Production: Introducing Tomorrow's Party

Considering the fact that this is a blog about film and filmmaking, you would think that I would talk about my projects. I'm not really sure why haven't. But yes, I have my own project. And I'm going to talk about it.

Currently I am working on putting together a five minute short film called "Tomorrow's Party". My roommate and drunken cohort Katie is helping me produce it. If I haven't driven her crazy yet... I have a feeling she may hate me by the end of it. Haha... I'm kidding... I think...

About Tomorrow's Party.

It's a screenplay that I wrote, will be directing, and am producing. When you're working on something this small you end up doing a lot of it yourself. The rest of it... I'm calling in a lot of favors. A friend from college is coming in from New York to be my DP. Various other friends are filling other crew positions. As I've mentioned all ready, my roommate is my producer. So far the only people enlisted who I didn't know previously are my actors.

It's a lot of work. It fills most of my free time. There are locations to be scouted, actors to talk to, insurance to arrange. And that was just the last three days. There's a laundry list of things to accomplish before Thanksgiving. This week.

When I stop thinking about how much I have to do, I start thinking about how I'm going to be able to afford this. By the skin of my teeth. It's incredibly stressful but I try and not let that freak me out. Because I know people who have done more than I'm doing with relatively less resources. I may be putting everything I have into this film, but I think I have enough. I think. I hope.

But that's an inescapable part of indie filmmaking. We do what we can with what we have. We may have to make sacrifices but in the end it's worth it. We've made a film. It's ours.

I'm not working in independent film at the moment but that is the world that I come from. The experiences have been frustrating, they've been painful, they've been frustratingly painful. And yet, this is the world that I come back to for my own work. Because real independent filmmaking, at it's best, is soulful. The people love what they're doing, we're passionate, and in the end our projects mean something.

Again. This is at it's best. At it's worst it can be soul sucking working. People will take advantage of you. Projects can be worthless crap. You may get nothing out of it.

Tomorrow's Party will be indie at it's best. I can say that with confidence. Because it is my project, I believe in it, and I truly appreciate everything that everyone is doing for me. I may not be able to afford to pay my cast and crew, but I do respect them. I will take care of them as best I can. I want to make this film worth it for everyone.

It's my first post-college project. My first real film. Yes, it's super short. But it's a learning experience. It's also a story I care about. Sometimes five minutes is all you need.

Tomorrow's Party is where my energy will be spent for the next three weeks (Wait, I really only have three weeks left? Now THAT is a terrifying thought). And my time. And all of my money that's not all ready going to rent or bills. But that's okay. Because we're getting this done. We're making a movie.

I'll try and keep posting updates. I can't promise anything but I'm sure there will be lots to talk about. Right now most of what I've got is stress and exhaustion. Oh yeah, and a conversation with a 75-year-old ex-rock band manager Holocaust survivor from Germany. I guess there is always that.