It’s New, But Familiar
Posted on September 15, 2008
Filed Under Writing/Productions | Leave a Comment
I’ve been working on a new project, though for some who know me they will be indifferent excited to see me going back to something I’ve left unfinished.
I’ve been writing, casting, scouting and scheduling everything, and as this weekend comes - our first shooting days are Friday and Sunday - I’ve decided to update and put a few things down that I’ve learned over the course of the past… let’s say four years, as a wanna-be showrunner.
Do not ignore craft services. This may seem like a no-brainer; of course you feed your people. But the reality is we always push it back to be the last thing we deal with, and that’s a major mistake. That’s how you get pizza every single shooting day, and forgetting that your actress is vegan. One really great idea is to cook the day before. On no-budget, it’ll be cheaper, and all you need is a microwave to reheat it the next day. Keep pizza and take-out as a last resort, so that if things go wrong, you haven’t burned that bridge by overusing it.
Plan your shoot extensively. You have people who are counting on you to be professional. If you’ve casted actors who are working for free, even though they may be upbeat and love everything that’s happening, they expect you to be professional. Even if they don’t, you should expect you to be professional. Don’t location scout the day of the shoot. That is how you end up in bad neighborhoods with an attractive actress and a lot of ne’er-do-wells looking right at her.
Don’t over-direct. This is a mistake that I have made a number of times. It’s because I’m a writer, first, so I have the entire scene conceptualized and romanticized in such a way that anyone who does it different has to be wrong. However, in no-budget productions, the draw is the creative atmosphere. The only drama professor I have ever respected (a SAG member still paying dues) once told me, “the better the director, the more vague the direction.” The idea isn’t to get them to “say it like this,” but to put them in the mindset where they can play the character truthfully.
Remain upbeat. Everyone’s doing this for free. This should be fun. Keep your freak-outs off-set. Keep everyone happy, yourself included. Live in the moment. Love the magic that is filmmaking. Because it’s still magic, regardless of the BS you have to deal with, and the moment you lose it, get out of the industry.
Freak the hell out. You’re going to do it. It’s going to happen. You realized you bit off more than you can chew, and you’re trying to bottle it up. Don’t. If you keep it in you will only have it bleed onto set, everyone will notice you’re tense, and that’s a bad scene for everyone. Call up a friend, say, “man, I am freaking out,” and go to the damn bar. That’s what bars are for.
Ask for help. You may be in charge, but there are a lot of people who can help you. Maybe you can’t cook worth a damn. Promise your girlfriend to go see her choice of movie for the next three times in exchange for the cooking. Ask your actors if they know anyone who aren’t doing anything and wouldn’t mind being extras.
Be honest. Don’t promise your actors something you don’t have. If you are deferring payment or promising points on something you know isn’t even going to make a cent, that is sleazy, and that sort of thing that hurts the industry. Also, be honest with yourself. If you don’t think you can make the schedule, don’t go Crazy Horse on the damn thing. Readjust your schedule. If you have to wait three weeks to do your finale, then wait. If you announced a release date before you could guarantee it to be done on time, then it’s on you.
Got any more? Toss a comment!
The Dark Knight
Posted on July 18, 2008
Filed Under Movies/TV | Leave a Comment
Craig Clevenger said about all that needed to be said re: this film.
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