2 shorts cast

The next video project is a DVD of 5 short plays by John Donnelly, one of our actors who also is an active playwright, adapted by myself. The first two of these have been cast, the roles offered have been accepted. So as soon as the mockumentary is done, which should be next week, I'll schedule readings and start the process. I still have three other scripts to adapt and cast as well. I'm going to workshop these scripts before taping, that is, do a longer reading and rehearsal process with the actors. I'll even let John be there early on, ha ha, while we possibly tweak the script.

And the summer project, of course, is the feature, called FLIP, a marriage of The Last Picture Show and The French Lt's Woman, which I have to write through winter and spring. This will be the most ambitious video project yet. I'm very excited about its possibilities.

I'm too close to KARAOKE TONITE! to evaluate it. I know there are directing mistakes I made and don't like making them. Actually, if this were a project with consequences, I could go back and reshoot some stuff. It's not that much. But it's not worth it -- the mistakes aren't that big -- given our context. Just pisses me off that I missed some stuff.

I'm not sure it was a good idea to make this as collaborative as I did either. There are great performances and good writing as well, but the big picture may have gotten lost in the process. Too many cooks in the kitchen or something. I could have corrected some of this with a heavier directing hand. Or maybe I'm imagining it all. I've watched the thing so many times I don't know what I'm seeing any more. If it fails, I think it fails for two reasons: the humor is too often too subtle; and the pacing is too slow. I'm curious what folks think coming to it for the first time. I know there are great moments and fine performances. I just don't know how it holds together as a whole. We'll soon find out!

I wanted it to be better than THE HEIRS, our summer silent comedy, but I'm uncertain if it is. I like each project to be an improvement.

The five shorts are a major challenge for me because they all are such character-driven pieces, ten minute plays that are dialog-driven. A challenge to make them visually interesting. The kind of challenge I need right now actually -- so I'm excited about doing them. And it's good to direct something I didn't write.

Getting time to head out to the university. My first impression of the new class is very favorable. Used to be winter classes were a real let down but the pattern has changed in the last few years. I wonder why.