What I won't detail is the problems finding actors on this one--without a real casting process, it's pretty tough. Doubling the problem is that there's no money, which sucks, but since I'm stretched thin on this now--having already done three segments when I originally thought I'd only do one.
I'll warn you that there is cursing and honesty, so if you're allergic to any of those then stop reading now.
I'll pick it up on:
APRIL 11, 2016
Went over to Mark's place to get the head cast done of one actress, and get my tripod legs cast. Here's the time lapse I did of the process. Was easier than actually rolling video, and takes up less space on my card.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdTcMUwQRvM
I like the new guy Mark's brought on to help with effects--his name's Rich and he's worked on some big movies like Riddick. Which is weird because he's actually an engineer.
But he seems really knowledgeable about FX which is sweet.
Still two actors short and we're 11 days away from filming.
This is fun.
Okay, that was sarcasm. It's sad because I WAS enjoying working on this flick up til now. I mean, the wrap around was pretty rough but NOTHING like this.
And to make it sadder my brain keeps chugging in the Terrortory. I've already got some really interesting(to me) ideas for Terrortory 2. Like, the return of Smiling Jack. (I have a feeling he's going to be a popular character)
I pretty much have the idea for the sequel's wrap already, which--let's face it--is always the hard part. You pretty much have to come up with interesting ways to get stories told, and most of them involve people sitting down to tell them. That's boring enough if that's all they're doing, but I fixed that by actually telling a STORY in the Terrortory wrap, and figured out a way for the stories to keep being told even as I was ramping up the tension.
Like, let's say two people are telling each other stories but after story two they are threatened by something. They're not gonna keep telling stories, are they?
Well I solved that problem in the first wrap, and I've already solved it in a different(and slightly ingenious if I do say so myself) way.
Anyway, trying not to think about it because I gotta just get done this flick and see what happens. After I'm done this I can write whatever the fuck I want and see what's what.
APRIL 16, 2016
So after a brutal 4 days of scrambling, begging, talking to filmmakers I know, and finally posting on a local message board I got an actor to fill each of the two roles I was missing.
Yes, 6 days before filming. That was tight...as a no-budget filmmaker you have enough things to worry about right before a shoot that casting shouldn't be one...
APRIL 18, 2016
After all this stress and work to fill out my cast, the forecast seems to be saying not just rain on Friday but THUNDERSTORMS.
A little rain I can probably deal with. We'll be under a canopy(I think--I haven't seen what the woods looks like yet but I think the leaves have come in), so not too bad. The bigger worry would be finding wood that's not wet for the fire.
But thunderstorms? That's bad.
My choices then become: Shoot the day shots in between rain on Friday, and then literally shoot 15 pages in one night. 15 pages with FX.
If there IS no rain let up on Friday then we shoot all 18 pages in one day. A guaranteed 14-16 hour day.
Because I CANNOT get these actors back together again until June, and that's too late.
FML has never been more appropriate.
