approaching that finish line...

Happy New Year!

You know, between me and whoever is reading this, when we put our first teaser out and it said that BGR would be ready to be seen in 2011 that was just our best estimate. The fact that people are going to be seeing it so soon into 2011, is an amazing thing. Early in the post process, I heard fears that we wouldn't even have a rough cut until Spring '11. I am very glad those fears were put to rest.

Like I said in a prior blog, we had a test screening and got some invaluable critiques about the movie. Pacing was the biggest problem we had, so that was the main area that had to be focused on (besides other technical things like sound, music, & color). Happy to say our very own Shaun of the Dead (Sean Feuer) popped by the other day to adjust some of the trouble spots that we had with coloring. One more thing done.

I remember in the very early days of editing, Billy was worried that we might not have a full length movie... like what if after all that time, we put together a movie and it only came out to be an hour? Well, we put together a movie and we had more than enough. So, certain things needed to be cut just to help the pace... The comments we received on this were very helpful. We shot so much, and really, we shot so much good stuff that at first it was hard to decide what shouldn't be there. But seeing the movie several times, most recently with a fresh room of eyes really narrowed things down. Sometimes, the scenes did linger a bit too long. Its easy to just watch a scene and fall in love with what was done... the script, the shot, the acting, etc. But at the end of the day, its not all necessary, and sometimes what's not necessary can be detrimental to the whole.

So, that is what we are doing now. We have to look closely at what bits just overstay their welcome, and if they are removed, will anyone who doesn't know the movie notice? I did this to a scene or two and showed my brother (who has seen the movie at least twice right now) and he couldn't tell. And for the bits that are really good, well there are always deleted scenes on a DVD, right?

I really think that I am able to look at BGR as an objective outsider now. Hell, at the test screening, I caught a bit (from my own performance no less) that just made me sick. I must have heard it a hundred times by this point, but as I watched at the test I shook my head... This is too much exposition, I thought. There is no reason that my character needs to be saying all of this. If the movie does its job, the audience will get it.

At the same time, I noticed something in my character... not me.. but the character... In the writing, in the way my character acts... that I did not even see when I first wrote the script. It was an amazingly emotional bit of key information that was just there the whole time, and I didn't even know it was there.

When all is said and done, I really feel that the movie that will be shown on February 7th (and hopefully many festivals after that)is a good movie... Its the movie I set out to make, and I am at a loss for words on how to describe how that makes me feel.

So far, 74 guests have responded that they will be attending the screening. It is a 199 seat theatre. If you received your invite (from working on the film or donating to it), please make sure you RSVP by no later than Friday, January 7th or you will be taken off the comp list. If you are not one of those people, or are, but want to bring a guest, tickets will be on sale later this week. There will not be ticket sales at the door. More details coming soon.

Stay tuned!

Sam
Actor, Writer, Producer
"Blaming George Romero"