Monday, February 28, 2005

A girl and a gun

Long post because, well, it's all exposition.

OK, what's this all about? Well, hopefully this is going to be a diary about the making of my new short film, from start to finish. Godard said that all you need to make a film is a girl and a gun, which is a great sentiment but doesn't help me with camera hire.

I'm starting today because it's the day after the Oscars. Best short film was won by Andrea Arnold with Wasp. I met Andrea last year when we were both (unsuccesfully) trying to get money back from a short film distributor who owed us. The fact that someone I'd met, someone I'd emailed, has now won an Oscar makes it a good day to start blogging about my film. Gore Vidal once said that everytime someone you know does well a little bit of you dies, a sentiment I normally embrace, but there's something about Andrea's Oscar win that is nullifying my normal bitter disposition. Maybe it's because she's someone in the same position as me, just fighting to get the short made, rather than some commercials director making a short for a small fortune, or maybe it's just the remnants of the weekends beer, but I do genuinely feel excited for her win. Sam Mendes, on the other hand, can burn in hell. Nothing personal (he was at my school and I remember him as being one of the nicest people there), it's just that the chances of two people from the same little school in England both winning an Oscar is so remote, and he got there first. Bastard.

So that's where we're at. There will be more about my film as we go along, but for now the basics are as follows:

- It's called Home

- It's going to be about 8 minutes long

- It's being produced by Simon Kearney

- It stars Kieran O'Brien

That's Kieran O'Brien as in Nine Songs Kieran O'Brien. He was the actor I had in mind when I wrote the script. I said to kearney (the producer) that I wanted someone like him for the role. Kearney said why not ask him? I said don't be stupid, he's far too famous and therefore busy, and we have NO MONEY. But we asked, and his agency sent us for a meeting with him.

Anyone who's had these sort of meetings (you're succesful, we're broke) type of meetings will know just what they're like. They are, to be blunt, an opportunity for the name to come and make sure you're not insane. Once they have ascertained that fact they will then consider your proposal. So Kearney and I go for meeting armed with a list of reasons why K O'B should be in our film. K O'B walks in and tells us, right off the bat, why he wants to be in our film. We weren't ready for this.

K O'B leaves telling us that he loves the script and is making our film. Best news I have had in a long time. Even a minor blip when his agent rings up and asks what the financial offer is (er, there isn't one. We have NO MONEY. Bless them they are fine with this) can't derail things. the only spanner in the works could be...

K O'B is a busy man. He's off shooting Goal with Danny Cannon until the end of February and then he's off for most of March. So right njow we're looking at shooting in April. 5 day shoot. All we need ow are some locations, camera equipment, crew, stock, sound equipment, sound crew, catering, make up, wardrobe, transport, edit fascilities, editors and supporting cast. For free. Time to get on the phone.