September 23, 2021

It's been almost 20 days since I posted last. I rewrote my screenplay for that director in the meantime. I hope it's good enough. I can't tell if it is. The characterization to me still feels weak. But I did the best I could on it. I wrote 96 pages in 16 days. I've written 19 of the past 23 days. If diligence can make a good screenplay, I will eventually have a good screenplay. 

I wonder if a step away for a little bit would help. I don't want to lose any momentum, though. 

It's smokey outside today. Wildfires in Northern and Central California. It makes it cooler here, though. Helps block out the sun. 

I signed up for another SMC course. This one is Film 31: Intro to Digital Filmmaking. I took the first class of it years ago... 2016? With the same professor. I dropped the class. Oddly, considering that, it's been hitting the spot this time around. I feel like I'm picking up what the professor is laying down. 

Here's an example: we were learning how to set up the tripod for the cameras. The tripod is probably the simplest piece of equipment, right? Not very exciting. My professor interrupted the equipment guy at one point. He put one of the groups on blast, saying they were barely touching the tripod they were setting up, keeping it at arm's distance. He showed them how he wanted them to interact with the tripod, said that he wanted to see some desire. He's Italian, I'm not sure "desire" is the word a native English speaker might have used, but I felt it was the right one. 

It reminded me of playing basketball in high school under Coach O'Connor. She stressed that your integrity was in the way you approached the small things, the details. Take every part of the game seriously. Bring your best no matter if it's a drill or a championship game. I agree. I agree. What other way is there? 

For one of our Film 31 assignments, we had to tell one story in nine pictures. I wanted to use my idea about the messages left on the sidewalk. 

My husband was my subject and my neighbor volunteered to be my assistant. (He held the bounce.) I was pleased with how it turned out, but I think some changes could have made it better. Finding a spot not next to that Range Rover, for example. Shooting more closeups. Getting my neighbor to angle the light more directly on the subject's face. 

I probably should have re-shot it, given those considerations. But I didn't want to use any more of my husband or neighbor's time. The assignment got a good grade, and it was a hit when I put it on Instagram. But I think if I want to be great at this stuff, I probably need to be fastidious. Do as well as I possibly can, now, so that if I ever get the chance to do something more, I'm able to nail it.