermarket would allow us to make this film for free if they knew the subject matter. No chance! And no time to discuss.
But my major concern was more the background people staring at camera etc. So we had to think about a new location for this too. It had to have some distinctions.
A character is follwing Gaylon from a distance. Which is why supermarket aisles sprang to mind. Secondly, it had to be visually interesting and varied. But it didn't HAVE to be a supermarket in terms of the story. Which is why it could be changed.
The initial thought was a park....but it's a cop out! We have a park in the script already (that HAS to a park) and its too easy an option anyhow.
So, in order to do tension, and long shots, and have some visual variation (for a grander scope you see)....I decided on the woods. The characters can cat and mouse around trees etc, long shots will work and we decided to do a morning shoot so (weather permitting) we should get some cool light through the trees etc.
So with some amendments to the script (they are now out rambling as opposed to shopping) we should be on for something quite visually exciting. I have some great shots in mind that will utilize trees and build some tension. So I will be out tomorrow in the woods I know well, to find a good spot for Saturday.
Ironically, AFTER deciding on these particular woods, I learned that our new location for the interior scenes is about 2 minutes from one entrance to these woods. Spooky? Fate? Who knows?
Lessons here for would be filmmakers:
Once again, BE ADAPTABLE!
I cannot say this enough. Challenges come up and you have to be confident in your abilities to QUICKLY rethink and apdapt. I hope the above examples show some ways you can do this. Again, try to imagine you are being paid by a studio to make your film. If a loaction is unavailable, ask yourself, can I do it somehwere else? Without comprimising the show of course!
In some cases, as with the above example, our location is actually BETTER for the story and characters to be in. AND I feel the cast themselves are now a better choice. Prompting more thought next time to really think even longer about your number one choices. Would a studio allow you to sit on your ass and wait for the original location to be ready? Maybe....but what great training now to show you how to be ready to move on and adapt.
So be prepared to rethink your story or tweak to what you CAN do. Look at what in your script will be affected and ask "what is the essence of the scene?" Like with the supermarket. What were the reasons for choosing a supermarket? Are there any other locations that hold the same elements that in no way compromise the story? Are they cheaper? Are they more controlled? Don't hang on to what you thought was the number one choice of location / writing / cast. You may be very pleasantly surprised with a "why didn't we do that in the first place?" moment.
So...looking on to Day One of shooting now. Can't come soon enough.

12/07/06 - FILM SOON....FILM NOW!

The last few weeks have been a non-eventful time. Due to people's other commitments and annoyances like the World Cup Football to contend with, it has been a "I need to film NOW" kind of time. Lee has been great by putting "film soon" at the end of all his text messages. My usual reply has been "film NOW!". I have planned every shot, style, costume, soundtrack, line of dialogue etc in my head so many times it's not even funny. All I want to is get a camera rolling and get realizing the film. And....guess what?
.......
We are only a few days away from filming!!!!
It's all in place. It is Tuesday night now and we film on Saturday. All cast confirmed. Location in place. Long life camera batteries charged. Call times confirmed. Shooting schedule for the day confirmed. It's all ready to roll.
A few updates since my last entry.............
Chiefly, the two enthusiastic people whose roles got bumped up are fantastic! They are absolute stars with a refreshing can-do attitude that I am loving.
We all met at their house for a discussion about the roles and our general ideas and I was so pleased. We explained that the original cast choices pulled out because they "didn't get it" (the humour). Magi, our new Vicar's wife said, "Well I don't get it either, but I'm still doing it".
The discussion was frank to the point of her even saying we are obviously talented people but she feels we are misdirecting our talents with this material. Such honesty and yet such commitment to get involved are a real treat for me to see and hear.
And her husband, George, our new Vicar....well....what a guy! He is so willing to have a go at this just for the fun of it. And it will feed the fun factor too. He's a great guy and will be awesome on screen. Actors or not, the task of getting a performance to suit the script has been made ten times easier from their enthusiasm to do it for the experience..."something a bit different" as George put it. They WERE in "A Jester's Tale" but they will get much deserved bigger roles in this one. And will definitely be on the list to call in future.
So...hark back to previous entries where I spoke of getting people who really WANTED to do the work (for free!)....well, this is one such pay off for that attitude.
Another update was the fact that our location choice became unavailable for the weekend when everyone was free to shoot. The number one plan (and heh folks, here is another TOP FILM TIP for micro-budget filmmakers) was even though the location was unavailable, change the schedule and get some shots anyway. Filler shots and less intensive scenes.
This is where Lee's great attitude comes in. this is exactly what he did when shooting "Jester's Tale". Whenever time was free, and people were ready, even if not able to do the original planned shots, he would always say "well, can we get some other shots?". He has a real eye for seeing a gap and saying "Well, let's just do SOMETHING!". Great stuff.
So...as we talked about the roles, it became obvious that the very house we were in would make an ideal location. If was vastly different to original choice so we had a quick rethink on the script and story to see if it was justifed to use it. It most defenitely was.
Due to change of location, some of my original shot choices have changed. This however, is for the better.....more on that soon.

28/06/06 - ADAM SANDLER? WTF?!

Small glitch on casting today. Two potential cast members who have been good before decided to pull out, or rather not want to be in it in the first place. This would normally be fine if one of the two had just said so. Instead they decided to go around the houses with various excuses and false reasoning which is time wasted. The peak of which was an attack on the content of the piece, stating that for them the central character and style would not hold up to the 3 episodes we had planned, that the humour was not right for them (that's ok!), and that the show was similar to a shitty Adam Sandler film....which it just happens to be NOTHING like!
I don't mind at all someone discussing or constructive criticising the character or role, or even just plain saying no....I am not easily offended and would move on....but to criticize the whole film and my writing was a little too much for me. As always, I wanted to control and prodcutively use this frustration and dissapointment (I would have liked them both in it!).
So we all agreed that we don't even discuss the matter with them. While they were finishing the umming and erring...we made the decision to cut them out anyway! The biggest joke in this?....one of them had not even read it! So they were commenting on it based on some comments made by the other?! Read the damn script if you are gonna shoot it down! Crazy!
This is what they were looking for anyhow, just not knowing how to really say it.
Furthermore, the decision was kind of made not to approach them for future parts either, even though they are friends of Lee's. Not that may seem harsh but let me explain the reasoning.
We want enthusiastic people! People are working for FREE in front and behind the camera for fucks sake so the paramount thing should be that everyone have some fun! We have some awesome people involved and don't want nay-sayers, time wasters, partly commital, critical, or out-of-line people creating bad atmospheres of doubt or uncertainty.
So we moved on very quickly! The most amazing aspect of this is that they could not see what a really fun project this was, and did not appear to be grateful of the fact that something we were going to spend a passionate amount of time on, AND to push to production companies for broadcast again was going to include them! What an oppotunity to umm and err over!
You have enough to do to get your cool project going without such slow moving obstacles. In other words film fans....if you have anyone slowing the process or casting ANY doubt...no matter who they are or how much you wanted them.....fuck em!
You don't need em. You need the cool people who really WANT to do it!
Further point of note; we filled their roles in a matter of hours. Two other potential cast members who were non-actors and were lined up for a smaller role, but were HIGHLY enthusiastic about the project got bumped up to bigger speaking roles. So all we have to do now is fill their original roles with some of the other enthusiastic people. On that we have many options. So again, enthusiasm rewarded! Onwards!

18/06/06 - LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION

Went on a "location scout" last night. That is to say we went to Ruth's parents house which had been suggested as a possible for the Sunday Dinner scene. Excelent dining room and garden areas and Lee and Myself started planning shots straight away. Seeing the actual location is ESSENTIAL as early as possible as your ideas for shot choices may need to be addressed and changed.
80% of how I imagined I would shoot it will be achieveable, and the rest is easily adapted to suit the location limitations. If it was the other way round, with much not achieveable, then obviously I would not want to adpat so much. You have to remain as close to some kind of vision you had when you wrote it. You can't use just anything if you want to be a professional. But if most elements are in place, with a little set dressing, go with what you can afford and what you have available.
This did get me thinking about a recent post to a film makers forum I saw. The site in question, to which i am a member, is a great community resource for questions and tips etc.
Now, I will try not to get too negative with this but I feel it is an important point to make.
It would appear to me that many filmmakers out there enjoy "playing" at being filmmakers too much. A recent post (and it is not alone) was requesting "Audition Space" for casting. The person was obviously on a micro-budget (like myself) and yet was requesting audition space that had waiting areas and the likes and a professional look / nice decor.
OK...it's like this.....
If you are on a micro-budget, don't waste your money on luxuries like this! Do you really need to play it like you are on a Hollywood budget? Do you really need to rent a swish audition office with waiting areas? Get down to earth, trim the fat, and concentrate on the FILM, not the luxuries of a film lifestyle.
Get a cheap hall....better still, don't get everyone round to wait. Select applicants and invite them round to your house! How much would that cost? NOTHING!
This is not an isolated kind of post / occurance either. Many many times I see peoplle looking for things that clearly state they are on a mini-budget (as most UK independant film makers are) and yet are wanting to play the game of filmmaking and looking good.
We all love the film world, and it's all very exciting. But change your approach, you are not a Hollywood mogul! I got just as much of a kick from home auditions / readings as I would if I were in a classy space with a whole bunch of actors waiting outside. That would only build nerves for them anyway and surely affect the performance. Keep em relaxed!
I got just as much of a kick sitting down with Ruth and drawing up props lists and costume ideas as I would if I were in a "production meeting" with my "wardrobe and props department".
I got just as much of a kick going to someone's parent's house to "location scout" and plan camera shots as I would if i were on a "real" location scout with a crew (who would have to be paid to be there on a fully funded film!).
So the point I am making to any budding, low (or no) budget filmmaker out there who may be reading this.....bring it down to earth. the making of a film should be FUN...not an extravagant ego trip!!! No wonder a 10 minute short can run up a few thousand pounds budget.
Keep it improvised, flexible, adaptable, cheap and down to earth. I feel this approach is effective for moeny and will no doubt serve me later when someone else is paying to make a film! How cool to already know how to keep it tight and cheap!

14/06/06 - ACTION!...OR RATHER LACK OF!

OK. I have been getting frustrated recently due to the lack of action on the film. I am fully aware not to rush a process as you may lose a creative feel, making it too work-like. And although we are not off the boil, I still feel there should be more we can do, more we COULD do to move this along. In order to get out of this I again wanted to adpot the same attitude you would HAVE to have on a "real", studio paid-for film. Would the financers or producers simply let you idle along without results. No way. So I decided to try and move things along. I expressed a little anxiety and unrest in an email to Lee and Amanda. Saying what we needed to get on with. I don't enjoy pushing it as I do not want to appear like I am running the whole thing. I am not.
So I did this conciously and suggested an obvious course of action. When things are all coming together, but not fast enough, there is only one thing to do in my opinon......get the cameras rolling!
I decided to propose we get shooting. We start on one scene at a time, the more practical and less props driven stuff first. So i suggested the Sunday Dinner scene and said let's make that the focus of our efforts. The reason being is that the whole finished picture stops being the obvious goal. We narrow the goal down to shooting a scene. Bring the focus in.
And I am now confident Lee has taken the drive and we will now start working towards getting some footage down. Once the camera starts to roll and I get editing, I know it will snowball from there.
ACTION needed....we've talked enough to know where we are going.
Also, in the same way as using the theme to set a tone....I decided to finish one of the props that would be some fun for us all. Gaylon will produce a photograph of himself as a child, to a vicar in one scene. In it, we see him as a child, with his Dad (Elvis) and his mum (A Voodoo Priestess) and is sat on a donkey (which sports a huge erection). This is all on a beach at Blackpool. CRAZY!
I knew it would fall to me to do this and I knew it would be another driving element, and good fun too. To say, look how stupid and funny this film will be. They all liked it and it also got Ruth involved as I was showing her things as they were done via email. So she got a bit of insight into the work, not just the finished thing. It was really cool and I am so happy with the result. It is sure to get a big laugh in final show!
So...any lessons here?
If you are at the stage of getting last bits sorted and the whole process is slowing down some, focus in on what you CAN get done soon. Focus on one particular scene, just to get the cameras actually rolling.
Lee has been reading the script on the tram on the way home from work and things. What a guy. Taking his craft seriously and still having fun. I know all his time will SHINE when we get him in front of the camera again....where he belongs!

07/07/06 - LEAVE YOUR EGO AT THE DOOR

I had a recent props and wardrobe session with Ruth. This was really key for two reasons. Firstly, we went through each scene, point by point, to discuss exactly what was needed. From ID badges, to shoes, to photographs....anything we needed on or off camera. This was paramount in really getting things moving because for each scene we knew EXACTLY what we need to have, nothing overlooked. Even trivial things on a characters person. So now we will finish getting the stuff together. Instead of just looking for cool things to use, in a general "that would look good" fashion....it quickly becomes, from the creation of a list, a motivator. Forms the direction and gives everyone else something to look at. (By the way...cheap props, make em or use the wonder that is eBay!)
Secondly, and MOST importantly, is the fact that this really uncovered a talent in Rith. Normally she will contribute but to other people's ideas. But with just me and her, pen and paper, she was on fire! She was actively creating ideas. New angles. New ideas. And it was a pleasure to see because I wanted to get her more involved and I had suggested this props and wardrobe meeting for that very reason. To get her involved, in order to spread the workload, have a change of face for me to work with, and to get some fresh perspective.
She was being so creative that I hardly had to "direct" things at all. She seemed to have clear ideas about what was needed.
The lesson?
If you see someone has an interest or talent in some respect fo your work...USE IT!
Do what you need to do in order to unlock or encourage it, and bring it to the fore.
And MOST importantly, give them credit for for their talent. There is nothing more rewarding for someone than to be praised and recognized. They will also feel respect for you for the encouragement.
As a director you are NOTHING without the talent like this around you.
You are NOT top of the tree....you are the centre for proceedings.
Have NO ego in these issues. Don't think that YOU should have had those ideas. Just make sure those who have them are allowed to use them. Win win situation again.
Final note: In my opinion, if you want to be a successful Director....LEAVE YOUR EGO AT THE DOOR. It has no place in a creative group. Ego kills creativity.

24/05/06 - SOMETHING TO SHOW

Using the video shot at the read through I was able to create a DVD for cast and crew use. Mainly for Lee. This should work on two fronts. One, it gave me a chance to put the entire read-through down on DVD for Lee to review and look at his performance. This makes such a difference to him just reading in a mirror as the camera shows you how others will see it. It also gave me chance to watch back the read through without distraction and concentrate more. Lee was amazing. I had read all the other parts (quite badly!) but Lee was on fine form and his characterisations were really coming through. Thirdly, I cut a 5 minute highlight reel of some of his best lines and performances. This will be great to show to cast members up front so they can see what they are in for. And also, it gave me an oppotunity to try out the audience laugh track. I think it worked brilliantly and gave a real feel for how the finished thing will play, with laughter in places that there should not be to work a joke. It was very exciting and the whole package DVD can now be used to show newcomers, for Lee to perfect his character, and also to just start defining the whole feel of the show. So....video your read throughs and rehearshals!

24/05/06 - VIDEO!

Had a read through session with one of potential cast members which went very well.
Gave Lee a chance to demonstrate his character. For many reasons I was not concentrating on the performances too well, but employed a technique I cannot recommend enough. VIDEO YOUR READ THROUGHS AND DISCUSSIONS! Tape your session. Amanda shot using MiniDV the entire hour long read though (which involved some general discussion too). This gave me a unique insight AFTERWARDS into the performance Lee was giving as well as "hearing" the script from a third person. Invaluable.

23/05/06 - THE IMPORTANCE OF MUSIC

Update on casting.
We have more or less decided on who is best for which parts and tomorrow we begin the process of getting them in, one at a time, to have a read through. the idea is simple, give them all they need to develop the character and KNOW the character themselves. So when we come to shooting we can pull key points from the script and they can then NATURALLY deliver the rest. For me, this is the future of comedy. See HBO's "Curb Your Enthusiasm" for this at it's very best.
Amanda made the best point when she said that to deliver written lines in different styles comes with quality actors and experience. But if someone has more free reign, they can deliver lines that THEY create, sticking only to a few key points from the script, and some direction. So we begin this casting call in process tomorrow.
Also, I must stress the importance of MUSIC! Not just to the finished film but as a tool to inspire and give creative direction early on. I started work on a theme tune for this film, for the simple reason of setting a tone.
For Gaylon I wanted to create something as messed up and wild as the character itself! So it has church organs, choir, rock drums, voodoo congas, police sirens, 50's style surf guitar and B-Movie UFO sounds. And it went down really really well with Lee and Amanda and straight away got Lee thinking about the title sequence. ideas for cop show parodies and so on. And immediately the project took another leap forward in comedy and creativity and style. All from setting the tone with music.
I am fortunate that music is one of my talents so it comes natural to me. I would recommend to any filmmaker out there who does not do the music themselves...to get the score writer in EARLY. Get it as part of the development process and you could just change the course, or raise the bar when the universal language of music is in the mix. Up front, not just to enhance your film after. Still needs work but not until I have some images to put to it.

18/05/06 - CASTING

OK. So we started on the casting. Here is how. Lee is part of a drama group and this is such a great untapped source for actors. Think about it. It's a mutual deal. you get free actors and they get film experience. Win win. We have worked with some of them before and they are really good and also excited and will bring skills to the table. And improv etc. So i am really looking forward to working with some of them again. (Get yourself to some amdram shows and see if anyone stands out....I just got someone lined up for another project doing this!)
Lee gave me the email addresses of of those who wish to be involved. Well, most of them. I thought it should be really important to speak to them directly and personally. Not just a bulk mail that says "wanna be in our film". These people are important, we have no film without them. So it is vital they feel important as they will be more keen. Also, I get a real kick from being peronally involved in discussing where we are, what we are doing, and what their role might be. Vital! A big kick for me as last time I didn't really get to know some of the people.
So, two things. Introduce yourself fully, up front. And make sure people are thanked for theri efforts later. Win win for all involved. Feel good about this. Await responses, two in already!

18/05/06 - IT STARTS!

We had our first read through of Gaylon Peglegg:Exorcist last night.
It was really awesome and also really strange.
What started with a crazy character from Lee, undefined but hilarious, has now formed into a workable piece. I still cannot believe how well I wrote this film from nothing! This was initially a filler project while waiting on a deal for "A Jester's Tale" to become fruitful. But it is not a filler project at all now. It has crossed the line into a workable film.
I am not sure if Lee and Amanda realize this but this project will actually take more dedication, organization, attention to detail and commitment than "A Jester's Tale" did. It's going to be challenging and wonderful.
Lee has moved some of his drama group priorities around so that he can commit more to Gaylon and that is such a cool move. Part of me feels guilty that he has, but that is just me being silly. He knows what he wants and he knows what is important to him. If he went the other way I would respect him no less. So that's cool.
Amanda surprised me that she got into the reading without question.
It's always a little awkward to start these things as you are not playing to anyone, and you are reading directly from a page for the first time so it feels staged and read. But I was very impressed she just went into it. And very well too.
I tried to keep it entertaining for them too. I realize now that my role of Director on this one is going to need to be a polished job. I intend to develop my skills here for later in life and will concentrate on some NLP principles to obtain a top job. I must be a leader for people so it all moves along well.
It is easy (and tempting!) with one project under your belt (especially one that at the time of writing sits with a TV company awaiting a deal having being declared "definite broadcast potential") to sit back and say we did a good job on the last one, this will be easier. No way! It's going to be a great great challenge. The style is vastly different. It will be less immediate. It is dialogue heavy in the script (which I intend to open up to improv at all opportunities). I realized on "A Jester's Tale" just how important it is to have people who contribute and create.
So no being over protective on the script, no sticking to letter, no ego. Let everyone feel free. I know the material so well having written it that as long as I can see it is heading in the right direction, I will steer it without fear, slightly left of course, slightly right.
Lee was awesome with the reading. I knew he would be and I need to declare it here. he was awesome doing the reading. First time out doing the lines I wrote was 80% perfection. I knew within a page or two that he was going to nail this character he made. And nail it big time! I got very excited watching him work.
And then he was trying costumes on, which looked great and he had an inspired moment to quiff up his hair, Elvis style (the character is after all the alleged son of Elvis!). Genius! It looked good and the character layer was added. He will add more to the role I know, as he practices more.
What I find most amazing is that neither Lee nor Amanda questioned the script at all. Fine tuning of dialogue, yes. Of course. And some funny additions made last night. But 99% no question. I was very proud of that! Especially as Lee would know what is funny and what is not, and both Lee and Amanda know the written word well.
So we started last night also to discuss casting and came up with some initial thoughts. We have so many people expressing interest that the choice is huge, from actors to non-actors. And I want them all! We are unsure on people's acting abilities so we will start a casting process now. I have some definite favourites but will remain totally professional.
My motivation here is to imagine a full blown Hollywood epic with tons of money behind it. You would have to be very careful on your choices! It is actually more important than that anyway....it is my future in sight and so must be done right!