Thank you, Sandra and Shawn. Things keep looking better and better. There are occasional setbacks but overall, it’s coming together step by step.

Quoted from Ledbetter It sounds like you are having fun with it as well.

You know, that’s funny. It’s been a lot of hard work but the truth is I’ve been loving every second of it. I love organizing stuff; pulling a group of people together to achieve some common goal. It’s funny how doing something you love can make all the hard work seem so fulfilling.

Thanks.


Breanne

Update:

Tonight I conducted my first official casting audition. I’m very excited. Everything went really well.

Some of the people I’d had prior correspondence with were no-shows. Mostly the inexperienced ones. The people who actually showed tended to be the more experienced ones. There were also some people who showed up with whom I’d had no prior contact.

I met some really talented people.

I’m simply amazed at actors. It’s unbelievable the kind of guts it takes to audition for a role in a film. And they were all such terrific people. I’m really happy with the way things went.

I’ve got to make some extremely tough decisions. I can’t describe the high I’m on right now. Wow. I f***in’ love film producing.

I’m also happy to report that I was able to manage the event well enough. I didn’t spend too much time blabbing.


Brea

How big of a production is this Breanne?  I'm not asking cost (because that's rude) but, rather, how many characters and locations will this be?


Phil

Phil,

There are five characters with speaking roles and a few extra non-speaking parts.

Four locations. I’ve made tentative arrangements with the necessary people regarding three of the locations. They’re willing to work with us. For the fourth location, I’m having to go over some state police hurdles but I have an alternate location.

There are also several props that have to be constructed.

We also have a few visual effects. One in particular that I designed myself. It’s been planned and developed over months. I feel good about it and the crew seems excited about it.

It’s a small independent film but it’s an incredible amount of work nonetheless. It’s an enormous amount of responsibility to take on. I find the meticulous planning eases my mind when I start to feel the pressure. So I’m planning, planning, planning.

I’ve got a good core team on my crew. And some talented actors to work with. I believe we can do this. I don’t think I could do this if I didn’t believe in it.

So it’s small as far as films go but massive in terms of work.

Brea

Update:

The film is cast. Let me just say that I do not envy casting directors. It feels good to tell an actor they got a part. But telling an actor they didn’t get a part makes me feel like a dream crushing monster.

It seems like I work and work and no matter how much I get done, there’s a ton of stuff to do. I’m slowly chipping away at it.

Working on securing locations. Can’t get a shooting schedule until I nail them down.

Working on storyboards still. Loved them at first, tired of them now. They really do help me focus on what exactly I want though. And I’ve learned that knowing exactly what you want is your single greatest asset when you’re trying to pull a film together. I just had no idea how darn many decisions there really were. Figuring out what I want is so much larger than it seemed on the surface.

Crew meeting next week. Got to go over all kinds of stuff. Need to start getting props worked on, make equipment list, etc.

Then there’s rehearsal, clothes, etc.

The list goes on and on. Slowly I turn… inch by inch… step by step…


Brea

Can't wait to see this. Crack the whip, Breanne! Make those bastards work.  

Pia and Z, thanks for the boost. I appreciate it.

I’ll try not to let you down. Sometimes the pressure starts getting to me and I wonder what the heck I’m doing. I have to keep reminding myself I have a plan that will work.


Brea

Update:

The crew meeting went well. I’ve got a ten person crew. That’s the perfect size for this project. It’s small enough I can manage but large enough to spread the work out so I don’t wear everybody out.

Still having to work with people at some of the locations. One pivotal location has been set. Looks good but we’ll be on a tight schedule at that location. One other location is going to be set tomorrow. I’m still working on a third location but I found a new avenue from a crewperson at the meeting.

Lots of great suggestions from my crew. It’s a good group. I feel very confident in them.

Still have props to work on. Got some more help in that department.

Working on scheduling a rehearsal with the cast. Things are really taking shape now. Looks good. Feels good.


Breanne

Quoted from Breanne Mattson Slowly I turn… inch by inch… step by step…

You're producing a short about the Susquahana Hat Company?

I don't envy you for what you're doing, Breanne.  You have a lot of work ahead of you,  I'm sure that, when you're done, you'll be very glad you did it.


Phil

Quoted from dogglebe You're producing a short about the Susquahana Hat Company?

It’s set around Niagara Falls.  

Quoted from dogglebe I don't envy you for what you're doing, Breanne.  You have a lot of work ahead of you,  I'm sure that, when you're done, you'll be very glad you did it.

Things seem to be shifting into a more managerial mode now that a cast and crew are organized. When I first started, it was more like a sales mode. I was pitching the thing to everyone, trying to excite people about the idea. Now that it’s beginning to take shape, it’s more a matter of managing people and resources. I’m like Br’er Rabbit thrown into the briar patch though. I love every second of it.

Honestly, I’ve learned more already about filmmaking than I ever really knew or understood just as a screenwriter. I think my writing is going to benefit so much from this, I recommend every writer produce their own film.


Breanne

Update:

Miss Breanne has been working hard this week.

Storyboards are done! They suck. I’m a terrible artist but they’ll do.

I’ve secured all locations and a shooting schedule will be out either today or tomorrow.

Got props and stuff to work on. I’m going shopping later today for some more prop related stuff.

Aside from that, I’ve got to concentrate on equipment for a while.

I made a lot of progress this week. I’ll have approximately a month to focus on props and equipment. I’ll need it.

Rehearsal was set but I have to change it to another date.

The film’s interior shots (and one exterior scene) will be shot over the course of November 5-8. There will be a 5th day of shooting to pick up some other exterior shots.

Everything is looking good so far. We’re on schedule.


Breanne

Quoted from Breanne Mattson Update: Storyboards are done! They suck. I'm a terrible artist but they'll do. Breanne

Use ToonBoom Storyboard pro -- You don't have to have artistic talent & the wealth of options and drop ins they have are more than suitable.  You can, if you want to, even do all your voice over work inside it and have it animate them on the fly with reel to reel feel.  I use ToonBoom and Twisted Brush pro for everything I do.  All of my Coffin Canyonâ„¢ illustrations and storyboards are done on ToonBoom Storyboard pro.

I do have artistic talent, but not at pro-level.  I can churn out some amazing stuff with Toonboom and Toonboom Storyboard pro, though.  Very clean.

Anyways, g'luck on the project.  Lots of work to be sure.

Balt,

I checked into some of the free software out there before deciding to just draw them myself. I don’t mind sketching them, it just gets really old after awhile. It’s not something I like to do a lot of.

The script was 13 pages and the storyboards were 19 pages. A short’s not too bad but when I get ready to storyboard my 115 page feature, I’m definitely going to look at alternatives. I’m not hand drawing 170 pages. Not me. No way. Uh-uh.

I’ll check out ToonBoom for the next project. Thanks Balt.


Breanne

Update:

Shooting schedule is out. Everything is a go!

Rehearsal is set for next week. I’m working on scheduling the next crew meeting.

Been concentrating mostly on props. Most of the simpler ones are ready and the more complicated ones are all in process. We keep running into new problems and coming up with creative solutions.

I’ve worked out most of the equipment issues. There are a couple of special pieces of equipment we have to build but we know how we’re going to do them. Once we get to a certain point with props, we’ll build the remaining pieces of equipment.

I love making our own stuff! We’re doing something that just won’t be seen in every movie. Not trying to brag, but if what I’m planning works, it’ll trump even the best CGI. It’ll literally look real, not like a cartoon the filmmakers call realistic even though it’s plainly animation. So nyaaa to all the Hollywood CGI. I’m going to beat Hollywood’s best CGI with a simple magic trick - mwahahaha!

Back to Earth. Okay, it might not be as great as I claim… but it might.


Breanne

Congrats, Breanne! Very happy for you! BTW, what's the process of getting/making props in general? Is it costly? From what I've seen and what I've heard, both in film school and my own industry experience, both props and CGI seem considerably more accessible than one would think. I couldn't even count the number of airsoft guns I saw in college.

Just curious...