Update... of the mind

1922 color film test, with Mae Murray

While I let the film's new title marinate, I've been working hard to finish a pass at a new cut that addresses the test audience comments. I'm going to try to squeeze in some more work on the trailer as well.

It's worth spending time to properly process test audience comments. What happens is you hear from person A, person B, and person C. And while A and B love everything except for one little bit that really bothered them, person C thinks that one bit is the best part of the film.

All very smart people, just different aesthetics. How does this film fit into that? And what's person D going to say that's going to affect what A,B, and C said?

That said, person Z, who I talked to last week in real life, had just one major comment and a suggestion, and that suggestion actually addressed a major element across the film that I'd been stumped on. Digging into the film now, the changes I've made based on this new suggestion have been coming out great.

I watched a few other films over the week, specifically to see how they used their score music. I haven't done that in a while, it's always very interesting.

I'm also thinking a lot about color in this go-round, hence today's picture, which is not from our film, but of lovely Mae Murray, in an early color film test (1922!).  A long time ago I thought it might be cool to shoot a beach movie in black n' white, but calmer heads prevailed and instead we have glorious Kodak color. Everyone knows that B&W is great -- hell I've made as many film that way as in color -- but sometimes you wanna use charcoal, and other times you need oil paint. Whatever's best for the project. Right? Right!

Sightings: Anna and I saw Kenna Kettrick at the theater over the weekend, and just a few hours ago I ran into Riley Neldam out on the street, working on commercial shoot. It was great to see them both!