Pub Meeting

So last night I attended the first production meeting for a new short film that im directing -When I say meeting what I really mean is I met the producer in the pub for a chat about some of the production problems we are facing at the moment… It feels good to be getting back on the creative horse again and the meeting really helped me to focus my mind back on to the task of directing. I hadn't realised it but its been a few years since I directed my last short - Its amazing how time just seems to slip by when you're not paying attention.

The producer im working with on this next film (Dawn) was also the writer and producer on my last film and im really grateful to her for asking me back to direct for her a second time - its just what I needed at the moment to get me out of my creative slump (and it wont do my show real any harm either).

After we had finished talking about the ins and outs of the current script we got to talking about the last film and Dawn mentioned that she had uploaded it on to a screen writers Web Site and that it had received quite a few comments. So when I got home I logged on and took a look. I was really pleased to see that the vast majority of people had really liked it and left really positive feedback on both the writing and the directing. A few people were a little critical of some of the choices I had made - but for the most part the comments where very encouraging… I believe that one person suggested that it was "Very Kubrick" - Obviously the words of a blind deaf mute but im very grateful for the positive feedback…

As I mentioned there where a couple of comments from people that liked the film but didn’t like some of the choices I had made with camera angles etc - Now, I instantly said to myself - "im not going to obsess over this and im certainly not going to write a comment back to them to explain in detail why I made the choices that I did…" - So far Ive managed to stick to this - but not without repeatedly telling myself:-

A) They obviously didn’t get the film.
B) They are obviously mental.
C) I cant please all the people all the time.
D) Even Steven Spielberg has his critics.
E) Everyone's a Critic.
F) Well, they might have a point.
G) Im not perfect and I can only strive to make better films.
H) 95% of the people that have seen the film have nothing but praise for it.

I think the fact that I now have a list of things that I have said to myself to stop me obsessing means that I am in fact obsessing. But I will get over it.

The important thing is that a lot of the comments where much more positive than I had anticipated and It really spurred me on last night and made me want to make better and better films. So ive now got a long list of things to do on this current production such as write up a shot list, do some digging on the characters and relationships etc. All fun director type stuff.

Im also about to start work on a short that my sister is writing - I came up with a fun concept a few months ago for a really short 2-3 minute two hander that she has been working on. Hopefully she will have a draft script written up in the next couple of weeks and we can start the production work…

Ive gone from standing still to jogging - by next month I will be running at full pelt ;-)

-- Just a quick note on the last film… I haven't posted a link to it or published its name as the writer prefers to keep it out of the public domain as its quite a personal film and im happy to respect her decision to not bandy it about too much. It does make appearances on the internet from time to time but not for very long im afraid -- the next film will be all over the net.

The First of Many??

So Ive decided the have a stab at this blogging lark and see what comes of it. Im not really sure what to write at this stage but I guess we are all blogging virgins at some point. I suppose this is just going to be one of those bloggs that ends up full of inane crap that is of no real consequence to anyone other than the author but I will endeavour to at least provide a small amount of insight in to my own little word.

I wont bother with a long winded intro to myself as im certain that there is a place for that kind of thing on here and I will no doubt find it and fill it in for you all to have a good gander at… (the term "you all" has just suddenly struck me as surreal… I have no idea who "you all" will be or indeed if there will even be a "you all" or if I will grow out of this blogging phase before "you all" ever manage to find me.)

I will however give a short winded introduction: ….. Actually ive had second thoughts, im not going to write an intro of any kind partly because im too self conscious and (conversely) egotistical to be able to write anything that would actually represent the truth, but mostly because it kind of defeats the purpose of having a blogg in the first place… Surly its better for "you all" to figure me out for yourselves rather than have me give it to you on a plate.

There are a couple of reasons why ive decided to write a blogg.

1) I've been feeling a total lack of creativity in my life of late and blogging seemed to be a good way filling the void.
2) I've also been bumping in to (in the non literal sense) a lot of talent on the internet lately and ive started to get drawn in to the bloggs, vloggs, myspace and youtube pages, of a few different people of late (namely Molly Lewis - who plays a mean ukulele and has had me nodding my head a little more than normal and Jonathan Coultan - through whom I bumped in to Miss Lewis) Bumping in to these guys (and others) has made me feel ashamed of my own complete lack of internet presence.
3) Like most of us, I have this niggling urge to be liked (nay adored) by the masses…

Im sure there are some other deeply rooted reasons for wanting to blogg but I haven't figured them out yet. As and when I do I will let you know.

Well I think Ive written enough for now (this seems like a respectable first blogg post to me) However Ive got a quick question to as ask of "you all" before I sign off completely: -

Is it normal to read and re-read your own blog post prior to posting it?