Friday September 6, 2002

I'm thinking I don't know if I can shoot the project this semester because I'm way too busy with classes and Grad Assistant stuff, plus teaching MA202 labs.

Friday September 13, 2002

I've sent Rob a draft of my proposal hoping he'll be my second chair.

Friday September 20, 2002

I've ordered tapes and started thinking about getting some help on John's advice.

Friday September 27, 2002

Rob says I have to shoot this semester to graduate on time. This is scary, don't know how I'm going to pull it off.

Friday October 4, 2002

Got an email from Patricia from the OC Foundation. They are interested in including my project in the film festival next year!

Friday, October 11, 2002

Sent a revised proposal to Rob. I've been getting into contact with people recommended by Patricia to try to find subjects for the project. Someone from one of the lists has offered to compose for the project!

Friday October 18, 2002

My proposal has been accepted, whew.

Friday October 25, 2002

I've sent budgets to the crew so they can send me quotes. Trying to get info about the GIVE award, which I'm counting on so I can pay crew. For the rest I'll use my income from teaching MA202 labs.

Friday November 1, 2002

Trying to schedule a crew meeting. Working on shooting schedule.

Friday November 8, 2002

Had a crew meeting at my place but it was just Jessica and Alyer and me. We watched a little footage but mostly talked about going to Sundance. Trying to firm up equipment reservations, research and shoots, maybe schedule a meeting everyone can attend but we're all so busy.

Friday November 15, 2002

We leave today for the weekend, shooting in Southern New Jersey. The forecast calls for rain.

Friday November 22, 2002

The shoot went really well. We did something like 6 interviews in two days, more than we even thought. We got there very late which sucked, didn't get enough sleep at all, and we worked straight through both days. I didn't realize the chimera speed ring wasn't in the Arri kit and then we needed it which sucked. I couldn't find the lens cap or Alyer's glasses when we got back. Overall the shoot did go really well. We got pretty pictures and good stories and ate well. I got an email from the composer and sent that to the crew list. Very informative, telling us how to work virtually so she can compose the music since she's in L.A. Trying to line up garbage dumps to shoot and social workers to interview.

Friday November 29, 2002

Looked into renting filters from Dan, but he hasn't got the whole set so we'll go with Rule. They're pretty good to me. We have a student from BFVF who's wanting to come to the shoot on the 14th and learn about small doc crew film making. The nightmare right now is trying to make work dubs, just can't seem to make it happen. Also trying to modify an order with the VEC is making everyone crazy.

Friday December 6, 2002

Jorge and Eric went to Northhampton by themselves to shoot a training session with Dr. Frost -no one else could make it. This is a great opportunity and they are troopers. They didn't get releases so we'll see what happens with that.

Friday December 13, 2002

The Social Worker who helped arrange the shoot last Friday sent a complaining letter about our crew being late and not getting releases. They did a great job shooting though, the stuff they got is really good. We are shooting tomorrow. Just my interview. This shoot has been a horror show. It's right smack in the end of the semester, and holiday party/holiday gear up time. I've botched the Social Worker interview and another interview fell through. I'm wishing I'd cancelled this one and rescheduled it.

Friday December 20, 2002

One good thing that happened during last weekend's shoot is we found Alyer's glasses. They were in the bottom of the case of water from the New Jersey shoot, in the refrigerator. Other than that, just trying to hang in, I finished up the last screening for the Documentary Workshop and haven't done anything on the project but will give the so far crew a gift.

Friday December 27, 2002

I'm in Brooklyn for the holidays, just trying to take a break but having a meltdown too. I'm exhausted and I don't know how much longer I can keep all of this up. I caught up with friends but each experience seems so draining.

Friday January 3, 2003

This week I've booked the van, the filters, still working on the lodging. Today's Friday and we leave Saturday. As usual, we don't have a sound recordist in place even this late. Tried to get the scrap metal place to agree to let us shoot there. Got a flat out no, period. I cried after I got off the phone with the guy. I've got the flu and my period and I feel like just going back to bed but can't, too much to do. Have to go pick up the key for Brooklyn lodging.

Friday January 10, 2003

The shoot went well. Jessica met us in NY and Alyer had to leave early for the GREs. We dropped him at the Chinatown bus on our way out of NY. The interviews went well. We interviewed my brothers, then my Aunts, Uncle and Cousin. The best was interviewing Larry in front of the National Geographic collection. The lodging in Lititz was great, big bang for the buck.

Friday January 17, 2003

Emailing area malls to try to shoot man-on-the-street interviews for more variety in footage, we mostly have just formal interviews. Trying to get work dubs done and it's just seeming impossible.

Friday January 24, 2003

This weekend we're shooting a social worker, Jessica's interview, man-on-the-street interviews, and a Goodwill dropoff. Should be huge. Tried to get to shoot in a mall because it's about one degree outside. That didn't really work out so we're going to do man-on-the-street at BFVF I think.

Friday February 7, 2003

The shoot last weekend went well, especially the social worker. Jessica and I also did a Goodwill dropoff each and went through some stuff we had trouble with, which got a little long, and I'm not sure necessarily useful. The crazy thing was it seemed like there were so many obstacles to the goodwill trip. My car was in the shop, and when we got to a Goodwill place the store was gone. We finally were able to unload the stuff at the Salvation Army in Central Square. This was a marathon weekend for Jessica and myself.

Friday February 14, 2003

This week I screened sample footage in the Master Project class to get permission to edit. I got a very good response-no technical comment at all, just an emotional response and interest in the topic. I'm psyched! We talked about distribution via Frontline World, and educational markets.

Friday February 21, 2003

We've been talking about a 50 minute cut because the topic is so complex. I've been procrastinating asking the sound post people about it because I'm afraid they'll be unhappy. I want to do a 20 minute and then ask someone like HBO to pay for a full hour program, but maybe that's unrealistic.

Friday February 28, 2003

Hopefully our last shoot is this weekend. We're interviewing a disaster recovery expert who cleans up hoardy houses. I've had to book a vehicle but only had to rent the 4x4 filters for the DVCPro since I bought the series 9 filters. Also someone on our crew has family in Flushing where we're going and they are putting us up. But the auto rental place is giving me hell. They said they have pickup and now they say they don't. They won't give me a weekend rate, they want to charge by the day. I'm going there now and I'll try to get the rate since they've been such a pain. Finally got the work dubs done, seemed like it would never happen.

Friday March 7, 2003

The shoot was great, the man had some amazing footage we're going to be able to use of a cleanup. Not so great was the freezing cold basement where we slept. Even though we saved on the hotel, I'm wishing we'd gone to the hotel. Also I messed up by taking the Hutch out of New York after the shoot where there's no food stops. So by the time we got to Boston people were too tired to eat. Otherwise A1 though. Need to log tapes and make work dubs, vhs dubs Monday.

Friday March 14, 2003

We've been getting pixelation on the tapes from Flushing (we made dubs of the footage). I emailed to try to get to the original footage at some point. We're officially screening a rough cut on April 9 that I think will be 50 minutes long. We're supposed to cut up transcripts the 20th and 21st, then shoot photos over the weekend.

Friday March 21, 2003

I sent out a post production schedule on the 18th to make sure the tight schedule was OK with everyone. The composer thought one week was tight for her. I saw Robb Todd today and it was helpful. We discussed story and character development, and films that pertain.

Friday March 28, 2003

We were supposed to send out vhs tapes for human subjects review yesterday. Obviously Alyer doesn't have enough time to edit, so we'll send them out Monday. Things look good though.

Friday April 4, 2003

I've been working on my production book draft for Wednesday. Not too many calls from the tapes we sent out. I hope the people received them. I'm thinking about changing the schedule again. I just don't see how there could be enough time to do everything.