Chris Jones Blog

Announcing some cast and crew!

OK, it’s time we started to reveal who some of our talented cast and crew are going to be…

First off, I am more than delighted to announce that seasoned DP, no British LEGEND, Vernon Layton, will be shooting ‘Gone Fishing’. This is awesome news as Vernon truly is an artist. Among many others Vernon has shot The Young Americans, McVicar, I still Know What You Did Last Summer, and my personal favourite, Under Suspicion, a great Brit thriller that has been lost to history – check it out, it’s a terrific movie (directed by Simon Moore). We have spent a great deal of time chatting about the movie, and the film business in general and I know his expertise and experience will bring much to our set. I can’t wait! VERY EXCITED!

In the acting department, I am also delighted to announce that Ruth Gemmel (Spotlight link here) will be playing Imogen, the daughter of Old Bill, the lead character. You may have seen Ruth in a number of movies, but she is perhaps best know for playing the lead opposite Colin Firth in ‘Fever Pitch’, directed by my old film school buddy, David Evans. Ruth has a wonderfully relaxed and warm way about her, which is essential for her character. As we all know, short films are short, and everyone in every department has to ‘say so much with so little’. This is especially true for the actors. Ruth will be great in this reflective character.

Richard Syms is going to be playing George, the grumpy fisherman friend of Old Bill (Spotlight link here). I worked with Richard on ‘Urban Ghost Story’ and he is a wonderful presence to have around.

We are still chasing a specific name for Old Bill, and negotiations are going well… watch this space.

Onward and upward!

Chris Jones, Film Maker and Author
www.livingspirit.com
[email protected] 

Perspective...

I got a few responses from yesterdays blog and I just wanted to share with you one from a film maker I met on one of my courses a few years back, Oli Lewington…

Hey Chris, I’m a long-time follower of your various activities – got the books, done the course, blah blah blah. I just wanted to send you some good vibes and wishes to keep on trucking with the project. You’ve written a couple of times over the last week about the pressure you’re feeling and the compromises you’ve got to make and I just wanted to remind you to keep you’re eye on the bigger picture.

You’re latest blog gives a hint of your awareness of it, but make sure you don’t lose it.  You’ve spent years inspiring people to follow their filmic dreams and just get out there and do it and now you’re becoming a living example.

I am currently waiting for a double-lung transplant and without it, I probably won’t see the turn of the year.  If and when I do get it – God willing – I know my path lies as a film-maker and I know it’s to your books and experiences I will return to drive me forward to achieve my dreams.

So every step you take on your journey through Gone Fishing and on to Rocketboy, don’t forget that you’re taking a step forward not just for yourself, but for all the people you’ve inspired to follow their dreams and who will aspire to emulate you when you achieve your own.  You signed my copy of the Blueprint with “See you at the Oscars in 2008” - that may be a little soon for the both of us, but I’m determined we’ll do it in the next decade.

Keep onwards, upwards and ever forwards and don’t lose sight of where you’re going, where you’re coming from and who you’re taking with you.

Best wishes and best of luck,
Oli
www.smilethroughit.com

Blimey Oli, thanks for writing. Everyone involved in Gone Fishing has been moved by your words, and we are all redoubling our efforts to make it to the Oscars!

UPDATE in Jan 2008 -Oli got his operation and is fine and well right now! Hoorah!

Onwards and upward!

Chris Jones, Film Maker and Author
www.livingspirit.com
[email protected] 

Production hots up...

Production is really kicking in now. Daily, hourly, even minute by minute, new crises arise as others are fixed. Often, it can get SO hard that you really ask, what on earth am I doing? And then you remember, ‘Oh yes, most people have real jobs!’

As I haven’t made a film for some time, having concentrated on writing books, so there is a lot riding on ‘Gone Fishing’… Or so it seems. In reality, I am feeling a great deal of self imposed pressure. I had better deliver the goods, after all I have spent years preaching just how to do it on my courses and in my books. I can tell you, I feel that pressure daily. But then I remind myself. This is just a film, and it’s one of many I will make. And the end result is never as important as the journey that leads you there, of the lessons you learn en route, of the wounds you pick up, the memories that will bring a smile later…

Life is so transitory. And yet making a movie, its very nature - the fusion of the ethereal idea made real by actors and sets, captured on film and sound, then made permanent through exhibition, be that on TV, DVD or cinema in a way that can live beyond the life of the creator of that experience - it can kind of make us a little crazy. Like ‘this movie will last forever’. I guess a little like the way Kings aeons ago would erect temples in their own image - maybe in our darker moments, making movies can be part of that whole negative ego and over inflated self worth.

For me, it’s ultimately about taking a group of people on a journey and watching them as they go – I love to watch their faces in the flicker light of the theatre, listen to their gasps, laughs and tears. This is truly a magical business, where we manufacture dreams into tangible and sharable experience.

Blimey. I must stop writing my blog late at night!

Onward and upward!

Chris Jones, Film Maker and Author
www.livingspirit.com
[email protected] 

Second Unit on Gone Fishing

Shooting is getting closer and deals are being struck. We managed to get ALL of our 35mm camera equipment for free from Arri, saving us thousands. Not only that, but we managed to get a second camera body too, so we will have an active second unit for the whole production. Film maker buddy, Simon Cox of Stormrider Films, will be directing second unit (pic is from Simons upcoming sci-fi movie).

Film making is always a war of coverage, there just isn’t enough money time or light to get everything, but by having an empowered second unit, we get to cover much more ground. I learned on the last feature film that I made that a very active second unit is worth its weight in gold. So often in the edit, we would need a shot, and second unit would have some unexpected goody that would get us out of an editorial corner. ‘Gone Fishing’ also has an action scene, where Bill fights with the biggest pike ever caught, and we want it really to be a battle of will between man and beast. Action scenes are often made by lot’s of close up shots without actors, or with just hands – and these shots will be done by the second unit while I continue with main unit to get the drama right with the actors.

For me it’s great to have someone like Simon who I can rely on because I know we both think so alike. It’s a really wonderful thing when you can speak in creative shorthand, and not have to struggle to articulate your thoughts. Simon gets it because he thinks like I do.

Onward and upward!

Chris Jones, Film Maker and Author
www.livingspirit.com
[email protected] 

Gone Fishing Colour Palette

I have just been working on the colour palette for ‘Gone Fishing’ with Emily Johnson, the production designer. We both felt that we wanted to somehow mirror the two worlds of the ‘fishing flashback’ with young Bill, and the world of Old Bill, the old man whose story it is, through careful use of colours. That meant blues and greens, but also browns, that were muted and yet still warm. Crikey. That’s confusing.

Then we stumbled on a set of Brooke Bond cards that were given away free with tea bags when I was a kid. They were a set I bought of eBay last week to use as props. They featured British fish. We took a look and immediately realised we had our colour palette for the film, all contained in these cards. They are no work of art, but their colours felt right, and consistent with our ideas.

I am a great believer in figuring out and sticking to a colour palette through the shoot, and I believe the audience senses this, perhaps sub consciously… and that means that is used creatively, this is yet another tool you can use to better tell your story.

Onward and upward!

Chris Jones, Film Maker and Author
www.livingspirit.com
[email protected] 

Bury Hill - Main Location

I spent the most of yesterday wandering around our main location for the shoot – Bury Hill Fisheries, near Dorking.

This venue has a lot of advantages and disadvantages. First off disadvantages - it just isn’t as spectacular as we wanted. Second, there could be a lot of fishermen on the days we shoot, though we are planned to shoot on their quiet days and it’s a slow time of year (so I suspect we can get around that). Creatively, I have therefore chosen to take the epic quality to the small end of the scale and focus more on quintessential English beauty, and the stunning unique look of an English landscape. Bull rushes at dawn, moss on 300 year old tree stumps, water reflecting through the rushes…

So the advantages of the location are many – it’s close, controllable, shallow where we shoot, the fishery guys can even catch a live 30lb pike for us to film, it’s very pretty, has parking, loos, canteen etc. So it wasn’t much of a difficult choice. I also think we may be able to comp in some distant non specific mountains in the wide shots too.

Less than two weeks to shooting now and so much still feels up in the air!

Onward and upward!

Chris Jones, Film Maker and Author
www.livingspirit.com
[email protected] 

Dark midnight of the creative soul

I am suffering right now (well actually last night to be specific, but past it this morning) from one of the symptoms I discuss on my two day film makers course. It’s a common problem and it can be quite crippling.

When you set out on any creative venture and think up some kind of story, then work on it and polish it, it is perfect… You can play the movie in your head and it’s wonderful. But obviously, it doesn’t exist. On my course I can see how some film makers are crippled by their fear of failure, and are more comfortable making the film off in the future, in their head, with perfect conditions, rather than bite the bullet and make it now, complete with (what they fear will be) under funding, rain, bad actors, poor crew, over shooting,  yada yada yada…

That’s why I have worked so hard to get as much money as I can, to work with the best crew and cast, find the right locations… But in my head it’s still AMAZING and I can feel the dreaded compromise creeping up on me. It’s an inevitability. But it still plays on my subconscious. I guess this all serves to focus my mind like a razor too.

One of the amazing and exhausting things that happens as a director is that you get a complete view of the whole project. Truly, no-one knows it better than you do. And sometimes that leads to what may appear to be strange choices or ideas that conflict with other departments. What some people fail to remember is that they are working on a small part of the jigsaw, where my job is to make sure that not only all the jigsaw pieces fit together, but that the picture is also amazing from where the audience sits. And what is even more frustrating sometimes, is that they think that they have the holistic view also. It leads a director very quickly into megalomania, which of course, can be disastrous.

So I try to be best informed at all times, listen to all ideas, cherry pick and thank people for the best or appropriate ones, and shepherd everyone in the same direction. It can be quite overwhelming at times.

Blimey.

Right. Onward and upward.

Chris Jones, Film Maker and Author
www.livingspirit.com
[email protected] 

Casting Simon and Bill in Gone Fishing

I spent another whole day in casting – looking for the young actors to play the two young boys in ‘Gone Fishing’. I know we found one boy who was amazing, but until the parents and agents have agreed for him to play the part, I don’t want to say anything. Let’s all keep our fingers crossed.

Working with kids presents so many unusual challenges. Several times to day I was asked ‘How do you direct kids…’ and I only have one answer... ‘You don’t direct kids, you cast kids right in the first place.’ This was very apparent today during these castings. Kids are also incredibly spontaneous and honest – qualities I really want to try and capture on camera. In ‘Gone Fishing’.

The other thing that was apparent is that most actors are kind of as good as the others. Sure some have strengths, others have weaknesses, but when the right actor turns up, EVERYONE knows. It’s like a little fairy dust is sprinkled in the room.

Right, off to bed now as I have a day of location scouting.

Onward and upward!

Chris Jones, Film Maker and Author
www.livingspirit.com
[email protected] 

Scheduling

I spent most of yesterday and last night updating the schedule, which has gone through several major revisions already. The first one was done by Producer, Ivan Clemments, who then had to leave for two weeks, and it was subsequently revised by Sabina Sattar, who stepped into his shoes as acting producer. The schedule then came back to me for my final (hopefully) revisions.

I chose to actually type the schedule out manually*, copying the work that was already done, rather than use any scheduling software, as I really needed to fully get to grips with it in detail. Doing this confirmed everything I already knew about scheduling. On a cash strapped production, the director MUST be directly involved in the process, if not do it themselves. What Ivan and Sabina did was a big step in the right direction, but they did not have the advantage of knowing the shots as I did, in my head. And that’s where I was able to look at the schedule and jiggle it so that we could really maximise our shooting days. Doing the schedule is not a job for the director to delegate, more a blueprint to draw up themselves, so they know and are responsible for the resources allocated to each and ever shot and scene. Doing the schedule will make any director more responsible and less overly creative (given the restrictions).

I was also aware of subtle flexibilities that Ivan and Sabine were not aware of – where one shot could be filmed in a new location for instance, and serve the same dramatic purpose. Also visual effects, background plates, photo prop shoots etc. It’s all in there now.

Also, this is a movie with kids, lakes, animals, digital effects, practical effects, a 2.35:1 aspect ratio etc., all of which makes it more complex, minute by minute on screen, than perhaps a low budget feature (certainly the ones I have done at any rate).

Those who are interested, we compiled the final schedule in Excel.

*In the good old days in Hollywood, writers didn't have word processors and a rewrite meant pyscially retyping the whole script. That process refined the script, getting to know it better and dropping stuff that was just not needed. That's why sometimes it's a good idea to revert to the old ways.

Onward and upward!

Chris Jones, Film Maker and Author
www.livingspirit.com
[email protected] 

Sound Recordist, Killer Pike and Killer Bunnies!

Great news today. Experienced sound recordist Adrian Bell has agreed to record sound on ‘Gone Fishing’. This is particularly good news for me as Adrian recorded sound on my first feature film, ‘The Runner’, the movie that inspired ‘The Guerilla Film Makers Handbook’! So terrific! Adrians website is here. He will be using hard drive recorders which is a firsat for me. I am looking forward to the benefits.

We also enlisted the help of Mike Tucker at the The Model Unit. Mike is a legend, and wandering around his studio was like going down memory lane for me. He even had the original K9 from Dr Who, which he told me he rescued from a skip at the BBC! Blimey.

Mike will be building a scale model set for when the fish is landed – remember, this is supposed to be the biggest pike ever caught. So we are going to build a two foot by two foot section of ‘ground’ that has 50% scale models and grass, so when a real live pike is placed on it, the pike will appear twice as big…. the same way they did for that classic horror movie ‘Night Of The Lepus’ about giant killer bunnies. That movie had the classic line, ‘We need to get out of here, there is a herd of killer rabbits headed our way…!’

And here is another idea for getting a fish to flop around in the water, from Phil Mathews, my effects friend.

‘Use a dead one that you buy. Get a mini bumbleball or such like. Kiddies toys (lots of water proof bathtime stuff is now battery operated and pretty impressive) they operate on giromotor I think, pets toys can do the same. Gut the fish. Pop said kiddies toy inside sealed in a sandwich bag and reseal by sewing up or with superglue and superglue activator. It should work a treat. Good luck with everything’

Crikey Phil!

Onward and upward

Chris Jones, Film Maker and Author
www.livingspirit.com
[email protected] 

Killer Pike Effects

I have been working out how do some of the visual effects for ‘Gone Fishing’. Of course having no money, it’s a sellotape and string affair. But, I now have recieved tremendous support from a special effects company called Men From Mars. These digital effects guys are real wizards and usually work on $50m movies, but they have agreed to help out on GF! Blimey!

I have been worried about the shots where the giant pike swims away from shore having escaped capture attempt after capture attempt. In an effort to do everything practically and not rely of effects in post, I had been working on underwater rigs that were pulled fast, to create a ripple in the water. But I was having problems and so thought I would ask the Men From Mars guys what there take would be…

‘Why not shoot a radio controlled boat which we then paint out?’

Brilliant! So, what we will do is shoot the boat in the water, creating ripples – which I have now sprayed green (in the pic) – and then shoot a second ‘clean’ plate with no boat. The boat will be digitally removed to reveal the clean plate below, effectively giving the impression of water ripples but nothing on the surface making them. We may need to add a digital fish fin later, but I am hopeful that we will need to do minimal digital work.

Fantastic! We will be doing our first tests in the next few days at the lake location.

Onward and upward!

Chris Jones, Film Maker and Author
www.livingspirit.com
[email protected] 

Grading 35mm

I spent the whole of yesterday in the main grading theatre at Midnight Transfer in London. We were working on the final grade for a 35mm short a friend of mine produced (Director Andreas Wisniewski, Producer Claire Trevor Roper), and they had a little bit of budget available, so we could use these guys and pay. Their suite is a Baselight Grading system, and is operated by a colourist called John Claude. I have known John for some time as I have interviewed him in various books. I have to say, the facility, and in particular John, are absolutely world class. I thought I knew what was possible with top end technology and experts, but I was blown away. The attention to detail John showed was simply humbling.

It made me think really hard about how much energy everyone puts into a film. And what a shame it is, when the writer director doesn’t really get that until too late, and realises too late that they really ought to have worked longer and harder on their script. It really was a sobering thought.

What is most impressive is that you grade on a calibrated 2K digital projector, so you are effectively sat in a cinema, looking at a 35mm cinema screen, but with all the tools of a state of the art electronic grading system to hand.

A couple of guys who are contributors to ‘Gone Fishing’ (under the philosophy of how GF is being made) managed to sit in for a few hours and observe the grade – and here is what film maker Mark Morris had to say….

‘Brilliant day and very eye opening… now I know the steps to a Professional grading and the process.’

Onward and upward!

Chris Jones, Film Maker and Author
www.livingspirit.com
[email protected] 

Production Designer Sabina Satta Joins LSP

Yesterday was a great day! Sabina Satta, production designer extraordinaire, joined Team Living Spirit on ‘Gone Fishing’. Not only is Sabina a wonderful designer, but she is also a writer, producer and director. This will bring a wonderful and holistic approach to the design department. She fell in love with the project when she read the script and signed up on the spot. She says it’s ‘right up her street’!

Sabina produced ‘Summer Scars’ for my good friend and old film school buddy Julian Richards last year. His movie was shot on DVCProHD (Vericam) and was a real kick bollock and scramble production as it was full of kids. The movie is very near completion now with just final picture and sound grades.

The other big change for ‘Gone Fishing’ is that we are now probably going to build sets in London and spend only one day in Scotland. Of course, that means we need a free sound stage, tools and materials and it’s all more work for Sabina, but I think she relishes the challenge!

Onward and upward!

Chris Jones, Film Maker and Author
www.livingspirit.com
[email protected]  

Casting The Big Names

We are currently working through the usual dance with agents and actors for our cast. The most important character is Old Bill, who the story follows, and we are looking to a warm and generous older classical Brit actor for this part. Without saying who is at the top or bottom of the list, you can see a list of some of the actors we are considering here.

It’s always tough as we are trying to strike a balance between who is ideal for the character, who is best in terms of opening doors and attracting help, who is available (who is onset or on tour or on holiday!), who has a reputation (either bad or good), who’s agents are tough… and worst of all, few actors will commit until the 11th hour, just in case a big job comes in.

And other actors of course, always ask, who is playing the lead…

So it’s a nerve wracking time. We hope to make more headway today.

Catherine Arton, my life long casting director friend, is an enormous ally in this process as she knows exactly how to talk ‘agent speak’, a peculiar dialect I can stumble through, but usually end up offending the elders. Better if she does it!

Onward and upward!

Chris Jones, Film Maker and Author
www.livingspirit.com
[email protected] 

Lynn 'The Fin' Hawkins, Channel Swimmer

I am a great believer in what you give, comes back to you. But that is often in ways that you don’t expect. A friend of mine just, last weekend actually, swam the English Channel. Each year about 800 people manage to climb Everest, but only 200 manage to conquer the Channel. Lynn is one of those who did manage it. She solo swam, non stop, 47 miles in 16 hours and 33 minutes. 

Blimey!

And she did it all for charity. And so, to help put something back, I agreed to edit the video (which was intermittently wobbly due to sea sickness!). Lynn can now sell this DVD to raise even more money for her chosen charity, the Macmillan Trust for cancer research.

The video turned out to be an amazing document of her journey and struggle. It’s quite profound and emotional and I know anyone who knows Lynn, or anyone who was involved in this adventure, will be riveted. Anyone who doesn’t know her, will be in awe of her courage and determination, even when all looks lost.

So by editing this video, I believe I have managed to facilitate for Lynn and Macmillan trust, around another £1,000 by means of DVD sales of the video. We will see how they go. And for me, it’s important to keep putting something back, something I was taught by my parents as a young man (It all began with me going to OAP homes dressed as Father Christmas! I know!).

Now, casting for ‘Gone Fishing’! I will report tomorrow.

Onward an upward!

Chris Jones, Film Maker and Author
www.livingspirit.com
[email protected] 

Catching The BIG Fish!

Something I have been very fortunate to have in my life is a group of experienced and passionate film maker friends. I cannot stress how vital this is both to the execution of my own personal ambitions as a film maker, but also on a nitty gritty story development level.

I just had a short chat with my editor friend Eddie Hamilton, and while riding into work on his bike, he had a great idea for ‘Gone Fishing’. Eddie has his own life and is working on another film, and still either his conscious or subconscious found time to work on ‘Gone Fishing’. That’s what I mean about passion.

He pitched the idea, and he is right, it’s a GREAT idea. It concerned part of the plot revelation at the end, and also echoed a rule I have in story telling. Anything that is important must be show to the audience twice, ideally in close time proximity. This will then lodge in the viewers sub conscious so that when something related happens later on in the story, they go ‘oh yeah, now I understand why that happened at the beginning…’

Often, this kind of problem is discovered in post when showing the film to friends, and either an editorial botch job is made, or a re-shoot. Either way, I wanted to deal with it before we even get to set, and Eddie really helped in that process. That’s what I mean about experience.

The idea is subtle too, which is a kind of reflection of the David Lynch book I just read, Catching The Big Fish (which I listend to as an audio book). I recommend it, even though David Lynch's passion for meditation pervades the text, and while I don't have a problem with that, others may find it a little crazy. This is David Lynch of course.

So surround yourself with experts who are passionate about movies!

Chris Jones, Film Maker and Author
www.livingspirit.com
[email protected] 

We need your help! PROPS!

Things are going very well here at Living Spirit. We are just four weeks away from the shoot for ‘Gone Fishing’, (shooting on 2 perf 35mm), and now up in glorious Scotland. We are still a little short of cash, so if you want to contribute, you can get more information here…

If you are based in or around Glasgow and can help, we would like to hear from you – [email protected] 

We also need your stuff! Actually, we need a bunch of props URGENTLY. 

The film centres around a fishing trip in the 50’s / 60’s so we really need all things Fishing – if you have anything, and it needs to be pre 70’s really, drop me a line. Rod’s, reels, baskets, hooks, magazines – anything.

We also urgently need old photos. Pictures of people fishing, families who have a love of fishing, and especially kids fishing, holding up their catch etc. Anything that just says fishing! Maybe there are some shots of you or your parents on a family holiday?

We also need a selection of hooks, one that is a few inches long (in fact we need two of them as it gets chewed in the story), and another big old meat hook that can be slightly rusted.

Here are some more props too.
A 50’s / 60’s battery operated torch.
An old Exchange and Mart (70’s or earlier)
A wooden ruler (12”)

We also need some very large worms, so if you happen to know of anyone who breeds exotically large worms (I KNOW!) drop me a line. I mean BIG’UN’S

Finally, we are looking for some animatronics – we have a large fish that we plan to shoot in three ways…

One is an underwater animatronic that will splash water (any suggestions?)
One is like a glove puppet.
And finally, we will shoot with a live Pike! Blimey.

If you can help on any of these, please get in touch via email - [email protected] 

Onward and upward!

Chris Jones, Film Maker and Author
www.livingspirit.com
[email protected] 

Take a peek at some of our Storyboards

I am getting very close to locking the storyboards now. I will be done by tomorrow. If you want to see how some of them look, I have put a few up on our site here. I will be pleased to get this behind me as it’s eaten up a whole load of time – essential for sure, but nonetheless, time consuming.

Doing the final scene today forced a script redraft again, and this time, I am sure I nailed it. Part of the plot revolved around a newspaper clipping and I was never happy with that – a newspaper headline is a weak device for a story, even at the best of times. I managed, through much gnashing of teeth, to work it our through character now, so that is excellent news.I also got hold of a small solid state Video Camera, a Sanyo HD Xacti, so I can now start shooting a really intimate ‘behind the scenes’. This camera is sooooo small it can go anywhere, and it records to memory cards. The quality is very good all things considered, but I have really opted for this camera as I can have it one me at all times and can be shooting in under 15 seconds if I need to. Intimacy over quality.

Onward and upward!

Chris Jones, Film Maker and Author
www.livingspirit.com
[email protected] 

Organising My Shot List and Boards with SpringBoard

I have spent the whole day on Storyboarding again – not working with Gabrielle this time, but planning the shots and ordering them so that next time we meet, I am clear about every single shot and how it will cut with each shot on either side.

I am used to doing a shot list, and this is just a logical extension of that process. But I wanted to organise my shot list alongside the actual boards – which is when I cam e across a superb little program called Springboard. It’s shareware and costs $35.It’s essentially a tool for organising your boards and adding arrows and zoom / dolly lines. It’s not the most sophisticated program, but in this day and age of over developed software, it’s kind of a joy to use.

For me, the real use comes in having a place where you can make an extensive shot list, with production notes, and marry that with storyboard sketches, then print the whole lot out neatly and cleanly. It’s also easy to re—order shots too, should changes be made. Plus it's got all sorts of drawing tools, which I don't use, but others probably will.

You can download a trail version from their website at http://6sys.com/

Onward and upward!

Chris Jones, Film Maker and Author
www.livingspirit.com
[email protected] 

Storyboarding Gone Fishing

The last couple of days has been spent storyboarding with one of the most talented guys I have ever worked with, Swiss storyboard artist Gabriel Schucan. He is a very fast sketcher, and it’s wonderful to see the story come to life visually.

The process itself has precipitated a script re-write as little problems are nipped in the bud, before we get to set, with just a few words changed here and there in the script narrative. It’s like making the film before you even get to set. All too often simple problems that become nightmares on set, can be completely figured out and visualised before the shoot begins. I know this sounds obvious, but the whole process always throws up stuff. Therse is stuff we know that we know, there is stuff we know that we don't know, and there is stuff we don't know that we don't know. Storyboarding helps get to grip with the later.

It is also great as I am able to really entertain some bold subconscious directorial ideas I have, mainly to do with movement through frame – either left to right or right to left. The idea being that we in the west read and think left to right, and so movement from right to left is counter to the natural flow of things. We will see if this concept makes it to set and how it plays in the final movie.

I aim to have the whole film boarded by the end of the week with a script that is 100% locked down by the end of play on Sunday.

Onward and upward.

Chris Jones, Film Maker and Author
www.livingspirit.com
[email protected]