20 days till shoot...

Hello friends,


Had a fairly comprehensive budget meeting last night. Right on track, although I got knocked back on my Unit request for Natural Confectionary Company Wild Forest Fruit lollies. ...It seems our crew lollies will be coming from ALDI.  : ( Translation for international audience: A supermarket one goes to when one's budget is tight. Dang. Shouldn't complain though, got a cracker wine and beer sponsor, so at least night times will be sweeter. And by "night" I mean 5 mins past whenever we wrap!


But budget meetings aren't just about catering, Ricky. 


Yes, there's also the small matter of how we intend to finish the film. A hot topic at the minute with digital projection finally advancing all around. The fact is, that first film print you produce is V expensive. V worthwhile mind you, and that's what we'll have, but finishing on a digital medium is now a very real option for many Independent features, and of course many very non-indy, expensive films too. Because it just looks so good. 


THAT SAID, being a romantic I can't imagine ever not pushing to shoot and finish on film. I'm seeing so much RED footage lately, and man it just looks so much better when it's projected on 35mm. There's just a warmth and slight imperfection that comes from a film print that I would hate to lose. I know we can add grain and even projector movement and scratches to recreate a "film look", but if that's what you want (and I do), why not just finish on film? I guess cost is why. Reminds me of one of my favourite quotes:

Floyd Gondolli: This here's the future. Videotape tells the truth.

Jack: Wait a minute. You come into my house, my party, to tell me about the future? That the future is tape, videotape, and not film? That it's amateurs and not professionals? I'm a filmmaker, which is why I will never make a movie on tape.

I'm getting predictable now. Boogie Nights. Classic. But in all honesty, I do prefer the look of Heat to Public Enemies. Sure, sure, sure, it's deliberate. But which do you prefer? Video tape may tell the truth, but is it the whole truth you're searching for at the cinema?


Ricky