CLEARLY THERE’S SOMETHING WRONG WITH ME
I know, it’s been a few weeks since I last posted, but I assure you all it’s for good reason: I was procrastinating. True, I did fly back to Ohio, then to New Hampshire for a wedding, but the bottom line is I am a sultan of procrastination. I wrote an essay on procrastination that got me an invite to the Library of Congress in D.C.. No, really. My thesis was: DON’T PROCRASTINATE BECAUSE PEOPLE WILL THINK YOU’RE PUTTING THINGS OFF. It was compelling, if I do say so myself.

So what exactly would drive me to slack off so? I think I felt a little bit like I was letting you all down if I didn’t have something enthralling to say. It holds with my rules for this blog, one of the biggest being “I PROMISE NOT TO WRITE ABOUT WIPING MY ASS”. In other words, I don’t want to bore you with the day-to-day. I realize that the day-to-day is EXACTLY what a blog is a record of, but that point had been lost on me the last couple of weeks. Nevertheless, the black sheep has returned with a newfound purpose: TO CREATE.

NO, NOT LIKE GOD. LIKE KIRK CAMERON.
This site was intended to be an intimate discourse on film. While I don’t think it’s a failure in that department, I think we’ve strayed from one of the key objectives of me writing this and you reading this: TO MOTIVATE US. Si? So here’s what I propose: let’s make October THE MONTH WHERE IT ALL HAPPENS. If you’ve been sitting on an idea for a while, this is the month when you get it done. Brush the dust off that script! Call your buds! Set a date! I’ll do the same. Because until “Take Me Home” finds its funding once again, I’d rather have something to show for the year in waiting. Enough blogging! It’s time we made a film! If Kirk Cameron can do it (and oh man, can he!), then so can we. So let’s get to it!

SO EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENS IN “THE MONTH WHERE IT ALL HAPPENS”?
That depends on you. I am finally shooting that short film I wrote you all about back in Ohio. Now, because of actor scheduling, that won’t happen until October 30th. Which leads me to a bit of advice: give yourself as much prep time as possible. Yes, it’s a blast getting together with the gang and seeing what you can whip up, but keep in mind you’ve got a whole month (I’m discluding editing time. Just shooting something in one month is a huge task). But take the month to get it right: storyboard the whole film, study like-minded films, study how they’re lighting their actors, try replicating their style, find a good camera for a good price (to rent or buy), get your crew, get your cast, get your ass movin’! I am a firm believer in the notion that films are only as good as their pre-production.

Meanwhile, I’m going to figure out a place where we can post our shorts to share with each other. In the meantime, here are a few storyboards from my short, “Untold”. By this time next week, let’s have our shorts fully formulated and as taught as Joan Rivers face. Pass it out to a few folks you trust. Listen to their feedback, weigh it, and make any adjustments. But when Friday comes, you’ve got a rock-steady shooting script. I’m shooting for the same deadline. And we’ll take it from there. OCTOBER WON’T KNOW WHAT HIT HER!!

(Author’s note: The author would like to clarify that his last statement was in no way, shape, or form a promotion of physical violence. He would like to point out that “October” is actually a month of the year and not a former girlfriend. The author has a deep respect for all women, even the ones who set out to ruin his life like his fiancee and his mother. He thanks you in advance for your understanding on this matter.)

-Sam Jaeger

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