Pester me please!

[Dave]

Right, I've been making some pretty good head-way into my latest short film project but I keep putting myself off because the idea seems too much to do!
For those who don't know, it is another faux documentary type of affair, similar to the Weston-Super-Mare film I did ages ago (you can find it listed on this forum somewhere if you want a watch), but should be a lot more polished (shouldn't be too hard considering that the Weston one was cobbled together from footage that was never intentionally shot to be a film). The new one is about Bath Abbey.

Without giving anything away, my new idea is basically like 6 seperate little shorts in one.... and this keeps getting me down! I'm trying to focus on each section seperately at any one time so as not to keep scaring myself by thinking of the whole thing.

So what I want is for people to keep asking how far I have got with it all. I just want to see if it spurs me on anymore! haha. I have given myself the 20th of September as a deadline to get it finished as I have some days off work around then.

At the moment I have written 2 of the 6 sections, and have edited the first section (but no sound yet).

[flashpointharry]

The Weston-Super-Mare one was very good I thought. Six more sounds like a wicked idea... I think you're right though; the trick to pulling something like that off is one bit at a time. Taking it all on in one whack might be a bit hardcore - it'd be like trying to drive down the M3 without stopping at Fleet Services You gotta play the percentage game, baby steps etc.

Best of luck with it, and keep us posted!

[Dave]

Thanks for that.

I forgot to mention that another reason for this post, is that by giving everyone a 20th of September date, I now have more inclination to get it done so as to meet a deadline everyone knows about (and in-turn, stop myself from appearing to be full of shit.... which of course I am, because that's where the ideas come from )
Of course, I may let people down even it is done by then if it's a rushed mess! ;D

[herostar]

Is it finished yet Dave??

[herostar]

What about now, c'mon Dave get on with it.

[Dave]

Shhhhhhhh!!

That's putting me off!

[RichK]

Well it won't write itself.. so stop messing about on your website and get on with it!

A writing gumption trap: you write about three scenes, go and have a wee and a cup of tea, come back and start editing the three scenes you've just written because its easier to do that than write that awkward fourth scene. Result: you hardly ever finish anything you start. Solution: When you get stuck, write "Scene Four - tricky.. this needs to happen here..." summarise the action without getting bogged down too much, then move on to scene five. JUST GET TO THE END. Its vital. When you get there you can go back and think about scene four in more detail.. the joy of this technique is that you can frequently pack more into scene four than you might have done first time round.

[Dave]

That's some ace advice there... because I am pretty much refining what I have already written, and slacking off from trying to do the hard bits!

Because of the odd nature of what I am doing, I am putting quite a bit of genuine historical research into it, and it's that which is making me slack off too.

I also have mountains of post-production fun to do too. I'm just ignoring that thought though.

P.S. I'm actually at work at the moment, so can't get on with it.

[RydCook]

keep it up dave, looking forward to this one.

Maybe i should set a deadline for when i should finish my film.. it's not even that long! i'm just on the end, and it doesn't look so good so i'm not bothering to edit it, maybe i'll do it now i have to get it done before next week, cos i'm packing my computer away to pack for uni.

[Phil]

C'mon Dave, get your arse in gear!

I'm not threatening you mate. It's beyond f**king words. I watched over you when you were asleep and I looked at your f**king neck and I was that far away from slicing it.

I hope that spurns you into action.

[Dave]

! This is getting dangerous!

Finished writing the third of the six sections now!

[shanemeadows]

Lookin 4ward to seeing them Dave. Sounds really interesting M8.

[Dave]

shanemeadows said:

Lookin 4ward to seeing them Dave. Sounds really interesting M8.

Well that's certainly put the pressure on! But in a good way.

I now have four of the six segments written, and it's getting less and less amusing by the day! Aiming to have all written by weekend, followed by re-reads and re-writes!

[Dazza]

Come on then Dave wheres this film fella? You shopuld get a daily badgering off someone till its complete matey ;D

[Dave]

Just got to the end of writing it! it's all pretty rough though still, and consists of about 7 pages of solid text! Far too much surely!

Re-reads and re-fiddles needed here. Next step will be to record the voice over I think, because I need to know when things are mentioned before I can begin editing images and footage to it.