Screening in Maryland

The setting sun on Friday evening was a beautiful gift.

Last Friday afternoon I left Raleigh, N.C., for Reston, V.A., for a private screening of Abandoned Allies in Maryland the following morning. It was a trip I made alone, and the solitude was both unsettling and refreshing.

That evening I stayed in a hotel room with the fluffiest, white king-sized bed you've ever seen. My exhaustion made me crawl in bed early. The following morning I woke up an hour before my alarm went off, laying completely crooked in the hotel bed and totally confused about where I was or why I was there. To put it simply, I desperately needed some rest. These past few weeks (hell, months) have been quite stressful.

Saturday morning came quickly though. I woke up so early that I had plenty of time to relax, get ready, and grab some coffee. I even had time to clean off the dashboard of my car--something I've neglected for too long.

By 8:42 a.m. I was waiting outside Mike's place, ready for him to meet me to travel to Maryland together. We were both a little shocked when he walked outside and saw me sitting there, waiting. The timing was almost so perfect it felt scripted.

Within minutes we were on our way to Maryland, where we met Greg and his wife. We all chatted for a bit, and then started the film. There were a few technical difficulties I noticed--which I've made notes about fixing--but the DVD played well. The picture quality was unnerving so I need to learn how to export the film faster with higher quality. The entire process takes me about three or four days right now, which is entirely too long.

The responses to the film were positive. There were some areas for improvement, namely with the ending. As I've mentioned previously, we're still working on the ending and it is something that bothers me a lot right now. Talking with Mike and Greg clarified a number of things, which is incredibly helpful.

As I drove home on Saturday, my cell phone buzzed a number of times with follow up emails from Mike and Greg. They shared new resources that will be really helpful with the film: books, photos, stories, etc.

Showing the film to cast members Mike, Greg, Chris, and George has been really, really helpful. The things they suggested helped me figure out how to handle the very things that have been bothering me as a filmmaker.

This coming weekend is Memorial Day. I had planned on visiting AB to work on the final musical additions; however, I recognize that I need time to make changes to the film as suggested by the cast members whom have watched it recently. The new game plan will be working on the film this weekend, and finding another weekend to finalize the music.

Overall, the screening went really well this weekend. It feels so great to be finalizing the film. I can't wait to tweak these last few things so that we can start sharing it with the public. We're almost there, folks. Thanks for your unending support and patience.