Plan of Action for the Next Few Months.

So over the next few months things are really setting in motion, I’ve changed around a few initial plans in order to work more efficiently and in a manner I believe will help the overall end product of the film.

As I’m working on the third draft I now am getting a better understanding of what I like and am not overly sure about regarding the script. I want to make sure I don’t have any grey areas in my feelings of it. As it stands I’m very happy with the third act, I’m happy with the first act but in the second I feel like it can have some improvements. This was initially pointed out during my first script consultation but now I see it more myself and don’t actually believe I will be taking the same plan of action post script consultation as I was, I think my way was pretty close for a number of reasons, it just needs a little tightening in some areas. Once the third draft is done, I plan to show the script to a couple of screenwriting friends who I trust to give me an honest opinion. I have some questions prepared which will also really help me define what it is I have and how I can start letting people know vaguely what to expect from it. I understand I haven’t let any of the plot become a feature on this blog as of yet and it’s due to me not being sure how to go about articulating it without giving away too little or too much. I think other perspectives will help with that too.

Post getting feedback, and dependent on that how soon I can go into this next part, it’s animatic time. Now this is a real big change. I’m pushing way-back the recording of the actual actors who will eventually be playing the parts in the film. I’m doing this because once the actors are recorded, for me it’s set in-stone – pretty much. I don’t want to have to go an re-record things that I believe could be improved, for me this is a complete waste of time that I know would happen if I proceeded as originally planned when I can make those improvements before recording at all. Instead I’ve come up with what I think is a pretty good Idea. There are number of services out there – script services which can you can hire to perform your script and deliver a .mp3 of your script using a group of actors in a table-read situation. This helps in two ways. One I get to actually hear the script performed by actors, I get to really hear what works and doesn’t to close in on a final draft. I get to add some little direction to how a character or a scene should be played to get it as close as possible to my vision. But secondly it dawned on me that I can use this recording as a blueprint for the animatic. I can virtually make the entire film using digital drawings, edited simply together with the script reading and see how the film plays out, really watch my film early on, make the cuts and additions early on too. Here I will literally be making my movie, it will be ugly, but watchable. I was originally planning on doing this post recording the actors, but can you imagine watching it back and not liking parts of it having gone through that stage? It would be like taking many steps backwards instead of forewords – which I really should be sprinting when at this stage.

So yes, the animatic will be completed before the actors are recorded. Regarding recording I believe I will now opt for getting a decent condenser microphone and a Zoom H4n to record the dialogue. I can then repurpose both of these for recording foley sounds outside (which I’ll need a lot of), and also use for recording acoustic guitar and piano. I don’t believe a recording studio is necessary, especially with the many uses I can get out of the same equipment. Saving money that can be put to better use. Such as Relentless Energy Drinks.