This month is going to be a beast. A good beast, but a beast nonetheless. We're going to have the film totally finished by the end of the month. We're sooooo close!
I've been having several meetings recently, and I think that we're on track to have everything completed. The year is shaping up well, and I think we can actually meet these deadlines now. People have been asking me for years when the film will be finished, and the only honest answer I can offer is "sometime soon, I hope." It's been a guessing game for the past three years (because it's my first film), but I feel quite confident that we're going to wrap this baby up by the end of the month.
Recently I met with Surry (my EP) and Adam Shepard, author of Scratch Beginnings. (His book is a great, quick read and I highly recommend it.) We talked about the ways in which book publishing is similar to film distribution--a really interesting and helpful conversation. A lot of people ask me what our next steps are with the film. We've got a plan in place, and talking with Adam and Surry about it recently was a big help. I really like what Adam's done with his books, and am very appreciative of his time and advice.
Last night I met with a very intelligent (and gorgeous, fun) friend about conducting focus groups. The goal is to show the film to very small, select groups of individuals to get feedback about the film. I'm really looking forward to that process. She's already helped me think through it, and how we can take steps to gathering people to get the most helpful feedback. I'm so lucky to have her help.
This morning I had a meeting with our motion graphics guys, Patrick and Zach. They are doing such great work, and I can't even tell you how thrilled I am to have them on board. They are committed to doing their best work, which is the type of team you want to build. (Plus, they're also tons of fun to work with.) They've been working on the opening segment, chapter titles, lower thirds, animated maps, and end credits. What a huge help to have them creating motion graphics to keep the audience informed and engaged. It'll look way better than the place holder graphics I created out of desperate need.
This coming week I will be meeting with AB again about music. We'll take a close look at what we have on the timeline, how it fits, and what is needed. She's collected music from independent artists, and has also written/recorded an amazing song for the film. Kyle's also composing original scores, which is absolutely wonderful.
Folks, these people are so talented. I'm going to owe a lot of favors!
The trailer is also taking shape. We've identified that we'll need a fairly short trailer first, and then work on a teaser from that point. Dustin's sent me a first draft of the trailer, and will keep working on it this month. I hope to have something to show to a class at NCSU when I speak to them this spring. Putting it online is also our priority, so people can see something other than the Habitat for Humanity video we did last year.
Everything is coming together well, it seems. This month is going to be a really busy one, full of working hard and playing hard. We're hustling to get the film finished so we can start sharing it in 2011. Stay tuned, folks!
