Hadwin

Challenge no. 7 is to write and direct my own short film and submit it to a festival. Being the most ambitious challenge by far, you'd think I would have started it earlier.

I did. I came up with many, many ideas for my short film, starting months and months ago. Even wrote a couple of scripts. But no premise felt right. Until this one:

What happens to an imaginary friend when the kid who created him dies?

It's dark but sweet. It's sad and weird. It's Where the Wild Things Are meets Wes Anderson.

The script is title-less but finished, and I am now in the process of finding interested production partners. I want to do this one right, and in doing so I'm most likely sacrificing the ability to complete this challenge by the time I turn thirty. Sure, I could go out and shoot it myself on my Canon, but if my name is going on it, it needs to be polished. And polished takes time, favors, and luck.

Also, no stealies. I'll know.

Challenge No. 7 Update

  

Final Draft

Saluting Shorts

In my opinion, challenge no. 7 (write and direct your own short film and submit it to a film festival) is by far the most ambitious. This one has been looming over me for quite some time, and though I have some ideas floating around in my head, I needed some inspiration. So a few days ago I went to the IFC Film Center to watch the Oscar Nominated Live Action Shorts to get an idea of how high the bar is set.

I thought all five films were strong, though I wasn't blown away by any of them either. Here are nominees (you can read up on each of them here):

My pick: Tuba Atlantic. What I think the Academy will go for: Raju. Best use of a time machine: Time Freak.

For me the challenge of this challenge is not writing a good story. I have enough practice doing that on a daily basis. Where it gets hairy is bringing that story to life. Each of these films had a crew of fifty+ people working to make them great. I have to write a script that's good enough to peak the interest of DPs, editors, actors, sound engineers, etc. and make them want to be involved.

Think I can do it? I guess we'll have to wait and see.