We’re only a day and a half away from the first COWTOWN FILM SERIES screening. I’m happy with GOODNIGHT, CLEVELAND! No, it is not a great film, but it’s a watchable and entertaining film. Too many people just wanted to see it done and that’s what I did.
Strange that I’m potentially considering helping another struggling feature from a Columbus filmmaker to get done too. I don’t know if I will or not. A lot of loose ends and personal issues may prevent me from even offering a helping hand.
I just did interviews with the COLUMBUS ALIVE and also UWEEKLY so the last vestiges of the social coma have really started to end. There’s nothing that can stop me now. The snow balls are collecting, just need to start rolling them down the hill and see which ones are avalanches…
I have so much in the hopper right now, I’m bursting at the seams, both literally and figuratively. For a new project I’m looking to executive produce, I went ahead and splurged on a 35mm lens adaptor for my Canon HV20. I went with the JAG35, as I didn’t want to spend a lot of money, like the $1100 on the Letus35 adaptor. It’s a great piece of gear, but I don’t want to buy something with no lens that costs more than the camera. It just feels awkward to me. So $400 for the JAG35 and having amazing depth of field for my 1080 HD camera, albeit a tiny one, all lead me to the decision to purchase.
In my current state as a director and filmmaker have me very interested in having depth of field as a valuable tool in my arsenal. It’s very basic you see; I want to wield my control over the image more. By being able to focus, or not focus, on things in the frame means the viewer will really only see what I want them too. This is like level two filmmaking, but it’s so potent. I have not played with this much. I’ve done some occasional rack-focus effects, but I have not truly utilized the power of depth of field to my fullest advantage. Now I will experiment with it extensively and make sure it gets used in this little side project.
Since the deadline is now barreling down on me, I have to finish the documentary IN THE TRENCHES OF AN INDIE FILM, about the making of HORRORS OF WAR. The goal of having a feature length documentary about the creation of an ambitious feature must be completed. I started this, now I have no choice but to hammer the rest out. I did a lot of work on this, nuggets of which are in the webdocs, but overall, the narrative and educational aspects have to be nudged and tweaked until I have a compelling story. Its there, buried in the interviews and footage; just need the time and concentration. I can do it and today I started my though process on what to do with it, so that’s a good sign. I have to complete this project before I can move on.
In discussing the idea of completion of projects, and how COWTOWN FILM SERIES has been helping more than me with a real life deadline to compel the end of procrastination, I realized. I cannot start another project, at least shooting one, until this documentary wraps. I can pre-pro to a certain point, but I’m cheating if I don’t finish.
That’s the end of the Sonnyboo Report for now.
– PJR
The man, The myth, The math
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