Ice World
A screen shot from Serpentine test shots this week.
It’s Saturday morning and tomorrow starts the first day of principal photography on Serpentine, The Short Program. Tomorrow a new world goes from script to screen. The months, weeks and days leading up to the start of principal photography is a journey unlike any another.
One would think that with the number of events, commercials and film projects I’ve been involved with it would just be another exercise, but it isn’t. For me because I always seek to raise the bar from one project to the next, there’s always a unique set of situations that come up. From logistics, to locations to the sheer number of people that are involved.
Production day one.
But honestly, if it wasn’t for the challenges, why do any of this. I’ve never been one to settle for status quo and doing the same thing day in and day out boors me to death. Yes, we all like to have some sort of routine to keep us grounded, but it’s bringing a new project to life that really inspires me.
Production day two and three.
For those that are involved, when all is said and done, there is not only a credit but a product. A film that can be looked at years, if not decades from now. Something that you look at and say, I remember when. And for those that watch the end result, they know that for a period of time people came together to create something unique, something original.
Production day four.
As some may have seen in the press release that went out earlier this week, tomorrow reunites some actors and crew from First World, Evidence and Justice Is Mind along with my earliest days in an ice rink. But just as important it’s about bringing fresh voices to creative works. I believe what makes the process of filmmaking such a unique experience is that combination of the familiar and unfamiliar that yields the best results. It was that combination that resulted in a test video this week that I posted to Serpentine’s Facebook page (click this link to view).
New Program
The Short Program
The conference room scene that takes place at the FBI in Washington, D.C., will be filmed at The Verve, Crowne Plaza in Natick, MA.
In two weeks Serpentine goes into production. With our locations secured and cast and crew locked, this is the phase in which there are numerous details to attend to. From printing posters, to purchasing a new laptop, American flag and external hard drives, it’s a methodical checking off the list of all the things that are needed to produce a film. For me it’s about organization. I produce dramas not seek to create them in real life.
Past all the aforementioned details, there’s also the creative side, from being in touch with the actors regarding their characters to the crew for various shots and other production matters. Producing a film is a team effort one that requires the cooperation of numerous parties. While the director may conduct the orchestra, you do need an orchestra!
While visiting Northstar Ice Sports for some pre-production work this week, I discovered this higher angle.
As for the creative side, as we are filming just the first ten pages of the feature length version the end of the month, I wanted to give this short a name. For Justice Is Mind we called that short film version Evidence. For Serpentine it will be called The Short Program. I think this is a fitting title. First, this is a short film. In figure skating the short program is, to quote Wikipedia, “The short program of figure skating is usually the first of two phases in figure skating competitions.” As this short is phase one of the Serpentine project that’s another reason for the name.
Earlier this week I updated Serpentine’s IMDb listing. For this short film alone there are just over 35 people and companies. When you hear someone say it takes a village to make a film, they are speaking the truth! For those that wish to get into this industry, I always tell them to try to visit a film set at some point to see what’s involved.
Serpentine on IMDb.com
But the one thing that I will be working on today is our press release announcing that Serpentine is going into production with The Short Program. Anyone that has worked with me on my past projects knows how much I believe in promotion. And when someone signs on to one of my projects, I promote them at every opportunity. Case in point when I was marketing Justice Is Mind. It was always great to include the cast, crew and our partners whenever I could.
The marketing of a film is just as important as its making. Without promotion there is no audience. While today’s world of VOD is great for the independent filmmaker, if your audience isn’t told about your project how can they ever find it? To this day, I continue to promote First World, Evidence and Justice Is Mind. When one thinks of the enormous amount of time to develop and make a film, why wouldn’t you promote them regularly? As they say the proof is in the pudding when you see a consistent placement on IMDb along with VOD streams.
But there is one thing I do need to find for this particular production. It was a gift from Tara Lipinski after we photographed her for the magazine I used to publish. It’s been in my basement since I moved back from Los Angeles.
Director’s Chair.
The Ashton Times 