By Dominic Arthur, Staff Reporter.
Over the summer, I was able to start and complete my first short film. Cue the ballyhoo.
We had a couple of months to pull off a short film. Actual production time took about five weeks. I was nervous. I wasn’t sure what to expect. I felt the safety net of working with friends and being able to fall back freely hoping they’d be able to catch me on the way down if need be. Who doesn’t get excited when you find out you’ll be working with friends? I went through numerous emotions leading up to the first production day. There were plenty of times I wanted to back out completely. I felt anxious because my thoughts were going to manifest right in front of my eyes and I wasn’t sure if I was ready for that.
We secured our actors and location — which was the college President’s house — was set. It was then time to make “movie magic” (there’s the moment where I throw my scarf over my shoulder). The first weekend we filmed, everything went well. Everything went smoother than expected. We filmed our big party scene. The big turning point of the film. No big deal. I had no reason to be nervous because this was easy.
The second weekend, after the party scene was nailed, we had to film the beginning of the film that takes place on a front porch. Again, after the ease of the first week, I had nothing to worry about. Our actor and actress were easy to coach and work with. Our equipment worked. The weather was kind of chilly, but perfect. We had it made. Same with week four and five. It seemed as if all the “horrors” you hear about production were just bouts of crap luck and poor organization for those poor, innocent directors and producers.
Then came post-production. In post-production is where the “magic” wears off and you’re looking reality right in its face – that reality being you either forget a shot, forget to hit record on the audio recorder, or failed to use the clapboard to match up the sound and takes. Oops. That’s when the nail biting kicked in and the pressure was on. Much like every other human on earth, when things work out too easy, we become so quick to forget about everything else because it feels good to finally have all the stars align.
The film was pieced together and we received praise from our peers and the President of the college. The more I watch it, the more I wish I had a time machine to go back and relieve some of those moments again (even the six or seven hours in a hot bedroom checking audio). The more I wish I could do a little better of a job as a producer.
I’m happy and proud of the work that everyone put in on the film. I had the pleasure of working with some very talented people and I would do it again if the opportunity presented itself. I thank them for their hard work and efforts. Making a film is challenging, but if you’re working with people who have the same goals, it makes it a better pill to swallow at the end of the day. It makes hearing your friends’ butchered, mocked lines from the film bearable because it’s finished and a job well done because people are taking something from it
