Check it out:
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!
5.28.2009
5.11.2009
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!
4.25.2009
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!
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!
4.09.2009
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.....
3.19.2009
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...
3.05.2009
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.
2.20.2009
Is there room?
I think it's fantastic that Slumdog has generated so much buzz and is a major contender for so many Oscars. It's very exciting for me, as an Indian American, that India and Indian culture is getting so much attention these days, too. A.R. Rahman was on Leno last night, amazing!! Hard to believe, especially when I grew up (in North Carolina) answering questions like, what the HELL is India? Or, ARE you Hawaiian? Or, what TRIBE are you in?? Very strange and different than my experience when I first moved to Berkeley for grad school, and I had some classmates who would always feel the need to out-Indian me (in naming restaurants, cultural practices, etc), since they had gone to India on a spiritual journey to discover deeper inner truths about themselves... But I digress. Anyway, Slumdog is a great film not only because of its stunning visuals, but it's a great human story that touches people on so many levels. That's what I love so much about the movie--it's got no big stars, it was almost shelved and yet, it triumphed. But, I think in many circles, the film has brought up a larger questions about Western filmmakers going to Third World countries to depict poverty and the strife of "the other." It seems that this type of film is what generates Oscar buzz and generally, it's what folks want to see in the Western world. But what about films that are the reverse like mine which show the opposite? Indians in the Western world? These types of films are a much, much tougher sell, I believe, and not many have broken ground, except say, a Bend it Like Beckham. I think there is a diaspora being created here with films like mine, films which show the other side, but it's tough to say how these movies will fit into a larger culture. One this is for sure, though, I'm guessing there's a whole spate of Slumdog wanna-bes in the pipeline. Should be an interesting year, getting this movie out!!
2.19.2009
Assembly Edit
I just had the pleasure of seeing the assembly edit of our film. An assembly basically takes all of the footage that's been shot and places it into the timeline in script order. It was an interesting thing to see it all laid out this way, especially without any music and really just mostly master shots. As you might already know, a film gets written three times, and in the edit phase is the final time. Watching this cut, I could tell some things right away--which performances stood out, which visuals worked and what we needed to do to tighten up the overall pacing of the movie. It's a little nerve racking as the writer/director to go through this process, but you learn so much, and you see that the movie can be shaped in so, so many different ways. I think we have some really good material, and I'm sure our editor will shape it in the best possible way... But I learned a lot about the directing process, here are a few things:
1. Pacing (for actor actions) should be quicker. I think first time directors tend to move things slowly, but I realize, things can move a bit faster, especially simple actions.
2. Get as many wide shots of exterior elements as possible. These wide shots are so helpful in editing transitions, especially to establish a sense of place between different elements.
3. Get as many entrances and exits between places as possible. Sounds silly, but these are so, so helpful in the edit room. Even if you don't think you need those elements, you will!!
4. If you don't like the performance in the moment, you're going to hate it even more later. It's critical to keep doing the take until you get what you want. I think especially watching for moments of overacting are crucial. Go back and do it again and again until you get it, else it's not going to work later.
5. Don't be afraid to have an actor play a take several different ways. In the edit, you can steer the emotional arc in many different ways, and you just don't know which one will work best. Obviously, you should know what you want from the actor, but sometimes, it's not bad to get another version!
1. Pacing (for actor actions) should be quicker. I think first time directors tend to move things slowly, but I realize, things can move a bit faster, especially simple actions.
2. Get as many wide shots of exterior elements as possible. These wide shots are so helpful in editing transitions, especially to establish a sense of place between different elements.
3. Get as many entrances and exits between places as possible. Sounds silly, but these are so, so helpful in the edit room. Even if you don't think you need those elements, you will!!
4. If you don't like the performance in the moment, you're going to hate it even more later. It's critical to keep doing the take until you get what you want. I think especially watching for moments of overacting are crucial. Go back and do it again and again until you get it, else it's not going to work later.
5. Don't be afraid to have an actor play a take several different ways. In the edit, you can steer the emotional arc in many different ways, and you just don't know which one will work best. Obviously, you should know what you want from the actor, but sometimes, it's not bad to get another version!
2.10.2009
Translating Visuals to the Screen
I recently had the chance to see the film version of Doubt, which I thought was brilliantly done. I had seen the play on stage and read it on the page, too. The question of which was best was tough for me to answer, because the stage and the screen are two very different mediums, and I believe that each one was very well done in its own right. But translating the ideas to the screen, they had to do a number of things to make it more engaging--bring it into the realm of a visual medium. All of these elements were crucial in realizing the play as a movie:
1. They had to break up some of the long speeches except for the sermons. If they had translated all of the dialogue to the screen as it was written in the play, it would have been really tough to watch of film because nothing would have been happening. Already, there isn't much action in the play in the sense that all of it is conveyed through talking, but was good that they broke it up. I noticed that their key way of breaking it up was to have the character move through several locations--they walk from the cafeteria to the office, etc. while delivering the lines.
2. They had to create a sense of space beyond just the sister's office. In the play, much of the action takes play in sister's office, in the courtyard and in the church. The play is very minimalist in its sense of space, as it should be, because the emphasis is on the words. In the film, they used many places throughout the school, and they definitely defined with world right outside of the window, showing the New York streets. These visuals definitely helped to add another layer of meaning to the movie.
3. They externalized some of the events which were only talked about in the play. In the play, they talk about "Donald" drinking wine, etc, and the talked about the younger nun's teaching style, but in the film, they showed these. Again, film is a visual, action-oriented medium, and in order to really fill out the world of the movie and give us a deeper sense of what happened, they showed us the world which was only talked about in the play.
4. They used ambiance as a way to add dramatic tension into the story. The open window, the rain, the snow, and the magnificence of the church were all cleverly shot to add dramatic tension into the story. They did a great job of using space visually to add small moments of meaning into the film. I also liked their use of green and yellow to represent the different worlds of the nuns versus the priests.
5. They added characters to fill out the world and make it more real. The play is minimalist, four characters, a couple of locations telling this story. But in the film, they added nuns, students and a whole world in the school to make it real. It added layers of meaning, especially because they were able to externalize many of the ideas that were spoken about in the play, into the world of the movie.
It's a great exercise to read the play and then watch the film, to understand how the mediums are so very different and see how someone with serious skills, like John Patrick Shanely, was able to do both so well.
1. They had to break up some of the long speeches except for the sermons. If they had translated all of the dialogue to the screen as it was written in the play, it would have been really tough to watch of film because nothing would have been happening. Already, there isn't much action in the play in the sense that all of it is conveyed through talking, but was good that they broke it up. I noticed that their key way of breaking it up was to have the character move through several locations--they walk from the cafeteria to the office, etc. while delivering the lines.
2. They had to create a sense of space beyond just the sister's office. In the play, much of the action takes play in sister's office, in the courtyard and in the church. The play is very minimalist in its sense of space, as it should be, because the emphasis is on the words. In the film, they used many places throughout the school, and they definitely defined with world right outside of the window, showing the New York streets. These visuals definitely helped to add another layer of meaning to the movie.
3. They externalized some of the events which were only talked about in the play. In the play, they talk about "Donald" drinking wine, etc, and the talked about the younger nun's teaching style, but in the film, they showed these. Again, film is a visual, action-oriented medium, and in order to really fill out the world of the movie and give us a deeper sense of what happened, they showed us the world which was only talked about in the play.
4. They used ambiance as a way to add dramatic tension into the story. The open window, the rain, the snow, and the magnificence of the church were all cleverly shot to add dramatic tension into the story. They did a great job of using space visually to add small moments of meaning into the film. I also liked their use of green and yellow to represent the different worlds of the nuns versus the priests.
5. They added characters to fill out the world and make it more real. The play is minimalist, four characters, a couple of locations telling this story. But in the film, they added nuns, students and a whole world in the school to make it real. It added layers of meaning, especially because they were able to externalize many of the ideas that were spoken about in the play, into the world of the movie.
It's a great exercise to read the play and then watch the film, to understand how the mediums are so very different and see how someone with serious skills, like John Patrick Shanely, was able to do both so well.
2.02.2009
What's Going On?
I don't need to tell you this, but these are troubled times. The economy is falling apart, folks are losing their jobs, and it just seems like things are generally bad. I feel really lucky that we were able to get our film in the can at the end of last year, and get it into post production right away. The indie film market is pretty bleak, as well, and Sundance was pretty mellow this year. But, as an artist and a creator, I am trying really hard to stay focused on the task at hand, which is to complete this movie and get it out, then work on new material. Last year, while I was in the midst of putting together this feature, I was a finalist for the Sundance labs for another screenplay of mine called, RK Dandekar Finds Home. It's another small, indie film, one which I'd really like to make at some point. It still needs to go through some re-writes, but I really like it and think it would be fun to make. I also have a political comedy, which is now on the third draft, and I'm really hoping to have a polished draft pretty soon. All the while, I am anticipating the first cut of Raspberry, which our editor will have at the end of this month. We're starting discussions on music, titles, distribution, publicity and more while we wait. It's hard to totally gauge these things while waiting for the cut, but I've always had a fairly clear vision for the titles, so my husband, the designer, can start on the boards. Who knows how things are going to turn out, I mean, with everything going on, I'm just trying to stay focused on the task at hand!
1.27.2009
Red Camera
Having recently wrapped production on Raspberry Magic, I'm anticipating the first cut in a big way. Editing Red footage has become considerably easier than it was even six months ago, according to our editor, so I'm very happy about that. We basically shot 3.5 terrabytes of footage, then our editor spent two weeks transcoding the footage into a DVC Pro format, which he could then edit. We used Zeiss Standard Prime Lenses, and a Cooke 250mm one day. The footage had a nice look to it, and I was able to watch the takes on a 17" monitor. Many folks tried to persuade us not to shoot on Red in the beginning, but I'm glad (so far) we did, as the footage looks really nice, and we are going to be able to do something interesting things with the color grading. There are so many formats out there right now, sometimes it's hard to know what to choose. For a long time, I really wanted to shoot on Super 16mm, but then I realized all of the film processing would be too expensive, time consuming and I wasn't sure if I could manage with so many child actors on the project. But actually, our children were quite mature and I never really had to deal with multiple takes for this reason. But time was a major issue, especially with the kids. Some days, I did 15-20 setups!! I had to be really fast and know exactly what I wanted out of each setup, which was super stressful. But moving the Red, re-syncing, etc had its moments, but overall, it was fairly quick. It'll be interesting to see how things change/develop with the Red over the next six months, as there are so many features which have recently shot on this camera. It's nice, though, there are so many post houses here in LA that do an incredible job with the color grading and output back to 2K, it'll be interesting.
1.22.2009
Lesa Terry and the Women's Jazz Orchestra
Lesa Terry and and the Women's Jazz Orchestra from Leena Pendharkar on Vimeo.
I directed this short doc as part of the UCLA World Festival of Sacred Music in the midst of prepping for the feature. A little crazy, but it was a fun piece to do!
1.08.2009
Press on Raspberry Magic!
Check out this article on the wonderful young stars in Raspberry Magic:
Raspberry Magic in Inspire Magazine
Raspberry Magic in Inspire Magazine
How Does it Feel?
I recently completed principal photography on my feature film debut, Raspberry Magic. Many people have asked me how it feels, and I say that it feels amazing, I'm so, so happy to not be thinking at every moment, is it going to happen? Then the next question many people ask is, how did it happen? It took many years and there were a series of many different events that I believe really helped pull it all together. In my past, say, 7 years ago, I graduated from the UC-Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism with a Master's Degree in Documentary Film Production. I had done quite a lot of journalistic writing throughout my youth, and simultaneously was involved in web/graphic design. Also, I was very interested in social issues, and decided that earning my master's in the documentaries would be the way to go--it combined visual storytelling with meaning, depth. While there, I continued to write for a number of publications, and I also wrote some fiction, which I had been doing already. I also interned in documentary film in many different capacities--assistant editor, researcher, etc. Then I made my thesis doc, Dreaming in Code. It played at some festivals and got some press. Then, I got a grant to make My Narmada Travels. It played in some festivals, won some awards, then aired on television. But around that time, I was burnt out on docs and feeling like I really wanted to expand my world. I didn't feel like docs were my calling, like I could keep doing it. So, I worked as a Production Coordinator on a film called Happily Even After. I loved that experience. I loved narrative filmmaking, everything felt so succinct, clear cut and I loved that everything was planned, there was so much room for creativity. Also, by that time, I had been writing screenplays and I realized that this was my calling, I loved it. So... I ended up becoming friends with some people from the film and shot my narrative short, This Moment. That film screened in some festivals and ended up being purchased by some schools. Around that time, I had written Raspberry Magic. It was a mess, my writing was all over the place, but it was a finalist for the Sundance labs, and I had a few people who thought it had potential. I kept re-writing and revising it, and wrote a few other things in between. A few agents liked it, but said it was too small and too indie, and that I should find a indie producer to help me. It took years of hustle, struggle, stress and self doubt, but finally, we got the film in the can...
1.06.2009
What's Next
They say that in the process of making a movie, it gets written three times, once when the script is actually written, then when it's shot, then when it's edited. So now, we enter the next phase of the filmmaking process, the post production. This is the part, for a director, that can sometimes be tough because you realize what you did well and what you didn't do well. You see how the movie is really going to look and feel. Overall, I'm excited to see how it comes together, but of course, I have the usual anxieties of whether I got enough coverage, if the locations worked and if I got the performances I wanted. Another question, of course was, how will this edit together overall? As I said, this whole process of shooting out of order is a bit nutty, but as you're shooting, you really start to feel how how the movie will cut together, especially as you remember what you did scene to scene. In the edit, as the film gets written for the third time, things will be moved and shuffled around in ways I might never have imagined. But really, at this stage, it's about putting the images together to mine the dramatic goals of each scene. We'll see how that goes!
12.30.2008
It's a Wrap!
The past eight weeks of my life have been more insane than I could ever have imagined, but we did it! After two years of raising money, we finally made it all happen and shot the film! Directing a feature film is an entirely different experience than making a short film--it was hard, it was challenging, the days were long, but I really enjoyed directing. Of course, there are many things I'll do differently next time, but there were so many things I didn't anticipate, some of which include:
1. Questions, questions and more questions. As the director, you are the creative visionary for every aspect of the movie. I didn't realize how many questions I would be answering all the time, like do you want a blue vase or a red one? Do you like the sea green or the kale green? I think next time, I will definitely have a long and involved pre-production period so many of these questions are answered in advance. Of course, there will still be more questions, but thinking through a large number of the details ahead of time can totally help.
2. There is no time to think. Again, in the moment of directing a movie, you are exhausted beyond belief and there is just too much to do. I don't think this would change on a 20 day shoot or a 90 day shoot. There will never, ever be enough time, money and help to get everything, so, as the director, you really and truly have to know what you what from each scene. In other words, it is good to know the blocking and coverage in advance because in the moment, there is no time to think, just time to execute. I knew what I wanted from many of my scenes up front, and the DP and I had gone through much of our coverage in advance, but still, directing is really the art of being decisive under extreme physical and mental stress. I think I got through it gracefully, but still, I didn't know just how tough it would be.
3. Shooting out of order is a much bigger challenge than I expected. Of course, we all know that feature films are shot completely out of order to maximize time in the locations and according to actors' schedules. I didn't anticipate how challenging it would truly be to think this way--out of order. I had gone through my script and made notes on all of the emotions for each scene, but it's still tricky because in my story, the growth of the plants was challenging to keep track of. It was like, okay, is this the point at which they grow or not and how does that relate back to what it happening in the narrative? Very tough.
4. Working with children was a pleasure. I wasn't sure of what to expect in working with children, because it was my first time. But we cast some really wonderful and amazing child actors who were an absolute pleasure to work with. I never had to cut or slow down production because of the kids, so that was a total joy.
5. Working with extras is incredibly stressful. What you really need is excellent crowd control in working with extras. During the science fair scenes, we had over a hundred extras, all of which I was directing at one point. I had a mega phone and a plan in terms of what I wanted, but it's still hard because choreographing their movements and staging the blocking in the moment takes precision, timing and silence, something that's clearly not easy in a large gym full of people.
6. Did I mention exhaustion? I knew it would be tiring, but I didn't fully get it. As the director, things cannot move forward unless you are there, so you are pretty much on set all the time, standing for 15 hour stretches. Most of the time, I felt like eating was a huge burden that I didn't want to be bothered with, as well, but then I realized that I needed to have energy to make it through the days, so I would try to snack a bit here and there, but I def shed a few pounds through the shoot. The tricky thing also was that there were in some tough situations weather-wise, like the cold, fog and rain of NorCal, and of course, this year, it was unusually chilly. The kids all hated the cold, and so did I, but I always kept a positive outlook towards it, just so we could get through it. (yeah, isn't this hail just beautiful??)
Anyway, more to come, but these are a few small, initial insights...
1. Questions, questions and more questions. As the director, you are the creative visionary for every aspect of the movie. I didn't realize how many questions I would be answering all the time, like do you want a blue vase or a red one? Do you like the sea green or the kale green? I think next time, I will definitely have a long and involved pre-production period so many of these questions are answered in advance. Of course, there will still be more questions, but thinking through a large number of the details ahead of time can totally help.
2. There is no time to think. Again, in the moment of directing a movie, you are exhausted beyond belief and there is just too much to do. I don't think this would change on a 20 day shoot or a 90 day shoot. There will never, ever be enough time, money and help to get everything, so, as the director, you really and truly have to know what you what from each scene. In other words, it is good to know the blocking and coverage in advance because in the moment, there is no time to think, just time to execute. I knew what I wanted from many of my scenes up front, and the DP and I had gone through much of our coverage in advance, but still, directing is really the art of being decisive under extreme physical and mental stress. I think I got through it gracefully, but still, I didn't know just how tough it would be.
3. Shooting out of order is a much bigger challenge than I expected. Of course, we all know that feature films are shot completely out of order to maximize time in the locations and according to actors' schedules. I didn't anticipate how challenging it would truly be to think this way--out of order. I had gone through my script and made notes on all of the emotions for each scene, but it's still tricky because in my story, the growth of the plants was challenging to keep track of. It was like, okay, is this the point at which they grow or not and how does that relate back to what it happening in the narrative? Very tough.
4. Working with children was a pleasure. I wasn't sure of what to expect in working with children, because it was my first time. But we cast some really wonderful and amazing child actors who were an absolute pleasure to work with. I never had to cut or slow down production because of the kids, so that was a total joy.
5. Working with extras is incredibly stressful. What you really need is excellent crowd control in working with extras. During the science fair scenes, we had over a hundred extras, all of which I was directing at one point. I had a mega phone and a plan in terms of what I wanted, but it's still hard because choreographing their movements and staging the blocking in the moment takes precision, timing and silence, something that's clearly not easy in a large gym full of people.
6. Did I mention exhaustion? I knew it would be tiring, but I didn't fully get it. As the director, things cannot move forward unless you are there, so you are pretty much on set all the time, standing for 15 hour stretches. Most of the time, I felt like eating was a huge burden that I didn't want to be bothered with, as well, but then I realized that I needed to have energy to make it through the days, so I would try to snack a bit here and there, but I def shed a few pounds through the shoot. The tricky thing also was that there were in some tough situations weather-wise, like the cold, fog and rain of NorCal, and of course, this year, it was unusually chilly. The kids all hated the cold, and so did I, but I always kept a positive outlook towards it, just so we could get through it. (yeah, isn't this hail just beautiful??)
Anyway, more to come, but these are a few small, initial insights...
11.17.2008
The Journey Begins
It's been a very long and arduous road in terms of raising the financing for Raspberry Magic, particularly during these very tough and uncertain times. But somehow, we've pulled together and made it happen. It's been very exciting with casting the movie and pulling together all of the locations. Now is the time, I can't believe we're almost ten days out from shooting. I'm extremely excited, but I'm also nervous, anxious, etc. Either way, it should be a very interesting journey... Stay tuned for more when there is time!
11.05.2008
Hope!
It's a really hopeful time for our country with Obama as our next president. I was out last night at a club and people were there waving American flags. It felt like an amazing moment, like waving an American flag had an all together different meaning than it has in the past. My father called me so excited about the change, his comment was that if Obama can be president, then anyone can truly do anything in life. It sounds ridiculous, but Obama's winning the presidency parallels my journey of making a first feature. I few years ago, I had no idea of how in the world I would make this happen. I was just another filmmaker with a few scripts and short films under my belt. But now, it's hard to believe that we're only twenty five days out from shooting the movie. It's here, it's happening and it's super exciting. Like Obama's journey as president, the production of the movie isn't going to be easy. It's going to be filled with bumps along the way, but as long as everyone maintains faith, positivity and overall good vibes, it'll all come together.
11.02.2008
Thirty Days Away
I cannot believe we're about 30 days away from shooting. It's a really exciting time as everything comes together with the cast, crew, locations and much more. I am working on setting up many of the shots and thinking through the performances, and my producer is swamped with pulling together all of the logistics. I go through a wide range of emotions on a minute by minute basis with fear, anxiety, excitement, nervousness and so many other things wrapped up in one. I guess other directors might feel the same way, too, it's a bit crazy, especially since this is my first feature. All I want to do is make a great film, beyond that, there are so many things that are out of my control. We have a great team of cast and crew coming together to make this happen, which is super exciting. Filmmaking is such a collaborative medium, it's very important to work with people are good, reliable, trustworthy and have an overall positive vibe. I have been having some long conversations with the DP about shots, as well as with the PD on setting up some of the scenes, and making sure we make the world feel real and believable. All of the pieces are definitely coming together, it's super exciting!
10.29.2008
From Script to Screen
I'm deep in casting, locations scouting and figuring out the shot selections for Raspberry Magic. It's all very exciting! I've learned so much about writing from actually making the film, here are a few things:
1. Don't waste too much time with pointless details of the setting. By "pointless", I mean, there is no need to give tons of ambiance and details, unless it very directly motivates the story or there is action around something. I spent too much time in my script describing the exteriors of the school, and it proved to be silly. I mean, middle school is middle school, right? The main thing is that it looks like that, a middle school.
2. Define spatial relationships, but keep them as simple as possible. Again, once you start scouting, you'll have to deal with how locations relate from one to another. In other words, how do we move from the house to the forest? It's good to set up the sense of place as clearly as possible in the script, so that when you start thinking about locations, it makes sense. On the other hand, it's good to be a bit flexible, too, because you never know how you'll have to cheat the locations.
3. Every, single role in the screenplay matters, because if you make the film, you'll have to cast someone for every role. To that effect, you want to think through each part--do you truly need it? What does it add to the story? In RM, we recently read for parts like the judges, cops, etc and though the parts seem small, they really do matter.
4. Every, single line of dialogue in the screenplay matters. This is the beauty of being a screenwriter vs. being a novelist. Someone is going to bring your character to life, and that someone will want to how, what's my motivation? How am I feeling? What am I thinking? Sometimes, when you create someone on the page, you don't think about these things. But then, you are asked these questions and you suddenly have to. It's a good thing, but unexpected as a writer!
5. I know writers shouldn't really worry about budgets when they create their work, but if you want to write a story that's meant to be shot as a low budget project, then keep things simple and low budget. I have a few tricky effects in my story that have been causing me a lot of stress. I can't take them out because they are central to the story, but geez, it's certainly a bit tricky!
1. Don't waste too much time with pointless details of the setting. By "pointless", I mean, there is no need to give tons of ambiance and details, unless it very directly motivates the story or there is action around something. I spent too much time in my script describing the exteriors of the school, and it proved to be silly. I mean, middle school is middle school, right? The main thing is that it looks like that, a middle school.
2. Define spatial relationships, but keep them as simple as possible. Again, once you start scouting, you'll have to deal with how locations relate from one to another. In other words, how do we move from the house to the forest? It's good to set up the sense of place as clearly as possible in the script, so that when you start thinking about locations, it makes sense. On the other hand, it's good to be a bit flexible, too, because you never know how you'll have to cheat the locations.
3. Every, single role in the screenplay matters, because if you make the film, you'll have to cast someone for every role. To that effect, you want to think through each part--do you truly need it? What does it add to the story? In RM, we recently read for parts like the judges, cops, etc and though the parts seem small, they really do matter.
4. Every, single line of dialogue in the screenplay matters. This is the beauty of being a screenwriter vs. being a novelist. Someone is going to bring your character to life, and that someone will want to how, what's my motivation? How am I feeling? What am I thinking? Sometimes, when you create someone on the page, you don't think about these things. But then, you are asked these questions and you suddenly have to. It's a good thing, but unexpected as a writer!
5. I know writers shouldn't really worry about budgets when they create their work, but if you want to write a story that's meant to be shot as a low budget project, then keep things simple and low budget. I have a few tricky effects in my story that have been causing me a lot of stress. I can't take them out because they are central to the story, but geez, it's certainly a bit tricky!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
