The Aftermath (2)

It's very weird after focusing on one big film project for most of the year then suddenly finding myself at the end of principal photography. I mean, I have so much more to do and arrange - a good 4 or 5 months of work still to do on CrimeFighters - which is great, but there's still that feeling of being dumped onto the shores of reality after riding the... waves of... uh... thing.

I'm good at metaphors.

Having spent much of this year writing, planning and rehearsing for something that we're now three quarters through, I have mixed emotions from relief, to anxiety that it all works out, to joy at seeing Tony's rough cut so far which confirms that we are making something pretty special.

Having spent two very intense weeks with a cast and crew who became a kind of weird family, and who now have all dispersed, leaves me with a strange bereaved feeling. I'm so glad we're all having a break and coming back to finish the film in a few weeks, because everyone feels the same way; that this is an adventure that isn't yet finished.

So what to do in the interim, apart from making sure pickups week is well organised for October? Well, I shall be supervising the rough cut with Tony, going out with Dan to record foley (sound effects) and work out what scenes need looping (re-recorded dialogue, which averages well over 50% of the sound in most films). Making a website with Jonic that will initially hold the trailer but expand nearer the film's release to include 'Making Of' things, music, images and lots of other fun stuff. I shall also be watching lots of film 'Making Of's that I find inspiring, from Joss Whedon to Stanley Kubrick, Spielberg and Lucas, to remind me of why I got into all this in the first place.

The weirdest thing is going to be returning to everyday work. In some ways it's a relief to be back in a steady job that allows me room to breathe, and a cinema environment is sometimes quite nurturing - well, once the schools are back, that is. Having more of a measured routine of editing sessions and planning time is going to be great as well, and as December rolls around it's going to be very exciting looking forward to the film's release.

The other weird thing is just how practical you have to be, to be a dreamer. I know that sounds like movie dialogue but when your head's in the clouds and your feet are on the ground, you sometimes... get backache.

See, I'm good at metaphors.