One Week To Go....... Agggghhhhh!!!!!

One week until I shoot my short film!!!! I still have a few things to organise but things are slowly coming together..... I hope! This past week I have been busy yet again organising things for my shoot.

I have decided to share the directing role on my short film because I am not really interested in directing as a career. Also, it's a huge work load to produce and direct at the same time, so I wanted to cut some of my work load down as well. I want to co-direct because I still want to be able to have an input on how the actors talk and move. I wrote the script and have a vision of how the characters act and how certain dialogue should be said. I have been working with my Co-Director for the last few weeks to bring him up to speed and to essentially get him into my head so that he understands how I would like my short film to look and feel. So far, it seems to be working great!

I took my Co-Director and DOP to my main location, so that they were able to see where we would be filming and how different shots could work. The location that I am using is perfect as there is not much art direction needed at all. While we were there we took some photos of parts of the location that we will use for filming. We discussed the kind of lighting that we will be using and how we will get the actors to move around the space. Attached to this post are some photos of a couple spaces within the location that we will use for filming.

I have managed to find a Chev to use in my film! Neville Hayes from E. Hayes & Sons has one in his shop and when I called him about it, he told me that getting cars out of the shop is difficult but he had one at home that I could use!!!! I am going to see him this week with my schedule so he knows when him and his car are needed. Super stoked about this!!!!

I am also going into the Pawn Shop to talk to the manager about using part of his shop for filming the jewellery shop scene in my script. I am hoping that he will give me permission to use his shop.

I have cast one of my male characters and I am just waiting to hear back from someone about the main male role that I have left to cast. Fingers croased he says yes. So, I only have one character left to cast and that will all be sorted.

The plan for this week is to get some rehearsal time in with all my actors, confirm my actors, confirm the shooting schedule and get call sheets done, organising transport for gear, cast and crew, to confirm my last locations and to sort out catering for my shoot - my partner will be doing the catering for me.

I am nearly there so fingers croased this week goes to plan!!!!! I am planning on inviting my whole crew and cast to have dinner at my house the night before we start shooting to get everyone to meet each other before we film and as a tjank you to them all for being involved in my shoot. I hope this will also boost the morale of my cast and crew before we shoot, in the hopes morale will stay high and my shoot will run smoothly!!!!! Aw here we go!!!!

Shooting Dates Confirmed!!!!!

I have my shooting dates confirmed!!!!! Our entire class has now got their shooting dates and we will be filming back to back for 40 days straight!!!!! Aaaagggghhhhh!!!!! In 15 days I will be starting to shoot my short film and I have lots to get confirmed and done in the next 15 days.

I still need to find my two male actors, confirm two locations and get together some costume and art direction things. I have put together a good team to work on my film though and am working to get everything confirmed and sorted within the next two weeks.

Myself and two class mates went on a location scout during the week to track down locations we need fornour projects. I am from Invercargill (born and bred) and they are from the North Island, so I know my way around Invercargill well and was able to take them around places that I knew of, that possibly fitted the description of locations that they gave me. It was also helpful for myself to find my own locations.

This weekend, I have been to my main location to discuss with the owner exactly what I need at the location and to discuss with him what I will be doing there. It probably helps that he is an old friend of mine so he has been very accomodating but in saying that, I do not want to be taking advantage of that and I endeavour to be respectful and as undisruptive to his home life as I can possibly be. As for my other two locations, I need to confirm a playground/park that I want to use - I have a few to choose from but I think I need to take my DOP to have a look at these to pick the best one for the shots we need. The other location is a jeweller's and I think I may need to fake this somewhere else some how. (I will add photos of all locations in my next blog entry.)

As for my actors, I have the main female and the two children confirmed but the two male leads are freaking me out! It is so hard to find the kind of people I am looking for but I may just have to go with two actors that may not necessarily be exactly what I want and compromise to get two male actors.

I need either a '55 or '57 Chevrolet Bel Air and I have a couple of possible options but need to confirm them still. I have a couple of other art direction things almost sorted - they just need to be confirmed this week.

I will be meeting with my DOP and Co-Director this week to discuss the cinematography, shots and vision of the project and I will also be meeting with my 1st AD to sort out scheduling and call sheets, shot lists etc. Once I have spoken with my DOP and Co-Director, I will sit down and discuss final art direction with my Art Director.

This week, I also need to submit a director's manifesto, storyboards, budget, camera and lighting schematics and risk assessment forms (and at this point, I may have left something off this list but will check the descriptor again!!!!) for my project as an assignment.

I am very busy this week and I am determined not to let the stress get to me! As I commented earlier, I have chosen a very good team and I think that this will help lessen my stress significantly! Awwww here it goes!!!!! LET'S GO FILMING!!!!!

Suspicions! BDM331: Digital Video

'Suspicions' is a short film aimed at people aged 25 to 35 years old. The genre of the film is drama. I originally wrote this script for screen writing class last year and I rewrote the script this year. After some feedback, I further edited the script and have now submitted it to my tutor.

'Suspicions' is about a man named Tony whose life is perfect. He has his loyal best friend who he has known since kindergarten and he is about to ask his high school sweetheart to take the next step with him and marry him. Unfortunately, things start to happen that are just not the norm - lies, secrets and deceit. He's never had trust issues with his best friend and his partner but suddenly it seems that there might be a cause for concern. Tony needs to work out whether there is a reasonable explanation for all this or whether there is something unsavoury going on.

The film is a New Zealand film that shows aspects of the bogan culture of New Zealand. The characters are upper class bogans - they come from bogan backgrounds which include cars, heavy metal and motorsport. They are not stereotypical bogans though, they are well respected members of the community and are well spoken and dressed.

I think I am going to have issues casting my two main male characters as after holding the casting call earlier in the year, it appears that Invercargill has an age gap/shortage in actors. This shortage is exactly the age range of the two actors that I need to cast. I think I may need to walk the streets and find some talent by approaching people. The look of my actors matters a lot to get the tone and feel of the film correct. I have a couple of friends that fit the parts but there is no way that they are keen to get in front of a camera. So, I guess my search will continue!

On the bright side of things, I may have found my female actor and I have my main location which is my friends house - it is an upmarket, modern house with modern new furniture which is exactly what I need. Slowly but surely, things are starting to come together.