And thats why I refuse to assign anyone of any responsibilities to pick up the wardrobe/props/equipment and rather do it myself.. It adds extra time into preproduction, but Excel and Google Tasks kept me sane lol
Good luck, sounds like it wll be an amazing story to tell as you'll finish your film
I do, do everything. I learned very early in life never rely on anyone. But, the clothes are their own (supposedly). There's only two things on the set I don't do, set up the camera, and place the lights. But, I do adjust the lights to how the DP wants them. Some of the time, I'm holding the boom in one hand, have the sound recorder in the other, I watch the monitor and turn on both the recorder and camera. Given this setting, there's no reason why the footage should be good. But, it is. For what it is.
I'm curious -- how much are you paying your actors?
I'd say this could be part of the problem. Because I'm not paying them up front. It's a points deal. But, a friend gave one of these actors a paying job, and they're fucking him also.
The problem is me. I'm nice to everyone. I don't stand up for myself. If I ask someone to do something and they don't, I just shrug it off (write about it here). I treat these people like friends and not employees. I've hung out and got drunk with pretty much all of them. Their absolute lack of respect for me is astounding. You would think the only person not directing this was me. I've been questioned, second guessed, asked why I want to do something every step of the way. I like to explain myself just so I can hear them say "Oh, oh yeah". That happens every time. You would figure after saying "Oh yeah" fifty times they'd just shut up. But, they don't. God knows George doesn't have a clue.
One of my favorites, and it's a very little one. But, it's so stupid that I can't forget it. What makes it worse, it came from someone really intelligent. When you're shooting a full day, you can get a hundred or so takes. So, in the beginning, I wouldn't really slate or do anything. I just knew what sound went with what video. I can't explain it, but I just do. I don't use the usual clap or slate to sync up. I use a voice. One day I decided to be safe, I started saying "Take one, sound one and rolling." We're shooting an actress walking down the hall. I didn't need sound. So, I said "Take 40, no sound and action." While the take is rolling, an actor turns to me and says "If you're not recording sound why are you saying anything?" My response should have been "You think you can ask that after the take?" Instead I said "Well the camera records sound, and now I know that there's no external sound file that goes with it." "Oh, oh yeah".
I've had people not in the scene on the set talking while the camera is rolling. You can hear texts going through. God forbid they turn cell phones off. I've been giving notes while the actors look at the net on their blackberries. My lead actress will talk to her iphone and no one on the set.
This Thursday we had an experienced actor doing his scenes. He's old, tells lots and lots of stories. He never really seems to be there with you. He's thinking of what story he's going to tell you next. When I'd say "Cut" he's immediately back to his youth. I'm walking him down the block and he said something to me, that I won't repeat. Because it was really, really bad and for just that moment he was serious. But, it was so straight on the nose and observant it made my head spin.
Spinner, I'm plugging. There's quite a few I'd really like to plug.
