Music Video Delays Writing

Wow. I am still not done with this rewrite. I had a music video fall in my lap which I had to go to Vegas to shoot. Crazy limitations on the shoot - but it went well overall I think.

Unlike other types of work, I do not mind delays in progress when it is due to directing because that's the end goal anyway.

One observation from this shoot was how the big star musician had like 10 people swarming around her and generally seeming to make things more stressful than more easy. Their job was to make everything smooth (I think) - but the summation of their presence seemed to be more of stress - like the kind of stress one might see at a wedding around the bride.

Another thing... I really want to have at least a 5 minute discussion with whomever is the key decision maker before hand. I felt like 30 minutes into the 2nd video that the artist and the person I had been talking to leading up to the shoot were not at all seeing eye to eye on what the video should be. The very first shot I saw that the artist's' interpretation of the song was nothing remotely like I'd been told. And when the artist basically refused to do what the other key decision maker had said was the plan - that made for some very interesting improvisation on my part. Very odd shoot. Will end up being a tad more minimalistic than originally intended.

So, I'm setting aside 2 hours everyday still - despite the editing schedule - to try to get this script done. Ironically - the PA on the shoot is hanging out with the "Famous Actor's Famous Friend" this weekend. He's totally willing to put in a word about the script - but better if he's read it! So trying to finish it in the next couple days. At least to a version where all my little notes are out of it and it is showable to the PA as a pre-final - if not the final itself.

A Paradigm Shift of Focus

A job came in for me today. Free and clear and easy and even a tidbit lucrative.

And I turned it down.

I am proud. I made a choice to curtail the things which distract me from the mission critical goal of doing my first feature (or as trek fans would say, my "prime directive.")

The script is coming along, I am really just trying to make it better before I leave for the shoot.

Close to Done on Rewrite

This was a hard rewrite to do. I'm mostly just checking in.

Yes, I've had my other work distracting me, but that hasn't been the only issue. I really struggled to find this rewrite. I just finished the last page of the new ending and now I'm headed back into the script for my second pass. I already made some changes, but I still want to heighten the story focus more. I always says "hopefully in the next couple days." This time I mean it because I have to go out of town for a shoot for a few days and by then I want it in the hands of Famous Friend's Famous Friend.