Bringing it all up to date:

• This project has actually been going for a while - with an earlier false start I guess -- so the story so far! :
  

August 2005 - Friend and Brisbane comedian Mick Steel gave me a script - alternatively titled Brisbane Madanic or It's Brisbane Tonight - Wow!    The script centres around Rick (Mick) - or should that be Rick/Mick!! A stand up comedian who goes to a local community TV station hoping to get some ideas made. Whilst there he meets Lee the host of the local tonight chat show ~ as fate would have it there is a huge storm that night which prevents the guests from arriving so Rick ends up impersonating them on the show - whilst the real guests watch with mounting anger from the bar they are holed up in I knew then and there as soon as I read it that it was an extremely funny script and we had to do it!

•  So we set about doing readings and preliminary rehearsals - this was with a cast made up of other comedians and actors - including Mike Shanahan, Gabrielle Lurge, Craig Shaw, and Janus - and we did this at Mick's business premises

• By about March 06 we'd done half a dozen or so of these run throughs and the vibe was really good - the read throughs were extremely funny and we could see what worked really well, and what needed more work on it

• And then life got in the way!! (That old thing) -- a mixture of personal and work commitments for Mick and myself kept getting in the way, and it petered out a bit ~ until now September 09 - and I'm bringing it all back together, and we're on track to shoot it next year (schedule below)

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18/9/2009

• It was always an issue what to shoot it on -- back in 06 - we wanted the highest quality possible but none of us had a rip snorter of a camera  and very little money ~ well there was my Beaulieu R16 but film was out of the question due to the cost -  but fortunately since then I've bought an HD camcorder - the Canon HF11 and we'll be using that

• However I want the whole things to look as filmic as possible - so we'll be building a static 35mm DOF adaptor - along the lines of the one in this Youtube clip:

• The key thing at the moment is to get the next draft of the script done - it just need a little bit more to make it read like a film and not a series of sketches  - Mick is open to my ideas on that, and that will be the priority over the next month  

• Once that is done I'll start advertising the film publicly to look for the remaining cast and crew - at the moment we're just approaching people directly that we know. 

• Most of the cast from the earlier rehearsals are still available, except for Gabrielle who has moved to Melbourne - and so Jo Thomas will be playing Lee (the other co-lead along with Mick). Jo and I have known each other and worked together for over 20 years - she was in Tale of Two Men and In My Image, and she's perfect for part of Lee, so I look forward to this alot

• I'm going to MIPCOM in Cannes in October and I think rather than being addicted to the inflight movies I'll be getting the additional script material written then

• I'm also going to try the filing cards or index cards layout for an overview of the script and any additional story lines etc that we'll be working in - this is used commonly by editors when cutting a picture but  I've never done it from a writing point of view so it should be good

• When I'm in Cannes I'll also look for distributor interest in the project - but I am a realist - even though it's extremely funny and will have good production values, it is a low budget film with an as-yet-to-be-famous cast (!) so it's market is cable TV. Though it will DEFINITELY screen in Brisbane (even if I have to 4 wall it myself), and obviously it will be on DVD too.

• So the basic schedule then is:

Date Completed	Item	Status/Comments
Nov 09	New draft of script completed
Nov	35mm DOF adaptor set up and working	I've already got a 35mm Canon lense - it's only 2 times zoom though - don't know if we need more? So I just need to get the remaining parts as per the video above
Feb 10	Casting completed	Alot of the main roles are already cast - but there will be a public call when the new script draft is done
Mar	Crew completed	As per above
April	All locations sourced	Most of it is actually in the one location - the TV studio. I'm looking for realistic sets - as per one of my maxims - find or build the reality and film in it -- another maxim: the sets must be as realistic as the acting!
April	All sound and lighting gear acquired	Most of this is covered now - but just need a few more bits and pieces
May	Shot list completed	Want to be very well prepared!
May/Jun	Rehearsals	Obligatory!
Jun 26- Jul 11	Principal photography	These dates are actually the school holidays, which frees are few people up (makes us sound like school kids!!) -- but the aim is to shoot as much in that time frame as possible and pick up the rest afterwards around peoples work and time commitments

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20/9/09

• Just read this series of great articles on DIY distribution, which has given me lots of ideas - especially this one on touring a film - hmmmm.....

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23/9/09

• Had a good meeting with Jo and Mick yesterday, going over script, scheduling and location things - all looking good 

I can confirm the exceptional musician Anthony Linden Jones will be doing the score - Tony scored In My Image and Hold Me Tight - as well as a host of other films and has received on AFI Award nomination for his work

• Elisa Lago will also be doing the make-up - Elisa is the proprietor of Elspa Beauty Salon - and an award winning make-up artist - she did the make up on Sleeping On Her Couch and Hold Me Tight, as well as a number of other films.

• I've been getting some good advice about not using a static 35mm adaptor - so I'll have to have a good think about this and investigate some more

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29/9/09

• I came up with a set of "rules" for the film a while ago ~ and by rules I mean guidelines - here they are (I'll probably add to this as well)

1. Use Deep lighting -- cinematic - 3 point - combined with shallow dof 2. Develope detailed shot lists for every shot -- mixture of moving and static shots 3. Shoot 2.4:1 -- cinematic look

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15/10/09

• Just got back from MIPCOM at Cannes - things worked out too busy to have any spare time to work on the index cards or script rewrites at night -- so I'll have to hoe into that now

• However the good news is that while I was there I met with  Handmade Films and they are interested in seeing the end product - with their pedigree - including The Life of Brian - this is obviously a pretty big thrill - but in the end it will all come down to the quality of the film, the market demand and the deal of course.

• I must say I brought up the film with a number of international distibutors and most dismissed it out of hand due to the lack of big names - which is fine ~ I know how the market works! I guess I've got three aims with the film really marketwise 1) Stepping stone/calling card to bigger and better things for all the cast and crew involved in it 2) Have it run in Brisbane and be locally successful 3) Have it find a home somewhere on late cable TV in the world. I am a realist, and I think they're pretty attainable and worthwhile aims. The main aim at the moment of course is just to make the film overall high quality.

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2/12/2009

• Okay well working on the rewrites now - things are running a little behind - owing to these other projects that involve money that I just can't seem to shake! (Not that they're paying anything just yet though!!....but we're getting there)

• I'm meeting wtih Mick this weekend to go over suggested changes and bits I'm going to add in, and bits I'd like him to rewrite a little.

• We should be back up to date with that chart of dates within a few weeks time

• A few other actor and actress friends that I've approached are keen to be involved - won't put any names or pics untl they've read the new draft of the script - but I'm keen for them to be involved and their pretty keen too, so it should be good

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3/12/2009

Here's a quick snap of the first 36 scenes of the script layed out on the index cards -- this is the first time I've ever used this method and I'm finding it very very useful - you really can get a good overview with it and step back a bit - and it's helping greatly in the writing and inserting of new scenes I must say it takes hours to write out 100+ of these bloody things though LOL! - but it's worth the effort -- you only put scene number, description and a few notes on them anyway

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31/1/2010

• Well the 4th draft of the script is done - this is the major overhaul - with a number of new support characters and minor subplots added in - and a bit of a reworking of a few of the existing scenes. But most of all it's still hilariously funny!

• The script is now being circulated and we're planning a reading in a few weeks - exact date yet to be confirmed, depending on people's committments etc.

• Also looking for an editor - any interested parties please contact me :-)

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22/2/2010

• We had the reading yesterday - and it was great! Okay so maybe we're biassed, but we try not to be! You have to be objective for your own good.....but it was very funny and all the new material, scenes and characters worked really well. There no need for major changes evident - the odd line here and there will get slightly changed but no major overhaul of anything needed - so we're moving along to the next stage with confidence

• I placed a few ads for cast and crew around the net a week or so ago and have been overwhelmed by the response. Over 70 applications for cast parts - including people from interstate! About a third of the film is already cast (from performers I know, who I have already approached) but there are alot of places still available and we will be holding auditions in mid March - once we've gone through all the applications and notify people.

• Production designer Jessica Gray has joined the team as well and we look forward to working with her

The film features a film within the film - just a short comedy made by Mick's character Rick  - and I think we might shoot this on 16mm or Super 8 -- just because I can't help myself!! ;-)   (Got to get that R16 out!) Lead actress Jo Thomas has been knocking them dead at the Adelaide Fringe Festival in the play Often I Find That I Am Naked - the run is almost sold out so be quick if you want to see it!