Jan 20 2008
Being the Consumed Producer
Last year I was called on to talk more about what it was like being the producer of a zero budget film.
I continued working on the end of the prefilm, the video blog and having a good Christmas.
Then recently I promised to say more about the project, so it became
time to bring to things together. So here for the first time are some
direct thoughts from the Producers mind on the Consumed project and our
blogging of it.
As projects goes Consumed moves slowly. There’s a reason for this
all members of the project are busy and get to spend only a limited
amount of time working on Consumed. This is a source of frustration for
everyone involved. After all - waiting around is no fun. So the pattern
of work tends be - reach of milestone - farm work out - wait for each
other to have to complete our tasks achieve some and then look for the
next milestone.
Well that’s how we work. Here’s the odd
thing I have noticed, we keep on up selling. Some film making blogs are
full of the trials and woes of production. We gloss over those and just
talk about the positive points. The downsides are that we’re not
showing the whole process and also there can be long gaps between
posts. The upside is that the finished record though sporadic will be a
positive message. As for the rights and wrongs in this approach I’m not
sure. Die hard bloggers or those who like lots of posts may not be
impressed - we are self censoring and not there all the time. Yet as an
educational tool - showing the lapses in time - that this is not always
a fast process and that lots has to be learned to progress - there is
value there. There’s no fill in, no rant, no self pity - just we have
done this. I like that.
It also has to be said that it is the Producers job to lead the
production. Here I find that I sometimes let things float, sometimes
push on. Generally once we set a deadline for something I liaise
between everyone to make it happen, when we’re in a slow motion nothing
seems to happen point I sometimes let things go on a little. Mostly
because I know how busy all our team are and I don’t want to cause any
undo stress. Its a calm and relaxed approach. The main reason for this
is that in the early days we did have a few false starts and abandoned
shoots. I don’t want those - they are harmful to the project. So being
the producer means that I tend always be moving from very quiet to very
busy. Same as everyone else involved.
I’ve just read the last two paragraphs. In a way it feels like I’ve
said nothing, but I believe there is a little personal insight there.
So perhaps I have said something. I’ll try and write more of these
sojourns into personal thought or announcements of where we are in the
process. I’m also planning some mini video blogs. Instant appraisals of
something that has happened or something learned. I’ll still do the 6
minute epics when we shoot.
If you’ve read this and wondered what I’m glossing on about or what to catch up on the video blogs the go to
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=RobertDavies
This my Youtube channel - my preferred Consumed Video blogging
chanel. It’s true we’re also on myspace. I just like watching things on
YouTube.
Technorati Tags: Consumed, Producer, Thoughts, Zero, Budget, Low, Being, Blog, Blogging
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