Diary of an Indie Filmmaker: Part XII

Chapter XII: I Have A Movie If I Want It

And so it happened; Plan B came together and I have a movie. I have $27,000.00. I have a cast. I even have a crew. That ad I placed a few days ago actually worked. People who could relate responded to it and they're eager to be a part of it. I can make my movie now.

But... And isn't there always a "but?" But I have some tough decisions coming up and I can sense that one of them is about to violate everything I've said I wouldn't do.

Remember the actress I was telling you about? The name actress in love with the script who wants to do it? Well, she still wants to but she wants a stronger cinematographer (DP) than the one we have. Now, I don't blame her a bit. And I like her very much and she's been honest and helpful and I would love her to be in the movie and I hope she is in the movie... But...

Working Plan B; always and forever working Plan B; I have a terrific actress ready to take her place. Now I have been dead-on honest with this other actress. She knows exactly what's going on, she knows all about the name actress, and that she may not get the movie. And I'm not using her as leverage to get this name actress on board either. The name actress has no idea I can replace her with a phone call. This is a tough play but I'm trying to work it with as much integrity as I can... So...

I'm pushing this name actress. I'm deadlining her and telling her that if I wait it could cost me the movie. I'm telling her that we will work as hard as possible to find a DP she likes but by a certain date if we can't, we have to make a decision. The other problem is that the DP I hired thinks he has a job. And as we get closer to the start date it's becoming increasingly unfair and immoral not to tell him. So, the deadline I've set is one month before the first scheduled shoot date. I won't wait a day longer. I won't tell my DP -- who may be turning down work thinking he has this gig -- any later than a month out that he's being replaced. Once that deadline passes he's the DP and the name actress is going to have decide if she wants to do the movie with him or not.

So, this name actress is leaning a bit on this production company to come on board. Now this production company has been slow dancing with us for a month but refusing to take us home. I keep hearing how interested they are but no one is even bothering to set up a meeting. So, I've deadlined them as well. I haven't said,  "Help by this date of go to hell." But I have said that my cast and crew will be locked by this date. But if my cast and crew doesn't include this name actress I doubt they will be interested. Well, I guess maybe it is, "help by this date or go to hell," but it isn't meant to be.

But this is what's going to happen. I just know it is, and anyone reading this with any movie experience will tell you it is... I'm going to get the meeting right before the deadline date. The production company is going to make promises of some money, logistical help, finding a DP, and signing this name actress...

And they're going to ask me to wait.

And I'm going to consider it.

Consider violating everything I said I would do about not allowing anyone to control whether or not this film gets made but me. I'm going to risk Plan B hoping for Plan A and I'm going to risk the good in pursuit of the perfect.

If this name actress and production company would just tell me "no," life would be much easier. Yeah, it's a luxury problem, but I'm losing sleep over it. And I've decided that no matter what I have to keep my promise to the DP. We may have to demote him to Camerman but we'll still pay him the same rate. He may even enjoy working with a more experienced DP.

I'm going to do that because it's the decent thing to do, and I can live with that, but it's putting the fate of the film in someone else's hands; at the mercy of someone else's promises and that's tough and it's stupid but I'm going to seriously consider doing it anyway. Hey, maybe it won't happen. Maybe this production company will never call and this name actress will just have to make a decision and we can move on. In many ways that would be best.. But I have a feeling it won't. Because nothing's come easy. Nothing.

But working Plan B has worked better than I had hoped. By refusing to rely on anyone else to get the movie made, I do have a movie. And by having a movie I'm in control and forcing decisions to be made and things to happen. Everyone sees the train pulling from the station and it's forcing them move or not -- and most have moved. Had I spent the last few months waiting for people to call back and waiting for others to get things done, I'd be nowhere now but frustrated. And I love that. But...

I can see myself giving up that control in the coming days. And all I can say is...

Shit... Because I think Bowfingers's about to sell out.

Comments

[Jack Marino]

Harry, Harry, stop thinking to much. You're the BOSS, the capi di tu ti capi, the boss of all the bosses.

This is YOUR film, in order for YOU and YOU alone to get the glory, you MUST go through this hell. You're going to become the meanest, stubborn son of a bitch, that ever walked on a set. In the end everyone will hate you, is the nature of the beast. This is the price of making an indie film as an unknown. You have a power struggle going on here. Who will lead this project? There is only one captain on a ship. You want this actress and this DP, then you tell them both, this is YOUR film you two will work together and do your job, or you'll replace them both. Tell them both, "THIS FILM IS GOING TO GET MADE EVEN IF GOD HIMSELF STRIKES ME DOWN!"

If she gets this DP fired, who is her next victim? Say to yourself, would John Ford allow an actor to to demand things? There is a solution to this and it will be in your favor but you need to become a rotten son of a bitch. This is a business and it has to be run like a business. I know you're not paying people, don't allow them to use this as a guilt trip for you to give in to their demands.

Remember, they all can be replace and let them know it. This is YOUR baby, your life's blood, your means to escape the wage slave existence. They will leave you after the shoot and hate you anyways, no matter how nice you are to them.

Remember, You're providing a platform for them to put all their faces up on a fifty foot movie screen, get on another DVD, and another credit for them to get more work and that is more then enough.

You can't avoid dealing with all these little pain in the ass problems of them trying to take control. They can't stop your film from being made unless you let them.

This is why they say its lonely at the top. I remember when I was making my film. I was the producer/director as well as the President/CEO of my company. I had actors and crew people hitting on my partner that raise all my funding. They wanted to fire my DP who is profoundly deaf. I stood my ground and made them all do their job. It was hell for me, it wasn't a fun shoot, but I got the film done in spite of all the problems. The funny thing is, I loved every minute of it.

I kept telling myself, "keep your eye on the prize"! Even when trusted long time friends betrayed me. I found out controlling the money, being the president, the higher the positions the less power you have. Everyone else thinks you are bullet proof and see you as evil management. You will be hated, cursed and bad-mouth all over Hollywood. So be the son of a bitch that they will accuse you of being and make the best damn film you can for what you have to work with.

You can't avoid any of this, the clock is ticking and everyday you are getting deeper into the spell of the mistress Calypso. In the end you will see the world and the people in it very different. You will be a filmmaker

[Gracie]

Chin up, old boy. Tally Ho! On with the show! Surely you didn't come this far to just cave in.