Friday, September 14, 2007
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Production Update
Ah, the many pitfalls of filmmaking. Nothing terrible - actually I think it's a blessing in disguise. WORST FIRE SEASON IN A WHILE coupled with WORST HEAT WAVE EVER has nixed my plans for shooting in August so it looks like (unless my Executive Producer and BLM can convince me otherwise) that we'll be moving the production to October.
This is both good and bad. Good because it gives me more time for pre-production and re-writes. Bad because this screws with everyone's schedule. We'll see. I'm working with an incredibly talented co-writer (who also happens to be my lead actor) and he's making wonderful work of my scribblings. :)
So, back to production I go. We'll see when I actually shoot this mother...
Sincerely,
Nick J.
This is both good and bad. Good because it gives me more time for pre-production and re-writes. Bad because this screws with everyone's schedule. We'll see. I'm working with an incredibly talented co-writer (who also happens to be my lead actor) and he's making wonderful work of my scribblings. :)
So, back to production I go. We'll see when I actually shoot this mother...
Sincerely,
Nick J.
Friday, June 15, 2007
Tortured
Well... not literally. I think any artist worth their salt has been mentally tortured from time to time. Here I am now, being tortured... and like it I DO NOT!
Perhaps this needs some backstory. Fair enough...
I've been working on a script for about 4 weeks now. It's slowly taking shape, but it's a major struggle. For those of you who don't know, writing is hard. Writing well is even harder... and I don't think there's a "level" of difficulty for GREAT writing. Suffice to say, I haven't achieved it yet and doubt I ever will. My skills lie with understanding shot making and working with actors. Writing is necessary and I have to fight to make it all work. Maybe all writers do. I don't know many so I suppose I can only surmise. I just used allot of S's...
Anyway... I write. I try to write. I've worked with my writing professor now, as well as two other collegues and, I have to say, nothing has helped. This story is strange and not quite firing on any one, compelling, cylinder.
And, as difficult writing may be... I think writing short films is even MORE difficult. There is just so little that can be put into 15-20 pages to help with characters/background/and emotional journey that it becomes very difficult to have a complete piece which both makes sense and is emotionally satisfying. Right now, I'm still missing both.
The end is kind of emotionally satisfying... but the story doesn't quite make sense. I'm sure I'll get it pieced together. At least 70% sure. I've done it before... I SHOULD be able to do it again. Until then, I'll sit... and try to write... write one scene... then another... try to figure out what my character wants... try to figure out what the entire script is "about"... try to make a cup of coffee that doesn't taste like soapy water (seriously... what the hell is with this coffee maker in the grad lab?!?!?!)
I'll try... and I'll keep y'all informed.
Your Lonely Director,
Nick J.
Perhaps this needs some backstory. Fair enough...
I've been working on a script for about 4 weeks now. It's slowly taking shape, but it's a major struggle. For those of you who don't know, writing is hard. Writing well is even harder... and I don't think there's a "level" of difficulty for GREAT writing. Suffice to say, I haven't achieved it yet and doubt I ever will. My skills lie with understanding shot making and working with actors. Writing is necessary and I have to fight to make it all work. Maybe all writers do. I don't know many so I suppose I can only surmise. I just used allot of S's...
Anyway... I write. I try to write. I've worked with my writing professor now, as well as two other collegues and, I have to say, nothing has helped. This story is strange and not quite firing on any one, compelling, cylinder.
And, as difficult writing may be... I think writing short films is even MORE difficult. There is just so little that can be put into 15-20 pages to help with characters/background/and emotional journey that it becomes very difficult to have a complete piece which both makes sense and is emotionally satisfying. Right now, I'm still missing both.
The end is kind of emotionally satisfying... but the story doesn't quite make sense. I'm sure I'll get it pieced together. At least 70% sure. I've done it before... I SHOULD be able to do it again. Until then, I'll sit... and try to write... write one scene... then another... try to figure out what my character wants... try to figure out what the entire script is "about"... try to make a cup of coffee that doesn't taste like soapy water (seriously... what the hell is with this coffee maker in the grad lab?!?!?!)
I'll try... and I'll keep y'all informed.
Your Lonely Director,
Nick J.
Sunday, June 10, 2007
The Last Horseman
Hey... TITLE CHANGED! Imagine that ;)
Sometimes you wonder how smart you really are... well, I do anyway. I set out with the best intentions. I wanted to make something GLORIOUS for my thesis. I approach every film I make with the attitude that I may never make another film ever again. Thus I can put all of my creativity toward whatever project I'm working on.
With that in mind, I decided to write a 20 page Western. Complete with horses, guns, blood and masks (that's probably pretty weird but it makes sense in the script... I hope). Yay for me... I made something that could be considered... "expensive"... maybe even "unreasonable". But, hey... who ever got anywhere by being reasonable... don't answer that, my fragile little psyche can barely handle the stress of this thing right now.
Anyway, all kidding aside, I'm very happy with the script. I just sat down and watched the tremendously good "The Proposition" which has a very similar feel to what I'm trying to accomplish. It's help me shape a couple of scenes that I was having trouble with from the get go.
We'll be shooting on 2 DVX100B cameras. I've had a ton of luck with them and, even though I was offered the chance to shoot on the XL2, I just haven't been as impressed with the Canon pulldown. In the end, it's all about drama and story anyway so it wouldn't matter if we were shooting on a PD150... well it would... I lied.
So as this moves forward, I'll try to keep y'all updated. It could be something really good. Could all fall apart in my lap. If that happens I'll just keep quiet for a little while and hand it off to my trusty editor... who just so happens to be me... so I guess that doesn't help much.
Sincerely,
Your Lonely Director; Nick J.
Sometimes you wonder how smart you really are... well, I do anyway. I set out with the best intentions. I wanted to make something GLORIOUS for my thesis. I approach every film I make with the attitude that I may never make another film ever again. Thus I can put all of my creativity toward whatever project I'm working on.
With that in mind, I decided to write a 20 page Western. Complete with horses, guns, blood and masks (that's probably pretty weird but it makes sense in the script... I hope). Yay for me... I made something that could be considered... "expensive"... maybe even "unreasonable". But, hey... who ever got anywhere by being reasonable... don't answer that, my fragile little psyche can barely handle the stress of this thing right now.
Anyway, all kidding aside, I'm very happy with the script. I just sat down and watched the tremendously good "The Proposition" which has a very similar feel to what I'm trying to accomplish. It's help me shape a couple of scenes that I was having trouble with from the get go.
We'll be shooting on 2 DVX100B cameras. I've had a ton of luck with them and, even though I was offered the chance to shoot on the XL2, I just haven't been as impressed with the Canon pulldown. In the end, it's all about drama and story anyway so it wouldn't matter if we were shooting on a PD150... well it would... I lied.
So as this moves forward, I'll try to keep y'all updated. It could be something really good. Could all fall apart in my lap. If that happens I'll just keep quiet for a little while and hand it off to my trusty editor... who just so happens to be me... so I guess that doesn't help much.
Sincerely,
Your Lonely Director; Nick J.
Sunday, May 27, 2007
The 4 Horsemen
Aaaaaand.... we have a title. And a story no less. I'm quite proud. Draft? Draft you say? I'm workin' on it Mr./Mrs. Hurry pants! It takes time to hone such genius... of course I've heard it takes time to hone anything... even the ability to eat cereal can sometimes require days - nay - MONTHS to achieve some sort of mastery.
But, I digress... quickly. The script is coming along. My problem (as is the norm) is that I always have difficulty with the first 10 pages. Act One is always a chore, while Acts Two and Three come much more easily. In this case I've practically written the last two acts and am now just struggling with the first. I think I feel the most amount of pressure surrounding these first few pages as the audience is either going to be drawn in or walk out in those first few moments of the movie.
Of course, being afraid of those first few pages leaves open the room to be a procrastinator... as I always have been. If I can just obsess about an action line here or there... if I can pull my hair out over whether or not a "cut" is the right way to handle this transition (perhaps a dissolve is better?)... if I can bang my head against the wall over dialog like "hembras loca, me have tieso." Then I can actually prevent myself of getting a WHOLE lot of work done.
But enough of that junk, let's get to the nitty gritty (a phrase I absolutely hate, but find myself using numerous times throughout the day. What's it about? That's a good question. Plot wise it's about a gang of outlaws in 1895. They take on the personas of the Mythic Four Horsemen from the Bible. Pestilence, War, Famine, and Death. Together, they lead a gang called "The Horde" and cut a swath through the west. On the run, the four reach a small, isolated town in Montana and quickly ravage it. In the middle of the night, Famine (the leader) is attacked by a townsperson. The townsperson fails in his mission to kill Famine, but gets off a lucky shot from his revolver. It strikes Famine in the head... but doesn't kill him, rather induces amnesia.
This is the "inciting incident" if you will. How do the other 3 horsemen react to this? What does Famine make of his disturbing life? All questions that I try to answer. Sssssssslowly... but only in 30 pages... fun yay!
Anywho, enough with this pesky procrastination and onward to the writing thing.
Cherios... wait... Corn Flakes?
But, I digress... quickly. The script is coming along. My problem (as is the norm) is that I always have difficulty with the first 10 pages. Act One is always a chore, while Acts Two and Three come much more easily. In this case I've practically written the last two acts and am now just struggling with the first. I think I feel the most amount of pressure surrounding these first few pages as the audience is either going to be drawn in or walk out in those first few moments of the movie.
Of course, being afraid of those first few pages leaves open the room to be a procrastinator... as I always have been. If I can just obsess about an action line here or there... if I can pull my hair out over whether or not a "cut" is the right way to handle this transition (perhaps a dissolve is better?)... if I can bang my head against the wall over dialog like "hembras loca, me have tieso." Then I can actually prevent myself of getting a WHOLE lot of work done.
But enough of that junk, let's get to the nitty gritty (a phrase I absolutely hate, but find myself using numerous times throughout the day. What's it about? That's a good question. Plot wise it's about a gang of outlaws in 1895. They take on the personas of the Mythic Four Horsemen from the Bible. Pestilence, War, Famine, and Death. Together, they lead a gang called "The Horde" and cut a swath through the west. On the run, the four reach a small, isolated town in Montana and quickly ravage it. In the middle of the night, Famine (the leader) is attacked by a townsperson. The townsperson fails in his mission to kill Famine, but gets off a lucky shot from his revolver. It strikes Famine in the head... but doesn't kill him, rather induces amnesia.
This is the "inciting incident" if you will. How do the other 3 horsemen react to this? What does Famine make of his disturbing life? All questions that I try to answer. Sssssssslowly... but only in 30 pages... fun yay!
Anywho, enough with this pesky procrastination and onward to the writing thing.
Cherios... wait... Corn Flakes?
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Under the Weather
I hates bein' sick. Seriously. I got this weird sinus infection thing going on and it's knocked me on my ass. I guess better now that I'm out of school and have the luxury of just sitting around this weekend.
Being sick has left me able to get some writing done (or at least get some thinking about writing done). Right now, with thesis time staring me in the face and the possibility of doing a western as said thesis, I'm trying to think of something kind of exciting to do. I've always wanted to make a western. I love the genre, but I guess more than that, I love a sub-genre of the western genre. I love the "Man With No Name" series of Clint Eastwood films. My personal favorite is High Plains Drifter. That's movie makin' right there. And so I've set my mind to making something similar... at least in tone.
Right now I'm seeing a strange expressionistic film about good and evil. Nothing new, but I'd like to put my own spin on it. That being said... it's a hell of a hard thing to accomplish without a budget. We'll see.
Anywho. Back to the grind of being sick. Couch time. I think I'll watch some Buffy... something to make me feel mo betta.
Being sick has left me able to get some writing done (or at least get some thinking about writing done). Right now, with thesis time staring me in the face and the possibility of doing a western as said thesis, I'm trying to think of something kind of exciting to do. I've always wanted to make a western. I love the genre, but I guess more than that, I love a sub-genre of the western genre. I love the "Man With No Name" series of Clint Eastwood films. My personal favorite is High Plains Drifter. That's movie makin' right there. And so I've set my mind to making something similar... at least in tone.
Right now I'm seeing a strange expressionistic film about good and evil. Nothing new, but I'd like to put my own spin on it. That being said... it's a hell of a hard thing to accomplish without a budget. We'll see.
Anywho. Back to the grind of being sick. Couch time. I think I'll watch some Buffy... something to make me feel mo betta.
Wednesday, May 9, 2007
And the semester comes to a close. WOW!
Ye gads... that was an exciting two months... no really, it was.
With my second short film done (titled GONE) I'm feeling more confident with my ability to direct actors and create a visual voice for each piece I'm working on. That being said, it's hard work. And, more to the point, my big challenge still lies within writing. It's not that I'm a bad writer, as much as I tend to write films full of quiet moments and soft dialogs which talk about everything except what is actually going on. I like that in some ways, but it sets up a tone that's very monotonous at times. Hmmmm... working on it.
Now, with two short films under my belt (one of which I'm sending to festivals, for better or worse) I'm looking forward to my thesis film. Three scripts are in competition with each other for my attention. Two of which are drama/psychological studies... i.e. easy to shoot in terms of production. The third is a collaborative effort with another filmmaker and an actress to make a western. I don't know about that. It may work, it may not. I've always wanted to make a western, but the production problems that surround something like that are pretty impressive. That's not to say I'm writing it off, rather "approaching with caution". I'm not deluding myself into thinking this will be easy.
So, here I sit. Two years into my graduate degree (and only one year left) and 40 pounds lighter... I'm still chunky though... DAMMIT! But I feel good. My bad knee still bugs me, the rib I separated earlier this year still reminds me it's there, and the bills pile up. But I feel good. I feel like I'm doing what I always wanted to... and that's worth some aches and pains... definitely. ;)
Until next time, I am - and will always be - your Lonely Director.
With my second short film done (titled GONE) I'm feeling more confident with my ability to direct actors and create a visual voice for each piece I'm working on. That being said, it's hard work. And, more to the point, my big challenge still lies within writing. It's not that I'm a bad writer, as much as I tend to write films full of quiet moments and soft dialogs which talk about everything except what is actually going on. I like that in some ways, but it sets up a tone that's very monotonous at times. Hmmmm... working on it.
Now, with two short films under my belt (one of which I'm sending to festivals, for better or worse) I'm looking forward to my thesis film. Three scripts are in competition with each other for my attention. Two of which are drama/psychological studies... i.e. easy to shoot in terms of production. The third is a collaborative effort with another filmmaker and an actress to make a western. I don't know about that. It may work, it may not. I've always wanted to make a western, but the production problems that surround something like that are pretty impressive. That's not to say I'm writing it off, rather "approaching with caution". I'm not deluding myself into thinking this will be easy.
So, here I sit. Two years into my graduate degree (and only one year left) and 40 pounds lighter... I'm still chunky though... DAMMIT! But I feel good. My bad knee still bugs me, the rib I separated earlier this year still reminds me it's there, and the bills pile up. But I feel good. I feel like I'm doing what I always wanted to... and that's worth some aches and pains... definitely. ;)
Until next time, I am - and will always be - your Lonely Director.
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