On planet earth, in a country on a continent, on a street in a town, in a shed in my yard, an absurd idea was born. Justin Invergo (the EYE) and Jeremy Ellingsen (Cold Bones) became proud parents that day. And the child was called Pretzelton Syndrome.
This was December of 2010. Today is March 5, 2011, and I sit in that same shed, pulling my hair out over little bits of dialogue, character motivations, sequence of events and the amount of work involved in shooting several bizarre cutaways.
The writing process has been arduous. I've been focused on this 10 page screenplay for nearly 3 months, and at times it has been utterly draining. Writing a film of this length is something I've never attempted before, and having a solid writing partner has helped tremendously. Justin's contributions have proven invaluable, and I always love ping-ponging ideas around with him. Also worthy of mention are the valuable insights shared with me by Daniel Gildersleeve. I've been working non-stop since we met 10 days ago, doing my best to make this thing the best it can be.
Thankfully, the whole tamale gets easier after this. I've spent a lot more time shooting, editing and working with audio than I have writing screenplays. Although I've learned a great deal during the process, I look forward to basking in the glorious rays of my comfort zone.
As the writing drags on, there have been plenty of other things to do. Casting has gone exceptionally well, and I hope to post a list very soon of the excellent peoples who have agreed to do and say ridiculous things on camera. The costume department has procured a lab coat (thanks Ted!), a jumpsuit (thanks, dad-in-law!) and a dark robe suitable for a malicious wizard (thanks halloween!). The location scout, however, needs to get his rear in gear, as I am still in need of a laboratory.
As I finish up this post, it is March 9. My late-night caffeine fueled writing binges are thankfully over. The screenplay is complete. Next up: late-night caffeine-fueled set and costume design, technical preparation, and the creation of an efficient shooting schedule.That last part sounds like a barrel of monkeys, don't it?
Tata for now!
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