Sacrifice to the Gods of Moviemaking

Hello Readers,

So before I start on this week's topic allow me to announce and introduce you to yet another crew member recently added.

Michael Wisner is not only a close friend of mine, but has worked with me before on my film projects. Mike, served as co-Executive Producer for my two short films The White Room, and Big Meet. As my former roommate during the last two years of film school, Mike had a definite influence on my films. He assisted me in the writing and critiquing of my screenplays, was 1st Assistant Director (1st AD) on my film shoots, assisted on editing, but by far was most valuable as a moral support in the highly competitive film school social pool. After I graduated film school, Mike realized filmmaking wasn't his cup of tea. He and I have remain close friends, and recently the movie-bug bite Mike once again. 

Mike wrote an original short screenplay of his own and approached me to help produce it for his directorial debut. I countered his offer with the plans to direct my first feature next summer. We agreed to help one another as best we could, however, once Mike read my blog and put some thought into it he decided to postpone his short film in order to come aboard as my first official producer of the feature film project. Mike will most likely be helping with casting and possibly being 1st AD during principle photography. Either way I'm looking forward to once again collaborating with  and adding yet another talented artist in the arsenal that is my movie.

And now onto this weeks topic:

In order to make any movie a director has to sacrifice a lot. Even the big dogs in Hollywood have to deal with the mental ware of leading a crew and cast of people through the marathon of principle photography. But the strain is even harder on the lowly independent movie director. The indy director has to deal with constant artistic dilemmas as well as financial ones. 

Therefore, to better prepare for the onslaught I have decided to make a lot of self sacrifices now, in order to better be prepared for the production in less than 11 months. What are these sacrifices? Allow me to share:

1. I'll be giving up soda until the wrap of principal photography.

Any one who knows me knows soda is my addiction. So this will NOT be easy! Oh, and I plan to give up Starbucks too. I'm not too into coffee, but giving up soda may cause me to supplement one caffeine source for another. So  no more! Aside from it saving money, I'm also doing it for the betterment of my health. So if you catch me with a soda please slug me in the arm and I'll promise to put a $10 bill in the production piggy bank.  Which leads me to my next sacrifice....

2. I'm going to start penny pinching!

Yup, every red cent I earn or waste on otherwise unnecessary things is going to stop, if not slow to a crawl. So what this means is I'm going ease up on my fetish for buying DVDs. Every true cinephile like myself can't help but buy the latest great movie when it comes out, but until my movie is wrapped no more needless buys. Rentals will have to suffice. This also means I'll no longer go to movie in theaters unless its a matinee. This'll be tough as I obviously LOVE going to the theater. In fact its the closest thing to a church experience for me!

3. I'm going to sell all my old DVD's!

OUCH! This one hurts, but I figure other movies aren't as important as focusing on my own movie. So off they go! I've collected well over 200 DVD's so this should help me raise a decent amount of money for the cause. I do have to point out I plan to keep my truly rare DVDs and of course a select few movies I just can't live without (*cough* both STAR WARS trilogies).

4. I'm limiting my Videogame purchases.

So I like to play videogames so what! I may have both an Wii and a Xbox360 but I don't often buy games. So I'm going to keep it that way. In fact the only must buy game I plan to purchase is the next Halo game (insert drooling noise), otherwise I'll make due with used games and my current library. Hey I gotta entertain myself somehow or this movie might make me go nuts ;)

And last but not least.....

5. I plan to lose 10lbs!

Sure I'm not obese or anything, but I'm no lightweight either. This I'm doing for the production so that I can be in the best possible shape for the shoot. Again, moviemaking is like a marathon so being physically fit will pay for itself when the stress of 12 hour shoots sets in on my body.

All of these sacrifices all boil down to making this movie possible. But also, I want my cast, crew, and contributors to know a very important thing. I'm thankful for their future sacrifices to the movie. Many of my cast and crew will not be paid for their work (unless the movie is sold for a significant profit) so I want it to be clear to those who are essentially volunteering for the cause, that I too made sacrifices to make this movie possible. It would be completely inappropriate to ask people to volunteer their time and talents to making my movie, without having struggled and strived to be better prepared for the undertaking. 

So rest assure readers, by the time I reach the starting line of principle production I will be physically, mentally, and financially as fit as can be and hopefully more!

Ok, that wraps it up for this week. Next week I plan to write about pre-production planning as well as any other updates that may occur.

Forward!

-Gustavo Guardado