Storyboards and the Script

So, today I met with the DP. We went over some of the storyboards today. The whole film will be storyboarded, and that process is almost complete. Hopefully I can put some of those frames up once I get a scanner working.

That was the only actual thing I did today in which I interacted with another person. Everything else involved me sitting at home breaking the script down into beats and preparing for our upcoming rehearsals.

In case you are interested, as I'm sure you are, I like to subscribe to the Stanislavski method of acting, aka "method acting." Stanislavski, for those of you who don't know, was a Russian actor and theatre director. Many of the American acting teachers -- Adler, Meisner, Strasberg, etc -- have roots in Stanislavski. Josh, the AD, is fantastic at working with this method. The man is a genius really.

And let's put this on the table -- I don't write the greatest plots in the world. I don't think anyone will ever be shaken to their knees from my plots. They aren't super complex. They aren't high concept. I'm one of those people that loves character. I love it. I'll watch a film with zero plot but great characterization. If somebody said -- here's an indie film, here's a big-budget Hollywood film, that's all the info you get, which do you want to watch? -- I would say, "the indie film." I love independent cinema. I love what it can do and the creative control they have. Some people are capable of doing what they want but still working within the studio system (Tarantino, Coens, etc.).

So, because of this fact, most of this film rests on the actors. I needed great actors. I auditioned probably 20 people for each role. I needed to find the best that I could find because this will be made or broken by their performances. So I put a lot of emphasis on the rehearsal and the acting of this.

A few people have asked what I'm shooting on. The answer is the Sony EX1. The EX1 is a $6,000 camera that shoots native 24p full 1080p HD. We are shooting with a 35mm depth of field adapter, at least for the flashbacks at any rate.

A few people have also asked if they could read the script. While I have sent it to one person, I don't really want to give it out anymore. This is one that I'd prefer to keep locked up until the film is done. However, I will post the first two pages, for your reading pleasure....

INT. HOTEL ROOM - NIGHT

BATHROOM

A young woman, approximately age 20 or 21, sits on the lid of
the toilet. She wears nothing but a bra and panties. Tears
stream down her face, although it appears as though she's
getting herself together.

Most oddly, blood spots her upper body and her bra. Blood is
smeared across her face. In her hair.

HOLD;

She looks around the bathroom. It's brightly lit, yet
something is still strangely eerie about it. We cannot see
anymore than the body of this young girl.

Her name is JESSICA WILSON. She's attractive, slim, but
obviously not in a great emotional state at the moment.

She looks down at the bathroom floor.

A pool of crimson red blood collects. Drops fall from the
bathtub rim. She stares as drops of blood clunk from above.

She makes her best effort to stand. Obviously the emotional
stress of the situation is holding her back, but she manages
to get on her feet. She moves over to the sink.

She turns the faucet on. Hot water pours out, steam rising
from the porcelain counter. She grabs a bar of soap and
scrubs her hands the best she can. It's hard to get the
blood off. But she does her best.

She tries to get the blood off her face as well. She scrubs
as good as possible and finally gives up.

She hits the faucet and shuts it off.

She moves out into the

MAIN AREA

And dries her hands on a towel. Some of the residual blood
gets on the towel as well.

She looks at her hands. The grooves of her fingerprints are
still filled with blood.

She turns and walks over to one of the beds. There is a
shirt and a pair of pants lying on the top of the bed.
She grabs the shirt and sees it is sodden with gore. She
tosses it against the wall. The pants are, too, stained
heavily with blood.

She sits down on the edge of the bed and looks around the
room.

Drab carpet. Bland drapes. The typical staples of a cheap,
semi-rural motel room.

She notices a phone sitting on the night stand. She also
notices a cell phone beside it.

She grabs the cell phone. Cradles it. Examines it over.
She flips it open.

Runs down through the list of contacts. Finds ADAM.

She hesitates and then closes the phone. Glances over at the
bathroom again.

A tear runs down her cheek. She flips the phone open and
calls Adam.

The phone rings.

JESSICA
(sad; desperate)
Adam... Adam... I need ...

She cries a little.

JESSICA (CONT'D)
.... I need your help, Adam.

She wipes her eyes.

JESSICA (CONT'D)
I don't know... how it happened...
I need some help.

More tears.

JESSICA (CONT'D)
I'm at the Longwood Motel. Yeah,
same one. Room...

She glances at the telephone on the night stand. It has a
room number on it.

JESSICA (CONT'D)
...Room 214. Bring some clothes.
(beat)
Bye.