It Must Be True

The acid test of a film project is if it makes it to IMDB, and we seem to be up there. You can see it here.

Today the sun shines in Ponsonby, and there's an air of anticipation as we head for next week when the crew hits the streets in style. We're already picking up a bit of buzz around the town as we talk to locals.

And everyone here believes in the goodness of this film.

Seven Years Later

Hard to express how important it was to me to have a contingent from the UK join us on Saturday. Pip Piper, producer from the UK, is a good friend of mine who 7 years ago took an option on my novel to make a film. And now here he is, with a group of helpers, on the ground in Ponsonby as we head toward shoot.

It's important to stop and reflect on the significance of such events. Seven years is a long period in anyone's life, and for all of that we have worked and struggled and believed together that The Insatiable Moon might become a reality. Now the process is reaching its high point, it's all the more reason to feel the deep satisfaction which flows from the period of gestation.

Over the weekend we had our very first cast read-through of the script, which was magic and helped to bring the story to life. Then Sunday was spent on tech recce, touring all of our locations with the crew who are charged with doing the practical work of making the film.

Today the production office was buzzing with people - meeting, planning, discussing. What a great feeling to be in the presence of so many creatives bringing their talents to the story! There's a huge amount of aroha and goodwill flowing amid the necessary planning. Let's hope it makes it onto the screen.

Arriving on a Jet Plane

So, tomorrow the UK crew arrive in Auckland. Seven years ago the UK producers including Pip Piper met over dinner with Rawiri Paratene, Tim Sanders and I to discuss making a film. As of tomorrow, we'll all be in the same country and doing it. It marks the closing of a circle, which began on that night so long ago. It was a special time because we stumbled out of the restaurant to see a huge full moon at the end of the street. None of us could have foreseen how long and difficult the road would be.

But all of that fades into history as we join forces again to watch the dreamed-of story unfold before our eyes. The mojo flows...

Big Moon

I have a grandson by the name of Finn. Last year when we were down in Wanaka, the full moon rose over the hills, and we taught the wee man to say "big moon". He got really enthusiastic about it, and still repeats it to this day.

Last night there was a fat moon hanging alongside the Auckland skytower, full of portent and potential. A pity about the clouds, but tonight we hope to nail it if the sky clears. Of course we can always add the moon later with a bit of movie magic, but it would be great to shoot it in the raw.

The momentum is mounting and so is the workload. We're on track but getting a feature film up with 3 weeks pre-prod is a big ask. Fortunately we've got great people working in the production office, giving their all.

And the moon shines on.

Musique

Saturday night Luke Hurley worked his magic with guitar and voice as a contribution toward raising funds for The Insatiable Moon. He's a great performer, and his unique blend of guitar work coupled with strong original songs never ceases to entrance.

Along with other local musicians, including singer/songwriter Johnny Matteson, we hope to include fresh and indigenous performers for the soundtrack of the film. Even though that's largely a matter for post production, we're already collecting bits and pieces and feeding them through to our editor Paul Maxwell.

The soundscape of a movie is a dynamic part of the emotional tone of a film, and it's important to get it right. I have a personal objection to mood manipulation, but recognise how evocative a simple piece of music can be to the way an image is received.

I'm delighted that our lower budget model means that we can incorporate some of the great local talent who are willing to offer their own compositions without charge. It's part of giving the story roots in a real and existing community.

Moon Over Ponsonby

The front page of the local newspaper has a story about the film under the photo above (of Mike Riddell, DOP Tom Burstyn and lead Rawiri Paratene). It's a good piece. The film must be going to happen - I read it in the news. Link here to read.

Getting There

Amazing what can be accomplished in a day, with the right attitude and a good team of people committed to the cause. Every night I wake up with my mind buzzing - a raft of tasks that need to be completed, and conscious of how little time there is left.

But the astonishing thing is that by the end of the day, a huge amount has been achieved, and we are that much closer to getting there. And in this business, getting there is a significant achievement. Film is perhaps the highest form of art collaboration - no way of doing it without real teamwork and interdependence.

And so it is as we draw near the end of the first week of preproduction, that there is a certain sense of satisfaction alongside the constant panic. Also, many small events are convincing us that the mojo is flowing - that there's a sense of rightness and timeliness about this whole project.

Time will tell, but there's a massive amount of soul pouring into this production.

Seeing

It was great to tour round some of the locations with our DOP Tom Burstyn last week. Strange how you see things with new eyes when you're looking alongside a cameraman. The image to the left is of the interior of the church which we'll be using for the funeral scene. Tom could immediately see the beauty and potential of it.

This afternoon I was down at the boarding house (another location), drinking coffee and talking to the owners. They are the very best of people, and in the midst of a million distractions it was good to be with them. We had a wide ranging conversation about all sorts of things, but primarily about allowing people the dignity to be themselves without the constant pressure to be someone else.

There's not only stigma with mental illness - there's the constant attempt by agencies to make people 'better' or 'normal'. It was so wonderful to be in an environment where aroha is the norm, and you're allowed to be mad if you want to be mad. We swapped some stories of the enriching moments we'd experienced by living with people who are 'different'.

Film, like life, is a way of seeing. Cropping the boundaries provides focus and perspective, so that sometimes you are aware of things which have always been there, but become newly evident.

Pre Production

Today marks the start of our official pre-production. Just three weeks left to get ourselves organised for the shoot. It's akin to the mounting of a significant military operation - no good getting part way through and discovering you didn't organise the supply train.

So the busyness increases, the decisions multiply, the demands grow. But so does the excitement and the anticipation. And it's a chance to get to know the team who will be working together to bring this dream to reality.

I was out of my depth some weeks ago, but it hasn't stopped me yet. The idea is to learn from the duck, and keep all the frantic paddling below the surface.

At the end of all this labour, something will be born among us.

We started out on this project to be producers who were open and transparent in our dealings with all. And that has continued to be our guiding star. There's something about integrity and honesty which affects the atmosphere of the whole team. We've also looked for cast and crew who were not only talented but who believed in the story and wanted to be part of it.

This week has been a difficult one in which we've engaged some of the darker aspects of the industry. It's been a challenge to maintain equilibrium and stick to our principles as we were caught up in some issues not of our making. But all credit to the main players who have found a way to get through in the interests of getting the film made.

Yesterday we looked at the camera test images for the Sony EX1 (night shooting, close-ups, depth of field etc) on the big screen, and were delighted to confirm that the data levels were within the ranges necessary for effective post production, and for printing to 35mm at the end of it all. Plus, it looked pretty damned good.

Of course it helps to have a DOP who knows how to play the instrument!

A great deal of buzz for me personally yesterday as we had our first HODs meeting up at the office, and there was the sense of a team on a mission. Everyone there was making some sort of sacrifice to be part of the film, but bringing their professionalism to it.

So. Official pre-production begins Tuesday. Here we go...