From the Producer: Project Updates
When I was growing up, a lot of people around me were dealing with what is currently referred to as major depressive disorder. In some cases, PTSD, and in one case, schizophrenia. At the time, I didn’t know what all this really meant, depression, mental illness. I thought it was just the normal blues, being sad, and just how people got through their lives.
As I grew up, I realized while it is in fact normal, I didn’t see it as such. I found myself surrounded by the stigma that was “mental illness.” To this day, many of the people in my life don’t want to recognize it as something they could possibly be associated with. Several people have even personally mocked me for my own decision to seek help with depression. Even I prescribed to a lot of those beliefs for a long time.
But like many things in my life, I had to find my own path and sort it out for myself. I get why it’s hard. Seeking help for mental disorders is typically associated with admitting vulnerability and imperfection not only to others but to yourself. It exposes us to hatred and ridicule. I can see why it might feel natural to want to deny it.
But to do so only hurts all of us more in the end.
When Josh approached me about producing Oakdale 1959, the story took me right to this place in my heart. I could recognize within my own experience how society doesn’t take time to prioritize mental health. At times, I can’t even believe it’s 2019 and not 1959.
What I identify with most in this story, is this desire to make the outside look perfect out of some misguided notion that that might make the inside perfect too. That’s why I’m here and I’m excited to support Josh in the telling of this story. I think the job that he has on his hands is to make Oakdale 1959 feel as relatable to 2019 as it relates to our societal discourse about mental health. My job is to help him make that come together in both a logistical and creative way.
As a producer, the sheer fact that we’re talking about a period piece, makes it easy to see the dollar signs pile up fast. Making a space or a set look like something out of the late 50s is never cheap. It takes effort across the board to make it look real, sound real, and feel real. The art design, the cinematography, and the acting are all decisions come from a place of creating the most authenticity as possible.
Since our budget will likely increase quickly and since we’re part of a collective of young (re: poor) filmmakers, there’s already cause for concern. So it’s time to get creative. Part of my job so far has been to breakdown the script in order to essentially analyze how we’re going to make this happen. Baby steps.
The job of a producer is often one that people cannot describe. It leaves people with the idea “they deal with the money.” And in a way that’s true, we look at the money. How much do we have and what can we afford? But what’s more, what can we afford that will speak the most volume for what goes onto the screen in order to ultimately best demonstrate our message?
Let me tell you, that’s not always an easy thing in and of itself, but producing is a lot more than just that. It’s organizing people, places, and things (sometimes even animals and babies) at the same predetermined time. It’s coordinating all those things to make sure that everyone has what they need in order to get them to the place where they can all take direction from the director. That’s no easy feat.
Producing is hard and to do it well, you need partners that can speak the same language or at least do their best to do so.
What sucks about finding a producer at this level, is that many people won’t or don’t want to do it. Especially not for free. And frankly, good producers don’t usually do it for free. But if you find someone who cares just as much about your story as you do, then hold on tight to that person and hope for the best.
Right now, we’re just departing from the development world into the pre-production world on Oakdale 1959. During development, my role included giving feedback on the script and helping us get to a pre-production draft. Something I’ve always struggled with since I went to school is this notion that you’re going to get a “locked” draft. I’m learning to give up that notion.
The story is an ever-evolving thing and if you really care about it, you need to be able to to produce it in a way that is both stern and intentional as well as adaptable. Know the story, understand the underlying theme(s) and the goal that your director is working to accomplish. The stronger your understanding of these matters, the better you’ll serve the project. I’m saying this as someone who in no way has ever perfected this but certainly tries to.
Now that we’re in the pre-production world, my thoughts move from blue sky to more solid ground. Our first steps have been to develop the script into pre-production mode and then to start analyzing it right away. What are we working to accomplish?
What is our goal? What do we want the audience to feel after watching this content for 10-15 minutes?
That. That is our guiding light.
Now we put our team together. Like Captain Planet, with our powers combined, we will make this happen! WOO! YES. And that’s no joke, to make films is to trust people. So our first major hurdle is building a team that gets the vision, believes in it, and will execute it.
Since the new year began, our initial moves have been to make this happen. Thus, we’ve recently begun to bring on our department heads, the second-in-commands if you will, in order to make this happen. For us, this includes our:
Director of Photography - also known as the cinematographer or the person who knows how to best use the camera and it’s tools for our creative purpose as well as manage a team who will help design the lighting, electrical needs, and camera logistics
Production Designer - the person who creates the physical space, artwork, props, and general environment that the story takes place within
1st Assistant Director - the master of the clock, the person who organizes which scenes will take place when and for how long - which in the world of filmmaking, is a very important position. They aid the director’s vision while appeasing the needs of the space and time
Editor - the person who interprets all the footage and performances that are achieved and puts it into a constructed work that best illustrates the story
Next, we’re starting auditions for our cast while simultaneously scouting for locations that will allow us to tell our story. A lot of things happen simultaneously but that’s part of the game and a big part of my job in order to get us from now to principal photography.