Reloaded & Rehearsed

After a couple of weeks off from shooting my latest project, I recast a role and have gotten back on track. With a vengeance.

Christopher, an actor who will be working with me on my bar trilogy, has come on to take over the car jacker role for the gritty little drama I wrote. He's a talented guy who came in script in hand and ready to read. I can still see some fine tuning is needed to get the same feeling we had with Quinn. Tonya, my wife, pointed out that Chris didn't seem unsure. In fact, his interpretation was a little to polished. We both agreed that what made Quinn's performance stand out was that the shaky, unsure performance he delivered wasn't contrived. It was real. He didn't have the script memorized, he couldn't get in character and he was just generally unsure.

Thankfully, Chris takes direction well and has a real strong work ethic. He's turning himself over for the first installment for the bar trilogy out right. I have a great feeling about this guy.

Chris is the guy to the left. Mike, his victim, is on the right.

We're on the road again!

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Lending A Hand

Tonya and I went to help another film maker Saturday. It was really interesting.

I hadn't read the script, but I managed to jump right in there. Theo was helping a first time director, Hope, shoot a sequence in a car lot.

It was a great experience, helping someone else do their film. I even managed to chip in an idea or three along the way.

It felt really good to get out there and help someone else achieve their dream.

That's Theo and Hope, above, reading through the script as Hank prepared the camera.

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Lost Another Great One

Robert Altman, one of the most unique voices in film history, died November 20th. He was 81 years old.

Altman directed "M.A.S.H.", "The Player", "Short Cuts", and "Nashville", among many. I think my first introduction to Altman was with "M.A.S.H" and later "Nashville."

I remember watching "The Player" and being blown away by it. I don't know if it was the direction or the acting or the editing, but it was so smooth.

"M.A.S.H." was so fucking good. There was so much missing when it changed format and ended up on the boob tube. I like the series, but it was nothing like the movie.

He will be missed.

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Gotta Do What You Gotta Do

I've never had to "fire" someone. Not that I recollect. But yesterday, I released Quinn from his obligations to my film.

It was tough because I really do think the guy has some talent, but as I told him last night on the phone, I think I caught him at the wrong time. I believe, in all honesty, that he's got some real talent, but he still needs to find himself. To get in touch with his roots. He's incomplete and I think that's hurting him right now.

So, I spoke to the others and let them know, before I spoke to Quinn, about my intentions. My wife was surprised that I went through with it. I kind of am too. But I made my decision, as I told Quinn, for the good of the film.

I made a call early yesterday to line up another audition. A guy who had previously expressed interest and who I was lining up for December's project. I'm hoping that after Christopher, the new audition, we won't have to look anymore.

Of course, that means that I'll have to recast his sister. Ugh.

All this movement has prompted me to push back my start date for the next project by nearly two weeks. I figure that with the extra time, I can get pick up shots and any additional material. I hope that's enough time.

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Day 2: On The Road

We managed to go back and reshoot the walking scene with Mike. I may have not mentioned it before, but he looked like he'd just committed a crime in the first run from the previous night.

We went back and reshot it with the help of Theo, his daughter and my old garage sale wheel chair. The shot looked much better with the wheel chair as a dolly.

While we did that, I had a new crew member, Greg, come in and work with Quinn as script supervisor. He helped him rehearse while we got the leftovers done.

Then we took the last couple of shots of the pair driving out before heading to the location of the end sequence.

We took out time blocking things out and working out the lines to conserve battery time since I DIDN'T CHARGE MY CAMERA and all we had was Hank's. My camera, which seems prone to failure from time to time, was finally working and I didn't have it charged. Ugh.

Still we went through it as best we could. The location was underneath a freeway exchange blocks down the first location. Lots of freeway support columns, dirt and darkness. Too much darkness. We had a bitch of a time lighting the actors. The camera kept trying to adjust and several times, I had to call cut because everything was out of focus.

Quinn was working much better, but still asked a million questions and offered a thousand a apologies. He managed to get through the night with very few serious flubs and fewer excuses.

Along the way, we managed to come to our first really cool story of the shoot. Almost getting shot by cops.

This marks the second occasion that armed, police officers have halted things during a shoot.

Theo saw the cop car from Broadway. It had the spotlight on and was scanning us. When he came around from the N. Alamo side of our location, he had a friend and was how flooding the area with lots of blinding, white light.

Theo says, "Damn, we need to see if they'll let us borrow that light." We laughed.

The lead officer walked up to us and drew his gun. He kept it behind him, but we could see it. His partner had unsnapped his holster and had his hand on his weapon.

We were told to sit down on the floor.

Officer 1: What are ya'll doing here?
Theo: Filming a movie. (chuckles)
Officer 1: You all got a permit for that?
Me: I didn't know we needed one.
Theo: (chuckling) We're just filming a movie.
Officer 2: (to Theo) You think this is funny?
Officer 1: (to me) Put the camera down.
Me: Sure.
Officer: We got a call that someone had a gun. Is there a toy gun around here?
Mike: It's in the car.

I put the camera on the top of the car and went back to take my seat. Quinn had been laying down on the ground, playing the victim and was now sitting up and had his hands raised. So did Greg. Theo was still chuckling. The first cop went to the car and searched for the gun. Satisfied that it was fake, he returned to our impromptu line up.

Officer 2: This isn't funny. Someone could get hurt.
Officer 1: What are ya'll filming a movie for?
Me: For contest.
Officer 1: Alright, let's see some ID's.
Theo: (offering the script) Wanna read the script?

So, with that, we were told to notify them of our activities and we proceeded to finish up the last shot of the film.

Looking at the dailies, I'm not happy. We had lots of light and camera issues. It was quite frustrating. Not to mention that Quinn still wasn't on the mark. His blank expression came right through his mask. Never mind that he didn't know where to look when Mike wasn't at his mark.

Right now, I'm wondering when this film will get done and if a certain actor will be around to play his part. The wife suggests I reshoot everything with Hank, but I'm not sure when he'll be free. Never mind that "CODE" is coming up in just a couple of weeks. I still have so much to do for that.

I have to make some tough choices here in the next day or two.

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Day 1: First Night

I'd like to say that everything about the first night of filming went fantastic and that we got a lot done.

The reality of the matter is that we had camera issues and actor issues.

Quinn, the actor who had promised to give me his best performances and a great work ethic, launched into apologized and stumbled over lines and stopped takes several times to inform me that he could do better.

Thanks to Hank, we had a camera. But, as he'd informed me when he gave it to me, he wasn't entirely sure what the life of the battery would be. Once camera batteries get old, they're ability to hold a charge just isn't the same. We managed to get two good takes from inside the car.

Having watched dailies, I went from angry to frustrated to feeling triumphant for getting two great takes in a four hour shoot. Two.

Once Quinn gets going, I think he's right on the money. But if I have to wait that long to get him going, there might not be a place for him in this film. And then I'll really be pissed.

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Happiness Is A Warm Gun

I spent the latter part of the afternoon painting a gun. With interior latex paint. Yes, house paint, you heard me.

Earlier that day, Tonya and I watched dailies from the previous night's rehearsal.

I've never really done rehearsal. Not for movie stuff. I remember doing it when I was an actor in junior high. It has to help. It just has to. Last night's events left me a little frustrated.

Quinn, the young kid whom I saved a really important role for, was ill or uncomfortable or I don't know what all through last night's lines. He started off well, but quickly took a turn for the worst.

He struggled all night with his material. He was unprepared. Thing is, I know he can do it, he just needs to convince himself. He mumbled. He stuttered. He apologized. He repeated.

For a brief moment, I was unsatisfied enough to call in a backup. Tonya and I talked about it. He would simply be notified of this.

I called him early in the morning and let him know, in no uncertain terms, that I had made concessions for him to be in the film and that if his performance didn't improve, he would be replaced.

I have a really good feeling about this film. Despite the slap-dash way I'm throwing it all together, I think it has a lot going for it.

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Rehearsals, Day 1

We had a good, but short, rehearsal last night. At least it seemed short to me. Still, it was productive and I think that both Quinn (left, black shirt) and Mike understand more of the motivations their characters.

Hank, who I had lined up for cinematography, wasn't able to shoot this for me, but he did lend me his 1 CCD camera to shoot it myself. So, camera crisis is over. My camera is still in working order, for the moment, so I'm going to devise a way to use it, for as long as it's not glitchey.

Quinn has read very well. I have, and continue, to have a good feeling about him. When he reads, he picks up on little nuances and inflections that I've put into his lines. I expected that from Mike and he's come through. Mike has a very good work ethic. He likes to get his hands dirty and get in there to work out prop problems or anything that might come along.

This being my first real rehearsal since "Time", it's going to take some getting use to as far as letting the actors take the reins and read without any serious direction from my end. I have to tell myself, "They're not fully into the script. They're just rehearsing. Can't distract them from the lines. At least, not yet."

I think everything is going to work out well. Better even. As my sophomore offering, The Road has a lot riding on it. And most of it is for me.

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The Road: Prelude To Rehearsals

We are set to rehearse tonight on my new screenplay. A full rehearsal, not like we did a few nights before.

This little project has great potential. I think it will fair strongly once we get it down and flush out the kinks.

I still don't know how I will shoot this if Hank can't make it. Even less if I can't borrow a camera from someone. This is gonna be tough. Especially with the shooting just a few days away.

If my camera survives the week or weekend, it would be awesome, but I'm not putting my eggs in that basket.

I just want Mike & Quinn to be ready for whatever comes along.

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It Starts With Paranoia

After shelving my door-opus "OPEN", I've decided to move into grittier ground with my adventure/drama short "The Road".

The idea began when I was leaving work one evening. I often park at our company's fenced in lot. Most parking downtown charges so I feel like I'm being a bit thrifty this way. The parking lot is a few blocks down, so I walk for a bit, but it's free, so...

At night, the lot is usually empty and my truck is all alone under the single street lamp, surrounded by darkness. I've often held my pocket knife in my hand just in case. There's always homeless people or people who have just hit the plasma place down the street. You never know.

So it starts from paranoia and goes into kidnapping, ransom and violence. And for this task, I've recruited two actors who I feel are opposites. I think that they both have talent which has yet to be really measured.

The guy in the green shirt is Quinn. I literally picked him off the street during the filming of "A Matter of Time." He's looking to dig himself deep into a good role. I don't know if this will be that role, but it's got definite possibilities.

The guy in the grey, button up was also in "A Matter of Time." His name is Mike. His role should have had more meat to it, but due to a loss of a character, it got trimmed. He's been in a lot of indie films around town and does voice over work. He helped me do the voice over work for my film.

I have a feeling that this film is going to be a real challenge, but I'm looking forward to it.

Since we don't have very many sets, I'm hoping this will be a two day shoot, but I'm prepared for four. I think that four days are much more realistic, but I think that working out the details for this film will give us all a chance to get the most out of a two day shoot.

We'll rehearse two days before we shoot and try to get as much blocking done before we get to the actual locations.

And then there's "CODE"...

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