Control
Now that the casting for “The Secrets” is complete and the shoot dates confirmed for later this month, I find myself in the same hole of wanting to shoot a film NOW, the sole reason that The Secrets was written to begin with and that was last month!
The most time consuming process of filmmaking after writing and casting and editing and shooting and just about everything else is got to be scheduling. Because scheduling just does not depend on one project. It depends on all the projects that are shooting in town and the degree to which we share common cast and crew.
So, I started writing a new short. Based on the murder of Black Dahlia to shoot this weekend. Told my friend that I could not come to San Diego with her to spend the holidays in a beach house where the sand is warm at 80 degrees. Instead, I would be in PHX in 105 degrees because I need to shoot this. First 5 minutes - written, the film opens in a warehouse. The location was available. Got word on friday night that we lost the location. The owners of the warehouse is out of town and the attendant does not have the key.
About 1 in the morning, Friday night/ Saturday morning, wrote about 3 minutes worth of scenes to be shot indoors in a house and a restaurant. House - my house, restaurant- the one across the street. Actors. Me and my buddies, Valec and Arturo. Call time 10:00a.m.
Saturday (today) morning, they did not show at 10.00 a.m. Went down to the coffee shop across the street, started writing a new short. Two actors, a man and a woman and a house. My house. Me and the actress…let’s see, from recent myspace blogs, Deena has been up for shooting something. and I know Deena, she is good. Emailed her on myspace and completed a 5 minute short by lunch.
Didn’t hear back from Deena. 11:30, my buddies, Valec and Art showed up.
We weren’t shooting the indoor scene from the Black Dahlia script anymore because it was too late to go ask the restaurant if we could shoot there. We went to lunch at Rocksprings, 15 miles north of Anthem, the best pies in Phoenix (if you go, get the Jack Daniels Pecan Pie).
Over BLTs, sandwiches and a pitcher of Amberbock, we started brainstorming a short with 3 guys in a room. Valec, Arturo and Me -3 guys - in my living room. Started typing on the laptop. By the time we left there, about 2:30, we had 2 pages written. Came home, started shooting it. while I set up the lights, the camera, the mic, Valec got a case of water and Arturo took a quick nap. Next hour was spent kicking Val and Art’s ass and screen testing them for who was going to play the lead. While shooting the first scene, the last scene revealed itself. Wrote the last few pages while Arturo played the guitar and Valec worked to stay in character. So, now it’s a 5 minute short. we all love the story. We are shooting the rest tommorrow (sunday) morning.
In the meantime, heard back from Deena at about 7 in the evening. I have emailed her saying if she can show at 8 in the morning, she can have my part. We are all playing gang members, so she would be the female gang member. I like that even better.
The trailer is uploaded from today’s shoot. Check it out at
http://www.dibpictures.com/screening/screening.html
click on the Playlist, select CONTROL, pump up the volume and enjoy.
July 8th, 2008 at 4:42 pm
Hey Bivas,
Just landed on your blog through random search. You do have very interesting pieces of film. Would love to see your work….control seems like an interesting piece…would love to see the dialog in the group…..tried going to the link but i guess its been taken off.