So what did you do this week? (end 05/29)

[Zensteve]

Man, I miss these threads.

Another fine week is over and done with, and all across the globe people have been trying to get something done in the film world.

What have you done this week, in your corner of the map? Share it with the rest of IndieTalk.

Something big? Something small? It matters not, if you've been keeping that creative essence alive.

Finished a shoot for a short? Finished a shoot for a feature? Rewrote a script? Fired the actor for being a primadonna? Quit latest acting role, when the director was being a primadonna?

Heck, even just found a good book to read to learn something new... maybe it's something a fellow filmmaker on the boards here needs to know about.

_______

Myself... I've been re-editing a short film and burning parts of it to DVD for the actors to do their ADR on.

It's a painful process... makes me wish I could get the knack of sound right the first time. Nonetheless, should be complete in a week or two.

_______

Now, how about you...

 

[spinner]

Zen! What's shakin'!

...I have been trying to be patient about my grant stuff for my doc. Not easy because I am waiting also to hear about fiscal sponsorship. I kinda feel that if that doesn't come through things will be alot more difficult. I have fund raising things I want to try to do, but with no sponsorship, I can't tell anyone what is in it for them.

...meanwhile back at the ranch...(uh, the day job)...we have a very big telethon about to happen on friday and saturday and even though it is worthwhile, it is also a big hassle. Oh, well, grin and bear it I guess. At least my paycheck will be good.

...the good news is that I will be meeting with some people about my doc on thursday I hope. This will be a positive thing for me as the wheels of this project are moving ssssllooooowwwly....

--spinner

 

[indietalk]

My film ...To Skin a Cat had 2 New York screenings this past week. Still pimpin' it!

 

[clive]

Got the first feedback from sales agents on "No Place" from my ex-business partner's trip to Cannes.

Basically they felt no one would buy a film where there was no dialogue for the first eight minutes. The suggested a VO might help. SO this week I wrote it. It came out pretty well, so I go back into post to fix the sound track next week.

VO for No Place - COLIN (War Photographer)
Crying soldier, page six The Washington Post. Land mine victim, page two The London Times. Mother of murdered daughter collapses in the arms of policeman, front pages everywhere. Beruit, Palastine, Belfast... (pause) Uganda, Soweto, South Central LA. (Pause) Goose Green, Waco, Columbine (Pause) Whereever the blood flowed and women wept in the streets I was there. The man with the Nikon. I saw it all. I shot it all. And none of it touched me. Not the broken bodies or the shattered minds, because I was doing the job, the gig, I was getting the news. Making sure the papers never ran short of weeping widows and limbless orphans. All of life turned upside down through a lens; death and despair reduced to thirty-five millimeters of celluloid. And then I met her, the one who changed everything, the one who reached passed the camera and made me see. In an instant she transformed every photograph taken, every atrocity burned onto film, back into a person. So now I’m here. Me and the ghosts in the middle of No Place.

 

[Loud Orange Cat]

I spent the 28th filming the final chapter in the much anticipated Bad Cat series. After two long days of editing, Bad Cat 3 should be online in a day or so. (Hopefully by tonight)

Preliminary test audiences (Okay, a bunch of friends) gave me some historic input:

"Oh my god! That was so bad I think it gave me cancer!"

Yeah, it's a classic. It should be online in a day or so. Believe me, IndieTalk will know when it's available.

 

[Will Vincent]

Week ending 5/29 eh? well I suppose that means the week began on 5/23.

Monday, 5/23 Ahh a new week, maybe this one will be better than last. My assistant DP quit the film yesterday morning... Received phone call from night club owner that he wanted to meet with me.

Tuesday, 5/24 meet with owner, and find out he's replacing me (effective immediately) for Thursday nights. "Nothing personal..." mmhmmm.

Wednesday, 5/25 still annoyed about the nightclub thing I do my day job, and then mope around the rest of the day. Oh, right also heard from my DP that he had a death in the family and has to go to the funeral in Iowa all weekend (back sometime late afternoon on Memorial Day)

Thursday, 5/26 Get a call from my parents, regarding a job lead they ran across for me. Follow up the job lead, and line up a new job! (yay!) Oh, right.. I forgot to mention, I had to go in and TRAIN MY REPLACEMENT at the club... grrr. (At least I still got paid for it)

Friday, 2/27 Still angry about the club thing, but more focused on other things since the new job news, start to worry about locations for the next days shoot (yea.. things that should have been done Monday and such..).. oh and had to work at the club again, playing music for the 3 or so people who go there on Fridays.

Saturday, 2/28 Unable to find a location in time (gee, I wonder why) I make the decision to cut another scene from the film, figuring if it doesn't work without it, the scene can be shot and edited in later sometime. That night, myself, one of the actors, and one crew member got together at the Amtrak station we'd shot at the previous weekend to get some pickups done. Since the person we'd cleared it with wasn't working at the time, it felt like even though we had permission, we had to 'steal the shot' ... but nobody hassled us, and I think the footage looks good. Which is important, as it's the final shot of the film. Also received a call from one of my actors for the last major scene left to shoot so he could inform me that we "have a problem"... he broke his nose. Well, blessing in disguise, now I can reschedule for Monday night, without him and use someone else for the part. My DP will be back.. yay!

Sunday 5/29 VERY early morning, well not really, but 6am on a Sunday sure feels early. Got up and picked up a crew person, then shot across town to the police station we were shooting at that morning. The actors and other two crew members arrived shortly thereafter, and we got all our shots and were out of there 40 minutes ahead of schedule! Then it was time to send everyone home, as the next bit to be shot wasn't for another 4+ hours, and I was able to do it myself, with one actor. Also the final shooting of the day (later at about 9pm) was a pickup at a location we'd shot at last weekend, and again needed nighttime outdoor footage. I met the actor myself and got the shot.

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Extra credit:

Monday 5/30 -- Memorial Day. This will be the last day of principle photography on Three Shades of Sable. The short film I've been working on all month. On the list for today is some pickup shots with one of the actors (she'll be running around in a wedding dress.. again) this afternoon, and then tonight (with my DP back on set!!!) we're shooting probably the most challenging scene of the film. The aftermath of a car accident. Which reminds me, I'd better go check on the smoke effects and such, and make sure that's all lined up.

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Extra Extra credit:

NEXT weekend, I'll be doing the 48-hour film project with a team I and another guy have assembled here in the Twin Cities.. so maybe I'll see YOU at the nationals.