Shifts taking place

Dear readers,

I wish I could say "I'm leaving", but I'm not yet there. Isn't that unbelievable? But this is "normal" for many projects in Hollywood - they remain uncertain until distribution. But as you know many films that have been considered "uncertain" show out to be successes.

From what I we hear some major shifts have taken place in this project and one of the major companies has backed out. The biggest company is still in though, and they seemingly want to move forward but we are waiting for the start approval.

For myself all this of course is a challenge, regarding finances, housing, practical things and so on. Thank you for your involvement and support. I'll keep you updated as soon as I know more.

Closer to launch! (but still waiting)

Dear friends.

Yesterday we got to know that the project where I have been invited to join as a film intern is coming closer to a launch date - probably around end of September.

As you know the Discovery space shuttle recently was delayed before departure, but didn't it finally take off? It did. Anyway, I think you get my point. Things are being considered, scheduled and triple-checked, all to maximize the project's potential. And can I be more specific? At the moment no. :)

Meanwhile I try to use the waiting time somewhat. Recently I informally participated in a 24-hour film contest, “Noo-maraton”, where we had 24 hours to make a film according to specific requirements. It was great fun. I also continue some scriptwriting and help YWAM Sweden with video promotions. I intend to look for a short-term job also, even if it can be hard to find one under the current circumstances. These coming weeks I will spend in Gothenborg and Ljungskile.

Friends and supporters, thank you so much for your involvement in this voyage. It is you who make it possible.

Waiting for the green light...

Dear readers,

I am sorry I haven’t updated this blog for over two months! The reason is I have been waiting for a green light to go to Dallas for my internship at a major film production. I thought as soon as I got the greenlight I would update the blog, but I think it’s time to tell you what’s going on.

At the moment it seems the green light will come very soon. The reason the start date has been postponed is that the project is going through the last preparations to be secured financially. This shows this is a serious project.

Anyway, meanwhile I try to use the waiting time wisely. Except taking a good portion of rest, enjoying summer in Sweden and connecting with family and friends, I have been doing things as:

• Writing on my own feature film script
• Helping YWAM Sweden preparing for new videos
• Studying film financing and distribution
• Helping out in a YWAM "photo exhibition cafe" in Uddevalla

One thing I am very thankful for is that my apartment will be rented out and that I have several people who have committed to support me financially during the internship - although I still need more to cover the expenses.

Thank you so much for taking interest in my journey and please remember me in your prayers – I need them. I’ll be back soon!

Last weeks in School of Digital Filmmaking

Can you imagine, this school was so intense, I didn't even have time to write in my blog the last three weeks. Now, we have had our short film Premiere night (picture here) and our final test, we have received our grades (I got an A, yipee!) and everybody is getting ready for either departure or another school. Something that I am really proud of, is that our whole team got a 100% grade on our last film, and I just want to send a big thank you to my team; Alex, Emmanuel, Catherine and Sean.

The last weeks were awesome and some highlights were:

• Studying film history
• Acting/directing seminars with Kallan White, an experienced TV actress
• Production classes with Hollywood producer Mike Leahy
• Planning, shooting and finishing our short film "Let it Out" (see picture below)
  
• Premiere Night, showing all our films for the whole campus

I should be really tired, because several nights I stayed up until early morning to edit our film. But I'm not. At least not now. Joy gives energy!

In a couple of days I will be going back to Sweden. Originally there was supposed to be an internship coming up here just after this school, but that internship is now offered in the fourth quarter of the year instead. But there is another intership that attracts me even more, and that is one offered in Dallas, starting in August. This is a big project intended for world cinema distribution.

The project has just begun and in August we will be part of the starting preproduction. Director is going to be a very established one and some real Hollywood companies will be involved.

Our classes with Mike Leahy were awesome. Mike has produced 25 feature films and shared generously from his vast experience in Hollywood. What does producing mean? Producing means to oversee and administer the whole production. While the director has the artistic responsibility, the producer is responsible of planning and financing.
Anyway, Mike has a lot of credibility and he also has an interesting vision of how to continue in the future. It's a person to keep in touch with.

So how can I summarize this school? It has been extremely intense. I would even say it corresponds to a year of "ordinary" film school (a former student, when showing his credits from here, was allowed to skip two years in a four year film program in Canada).

Thank you all of you who have been with me in prayer and support. This is not the end!

Eighth week in School of Digital Filmmaking

This week we had the opportunity to present ("pitch") ideas for our final short films in the school. Only three ideas were to be made into films. All the students and staff voted for the ones they found best. I was nervous when I presented my idea - about a guy whose crazy body "tics" show out to be hip-hop moves. But it worked and I got selected!

That means I will get to direct another film... which I look forward to. I immediately had to start working on the "first draft" (the first script version) and submit it, which I have now done. The next step is to finetune the script, then start the preproduction process (prepare locations, actors, props*, storyboard etc). Lots to do...

Another highlight this past week was a second session with Hollywood director David Cunningham. He had a workshop and gave us some advice for working in the movie business.

We have also gone further into lighting, which is a whole science. There is so much to learn about it. Today we made some assignments and we learned how to light a fake moving car (see picture).

Simultanously we are editing our first projects (see picture). Luckily it seems I don't have to reshoot anything.

Now I wish you a good week wherever you are!

*Props are physical things that actors use in the film.

Seventh week in School of Digital Filmmaking

This week has been the most demanding so far, but also the most fun. We have been shooting our short films, the ones we hade prepared so much during the preceding weeks.

Everyone had to deliver a whole package of paperwork to receive "greenlight".

The package included script, visual and technical storyboards, budget, legal forms, call sheets, shot lists... and at the same time we had to find locations and actors for our films.

Finally we were all greenlit and I shot my film... so fun! I had a crew of three persons working with me, doing camera, sound and lighting.

It all went well, in spite of a rather high time pressure. I had 74 shots to make in two days, and practically all of them required retakes. And we used both dolly and smoke machine (see picture).

I also was camera operator on two of my classmates' films, and sound operator in one. It was all great fun. Filmmaking is something you learn by doing.

My own short film was about a single father who wants to talk to her teen daughter so much that he locks her in to his apartment (see picture).

Next week we will be editing, and I am both scared and eager to see the result of my filming.

Today there was a national memorial day, and we were all free. A bunch of us went hiking to a waterfall on the other side of the island. It was an incredible experience. We swam in a natural pool and looked up to an about 100 m high, 90 degree steep, waterfall coming down right upon us.
A good ending of a challenging week!

Sixth week in School of Digital Filmmaking

This week has been very busy. The themes have been editing and production administration, and we have also begun on our short film projects.

Is this an intense school? You bet. I feel like we have covered knowledge equal to one year of study - in six weeks!

We have gone through the whole process of paperwork with a film production - budgeting, scheduling, legal documents, script breakdown and more. Every student now has to prepare their film including all the paperwork, and the whole project has to be "greenlit" before shooting can start. And this while we all do our best to find actors and locations!

We have now split into groups where everyone gets to direct their own short film, with a crew of trained people (fellow students). During nine days our group will shoot four films. On the first one I was DP (Director of Photography, basically equal to cameraman in this setting). It was fun.

I won't be long this week - I think the picture here pretty much says how it is right now - film work all around the clock. But if you love what you do, you can do it a lot!

Thanks for your support!

Urban