The Little Things

 Recently made another one day short, "Visitor's Day" and wrote in some scenes I wasn't quite sure how I would work out.  The big one was the prison scene.  Shot in a corner of my garage, I pictured it at a table, with the concrete block wall in the background.  Simple and easy, but I wanted a touch more of "something" to add to the prison feel.  I had hoped for a stock footage shot of a prison exterior to establish the location, but I don't have one in my library and couldn't find any public domain shots that were contemporary enough to work.

Finally, I settled on the idea of filming "through a fence" to five a caged look.  As if bars were offscreen.  On the day, however, exposures and lighting in a garage being what it is, I was having trouble getting the distance and shadows as I wanted them to register on screen.  They just weren't selling on my monitor and I wasn't convinced it would do enough in the finished product.  While setting it up with Actor, Jeffrey James and my wife, Nancy, we came up with the idea of having the gate "slide" open and closed.  We worked out the timing and I would put in a sound effect in post.  Nancy commented that we could use a sound like the one in the opening of "Porridge", a British comedy that takes place in a prison and uses the sound cue in the opening segment.  It was exactly what I had in mind, so I knew we were on the same page.

After a few tries, Jeffrey, Nancy and I got the timing to a point I was VERY happy with.  In post, it was just a matter of finding the right sound.  I didn't have anything marked "prison gate" or "jail cell door", but thanks to Fresh Music Library, I did have "metal work table rolls across floor".  It was just what I needed.  The final effect was exactly what I was hoping for and the picture I had in my head while coming up with the idea of transforming my garage into a prison visitor's room. (I should have put bars on the window, but some things slip by).  A scene coming together, even in a small way, is a big victory for a zero budget short and it often depends on people who roll with the punches and take in changes quickly. Some actors have trouble with this, and that's fine, but then I need them to just trust the process and do as directed.  When they see the end product they see where we were going.  The crew I had that day, however, helped me work out the kinks, which is even more helpful.

In the end, it's a very little thing and something most people won't consciously notice, but in the backs of their minds it's a touch that adds to the idea that this little corner of block wall is a room with bars, and guards, etc.

Finished product below.

Enjoy.

A-D-D and production

 A bit of constant distraction comes with being creative.  If you only see what everyone else sees, you'll never come up with new and exciting ideas.  But, this desire to explore new and old ideas alike can lead to some bad distractions too.  I've got a shoot planned for tomorrow.  It's already uncertain which movie I'll be shooting, because we're basing it on the weather.  Same cast, but different degrees of complexity.  The in studio is easy.  The outside stuff, not so much.  But it's a script I really want to get shot as it's a bit of a gift to my new, super reliable, up and coming actress, Felicia Mathis.  She started as a "scare actor" in haunted houses, helped me on a short and has been doing films with me every since.  She's just about ready for a feature.  But,  you can read more about that when I interview her for the Cult Goddess Blog.
For now, the thing is, she's been acting in sci-fi and monster movies for me and she's really more of a slasher, blood and guts horror fan.  So, I wrote a slasher type for her to star in and scheduling it, between life, her new job, real estate and photography and my studying for drone pilot certification has been really difficult.  But, we've got a schedule set for tomorrow afternoon.  If the weather is good.

Here is where my ADD comes in.  I'm super excited to shoot this.  But, I'm also supposed to be in it. (I'm  an understudy for a main character).  My garage is doubling as a set.  There is a scene featuring Dom and costumes to get ready.  Have I done any of these things?  Nope.  All the components are here, and mostly ready, but they need that last bit of dress and prep.  What did I do this week?

Sure.  That's fun, but I really need to get my firm old ass into gear.
Oh, and I am typing this while I should be helping Nancy paint the porch walls.

Want to know a secret?  This is me FOCUSED.
Less than five things to do at a given time and my brain goes into overdrive and I can't concentrate on anything.

So, don't let distractions scare you.  They're a good thing, sometimes and a thing to be overcome other times.  They're definitely bad when driving, flying a drone or working with sharp power tools.
When it's safe to be distracted, however, enjoy the creative directions it can bring you in and make new, or old, things happen.

Did I mention I've been making a miniature space station and painting an astronaut back pack all week too?

Here's a Felicia Mathis short to make your day.
Also featuring our friend, Merri Cash.