Back into it

3/1/07
First Entry of 2007!

So it's been a fair Christmas break where I haven't thought about film-making at all. Well hardly.

Consolidated in my mind was that I would make Cold Storage all on one scene with multiple takes all spliced together. The first cut is definitely rough in order to run through it with Parmy and then improve. Looking at the single scene today I reckon I can do it all in one scene.

Over the holiday I also found some notes that I made in the summer listing each camera shot I saw in my mind for the script - excellent! So I've already done an important part of the work (albeit on the old script) and had forgotten. An added bonus was that this is where I was struggling. So for me an important part of the process is to do that imagining in a quiet place with the script and make a note of what I see.

I've also noticed a tendency for me to just sit at the software and do what's in front of me, not referring to any notes. Now as I have done the "director's investigation work" this seems a bit stupid so I am trying to keep my notes out to help me. I've also realised that I didn't do the shot list as I wasn't sure of the format and have regretted this. Now substituted with my own list but this is something I need to get more familiar with.

Got answers back on the audio and a result for lip syncing today as well. So can now record all my dialogue and get that in which i think will help a lot.

I still managed to spend 45 minutes trying to get Miles to point a gun at his own head! This is the frustrating thing for me. But I've also realised that people study being a director for 3 years and I am not going to do it in 3 months. So I must "give myself a break" and realise that every project and film is great practical experience but I am still learning and this could well take over a year to get fully up to speed. So give myself a break!

Have also been looking at various directing books and will probably go for "shot by shot".