The Easter Break is now over and I back to work on Feature No.2. I meet with Ben Woodiwiss to discuss the first draft. Again he wrote the script in a week and I had it with me just before the Easter weekend. I had time to read over the script and make my notes. We sat down at Costa Coffee and discussed the script. I talked about the changes I wanted to make to it and the themes I wanted to include in the film. And as I was saying all this I couldn’t shake the feeling of Deja Vu. It was only 7 months ago that we had started on the first script.

As I write this blog, I can not shake the feeling of Deja Vu. I bet you can’t as well. So dear reader, as I don’t want to bore you and I want to show that I will actually make a feature and not running around in circles, I will only update you on how the script is progressing. If anything major happens, I will write about it. Like if Ben and me have a falling out. As I will be doing other stuff this time, I will concentrate on that. How I am going to raise the money for the film. How I will be casting the film. How I will be crewing the film. Stuff to do with the pre-production of the film.

Also I will get round to doing the video logs. I was in talks with someone to shoot them for me, but in the end they didn’t want to do it. Fair enough. I won’t hold it against them. The video logs is a big commitment. Whoever I get on to do them, will follow me onto the shoot and then into post production. So they might be doing on-off for a year.

So I am starting pre-production. I will be looking at casting, getting the crew together, locations. There is a lot of prosthetics (special effects makeup), character design that need to be started on. The sooner I start, the better it will be. Character design can’t be left to the last minute. I have been lucky to meet and work with some very talented FX guys, so I will be turning to them for help.

The budget for the film is coming along. I have been saving my own money, since I first met with Ben to talk about writing the feature, so I have put a side about 3,000 pounds. I been doing all the jobs I can, as well as a part time job to raise the money. I won’t be able to raise the total amount this way, but it is a start. I’m looking to raise 10,000 for the budget. It doesn’t sound a lot. It isn’t a lot. But to me it is.

Anyway, back to last night. We had a meal, talked about the script. Watched a film at the cinema, Sunshine, really good film. I recommend you seat as close to the screen as you can. It will really envelope you. Then we talked about the script. Went for a drink. Talked about the script. You can say we did a lot of talking about the script. I don’t what people are going to think of it. I think it will divide people. They will either think it a vile piece of shit or the best film ever. Maybe no-one will ever see it. I don’t know. As an independent filmmaker you worry about how you film will be distributed as there isn’t a distributor in place, like a studio. Though, I don’t have a bunch of suits looking over my shoulder, scrutinising everything I do. A freedom I do enjoy.