The Time Crunch

It's a difficult thing, filmmaking. Mostly, it's a time consuming thing. And time is never on your side, especially in a university environment where not one person can really commit to the project on the level you can (as writer/producer/director). What is most frustrating is trying to organize my time with other filmmakers in the program. Helping them on their own projects (which I enjoy) and trying to get the same from them. Thankfully, it almost always works out well. This semester, everyone is taking on so much that it seems I may be wearing ALL hats on my production.

At this moment, I do not have a complete cast. I do not even have a final draft of my script. I'm working long hours into the night on the script but I'm not much of a writer... well, I'm not a fast writer. I have moments that ideas come but translating them to the page is quite difficult. I have one actress cast (who is quite good) and we are going to be working together on the script, kind of taking a Cassavettian approach to the project. That's great, but it does put pressure on me to get these early drafts "right" so my actors are enthusiastic about the process. If the script sucks... then what? Well, I'm hosed if that happens.

But I have enough faith in myself to make an interesting script, keep people keen on the project. It's the time it takes that worries me. TOO LONG! Good lord. In some respects writing a full length script might be easier as you have time to lay things out and slowly develop things. Short scripts are so immediate that the pressure to complete them in just several pages is at odds with the pressure to make those several pages as deep and important as I can.

Ug. Back to work I go... wish me well...