In my last post, I mentioned I’d had an idea to make a narrative film and had begun shooting some scenes. In the weeks since, I’ve filmed more, mostly finished the script, and began putting feelers out for additional casting. It’s become a wildly gratifying project. I hang out with a bunch of photographers, and everyone nearly always has a camera hanging somewhere from their body. It’s typical to document the time we spend together and each other, and over the last year, I’ve gravitated more and more towards capturing that time on video rather than the still photography most of us generally shoot. I’ve gotten more comfortable with my camcorder and am starting to figure out cooler camera angles, but making a movie (however small) has been an awakening. I write, and I take photos, and sometimes I make paper collage and books and drawings and things. I’ve been doing those things for nearly my entire life, which creeps closer to half a century, and even though I am always learning more in those pursuits, the pursuits themselves are no longer new. I am comfortable in those spaces. But video is new to me as a whole, and I have never made a movie before. I can actually feel little cells activating in my body, tiny parts of me that have never been used before waking up to have their moment.
I wasn’t sure if I’d write an actual script for this film, or wing it as I go, but Sunday I googled what screenplays look like and wrote one (I employed format standards at my own discretion, but it mostly looks like it’s supposed to). I created two additional characters to the one I play, one of whom I’ve already cast (the easier of the two to fill) and for the other I am getting closer. Much of the film takes place in my own apartment, with the main character (moi) alone, so I’ve managed to get much of those scenes filmed. The rest of the story is told in flashbacks, and shooting will begin once the rest of the cast and crew is set. It’s a very small production—three total actors including myself, one additional cameraperson for a scene or two, a couple friends to contribute music. I plan to have filming wrapped by March for weather purposes (the story takes place during winter), and fully completed shortly after. I might write a little bit on what the film is about in later blog posts, but will leave it for now.
In other writing news, I’m currently working on editing some chapters of my novel. I went on a Hinge date with a guy last summer who was not a love connection, but did leave me with a great bit of writing advice. He was a writer also, and working on a fantasy novel of some sort. I have a habit of heavily editing as I write. Getting the words right bolsters me, I think, reminds me that I’m a good writer and that it’s worth it to keep slogging away at this massive project. So I spend a lot of time rereading what I’ve written and perfecting it. It takes a long time to churn out a page. The Hinge date wrote a whole book without stopping to edit anything along the way. I could never do that, and wouldn’t want to—doing some edits as I go helps to keep things clean and reminds me which details I’ve used—but it did inspire me to edit less. I gave myself four-chapter writing blocks, meaning I have to complete four full chapters of new writing before I can go back and edit anything, and it’s helped move the story along. I completed the most recent four chapters a couple weeks ago, and am currently allowing myself some editing time before I move into the next four.
And in the world of still photography, I began shooting a double-exposure project that I might have the opportunity to show in a gallery space this spring. I don’t want to say much about the project yet, or where I might show it, but I’m sure I’ll have much more to add in the coming months. I started experimenting with double exposures last year and think I may have gotten a strong enough handle on what I’m doing to get the results I want in this new project. I’ll stop there, and leave you with a collection of rodeo photos shot last summer in Doswell, Virginia.
All photos in this post were taken on 35mm, 3200 ISO film; I forget which stock, Kodak or Ilford. Thanks for reading, you’re beautiful.