What's Next?

Yesterday I mentioned that we're showing the latest cut of Abandoned Allies to two more cast members tomorrow morning. The film we're showing is not a finished piece because we're finalzing a few things.

So, then, what's next? When is it going to be finished, and what's left to do?

We'll get feedback tomorrow from our cast members, consider it, and finish tweaking a few things in the story line. The ending of the film isn't finished yet, but I am much closer to it now. There are things that still bother me, so we're working on those things.

Next weekend I'll work with Annie Beth to finalize the music. She has been incredibly patient with me over the years, as have many other volunteers. It's a learning process, really, and I am glad to be working with people willing to learn with me. I've heard the phrase "building a plane while flying it" enough but now I really grasp what that means: a fair amount of organized chaos. Annie Beth is a wonderfully smart woman, though, and I am deeply grateful to her for lending her talents. She's collected original music from truly talented indie artists, and I know you'll be impressed when you hear it.

Once we finalize the music, we'll then finalize the end credits. Patrick and Zach are working on this with me, and have also been very patient along the journey. They, too, are incredibly talented and dedicated to making this film a great one. They're working on a few things, but are still waiting on the final end credits list from me (which is waiting on the final list of music).

After those things are in place, we'll work with a sound engineer to normalize the film. This simply means that we go through the film to make sure that each person is audible, the music isn't too loud while someone's talking, and that everything is on the same level (it doesn't get drastically louder in one spot and way too quiet in another). There are also some trouble spots that I hope our sound engineer can improve.

Once those things are completed, then we should be a breath away from having the film totally complete. I'd like to do some color correction, but am not quite sure how to make that happen. It's definitely needed.

In the meantime, there's plenty of other work to be done. We'll have a chance to show the film to more cast members to get feedback, as well as a few other private screenings. While that's happening, we'll also work on marketing/branding/communications and event planning. The goal is to have a party later this year because, well, we've been working hard on this for so long--how can you not stop to celebrate such a momentous occassion?

So, basically, that's what I envision is next for this film and all the folks helping with it. There are varying levels of completion, and I feel a huge one is coming up very soon. After that, I imagine I can breathe MUCH easier. The stress of making this film is taking its toll on my loved ones and me, so it's time to put it to rest and start celebrating the end of a journey and the beginning of a new one.

More to come. Stay tuned!