The next short film, “Straja”, is slated to begin shooting in August. The script has gone through several revisions and several rehearsals, and we have a full cast! I may seek some assistance from experienced crew, mostly to do things like hold reflectors or the mic boom.
This film is a prequel to the novels, and depicts an Angela who has not yet experienced real tragedy in the Otherworld. Though confident, she lacks the measured tone of her more mature self as seen in “The Soul Thief” and “The God of Battles,” and she has not yet seen some of the more bizarre or horrific things that can be found in the Forest of Souls.
This short film, depicting the Otherworld as it does, will make use of several special effects. No CGI! I don’t have that kind of budget. But it should be interesting, nonetheless, and in particular I am going to put some serious energy into the transition into the meadow of her patient.
As this film will deal with mental health issues (as do all the stories), I am particularly sensitive to the problems encountered by those of us who are not neuro-typical. Fortunately, I have an adviser who is atypical and who has gained the capacity to handle it. My adviser will help me steer clear of the more obvious pitfalls; my own experience with atypicals will further be of help. However, there may still be a mis-step here and there, hopefully not too egregious.
In the meantime, I am in post-production for “Falling Rock” and will be screening some very rough cuts for my cast and crew soon. I am still gunning for a September release! I am also considering creating a poster for the film as well as a thumbnail still that would show up when you see the film online. Please note, however, that if it seems like it would be good enough for a festival (it’s my first, so that’s probably unlikely), I will not release it publicly until I’ve submitted it to several festivals and either been accepted (and subsequently shown it) or been rejected. Film festivals want “first release” films that haven’t been seen in public yet…
Ta for now!