Blog: Sunday, Dec 6

From left to right we have JuJu, Tammie, Joe, me, Jona, Helen, Aaron, and Andrew, the whole "Joggers" team at the wrap party.

It's a wrap... I wonder where that term came from? Does it mean we wrap up the film canisters? Well, whatever its origins, it means I've finished the shoot of Joggers. The film is far from complete though. I have to do the post production now and that is where I rewrite the whole thing and create a story from what I've shot rather than from what I was trying to shoot.

For me this is the most fascinating part of the process. I cannot understand how any one can really call themselves a director if they do not edit the film! I cannot understand them calling themselves the "author" of the film if they did not write it. And even less if they didn't edit it either! But there are guys out there thinking that all the director need do is yell action and that is somehow enough. I can't help feeling they are missing the point. And the fun!

When I worked in television there was no such thing as a happy wrap. The crew would be tired, emotional, and bitching about something or other as well as trying to find another job to go to. The actors would be fearing signing on the unemployment registry again. And the producers would be suing each other over their expense accounts and misappropriation of funds, and all the writers would be suicidal on seeing their work gutted and transformed into mulch.

Now, I have come across writers who have had deliriously happy experiences. So maybe I was unnaturally unlucky. But I doubt it. There is a school of thought all too prevalent that being a badly behaved arsehole is compulsory when working on a movie or a TV show. I, on the other hand, prefer to make it as much fun as possible. It might be because I'm confident in my material, and competent enough in all the skills to be organised and know what I'm doing. But then I would think that wouldn't I? And if I didn't, I probably wouldn't being doing this.

No matter the reason, Joggers proved a happy shoot and we all ended it vowing to work with each other again rather than run in the opposite direction on seeing each other. Which is a satisfying experience. And it augurs well for shooting part two of the trilogy. I'm already sketching out the next section of the story and canvassing the actors as to what sort of acting challenge they would like. Making low budget movies is pointless unless you can give the actors a chance to show off in the best possible way.

But first, I must get part one finished so that I can use that to attract funding for the next parts.