First reactions.

The initial test audience reactions, suffice it to say, were generally favorable in terms of what I was trying to accomplish. The film is funny in a genuine way. And I couldn't be happier.

The first screening was at Film Club, whose members represent a pretty broad range of tastes in film. There were reactions from people I hadn't expected. One of which was in regards to the music - one viewer felt that it didn't work, perhaps because he recognized it (the music has been commonly used in cartoons on Nickelodeon). That was a note that stuck with me. Another noticed a spot where you could see a boom mic in the shot, too. I had spent months looking at the footage of the film and I was really surprised that I hadn't even noticed! Some scenes meandered for too long, some also said, which I more or less agreed with, and changed what I thought needed changing..

The next screening was a bit more intense for me in preparation. This time it was for my fellow Capstone students, where we're allowed to be a bit more hypercritical. I had made changes and refined things a bit since the Film Club screening. And the response was generally the same, if not even more enthusiastically positive! Some said not to mess with it further but watching it in class made me think of a couple things I could try, especially in the montage sequence. And I asked them all what they thought of the music - and it was unanimously in favor of keeping it in.

In both screenings, I kept special attention to audience reactions, as opposed to any technical glitches that occurred while screening. One thing I noticed was that the laughter was not as consistent in class as the Film Club screening. That makes me wonder - perhaps the few changes I made didn't help much? Was it the climate - because we're there to critique, perhaps they were distracted by searching for flaws? Or perhaps they were awestruck, because they hadn't expected that kind of output from me (I'm getting a sense lately among my peers that I have a reputation that precedes me)? Hard to say exactly, but I think the answer will come from more test screenings from people who are more detached from the process.

One consistent criticism from both screenings concerned the ending. Responses to the end were very mixed and some even negative. Finding a solution will be a challenge. But I think it's safe to assume a picture lock is in the near future!

Production is over! What?

Wow, it's been a good 2 months since I've updated the blog here. Life and the responsibilities related to the project were a bit more than I bargained for. But, like a speeding train, the time came to shoot the thing, and my crew and I prepared the best we could with what we had. And it turned out AMAZING!

Where to begin? Well, I said in the last post I'd begin with casting so I'll suppose I will begin with that.

We had a great cast lined up. I chose Jo Crandall to play Junior. I actually considered him to play one of the bigger Shakespeare roles, but he was able to bring the kind of humor that was required of the Junior character, and did an amazing job. Couldn't be happier.

The original actor chosen to play Dr. Giles bailed out on the project, but Matt was able to find a more than adequate replacement in Alan Gallant a mere two days after I received the news from the other actor! Giles was my most challenging character, but Alan lent a campy edge to the character that meshed well with the tone I was going for in the story.

Natalie Strissel played Lisa, who I think lends an innocent connotation to every scene she's in. I was worried about Lisa being "likeable" but I don't think I have to worry about that since Natalie's in the role.

Justin Bowen, an actor who's made his rounds acting in many UCF Films graciously accepted the role of Dr. William Shakespeare in the first post-transplant. He lends so much energy into anything he does, is patient, and is pretty much down for anything. I have seen him work on other projects in the past as well, so I knew he was also great to work with. Couldn't have picked a better Shakespeare 2.

I sensed an eagerness in Josh Ingle when I spoke with him about acting in student films. It was a bit risky to cast him as Dr. Shakespeare after the second transplant but he ended up working out really well. He exudes a different energy than Justin, which worked for that particular phase in the character. He told me on set that he didn't sleep to prepare for the shoot, and was on time to set - that surprised me, but really made me glad that he would offer so much dedication to my project. A real pleasure to work with.

And of course, Matt Deicke, the Final Shakespeare. I thought that the character should go out on a big note, and Matt really delivered. Few words can describe how fun he is on set and in during the pre-production phase.

And there's everyone that volunteered to be onscreen to get slapped in the face for the Montage. That was a fun little part of the production. I even got the opportunity to implant a Director Cameo! Fun!

Of course there are all the players BEHIND the camera who was there to lend me a hand. You all know who you are, and I extend my gratitude to you all for making the production run smoothly.

From now on this blog will be used to chronicle the post-production process. I will occasionally also reminisce about everything leading up to the production: rehearsals, art production, etc. There's a lot of material and photos to blog about so also expect more frequent posts in the future.

That's all for now, as I wait for this 7D footage to convert..