Time Marches On

Time is something that none of us can really seem to master during our lifetime. When we're kids, everything seems to take forever. The eight hours you're at school never seem to end. Playing with your friends seems short, but then you have dinner, homework, and that weird space of time between that and being forced into bed by your parents seems like forever. As things move on, though, more responsibility is put on your plate and time seems to go faster and faster. By the time you're in your twenties, you're so busy that years have gone by and you can barely remember what happened.

I was looking for an old blog post when I came across some of the pieces I wrote back in 2008 about submitting The Definers for a Texas Film Production Fund grant. One of the posts was about sending the script to Greta Gerwig to review and see if she would be interested in signing on to play one of the leads. This was post Hannah Takes The Stairs and pre Greenberg. I honestly thought I had a decent chance. She wasn't a professional actress at that point, just doing stuff with friends, and she seemed to be interested in taking risks. I received a note from her a few weeks later expressing that she was just too busy to work on it (she was working on Swanberg's Nights and Weekends and had just gotten off of Ti West's House of the Devil, along with being in the early stages of being courted by a "Hollywood film", which I'm assuming was Greenberg).

I do wonder what things would have been like had she said yes, and had I received the TFPF grant. Obviously, The Definers wouldn't just be something in the back of my mind, a script that's gathering dust while I try and figure out how to make it. Who knows, I could get really lucky and find someone to throw some funds at it, and actually hire Greta legitimately, but... I'm not going to hold my breath...

Updates - 100608

Well, obviously there's a lot of new reviews up. I went from having barely anything in September, and nothing for October, to having 11 posts for October in one day. It's because I'm sick. All I can really do today is sit around anyway, so, why not play a little catch up?

Shooting on Daisy Chain went as well as could be expected. We could have used more equipment, and more time, but, when do you ever have what you need on a no budget or low budget shoot? Tim, the guy who ran the B camera, should be starting to edit in the next few weeks. It feels very strange, because, even though I wrote the film, directed it, and ran one of the two XL2's that we shot it with, the film is still not really mine, it's the groups. As such, I felt the need to relinquish some of the responsibility (or in this case, process) to someone else. It would be in poor taste for me to do everything, when there are other people in the group who want to be a bigger part of making this film than just lugging around lights or being set monkey's. 

I know I keep saying this, but I'm going to get the ball rolling on some of my own stuff. I'm getting more and more desperate to get some short films and spec stuff shot so that I can show people I CAN do something.

Bryan Poyser, of the Austin Film Society, sent me the comments on my grant application. I'm thinking about posting them here, though I haven't decided whether I will or not. I agree with some of what they said, though not with all of it. I feel like posting it, with my responses back to their comments, might be worthwhile, though I'm not sure if I want to have it up on the internet for everyone to see. The Definers is a very personal project, so, I feel like I need to be ready to post any outside criticism of said project.

I'm really excited about the possibilities of Canon's new 5DMkII - 1080p video capture (though it only shoots 30fps right now), and interchangeable lenses.

That is all, for now.

Waking up to the sad news

Well, I got word from Greta this morning that she won't be able to be in the film. She wrote me a very nice letter, simply stating that her plate was too full, which I totally understand.

It sucks, though. I had really come to see her as being in this role. But that's the game, isn't it? You pick your "A" team, and hope you get them, but sometimes you just don't. I wish her luck in everything she's doing.

A fool for the "artsy" way

I've always liked the idea of doing smaller, experimental films, but have yet to actually make one. I realized, today, why I haven't yet - I don't thrive in the kind of improvisational environment that a lot of these films are made in. I would rather not make a film, than just go out with a camera and an actor and try to come up with something (hoping that its good).

I've been more excited, in the last few days, about filmmaking than I have been in a long time. Do you know why? Planning. Dare I even say it, Pre-Production (a very bad word in my world). I've been talking about making Indefinable Orbits, a Brakhage style short film, for months now. While money has been a factor in getting it done, it eventually came to be that I just wasn't getting it done for no particular reason. Yesterday, though, I sat down with the script/outline/notes, and made out a shot list. Suddenly, I feel like I'm light years closer to seeing this happen. It seems real. It seems do-able. I'm excited again.

I grabbed a hundred foot load of 50D out of the fridge yesterday, and have been thawing it (you should always thaw film for 24 hours before shooting on it). I'm going to start shooting some of the stuff after next week (when all of the grant stuff is on its way to AFS). Who knows, a cut of it might show up in the next month or two. 

Don't take that statement the wrong way, though, that's not a promise...

Getting over one hump just means there's a downhill before the next climb.

I know what you're thinking - "He's done. He's not keeping up with the blog anymore."

No, just been REALLY busy with the AFS stuff. Sent off my "rough draft" yesterday to Bryan Poyser @ AFS, to look over. So, for the next couple of days, I get top play catch up with all of the things that I didn't get to do because I was working on the grant application (which includes blogging some older movie reviews I wanted to do, but didn't have the time for).

Also, you'll notice in the bottom left corner of the screen, I am now on Twitter, so you can follow my progress on my films, and in my life (though my life is relatively average, so, don't be complaining when there's posts like - "Eating" or "Working").

Anyways, going to see the new Indiana Jones movie later this afternoon. I'll write a review as soon as I get home. Kind of sucks, though. I wish I got to go to early press screenings like a professional blogger, so I could have my review up before the movie comes out. Oh well, maybe I'll get lucky one day, and Cinematical will call me up and hire me... (that's a hint, in case anyone from Cinematical happens to be reading this).

Wishing and Hoping

So, current news on The Definers is this - I attended a meeting the other day to go over the grant application that I will be turning in at the beginning of June (it seems so far away, but, I know it's gonna sneak up on me). Bryan Poyser, of the Austin Film Society, hosted it, and it was basically just a chance to look at the application, go over the rules and requirements, and ask any questions one might have.

Also, I had sent Greta Gerwig a copy of the script a few weeks ago, but I think she lost it, because she asked me to re-send it to her. She will be in the process of reading it, soon, and deciding if it is something she would be interested in doing. If she did, that would be SO AMAZING. I think she would bring the perfect mix of subtlety, ferocity, angst, loneliness, and confusion that the role of the Sister demands.

When I had originally envisioned the film, I saw Katee Sackhoff in the role of the Sister, but I think Greta might be able to better bring to this character some of the paradoxical nature that the Sister needs. So, here's hoping she likes the script, and we can work it out. The only thing I need now is MONEY, MONEY, MONEY!

Greta Gerwig

AFS Grant

Wow... Haven't been keeping up with this very well. Anyways, just as an update, I will be applying for a grant to make my script The Definers, from the Austin Film Society. I'm also going to be preparing my pre-production stuff, and trying to raise  some funds on my own. I am hoping to find a lot of individuals willing to invest money in the film, so that I don't have to try and get everything I need from one or two people. Makes life easier on everyone, and takes a little bit of the stress away.

More updates and film reviews to follow shortly.