Writing AND Directing: Comedic Relief

The filming for Comedic Relief is DONE(as of 4/4/16)! Post-Production will start today(4/5/16) and I am physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted. Comedic Relief is a film that was written out of frustration with Thor 2 for having way too many jokes. So I thought I'd flip the situation and take something that should be funny and make it super serious :)


Things I've learned so far with pre-production and production of Comedic Relief...

•  Producers are wonderful, magical organization fairies that can make a director's life infinitely better.
• This job is going to be far from easy.
• Clown culture is a real thing...and I've offended the people of that culture :P
• Other aspects of life don't hit the pause button just because you're trying to make a film. 
• Pre-production is crazy important.
• Storyboarding can be an incredible stress reliever. 
• Having people who are actually studying audio do your audio work for you instead of other video people, is like shaving with an actual razor instead of the spoon that you usually use.
• Working with the same people over and over again creates a great efficiency.
• There HAS to be some sort of hierarchy on set. If everybody is talking to everybody all day, things can get scrambled and disorganized.
• Choreography for fights needs to be figured out weeks in advanced and practiced heavily.
• My art is therapeutic
• Directing is an absolute blast.

Main difficulties on Comedic Relief...

•  The weather is not your friend

• Or the sun. Got burned while filming the big fight scene.
• Don't even get me started on wind...Stupid, ugly, fat WIND
• Balloons are sensitive and pop, even if you're just looking at them too hard.
• Scheduling everybody(we had to deal with people who had other school requirements, but still)
• Controlling actors, while also trying to make sure that they're having fun.
• Every dollar spent at this level of filmmaking SUCKS SO BAD.
• People not associated with the short, who wanted to sit in their car in the background and honk at us. 
• "Training" actors in last minute choreography

Comedic Relief was written to make something serious out of things that should usually be funny. I think the process of it so far, as we prepare for post-production, has been the perfect balance of serious work, but also having fun with a collection of fantastic people.

This was my first time getting to truly take a step back and really direct an entire short. I loved it. Oh boy, did I love it! I can't wait to do it again, especially on my own work.

On the horizon is a screenwriting competition where if I win, I'll get flown out to South Africa to watch my 20-30 minute film be created! :) We'll see how it goes, but I have high hopes. Wish me luck!

LOTS AND LOTS of love out to all of you.

- Paul