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Raspberry Magic Trailer

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After a few months of going back and forth and really figuring it out, the trailer for Raspberry Magic is finally up. Tell us what you think, join us on Facebook!

Re-Writing in Post

We've been deep in the post production process for the past few months, and it's certainly been challenging. After you actually shoot the movie and put the footage together, you realize what is working and what is not with the film. It's like, even if you have great coverage, I mean lots of shots of everything, the most important consideration is this--the emotional arc/beats of your story. Ultimately, shots are just shots, but they really mean nothing unless viewers really and truly connect with your characters and the ideas in the story. Often, those idea are conveyed one way in the script, then another on the screen. In our film, which is a pretty heavy dramatic piece, there is this whole consideration of how our protagonist, Monica, relates to the plants. Plants, of course, are inanimate objects, and visually, it is challenging to SHOW her connection to them. In some of our early test screenings, folks weren't totally getting the connection, even though visually, I shot things differently as the story progresses. So, what to do? Well, I had always thought that this movie potentially would need Voice Over. Some kind of narration to really get into Monica's head and develop her science project on a deeper level. I was somewhat against it in the beginning, but as we added it, and started screening the piece for people, it was a whole different experience. People really got what Monica's connection to the plants was, and how her character grew/changed. Now, the VO I presently have in there is clunky and awkward, but I'm spending the next few weeks re-writing and polishing it. I think it will be good, once the writing is good... Anyway, lots of work to do this summer on all fronts!

Beat Downs

Doesn't blogging seem so old school compared to twittering? I Should be on that whole wagon, but I'm really just not. I'm okay with being old school for now...

Editing the film has been a roller coaster ride, as I expected. There is so much to do, so many processes to go through, it's pretty damn overwhelming. But I think with some tough notes, hard screenings and a few more beats downs, we will get there... It's strange, when you spend so many long hours in the cutting room, you start to lose sight what's working and what's not. I am a big, big believer in constant screenings for the movie, once you have something that looks/feels like and actual movie. Those screenings can be brutal, but they are so, so needed!

It's Been Forever

Yes, it's been a long time since I last posted, mostly because I've been totally obsessed with the post production of Raspberry Magic. Editing the film is all consuming, sort of like writing all over again. Yeesh. It's a very hard process because sometimes you have to restructure things, cut things and reshape portions of the movie that aren't working. We're in a good place, but now we are starting to get notes, which is exciting and daunting, because it means that you really get to see/feel where the movie is at. I think we're in a good place, but you never really know until a bigger audience sees it. I've been really stressed out through this whole process, but I'm finally coming up for air.....

Coverage

I've been spending some very long hours in the cutting room for the past couple of weeks. It's a tough process, sort of like writing a draft of the screenplay one more time. Going through every scene and really making it pop for the performances, story and overall arc of the film isn't easy. You see what worked and what didn't and how the film can be improved. I have to say, as a first time director, you are trying to simply just get the footage during the shoot. But then in post, you can really see where you might have gotten too much coverage, and other places where you might have had too little. The great part bout editing is that if something isn't working, you can take away, substitute or alter in order to make something flow better. Also, there is music and sound to really help fill the gaps where you might have left something out. I will say one thing, you can never really have too much coverage... The more you shoot, the better the options...

Where we're at

So, it's been an exciting and stressful couple of weeks, because we finally have a first cut. I'm liking the cut, it definitely feels like a movie, but there is much, much work to do. The process of seeing something from the script to shooting then to the screen is very interesting. It's a good/tough process, in so many ways. As a director, I see what I did well and didn't do well, and as a writer, I have the chance to really see how an idea translates to the screen. We're restructuring many portions of the film, but it's getting there. Next week, I'll spend a lot of time really digging into the cut and fleshing it out... Should be interesting.