Rehearsal

Our one and only rehearsal is a mere hour and a half away. Right now I’m baking chocolate chip cookies. Because I know a fed actor is a happy actor. We also have two large pizzas to keep them from realizing how much work they are putting into our project out of the goodness of their hearts.

The rehearsal is mostly for blocking. Only the actors who are in any given scene will be on the stage. The rest will be sitting at the back of the stage. Hopefully, they will all be quick studies and tomorrow’s read will go smoothly. It has to. We have several important people coming that can help us get the movie made. Other producers with ties to money, my first choice director, and the manager of the musician we want to pen the original songs.

So, I’m overdoing it on the food for the reading as well. Lots of wine (hopefully they won’t fall asleep) and food, and of course my homemade chocolate chip cookies. Speaking of cookies, the timer just went off.

See ya.

Countdown

We are still prepping for Monday evening’s full read of My First Kiss.

Yesterday, Peter and I started going through the script with three goals in mind.

1. Strike all the unnecessary narration.
2. Block the scenes.
3. Figure out the music cues.

Peter figured it would take around three hours. I estimated at least five. We did four hours yesterday and three this afternoon. I had a meeting with a gallery this morning and then had to get my first batch of scans out for my book. And Peter came over around three to finish with the script. I barely made it through because I have a massive toothache due a loose filling. After we were done, I finally figured out that if I hold room temperature water in my mouth, the pain subsides. That’s on top of the Motrin that is no longer working. I’m going to the dentist tomorrow morning. I can’t believe I’m going to say this but…I can’t wait!

Our To Do list had 13 items on it as of Monday. So far, we’ve accomplished 6 and a half. And added and subtracted a few in between. I’ll finish the missing half item tonight and tomorrow I’ll print scripts for the actors so we’ll be ready for Sunday evening’s rehearsal.

Producing is all about being flexible and juggling. After we finished yesterday’s session, I got a call from the actor playing one of the biggest male roles. He told me he couldn’t make the Sunday rehearsal because he got a paying job. Initially, I was devastated. We cast him because he really looked the part. So, it wasn’t so much about finding someone else to read the part, but finding someone who could be the part. Fortunately I didn’t panic (producing + panic = disaster). I went through my list of possibles and found the perfect guy, called him, and he was happy to step in. Now I’m thinking he may be even better than our original choice.

Barring any further setbacks, we will be ready for our rehearsal on Sunday. Thirteen actors, one narrator and two producers to keep in check. Hopefully our blocking prep will pay off so the rehearsal time will be under 3 hours. Crap. One more thing I forgot to add to the list. A yellow hi-lighter for each actor so they can mark up their own scripts. Besides hi-lighting their lines, they need to hi-light the actions we crossed out so they remember to do them.

Gotta go send myself a email with the revised list.

Pet Food Recall

If you have a dog or cat, please visit my friend, Max Adams’ blog.

She’s got all the latest info and links you need to keep your pets safe.

Highs and Lows

Last Tuesday we started auditioning teen girls for the full read on the 26th. Surprisingly, we had no trouble finding actresses that were willing to try out for our non-paid stage reading. Even after their parents read the F-bomb/adult themed material.

All the girls were terrific actresses. Lots of Jennys (the good girl) but none of the girls felt akin to playing Louanne (the perceived bad girl).

We had already booked one more audition on Thursday with a young actress who’s on a network show. Definitely not a Louanne but possibly a very good Jenny. So we brought back our best Louanne from Tuesday (she also happened to be our best Jenny) to read with the girl.

They were both really excited about the project. They loved the material. And they were perfect together. We spent over an hour with them. Reading scenes and talking about everything and anything. We offered them the read. They excitedly accepted. We set up a rehearsal for Saturday so we could work with them prior to the cast rehearsal this Sunday. We couldn’t have been happier.

Until the following morning. I was on the phone with producing partner Peter Paul Basler, discussing our good fortune with the casting when another call came in. I put Peter on hold. Picked up the other line. It was the assitant to the big three agent that repped our new Jenny. “I’m sorry but (she) is going to have to pass.” “What happened? She was so excited last night.” “(She) thought it over and decided the material was too much for her.” “Okay.”

I go back to Peter’s line. “Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.” I told him the bad news. We were bummed. For about two seconds. Then we got down to figuring out what to do next. This was Friday and I really didn’t want to start the casting process all over again. We dicussed the possibility of the other girls we saw. We decided to call one of the agents whose client we wanted to see was out of town, since he had offered to send other girls.

In the meantime, I called our other girl to cancel the Saturday rehearsal and decided to ask her mom if she knew any other actresses that would be good for the role. She suggested a couple of girls. Turns out one was a girl we had originally tried for but she was booked out. The other one was a possibilty. Then, a while later she called back about one other girl whose mom she could call directly. She told me who the she was…and oyung actress with big credits. Excellent.

The girl’s mom called me a short time later. I emailed her the script and asked her and her daughter to read it and let me know what they thought. They called back Saturday afternoon. The girl loved the script. I met with her on Saturday evening. She was terrific. We reset the rehearsal for Sunday night. Yikes, the was last night, wasn’t it? Seems like a month ago.

I rehearsed with the girls – guess what? 15 year old girls know nothing about 1967 – for five hours. Five hours straight. Not one food break. Not one bathroom break. Hmmm…sounds like an EST session. Anybody remember the EST craze? Anyway, they were troopers. They did great.

So, the casting high that turned into the casting low is resolved and we’re ready for the Sunday rehearsal with the full cast. I mean the actors are ready. Peter and I still have to block the scenes and decide what narration we are going to omit. Actually, our to do list for the reading has 13 items on it.

So much to do, so little time.

Running On Fumes

I’ve been keeping crazy hours the past couple of weeks; competely immersed in the design and layout of my book. My looming deadline is May 30. Last night I finished my day at 12:15am and collapsed into bed, expecting to pass out when my head hit the pillow.

And then it happened. No, not that. No such luck. It was the other thing. You know, the little wheels in your brain that are supposed to wind down suddenly decide to speed up. Thoughts began blazing through my brain. Marketing ideas for the book. What’s coming up with the movie. This scenario. That scenario. Everything but sheep.

Shit. I’m dead tired and wide awake at the same time. Tick, tick, tick…1AM. Stop thinking, Chesher. Tick, tick, tick…1:30AM. Turn off the brain. Tick, tick, tick…1:45AM. You’ve got a long day ahead of you tomorrow. Tick, tick, tick…2AM. And an even longer one on Tuesday. Tick, tick, tick…2:15AM.

It’s no use. Turn on the computer. Too tired to write. Too awake to sleep. Maybe there’s something on CBS innertube. Nope. Try nbc.com. Wow, they’re showing the whole season of Heroes. Let’s see what all the fuss is about.

Two episodes later, I finally nod out…around 4:30AM. Up 4 hours later. I really love to sleep. I do best on 8 hours. Not 4.

It’s been a long day. Tonight, I’m reading the final section of My First Kiss at my writer’s group. And somehow they had an extra slot so I’m also reading the first 25 pages of a family romantic comedy that I finished a year ago and haven’t looked at it since.

I’ve spent the day copying and highlighting. And trying to get a song to a talent agent. We’re auditioning around twelve girls tomorrow for the My First Kiss full read on the 26th. I’m surprised at the caliber of young actresses that responded.

Things are moving forward. Very exciting. Even though my eyes are at half-mast.

What’s Goin’ On

Our Friday lunch meeting went very well. Can’t say much about it except the seeds were planted and we’ll see what grows. Weeds or rose bushes.

The budgets are in the works, the business plan is underway and I’m thinking about the key art. We are also casting the teen girls for the full read in three weeks.

I sent the latest (March 1st) rewrite out to one of my producing contacts in Canada. Hopefully, he can steer us to some money or get us involved in a Canadian co-production deal. Much of the movie can be shot in Canada and since I’m Canadian there are a lot of tax credits and the like to be explored.

Still waiting to hear back from the rest of the submissions. The gears of Hollywood turn ever-so slowly.

Crazy Busy

Things are a little nutty in my world. In a good way. It’s just that I have tons to do.

Since we last met. I’ve done a few more revisions on the script. Par for the course. I had a meeting with Peter’s contact, Erin, and am happy to report she is on board. Her background is production accounting but she wants to branch out into more areas of production. She is putting together our budgets to start and will likely wear other hats, depending on where this thing goes. There are so many variables in how (not to mention if and when) a movie gets made.

I also emailed the agent of the English actress I previously mentioned. I told her I didn’t think the girl’s parents would let her do the movie but the agent requested the script anyway. So, we’re being read in London.

On Monday, I cold contacted the manager of a musician who I think would be perfect to write the original songs and maybe score the movie as well. After a few back and forth emails, the manager agreed to read the script. No promises to pass it on since this musician is on tour and writing an album and has other film offers with money attached to consider. But the manager is willing to read the script – that’s a big score in my book.

March 26th we are doing a full read of the script, with actors, at a theater. Our main purpose is to hear the script all the way through but I may invite some guests. I’m looking for a couple of teen girls to read the leads.

And tomorrow we have a lunch with a client of mine to discuss (well, pick her brain) on all our International presale options and learn more about how our future distribution deals should be structured.

And if all this isn’t enough, I have to have Everybody I Shot Is Dead (that’s my rock’n'roll photo/memoir book) finished by May 31.

Now you know why this post is called Crazy Busy.

See ya.