In today’s blog-hungry age, everyone has the opportunity to thrust their thoughts and feelings onto the general public. But I must strongly suggest that before you decide to utter any sort of opinion about a film, first try to make one. Not like in your basement with your box of rusty Hot Wheels and half-decayed G.I. Joe’s, but with actual people. Find some equipment, find a production, join a crew, and become part of the amorphous creative enterprise called ‘makin’ movies’. I DP’ed a short film this past weekend, and was again blown away by the level of effort needed to create one of these things we spend so much of our time watching, talking about, and picking apart. Face it, even a bad movie takes an enormous effort by a substantial group of people. Hell, ever think about the dozens and dozens of people who assisted with the production of ‘Stayin’ Alive’? Who pushed themselves through twelve hour days, eating bad food, drinking cold coffee, watching take after take of this freaky fluff, AND somehow managing to maintain the belief that it was all going to work? That alone is a psychological mind-twister of nothing less than herculean proportions.

So, back to my experience. It’d been awhile since my last taste of production. I had nearly forgotten the pace, the adrenaline rush, the joy of collaboration, of seeing people you barely know at their best and worst in a span of minutes. And in and among all of that sensory input, you also have to find your way through the creation of a functional film. I mean, throw good or bad out the window. On a shoestring budget with a less-than-wholly-professional crew (both the norm in independent filmmaking), many times you count yourself lucky if the sound is well-recorded and the images cut together with something approaching seamlessness! How do you even find the time to craft something better than that? When the creative quality of the final project leans on the skills and vision of people who couldn’t be more different from each other. When time marches on regardless of your needs or level of preparation. When your mind is torn in fifteen directions, all of which seem not merely interesting, but absolutely mandatory, it’s almost more of a surprise when a movie is good! And money has nothing to do with it! In fact, it can make it worse! For example, for every-

there’s a-

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Speaking of musicals, I recently saw the film ‘Idlewild’ during one of it’s six-a-day plays on cable. And I have to say, what an great movie! Yeah, it’s not perfect, but the music was phenomenal, the visuals astounding, and the dancing really transcendent. All this by a first-time feature director, and three stars with absolutely no track record. Talk about the joy of filmmaking! Served me as a reminder: perfection in film may only come around once or twice a generation, but the love of creativity and collaboration can be expressed at almost any level, with almost any budget, if you’re willing to hop in and give it a shot.

Anyone out there want to share their own stories from the trenches of filmmaking? There’s strength in numbers, people! Especially in sexy, semi-authentic period-piece numbers!