Wow, you guys. I can’t say this enough: 2013 was one WILD year for me. It was full of changes, challenges, and unforgettably wonderful moments. It’s easy to let a year pass by and jump straight into the next one, but I’d like to take some time and revel in all that happened in the last 12 months.
I’ll be breaking it down into a few posts because, well, so much happened. This would be a very long blog post otherwise. So this post is all about what the films I’ve been working on in 2013!
Enjoy.
Question and answer session, following the screening of “Abandoned Allies” at IMAX at Marbles in 2013. Left to right: Camden Watts, Surry Roberts, and George Shepard. Photo by John Havel.
Abandoned Allies
My first feature-length film, Abandoned Allies, was shared many times in 2013. We were lucky enough to screen it at IMAX at Marbles, Meredith College, N.C. State University, and local organizations invested in the Montagnard community.
The Q&A sessions after each screening were revealing, encouraging, and inspiring. I’ve had a fantastic time sharing the film with audiences, then hearing feedback and questions. It made me feel like one lucky filmmaker.
Speaking immediately after a screening of my film gave me a lot of confidence, too. It helped give me a much deeper understanding of the relationship between director and audience. I can’t express just how much I love the Q&As afterwards.
Since the theatrical screenings, I’ve since added Abandoned Allies to Vimeo On Demand. So now you can watch my very first film online for just $3.99! Get it here: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/allies.
“Trophy” is a short film I shot with friends in early 2013.
Trophy
The short comedy I wrote in 2012, titled Trophy, went into production in January 2013. We shot the film in one day at Busy Bee in downtown Raleigh, N.C. I wanted to experiment with making fiction films and wrote out my goals here so I would have a benchmark for success.
It was a wildly successful project. I learned a LOT about improving craft services, making movies with my friends, and how desperately I need a Sally Menke. This short film taught me so much about producing fiction films. I can’t wait to make more of them, hopefully in 2014.
Watch the finished short film Trophy here.
Shuffling release forms on set of the new documentary film during our April shoot.
New Documentary Film
Things on the new documentary film got going this year, too. We’ve had plenty of production meetings in the early part of the year, then had our first shoot day in April. Since then we’ve filmed a lot of great stuff.
It’s great to be producing and directing a new film. It has helped me realize just how much I learned while making other films. I am so in love with the process.
This may seem like a lot of vague info, but I promise you this: you’ll hear a lot more about this new documentary — especially in early 2014. I can’t wait to share all the details with you, my friends. It’s going to be fun!
Landfill Dogs: Behind the Scenes
Something that’s been very popular on my blog is the post I wrote on the photography project known as Landfill Dogs by Shannon Johnstone. I was lucky enough to spend some time with her one afternoon, watching her work and filming a little with my iPhone. I’m a big fan of her work.
Since then I’ve been cutting together the footage — using nothing but my iPhone. I hope to use the short documentary for a few things: (1) prove just how much can be documentary work can be done with a phone these days, (2) start a foundation to build support for a longer short doc on the same subject, and (3) use it as a litmus test to see if it resonates with my family/friends/fans. I’ll share that in early 2014, so stay tuned.
Camden Watts, Filmmaker
This year I even got to represent my alma mater, Meredith College, as a filmmaker (at 0:40). How cool is that? I’m totally honored!
IN CONCLUSION
You might say that 2013 has been a busy year, eh? I’ve worked on four of my own films — each one in a different stage of production. It’s been incredibly exciting to share finished work, start something new, and dream about what’s to come. I love the rhythm of producing, directing, and finishing films.
Soon enough I’ll share more about what’s happened in 2013: on this blog, in the Triangle film community, and my personal life. But I’d love to hear about your big 2013 milestones. What’d you accomplish? What do you dream of doing in 2014?