Holy Boners

Brooklyn, New York

Are we there yet? This week I’m liquidating gear for cash. I’ve got about 12 terrabytes of projects stored on 500 gb and 1000 gb hard drives. The idea is to buy new drives with credit cards, transfer the data and sell the old drives. Gotta move my old drives anyway before Moores law erases all of their resale value. Selling all the old drives will produce roughly $2400 in cash and buying 12 TB of new drives will run about $2700, so it’s a loss of $300 not including some interest on the credit cards. I can also sell one of my two HVX-200 cameras for $4k. $6.4 k is not much, but with the right plan it might be enough.

So what might the plan be? To perform radical surgery, cut the length of the project and then perhaps hire help to share the work.

The current final cut clocks in at 26:40, a standard length for half hour broadcast programs. 26:40 is an odd length for festivals – it’s too short for a feature and too long for a short. To get into festivals, 3-5 minutes is a good length but projects over 8 minutes have a better shot at awards. 15 minutes is about max length.

Based on last week’s calculations it will take another 8 months to finish this 26:40 minute project. If the project is half as long, it will take 4 months, one quarter 2 months. I want to wrap by March which leaves almost 3 months – probably enough time to handle 8-10 minutes.

I’ve performed an experimental edit on ACT 1 which takes it from 10:15 to 1:22! It needs some context to fly – is it a flashback, a recap from a previous episode, opening credits?

I am currently exploring whether radical editing is also possible on ACT 2. So as not to get bogged down in major reconstruction, it might be best to leave ACT 2 alone. With a little exposition, ACT 1 and ACT 2, the total time is 13 minutes, certainly in the ballpark. Minus the exposition it’s 10 minutes.The current dilemma is the exposition. In previous posts we’ve documented how much effort has been spent on setting up DOG with a slew of slightly antic post apocalyptic scenes. ACT 1 is now a montage of the key moments to set up ACT 2, so it doesn’t really work to do additional setup for ACT 1 – it’s like having two introductions. Perhaps if I had 3 introductions I could use them all as alternate entry points to the story. Tying the three intros together is a whole other can of worms that might complicate our finishing plans, but having options is good.

I am going to gamble / trust that an exposition solution will present itself after the slash of ACT 1 and ACT 2 is around 8-10 minutes. With 1 or 2 more minutes of exposition, that would be just right.

Radical editing is often referred to as killing your babies, because there’s been so much love and sweat involved in creating the work that get’s cut. I’ll be exercising the holographic approach for DOG – the essence of the story is present in every little fragment. Whatever remains contains all, nothing dies. Not that I’ve got anything against dead babies, where would Trainspotting have been without ‘em?

Been getting words of encouragement from y’all. Much thanks for the ongoing attention and support.

DK

Brooklyn, New York

When last we tangled with the narrative of self proclaimed film maker Dan Kelly, he had reached a terrible realization. Based on the most recent completion estimate, the project DOG is far from wrapping up, au contraire. As if enacting some archetypal tableau, Dan confronts yet another mountain, a mountain upon a mountain upon a mountain. With head back and mouth agape, he goggles at a distant summit obscured by swirling wraiths of mist. Perhaps no summit at all, perhaps merely a plateau above the clouds, a lifeless, wind ripped, bitter cold shelf. Upon that false summit another mountain spiking the very stars, still to climb.

Since last week I’ve been baking on what to do. It’s time to clarify through consideration, to identify my desires and then make a Dan Kelly miracle. Let’s begin.

I like this project. More specifically, I like what this project could become given enough effort and attention. I can see what it could be.

In spite of the horrific software miasma and day upon day stuck in my apartment, I like working on it. It feels like great puzzle chunks falling into place, not only regarding the technical post production details but big picture stuff like how to save the planet.

On the other hand, I am spending way too much time in my apartment. Though I am up at 7:00 am or so every morning, the day seems to last about 3 hours. Weeks go by like days and months like weeks. It’s a very abstract existence, not my ideal life.

In the end, DOG has to make it to festivals. It’s got to place. I can live without reinforcement, but kudos are key for future projects – fundraising, resources, talent, collaborators. The last 3.5 years of effort must result in something more than hard lessons.

I am ready to move on. I’d like to start testing new ideas. I’d like to write new scripts. There will certainly be a transition time for documenting this project and of course on-going marketing. It would be fantastic to be on to other things by March 2009.

Are you experiencing a see-saw effect?

Any given project can only have 2 of 3 possible qualities – fast, cheap and good. If quality is a given and time is now a limiting factor, then I’ve either got to spend money that I don’t have or make the job smaller.

Spending money is about hiring help – specifically roto and motion graphics freelancers at $50/hr. Since I don’t have cash on hand I’d use credit cards to buy gear and sell it for the cash – cheaper than cash advances. I’ve got about 20k available.

Making the job smaller means hacking away at vision, lopping off great chunks of content. More than trimming, think amputation.

So, as Trevor would say – it’s time for big boy decisions. It’s all very exciting suddenly, a crazy ass plan is forming in my mind. Back in 2004, I was asked to edit another guy’s first movie. I remember seeing all the catastrophic problems in his awful rough cut – wild sound, wild light, mis-matched shots, continuity from hell – and getting excited. Could I fix this movie? Could I make it work? It was an impossible job, perfect for me.

I’m back there again. An impossible job – finish a festival worthy movie in January. Exciting! Can anyone guess how I am going to do this?

Dan Kelly