3 movies

star69I am currently editing my latest short film, Star69. Simple story, tiny cast, modest production. Still, editing is a scary process, as it is here that we discover if all the effort that has gone before was actually worth it. ‘Cause you end up making it 3 times:

  1. writing A finished (and compelling) script is the first, most ephemeral, and most difficult hurdle. Concept, story, outlines, screenplay draft 1, 2, 3… Rinse and repeat ’til satisfied. Be honest, ’cause this is where you can start down a long path leading nowhere (i.e., undertaking the production of cr*p).
  2. production (+pre) begs the question: does anybody want to play? Especially in the no-budget arena, this is where you find out if anyone else (and you, for that matter) really thinks your idea has merit. Cast it, crew it, break it down, storyboard. Then, shoot. Less rinsing and repeating, more plain old sweat and effort. The fun part: You get to say “action,” and see talented folks bring your material to life.
  3. post is where you get to see if all those bits and pieces pull together into a cohesive and meaningful whole. Or see your brilliant idea turn out to be an unclear mess. The proof is in the pudding, and this is the oven. Okay, that metaphor’s broken, but you get my point. Succeed/fail here; there’s no more “later” to fix it in.

Wish me luck. I just finished a rough assembly (culling best takes into a linear cut, exactly as written). It’s actually looking pretty good, so far, but what do I know? By now, I’m so soaked in it that it’s easy to second-guess myself. There’ll be a screening at some point, soon, so we’ll all get to see.