January 18, 2016
We just wrapped days one and two of filming, and man, I’ve got a sinking feeling it’s not going to look good. The director life was much more difficult than I expected. I thought that if I had thoroughly planned and thought everything through, production would more or less run smoothly.
That was not the case on the Sunday shoot. I was coming back from church with my family. We stopped at the Solarium so they could do an MLK service project. I was later picked up by Ms. Dewberry, Jack’s mom, and taken to Patrick and Thomas’ house so we could shoot the lab scenes (which took place in their garage) of the movie. Everyone was ready and we were about to start…
Except I stupidly forgot my box of props in my mom’s car.
That set us back at first by thirty minutes. We lost much needed momentum, especially because those box of props were crucial to the set dressing and story. We got further and further behind (about 2 hours) from Jack’s intended schedule (which he constantly reminded me of throughout the shoot.) Also, it turns out, I’ve overstaffed the set. There were two or three people who were “unemployed” (mainly Thomas and Jada) who caused a few distractions on set. It took a bit to wrangle people in. There was more stressed and angst involved than I expected and I was afraid that it showed. Nothing was falling into place like I wanted it too.
Honestly, I even had a few doubts about the story as we were shooting it. The logic behind the Thunder Box? What was I thinking? It also didn’t help that Jack and my philosophies about the script’s purpose are different on set. I see it as a plan that is subject to change based on the circumstance the set, i.e. the script serves the production. I was more likely to write around a problem if it caused conflict on the set. Jack thinks the production should serve the script, meaning if it’s in the script, we make it happen. Our differences showed in one of the scenes. Monty was supposed to fly in with super speed and Jack wanted papers to fly out (it was in the script.) I said that it wouldn’t make sense because 1. We haven’t stressed that it has wind before. 2. The direction Monty was going in would not make the papers fly how he would like or expect them to. 3. Since we didn’t have a fan, we would have to throw a clump of papers, and the laws of gravity say that said stack of papers would fall to the ground with the same acceleration as a rock.
My main worry is that all this time spent and all of this planning will amount to a bad film. I’m trying to set myself apart from the other amateur high school films I have seen, but sometimes, when I look into the viewfinder as we are shooting, I think “oh crap, this looks just like a teenage film.”
I wish I had more time to work with the actors especially Patrick. It was incredibly frustrating that I wasn’t able to coax the performance I would have liked due to time constraints. I realize I still have a lot to learn about directing as well. Typically, directors want to let the actors find their character and help them along with it, rather than demonstrate it themselves. I found myself performing the latter. I had a couple of other communication hindrances because the actors didn’t know how I planned to do things. I tried a need- to- know basis because they may not understand what I was trying to do in post. I also had trouble explaining that to them. I realize that I’m a person that likes to keep options open, not to be locked down to anything. This is why I am able to change things and give more generic directions that can be turned into something else later.
Another of my concerns is coverage and the filming. I’m worried that the camera was tilted in some scenes and I’m worried that the audio wasn’t recorded well. I’m afraid we were too hasty and will not have what we need in the editing bay.
I don’t think everyone else really understood the dilemma, but as the one who was going to be editing (and having some experience with awful, underdeveloped films), it was a scary thought. This project is extremely precious to me. I’ve been thinking about it since the idea of sophomore projects was introduced to me in the eighth grade. If this isn’t a project I can be proud of, I may be crushed.
On a more positive note, I would like to say that the Sunday shoot set looked fantastic and everyone was a big help, staying those two extra hours. During a pizza dinner (which was wonderfully provided by Patrick and Thomas’ parents) I asked the cast and crew how they were doing. They said that they were fine and enjoying themselves. I was relieved. According to my book Filmmaking for Teens, the crew’s mood was reflective on the director’s mood. I felt a little stressed and I thought that it would show. Apparently it didn’t. I thank them for that. Regardless of the outcome, it was amazing and enjoyable working with them. (We still of course have 3-4 more days to go.)
The second day of shooting went well. We actually finished on time and it went much more smoothly than the first day. Everyone was fantastic with the help. We only had one little setback (we left a necessary prop at the Russell house), but we were able to move past it and finish on time. I think it helped that Jack and I were able to set up before the cast and crew arrived and we all had a bit of a leisure breakfast together.
I might be dramatizing my worries and problems (I certainly hope so!). All filmmakers go through this stage. Who knows? It may all turn out fine in the end. Fingers crossed, because I haven’t reviewed the audio or video yet.