Honestly, after Day 1 of filming for me, everything became a blur. Despite the days feeling like a whirlwind of chaotic events, looking back, we actually stuck with a fairly consistent schedule.
Making “Two Roads” proved to be one of the more difficult projects I’ve undertaken, but it was also one where I learned a lot about myself as a director, an actor and an artist. I couldn’t be certain that the vision that Christine and I had formed in our heads would actually translate into a good film, but somewhere in the first day of shooting I realized that, yes! We were indeed, shooting something very good and I am proud of what we accomplished. With our dedicated skeleton crew and a handful of actors, we pushed ourselves to the limit because we love to create compelling films and I know we did just that.
For me, the first day of filming is usually the most difficult day. Though everyone comes in with fresh energy and a shared vision, for a producer/director, there is always the inevitable first day learning curve.
This past weekend we did a little shoot with Jacob Rachniowsk and Taylor Davis(featured in the photo below) from Cloud9 Drones.
This one felt different. Lets get that out of the way right off the bat. I don’t think I’ve hit my professional “peak” when it comes to film. But from my small experience, I can tell you this one was different.
The beauty of indie filmmaking is that nothing is ever set in stone. The possibilities are endless. The curse of indie filmmaking is also that nothing is set in stone. So many factors are often beyond your control and you have to learn to be extremely flexible in order to succeed or at least to stay sane.
You’d think what you’d remember the most about working on a film would be the actual working part. What happens between action and cut though becomes quite a blur after you’ve gone through the scene a few times. My memories mostly consist of what happened during the lulls between setup and filming, and the rides out to set. Is that to say I forgot everything that happened during filming? Not at all.
This was taken on the last day of shooting Two Roads, our latest project for the LA Film Prize. Alex was finding himself a spot to set up the camera for a wide shot in a field.
If I had the opportunity to travel more I would. Travelling opens the door to many elements of inspiration.
From the sights and sounds to the experience of getting lost or meeting strangers that become your friends, travelling is invaluable to any artist.
Well, well, well! I had a hoot on the set of my first scripted shoot, which was a commercial for Bucee’s. Actually, it was a commercial for something that Bucee’s invented. For those of you who aren’t familiar with Bucee’s, it is a well known convenient store in Texas. It’s like the Wal-Mart of gas stations. No kidding.