It's Coming...

This weekend, it finally begins: our first day of shooting will most likely be this Sunday, November 2, 2008. I'm not even that excited... but that's because I don't quite believe the day has finally arrived. It's one of those things that you plan and look forward to for a long time, but when it finally happens you can't quite believe it. I really am thrilled to start shooting, haha, it's just strange to think that we're finally at this point. Shock? Perhaps. I've already learned alot during the pre-production process, and I'm looking forward to what else might come through during shooting. Get Back!

Get a Haircut!

Today was a good day for production. Nick and I went up to Torrance to shoot some test footage. We joined up with a friend, and spent the afternoon trying a variety of camera techniques for the opening segment of the movie. All I had to do was walk around, so it wasn't much as far as acting goes, but it was a good thing for Nick to get a better handle on what will work best for him - since he is most likely going to be shooting the movie himself. We discovered an LA County Sheriff's station on the very same block as our friend's apartment, and it's the perfect visual exterior for the sheriff's office in the movie - and that was one heck of a great, random discovery.

The biggest key of the day for me personally, was... my hair. As those involved may or may not know, I usually have short hair and no beard - but as soon as the script started, I stopped shaving and cutting my hair. I've trimmed my beard quite a few times (otherwise it'd be even more enormous), but I've only trimmed my hair once - just to shape it a little. I was planning on doing the same again this Wednesday, but after watching the test footage we shot today back at Nick's place afterwards, he and I both said at the same time... the hair doesn't work as it is. Originally, I was going for Paul McCartney from the Let It Be video, and to me in the mirror at home it still looks good, but to see it on the television... it was too long. Obviously, I can't see the back of my head from a distance... or from any other angle, so it was a real eye-opener to me. Of course, Nick had said nothing about it needing to change up until this point, so I figured all was well. But, it's cool... we'll just be taking a trip to a barber sometime soon, and Nick can tell them what he's after. It sounds strange, all of this fuss over hair, but it's just another big piece of the costuming for me. I read a quote by Sean Penn once, where he mentioned that when he is coming up with a character, one of the first things he comes up with is the hair - that's his big thing, and once that's set, everything else comes into place. I relate to that, because for all of the characters I've worked on previously, the hairstyle is a huge part of the look and feel that helps me start the character off. So, as bizarre as it is... I honestly feel a little lost since I have no idea what my character is going to look like.

Pfft, actors... they're all crazy, right? Yeah, we sure are.

First Rehearsal

This afternoon we had our first rehearsal with a couple of actors (myself included). A couple of the other actors weren't able to show up because things came up, but we had a great time with those who did make it. By the way Herman, I hope the best for your grandma! Anyways, up until this point we have spent time reading with a few actors, but these were still just an extension of the audition process. Today there were three of us actors who were all confirmed in our roles, and we were just able to go over it all and study together. Of course, I had to fill in for one of the actors that didn't show, playing a role that's not mine (as it has been with many of our auditions), but I did get to eventually play Paul - and it was really great. Months ago, when we first met with Jaclyn for her initial read-through/audition, I had to hold myself back a little. I've talked with Nick, and he even mentioned something about it afterwards, but the scenes with Jaclyn's character and mine are so emotional, and she's so dog gone good, that I had to hold myself back as an actor or I'd start crying right then and there. Today, I was still SLIGHTLY self-restrained just because of the surroundings and the lack of props and costuming, but I let myself go so much more. For the first time, I actually FELT like Paul as I delivered my lines. No doubt this is due to my recent dive back into the script, but it felt really, really comfortable to be able to finally step into this character's shoes. I wrote the script, sure, and I've always known how he needed to be - but to actually perform it, well... that's just a whole other thing.

And it's a great thing.

Lines Shmines

I wrote the script for Get Back, so I should know it, right? Yeah... that's what I thought when I first started reading through it to go over my lines many months ago. The problem was that I HAD written the script - so I didn't have my lines really well, I had EVERY character's lines mediocre. I became more involved with pre-production and I pretty much put the script down for a few months. After the recent shift in responsibilities, I've been able to pick up my script again and really start focusing on learning my lines. I was a little nervous at first - my character is in nearly every scene - but I took comfort in the fact that most of my dialogue is reactionary to what the other characters say. Much to my surprise, though, I knew the lines really well this time around. I think, perhaps through the re-writing of scenes and auditions and whatever else, I absorbed my character's dialogue a little better, and now I'm really confident in being able to have my lines memorized for shooting. I've always been lacking in that area, so I'm glad to know that this time it'll be different.

Taking My Place as Actor

Well, today was a good day - I've been demoted. Not what you'd expect to hear after hearing that it was a GOOD day, but let me explain. I first wrote this script for Nick. It was an act of friendship - it was a gift. I knew what it was like to struggle with your own script (oh Lawdy, do I ever!), so I wanted to help. The script was eventually finished, and my role quickly became that of co-producer. I still am, this hasn't changed, but all along the plan was that he would be the director in charge, and I would relegate myself to only being an actor - which is what we have both wanted to do for years.

The problem, though, was that I was spending more time with the story than Nick. I'm not bashing the guy - he knows this. For various reasons which are unrelated to myself, he was putting aside his personal vision of what the movie would look and feel like, and that had all but cut out his ambition for making this. So, it only got worse, because the less time he'd spend, the more I'd spend, and that wasn't good for either of us. This weekend, though, he came to realize all of this, and he's come back to take charge of it all - and that means I'm officially demoted to actor now.

This is a very good time - it means shoot time is near. Together we set a goal for starting production on the weekend of November 1, but in his own words today, Nick has said that we WILL be starting that weekend, no way around it. I'm really, really happy to make this less a cooperative effort, and finally turn it into a collaborative one between an actor and his director. I'm not complaining about the work I've done for this movie... I've earned my co-producer title, and I enjoy everything about it, but I'm glad that he has taken charge - because this always was, and always will be his movie, and that's how it should be. We're all here to help him make it, but it's his story to tell, his vision that needs to be on screen. So, exactly one month from today we should finally be shooting our first scene of this movie!

Wait - I still have to memorize all of my stinkin' lines! Crap, I gotta go!