Rehearsal Wrapped!

Rehearsal was amazing, tiring and hilarious.

I think one of the biggest functions of rehearsal is to get the "giggles" out. There's always those bits of dialogue or stupid scenarios that go on that you have to laugh at just because there is not any way you can keep your composure forever. You have to have that time you can deliver your line and then lose it and know it's going to be okay because the cameras aren't rolling.

I also love rehearsals because there is more time to play with the scenes, and try new things without the pressures of wasting tape/film. I am think it's a great time for cast and crew to bond.

We begin principal photography next week and I am exhilirated about it. I am not just saying this because they have access to read this, but I have a group of phenominal actors and I am excited to get them on camera finally!

Now I am exhausted and going to relax.

Final Rehearsal

Project 365 - Day 194
Originally uploaded by mrbosslady

Today is our final rehearsal before filming begins. Thus far I have been decently unsuccessful in managing to get my entire cast together in one rehearsal.

Why has this been such an ordeal?

Christopher wrote a script with 11 cast members and only 3 have a somewhat smaller role that the rest of the cast. That means I have an 11 person ensemble. That's pretty dang crazy.

The first two rehearsal Pearce (Alan) was in Canada so he has been a rock star preparing on his own and majorly utilizing e-mail with me. Last rehearsal Weston (Phil) got horribly ill and we thought it was best he not drive so he sat that one out, but I have worked with Weston before and I know he'll do fine even with one rehearsal missed.

Today I believe I am missing Lorn (James) and Ashton (Jacob). Lorn and I have worked together before and I've known him awhile now so I trust that he will do just fine as he has a few more weekends to prepare for his character than everyone else. I also trust Aston to prepare; he is a new person to our little group of actors & crew but what I have seen from him so far is stellar.

In the end what makes it all good is that I know I have a phenominal group of actors who will rock this film out of the park. I know they are all going to be the absolute best they can be.

The Independant Road...

Hey, I'm Beth the DP for End. A little about me: I'm originally from Alaska and a graduate of Ithaca College with a Bachelor of Science in Cinema Production. I've been obsessed with movies since a young age and fascinated by all things electronic equally as long. I used to run around the house with my parents boxy VSH video recorder and make, well nothing. But I had fun unhooking wires from the TV to make it so I could watch the footage from the camera.

I've worked with Megan before on a series of shorts after meeting her at Paramount Pictures where we were tour guides. When she first sent me the script, I wasn't expecting to be as blown away as I was, but truth is, Christopher pulled off something really awesome.

First rehearsal was fun.. most of the cast were people Megan used in the shorts, or we knew from Paramount, or we met whilst doing a pilot shoot for our friend Caryn. It's always a lot of fun going into production knowing you'll be around people you can have fun with.

The Indy route is a tough one.. but in Hollywood, you can either suck up, kiss ass, (and possibly do some sex stuff) to get directly into the commercial world. Or, you can keep your dignity and morality by playing by your own rules and just doing it yourself.

It's a scary undertaking. Granted, filmmaking always is; even the most assured concept is hit and miss with the finiky audiences. But those in the paying commercial world at least get a paycheck. In our world, we do these projects on a wish and a prayer, with maxed out credit cards, a loyal cast and crew and just a hell of a lot of trust in each other to give our best. If anyone drops the ball, it just means a lot of personal money and time gone with nothing to show.

So that's the wall we all face. Megan may feel more of the pressure, but the cast and crew know it's on their shoulders too. Filmmaking, commercial or indy is not for the faint of heart.

But it's also exhilerating. When you see examples like Kevin Smith, Robert Rodriguez, even Steven Spielberg and know that they too started with a wish and a prayer and maxed out credit cards, you know it's possible.

And so we all suck up the hardships and put our best foot forward, because we believe it will all be worth it.

I'm really looking forward to this project and I know it'll be a worthwhile piece. Besides, we're getting real equipment and set decorating and everything.. it's so exciting to step to the next level. I mean come on, who wants to live in "student filmmaking world" forever?

Good times lie ahead and I know this piece will come out wicked awesome.

Welcome

I should introduce myself, I am Megan Welch the director and executive producer of End. The purpose of this blog is to record the trials, tribulations, hilarious stories, and sleep deprived rambles that go into the making of my first feature film. I do hope you enjoy it, both the blog and the film, but either way you can't stop me from writing about it. [Insert devious laughter here.]

In 2005 I graduated from film school with a desire to direct and knew that there wasn't a snowball's chance in hell I could do that any time soon in the studio system. I've pursued other routes in the entertainment industry but desprately want to make directing my day job. It's what I love, it's what I am good at, and I think it is an achieveable goal.

Since graduation I've made three short films of my own, and A.D.'d and directed projects for my friends as well. I have not sat idle and waited for Holylwood to find me.

However, in about June of this year I began to feel the itch to give up the day job in a whole new way, and knew I had to make bigger leaps towards being a full-time director. Luckily, my brother is a struggling screenwriter and he had just presented me with the script for End. I knew we had to make it, and we had to make it before our enthusiasm waned and doubts started to creep in. Making a freature length project is hard for anyone, but even harder when you don't have any form of studio to back you.

As Christopher (the writer) will attest I will not make one of his scripts just out of sibling loyalty; I will only make one of his scripts if I believe it is good, fits my sensibilities and is worthy of an audience. End is a brilliant screenplay, and will make a wonderful, frightening, tense, humerous, maddening movie.

When Christopher and I decided to move forward on the project we were worried that we would not be able to pull it off in such a short time. We need not have worried.

So quickly that we almost didn't know what to do everything began to fall in place. We have a wonderfully talented cast and crew that are just as committed and enthralled by this project as we are, and with them we are going to be able to make End the movie it deserves to be.