| imported |
[Apr. 20th, 2006|03:55 pm] |
I'm going to be saying goodbye temporarily to the pd-150 (I'll get it back before the weekend it out.) Jim has lent this camera to a friend who needs it just for tomorrow and an assistant will be by to pick it up when I call for him. He has to be here by 5:30 so I can give him the camera and then pick up Lesley because she needs to bring the C.Bane art pieces home so she can take them to a place to reframe them. So, at 3:58 here I've got an hour or so to call Wylie, the pick up guy, and in that time I'm importing all the kidz movie camp footage, the quality of which is yet to be determined. The actors are amazing kids. They are very uncoralled though. And though there are moments of casual brilliance, they can't really play parts are act or bequiet for a more than a moment or two, so that's what we're getting some kid chaos that will be thematicized and cut together with deftness and brevity. And we've shot chaos against a blue backdrop at times so we can do all kinds of weird compositing.
I'm tired and worn out. I did run 4 miles today and that makes me tired when it's all the excercise I'm getting. I've gotta get back on the yoga horse. Maybe I ought cut this short and do some poses. I want my back to be as strong as i was a month ago. It's tough trying to dig out the energy to shoot more stuff when the dough spending has seriously got to stop. I want to rush rush rush and get something out there. Get some dough and then get buoyed up by the not-getting-deeper-into-debt thing and the fact that the dough will help me do the thing better. There's only so far I stretch myself before I can't really perform at a high level at any of the jobs due to exhaustion, overwork and stress. The fun moments, the beautiful moments make it all worth it. Well, it's all worth it no matter what because of the lessons learned, but it's really all worth it if it's good. If I can't make a movie that at least I love, then I'll be deeply disappointed.
I want to shoot with better crews, better cameras, organized producers... I want real prep, months or rehearsal... If I could get the dough now and rehearsal Mammoth stuff all summer and then hit it out of the park in like November. |
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| you make me so very happy |
[Apr. 17th, 2006|08:21 am] |
monday morning is here and I sit at the 'old' computer reading the newspaperlesses and trying to wake up. We have moviecamp week 2 in an hour and 38 minutes. I'd just as soon it didn't happen. I'd like to loaf about the house and get deep in the editing. I caught half the Final Cut Pro class at the Apple Store yesterday and I learned a thing or two. Mostly just enough to make bigger messes. I might try to attend the one tonight, but I'd either have to find babysitting or I'd maybe just bring them along and let them play on the computers they have set up for kids strategically placed next to the class.
I've been shopping for laptop bags. I've had a notion just get the protective sleeve to just fit the computer itself and continue to use my black eaglecreek honeymoon bag to encase that, but it's almost 10 years old and gets daily use (and plays a costarring role in a + b = c). I think I might just have to spring the dough and get the Tom Bihn smart alec and the protective sleeve that goes with it. It's made for my bod, It'll pad the mofo serioso and I'll rest easier. I brought the laptop to the class last night, but I never took it out of the bag. Some real weirdos were at this class. let's hope the monday nighter is more mellow and wacko free.
God I want to write a new screenplay. And I want to rewrite, polish Lola and finish my 'second wave' 911 film Underkill. And I want to write a bigger vehicle for Klea. Well, fuck it, I'll just cast her regularly throughout my lil career. Wow, editing my first dv short and prognosticating a 'career'.
Reading a book that isn't a Final Cut Pro manual would be good.
Getting a good massage would be something.
Working out would be nice; I haven't done yoga in two weeks and I'm starting to soften.
It was a solidly profitable weekend down at the cafe. Easter was magical for Lesley and the girls. New dresses. Julia won the grandprize of an easter basket as tall as she is. Much candy was consumed. Julia had her first lik-m-aid last night. Apparently, raspberry in the candy world is blue.
I've been looking around covetously of skateboards lately. There are some really nice non-sector 9 boards out there, huge gummy wheels, wide ass trucks with a whole different and smooth ass looking action. My little splintered baby is wonderful, of course. But I'm thinking that I need to add a new arrow to the quiver. Money's ass fucking tight right now, and I don't need to make any but the utmost priority purchases. I really need to just change my bearings. Maybe I'll wd40 them another time first. I ought to be doing skateboard training for the 'final' shoot that was supposed to happen this past weekend. I must admit I've been scared and unbold in my skating since my smackdown. My eye is completely healed, it took less than two weeks. I need to be hungry on these streets. And I need to set up my skate shoot. It's funny that I've been running into Lolita Davidovitch at the skating rink. If I could get her to play Liesl, I'd go back and shoot it, fuck the cost. I may have to leap into the void there.
I could shoot not a stitch more and be fine as far as the trailer is concerned. Well, damn... I do need more moving cam skate shots, it's as simple as that.
Well, now to shower and get ready for the wild kidness. We're gonna do more planning and rehearsal today than shooting. We're gonna start working on this greenscreen thing where puppets decide to put on a human show. It's Jefferson's great idea. I like to work on other people's ideas. It frees me from a certain kind of responsibility. |
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| uhhh.... whoa |
[Apr. 10th, 2006|07:58 am] |
good morning world. spring break is upon us, two weeks no school for martha. so in my insanity, I've proposed to have a kind of kidsmovie camp over at K + J's and we'll be making little movies. It'll be nice not to be in front of the camera for a minute.
Shot for 8 hours yesterday, guerilla style with Los shooting. Got two hours of stuff at work (which was so painful to watch and anything of the general populace feels like stealing, I'll only use public people stuff in a few well chosen spots, and maybe not even that). And then shot four deals with Ben (and Joe), then Mario, then Bob, then we happened upon Mike Jewell and shot him on a park bench in front of skate park. And then I brought Los back here and he tried to convince me that shooting in the shed was a poor idea that would confuse the audience. In a way, it reinforced my belief that the shed is right.
Heidi emailed. Her show seems like for sure it'll be picked up. It's by the creator of Everybody Loves Raymond (Phil Rosenthal) and Jeff Garlin, actor and producer on Curb... so unless the idea and execution blow it should be a cool deal for her. She's not central central to the show, but she's the lead's "new hot wife". I think it's called a recurring role. Anyway, her email intimated that she would be busy but potentially available until May. Well, then, now I'd have to write a new scene for her and throw down for another shoot. Also, it's become clear to me that my cast is skewing kind of white all of a sudden and that wasn't the plan. So, I've thought about writing a scene for Chechulae who is black, who auditioned for Sandra. She was good and it would stretch a dynamic I'd like to work in. We shall see what pile of horsecrap I write. That's been hard, looking at footage. Sometimes my script sings, but is it all the time, uh, no way.
I've rough cut Gary's scene and also cut a trailer to a Postal Service tune just out of the salvageable moments of Carley's now-infamous shower scene. Watching that trailer, rough as it is, has been truly inspiring. Sow's ear, cut cut cut, oila oila: silk purse on fire.
So part of me would like to just sew it up and call it a day and cobble what I can on one more day. Another part of me says 3 more days. One car crew day combined with all shed dealings and dealings dealings. One day for Heidi and one day for Chechulae with full crew. THEN call it a day.
Well, my mind is a muddle. I feel so weird about seeing myself onscreen. It hurts me. And footage of me waiting tables. I was struck with such revulsion of the job and wanted to quit immediately. I have to leave the cafe at some point. Hopefully soon. I look such the fool at all times, how does anyone restrain unstoppable peals of rippling derisive laughter? My highs and lows, my pure and non existent confidence. The dollar amount of this bet I've placed on myself. i'm supposed to be good, my script is supposed to be good, my low key style might save me or sink me. I'm all a quiver to think my ship might sink. And I'm bailing out in the hold, singing madly like Quint from JAWS.
Ok, on with the day. |
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| cut me |
[Apr. 3rd, 2006|10:09 am] |
just cooked some pasta with broccoli and olive oil for Julia. She on seconds whilst I have been sitting here at the computer reading my friends posts. It seems like the shift into spring has brought out the loquaciousness in my semi-random crowd. There's this woman with like 5 kids, dying for more, and she carries a lot of baggage from her miscarriage(s, I think). She wrote like an epic poem about her d & c. Another girl, she's taking up space, no purpose in life, except getting drunk and stoned and sneaking around afterhours with her friends (which, as we all know, is an amazing amount of fun). Her parents took her car away, apparently just for two weeks and it'll come back with a new paint job, the tragic character of such a tale.
I've been reading the LA TIMES multi-part article on the wounded in Iraq. Comes with really graphic flash slideshow with audio. Nice to get some perspective on my life menagerie of injuries from yesterday's fall. What happened to me certainly is not shrapnel the size of a cigar butt lodged in my spine. I'm merely a little roughed up, shaken up, like after a football game in high school. Tingly where the skin's been removed, headache lurking due to head trauma, hard bruised corners on kneecaps and elbows. It's all sort of fun, in a way. I mean I didnt break anything. The aneuryism hasn't shown up yet, in any case. I feel a little On the Waterfront, Brando walking at the end, face fucked up, crying, taking that walk.
Watched NORTH COUNTRY last night. It's scored by Gustavo Santoalalla (sp) who's a friend of a friend of my wardrobe mistress and she's got the hook up to get me a shot to get him to do my movie. His latest thing he did was BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN. So, you see, having him, I guess it wouldn't matter much if he kicked a rusty can and called it the score, because his name will open doors. The big doors at big festivals. I haven't seen brokeback yet. We watched AmoresPerros (well, most of it) and his music there didn't quite overwhelm me. North Country was good, very emotional, tragic. If I got him to do the music, the problem I'd encounter is that I'd have to limit the instrumentation (so no sweeping orchestral sound, more his native south american tinged stuff, which, well, does that really have anything at all to do with my movie?) and, of course, the fact that I could barely pay him anything at all. We'll follow this lead until it seems a fool's errand.
The MacBookPro, shipped from Shanghai on April 1, was in Anchorage on April 2 and now, on April 3 it's located as of 6:19 a.m. in Indianapolis. Lesley thinks that means it might arrive tomorrow night. I'm dying to start cutting.
The weather has cooperated so much this March/April. We've had rain or threatening to rain, again and again. And that makes for the best clouds. The season started out so dry. The movie is bathed in luck. I wish I'd shot more more more during March. Now injured, I've had to slow down. I'm thinking of just hiring Los to operate this weekend and follow me at the cafe. I need mountains of footage of the cafe. And do the forty deals. I'll be sunglassed at that point so my eye wound won't mess me up. Then I'll shoot the shed to wrap early on Easter morning. That's my plan.
Adam Goldberg, Selma Blair, Helen Mirren... |
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| body blow body blow, uppercut, |
[Apr. 2nd, 2006|01:41 pm] |
Soo many good things happening, the bad seems minute, except that it involves bodily injury. Guess I was a touch impatient this morning, shooting myself on my skateboard at dawn before work. Going all of approximately 1 mile an hour, two steps before i was going to step off the board, I completely biffed and had the real smackdown on the hard concrete. I tried to save the camera, and it apparently is functioning fine, phew. The smack down involved a nasty cut above my left eye that drop drop dropped crimson circles that I dodged as I climbed the stairs. No blood on the camera. The footage which I just saw (after pulling myself together and opening the cafe and working all day on four advil) is singular. I may have a movie on my hands afterall. The other injuries are right shoudler muscles tight and strainy, the left knee cap skinned size of a dime, but on the corner, bruised palms, skinned top of wrist.; I've felt some stiffness and crunchiness in the knee throughout the day, glad I had to work and move around. Also, pretty badly skinned left elbow which had different skinned places from where I biffed when I did the Klea scene. Seriously, in over a year and a half of boarding, only two wipeouts and both in the last 3 weeks. I guess I've been taking risks on my board, this morning was just stupidity, though. I guess my legs were a little leadish and that's when these things happen. I guess I have to work it into the film, hmm. It must involve trickery.. now is my eye going to heal or do I have to push back the next shoot? Wrapping on Easter morning seems like destiny. I can't go back in post and paint in an eye wound to get continuity, that would cost 10's of thousands of dollars. It'll work out somehow....
Tomorrow, I'm receiving the engine which shall drive the editing of a + b = c. What is it? you might ask. Oh, it's just a little MacBookPro with Final Cut Pro. It'll actually be my first laptop. Now I can cut anywhere anytime. It's 25 times faster than this computer that I'm using now. I'm so excited for it to arrive.
I just hope I don't have a concussion... |
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| no more or even more parenthetical living |
[Mar. 27th, 2006|11:27 pm] |
just added mobyjane. I think one of my new year's resolutions was to add a new 'friend' every day. I wrote an lj called jackojournal42 that was supposed to chronicle my prep for costarring in a movie with Peter Sarsgaard written and directed by my now former (closing in on like what 2 years former) friend and writing partner, Lonny Zion. Peter backed out as we neared production as he accepted his first million dollar payday for Flight Plan. So My Dad, as the project was titled, disintegrated for all I know. Lonny and I had a big fight, I was to play Jacko, a Russian clown/mobster type with chicks hanging off him befriends this hermit-like guy played by Peter who listen to tapes, and I mean 1000's of tapes made by his father before he died. All of them direct address from the father to the son. Anyway, Lonny, would always bust out the line readings on me, and was critical of my accent and threatening about how much he was going to yell at me when we were on set and our bickering level heightened dramatically and then I blew up started screaming (i.e. whispering intense clipped horridly painful truths spoken like weapons exploding to death-giving life) in La Cabana at 2 am when he started in on criticising me how I always make a big fucking deal about being a vegetarian and like ask the waiter to make sure I'm not served meat and shit. Anyway I blew up and yelled at him in the restaurant (I remember so distinctly, lollipops came with the check and I took the plastic square that had enveloped the lollipop and chucked it like a frisbee in the middle of this whispering tirade and it landed in my water glass. A layer of plastic above the ice cube bumpy surface and I threw down dough to pay with extra extra dollars and walked out of the place. And it wasn't just he and I but in attendance is red headed computer geek friend of his who, moments before my outburst, said it was no use trying to be a vegetarian because that wasn't the way the world was. In that moment I could have shed his blood with a deep satisfaction even though I know deep within myself that he is a fine fellow whom I even admire. i can't remember his name, he has a website about robots and animation and loaned us VCR tapes of Miyazaki's Sherlock Hound (which were amazing) but I couldn't return because teething (damn this was a long time ago) Julia had eaten half the box for the tape. Lonny told Lesley (my wife) in an intermediary phone conversation that is his friend had not been there he would have commenced a fistfight with me. When I walked out of La Cabana I felt suddenly so drained. Venice seemed so suddenly empty as I walked across Rose Ave. and got into my car at the Pick and Save, I was so exhausted. And I said to myself, that I wouldn't have just completely freaked out like that if I had been in state of proper rest. But then I quickly followed internally that I was happy that it happened and that I needed to break free of this person who had co-opted my artistic voice and, basically, my career. When I broke free of him and I had to make it myself and I could do it by my own rules. He has a whole slew of fetishes for what he wants or doesn't want to appear in his movies. Many of those concepts I compromised my artistic vision to allow for... and that dilutes the power of my personal voice.
So a + b = c is in some ways very clearly about Lonny and the break up of our friendship. Doll is a stand in for me, id released, but so different in so many ways. Barry was to be a stand in for Lonny. Because Garrett (Fiona Apple's flakey brother as he shall now shamelessly be referred to ) completely skeezed out on me and wouldn't even get back to me to tell me he wasn't going to follow through on his verbal agreement and do the project, I cut Barry, in person, out of the script (for the short) because this all came down as the clock wound down toward the shoot....
(I L.O.V.E. deanocturne, monkeygirldiva, christin, useoncethendestroy and shamel3ss... you all rule my LJ world. This is the real me you read, the real Dan Ward.)
....so who knows what I've got. I stayed up here to watch footage, 14 hour long tapes, not all of them full, that's what I have to show for my reckless spending. I think I've maybe spent 5 g's on the production. I know I wrote checks to crew for $1050.00 for the weekend, but then there's the back up camera battery that I lost that I had to buy: 162,00. And the craft service 200.00. And the car rental (06 burgundy impala for Sandra's drop off) 82.00. I could add numbers all day. Would you call me a madman if I told you that the whole shebang is on credit and that before I even started this charade, I had 30,000 in debt. And after I buy a new fast computer and the software (over 5 g's) you an pretty much call it a 10,000 dollar movie who did it because it was time, ready or not, to put it on the line. Time to search for the happy accident. Time to trust myself as an actor, writer, director, producer, snake oil salesman. But I'll tell you.... I'm the real deal. And I found out by doing this. Now, NOT to fall off and NOT to fail in cutting a great short and teaser that garner's me the meagre millions needed to shoot the feature. Jim Apted was saying that what we've got is great but that when the dough comes through, we just need to start over and shoot in a different format. I say mix them all together in the fishblender that is screened entertainment. It's my first real screen project (not counting the Lonny directed film aspect of my 50,000 dollar 1999 opera (martha born 3 days before rehearsal started)) and I can break whatever rules suit me. Fifty million people are making DV features/shorts right now. Democracy has come to the medium and I, rich (but rusty) in Gawd given talent (as my semi-famous brother mcchris (go to mcchris.com) told me as I drove between sets 1 and 2 yesterday, I would be a fool not to put everything on the line and just fucking do it.
Even though I'm the one debt loading, mortgaging my children's education (don't worry we Wards are coming up), there's a real kick ass feeling to be the one signing the checks being the one who has got final call on everything. no one breathing down my neck trying to get me to explain why something has to be a certain way, defending myself and my vision, it's just easier not to have to deal with that distraction. It's easier to be the owner. Owners can't be fired off the project. Sometimes it's less trouble to take on another job yourself than having to deal with someone doing it who you have trouble or stress communicating with or who can't meet your needs. I may only nail 30 to 40 percent of my takes (and you only need one take to work) because of the rust combined with the newness (game of centimeters) and maybe my preparatory laziness (every scene my partners come sooo prepared, but me, I have to learn the lines I wrote on the set as we rehearse and during the first few takes (well fuck I'm busy), I still am driving Martha to school and taking care of 3 year old Julia 5 days a week. Fuck complaining, it's easy, my kids are fucking awesome.)
Eventually, with the Klea scene, I had to pull the plug. I know there were so many problems with sound (birds woke up and sang non stop because of the lights, planes lined up to land at 11pm at LAX, a ghetto bird circled, neighbors, dogs, television, the buzzing telephone wire) , but if I didn't pull it then, we wouldn't have gotten to Gary's scene. And, as Sara sound (vegan mentor) told me today, that's what a producer has got to do sometimes. Klea and I joked around about car acting because she had to drive into the scene. And I had my impala nightmare with the fucking electronic gate clicker in the wrong pocket and the parking brake panic and everything. We finished up the Gary scene at 2 am. Gary rocked, something I wasn't exactly sure was going to happen. And he seemed to be losing his patience what with his 7 hour delay, ha. At one point he was like, are we going to shoot this scene tonight? And I assured him that I wasn't going to give it up and I did have to push everyone a little. It had fucking finally quieted and Sara desperately wanted 3 more takes, but I pulled it and I don't have regrets. We'll go back and shoot it again if we have to. Sara, today, didn't think we would. We shall see what we shall see. I'm convinced and certain of the fact that Sara will be my sound post. Usually, she told me, you never even hear what you recorded or you're just given what they've got and that she's looking forward to the experience of linking her two areas of expertise and seeing how it adds up.
I do have to stop here sometime, don't I?
I cleaned out Aaron's apt today. We didn't clean up yesterday because we had to bail in a hurry and rush to the next location (my home, Klea actually pulls into the driveway of my apt.) and my wife Lesley made such a great spread. The previous shoots, I had cooked for my crew, something they said NEVER happens. See, I do it my way. The girls were so excited to meet everyone and as I told Lesley later, the girls seal deals for me. Because even though I'm a swell guy, people tire of me and can't keep pace with my enthusiasm when I'm on it, but the girls, no one can resist. Wait till I have a rep..... I guess I heard that about Quentin T. that when he was a loser working in a video store that he liked to talk a lot, but people were kind of sick of hearing him talk, but the R. Dogs happened and everybody wanted to hear every single fucking word he had to say.
I know my crew seemed to be pretty happy working for me. I'm pretty happy with what I've got, but fuck, I've never put a movie together before. I can't just look at raw footage and know how it's supposed to look in final form. I've got no idea. I do know I'd like to drain color out and make the picture, for the most part, ice blue. I originally wanted it to be a b and w pic, but Jim convinced me otherwise. We'll see what we've got in the end.
Ok, I'm finally going to say goodbye here. I haven't said a word about Carley Reiff and the fact that she cold footed it at crunch time (well I could tell the whole story but no way, not now) and we cut all nudity out of the role. So we shot a very teasy shower scene. Maybe it's for the best. I don't fucking know, I wanted hardcore gritty... but Carley is only 18. Big deal, I know, but she wasn't ready and was obviously in over her head. It wasn't a seasoned pro who had done nudity before and was down and relaxed about it. No, it was a terrified girl from Libertyville trying to act brave and not making it. And what happened. Dan was chill and accomodating. hey, at least she showed up which is more than I can say for Garrett and pilot excused Heidi. Didn't Woody Allen say 90% is showing up? She was there and we made the best of what was in the present moment. no regrets.
Ok, I still have to watch some footage. What to see, what to see.
sorry sometimes sentences fall apart, I don't have it in me to spell check........ respond, all of you goddammiit...
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| it's hard to call the boss a dick when he's carrying your bags |
[Mar. 27th, 2006|05:14 pm] |
Klea completely rocked. The DP actually got a little giddy. She seriously nailed every take. There are a few that were/are extra outstanding, but in general, her work was at minimum superlative. Her scene pulled the whole pic into focus. God I got lucky getting her. I'm gonna write a movie for her and I to costar. I'll be a cop, her daughter's been murdered and I won't give up on the case. Lines will be crossed, kind of thing....
Everything went so well this weekend... I feel like the luckiest guy alive... making movies is bliss for me for now.
Now to buy the latest computer and edit the damn thing. We still, however, have a day or two of pick ups and reshoots. By the end of April I plan to have something resembling a rough assemblage, the arc of it. I want to start cutting these pieces together.
Ok, have to go, but I promise I'll be back later tonight to talk about more.. |
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| check your head |
[Mar. 19th, 2006|11:42 pm] |
the secret focus was sharpened today. now to make it real in the moment on the set, after action has been called (by Jim). Today was crazy in that I pitched my movie to an investor on the spot at The Other Venice Film Festival, which is like the little homegrown film fest run by Ruby, the dad of one of Martha's classmates. Anyway he introduced me to this dude very ex surfer and I pitched the flick right there outside electric lodge leaning on my skateboard. He said he wanted to me meet later in the week and gave me his blvd of the stars century city address card, and I emailed him. It was just nice to pitch and be relaxed, confident. My movie is so fucking hardcore, but in a way it's pandering to humankind's basest instincts. That's the way to make a splash. But I get both to indulge and judge. Or maybe not judge but just give a lucid window into these lives we're acting out, get empathy for everyone's struggles, their boredom, weakness, seeing inside the fear that motivates the bully, and those self destructive years where the choices you make seem to despise the very fact that you're alive.
These scenes: traps finally fully set, then sprung. wrapped in lies... the elaborate ruse. preparing a sacrifice, training the victim, on the spot initiation, life changing moments,
Fuck fuck fuck I need Heidi to come through. No, I don't, but it would be nice. It would help a fucking lot. If surfvestor came through aces and I could shoot next month because I would then be paying Jim and Spooner, then Heidi would (hopefully) for sure be done and we could even maybe have some time instead of just rush rush rushing. I'm thinking like Eloise now. I read a damn good Eloise. It's been awhile, but I'm down with skipperdee. and Nanny drinking pilsner.
Ok, if Heidi doesn't come through I have planned a set of scenes that would rely heavily on Garrett and include Susy and Lee. So if Heidi doesn't make it, Garrett had fucking better.
I think I'm going to watch some footage. I wonder if I can fix my crappy lip gloss with some color timing trick. ay me. |
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| march |
[Mar. 17th, 2006|08:17 am] |
I've been booking crew for the back to back shoot dates: Saturday March 25 and Sunday March 26. There's gonna be more ultra-guerrilla shoots before and after, but those are the days where I take the hit that is 6 bills in crew fees. And then that's basically a wrap on the short. I still haven't heard from Heidi... and it's driving me bananas. I'm not mad at her, this is how these things go. Of course, the leading lady's availability is in question. Getting her to the set for 1 night. That's all I'm asking. I also have to book Garrett, and have a location for his pad. It could be his real pad, it could be a sidewalk situation.
I watched a bunch of footage yesterday in slow mo whilst playing Radiohead's OK Computer. It was nice. Jim's camera work is really good. I've got to be thankful for his 3 days I'm getting and his camera and encouragement. I yet may have a 'calling card' into this industry. Funny, it took me this long to figure out how to make a movie. I'm having fun, but it's harrowing when it's my meagre credit on the line. And I've got to make my writing and acting and directing and producing all look good, no small feat. My post production phase must be a dream where a film of seductive power and substance emerges. Music choices, I'm going crazy. I go back and forth so much. I can literally do anything, and then the rights stuff would have to be worked out when the thing gets picked up. I just need to get into fests as a short, get into a high paying/power contact infested lab.
Just got off the phone with Aaron, who's putting up the location for Seana's loft now. It should work out fine, because that is what's happening. Happy accidents thank you for stopping in for tea.
And Heidi give me Sat night! |
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| pancake |
[Mar. 13th, 2006|05:59 pm] |
you gotta pay to play. That's me summing up the directing/acting/writing thing. One of the hardest things about being an actor is watching yourself later. And that difficulty is compounded if you not only see the finished product, but actually have to watch yourself through every bad moment, every bad take. It's really hard for me to watch myself from last weekend. Above and beyond the call of duty in difficulty level is the fact that makeup sucked ass basically and that more than half my takes are a total waste because of it. Not such a bummer on those takes where I also suck, but really so on those takes where the only thing that blows is my jaundiced lumberjack pancake stack face and luscious glowing lips. Yes, apparently, my lips were juicier than the women's. Now, it's funny, not haha that the first weekend we didn't have a real crew and the whole thing was close to a disaster, but all in all, I'm happier with the results. Shooting at Jefferson and Kendell's presented it's own baggage as well. I mean Jefferson was an insanely great sport, but it wore on him and I was aware of that wearing and it weighed on me most of the night. We didn't break anything and we wrapped at 2am just as I had foretold. But we rushed so much, a 7.5 page scene in one night was just too much. I didn't get to pause and delve and there were a few actors that could have benefited more time and attention and extra takes. I think in the end a scene will emerge from the rubble. I'm worried about my script and acting and everything. I'm looking for the happy accident not the incompetent train wreck, sometimes it presents problems discerning which is which. And my ignorance of things like continuity (the bathroom door is left open in the master and closed in the medium shot), screen acting (concentrating all the physical energy in the face without getting too facey), sound (there appears to be some white noise problem), coverage (did we get all the angles to cover) , makeup... the list goes on. At least I got three tapes of content and from that I winnow down a scene with the aid of some genius editor. Just exactly where do i start. Jay was great, but he did fuck up a lot of takes. He was almost taking off and he does, but not as often as I had first thought. It's important to nail the master. You can hang on that master often and cut less. But my scene seemed to get less fluid as it was chopped up. Now that I see the pieces they can't just lie there naked but the muse must summon a master illusionist to manipulate the audience to look at and hear only that which I command. In some takes if only I could just digitally wipe the gloss off my lips.
The question of how to proceed now, what to shoot now. How to pull together a short and a trailer. I think I need to shoot some moments with Heidi and Carley and Garrett. And I think I need to shoot Klea and the garage and street skating, with establishing drop offs. Could I do two consecutive dates? A Sat and a Sun night. And catch four locations. Maybe a faux Seana location if we can't find the real one and shoot just a few moments rather than capturing whole scenes. Are Jerry and Liesl out for the moment? I think maybe. Two days for real and I'll have it, if we rock and all for the most part goes well. Planning will commence in earnest on the morrow. Tonight, I just need to watch all the footage again and live with it again.
I didn't mention that Spooner and I also did a Sunday 7 am call and shot me taking a shower on the coldest day of the year (40 degree) at the Venice Beach public restroom showers and then all the work of opening the cafe. I washed off the makeup in the shower and for the rest of the stuff I looked fucking fine.
Lesson, have the right people, have the clutch performers and you'll not regret it.
Now tonight, I'll be drinking some red and watching all the footage again after the kids are to bed and then Lesley and I will watch BROKEN FLOWERS. Tomorrow I call Klea. |
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