Well, we're only two weeks away from the first day of principle photography on BLACK PAPER.  There's still a lot to be done, but we're making progress.

On Wednesday, four of the main actors gathered with me for a full-script table read.  It was wonderful to hear them all together.

I basically completed all of my director paperwork last weekend.  Now I just have to fine-tune it a bit.  Tomorrow I'm meeting with a few key crew members to do equipment tests and look over our principle location.  We still need to find an art gallery and a mental hostpital/rest home, but we'll get there.  If you have any connections with possible locations that could fit those descriptions, please email me.

And finally, today is the final day to contribute to our IndieGoGo fundraising campaign.  Please donate if you can.  We're still a long way from our goal, and every little bit helps.  If you still want to donate after the campaign ends, please contact me and I'll gladly make arrangements, but if you can, IndieGoGo is the preferred method.  And thank you to everyone who has already contributed.

So here we go.  Two weeks of location scouting, contracts, rehearsals, and sheer insanity.  I'm excited, and I hope you are too.

Production begins on BLACK PAPER just three weeks from today!  That time is going to fly by.  On Monday and Tuesday, I'm directing a short farce for the school where I teach.  It's going to be a blast, but I'm looking forward to finishing it and focusing in on BLACK PAPER.


We will have our first table read with the principle cast on Wednesday.  I've also brought Paul Burt on board to help scout locations and find people for the remaining crew positions.  He's a good guy, and I'm glad to have him helping out.

And one week from today, our IndieGoGo fundraising campaign ends.  We're still a very long way from reaching our goal, so if you can contribute, please do!  Any donation will be appreciated.  Five bucks, ten, whatever you can spare.  And please help spread the word.

The big thing I'm doing this weekend is drawing overhead diagrams for all the planned shots.  The idea is to draw what is essentially a map of each scene to show the crew where the actors and camera will be for every camera set-up.  It helps the assistant director to plan what order to actually film the shots.  And it's a useful tool on set.  So right now, I have Simon & Garfunkel on my stereo, and I'm drawing floor plans -- even for the locations we haven't booked yet.

Speaking of which, we still need locations for an art gallery and a mental hospital or rest home.  If you have ideas or connections, please contact me right away.

Now, back to work ...

Wow, I can't believe we begin shooting four weeks from today.  The time is flying by.

Rehearsals will begin soon, and I'm still looking for locations and rounding out the crew.  And now more than ever, it's important to keep spreading the word about the IndieGoGo fundraising campaign.  If you're able to contribute, please do.  Every little bit helps, and the clock is ticking.

Lots and lots to do ...

The callbacks are finally over, and this week I'll be notifying all the actors with whom I haven't already spoken.  It's been a very difficult process.  There are some extremely talented actors to choose from, and I hate to cut anyone.  Still, I have a good idea of which actors I'm hiring, so hopefully in a day or two I'll be able to post a cast list.

Also, there are only 18 days left on our IndieGoGo fundraising campaign!  Please click here to contribute, and please spread the word.  There's still a long way to go to reach our goal, and the clock is ticking.

I'm also in the process of searching for locations.  And over the weekend, I completed the first draft of the shot list for the film.  Over three hundred camera set-ups for 107 scenes to be recorded in eight days.  Yeah ... I'm insane.

I love filmmaking.

This week marks the end of the first phase of the casting process.  It's been a rollercoaster ride so far, but now we're finally moving into the second phase of casting: Callbacks.

Some of the top contenders for each role will be returning to audition for a second time.  In particular, we'll be pairing up the actors to look at how well they work together.  This is usually a pretty fun part of the process.

Not all actors have been notified of their status yet, but for better or worse, those emails will be coming this week.

And as usual, I'll close with a plug for the film's IndieGoGo fundraising campaign, which you can check out here.  Please contribute anything you can.  Any little bit helps!