Sometimes the best laid plans fail and there is simply nothing within your power to change it.
My heart was set on shooting my first proper short film ‘Inside’ last weekend, and everything was ready. On Friday morning we packed the car and were heading towards Media Film Service to pick up the camera gear when news came through that our location was totally inaccessible by any means other than helicopter.
You can imagine I was less than pleased.
Still, planning a shoot in mid winter at a remote location in the Cedarberg mountains is asking for trouble. I knew this, and to be honest the news was not a big surprise. I had just pinned all my plans on the chance that we’d get good weather preceding the weekend shoot allowing the river level to subside.
There’s a few things you can do when something like this happens. You can hire a helicopter… which is what a Hollywood producer with money would have planned from the beginning, you can throw a tantrum and quit, or you can get over it with the intent (in a very active sense of the word) to let it settle and make another plan.
Inside is a great little story, full of suspense and full of meaning for myself and our lead actor Leon. I also have an opportunity which will not present itself again, of shooting with two of the best digital cinema cameras in existence. I have planned to write a technical blog series on both the Red One MX and the Arri Alexa (although I see Philip Bloom has beat me to it Philip Bloom goes solo with ALEXA). That’s okay though, I’m not Philip Bloom.
So, I’ve taken the setback as a challenge to up the game. I’m working on securing a new location, much closer to town which will change the flavour of the film but not the core of the story. It means I can return the gear sooner to the rental house, which is important as I am borrowing not hiring, and it reduces the cost of insurance which I do have to cover.
It also means I can invite more people to help out on the shoot, and that represents quite an opportunity for some who may not normally get much chance to be on a film shoot of any kind or around this technology.
The location is a bit more challenging. We may need a small lighting kit as much of the film is shot at night, but there is power on site and I am planning on taking advantage of the full moon on Friday July 15th.
I cannot publish much more detail until I have locked down the location. My plans hinge on getting that green light.
The key with setbacks like this is in the attitude you take the second after bad news hits. Don’t let it floor you, if it does you may not be cut out to produce films at all. Actively DECIDE with INTENT that this is not the end, it’s simply a hairpin turn that if you are honest with yourself, you may have been expecting.
Slow down, negotiate the bend and accelerate in a new direction.
In the words of Leon Laubscher ”We were supposed to shoot ‘Inside’ this weekend and we went away… unfortunately the weather said “NO!”… so when life throws you a lemon I say pass me the salt and tequila! 
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