Friday, July 06, 2012

Addicted to Crazy?


A couple of months ago I had the crazy idea to gather my resources, go to Mexico and shoot a short film with children. I did it, I learned a lot and it turned out pretty well. (See the trailer below.)

Today, in one of my culture vulture emails, there was a feature on remote places. One of them was Rapa Nui, aka Easter Island. Images of a couple on that island immediately flooded my mind. I thought of Certified Copy and Before Sunrise. I googled.

Discovered in 1771 on Easter Sunday, (hence its name), Easter Island is a World Heritage Site, but also the most isolated place in all the planet, at a distance of 3,700 km (2300 miles or a 5 hour flight) from the nearest populated point, which is the Chilean main land.

I want to shoot my first feature there. All I need is airfare and accommodations for five people for 10 days. And a story of course. I haven’t directed my first feature because, despite having lots of ideas, nothing has struck me as something people would want to see. It’s different with features. You need more money and investors. And you must have a responsibility to the investors. Before you shoot one frame, you should have a distribution plan beyond hoping that you get into a major festivals. I didn’t want to do that kind of thinking. I didn’t think I was ready. Somehow, the images of Easter Island tell me I am.

After I finish the two shorts I’m working on now, all my energy will go into this crazy endeavor. It maybe be nuts, but it’s a goal I can see.

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