This year I’m working on two new short films, one of which is a scripted piece tentatively titled AK.
We shot the film over one weekend in February, with the help of a lot of talented folks. It was an incredible, unforgettable weekend. I am having withdrawal and desperately want to be on set again soon.
On the set of “AK” at Industrious Raleigh in February 2016.
The short film is now in post-production.
If you’re unfamiliar with the post process, it can seem a bit mysterious. There are many stages in post. A few of them include editing (working towards picture lock), mixing final sound, adding music or composing an original score, creating motion graphics, and finalizing end credits.
By comparison, what happens on set is pretty easy to understand. (“Oh, look. There’s a camera. Those people look like actors. That girl looks like the director. They’ll probably film this scene and run it again.”) In pre and post production, there are a lot of meetings and conversations. It’s not as easy to discern what’s happening by looking at it.
Mike Williams, Olivia Griego, and Hayley Tate on the set of “AK” in February 2016.
There’s a lot of magic that happens in post, though.
So where are we on our post-production journey?
AK is currently being edited.
Side note. It’s such a luxury to have an editor cut your film. As a director, this helps you stay focused on the story, not the minutia of each cut. Kudos to my producer for helping with that.
Three of us got together on Monday to watch the first rough cut. My producer, editor, and I watched it a couple of times together and then discussed. It was exciting.
After the first screening ended, there was silence. It’s an odd feeling. I couldn’t quite process what had happened on screen.
I felt like I should have some really great feedback to offer, but all I could do was stare.
Maybe the movie left me stunned. Maybe my mind was already fried by the previous week’s schedule of attending the Sundance workshop followed by several days at Full Frame. Maybe I needed a few days to think on it.
No matter what, I dig it.
That reaction to our own film was pretty wild. I was slack-jawed, confused, and hungry for more. My stomach turned and my palms were sweaty. It’s what I hope our audiences will feel when they watch it, too.
We’re talking about a private test screening with the cast, crew, and those who contributed to the making of the film. It could be sometime this summer or fall that we have the chance to organize such a thing. I think it would be so much fun!
Want an invitation? If you didn’t work on the film, contribute $35 or more via PayPal right here. As a thank you, I’ll make sure you get the invite to our private party whenever it’s ready. You’ll also be mentioned in the end credits of the movie. You have my word that every dollar contributed goes towards the making of the movie. We’d love to welcome you to the family.
We have a lot of work ahead of us. But it’s moving along well, thanks to the help of a lot of great people. I can’t wait to share this movie with you all.
More to come! Stay tuned.