Two Down

Well we've shot two of the scenes that I'm hoping will frame the original footage. David was first. We got some good stuff of him while doing pilates. We shot Tara at Reed just yesterday. Alex Cassidy played Tara's boyfriend two years down the road looking back.
I love working in the quasi-improvisational way that we've done this film. I know what I want them to say and have it all written down but in feeding it to them verbally it seems to free up wonderful errors, the actors' impressions and some unexpected moments that are the heart and soul of the film.
We're going to NY in February to shoot Joey's looking back interview and the video he surreptitiously watches on his laptop.
I feel some clarity toward Made Crooked right now. I was really inspired by Vincent Caldoni's Cathedral Park. He stuck with the film in spite of its obvious problems and made the best of them. In the end the film has a heart that transcends his level of technical experience and the limits of a $10,000 budget. I've always felt Made Crooked has a lot of heart and I'm glad to find ways to let it continue to thump.

December 2007 Update

Spent the afternoon working with Jordan on two of our many unfinished projects. I feel very positive and energized. I don't always feel like that in post-production, but I sure will take it when I can get it.
We reviewed Made Crooked for the first time in a couple of months. Rather than feel lazy about it, I think it's actually healthy for it to sit for awhile. I am undergoing a process of acceptance. It doesn't stink, in fact parts of it are quite good, but there are bits that just don't work. The challenge has been to find a way to get the good parts out into the world. I had a strong idea awhile back in the Fall but accomplishing it was going to beyond our resources. I recently had another idea that I think will work. I noted the areas of the film that needed help again today and wrote lines for the actors or in some cases questions to prompt their own responses. I'm hoping to shoot those additional scenes while David and Tara are in town over the holidays. And if my idea works I'll go back to New York to see Joey to shoot his scenes.