"Missed, Taken" and "Un"

Well, I blink and 2+ months have passed since my last blog posting. Yikes!

So, Chains of Freedom is still chugging along, the second draft is taking its time in getting me feedback from others, but I've had plenty of other things to keep me busy while I wait!

"Missed, Taken"

First up, I just co-wrote, shot and edited a new short film for entry into this year's Idaho International Film Festival, a film entitled "Missed, Taken". It's all wrapped and ready to show, but I'm going to wait to post it until it's debuted this September. Featuring once again a lead performance by TJ Johnson, "Missed, Taken" was a unique experience for me in that TJ, as producer, explicitly stated that he wanted only pro actors for this cast.

Working with an all pro cast is quite different from working with first-timers or amateurs. These folks knew their craft, came prepared and knew their characters. I didn't have to introduce them to the folks they were playing (though at first, being accustomed to directing "newbies", I tried to).

After the first big day of filming, I asked TJ to give me some feedback on my directing. He really encouraged me to trust the actors more to come to the table prepared, and to direct in the form of questions if something didn't work for me. For example, during the second big day of filming, when TJ's character meets with another, the other character delivers a line that is meant to be kind of a joke.

TJ played the reception of that line as being insulted. That wasn't quite what I was wanting from TJ, and, using the feedback he gave me the week before, I asked him what he was thinking at his response. He told me his character felt belittled by the zinger. I then was able to pinpoint the exact thought process and tweak it, instead of broadly handling his whole performance. I asked TJ to consider that his character was so excited for an upcoming event that he didn't care if he was insulted or not. Bingo. The next run-through was exactly what I needed.

Filming "Missed, Taken" was a blast, and I had a lot of fun exploring what it means to direct pro actors. Today the screener DVD and submission letter are off for the Idaho International Film Festival's consideration. I'll let you know if and when it's accepted.

"Un"

Secondly, I'm developing a concept for an online serial drama series, entitled "Un". The short of it is a man wakes up with no memory of who he is, and seeks to discover the life that was stolen from him. I'm keeping the story details low key right now, but here's what I'm looking at for a production plan.

The presentation format will be prepared for weekly online distribution, in approximately ten minute segments, spread over thirteen months. In actuality, each segment will be but one act within a forty to sixty minute episode. There will be, proposed, thirteen episodes in all. These episodes, upon completion, will then be packaged in their longer formats as a DVD set.

The production format will be bi-monthly, one month given to writing and pre-production, the next month given to production and post-production, with the episode then displayed over the course of the following third month, weekly. On that third month, while the finished episode begins its debut, the process for the next episode begins. The total amount of time, then, spent on this project will be roughly fourteen to fifteen months once we begin.

Budget will most likely be non-existent, and I will depend on volunteer casts and crew. This will be, for me and for the others involved, a work of passion. However, we will arrange agreements on how to distribute any potential profit we see from the DVD sales (or other profits that become possible), specifically among those that regularly contribute.

Due to the lack of budget, we will be shooting guerilla style, hand-held, while refraining from any form of zooming. We will need an effects team to create, cheaply yet effectively, this not so distant future. Shots will be tight, and stories will be entirely character driven to keep the need for elaborate effects and stunts down as much as possible. Locations will be a challenge, as a lot of this is within a city, albeit, a small city, one that, conveniently, will resemble Boise, Meridian, Nampa and perhaps Caldwell, as we have need.

My role in all of this will be as the top producer and chief writer, as well as the editor, composer and occasional director (though I do hope to bring in other guest directors for many of the episodes).

I'll keep you all up to date on that as it develops as well.