Expecting the Unexpected.

It's good to actually be sitting down and writing again.

Since the inception of "Our Story" this February and when pre-production started in April, I have had very little time to write anything, save for the production diary. That is indeed what I am claiming to have written tonight, but even it has fallen by the wayside as my muse is crushed under the weight of this behemoth. A wave of coursework doesn't help either, nor does a sense of responsibility.

Ironically, I have not had much time to edit my baby, either. Currently I have around nine total minutes of the film cut together. One two minute-or-so sequence will need to be recut due to the reshooting of some of its scenes. However, it is a comfort to me that the current cut has gotten a stellar reception so far, and not necessarily just from Zaque and Daniel; we have had people outside the project watch several scenes, and the response has been very warm. I am always reluctant to judge my own material, but I believe in this case I can safely say that "Our Story" is going to be very good.

I think I am going to make a return to prose after "Our Story" is completed, and begin work on a novel I have been stewing over in my head for about as long as this movie. I'm considering rewriting "Too Human," but that is far in the future and will play second fiddle to the novel, I hope. Prose is my first love, and our reunion should give me a better perspective on different kinds of writing. It's also very different in tone from "Our Story," which explores most of the same themes as nearly everything I've produced over the past two years as a writer.

So I suppose now, seeing as how this ride is finally slowing down*, is a good time for reflection.

It says something about the quality of our planning that exactly one mistake was made in the filming of "Our Story," and that it will not show in the final product. The footage we have is completely faithful to the script. All the lines are in there, including a few extra. Every scene went generally as planned, with a decent amount of coverage in terms of cinematography. A couple sequences have proved a bit difficult to edit, particularly the finale, because of their dependence on music.

I know that sounds ridiculous, but you have to imagine my fear about "Our Story" after the Apocalypse Now-style shoot of "Stalin and Hitler." That film was the epitome of a grand vision that failed to be due to lack of foresight...much like my much-lamented "Too Human." Because of how near and dear "Our Story" is to my heart, it was a relief to see that it actually went well and was reasonably organized the entire time.

Know what's funny though? In some ways it didn't, and this will probably change the way I write forever.

I have discovered during the production of "Our Story" that everything changes once you're on set with a camera in your hand. When you see your words playing out before your eyes, a curious thing happens: change. This sounds odd seeing as how I said everything remained faithful to the script, which it did...but the spirit of the words changed. Footage was recorded from angles the storyboards did not dictate. And why?

The real question is, "Who cares why?"

In the future, when I write for the screen, I will learn to leave a bit more leniency in my script. No matter how much time you spend poring over your script, and your ideas, and letting them soak into your brain, you are never fully prepared and you will never be fully prepared. "Our Story" has taught me that you cannot have an exact or definitive vision, because exact and definitive visions never come out exact and definitive. The filmmaking process is a morphing, shifting animal that you attempt to tame as you go along.

The things we don't expect are usually the ones that make the biggest difference.

Making a difference,

-JD

*at least until marketing and promotion begin...

Production: Day Two.

Guys...I think we've created a monster.

Today was an even better day than Saturday for filming. I can't reveal much without spoiling the plot for you, but let's just say that, in the words of the protagonist: "Man...there's not a dry eye in the house right now."

I'm keeping this entry reasonably short. I'm going to try avoid rambling over my incredible actors, talented crew, or the script that I'm so proud I can say that I wrote. I'm going to avoid long-winded technical discussions. I'm going to avoid talking about how I might have almost teared up behind the camera while our actors teared up for real, or how Lily and Nathan are so insufferably cute that seeing them get angry at each other on screen breaks my heart.

Instead I'm going to sum it all up with a single line: we're making something truly beautiful.

I will, however, offer a few amusing anecdotes about production.

Something that separated today from Saturday was how streamlined everything was. There were almost no technical challenges, and those that were there were overcome with ease. We shot FOUR scenes with the helmet cam today, and even got one of them in a single shot! It's obvious Lily and Nathan were much more aware of the special considerations you have to make when shooting with the device, and our tech assistants (namely Greyson and Timothy) are also learning better how to "spot" the device. "Spotting" the cam is a great trick we discovered today where one person hovers behind Nathan while he's wearing the device, holding and helping Lily guide the camera.

We also got to use the Steadycam a lot today, which I was really excited about. Poor Nathan ran so much I thought he was going to die. Nearly every member of the crew got to make a cameo today too!

There aren't really any words that can express how happy I am right now. This film is coming together perfectly. In fact, if a particular tear-jerking scene today is any indication, I think it may actually be going beyond anything I had planned for.

What does the future hold for "Our Story?" I don't know, but no matter what, I think it proves something: we friggin' love making movies. And we might be pretty good at it.

New greatest day of my life,
-JD

Principal Photography: ~80%
Video Editing: ~10%
Audio Mastering: 0%

P.S.: Here, have some pictures!

Production: Day One.

Today at 8:15am, the movie I have wanted to make for five years officially started filming. And for once, nearly everything went exactly the way it should have.

Well, almost. We didn't get everything done we wanted to today, but damn, did we get some beautiful work done.

It was pretty obvious as soon as we left campus for filming that we were probably going to run late. And we did; we were roughly an hour behind schedule the entire day. Thankfully our first scene was not that difficult; it is footage for a montage later in the film, intercutting between two locations during a monologue. We whipped out the Steadycam for it and the footage looks absolutely amazing; too bad I can't show you guys...

In case you missed the Facebook updates, our camera did not come back on time as Sony had promised. However, Nathan knew a guy named Grayson Murphy who just happened to own exactly the same camera we normally use. I met with him yesterday and he's an awesome guy: funny, creative, laid-back, and enthusiastic. He was glad to let us use his camera for the shooting this weekend while Sony takes their sweet time, despite having never read the script before or even knowing anything about the project. He and his girlfriend were on set all day, holding out through long rehearsals, acting exercises, and technical setups. Grayson really helped out with our equipment and technical issues too...I can see him being a great working partner in the future.

Speaking of rough times on set, there was a particularly difficult shot today that we NAILED. It is a first-person sequence done entirely with the helmet cam that runs for around a minute. It took us fourteen takes and three hours just to get this one shot. We were all frustrated, hungry, and dehydrated, but then that last take came...and it was money. Pure money.

I must also speak of Daniel and Zaque. These guys communicate to actors in a way I cannot understand. I don't want to spoil too many details, but let's just say they work as translators for what I can't express in words. There were some incredibly intense moments on set, to say the least.

Our grip roles today were primarily filled by associate producer Melissa Raver and film clubber Timothy Snyder, who was happy to lend his hands and his pickup truck for transportation. Grayson's girlfriend Sophia was also pretty boss.

I unfortunately don't have any access to the production photos we took today, but I can instead offer some snapshots of the most beautiful footage we got today. Note that these are all spoiler free.






















































The second day of production is this Monday, September 6th. The schedule says we're going to start at 9:15am, but we'll see how it goes once we actually get on set.

Greatest day of my life,
-JD.

Principal Photography: ~15%
Video Editing: ~2%
Audio Mastering: 0%

And From the Darkness, Light.

It's been too long. There is so much to say, and words are so weak.

My life is generally free from crisis. However yesterday, I experienced one: our camera, a Sony HDR-SR11, decided to break. It displayed an error code E:62:02 and all footage it records looks something like this:













We immediately contacted Sony Customer Support, and our baby is currently en route to Texas for emergency surgery.

I feel like I need to talk about how wonderful Sony is.

I called them today distressed, frustrated, and trying very hard to keep myself calm. The only thing on my mind since yesterday morning when those dastardly green and pink bands decided to enter my life has been this: Our Story is going to be delayed. There will not be enough time. The repairs will take weeks. Did I eat at Wendy's TWICE yesterday?

My concerns were eased. In less than 30 minutes, I was told that their Laredo Repair Center would, at no additional cost to us, give us priority repair and shipping. Even better, it'll be back next week. YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH












This, ladies and gentlemen, is customer service at its finest.

Now that we can move onto happier things, I can say that production is still going swimmingly. Yesterday Zaque, Daniel, leading girl Lily, and doc crew leader Nathan came with me to the Blue Ridge Parkway to get the scoop on some of our locations. The first pieces of documentary footage were filmed (also on a Sony camera!), and I took some extra time to get Lily familiar with some of our more complex tracking shots.

The first day of shooting is still September 5th. Our day begins at 8AM and will run until 5PM. Storyboards are nearing completion, and the shooting schedule is also becoming solid. The only obstacles I can foresee now are the rain storms that like to come in for short periods of time and dump their crap all over Watauga County and the surrounding areas.

Honestly, this may be the last blog entry until production day. "Our Story" is entering crunch mode now, where doing is more important than talking about doing.

If there is relevant information, however, I will definitely share it with you all.

See you on the other side,
-JD

Script: 100% since 2/09
Cast: 100%
Crew: 100%
Camera Supplies: 75%
Storyboards: 83% (updated)
Definitive Shooting Schedule: 50%
Movement Rehearsals: ~10%
Locations/Permissions: ~90%

Testing Testing.

Final verdict? I rule.

Obviously,
-JD











There are no updates for the Pre-Productive Organs today.

Why Hello, Dolly.

Ladies and gentlemen.

















This is the finished camera dolly and track that will be used in "Our Story." It was constructed of materials bought entirely at Lowe's Hardware for $44.88. This will allow for smooth panning shots and to keep the movie from feeling too static.

Now before I move onto the construction process, how exactly does this thing work? Basically, mounted on the bottom are four casters. These are like those wheels on office chairs. They grip the sides of the PVC pipe track, which is loosely mounted on wood planks like a railroad, and travel VERY smoothly along it. The results are pretty impressive, it seems...it was unfortunately too dark to record with my camera when construction was finished, so no true test footage is available yet.

Many homemade dollies use skateboard wheels mounted on a similar plywood sheet. Some use a thicker sheet that allows you to stand on it; however, this is rather unnecessary for my purposes. The cost of skateboard wheels tends to get a little high, and they are also hard to find...so after viewing this video on YouTube, I decided to go with casters, as they are much cheaper and easier to find.

On to the construction!

Materials List
- 1 4x4 sheet of plywood
- 4 2x4x6 wooden planks
- 4 dual-wheel casters
- 2 10' PVC Pipes, 3/4 inch in diameter
- 4 3/4 inch PVC endcaps
- 24 8x1 flat Phillips screws
- 8 10x3 flat Phillips screws
- A tape measure, yardstick, or something similar
- A powered drill
- A hammer
- A marker.


















Note that this is not the exact set of materials I used; I had to improvise later in the design. However in order to replicate it well, these are the materials you SHOULD use. Also, Lowes will cut the wood for free!

I started off by marking the spots for the casters. Each caster is attached to a plate with holes for screws; the centers of these holes are exactly 1 inch apart from each other.

















In order to give the platform stability yet also secure the casters, I opted to place them six inches in. I measured 6 inches from both sides, then six inches up, and drew a marker where they intersected. From this marker I measured half an inch out on either side to form a window-like shape as a guide for attaching the caster. It looks something like this:

















I did this for all four corners of the plywood where the wheels are attached, then I just flipped the board over and screwed them on with the drill. I found it was much easier after knocking them in a bit with a hammer. The beauty here is that it's possible to undo them with a screwdriver, allowing for easy maintenance when the casters become worn.

One minor problem with this: screws are pointy, so you have to be careful when picking it up. Ouch!


































I did a test mount on the track and surprise, it works! It actually runs great on just the pipes, but they do tend to slip a bit. This would also cause problems in grass that may get caught in the caster wheels, so I elevated them on wooden planks, like a railroad track. Screws on the sides hold the pipes when they begin shifting from side to side as you move the dolly down the track. There are four per plank, two on each side for each pipe.

















This did not work as well as I had originally intended. While I lined up the tracks exactly with marker (you can still see this on the finished product), getting the screws to be the same everywhere was quite difficult. I also did not give them enough leeway, so the pipe would often get bent snaking in between them instead of being able to comfortably move back and forth. This would cause the casters to derail. I spent around an hour shifting screws around, trying to find a design that would keep this from happening yet still lock the track down pretty tight. Eventually I had to compromise, and the planks are laid out in a such a way that they are not even all the way down the track.

In order to secure the pipe, I used long screws at the end that catch the sides of the PVC endcap. In the middle, smaller screws block the pipe track when it shifts from side to side, stabilizing the shot. Occasionally, there is a slight jerk in the middle of the track; however, this does not happen often, and usually only at higher speeds.

















Here is a better look at how those screws secure the pipe. You'll also notice in this picture that the track is bent; usually, as the dolly moves, the track naturally flattens out because of the weight of the plywood being concentrated on the wheels.

















Something cool I managed: a handle of sorts, totally screwless! I found an old busted garden hose we had laying around, and detached the swiveling head from it. It has a hook-like structure at the top that works perfectly for tugging the dolly with minimal backbreaking. Turn it around to the other side, and it can also push the platform very well.

I also installed a new wiper motor in my car today. Manliest day ever? Possibly.


















Grrr,
-JD

Script: 100% since 2/09
Cast: 100%
Crew: 100%
Camera Supplies: 75% (updated)
Storyboards: 66%
Definitive Shooting Schedule: ~7% (will be completed in one night upon returning to school)
Movement Rehearsals: 0%
Locations/Permissions: ~75%

In Which I Emerge From Oblivion.

Here is a rundown of the last week:

1. Work.
2. Fix car to prepare for inspection deadline.
3. Work.
4. Fix car to prepare for inspection deadline.
5. Actually get out for once.

Here is my rundown for the next week and a half:

1. Breathe.
2. Work.
3. Work.
4. Get car inspected.
5. Build camera dolly.
6. School.

Unfortunately, Our Diary hasn't factored into my time much lately. What with pressing responsibilities and that ever-present need for money, I haven't had proper time to dedicate to the blog in nearly a week, and even longer for dedicating time to the storyboards, which are still at 66%. There is, however, light in the darkness:

- The camera dolly is going to be built in stages over the next few days, during my free moments. Possibly even Saturday, for real this time. However, I do need to fix the wipers on my car in order to pass inspection, so that's first priority.

- The helmet cam shall undergo the same treatment. However, I may wait until school since the camera is not in my possession at this time.

- Upon returning to school, I vow to complete at least one scene in the storyboards every two nights.

- "Our Story" is still scheduled to commence shooting on September 5th, 2009.

Still pumped,
-JD

Much to my dismay, there are no updates for the Pre-Productive Organs today.

Ebbing and Flowing.

A few days ago I mentioned building a camera dolly for this project.

For the uninitiated, a camera dolly is essentially a platform with wheels that you can sit a tripod on and roll the camera. However, I am going to take this a step further with a dolly track for this project. The track has several advantages over a standard dolly, the most obvious being that it...well, being a track, it will probably move in one direction. This also means that, because of the track, it can be setup on grass and other rough surfaces. It allows for very smooth, very fluid pullouts, pullins, and pans.

The typical low budget homemade dolly track is constructed of PVC pipe and skateboard wheels, and looks something like this:






















Why is the Steadycam not applicable to this purpose? The Steadycam, for one, does not provide the smoothness or ease of use of a dolly track. It is more meant for tracking shots, where the camera follows someone around for an extended period of time and requires greater freedom of movement. The particular one we're using for this project, as I have mentioned, has the inverter bracket that is required for a key shot in the film.

So now I have explained what the dolly is for. But, if I may indulge, what is it...for?

There is a problem with stillness in film, especially low budget projects like ours. The nature of film as a medium is that it is not simply a set where things happen and we see it; it is about the way that we see these things happen. The best script in the world with scenes that bring you to tears with laughter or knock you to your knees in awe means absolutely nothing if you don't present it in a way that complements those words. Beauty requires beauty, and skill requires skill. The best films know how to balance this.

"Our Story" is a quiet, but fast-moving narrative. Therefore, many of the shots will have a gradual, subtle motion to them, frequently on the dolly. I call this "gentle kinetics," though I'm sure there's a term coined by directors who know far more than me and have master's degrees from UCLA.

I'm actually known at No Budget for my love of fast-moving handheld shots. You can see this in "Clocks" and in the fight scene at the end of "Stalin and Hitler: The Motion Picture," both of which were entirely shot by me. The rest of the group does typically prefer tripod shots, and this is not necessarily a bad thing. The problem with using frequent still shots, even with cuts, is that your film is static. The motion of the film needs to ebb and curve and balance and pool and overflow over mountaintops.

Granted, a lot of the work we've had thus far has lacked the emotional complexity of "Our Story." This is not a boastful statement; we made a comedy about dictators peeing on people and singing. Dramatic material has simply not been a part of our repertoire thus far. Therefore, exposition is perhaps less important in the comedy format, which is why the need for special devices like the dolly and steadycam hasn't really existed thus far in our 1.5-year existence.

"Our Story," however, will also have a great deal of still shots. They are good for providing exactly what stillness does: tension. Stasis, waiting, anticipation. Dolly shots keep the action from getting stale, and the full-blown high-speed shots are when the script is exploding with power and emotional intensity, when it is at its absolute rawest.

Of course, there's still no formula for this, much like for the writing process. In the end, you have to do what feels good. Stephen King said the problem with a lot of writers is that they write bullshit. Quite simply, they don't truly know what they write. Perhaps I should approach the camera in the same way?

Hmmm,
-JD

There are no updates for the Pre-Productive Organs today.

It's All In Your Head.

Today, I found the greatest thing that I've ever seen in my life.



This is a helmet-cam, used for first-person sequences in "Our Story." These sequences serve a particular spoileriffic purpose in the film that I will not reveal, and I've been trying to figure out a way to do them for months. The Steadycam is not practical for this purpose because, since it requires hands to hold it, the shot looks more like a still camera and less like someone's view from their eyes. It is being used for other shots, but it simply does not accomplish the job of first-person shots.

You cannot possibly imagine how relieved I am to have found this video. I've thought of all kinds of designs for this thing, with velcro straps, counterweights, and all kinds of crap...and now, it is remedied. I will be constructing this by the end of the week. Since I'm hopefully setting aside Saturday to construct the camera dolly, this will also fit nicely into my schedule. I plan on using styrofoam for the final product, but for testing purposes I'll probably use a towel or newspaper like in the video. Weight may be added as well for extra stability.

Sweet, sweet victory.

Veni, vidi, something,
-JD

There are no updates for the Pre-Productive Organs today.

EDIT: To make this an even better day, I found a tripod in my basement that my mom has had since the 80s. Even cooler? It is still like new and has the smoothest pan of any tripod I've ever used, even with the No Budget crew.

Rock Steady, Part Deux.

Had some more fun with the Steadycam today in a nearby graveyard. However, until I am able to test with a REAL camera, I can't see what this thing is truly capable of. I tried using my friend's ancient MiniDV camera, but it seems that the thing decided to not work anymore after only a few runs, and we can't figure out why.

You see, a problem with my current configuration is that the camera I'm using probably doesn't even weigh half a pound. The counterweight on the steadycam weighs around 5 pounds. Therefore, it creates a severe imbalance when I'm holding the device aloft with the camera on top, causing shakiness. Thankfully, the HDR-SR11 weighs around a pound and a half, so the weight will be balanced a little more. Since I plan on purchasing the NP-FH100 battery for the camera, that's going to make it even heavier.

Before his camera decided to poop out, Brandon (the aforementioned friend) suggest I purchase a nice stack of washers to place on top of the camera mount, which gives the camera some additional support. It seems to work a little bit, but again, I won't be able to tell for sure until I have our REAL camera to test it on.

Anyway, some more footage I collected today.



Animals hate me,
-JD

There are no updates for the Pre-Productive Organs today.

Rock Steady.

A little something special came in the post yesterday.


















This is the Poor Man's Steadycam, designed by Mr. Johnny Chung Lee. It's a device that allows for image stabilization, reducing the "shakey" look that handheld shots usually have.

Steadycams have been around for quite some time, but they are VERY complex devices and typically cost tens of thousands of dollars. They're used quite frequently in major motion pictures; a very good example is the tracking shot in "Children of Men" where the camera follows Theo through the refugee camp for nearly 10 minutes as a huge battle is going on.

This one, however, is MUCH smaller, MUCH less complex, and achieves somewhat decent results for only costing $55. It fits just about any consumer or pro-sumer camera, including our very own Sony HDR-SR11. Larger cameras such as the Canon XL series will work with it provided you install a sled on the top to fit it. You can make it yourself for around $14, or you can buy it preassembled with an inverter bracket for around $50. I opted to just go ahead and purchase it, as I lack some of the tools required and wanted to keep "labor rage" to a minimum.

This one works very simply: the counterweight on the end of the device keeps the camera from shaking as much. Additional stability is provided by the handle, which you grasp during use.

















This particular steadycam has a distinctively cool feature - and one that convinced me to purchase it - that sets it apart: the device can be easily disassembled for many configurations, including one that lets you hold the camera inches above the ground for an extremely smooth, kinetic running shot. It looks great.

So how DOES it work? Pretty well, but it doesn't perform miracles. Using the steadycam requires a special sort of walk that is difficult to perfect, especially on uneven surfaces. However, when you keep yourself steady too, the extra stabilization the device offers is truly remarkable for only fifty bucks! See for yourself below:



Some things to know about this video:

- These runs were all completely unrehearsed.

- During the running sequences, there was no extra support used; the camera swung freely on the device.

- This is very, VERY poor quality video, recorded on a CyberShot still camera, a model released around 2002. Obviously, "Our Story" is being filmed on a much nicer high-definition camera.

I may have some better quality video coming later in the week from a friend's MiniDV camera.

Cheers!
-JD

Script: 100% since 2/09
Cast: 100%
Crew: 100%
Camera Supplies: 50% (updated)
Storyboards: 66%
Definitive Shooting Schedule: ~7%
Movement Rehearsals: 0%
Locations/Permissions: ~75%
Green Screen Construction: 0%

A Bit Of Inspiration.

I use the term blood, sweat, and tears a lot.

We've been over the blood: what the story is about. We're going through the sweat right now: this is going to be a huge undertaking for me. However, where are the tears? I mention all the time how incredibly personal "Our Story" is as a film, and I think until it is made, it will be difficult for many people to understand what I'm saying.

I write things inspired by my life all the time, as I think just about any writer does. Even the weird fantasy stuff that I do has people I've met, or ideas about the world that I've came upon through living in the land of the real. However, "Our Story" is possibly the first thing I've ever written that isn't afraid to go verbatim.

I've wanted to do several blogs about music I listened to during the writing of "Our Story." Purposefully choosing music is a practice I frequently employ to help me nail the mood of a scene. However, because "Our Story" and this album are so similar, and I've also wanted to write about why this film is so personal to me, I figured I should combine them.

I am not comparable to the genius of Rivers Cuomo. However, I feel that "Our Story" is my "Pinkerton."






















Weezer's "Pinkerton" is the black sheep of their discography. It is also one of the single best albums ever, and an enormously intimate, almost frighteningly close portrait of an awkward and afraid young man. Weezer's music took a turn for the darker for this album to match Cuomo's entry-in-my-diary-in-hell lyrics. I feel like the album also shares a major theme with "Our Story" in that many of the songs involve obsession and desperation leading to Cuomo creating stories for himself, versions of things he wishes could happen, but that inside his aching heart, he knows won't.

Here's an excerpt from "Across the Sea:"

I wonder what clothes you wear to school
I wonder how you decorate your room
I wonder how you touch yourself
And curse myself for being across the sea

Why are you so far away from me?
I need help and you're way across the sea
I could never touch you
I think it would be wrong
I've got your letter
You've got my song.

A lot of people would call those lyrics "emo." Some would call them the ramblings of an incredible wuss. The thing about these lyrics is that, unlike many similar longing love songs, they are incredibly candid. There is nothing hidden, nothing obscured behind unnecessary poetry or metaphor. It is a confessional booth where you are the priest, sworn to secrecy to take these fears from a man who is ashamed of the pathetic creature he is and wants so badly to let people know he has changed, that he's sane, that everything he's feeling was just a phase and an illusion.

For this reason, "Pinkerton" got heavy play during the writing of "Our Story." The album showed me what kind of beauty you could create when you aren't afraid to get down to the nitty gritty, and the things you're most ashamed of.

So...whoa. Hold on. Does "Our Story" really get that intimate?

Not quite; there are no scenes of imagined masturbation in this film. However, as "El Scorcho" and "Tired of Sex" are on Pinkerton, "Our Story" is, in many ways, a true story. It draws bits and pieces from countless real people of both genders for the characters and some of the events in the film. However, the big pieces are inspired by one girl in particular, whose name shall remain anonymous, as it is not necessary.

The year 2004. I'm a sophomore in high school, and I'm still a kid. My world is half reality and half story. I still do nothing but play video games in my spare time, huge ones, vast ones, ones with worlds I can lose myself in because, quite frankly, a lot of the real world bores me. I'm unconfident, unsure of myself, and trying to establish an identity when, in reality, I already have one that I'm too immature to embrace.

A beautiful girl, the most beautiful girl I've ever seen, comes up to me at a football game where I'm bored. She flirts with me. I don't know what to do. I'm in love. She's not like the other girls; as I relate in "Our Story," she was beautiful because of "her own light, her own aura, her own radiance of ubiquity." She is totally into me. I'm clueless and nervous as hell, but I think, for some reason, that I might have just proven the rule of first sight to be true.

The next day, I play video games to distract myself because I'm afraid to call her. Eventually, I do. We talk for three hours. This happens repeatedly.

Two weeks later, she gets a boyfriend. I wonder why.

Five years later, I know exactly why: I tried too hard. I made up my mind about how things were going to go, and when they didn't, I found myself crying quietly and muttering "Why can't she see how beautiful we are?" We wouldn't be that extraordinary. She is still special to me, but she isn't special. I failed to see that there were the proverbial other fish, and began to live inside this story off and on, mostly on, for two and a half years.

Eventually, I changed. I came out of my shell and learned a critical life lesson: stop worrying so much. Stop thinking so much, stop caring so much, and don't just play the hand you're dealt, enjoy the hand you're dealt. It was then that I was ready to face the person I used to be and, maybe, call myself a man for once. I had grown up finally, and learned to live in the real world while enjoying the ones I explored as a child. The roots were tired and old, but now the tree had begun to sprout and was basking in sunlight, ready to grow all the way to the clouds...or at least as far as the other trees in the forest would let it go.

"Our Story" was written for many reasons. For one, I feel like there aren't enough films about unrequited love, at least that try to truly explore it as their primary goal. I hear "Chasing Amy" is really good but, despite my love of Kevin Smith, I still haven't seen it. But, like Cuomo says "Pinkerton" was for him, it was cathartic.

Looking back as an adult, or at least something like it, on the life I lived trying to grow up, I knew I had a story to tell that I'm sure many other people were way too comfortable with. I heard once that the greatest stories are the ones we already know, and I sincerely hope "Our Story" is one of those.

However, I can't help but worry a little bit. Cuomo has said before that he hates "Pinkerton." He compares it to getting drunk and telling all your friends your deepest secrets, then waking up the next morning and feeling as if life is going to be awkward forever. Will it be the same for me? I don't think so. There are still moments in "Our Story" that I've held back. Will it be uncomfortable?

Yes. But that's expected.

-JD

There are no updates for the Pre-Productive Organs today.

Extra, Extra.

Small update for today.

Nathan Gould has begun his own production blog for the making of documentary he's heading up about "Our Story." This documentary has absolutely zero involvement from me in terms of how they wish to portray me, the film, or the production process, and should be able to succeed on its own as a portrait of young people making a film. You can read the first entry here.

Also, I found the time to do some storyboards today! Here is the requisite Pre-Productive Organs update.

Script: 100% since 2/09
Cast: 100%
Crew: 100%
Camera Supplies: 25%
Storyboards: 66%
Definitive Shooting Schedule: ~7%
Movement Rehearsals: 0%
Locations/Permissions: ~75%
Green Screen Construction: 0%

My life for Aiur,
-JD

Meet Our Second Producer: Zaque Smith.

Bad news first: no storyboards today. They will happen tomorrow, over coffee, as planned. Three pretty cool things though:

1. Up above you is the new title card for The Broumvirate, a "subdivision" of No Budget Productions, given credit because it is the sector of No Budget that is the primary driving force behind "Our Story." Unlike most subdivisions, this one is not called "Windy Acres" or "Falling Creek" or something similar.

2. Daniel Dockery, a producer for "Our Story," has started a production diary for his own film "Eyes on Me" that I had the privilege of helping him write. I will be producing it as well as playing a small role. I highly recommend you view the blog and subscribe to/bookmark it, as we're all very excited about the project.

3. Payday is tomorrow, so I will be putting in an order for a Poor Man's Steadycam (I would build it myself, but I don't have a table vise). When it arrives, I want to try and borrow a buddy's camera and give it a test run on the thing to see how it performs.

Anyway, on with the show.













In many ways, me and Zaque (pronounce it Zach or Za-kay, he won't care) are the same person, both personally and in terms of how we write.

Thankfully, there's enough difference there to create both an interesting friendship and an interesting creative partnership.

I first hooked up with Zaque, no homo bro, through the Appalachian State Filmmaker's Association. Our first big project together was, as you can see above, the "Stalin and Hitler" series. However, we soon realized that we both don't just dig comedy; we love writing. We love the creative process, and the complications behind it, and the heart and the hard work and the blood sweat and tears that goes into truly creating something. This, not dick jokes, is how me and Zaque clicked. To this day we'll still have conversations about films and books and not just say "Dude, that was awesome," but rather, try to go deeper.

At least as deep as we can as amateurs.

This came in particular handy when we filmed "Too Human," the first script of mine ever filmed that, due to my overambition, ended up being very embarrassing. The movie still exists on my hard drive, but it has been technically disowned by me. Zaque did a great job, considering he usually plays really outlandish roles: he was somber, poignant, and truly morose, as most people are when facing the zombie apocalypse. However, the film collapsed under that very same premise...difficult to portray in the way I attempted to for around $0.















Zaque writes very weird stuff. Extremely dark gallows humor, extensive allegories, and characters with mysterious motivations. Essentially, he's a vulgar Samuel Beckett. However, despite all this, he still has a great knowledge of what goes into a traditional story, and was able to put this knowledge to great use after the horrendous premiere of "Too Human" and to help quell my shame.

See, "Too Human" was filmed in a sort of flashback context, in which a survivor of the zombie apocalypse narrates his meditations on history, humanity, and loneliness. At the end of the film, he decides to let the zombies take him in what is supposed to be a sort of existential metaphor for falling into the forgotten depths of human history. It was hard to watch for several reasons, namely the awful special effects whenever we actually see the zombies. In the original script, they were not supposed to be seen; however, I ended up trying it because I was overambitious and way too confident.

Zaque, after the disastrous showing, suggested to me that if he were to reshoot it, he would expand upon the "flashback" aspect by showing the survivor speaking into a camcorder during some of his monologues instead of simply wandering around like I showed him. Zaque, unlike me, seemed to realize that shots of campus as a deserted place, on our budget, do not resonate well with people who live there. He also reassured me by saying that, yes, the idea was good, and that I wasn't stupid, and that the movie simply failed because I thought I could do too much with the idea...and I knew he was right. This kind of grounded, level-headed thinking is coming from a guy who wrote a play where people sit on a couch and spout dick jokes and end up getting killed by someone's mom...and it's all supposed to be a symbol.

Yet, he possesses that much common sense.
















Zaque also really recognizes heart in stories too, and if there's one thing I can brag about with "Our Story," it's that it definitely comes from there. This, I think is why Zaque said he loved the script so much: he appreciates that facet of the film, that I tried to make it real, and that I tried to be sure it contained as few cliches as possible. Considering the things that come out of this guy's head, I'm guessing he somewhat values originality.

Zaque's enthusiasm is also a valuable asset for us. Daniel once compared him to Jay-Z: the guy is just friggin' everywhere. Writing, producing, collaborating, and generally lending a helping hand wherever he can, Zaque is always onboard for everything we do at full force.

In addition to this, Zaque also brings forth a large amout of technical knowledge to the project. He is one of around three people in the ever-expanding No Budget fold that actually knows how to edit and is really good at it (seriously, you should have seen what he had to work with in "Stalin and Hitler," the guy's a beast!) I will be editing "Our Story" on my computer in Premiere CS4, but I know if I run into trouble or need help making a tough call on a cut, I can just call up Zaque and he'll be willing to try and help. Thankfully, he also knows a LOT more about lighting than I do.

So there is Zaque, the man behind the moustache. I would love for him to adapt "Our Story" as a symbolic story of fishes eating palm trees in the Antarctic.

Just kidding, that's a horrible idea. And he knows it.

No idea what I'm talking about,
-JD

There are no updates for the Pre-Productive Organs today.

Sound / Miscellaneous Technical Jibberish.

You know what I did tonight? I got good sushi. My favorite sushi restaurant in High Point closed down a few months ago, much to my dismay. However, I found out their chef opened a NEW place, that is even nicer with even fresher fish. Ahhhhhh.

I went with my friend Brandon, who helped me work on "Bloom" way back in high school. We discussed "Our Story" over mackerel sashimi and it eventually turned into technical talk, discussing his new Blu-ray player, surround system, and other miscellaneous nerdspeak.

However, it got me thinking. Therefore, tonight I will discuss some of the more technical aspects of "Our Story" as a film as well as discuss the possibility of shooting in 5.1 surround sound.















Meet our camera: the Sony HDR-SR11.

Melissa, one of the producers for "Our Story," acquired it through a scholarship this past fall. It is worth around $1,200. We've used it to film several of our major projects, including "Stalin and Hitler: The Motion Picture," "Clocks," and "Pay Your Dues." The camera is perfect for filmmakers of our budget and skill level. It is extremely lightweight and easy to use thanks to its hard drive-based recording, yet has features powerful enough to create better-than-amateur shots such as simulated depth of field, highly adjustable white balance, and - most importantly of all - the ability to record true high-definition video.

For those of you unfamiliar with the technical stuff behind HD, it is essentially the ability to record a bigger and clearer picture. Standard widescreen cameras, such as the tape recorders you find at Wal-Mart, record at 720x480. This one, however, records at a MUCH higher resolution of 1920x1080. Perhaps the sole weakness of the HDR-SR11 is that it records in what is called interlaced mode.

Think of how film works. It displays a lot of pictures really, really fast. This camera, however, displays a bunch of lines really fast. The result of this is a picture that sometimes shows what looks like "tearing" when there is fast moving action. It's not all bad news though: the editing software I use has a feature called "deinterlacing." This process removes these lines by blending them together. The result is not perfect, but it generally makes the picture look far better. Another trick we use to get this camera to look more like one of those Hollywood film cameras is by slowing the framerate down from 30 frames per second to 23.976 frames per second. For a great example of this process, check out the fight scene at the end of "Stalin and Hitler: The Motion Picture." Considering it was shot on this camera, it looks remarkably like film. This process is going to be used for "Our Story" as well.

The camera has a distinctive feature that we rarely use: a 5.1 microphone. Typically, we use the included shotgun microphone because its range is stronger towards the front of the camera where, naturally, the action usually occurs. The shotgun mic records in stereo.

However, for "Our Story," that range is not necessarily as useful. The film is shot in a more experimental manner than our previous stuff, with a lot of ambient sounds and voiceovers. That being said, I have decided to attempt shooting the film in 5.1 surround sound. This is the same technique used to make theatrical films, where there are 5 speakers and 1 subwoofer, each delivering a different sound to make it feel like the film is going on around you.

"Our Story" has the potential to use this to great effect. For example, the film's main soundtrack may play in the foreground while the voiceover plays in the back. Some of the more fast-moving shots (of which, it may surprise you, there are several) will have prominent sound effects that you will be able to hear fly by the camera. This will be particularly cool in our film because some of the shots are shot in first-person, directly from the eyes of the main character.

I am also considering investing in a Blu-ray burner for this project. Blu-ray is basically the next version of DVD in that it displays HD video, whereas DVD simply displays very high quality standard definition video. Deinterlaced, "Our Story" will be viewable on the proper television or monitor in TRUE high-definition, and you'll be able to hear it in surround sound with the proper setup.

"Our Story" will be compiled in several formats:

1. A 1080p copy with surround sound, available on Blu-ray disc.
2. A 720p copy with stereo sound for internet distribution on YouTube and Vimeo.
3. A standard definition, 480p copy with surround sound for DVD.

What will the film not have? 3D. Leave it to James Cameron.

Titanic sucked,
-JD

A Formula For Mystery.

And again, the updates spread apart. Possible overtime at work and other concerns have unfortunately put the film on the backburner of my priorities over the past week or so. I do miss these blogs, I really do...but sometimes it's hard after a long day in the sun to want to do ANYTHING that requires thought. Which "Our Story" definitely does.

However, I am feeling particularly musey tonight, so I think I'll continue in the same direction as last time: off a cliff. I mentioned in the previous entry how I feel like stories with ambiguity are the best ones, but that too MUCH ambiguity leads to pretension and a messy feel that ends up being unsatisfying.

Granted, leaving open ends doesn't always work for everything: for example, a swashbuckling adventure story, say...I dunno, a fantasy novel like "The Lies of Locke Lamora." Stories like this are not about ideas; they are about characters, places, and events. Their focus is on the immediate. I think it's easy to label stories like this as shallow...but this is completely wrong.

I personally feel a story can succeed on several different levels:

1. Immediacy. These are elements that do not necessarily require thought to recognize and enjoy, but do require thought to truly appreciate. Well-constructed plot twists, inventive settings, and memorable characters.
2. Sublevel. These are elements that are not immediately recognizable, but once you recognize them, fall into place with little effort. Symbols, primarily direct social commentary
3. Afterimage. This is the mood of the story, how it leaves you feeling, and images and ideas that it elicits that are not necessarily the intention of the author. I feel like these reflect common dreams and ideas between all people.

I think the beauty of storytelling as an artform comes to the surface when you realize that there is no magical concoction for any of these elements. There's no set way to get it right, there is no formula. Rather, these levels are by-products of the author writing from the heart. I feel like writing is less about technical skill and more about emotion (though of course, I suppose I shouldn't say that to some fanfic authors...)

I personally feel "Our Story" fits into the third level of "Afterimage." It is a film of ideas and of emotion, not of violent plot twists or rousing conflicts. The conflict is emotion that we are all familiar with, the violent plot twists are ones we probably see coming already. The idea for the movie came from the heart, but the script was purposefully constructed with the intent of having something for everyone to relate to.

A problem with basing a story primarily on that third level, that level of atmosphere and of ambiguity, is that you can easily lose your way until no one knows what on earth you're trying to say. This is why I had to be very careful when writing "Our Story" and hope I succeeded. It is not going to be a film where everything is always clear, and where all the blanks are filled in for you. In a way, they are not supposed to be. I want people to color them in themselves, with their own experiences, and their own memories.

However, the film also requires direction, and this is where things become very difficult. What can all people truly relate to in a story? Where will people fill in the gaps, and will the memories they use to patch the holes be beautiful or painful? These are all things I considered during the writing process. I kind of took inspiration from the theory of the monomyth, which states that there is a story exactly the same in every culture around the world, that somehow developed before these cultures interacted with others.

In "Our Story," there is a mono-idea of sorts, though obviously not on the scale of the monomyth. However, I hope that I did somehow manage to crack the shell of the universal human experiece. Maybe just scratch it. Just touch it.

Maybe even just catch a glimpse of it.

Hope I'm being clear,
-JD

Script: 100% since 2/09
Cast: 100%
Crew: 100%
Camera Supplies: 25%
Storyboards: 56%
Definitive Shooting Schedule: ~7%
Movement Rehearsals: 0%
Locations/Permissions: ~75%
Green Screen Construction: 0%

A Note on Symbols.

Tonight's entry is going to be a bit less direct at first, but I promise it comes back around.

If you've read the first post (if you haven't, don't worry...I know it's very long) you may have seen that I've been writing as a hobby since I was around 11 years old. However, I don't consider myself to have fully blossomed into a writer until I wrote my first full-length screenplay. It was called "The Adventure," and the current draft clocks in at 108 pages.

The reason I consider "The Adventure" such a turning point for me is because it is the first time I ever attempted AND finished a story that purposefully had a deeper intent behind it other than being entertaining. I highlight finishing it because I had begun writing something a few years prior called "Unreality" that failed in this respect because it was...too outspoken. To this day it remains on my hard drive, saved, but incomplete.

See, "The Adventure" had a thing called subtlety. For all its ridiculous, high-budget imagery, pyrotechnics, and Apocalypse-based plotline, the story had a heart. The best moments of the script are arguably the tamer ones...at least as tame as the tame moments can be in a script about a world-ending disaster. It wasn't focused on grizzled military tacticians, or people killing each other in a struggle for survival, or about scaring you..."The Adventure" is about the universal human need for love and wonder, and about finding God and yourself, sometimes in the same place.

The problem with "Unreality" in its drafted form was that, though it had some grand ideas behind it, it was far too overbearing. Its symbols were thrown at you, rather than simply shown to you. Its messages were literal, rather than implied. Quite frankly, I think I was assuming my audience was stupid (which also gave it an added air of pretension.) I focused too much on craft and too little on just writing from the heart like Sir Philip Sidney suggested we all do so long ago. "Unreality" was a spectacle too, but it was sort of like the second Harry Potter film: pretty, but empty, despite its best efforts.

"The Adventure" had its literal symbols and its literal messages. For example, in one section of the film protagonist Evan is walking through the streets of his city after the disaster. A paper drifts by that he catches with the headline "PRESIDENT IGNORES ALL THREATS." This scene lasts around 7 or 8 onscreen seconds. It is a literal message: oftentimes, our leaders are clueless and make bad decisions. This has further ramifications in establishing his disconnection with the world and, to a lesser extent, with authority. It is very direct and to the point.

However, it is not overbearing. What is overbearing is a conversation between two characters about denominations within Christianity, as there is in "Unreality." This is not a message that is slight or swift; instead, it is akin to a large man wearing a three-wolf moon shirt running up behind you and beating you over the head with a tire iron.

There's something I like to call the "The Misty Forest Syndrome." This disease extends beyond imparting messages to your audience; it also infects the devices used to impart those messages or ideas. For example, in Hawthorne's classic novel "The Scarlet Letter," there is a scene where Hester Prynne is wandering in a forest filled with fog. It is a surreal, almost dreamlike moment, reflective of the confusion in her own mind. However, this is obvious...and yet Hawthorne sees fit to quite literally spell it out for us and say it stands for confusion.

"The Adventure" has moments like this. Trees in the film are repeatedly used as a symbol of God or protection. However, this is never spelled out. No, I am not a better writer than Nathaniel Hawthorne (read "Maypole of Merry-mount" or "My Kinsman Major Molyneux" and you'll agree), but I feel like "The Adventure" succeeds because of moments like this. It balances sporadic direct symbols, such as the trees, with overarching ones, like the literal journey in the film being suggestive of a quest to find inner peace.

With "Our Story," I have opted to take what I have learned from "The Adventure" during the still-ongoing drafting process (did I really write dialogue THAT crappy just two years ago?) and apply it to "Our Story."

The script for this film contains one major element that can be called a symbol, one that I can't really reveal for spoiler purposes. However, like the journey in "The Adventure," it is overarching. "Our Story" is a story, with a beginning and end somewhere. However, it is much more a movie about a situation than a problem solved, and I feel like, at least for this format, it works better. I think people relate better to ideas than to anything delivered verbatim, because ideas are one-size-fits-all, whereas stories merely copied are just one-form-fits-one. Of course, then you have to worry about too MUCH ambiguity...but that's another entry for another night.

Well, I suppose that's all. ROSEBUD MEANS CHILDHOOD!

Spoiler alert,
-JD

Script: 100% since 2/09
Cast: 100%
Crew: 100%
Camera Supplies: 25%
Storyboards: 56%
Definitive Shooting Schedule: ~7%
Movement Rehearsals: 0%
Locations/Permissions: ~75%
Green Screen Construction: 0%

Meet Our First Producer: Daniel Dockery.

Before I talk about Daniel, some cool news: my friend and former resident Taylor Parker has agreed to do some concept art for the film. One of his early sketches is seen above. You can view it in high resolution here. Chances are I'll ask him to do a teaser poster at some point, or maybe some art for the trailer.























Daniel has been a creative compatriot of mine almost since the beginning of college. We first met doing a short film in our freshman year written by mutual friend and also-producer Zaque Smith: a bizarre and horrifying comedy called "On The Karma Payment Plan." I played a child murderer; he played a cannibal.

That was the first impression I had of this guy.

Daniel didn't do much to dispel it, despite not actually being a cannibal and instead being a constant riot to both hang with and work with. He came aboard for "Stalin and Hitler" as our new Roosevelt character, and fit right in. We all fed off of each other's vulgarity when writing the script...sometimes we over-indulged, but we could always just loosen our belts or throw it back up. Usually it was the vomiting.

I could talk about Daniel's characters for several blog entries. I could tell you how wonderfully bitter Roosevelt is to cover up that insane loneliness (there are also the jokes about poop.) I could talk about the bizzarre Randy and why he thinks opening doors is badass, or I could discuss his incredibly self-centered, wannabe artist version of Christian Bale.

However, I will not. You see, Daniel is not an actor in this film, and that is not an area of his talent that is going to shine through.

















Convenient for us, however, Daniel is not just an actor at heart: he is also a writer in precisely the same place.

Make no mistake: Daniel and I typically write very different things. I think I tend to write much lighter, more hopeful material, even if it has a dark edge. I dwell on beauty, not on darkness. Daniel once described his writing to me as "the essence of what you hate yourself for thinking when you see a cyclist crossing a busy street." His writing does not immerse itself in darkness; rather, it dips its feet into the edge with a wild caution that lights a wicked grin on its face and causes the hearts of everyone watching to skip a beat.

I feel like a very good example of this is in his newest script, "Eyes on Me," which is being shot this fall after "Our Story." In this tale of a man returning home, Daniel explores his usual cynicism with a surprising twinge of sensitivity and sorrow; throughout the film, we do not hate the characters or even feel sorry for them as much as mourn for them, and for life and the circumstances it puts people into.

This is the true sign of Daniel's mastery: he can take his nerdy love of horror stories, exploitation films, and dark fantasy and turn it into something real and, doggone it, beautiful.













Daniel, though I'm not sure he knows it, has influenced me a lot as a writer. He has been a model for me in perfecting the balance of darkness and light needed to portray realistic conflict, and for not being afraid to dive off the deep end into struggles that may, in the end, be unsolvable. He was one of the first people on board to help with "Our Story," commenting on areas of the script, offering input into certain scenes, and generally supporting the production in any way possible.

This is why he is going to be present during shooting and will be one of the first people to see the film, before anyone, this fall. He is the chancellor to my emperor: he's going to be there to help me stick to the vision I originally had in mind. He's going to make sure I don't always leave the lights on, that I might look at the stars and not see beauty but instead see emptiness, and that "Our Story" is as raw as it truly needs to be in order to remain real.

No severed heads though.

Script: 100% since 2/09
Cast: 100%
Crew: 100%
Camera Supplies: 25%
Storyboards: 56%
Definitive Shooting Schedule: ~7%
Movement Rehearsals: 0%
Locations/Permissions: ~75%
Green Screen Construction: 0%

Nevermore,
-JD

Progress in Work.

First off, sorry for the slow updating...it's been a busy week at the water park I work at.

However, I have been getting some work done on a crucial part of the film's production: storyboarding. I took some time to myself on Wednesday and made a trip to Thomasville's local coffee shop and bought a (very tasty, mind you) iced mocha, sat down for a few hours, and worked. Some people thought I was doing homework...it was fun to pretend I was a wizard unknowingly cooking up a recipe to save the world.

When I write, like when most people read, I essentially see the finished product in my head as the words flow onto the paper. However, when I'm forced to actually put those images on paper with rather limited skills in the art of drawing stuff, things begin to get a bit more hazy.

This is something I learned in Monkeez Brew. I find it kind of awesome that while developing a movie about life not being all you want, that the process doesn't quite go as planned. I can easily see these storyboards taking the rest of the summer to finish with my fluctuating schedule and the problems with overcoming frustration in creating the images. I feel like the ultimate quality of "Our Story" is going to result from my ability to deal with that very problem: adapting when things simply do not go as I had originally intended.

Similar things happened with the script: as the actors were reading through it, I noticed they often took things in a different direction from what I had originally envisioned...usually, these were all new and interesting directions, with lots of pretty flowers on the side of the road. I filled in these new directions and suggestions for speech on my personal "master copy" (I love that term) of the screenplay.

Perhaps the storyboards will have the same function, eh?








No worries. I promise.

Script: 100% since 2/09
Cast: 100%
Crew: 100%
Camera Supplies: 25%
Storyboards: 56%
Definitive Shooting Schedule: ~7%
Movement Rehearsals: 0%
Locations/Permissions: ~75%
Green Screen Construction: 0%


Cross my heart,
-JD

P.S. You should check out these (relatively spoiler-free) scans I made of some storyboards and a marked-up page of the script.

Versions of Love.

The weather in North Carolina is dreary lately.

Rain is often nice here, especially in my backyard when the leaves are out. At work...eh, not so much. Lifeguarding in the rain is not exactly my idea of awesome. However, it definitely has one benefit: tomorrow I plan on heading to the local coffee shop, buying a tasty beverage, and working on the storyboards for "Our Story."

Anyway, I've mentioned "Bloom" before and how Zach Braff was an early inspiration for me as a writer. In many ways, my favorite pretty-eyed Jew still is.

However, a lot of Braff's films (can I call you Zach? Thanks.) tend to depict romance in a certain light that I believe I subscribed to a bit too much when I was young and easily influenced. As I've gotten older and written several A) love stories or B) stories involving love (they are not the same) I've begun to realize that the Braffian view of love is part of a trend. In all forms of media, be it print, music, or film, there are certain methodologies for depicting love.

Braffian love is cute. Poignant, funny, and beautiful. It's a picnic in a park on a summer afternoon where the guy shows up late with a crazy excuse as to why he was late, a rushed apology, and a bouquet of wilted flowers covered in motor oil. The girl smiles, he sits down, and they start talking as acoustie indie kicks in. However, later in the story, the girl gets pregnant and has a miscarriage, and we all learn a profound life lesson.

It's easy to see the appeal behind Braffian love from a writing standpoint: not only does it typically look really pretty on screen, but it allows you to show two sides of life and therefore offer contrasting messages to the audience. They enter smiling, and leave moved, but not depressed. It is usually sad, but hopeful. However, it is particularly idealized because it insists everything will eventually be alright. This is a very nice picture, but it is also not true...there are times in life where everything will not be alright.

There is Hallmark love: it is idealistic and strong. Passionate. Powerful. It is also cheesy. It is roses lit by candlelight, silhouettes of thirtysomethings basking in moonlight on a stone balcony overlooking an old English garden. Hallmark love dramatizes moments of strong feeling in relationships, and this is why it is very unrealistic. Many of the strongest moments of love are quiet, and you might not even remember them. I think the reason Hallmark love sells is because its passion and extreme nature appeals to those who need a little spice in their life.

There is Linkin Park love: it is unnecessarily complicated, emotional. It's that kid you knew in high school that would take all your jokes way too seriously and end up making everything awkward. However, deep down, he just wanted a pretty girl to hold. The problem with Linkin Park love is that it tries too hard, because underneath the aggression it is too insecure. It is not a realistic awkwardness or a moment where you're unsure of yourself: it is a worldview that is cynical and unhealthy.

What is "Our Story?" I don't know. It's bitter, but it is also idealized and, at times, very intense emotionally. It has its quiet moments and its indie pretension, its moments of angst and yet keeps hope alive for the future, albeit perhaps in vain.

Hopefully, despite all these things, it's real.

Script: 100% since 2/09
Cast: 100%
Crew: 100%
Camera Supplies: 25%
Storyboards: 30%
Definitive Shooting Schedule: ~7%
Movement Rehearsals: 0%
Locations/Permissions: ~75%
Green Screen Construction: 0%

-JD