Day 1

Day 1 was many years ago so I will start with Today.

This is my second attempt at a short film. The first one was a great experiance that ended in just being a great experiance. I learned a lot about pre-production and nothing about production. After the unraveling of actors getting paying gigs, losing the location and then securing top of line equipment. In case something was missed, I had everything but the equipment and the day I secured the equipment that is all I had equipment. The very same day. So hear I am almost a year later with a new script hoping to make a short film. I have been reviewing other peoples short films on IFC and Sundance. I have been watching atom films and Ifilms and local films. I have been wondering will mine look good or will it look like a glorified home video.
I have taken some precautions to hopefully make it look beautiful. With little experaince in bieng a videographer or in producing films I have been studying and gathering resources. I have found two friends who have had some experaince in the past with short movies or at least have a very strong understanding of how to shoot a film.
Books I am currently devouring are;
The complete book of Script writing J Michael Straczynski
Directors Eye Ahart
Digital Filmmaking 101 Dale Newton and John Gaspard
Practical Theatre Trevor Griffeths
Setting the Scene Robert Sennett
The beginning Filmakers Guide to a successful first film Renee Harmon and Jim Lawrence
and
Edna St. Vincent Millay Early Poems (this is for a little sanity)
I am also reading
Filmmaker the Magazine of Independent Film
And Scr(i)pt magazine.
along with countless web forums I am quickly feeling confident and overwhelmed at the same time. This ofcourse leads to lack of sleep that I will need so desperatly as the shooting date approaches.

If you are still reading and interested in this journey I am taking. I should warn you it could end before it begins. However, in 7 days I will be holding auditions with 35 of the northwests bravest actors. I have taken many measures to make sure they have a good time.

I found rental space at a theatre group for 8$ an hour. I decided to rent the space for 4 hours.
One hour to set up 2 hours for auditions and 1 hour to clean up. I recruited to friends with great taste in Film and theatre to help me run the auditions and I also recruited a friend to grab close ups of the actors as I know they will look dramatically different on video then from ten feet away. I am still looking for someone to handle the traffic of actors coming in and out. This all ofcourse is a simplified version of the orginizational challenges I have overcome to avoid a Cattle Call and treat everyone as professionals. I would advice anyone, first to not listen to my advise as I'm inexperianced but needless to say avoid the blanket audition. Meaning you list the time and the place and you then have 300 people show up and 2 hours to get through everyone.

Before I pass out and get up again in 6 hours for my day job it should be recorded that a major breakthrough has happened. Over the last month I have been hoping to aquire the permission to use music from Ireson's Ride. I received my wish today and it is a good day.

Tomorrow I will attempt to build a steadicam wish me luck.