That syncing feelng

Thank the stars for the internet.

I haven't merged clips in so long I'd forgotten how to do it.

Found this link and of course I slapped my forehead and announced "Duh!"

I receive the sound files tomorrow and then its the best part of a day to sync all the shots. It will probably take longer due to the young fella, but I'll get it done before the weekend. (hopefully)

I captured all the rushes yesterday and spent a good few hours tweaking.

I've sadly found out (again thanks to the web) that there is an anomaly with the HV30's LCD screen. And of course I find this out AFTER we shot. The LCD screen displays the image a lot BRIGHTER than what is actually going to tape. So everything that looked well lit is now super dark after capture.

Absolutely gutted. But I've been playing with settings and plug ins and adjusting the curves and creating composite layers to try and artificially brighten the footage. Some look acceptable, some look downright ugly. Its another case of limitations dictating the style. Who knows, it may end up looking great, the style complimented when its all down to an accident.

As you know trying to lighten a dark image is very troublesome, it adds a lot of noise and grain. The stuff is starting to look like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, which would be fine if the film were a horror, but its a balls out comedy with merely a nod to horror.

Then again, Clerks looked like shit but it didn't detract from the humor.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

I'll delete this post if the short gets complimented for its visual style in the future.

aaaaaaaaand, thats a wrap!

That was a loooong long three days.

Broken up with a night shoot made it drag, but today we had it wrapped in a few hours.

Seventy eight slates in pretty much two and a half long days.

Not bad for a zero budget indie film production.

I'd like to take this opportunity to publicly thank each and every person involved in the realization of this script into a film for their commitment, expertise and above all, hard graft!

I am humbled and blown away simultaneously buy your generosity and team spirit and belief in the project.

From the actors for making my creations a reality to the tenants of the house we were shooting in, I thank you all from the bottom of my heart.

Here are some Polaroid's from the shoot, its all I have right now till I get the productions stills.

Man, we had fun!

There's Tom O'Leary who plays Marty, if you watch Fair City you probably know him as the doctor, but I think its about time the world saw his comic acting abilities. I've seen him on stage a few times and I think he's a great comic actor. Tom is also co-producer on this short. (We also made Shut The Fuck Up Together). Thanks dude, best of luck in New York!

Steve Wilson who plays Marty's brother Lou also came on as co-producer at the last minute and really rattled our cages. We only had a short window of opportunity between Tom finishing up in Fair City and him emigration to the U.S. and A. Inviting Steve on board was the shot in the arm we needed to get this baby shot. And it just so happens that Steve is an excellent comic actor to boot. Talk about striking gold. Thanks Steve!

I saw Ross co-star with Steve in Mike Poblete's New York Monologues the week before last. He is a very talented young actor and was invited on board to play essentially a cameo role. The part was so small that I didn't think it was even worth casting, it was a nothing role, I was even thinking of doing it myself for the craic. I am so glad we went with Ross, even though it was such a small part, he owned it and he was absolutely brilliant. I'll never think a small part is not worth investing in ever again! Thanks Ross!

Sorry for (no) photo of Fiona, line-producer for our shoot. A consummate professional and somehow managed to make sense of my rambling notes and extensive and unrealistic shot list and drew up an achievable shooting schedule and made sure we got the job done in the three days allowed and was never afraid to run around getting stuff done. Thank you very much Fiona!

Sarah who did make up and hair did a fantastic job keeping everything consistent and looking good and even traveled all the way from Kerry to do the gig. Now thats pretty awesome. Also big thanks to Gwen for designing the make-up! Thanks Gwen and Sarah!

Neil. Quiet, methodical, always scribbling notes. Total pro. Thats the look of fear in my face knowing how much notes I will have at my disposal. Brilliant stuff. Cheers duder!

I couldn't have done this without such an amazing crew, but my hats off to Eva for having an eye for the tiniest details in the script and on set, I would have been lost had she not been there. She had my back and thats exactly what a director needs. A true superwoman! Thanks Eva!

Arthur was always my first choice to shoot this picture, even back in the days when the original version of this script was almost funded and to be shot on film. How lucky I was when he not only was available to shoot at such short notice that he was willing to do it to without even seeing the new script. He's a patient, patient man with a great eye for lighting, a good listener and a great collaborative filmmaker. Arthur, you rule. Thanks man!

Me... Me, I'm just a prick with a penchant for toilet humor who misses his wife and kid.

Now to sleep, perchance to dream.

Day two, done!

We finished up last night at I think around three in the morning, maybe four, can't really remember...

It was a slower day.

A lot less slates, a lot less dialogue, but seemed like more set ups.

Our only exterior shots too were done and man did they look sweet.

Moral rose higher after we shot them as they looked so impressive. We did of course have to wait for the sun to go way down before we could shoot, but it was worth it.

Things ground to a halt soon after that though, as sadly there were people asleep upstairs at the location causing the actors to be very restrained in there delivery.

We've only a couple of shots to pick up today. Its a half day really, so if we get right into it, even though we're all very tired we could be wrapped in a few hours.

I forgot to turn off my alarm that was set for seven am when I hit the hay at four am. I didn't get back to sleep properly after that, constantly replaying scenes in my head, seeing Tom's face for the last couple of days while awake and in my dreams and again this morning while fixing breakfast and texting Tom at the same time switching on the telly only to see Tom's face yet again on Fair City looking back at me! Aaaaargh!

But.... We're nearly finished!

Day one, done!

Its now almost 2 in the am, and I'm about to hit the hay after a long 13 or so hour day on set.

We managed to assemble the best crew possible at the last minute. Man they were great!

The planets were aligned when this small group of people assembled early this morning at our location in Dartry. Many meeting for the first time on set. Myself included.

After a looong start, such is par for the course on any first day, we finally hit our stride just before lunch, eating up page after page of script before eating copious amounts of el cheapo Lidl food (hey, this is a zero budget production!)

Pretty soon after the shoot began, I threw away my copious shot list notes and we started mixing thing up and changing things on the fly and thats the point we really hit our stride. Shot list, shmot list, who needs them, we're making a fucking movie here!

I of course couldn't have behaved like this if I didn't have such a brilliant script / continuity girl on my back. It was marvelously liberating. Coming from a background in animation and in turn commercials, I've always rigorously adhered to the storyboard, but today I was finally freed from those shackles and it felt like we we're in the zone, so to speak. Highly creative and hugely enjoyable.

My fingers, toes, arms, legs are all crossed that the footage cuts together and we have made a pretty funny comedy.

I was almost kicked off my own set today due to my suppressed snort laughing provoked by the excellent performances of my cast, Tom and Steve, both great comic actors on stage and now finally on film. (Well HDV anyway, but it will look like film when Im finished with it).

I'm going to sign off now, we've a nice late start tomorrow, but its a night shoot, so probably this time tomorrow night I'll be on set.

The glamorous life, I think not.

Night all.

Eve of shoot 2.0

I am knackered.

My head is in a spin.

Shot list, scheduling, food runs, crew bookings, set dressing, rehearsals, meetings, meetings. meetings...

I want to sleep for a million years, but tomorrow is the first day of shooting and no doubt I'll be awake all night like christmas bloody eve...

Unbelievable turn of events today. After having so much trouble finding crew, particularly a sound person, we ended up, today, on the eve of the shoot, not one but two sound people willing to do the shoot.

Horrible having to turn someone away that you begged to do the job in the first place! Particularly an industry professional who was prepared to work for free.

I'm glad the script is getting such positive attention and feedback, here's hoping I can do my best over the next three days translating what I have written and putting it on the screen.

Nervous? Yes. Excited? Yes. Tired? Unbelievably so.

I've one more meeting tonight, meeting my cinematographer at nine to have a quick chat and then I'm going to bed bed bed.

I'll leave you with one final thought; if you are ever in a position where you have written and intend to direct a film, let someone else produce, spend time with your actors and rehearse.

My biggest fear on this is that I have spent too much time as a producer and not enough time as director preparing for this shoot.

Script

Just emailed the final draft of the re-written script to my actors and production team.

Fingers crossed!

This post is so short it should be considered a Tweet.

More Props

Props for the props go to Anthony Mackey for designing the Video Box sleeve.

They look awesome.

The free membership always cracks me up.