Director's Log - december 27, 2006

This is a busy month. Not a good time to make a film that's due Feb 1st. But now is not the time to have doubts. I will leave the doubts for the couple weeks before Feb when I still haven't shot the first frame. The good news is, it looks like the first hurdle has been crossed. Many more ahead. I found my lead. He was in the back of a small tin building separated from the Wagon Wheel flea market I went to Sunday. No body was in this building and it was full of junk and stuff that was so filthy it must have been rejected from the flea market. Junk that is below the other junk. I was walking through this building when I saw this big ugly chair on wheels. No one was around so I went even further into this dark dust hell. Then I met Bobby. He was sitting half asleep in a chair. I asked him about the big chair with wheels and to that he answered, "I am so fucked up", and he was so right. And then he said, "You're fucked up to aren't you?" I really didn't know how to respond so I said, "Ya, I'm totally fucked up." Then I started gagging on the dust in there. It was not your normal dust. It was more like powdered moss. The big chair I wanted was covered in about a quarter inch of it. It got stuck in my throat like a hair ball. I couldn't talk. I was hacking and hitting my chest and trying to talk but I couldn't. This made Bobby feel pretty good. Three days later I can still taste the dust in my mouth. Bobby decided to go with me to get my truck. He held down the small wire fence so I could drive in. We squeezed through the crowded food venders and made it back to the building. I loaded the chair. I gave him forty bucks and wheezed all the way home. I don't know if my lead can act yet, but he sure likes to party. Big surprise.

david jerome

Director's Log - december 20, 2006

Today I started on the script for "ajar". Six minutes seems to be a tough story length for me. There are things I want in the story but I know it will be to hard to fit it all in. My last short that I wrote for six minutes ended up being twelve minutes. I don't want to edit two versions again. Especially since I'm not that crazy about editing. So this time it's one six minute movie and that's it. I hope. I started playing the moving in my head last night. The problem with that is, it's really hard to fall asleep. I see something in my mind and I have to get up and write it down. I did that three times last night. It's going to be hard to get to sleep for the next month. I like the writing part but I'm really slow at it. It takes me an hour just to get started. Then I'm easily distracted. It is really hard for me to stay focused. And there is always something on TV that I want to watch. Whenever I sit down at my computer at night to get some work done, the first thing I do is go online and see whats on TV that night. Not a good start. Besides being slow, I just realized I am shorter than I thought I was. I was editing some behind the scenes stuff for my last flick and I couldn't believe it. It was like watching "The Lord of the Rings". I think I've shrunk. I don't remember being that short. I'm still looking for the right "chair". This story is not going to work without the right chair. Well, at least I've started, I think.

david jerome

Director's Log - december 19, 2006

Today I decided to enter Dramafest, a short film contest on dvxuser website. This will be the second short movie I've made since I bought my dvx100b camera 8 months ago. I wasn't sure I was going to enter. It takes alot to get me motivated. Creating films is something I really want to do, but making them is another story. I've come to realize after my first short film that I don't have the energy and drive that I thought I did. I used to, back in the day. I turned 42 this last October, and if it wasn't for my lack of energy and drive, I would never believe it. I still feel like that 20 year old kid who wanted to make movies but decided to do something he hated instead. So I've decided, good or bad, I'm entering this fest. I don't have the time not to. I don't have a script yet. I don't have any actors. All I have right now is a story in my head and a stock dvx100b. I'm going out of town for two weeks so I won't be able to shoot till the weekend of Jan 13. That will give me two weekends to shoot and then one to edit. I'm looking for a chair. That's my big prop. I think it's funny, I read about some of the other filmmakers and they've got airplanes and ladders and sound stages and hvx's and 35adapters and dp's and crews and actors. And I'm still looking for a chair. But if it wasn't for them I probably wouldn't be entering. I keep telling myself, if they can do it why can't I. And then myself says, "Well cause they got more energy and drive than you do you loser." And then I tell myself back, "Well I already got a title you mofo!" And then I stop. Cause I realize I just called myself a mofo. So the journey begins. I'm throwing my hat in. And even if I've got cheese pouring out of my mouth, I don't care, I'm gonna make a damn film. I will keep a log of my progress in the days to follow. About that cheese. Let's dance.

david jerome

It's Alive

Hey, I just decided I would bring this blog back from the dead and link it to Blood Brother Films. I just put up some BTS footage of the first day shooting Sonic Man. I miss it. I'm going to enter the movie in a few film festivals and see how it does. I'm hoping to shoot my next short movie in January if all goes well. I have a script that is almost ready to go. I'm really looking forward to shooting again although the editing is hell. It's a good thing the editing comes last or else I would probably never start.