Poagao's Journal

Absolutely Not Your Monkey

Jan 31 2007

We’re

I just got word from CTS that they will be airing Lady X: Clay Soldiers at 11:30pm on February 3rd on channel 11, and again at the same time on February 19th. Our first nationwide broadcast!

I’m still editing. I plan to spend the Chinese New Year holiday at home, hopefully finishing the rough cut. So far the film is corresponding on the whole 1 script page=1 minute screen time thing. One thing I’m often reminded of is how differently Dean and I see things. Often we’ll see a scene almost exactly the same way, but inevitably his vision will be the mirror image of mine, e.g. I’ll see the characters entering stage left, while he’ll see them entering stage right. It might have something to do with the fact that I’m left handed. The result is that the storyboards are often mirror images of the actual footage, which can be confusing. I wonder if left-handed directors often encounter this kind of thing.

I haven’t met any insurmountable goofs yet, though I’ve had a couple of interesting challenges where, after repeated takes, someone did something to screw up the continuity. Many times it was my fault. “What was I thinking?” is probably my most repeated comment these days.

I was reading a post on an Internet forum the other day, and I began to wonder if and when the “exclusivity” of an industry like filmaking will disappear, and what effect it will have on people aspiring to make films. What percentage of the people who desire to be filmmakers, or authors or photographers, are in it because they still cling to the ever-more-outdated notion that you have to be really special to be one of those things, when technology has passed the point where anyone, regardless of talent or lack thereof, can be any and all of those things? With online distribution of digital content rapidly taking over the game, I wonder what lengths the next generation of creators will have to go to to make themselves known to the world.

I guess we’re going to find out. In the meantime, I have editing to do.

posted by Poagao at 4:44 pm  

1 Comment »

  1. Great news T.C.! Congratulations, and very well deserved.

    For a minute I was wondering if you meant the feature, and thought how could that be – Dean and you still have special effects to do, Darell the soundtrack, then I realized you meant the short. This will be great exposure for you – who knows, perhaps it might even pique some interest from people with money and resources to help take your future work to the next level.

    I’ve watched Lady X: Clay Soldiers, several times now – and think it’s a great job – given that it was y’all’s first effort. A lot of fun.

    As to your point about technology cheapening the art and artstry of cinema – sure there is already tons of stuff being done – tons and tons (those jackasses video bloggers on Youtube like little lola actually call themselves flim makers, but I think most people can smell shit when it’s put in front of their nose – and see crap “film making” for what it is. The new tech allows people like you and your crew to experiment, learn, make progress, and gain exposure – which may well yet lead to great things to come.

    Comment by Anonymous — February 1, 2007 @ 6:05 am

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