Friday, July 24, 2009

My Last Words

STATEMENT FROM THE DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY

I’ve seen a lot of pleasure and pain working in this business. I’ve gone from cooking sausage in a trailer on the backlot of CMT’s studio in Nashville making $200 an hour to three days later sleeping in my Jeep with my big dog to get a chance to shoot for the Warp tour for no pay. I went from shooting a $25,000 feature, (which I am still paying for in Doctor bills,) that never saw the light of day to shooting a film for $500 that moved mountains. There’s no certainty from day to day. It’s not like a day job where it’s methodical, it’s routine and well quite unexciting. Sometimes I wonder, if that day job, (with two kids,) wouldn’t be the safer bet and sometimes even worse, I think maybe I’m not rational anymore about dream to make a living making films. Then I watch a good film or my daughter hands me my camera she’s not suppose to have and says, “Daddy, take a picture of me,” and I realize that there is nothing else I know how to do or want to do and find the strength to keep going. I love it. I couldn’t imagine doing anything else. It is only unfortunate that it is an art you can’t do by yourself, (and trust me, if you know me, I would if I could.) It takes many creative people to make a film and those many people have to be willing to walk through fire with you in order to get the film done. In Bad Ass Killers case, about fifteen.

A few of the people namely Ennix, Mark, Adam, Steve and Zak walked through fire for me back in September. For four straight days and nights with very little sleep these guys broke their back to help me capture my vision and film at all costs without a penny of pay. (I am still paying them all back.) But that weekend was the beginning of a REAL appreciation for a wonderful crew. They possessed PASSION, LOYALTY and most importantly a LOVE for the art that shows in every element of my film. People like them are the reason you walk out of the theater loving a film. It’s all passion for the art, which leads me to my point finally....

We are about to embark on the hardest two weeks you’ll ever work. It is a feature film. We have to shoot 8 1/2 pages a day in order to finish this film in two weeks. That is 10 hour days of working, waiting to work and constant problem solving which can be exhausting. They glamorize this work on television and the internet. There is nothing glamourous about the work. It will be tough. You’ll stay tired and there will be some times where you will feel that the film will never be wrapped. My advice: Stay positive and stay creative, even if you start to hate everybody. You’ll learn more in 2 weeks than you would in a year at a day job. You’ll walk away at the end hating the process but then something will happen. You’ll watch the completed film and not only will every bit of your blood, sweat and tears bleed through on the screen, but you’ll realize how much your hard work contributed to final production. You will then feel great and suddenly want to do it all over again. With the exception of marrying my wife and my two kids being born there is nothing more rewarding than watching a film you made on the screen in its entirety. On top of that, you will officially become a member of a very small club. Of the 200 independent films that are “produced” a year in this country, a mere 50 of them are actually completed and packaged. This film, I WILL PROMISE YOU, will be one of those films.

Speaking for Ennix and myself, thank you for giving your time, energy, and brilliance to a couple of guys hanging on to a dream. We’ll make your “pro bonno” work a time you’ll never forget in a good way. Ennix is the Producer/Director AND THE BOSS on all aspects of the production. At first he seems hard to approach but I can assure you he is not. He will have the pressure of this production on his shoulders so any questions about production like:

-When do you eat?
-If you have to leave early etc...
-Where’s the bathroom?
-What can I do?

Should all go through Adam Parlier, the 1st Assistant Director. He’ll get you whatever you need whenever you need it. He’s the second in command so be nice to him and your liable to get anything you want. I am the Director of Photography which means I’m in charge of everything that shows up and, (God Forbid,) doesn’t show up in the scene. I will have five official people that do just the Camera stuff. Rashawn will be my second in command and Lee will be in charge of lighting. Approach me about anything having to do with the creative process, just make sure you do it in between takes. 

Other than that, THANK YOU from all 3 of us for boarding this ship and taking this adventure with us. We’re honored to have each and every one of you. At Ennix and I’s meeting before we split to do our own last minute preparations, we had lunch at a Chinese Restaurant. We discussed everything having to do with production of this film. As we were leaving, I cracked my fortune cookie and the below fortune was in my cookie. I thought it appropriate to share as we are less than 72 hours from Principle Photography.


Yours Truly for years to come from now,
Garrick Lane

Posted via email from Diary of A Shoot Stuff Guy

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