Video challenge

After some more tests, I know the challenge of these projects will be the usual challenge: sound when taping outside. In fact, I am going to cover every EXT. scene with narration just to cover my ass. And if it ends up I can't use external sound, then I'll develop some kind of quirky storytelling style to avoid it. But interior sound in a bar, even with all the noise, is crisp and okay while just sitting out on a deck the sound gets muddled ... background stuff, wind, whatever. I'm not at all sure I can cut exterior dialog. I'm convinced I can cut interior dialog. Two of my pieces are already interior single locations, which should be no problem. Two others have important exterior scenes as written. One I'll cover with narration. The other I'll cover with duplicate interior scenes, easy to do. Moving the first inside would require a total rethinking of the story, so I'll go the easier narration route.

Of course, everything can quickly change when you sit at the editing screen and start the actual assembly. You end up making the best choices with what you have, which sometimes won't be the best choice you want to make. But at least I'm thinking ahead, identifying trouble areas, and figuring out shots that might save my ass later. I've worked on too many projects (years ago) where actors had to be reassembled to fix mistakes, etc., which is a big hassle and often doesn't really work out anyway. Better to identify what might go wrong and cover it while you're on the shooting schedule. And, of course, these pieces are so short, nothing takes a huge commitment of time.

But I am going to respond to these sound tests in two ways: write mostly interior shot stories; think about a quirky narrative style for telling stories outside. Find the right voice for it, something a little different.

Well, enough of this. TONS of work to do on the review. Back to it. I want to get as much of the review done before Thursday, when I pick up student projects before immediately going to L.A.