Writing synopsis

Writing stories is really a process. Today I was working on the synopsis for an upcoming short film we will do together with the Swedish foundation Ankarstiftelsen. It is a film about an art workshop in a poor neighborhood in Medellin.

I have found that it is worth investing time in the idea. And I mean the idea, not the screenplay. To work on synopsis level. And work again. And work again. But today I had a little breakthrough and I hope we can reach an agreement with the foundation.

Tomorrow I will visit the art workshop to scout locations and maybe do some first auditions.

Filming a dance scene for ViValores

Yesterday we shot a film scene for ViValores, the values foundation. The scene was to film a dancer in front of a big audience, who was clapping and cheering as she finished dancing.

I had a few alternatives, we could shoot the scene in front of a green screen, and then add the stage and the audience silhouettes in post, or shoot it in a real theatre. I chose to shoot it in a theatre, because the city of Medellin lends out a theatre for things like this.

So we put the dancer on the stage and I filmed her from behind, toward the "audience", using two strong back lights to make the background completely black.

Then we shot from the front, lighting the stage background with an "orange party gelled" fresnel lamp.

And finally I did a wide shot from the audience, using a couple of extras as silhouettes.

I used dolly in all the shots. In the audience shot, I put the dolly on top of the theatre seating, using two lateral bars to fix the dolly tubes, and a couple of half apple boxes and a bean bag to find the right height and angle.

We shot "MOS", that is, without sound. The audience cheering will be added in post.

I was director, producer and director of photography for this shoot, plus in this particular shoot I was working with several people that had little or no experience with filming, so it was a challenge, but we got all he shots in the can and all things considered it was a good experience.

How to be safe

It is interesting to see what God teaches us about being safe. He talks about that if you do such and such, you'll be like a house on a rock, but if you do so and so, you'll be destroyed (Matthew 7:24-27). He is talking about long-term safety.

But instead of talking about how to work hard and save up for the future, how to build a house, how to build a big family or how to defend yourself, God talks about morals. If you are a good person, you will be safe. How are you to be good? This is what he says:

- Do good to others ("gather riches in heaven", do to them what you want them to do to you)
- Reconcile with others ("when you present your offering...")
- Be humble (do not do things just in order to be seen etc)
- Follow good leaders (look at their "fruit").

So being safe is, in God's perspective, about being a good, humble person. That is what gives you a future.

New year, new plans, new projects

I'm back again! Yet another miracle! Anyway, November and December were busy times. We produced four more values commercials, that was an intense time and I directed them. I got to work with a professional director of photography from Bogota, that was fun.

In December, my father and his wife were visiting me in Colombia, which of course was a lot of fun. We went to Cartagena and Santa Marta, among other places. I had the opportunity to visit Tayrona Park again, a beautiful place.

In January I spent three weeks in Sweden, feeling the cold and the snow. I can just say that I was freezing! I think I have become a tropical person... Anyway, I was able to spend time with my supporters, which is very important, they are fantastic and are part of what I am doing.

Now we are planning our activities for this year. We are trying to implement more planning, which is very good. One big thing is of course the film school (Christian School of filmmaking). We already have a group of about seven students who have applied, which is very good considering it is only February. We need to do a lot of prepping to improve the school. Among other things, I am working on a complete "manual" for the students, which will contain a summary of everything they will be learning.

I have also been writing on my screenplay idea, which is fun and difficult. This year I also want to produce/direct at least one short film (maybe several), but I am looking into which. I might do several. I need about 25-30.000 dollars to do Hero, a futuristic short film. Possible but not easy.

Of course, we will also continue producing values commercials. Or at least get our package of ten commercials ready for distribution in television.

Something that I am looking forward to is Global Outreach Day. More about that later!

In short, I'm excited about this year, there are great things to come.

Internship

I am back! What a miracle!
Well, it has been an intense summer. We ran the film school during July to September this year, and just came out of it. Coordinating and teaching a film school is more than full time.

Now our students are doing an internship with us, which means they work on our values commercials, short films, mini-documentaries etc. It is a little calmer for me, but they have plenty of things to do!

Lately I have continued working on our short film about the soccer schools, I am putting the last touches on the editing, especially after I received some very good editing notes from a producer I know.

Well that is all for now!

Remember: Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Fil 4:6-7)

God hears small prayers too

Yesterday we interviewed a person for the film about soccer clinics. We were in one of the "comunas" here in Medellin, the poor neighborhoods. It went pretty smooth, but the audio sounded terrible! I was using a Fostex DCR-302 recorder together with a Canon 60D camera. The recorder is brand new, and I had tested it just before going out, so I didn't understand anything! I changed the cable, tested different gain levels, turned off and on the recorder, changed the battery in the mic. Nothing helped, the signal was extremely weak and there was a loud hiss.

In the process I desperately prayed to God and we went on to use the audio in the camera, it was the only solution at hand. But just at the end of the interview I somehow remembered to check if the mic top was properly screwed onto its base. After fixing it, it sounded just perfect again! How could I have forgotten? (it had happened before, a while ago). We had just arrived at the best version of the interview. Just in time! You may call it human factors, but to me it was an answer to my prayer.

Daily Bible reading is good. Yesterday I stumbled on this phrase, which was encouraging, since the soccer film really is a project promoting peace in Medellin:

Seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper. (Jer. 29:7)
To seek the peace of a city means to engage in projects promoting peace.

Visa and other stuff

Today I started the process to renew my visa again. It always includes a decent amount of paperwork. Not the most exciting activity, but it has to be done.
I am also continuing the editing of the film about Christian soccer clinics, now I'm into looking for the music rights (something I should have done long ago). I have found a really cool rap song from Medellin that I am hoping they'll let us use for the good purpose.

Quote of the day: There are only two things in life, pretexts and results, and pretexts don't count.