I'm losing my sanity! There's too much to do!!!!!

[gabrielflorit]

I know, I know - I'm not the only one, but... in two days I'll be shooting my first film. Ever. And I need to do so much before Saturday! Rehearsal with the actors, gathering all the rental equipment, getting a makeup person, testing the sound equipment, testing my new lights (haven't had time to get them out of the box), OH! I just thought of something new! A dry-erase marker for the slate!!!

:crybaby:

How do you guys manage? I'm losing it!

[Alan H. Chang]

Assistants? 1st AD and 2nd AD's, or maybe a second producer. Even a production manager would help. What I do is schedule everything on the calendar, and make timesheets for each day.

The dry-erase marker is called a "mouse."

[jasonthewho]

I just go slowly insane from the pressure myself.

[gabrielflorit]

I've got:
1st AD
Production Designer
Boom operator
Makeup artist
and 3 PA's

I still feel stretched thiiiiiiiiiiiin. Oh well. I know next time I'll be better prepared.

[Mike Manning]

Sounds like you need another Producer!

[Alan H. Chang]

Just do it! We B-E-L-I-E-V-E in you!

[Zim]

I'm trying to get everyone else to do all the work. I'm going to walk around with a clip board and ask someone to go get me some coffee. The person that ask me if I need some coffee will move up fast!

There is a lot to do but someone else is going to worry about it.

[Tim Joy]

HA HA. Now you know what making films is all about- The most tedious, difficult, exhusting artform there is. I LOVE IT.

Maybe you should consider forgetting about these boards for a while, make a list of things to do, deligate what you can to others, and make a great film as you cross stuff off the list. Get back to us when you wrap shooting.

Good luck!

[AmyO]

You can have the best crew for the day(s) of production, but if you don't have an assistant or co-producer for pre-production, you run yourself ragged. And all the little details tend to sneak up in the week leading up to production. At least, that was my experience. This time out my goal was to get a good DP and crew (which I did). Next time, I'll add a producer to the list. Or maybe a director so I can focus on just producing.

Good luck this weekend. Let us know how it goes! :)

[ZazaCast]

I just go slowly insane from the pressure myself.

...I was already insane before I got into this stuff!:huh:

I feel your pain, as I'm a one-man show too. Just make lists and check them twice....and dream of the day you can get a reliable crew together! Now go make history.:beer:

We're all pulling for you.

[Ezekiel667]

That's what being an amateur, independent filmmaker is all about unfortunately. But look at it this way, when you're sitting there watching the final product, you can look back and feel pretty damn good about yourself.

[Bernie Hipos]

But look at it this way, when you're sitting there watching the final product, you can look back and feel pretty damn good about yourself.

Nice one Ezekiel! That's absolutely true.

[gabrielflorit]

In less than 7 hours I've to pickup 8 other people and drive for two hours to one of the mountain ranges here in Alaska. It's going to be snowing when we get there. I've to do so much still! But I'm so glad that I finally got to this point. It can only get better from now on.

[Simon Höfer]

Congrats man! I know you can do it!

I felt the same when preparing to shoot Falling. My head was nearly exploding because of all the things I had to think of :D But it turned out great! Of course a few things always get lost, but thats how you learn. Next time you manage things different.

Good luck with the shoot Gabriel!

[Matias Caruso]

Good luck, Gabriel.

Hope that everything goes well. :thumbup:

[gabrielflorit]

Thanks Matias!

It went very well. Things learned after my first ever shoot:

Murphy's Law indeed holds. The night before I had a hard time falling asleep thinking of all the things that could go wrong. And none of those did. Instead I had to deal with: 1) not being able to drive up to the location, instead forcing us to hike 45 minutes uphill in 3 inches of new snow, 2) it turns out the location had major structural work done to it in the last two weeks, meaning I had to figure out a different way to light it, 3) my actress was very cold at the beginning of the shoot (it was in the low 30s after all) so I had to make sure she got plenty of breaks for soup and tea.

But still. This. Is. So. Much. Fun. We're telling stories, people! If I was able to tell a story in a convincing way, I succeeded.

Mad props to my crew, a very selfless bunch of people that hiked through wind and snow for almost an hour, one-way, and then basically stood around until it was time to go down again. I am so amazed that these people dedicated one full Saturday just to my film. I am so humbled.

[Matias Caruso]

Instead I had to deal with: 1) not being able to drive up to the location, instead forcing us to hike 45 minutes uphill in 3 inches of new snow, 2) it turns out the location had major structural work done to it in the last two weeks, meaning I had to figure out a different way to light it, 3) my actress was very cold at the beginning of the shoot (it was in the low 30s after all) so I had to make sure she got plenty of breaks for soup and tea.

Sounds like it would have been easier to shoot this down in Mexico, haha.

Seriously, a 45 minute hike in the snow sounds quite heroic. On the bright side, it seems like nothing can stop you now. :)