We’ve had a few days of filming this month, which has been really great. I absolutely loved it. I have a lot of thank you notes to send out.
A few people have been asking what’s next.
We may have one or two more shoot dates. There are a few things we’re considering. But the main portion of film dates are now behind us.
I’ve been going through the footage, organizing and labeling files, and starting a rough cut. It takes some time to edit a rough cut. The goal is to get the majority of the story on the timeline (in your editing program), and see where there are things missing. I want a good look at it before we do more filming.
It is easy to add shoot dates but that also adds to the cost of the film. So I constantly ask myself, “How does this serve the story we’re trying to tell?” If it doesn’t serve the story, then we need to skip it for a variety of reasons. We don’t want to chase something down unless it’s really relevant. And making those calls can be tough because docs are recording real life, which is constantly changing.
Before post-production takes off we need to raise more funds. This could be from an angel investor or crowdfunding (maybe both?). We have a lot of work to do for that fundraising: cut a new trailer, update our business plan, secure fiscal sponsorship, etc. I created a pitch deck and need to update that with what’s happened in the last month.
All while those things are happening, I’ll be working on the rough cut of the film. I have spent the past year thinking through the story and creating storyboards. So I know how I want the film to look and sound. I know each emotional beat that I want to hit and how many minutes it’ll most likely take to get there. It’s a really lovely feeling.
Once we get the rough cut, we’ll watch it and talk about it as a team. We’ll see what’s missing, where we can fill in information the audience might need. Then we get picture lock, which is where the edit is no longer changing. (In other words, the picture is locked.) We start to add music, then color correct, and mix final sound.
Somewhere in here is a rough cut screening with a private audience. We’ll share the film, gather reactions, and solicit feedback. From there, we will make minor tweaks to the film.
When the film is finished, we will submit it to film festivals. We hope it will have a lovely film festival run. We want to learn from audiences at the festivals, and engage in meaningful conversations about it along the way. Following film festivals is community screenings and (hopefully) a broadcast television premiere. Then, last but not least, is making it available to stream online.
Films take a bit of time to fund, make, and distribute. I’m so grateful that you’re all asking about it, and when you can see it. Thank you, always, for following along and encouraging me. It truly is a dream come true!