The Mechanics of a Madman

Today I saw a new documentary called GREAT DIRECTORS. The film hasn't received overwhelmingly positive reviews from critics but it struck an emotional chord with me. Interviewing ten directors as diverse as Agnes Varda and Bernardo Bertolucci, the documentary attempts to encapsulate what it means to be a filmmaker and more importantly what it means to be an artist. As I sat in the theater watching these directors talk about their craft and see clips from their work, I couldn't help but be profoundly inspired.

I've been thinking a lot lately about our new project, LOVE PRESTON and how I want to tackle the visual aesthetic of the film. After getting my photos back that I took of the boys last weekend, I've been mulling the idea of shooting some scenes at the park. The location is so perfect for this project: an abandoned amusement park that sees very few visitors and would be an ideal place to stage scenes of a lonely boy looking for distractions. Tonight I rewrote the opening scene using photos that I took as a visual reference. I feel that if the film is about a child overwhelmed by the vastness of his surroundings but still engulfed in love from all direction, this park would be a great supplemental locale to the giant house. We could shoot scenes of him wandering around alone and also playing with his brother, taking advantage of the visual landscape - the light shining through the trees, the shadows falling on the dilapidated buildings. The more I think about the possibilities the more excited I am about this project.

Since this park is just across the street from their house, I would like to go up and shoot some practice footage to just get an idea of what we could accomplish. Taking the photos last weekend was a huge help for me and I think shooting some video would help me even more, particularly in trying to add more scenes to the script. Yes, it would be fun to just go up to the park and shoot on the fly but I really would prefer to have somewhat of a game plan.

If the boys were in town and Brian's camera was available, I would've gone up there this weekend. Unfortunately, they are gone and next weekend I'll be out of town. So it'll be a couple weeks before we can go up there and shoot some test footage. It was a little frustrating because after watching the documentary on directors, I was really antsy to shoot something. But I think letting this new idea marinate in my head will be good and already I've come up with some new thoughts on possible sequences.

Thank God I have this new project to focus my creative energy on. Without it, I'd be ready to explode.