Drastic Last Minute Changes... Ever Done It?

[Beatlesfan1225]

Hey Everyone,

So I've been shooting a three part series, 'Eve of the Lost Doctor.' About a month in advance, we've been releasing promotional posters with release dates to garner support for each episode... And of course, annoying rescheduling disaster has stricken.

One of my leads, who was briefly established in the previous episode, plays a pivotal role in the third part. In fact, it's her part that propels the story and provides the wonderful twist at the end of the episode, and the cliffhanger for the second season. Of course, a couple days before our scheduled filming, she's become unavailable for the filming.

So I sort of have a Catch 22. Rewrite, film, and get it out on the date we set, or push it back a week or two, and then get the episode the way it was intended, but possibly frustrate some of our more loyal viewers by pushing it back.

So, I'm really just curious, have you ever written a script and then made last minute, drastic changes? If so, how did that go for you, and the shoot?

Personally, I think my plan is to keep the shoot on the date set, and film a new short, a five minute teaser for the larger episode that'll then be pushed back. Then we don't entirely alienate our viewers by not releasing anything on that day.

 

[jax_rox]

Sounds like a good plan. How long is each episode? Is it feasible to shoot more than one at a time? Seems like shooting as many as possible in one go would alleviate the issue in the future

 

[Beatlesfan1225]

Sounds like a good plan. How long is each episode? Is it feasible to shoot more than one at a time? Seems like shooting as many as possible in one go would alleviate the issue in the future

That is a great suggestion - They're usually a little less than fifteen minutes, but they're getting increasingly effects heavy, meaning more time has to go into post.

In the future, shooting more than one at a time may be a great idea. For this specific shoot, though, it's the last episode of the season, and the second season won't return for at least three or four months.

 

[FantasySciFi]

Hey Everyone,

So I've been shooting a three part series, 'Eve of the Lost Doctor.' About a month in advance, we've been releasing promotional posters with release dates to garner support for each episode... And of course, annoying rescheduling disaster has stricken.

One of my leads, who was briefly established in the previous episode, plays a pivotal role in the third part. In fact, it's her part that propels the story and provides the wonderful twist at the end of the episode, and the cliffhanger for the second season. Of course, a couple days before our scheduled filming, she's become unavailable for the filming.

So I sort of have a Catch 22. Rewrite, film, and get it out on the date we set, or push it back a week or two, and then get the episode the way it was intended, but possibly frustrate some of our more loyal viewers by pushing it back.

So, I'm really just curious, have you ever written a script and then made last minute, drastic changes? If so, how did that go for you, and the shoot?

Personally, I think my plan is to keep the shoot on the date set, and film a new short, a five minute teaser for the larger episode that'll then be pushed back. Then we don't entirely alienate our viewers by not releasing anything on that day.

Unfortunately, yes. I have had to write around changes in actors, locations and props. Delays while annoying are not the end of the world. Surprisingly, many fans are quite accepting and would rather see a quality fan film. If you're only talking 2-3 weeks, that's really not a big deal. I've seen some fan pics pushed back by months due to post issues.

In the end, it depends on the actor's commitment and what's in the best interest of your production. You want to make sure there is story continuity. It may mean making some script changes if it is a case that the actress will be unavailable for large segments of the filming. It's a pain.

If you've only briefly introduced the character, it's possible to do a switchover. In this case, does the girl have a sister or friend who could become the 'accidental' companion. Or thinking outside the box, a male companion (like Mickey or Rory) for a brief period searching for her. Sometimes you can use shot footage (not aired) to integrate into that transition. It's possible then to bring them both together later if the actress will be rejoining the cast. If the character is more integral, then the choice is to replace them or write them out. Replacing them often means re-shooting scenes.

But things come up for actors and crew. If she's dedicated, a delay of 2-3 weeks will likely not an issue to maintain the story and the continuity of cast dynamics.