If the mountain won't come to Muhammad...

  I was offered a job a few weeks ago, which I accepted... You'd think I'd be happy about that, but sadly I'm still waiting for my contract to be written up and I can't help but feel somewhat impatient at how long it's taking. I was happily sending out copies of my show reel and CV when I get this job offer and have since ceased trying to get my name and work across the desks of Auckland production, film and television community. I know that I'm trying to run a somewhat small production company, but I still need to pay bills and with work presently coming in at a slow pace (the last of which can/could be seen on Alt TV) I'd like to have other options open and available to me so at least I can fund personal projects... The result of my impatience culminated in a brainstorm over the last few days: A short donated budget film (without Government assistance).

  Being an insomniac my mind wanders endlessly to potential ideas, stories and scripts most of which never come to fruition or are under slow development (although one makes me think I should get in contact with an old friend Steve). My current script development, I think and hope can be done on a very small shoestring budget provided I can enlist help from friends, family and the community at large - eg: would the police hold up a street for 5 minutes without having to trace miles of red tape and bureaucracy? Chances are they probably wouldn't which only leaves me the option of trying to accomplish a clandestine guerrilla style production... Which has the potential to sound somewhat like a romantic project of passion not unlike Terry Gilliam and his vision for Don Quixote (See Lost in La Mancha  - but without the budget, legal or location issues) or an abortion of Z-Grade quality.

  The script is in development and I can honestly say will hopefully be finished (within a month), from that point I have to find funding no matter how small and then try and create a film without being thrown into prison and or various court appearance for public nuisance and or disturbance charges. Write, Bankroll, Cast and Action... We're in the middle of an economic slump, does this mean I can't get free actors? 

Trans-coding! It's a dirty job but someone's gotta do it.

 Just completed 50 plus hours of Trans-coding (Converting Mini-DV tape to digital file), it's a slow and arduous process, but it can pay well. 

 However, after watching over 22 hours of footage it raised a question: "How hard can it be to lock off a tripod and film people talking for 20 - 40 minute periods", the answer to this was a resounding - Very, obviously. I know from experience that it's not hard to film lectern based seminars and rebel rousing "life coach wannabe's", but whoever filmed these seminars obviously didn't know what they were doing. I guess I shouldn't really care as I wasn't the one who was filming, but it gives me hope that I can pitch for potential work with the knowledge that I know what I'm doing and can get a better overall look for what is otherwise dull content for a (in this case) niche market.