NEWS
July 5, 2012
Friends and Lovers is an official selection of the 16th Indie Gathering International Film Festival.
March 31, 2012
Friends and Lovers has been selected by the Sunset Film Festival.
October 31, 2011
Friends and Lovers has been selected by the Naperville Independent Film Festival.
September 30, 2011
Silk City Flic Fest has selected Friends and Lovers for its upcoming film festival.
July 31, 2011
Friends and Lovers has been selected to screen at the Prometheus Film Festival 2011.
June 30, 2011
Friends and Lovers is now an official selection of the Southern Appalachian International Film Festival 2011.
April 30, 2011
Friends and Lovers is now an official selection of the Seattle True Independent Film Festival.
February 31, 2011
Friends and Lovers was accepted into the River Bend Film Festival in Indiana.
January 31, 2011
Friends and Lovers has been accepted into the SENE Film Music and Arts Festival in Rhode Island.
December 31, 2010
Friends and Lovers has been accepted into the Green Bay Film Festival in Wisconsin.
August 31, 2010
Friends and Lovers has been accepted into the Louisville International Festival of Film.
July 31, 2010
Friends and Lovers has been accepted into the Great Lakes International Film Festival.
May 31, 2010
The New Filmmakers Summer Series NY has selected Friends and Lovers for a September 29th screening. If you're going to be in the Big Apple and have a free evening I'll get you a comp ticket. Just email me from our website's Contact page.
April 30, 2010
Allison White, our lead actress who plays Claire in the film, won "Best Actress" at the LLV Film Festival. Good job, Allison! In addition, Friends and Lovers was accepted into the Los Angeles Cinema Festival of Hollywood, and the Los Angeles Reel Film Festival.
March 30, 2010
We were fortunate enough to have a final screening at Skywalker Sound. Their screening room has the best projection and the best sound system in the world. The difference between their facility and a regular theatre is like the difference between night and day. Stunning.
February 28, 2010
Friends and Lovers has been accepted into the Bend Film Festival (Oregon), and the Staten Island Film Festival.
January 30, 2010
Good news. Friends and Lovers has been accepted into the LLV Film Festival.
December 10, 2009
Received our Official Sundance Rejection. A new record of 9,800 (!!!) films were submitted this year. About one chance in a hundred. But we remain undaunted, and continue to submit to festivals, many of which are not until summer or next fall. Talk about a long lead time.
November 11, 2009
News about our actors. Daniel Kent (Jim) is currently acting in Richard III, a production of the Los Angeles theater company A Noise Within. Good reviews.
November 3, 2009
Start to enter festivals. What a crapshoot. Atlanta FF, Cinequest FF (San Jose), Ann Arbor FF. And many more to come! Time to look for a distributor.
October 2, 2009
Trailer complete. An art in itself, this trailer tries to hint at what the film is about without giving away the store. It will be on the website as well as the DVD. Good job Ricardo Lopez.9
September 14, 2009
This was it! The Big Screening on the Big Screen! An actual event for people who have not yet seen the film. I have to say honestly that for weeks now I have been all nerves and anxiety. Between putting the screening together, organizing, working with the Kabuki people, getting the poster & publicity together – when it comes to movies? There are no small operations. Most of all I was anxious about how the film would play. But, once the screening began, that anxiety faded. After all, these were friends & family! What were they going to say? I want my money back? Having loved ones there does, in a way, make their comments un-objective. But I think for a first screening it’s okay to have people who care about you and your work be kind and enthusiastic. They’ll be time enough to hear objections. Now was the time to celebrate our accomplishment and head out into the world with the confidence of knowing that at least some people are going to like this picture. That it speaks to people. That it works. And you know what? I think some people really did like it. It was almost like seeing the movie for the first time, impossible, as that seems. But at the right scale (the Kabuki Cinema is such a fantastic facility) and with a good house, you KNOW when it’s playing well. You can feel it. People laughed, there was attentive, captive silence; there were even a couple of gasps! Best. Sound. Ever. And you could tell from their comments & questions after that they did indeed enjoy the movie, and that felt good. I think I‘m beginning to accept in some way the finality of the movie, warts and all. I see the faults – maybe always will – but the audience doesn’t. They see what’s there. And what’s there moved them. That’s the best any storyteller can hope for. Nice to see the cast and crew get some much-deserved recognition as well. The actors seemed to light right up. I hope they can join me for some of the festival screenings – deflect attention from me and charm the room a bit. I could see it in their eyes, too: They were excited. The work was worth it. They had stared in a feature and people were responding to it. Good. It was bittersweet to see everybody again, the cast & crew. We were a company, so close at one time. Now we scatter to the winds. There are more than a few folks here I would love to collaborate with again, in front of and behind the camera. Hopefully that feeling is mutual. All I know is: This is a tough part. You grow so close, then fly apart. I am so grateful to have know and worked with these talented, generous people, who collectively helped make a fantasy into a reality, right there on the screen for all to see. As a side-note, I have to say MINE did an incredible job with the poster. Our one-sheet is very retro and inspired great curiosity about the film. Just what a poster should do. So that’s that! The film has been born! Now, on to the festivals, and the “real” audiences, where we’ll see if it has legs
September 2009
Premier scheduled for September 14, 2009 at Sundance Kabuki Cinemas in SF. Tickets are free, and can be reserved at: http://www. brownpapertickets.com/event/79239
August 2009
Premier scheduled for September 14, 2009 at Sundance Kabuki Cinemas in SF. Admission is free.
August 2009
Start to enter festivals. What a crapshoot. Atlanta FF, Cinequest FF (San Jose), Ann Arbor FF. And many more to come! Time to look for a distributor.
July 2009
Trailer complete. An art in itself, this trailer tries to hint at what the film is about without giving away the store. It will be on the website as well as the DVD. Good job Ricardo Lopez.
July 24, 2009
In our first effort at off shoring, we hired Dmitriy Kovalev, a Russian programmer who lives by the Black Sea, to clean up the html code on our website.
July, 19 2009
Finished the trailer. An excellent job! A very good trailer. And an art in itself. The trailer tries to hint at what the film is about without giving away the store. We gotta give ‘em mystery! It’s on this site – just go to the menu - & the DVD. Good job to our editor: Ricardo Lopez!
June 29, 2009
Just combined the fully mixed audio with picture at Video Arts in SF to make our printmaster on videocassette and a master DVD. The cassette is specifically designed for HD, and cost $400.00. Wow. For a videocassette! And, no. it is not gold-plated.
June 22, 2009
Nothing’s ever done. Had to remix sound to make three important fixes: Add one line of dialogue and two Foley effects. We had to. It would have bothered me for the rest of my life. One example: In a bar scene Jim spills some beer out of a too-full mug. Tom watches and laughs. Most of the spilling happens off-screen, so I wanted to be sure the audience knew what Tom was laughing about. Thanks again to Skywalker Sound.
June 20, 2009
Had to remix sound to make three essential fixes: add one line of dialogue and two Foley effects. One example: in a bar scene with Jim and Tom, Jim spills some beer out of a too-full mug. Tom looks at it and laughs. The spill happened partly off screen, and its sound is missing from the Foley track. It needed to be added to ensure that the audience knew what Tom was laughing about. Thanks again to Skywalker Sound.
June 18, 2009
Final mix finally done. Skywalker’s facilities are extraordinary. It’s safe to say that we’ll never again hear the soundtrack as good as this.
May 23, 2009
Gary Meyer, director of the Telluride Film Festival, was kind enough to meet with us over lunch to provide advice on film festival submissions.
May 10, 2009
For months, Doug Murray, the sound designer for Friends and Lovers, has been editing the dialogue: music, and creating new audio effects. This was courtesy of George Lucas’s Skywalker Sound. This audio-post facility is the best in the world, with no expense spared in its technology. Its architecture resembles an old winery converted to this new purpose. All done from scratch, in true Hollywood tradition. And the attention to detail is remarkable – it really looks like an old winery, complete with a fifty foot “abandoned” brick chimney behind the main building. The somewhat rustic interior is decorated with large original movie posters of amazing quality. Some were huge – covering a whole wall – of famous films from the 1920’s to the 1940’s. Individual studios, of which there are more than twenty, are named after famous directors (Coppola, Hitchcock, Tarantino, Fellini, etc). Our studio was graced with a very unusual name, the “Stan Brahkage” room, he a noted experimental filmmaker from the 1960’s and “famous” to very few people. Much less intimidating than working in the “Steven Spielberg” room! I would be remiss if I did not mention the extraordinary generosity of Skywalker Sound. Their support of our film made possible a terrific soundtrack. I am deeply grateful, and it was a bit of a thrill to work at such a fine facility where so many giants have worked before. Without the support of Skywalker Sound, our film would not have been completed with the professional quality it now has.
April 15, 2009
Paul Nordin completes color correction of the film. Despite best efforts, there are always discontinuities in color from shot to shot, location to location. Irrespective of matching shots, color correction can help to create an overall “look” for the film. Paul did a great job; results show a substantial improvement.
April 6, 2009
Acme Loop Group provides sounds of people talking unintelligibly in the background. Wonderful people to work with. Loop groups add significant aural realism to a scene. Interestingly, when I show this scene to friends with new sounds, they think the editing is better. Sound and perception are very strange.
April 2, 2009
Color correction. Essential, but more staring at screens. Stare at a screen when you write the screenplay. Stare at a screen when you shoot. Stare at a screen when you edit for months and months and months. Stare at a screen now looking at color changes…it’s like the Optometrist…”better number one? Number two? Number one? Number two.” The fatigue is setting in. I can’t even decide what pair of socks to wear anymore. Luckily I seem to have enough strength of character not to reveal this to our director of photography, Paul Nordin, to burden him with my exhaustion.
March 25, 2009
Final Final Final edit is complete.
February 2009
I would be remiss were I not to mention the extraordinary generosity of Skywalker Ranch in regard to our film. Their support of Friends and Lovers made possible a great soundtrack; in the absence of that support, the soundtrack simply could not have been completed with the professional quality it now has.
January 2009
MINE graphics of SF completes design for poster and DVD insert. The poster and front cover of the DVD are the same as this website’s Home Page. A great job.
January 5, 2009
MINE graphics of SF completes design for poster and DVD insert. The poster and front cover of the DVD are the same as this website’s Home Page. I feel it truly “says” the movie. A great job.
December 11, 2008
Delays. It’s worth making a note about delays. Making the film encountered endless delays. In order to afford talented professionals (editors, a composer, a sound designer, etc) we agreed to let them put Friends and Lovers aside temporarily, whenever a better paying job came along. Any job would be better paying than ours! While this did not happen frequently, but enough to slow us down.
November 14, 2008
Working with Tom Christopher is so different. This man is FAST! And he is a born storyteller. He sees through to a problem with X-ray eyes, and knows just what to do. Some of the changes were unexpected and required a huge leap of faith on my part. But they worked. Tom has been able to solve the problems, noticeably improving the structure and pacing of the film.
October 10, 2008
vI’ve gone and done something drastic. I’ve gone and done something drastic. The marriage of the music to the film made us realize that some structural problems with the story – a result of our screenwriting, unfortunately - could only be resolve by re-editing. This was going to require a fresh look at the film, someone who hadn’t seen it day after week after month. We hired a new editor, Tom Christopher, who works out of Saul Zantz’s Fantasy Studios in Berkeley. His experience includes working with George Lucas on the director’s cut of Star Wars.
August 30, 2008
Now Doug & I move into Skywalker Studio for first mix. This audio post facility is the best in the world, and no expense was spared in its technology. An amazing place. The architecture resembles an old brick winery converted to this new purpose, and an interior of natural light, with a warm feeling from all the wood. All from scratch, in true Hollywood tradition. And the attention to detail is remarkable, complete with a fifty foot “abandoned” brick chimney behind the main building. The somewhat rustic interior is decorated with original movie posters, some huge – covering whole walls – of famous films of the 20s & 40s. Individual studios, of which there or over twenty, are named after directors like Coppola, Hitchcock, Tarantino, and Fellini. Ours is graced with the unusual name Stan Brahkage, a noted experimental filmmaker from the 60s. Much less intimidating than working in the Steven Spielberg room.
August 17, 2008
After countless sessions with David Earl, the score is complete. What a terrific job. There was a moment where I think if I had given David just one more chnage note, he might have murdered me. But he’s a gentleman and a pro, and understands how important the music is to any picture. He wants to do his best work, too. While I’m relieved to have one more thing to check of my list, I will miss our sessions together. I hope very much that he & I can work together again.
August 11, 2008
Foley work begins at Outpost Studios (San Francisco), a great place to work. This is to put back into the movie the sound of, say, footsteps, which we purposely voided while shooting. All the strange and arcane names in film production – gaffer, best boy, Foley…many, many others. I love the simple silly magic of Foley work. Gravel boxes, rows and rows of different shoes and walking surfaces, hammers, glassware, paper, you name it. All the techniques the studios barrowed from radio when sound hit the scene in the 30s, and it still works today! All the techniques are the same now as they were then. Amazing. And our Foley artist, Ellen Hauer, IS an artist, a woman of great creativity and experience, who has worked on a huge number of feature films. We’ve worked four days for a 90-minute film (which is considered fast) and nobody in the audience will ever be the wiser. This, obviously, is as it should be.
Our Foley artist was a woman with great experience. She came to Outpost with a startlingly diverse array of things that make sounds; hammers, glassware, paper, you name it. Four days were required for our 90-minute film, and that’s considered very fast.
August 2008
A composer! After searching for and meeting with composers for a year, one composer has finally been chosen. A difficult process. Unlike a cinematographers reel, a composer’s reel is less predictive of future work, due to the emotional complexity of music, and how it interacts with the drama, producing different effects on the viewer. Still, it’s the single best predictor of what they will do. Other factors are also important: pay; the composer’s availability; and how well we got along with him.
Fortunately, we chose the right composer. David Earl of Pyramind was a great choice, and was able to work with us to gradually calibrate his compositions to our needs. All his scored music was in fact computer manipulations of sound “samples” e.g. strings recorded by the Vienna Philharmonic precisely for this kind of use by composers, He would compose the music on keyboard, and have the Vienna Philharmonic “play” it. His keyboard could turn into a Steinway via software, and it really sounded good!
June 6, 2008
Dialogue replacement at Outpost Studios – a great place to work - started in August. Being in a recording studio has always been great fun. Studios are comforting environments. Calm, quiet, low light, and no sun, so you never really know what time it is…if you can avoid the clock on the wall, which is hard to do, since we’re paying by the hour. . The ability to focus on just one aspect of the film, the dialogue that might have been marred by a siren, for example, was a great relief. Daniel Kent and Kenneth Sears were flown up from LA, Allison White was already here. Some actors intuitively could cover a single replacement in a few takes, others took up to twenty. Twenty! But who cares, it’s the results that matter, and they were terrific. My poor actors. It’s such a challenge for them, syncing to their own lips while trying to recreate their original performance. Although, in some instances, I think the performances are improved. So long as we can match the lips in sync and mix the sound properly, we can avoid that canned, ADR feel I just despise. I still cannot understand why the Italians preferred to work this way.
April 10, 2008
First round of editing has finally been completed.
April 7, 2008
Begin cutting dialogue. Doug Murray, a sound designer for Hollywood films, agrees to be the Supervising Sound Editor and Sound Designer. As a friend since film school, and as interested in seeing the film completed as I am, agrees to work at an absurdly low rate. We initially use his home studio in anticipation of working at Lucas’s Skywalker Sound for additional foley, sound effects and ultimately mixing.
March 21, 2008
After nearly a year of searching, interviewing & auditioning, we finally settled on a composer, David Earl of Pyramind (San Francisco). This has been a very difficult process. Unlike a cinematographer’s reel, or an actor’s audition, a composer’s reel is less predictive of future work. And, while I admire most film composer’s knowledge of music and cinematic history, or opera history, or genres of music, so often the work feels…generic. Not that I could write even the simplest melody. Then you take into account what the music is saying, character motifs, how the score interacts with the drama, the mood & emotion, the orchestration, the density, all producing different feeling-effects in the viewer…it becomes mind-boggling. In the end, for me, simpler is always better. Fortunately, we chose the right composer. David Earl was a great choice, and was able to work with us to gradually calibrate his compositions to our needs. All his scored music was in fact computer manipulations of sound “samples” e.g. strings recorded by the Vienna Philharmonic precisely for this kind of use by composers, He would compose the music on keyboard, and have the Vienna Philharmonic “play” it. His keyboard could
February 5, 2008
To avoid having to pay royalties on the Chopin, we hired a classical pianist whom we recorded at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley. A wonderful experience. The pianist, Daniel Glover, was extraordinarily good, and, I must say, a very kind, gentle, serene man. The music was in himThis pianist was extraordinarily good. To watch (and listen to) his fingers on the keyboard – up close – was simply mesmerizing. It seemed humanly impossible for someone to move one’s fingers so quickly and accurately at the same time. It was as though the pianist had made a pact with a wizard, to learn this magic ability.
January 6, 2008
We just finished the reshoot of the kitchen scenes. I was dissatisfied with my direction, to say the least. And, given the fact that the film opens with this scene, I knew it had to be stronger. We needed sunshine, we got rain. DP Paul Nordin, performed another of his many wonders, and the scene is lit so it appears to be a sunny summer day. The magic of cinema…
November 30, 2007
I have to say; even though I am a little worried about certain aspects of the film, the editing process is indeed a miracle. I think it’s proving to be my favorite part of the process. Like writing. It is so exciting to see the movie coming together. I prefer the steady calm of the editing room to the (barely) controlled chaos of the shoot. That ticking clock was like a time bomb in my chest! Now we can work somewhat methodically and find our way. Our editor challenges me. I have to justify my choices. Which is good, I know. Sometimes I’d like to just move forward. However, I have to be honest – very often he is right. It’s all a matter of letting go. On the one hand, when it’s working, I get to see my long-held daydream of an imagined movie come to life. On the other hand, when it’s NOT working, the fear returns, and the doubting, and the frustration. Usually my editor has a solution. It just means letting go. You push and push to make something work. Sometimes the movie wants to go another way. When I trust it, trust my collaborators and the process; nine times out of ten it’s a rewarding experience. I try to stay positive. And who is going to score this picture? Have to find somebody. Anxious to get cracking on that part of the process! I wake up every day grateful to have something like this to wake up for – to have come this far. And yet, the end, the light at the opposite side of the tunnel, keeps creeping further and further away…I’ll catch up with it one day.
November 28, 2007
I think I understand why some filmmakers go a little crazy. Can’t see straight. Too many options – on the set, in the editing room. Or, worse, no ENOUGH options because we (read: I) didn’t get enough coverage. Cut to the kitchen sink! I know this! But on-set it’s like you forget everything. Fatigue is the enemy, mental; physical…you loose faith and doubt all. Filmmaking is not for wusses.
November 27, 2007
Definitely going to need re-shoots. Oh well. That’s the breaks. However, difficult as it can be to relocate cast & crew (they’ve scattered to the winds!) this is an important opportunity to fix some problems and clarify certain events in the plot. So, the good with the bad. .
October 2007
Ricardo Lopez, great editor, begins editing film.
August 12, 2007
Post-production begins. Spent two months syncing up all the sound to all the usable takes, in preparation for hand-off to the editor.
August 10, 2007
Looked at it again with fresh eyes. It’s not as bad as I thought, but there’s much to be done. Maybe through editing I can better see what’s right and what’s wrong. Perhaps editing will show us the way.
August 3, 2007
Depression has set in. A filmmaker colleague told me to expect this to get worse. Great. She compared film production to birth, with all the inherent sadness that inevitably follows. Super. On top of feeling empty and exhausted, I’m not happy with much of the footage. It’s nobody’s fault but my own. Ambition is great, but maybe I dove too deep. Best thing is to wait a few more days and try to look at it again with fresh eyes.
July 26, 2007
That’s a wrap!
We all deserve a medal or something.
Just completed our 26th day of shooting, which was unusually long and very expensive. This production took us to so many locations I want to do bodily damage to whatever Brainiac approved this schedule. (Oh, wait. It was I.) Oh well.
We hopped to China and back: Stanford University, the Berkeley Art Museum, Point Richmond, San Francisco EXT street location, and that’s just a few! Sixteen locations in all. Is that a record for a low-budget film? I should look that up. On second thought, I think I’ll go to bed.
I’m too exhausted to be happy, but I must say I am proud of the work we did. Hope it lasts.
July 10, 2007
The other wake-up call was that I had assumed shooting in HD would allow for more takes than with film, due to lower costs. However, it took much more time than I had anticipated downloading the video. And the pressure of time is unrelenting. There’s simply never enough, especially when you’re hopping from one location to the next. As a result, while I had hoped for opportunities to find new angles for shots or to allow the performers to try scenes in different ways, exploring other choices, etc. – or even a chance to do another take! – this was often simply not possible due to the tyranny of the clock and (let’s be honest) my lack of experience. Live and learn, right?
July 6, 2007
It’s official – we’ve started shooting! There’s no turning back now!
Our crew of 15 consists of half paid pros, half volunteers/ interns/ PAs. All are dedicated and hardworking and it feels good to know the movie is in solid hands. Staying on schedule has proven…challenging. Although, the AD has proven invaluable at keeping us all on track. We’re shooting 12-hour shooting days, sometimes substantially longer. Fortunately, no one has complained…yet. After the first five days we are all unbelievably exhausted (I never know I could be this tired) and for most of us the first two days off were spent sleeping in. Except me. Too much prep. I think from now on I will schedule the first three days w/ easier stuff, then schedule a day off, then four days w/ more difficult work, until we find our rhythm. I can’t help but worry that exhaustion and time constraints may have hurt certain moments.
June 2007
We rehearsed for 4 weeks – a rarity for any movie. I feel we did good work. It was fun, exploring, analyzing, making changes, and finding problems. Terrific opportunities arose for revisions. All to the better.
Now, we begin. Production starts tomorrow.
And I’m completely terrified, excited, focused, scattered – you name it, I’m feeling it!
Light a candle.
March/April 2007
I was concerned that some of the cast would have second thoughts working with a first-time feature director, but most were just happy to have an opportunity to work. I can relate! Some performers balked at playing a supporting role. Okay. Thanks for dropping by. Our pay scale was well above the SAG ultra-low agreement. Still, a few performers expressed frustration re: their rate. To me, yes, an actor deserves to be paid. The work they do is very challenging. But if you’re at this level, and all you care about is your fee, well…that tells me you’re not an artist. And if you’re not an artist, I can’t work with you. How can I trust you to dig deep and honor the role? This isn’t Hollywood. We’re all trying to get somewhere. To do that, first we must create good work, work we can stand by and be proud of. Pay’s not enough, even though most actors here are willing to work for free? Fine. No problem. NEXT!
Finally, though, we settled in on a cast I am very pleased with and grateful for – a highly talented and committed group of actors. Some have film experience, some don’t. But all are trained and have stage experience. We discussed the difficulties inherent in shooting out of order, etc. to me, it’s all about preparation: Do your homework, your analysis, and I’ll be there to make sure you “know where you are,” in terms of the story/arc.
February 2007
With location scouting complete and permissions granted, paperwork, deals made, etc., it is time to move on to casting. Bernadette & I did most of the casting at Fort Mason center – so nice to have such a great space to work and move around in. I think having a good space for auditions goes a long way towards making the performers feel more secure, and I must say it’s given me a boost. This is real! It is happening! You work so long alone or w/ your partner, dreaming. Now, with locations and new faces coming in, there’s no getting around it – we are making a movie!
I don’t know who’s more frightened, the actors or me. I have never shaken so many cold, wet hands in my life. But I’m always nervous, too. I wonder if actors know that. I wonder if they know how scared the director is when meeting them. You so want them to be The One! You so want to hear the dialogue from your script and know, hey! It’s working!
One nice thing about auditions, though: they’re like free rehearsals. If a scene isn’t working, if the same line or beat keeps tripping them up, again and again, better to know now, so you can get back to work on the script. And you mix and match the actors up, hearing scenes over and over. As each actor brings new insights to the reading, new ideas & subtexts are revealed. Very exciting.
Sometimes an actor walks in and seems immediately suited to the part. Then you hear them and they either are or they aren’t. In the end all you have to go with is your gut. Is this my Jim? Is that my Tom? First one seems right for this role, later proves better suited for another. It’s quite a process. Many decisions to be made, none of them easy. But this is quite a pool of talent to choose from, and there are certainly worse problems for a filmmaker to have!
April 2006
This is the first in a series of entries that will describe the ongoing process of creating Friends and Lovers, a low-budget feature film. Friends and Lovers is a story about a young man who fails in his newfound relationship with a waitress, only to have his ideas of love challenged when he falls in love with a straight mechanic.
I find screenwriting to be a truly arduous process. Don’t get me wrong – I love creating, love “living” with my imaginary characters, love visiting a world and finding a voice for the themes/ideas/feelings that matter most to me. I started writing this script in December ’05. Sometimes the rewriting process can feel endless.
Luckily, the intervention of a partner, Bernadette Glen, has brought a new perspective to the film’s structure and much of the dialogue. She. Is. Brilliant. Her insights and ideas have proven invaluable. The script has improved by leaps and bounds. This movie is so lucky to have her.
I must say, I love this process. But I think quite possibly the most frightening thing any artist can experience is to come face-to-face with one’s own limitations of vision. To reach the edge of your abilities and talent, and look over the precipice, unable to see but knowing in your heart and soul that there is more out there…it’s a lonely feeling. So we push. We grow. And, best of all, we collaborate. My undying gratitude goes out to Bernadette.
