Several months ago I wrote a short film. I had the idea and put it on paper so that it’d quit floating around in my head. Then this little experiment grew into something I actually wanted to make.
So I am.
It’s a very short film: one or two minutes long. The entire script is two pages, including the title page. One setting, several actors. There are about three lines in the entire piece; most of it is action.
The film is a blackout comedy. That means the initial scene feels grounded, there’s a bit of action, a climactic moment of comedy, and then everything goes black. Quite literally: a black out.
Black out scenes aren’t a new thing. Second City has been doing them well for a long time. When I was planning to move to Chicago or NYC to study improv, I became a little obsessed with Second City. I listened to their CDs over and over and over again. (And over again.) So, yeah, black out scenes have intrigued me for a while, and I’m excited about making one of my own.
My motivation for doing this film is to experiment with something new in order to continue learning. In no particular order my goals are to:
- Make an awesome film that people will enjoy
- Gain more experience as a producer
- Work closely with a director
- Build an incredible team of talented people
- Gain experience making narrative films
- See my screenplay become a finished film
There are probably a few other goals in mind, but that’s what I’m working with today. I just want to try something new, see what it’s like, and then share it. I love making films and working with talented, trustworthy people.
So after writing the screenplay, I sent it to a few people I’d enjoy working with to see what they thought of it. Some folks didn’t seem interested or didn’t get it, so I moved on. That kind of thing happens. I got some good feedback on it, too.
Then I started building a team of people who did seem interested in working on the film. So far I have a few of the key roles filled. I’m still working on a other important pre-production stuff: finding talent, building a production timeline, setting up meetings, etc.
Since it’s still early, I won’t divulge many more details. But I can tell you this: it is gonna be awesome. I can’t wait to share more with you!