An Explanation: I work better under deadlines, and, as it happens, I need to give myself some to make some sort of schedule as to how this whole thing is going to work. This also goes into the other blog post I wanted to do, so I've combined them into this...introduction of sorts. Basically, I'm putting my house in order, officially, and I'm publishing the details so no one can say that I did otherwise.
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I always get a lot of flack for the way that I do things. I'm malleable, or, at least, I'd like to think/hope I am. But, when it comes to movies, I take things very seriously. I have no patience for excuses or hesitance in almost any way, shape or form. My usual M.O. is:
"Are you in? You don't know? Fuck it, I'll do it myself."
Needless to say, I rub people the wrong way. And I've damaged friendships, some fatally, and, while I recognize that, I don't know that I plan on altering my behavior in any real major ways. It's taken me many years to see that most of the work I do in the beginning is virtually invisible. I come to people with a script and I've done more work than I have to show for. People may not know that before I've given them something to read (and critique) that I've probably written 4 drafts of that same something. I've spent countless man hours (maybe even years) researching, rewriting, rethinking, hours spent staring at a screen, or staring into space, unable to sleep. All while trying to keep a balance with REALITY: one that includes 4 other people that depend on me to keep food in a house with an appropriate seasonal temperature. That I've probably laid the ground work for the next stage, production, which is a whole other blog post in itself.
I'm not complaining, I'm simply saying that I have now figured out myself that these are, in most cases, invisible facts. So it pisses people off when they want to play it safe, or simply wait something out before committing life and limb for MY cause. I understand, it's a lot to take in, a bitch to take on and I need to be better at not being so hasty to count folks out.
At the same time, I meticulously plan to count folks out if need be.
Sometimes its unnecessary, sometimes it's survival. I'll be honest, at the eye of the storm and, (I also admit) with my tendency to take things too personally, most times I can't tell the difference. So, in an attempt to make things less invisible, more productive, more amiable, I present to you:
DAY ONE
I am making a movie next year. If you didn't know, you do now (and even that is hard for me to type because anyone who KNOWS ME should know that I've been planning this, in one form or another, all year). The movie is called The Other Side of 25 and the log-line (or, simplified premise) can be found here. This movie is, I guess you could say, a direct reaction to my last movie which ended up...not being the movie I wanted it to be (we'll leave it at that) and improving on the formula I've been working on since I first attempted to make a movie in '02. I'm calling it the third in a trilogy (my People in their 20's series), but it's also about me growing as a film maker. The steps I've taken to get here, the things I've learned, people I've met, results I've produced. I am channeling all of that energy into this project.
A project that starts, officially, today.
So first, is the book, Truth in a Hat, the title of which, matches a game created specifically for the world within The Other Side of 25. With every movie I write, I always have enough back story to do a prequel and/or a sequel to it. Most times, I never get the chance and I end up spending a lot of time explaining subtext to actors in pre-production (and during production). This time, instead of sitting on all that back story, I have decided to use it as a promotional tool. At this time I don't know how it's going to be released (I'm still trying to figure out how it ends the way it does), but I know having it is better than not.
So, because I thrive under deadlines, I am giving myself 73 (til September 1st) days to finish (at least) the first draft. After that, I am moving on to the script, which is a direct sequel to the events of the book (though where I started from in the first place). I want about 3 months with the script so that gives me 83 days to finish up by Thanksgiving weekend. After that, I'll spend the rest of the year revising, first the book, then the script.
Come the first of the year I will begin writing a whole new project altogether removed from this one.
While all of that is going on, life will surely intrude: work, home, sex, etc, but I plan to keep to the schedule. I had originally hoped to finish both script and book by End of August, but I had to be realistic (do you see the insanity? this is the realistic schedule!). I have been slacking on my page-a-day quota (this week seems designed to fuck with my schedule) but I'm hoping the schedule with put things back on track.
Anyway, this post has gone on long enough. You get the picture. That's like, what this whole thing is about. No longer can folks say that I haven't made my intentions clear or given them an idea of what kind of time table I was working on. So for those that care, wish me luck.
It's time to get crazy with the cheese whiz.
(Truth in a Hat)
(The Other Side of 25)
(Day 1 of 156)
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