Ok, so I’m not gonna get political on this blog- given the unholy heat we had to deal with today while working on my long-in-gestation short film “Unwinnable Hand: A Thriller in Two Movements,” it seemed appropriate however.
It’s days like today I wish I could afford to pay the people who’ve helped me on this artistic journey- even if there was a lot of sitting around and having their job co-opted by heir director, they deserve such compensation for what I had to put them through today.
Namely, heat. A lot of it. And exhaustion (I only got 2 1/2 hours sleep the night before, and a lot of people seemed to have some things on their plate.) But, the advantage is- with the exception of a couple of quick shots, the exterior shooting on “Hand”- which will turn 4 in September (I wrote the first draft of “Movement I” in September 2005)- is complete. A couple of pick-ups and reshoots from previous days got completed, as well as a complete role by long-time collaborator/co-worker Chris Dufresne in the pivotal role of Christian. A couple of key characters also saw their demise, with less “blood” than was seen in “Movement I,” but with the desired emotional and storytelling impact.
Chris and I even tossed the script and did some ad-libbing during our one major scene together, including the setup. The result is more interesting actually, and another reason that it’s always good to play fast and loose with a rookie scribe’s dialogue, especially if you’re dealing largely with rookie actors. He and Mathew- both short filmmakers in their own respect (I’ve done music for both)- both had some good ideas when it came to some of the scenes that I required some assistance envisioning.
So what’s next? Well, hopefully some more filming while Dave is in town from Colorado, as well as some editing to piece together the film a little more. (I should have enough now for a “Movement II” trailer soon.) It’s really been coming together well, and for that, I cannot stress enough the patience and friendship of Ron, Dave, Mike, Chris, and Mathew as I find my way through this epic and somewhat ambitious undertaking. My profound thanks to Mike’s parents, as well, for allowing us to use their house for filming. It’s really added some good dimension to the film. Hopefully no more than one or two more days will be necessary there, especially at the rate we got things done today.
“Unwinnable Hand: Movement II” Trailer
Viva La Resistance!
Brian Skutle
www.sonic-cinema.com
www.myspace.com/brianskutle
www.myspace.com/cinemanouveau– Featuring deleted scenes, trailers, and more from “Unwinnable Handâ€
Click here to read my twelfth “Unwinnable Hand” Production Diary.
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Click here to read my ninth “Unwinnable Hand” Production Diary.
Click here to read my eighth “Unwinnable Hand†Production Diary.
Click here to read my seventh “Unwinnable Hand†Production Diary.
Click here to read my sixth “Unwinnable Hand†Production Diary.
Click here to read my fifth “Unwinnable Hand†Production Diary.
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Click here to read my second “Unwinnable Hand†Production Diary.
Click here to read my first “Unwinnable Hand†Production Diary.
Click here to read “Red Cup Mafia,” another short script I wrote in November 2006- inspired by some recent happenings at work- that I hope to film in the future through Cinema Nouveau Productions.
