Dec 1st Status Check

Well I DID correct him on that one. I let him know that I currently bill at $90/hour for my time, which is less than some others do. I clarified that how ever many hours he put into the catering & was manning the craft service table on set, that I would match that with production towards a wedding package ... basically a credit.

Yeah, he's still getting a great deal, but I was desperate & running to the wire ... better he gets a great deal than me disappoint all these folks by not having plenty of food on set.
 
Dec. 8- Two of three shooting days scheduled and confirmed with entire cast and crew. Shooting all exteriors on Dec. 31. All day. (Praying for good weather) And shooting some interiors on Dec. 27, in the evening. Still trying to coordinate time to shoot three scenes with an actor who has scheduling conflicts.

My co-director is also not going to be in LA until Dec. 14. So, we cannot have a rehearsel or do the costumes until then. It's going to be a very hectic time.
 
Rehearsal? Hmm, we've not had table readings, rehearsals, nothing. Haven't even auditioned any of the role except 2 out of the 6 ... just selected the others.

Well, since we're cramming the entire shoot into the next three days, we'll know quickly how it turns out.
 
Yeah. I want to do a table read, and a rehearsal (Some of the film is shot at my home). I didn't really need to audition either. I have people I know who are decent actors who fit the roles perfectly. I actually wrote the script with a specific person in mind to play the lead. (It helps that she's my sister).
 
Whoohoo! Finalized my last shoot day. Then I just need some pick-up shots for a montage. That's it. Now to actually shoot the thing!
 
Finally official ... we have the professional stunt coordinator on board, w/low deferred pay (if we ever make a penny, etc.) ... which is what we're comp'ing everyone with, to be fair.

He's bringing a bunch of his FX gear (guns, big fans for wind, spark explosion stuff for computers to look like they're shorting out, etc.), as well as his stunt stuff (mats, harnesses, wires/pulleys, etc.).

Briceman makes me nervous with the killer script he says he's got, but I'd like to think ours is pretty solid as well to attract the talent we've got coming on board (super stoked about our composer as well). Now it'll all come down to the execution of it all this weekend.

Oy-vey, I'm a nervous wreck ... anxiety's gonna either kill me or push me through this weekend.
 
Times like this, I wish I was anywhere but LA...

Anyway. Got two treatments, both need revisions, and I haven't settled on one or the other yet. One I prefer, but the other is much more produceable, and it's looking like I need to do a lot of PAID work in January...
 
Envision said:
Now it'll all come down to the execution of it all this weekend.

Oy-vey, I'm a nervous wreck ... anxiety's gonna either kill me or push me through this weekend.
Click to expand...

Good luck man, and congrats on the stunt dude! Our composer's brother is a stunt man too. He was in my last short (as an actor). Good luck with the shoot this weekend! :thumbup:
 
Envision said:
... not a REAL caterer, but a guy I know who owns the local God Father's Pizza restaurants ...

Our cost? Just ... shooting his daughter's wedding, whenever that is ...
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Heeeeey. Waitaminute ...

God Father's Pizza ... his daughter's wedding ...

Your "caterer" doesn't look like Marlon Brando, does he ...?

:shocked:
 
Sit back and enjoy a nice example of Murphy's Law. :(

So, I've got this huge building that I secured as a psudo sound stage. That's where the sets for my short have been built (or rather are in the process of being built). It's got an old wood-burning stove in it, which was one of the bonus points to this location. It is December after all, and even though we had had unseasonally warm weather, I knew that winter would catch us. Winter caught us yesterday when it suddenly became 3 degrees. It was so cold that the putty my set builder was using on the walls would freeze before he could apply it. No problem, we've got a wood burning stove. So we shove some wood in there, and try to fire it up. Uh-huh. I didn't know wood-burning stoves could break, but apparently they can because this one wouldn't give us anything. So, our heat source is shot.

Eh, I figured something was going to go wrong sooner or later. No problem. I jump on the internet and start researching heating options. I found the perfect propane powered heater, it wasn't too expensive, and Lowes carried it, which is right down the street. Great. I jump in my car, arrive at Lowes, find the heater, walk up to the cash register and set it down. "One of these please," I brazingly declair. "And a tank of propane while you're at it!" The lady smiled at me, and scanned the heater. The computer made a horrific beeping sound and she frowned. This caused me to frown as well.

"I can't sell this to you," she said.

"What? Why not?" I retort, using my sharp wit.

"This item has been recalled and we're not able to sell anymore of them." Augh! You've got to be kidding me. The one heater that was perfect in power and in price and it's been recalled. Now don't get my wrong. I'm greatful to Lowes for trying to keep me from melting my face off, but I've got a set to finish, not to mention actors coming. The footage is going to look really great if you can see the breath of all of the actors.

"Ok," I begin. "Do you know if you have anything comparable?"

"Well," the lady says, "you could go back and check with the guys back there, but we're closing."

"But I'm here" I say, struggling for a comeback. "Can't I just run back there real quick?" I must have reminded her of her son or something, because she let me. I ran back to the heating section, found a Lowes guy and hold him the whole story. He said that there was this other model, but it had a blower on it. "What does that mean?" I ask--realize that I'm not very handy with anything that Lowes carries.

"Well, it means that it will blow the heat out instead of radiate it."

"Uh-huh. And is that loud?"

"Yeah," he says. "You won't be able to hear much."

Sigh. I don't think my shotgun mic is THAT directional. So I leave Lowes depressed and downtrodden. I decide to stop by Wal-Mart. I figure what the heck, I've got nothing left to lose at this point. So I stop, and I see a bunch of crappy heaters. And then an idea comes to me. How many crappy heaters does it take to equal one good heater?

So, sitting in my sound stage, as we speak, is many, many space heaters all blowing and heating their little circuits out trying to take a garage that's currently 1 degee all the way up to 50 degrees. My hopes are not too high that it will work.

The adventures of film making. :laugh:

Chris
 
I love that story! Haha...filmmaking is a never ending adventure. It might kill me someday...
 
LOL!

I figure you've got to be able to laugh at stuff like that. Otherwise, this job would kill me. :)
 
Speaking of cold temperaters, I'm going to be shooting in 20 degree weather, outside. Will a DVX operate at those temperatures?
 
Yep, sure will :) Just keep your batteries warm and be careful when bringing the camera back into a warm building or car.
 
Update: Well, as I suspected, the space heaters didn't do jack for providing warmth. But the good news is that I had someone come look at the wood burning stove and get it fixed, so we've got heat! Yeah!

So ... anyone want to buy a space heater. I'll give you a really great deal. :thumbsup:
 
krestofre said:
Update: Well, as I suspected, the space heaters didn't do jack for providing warmth. But the good news is that I had someone come look at the wood burning stove and get it fixed, so we've got heat! Yeah!

So ... anyone want to buy a space heater. I'll give you a really great deal. :thumbsup:
Click to expand...
i live in LA i'll trade ya some wood for the heater
 
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