From the Ashes, I RISE!!!!!

That needs a little back story, doesn't it. Since completing my Thesis film (the Road to Ruin), I've been slogging through post production, teaching, working as a cinematographer on several other projects and, generally, catching the flu. So I've allowed my blog to suffer. WHOOPS! Any who, here's a short update.

First, to answer a question posed by my good friend Aaron Snell. Production (or Principal Photography) is my favorite part of filmmaking. I hate... HATE Pre-Production. It is a time of great stress and pain for the writer/director. It's a time that producers and assistants take to come to you to let you know what you CAN'T do, or what you really SHOULD do. It's a test to maintain a vision and it's very easy to get dragged down into the quagmire of money and time and lose that vision.

Post production is fine, but it's very solitary at this level, kind of lonely. But I'm still being creative and directing the piece in post production. It's not assembling as much as it is directing the footage to be what it CAN be as opposed to what it was supposed to be.

Principal Photography is my favorite stage because it involves actually working with actors. This is where I find I hit my stride as an artist. I love actors. They all do something that I could never do and (at this level) they do it for a hot meal and the chance to get footage on their reels. Great stuff. I've also been fortunate enough to work with very talented and committed actors for three years now. YAY! But it is this time of collaboration and experimentation that I enjoy. This is where the fim really starts to take shape.

Hope that answers your question, Aaron.

On another note, I've begun the rigorous process of applying for jobs. Urg... this is not fun. But it is necessary. I'm really hopeful for two teaching positions on the east coast. One is in Vermont, the other is in Pennsylvania.

I'm also continuing to work on my feature length Horror film. It's slow going, but I think it's an interesting piece with allot of very strange themes. Vague much? I'm only showing the pages to a select few people and, generally, the reactions have been positive. For those of you who have read the first "Act", fear not, the rest is coming soon. ;)

And now, I must vanish again. Though I will try to update my blog a little more regularly in the future.

Your Lonely Director,

Nick J.