My first short film is finished, and I feel happy that it was done well and with friends. I was a lot more courageous than curious to see it all finished. And, I think that paid off, because it moves you in a nice flow to create things. You forget the niceties of filmmaking and just go. You believe in yourself and that alone adds a natural energy to the process. But, that is I and this is we. And…WE all had great fun making this film, and sharing it with you seems to somehow afford us a more well meaning relationship with the Internet. With this film, I hope you can feel something that gives you a sense of joy about feeling alive and loved. It’s not to necessarily say that all of our chapters think to have a happy ending. On the contrary, it seems the stories of sadness and pain are often the ones that joyously awake us. Are we made to desire this awakening? We try not to desire anything so willingly. So, the answer is yes. You know, it seems strange, how things will change.
AND, to those that made things a little easier in the process — thanks for your advice, love, and support!
Thanks be to Jesus for all things and not allowing me to bend or break under the pressure of making this film. There were days where I definitely didn’t think that I would be able to make it, but what God started, I could not end.
Mama, I pray for your patience. I love you. Thank you for gracefully handling all the improbable joys of receiving me as a child. You’re the only one who realizes and vocalizes that my films shouldn’t be anyone’s top priority.
Nili, for those of you who aren’t aware, this is Jacob and Jonas’ lovely mother. They say when you cast a kid, you cast their parents as well, and that axiom is well proved to be true. So, I could not have asked for anyone better to join this filmmaking family. Nili was lightyears beyond being the most patient and contained of all the parents — that will always be the thing that I remember and appreciate the most. It’s hard to explain how much patience and understanding is valued while you’re pouring your heart out and sweating to death trying to get a shot done. Thank you for being able to relate to all of the joys of filmmaking. I think I can only be so hopeful as to gather the whole team direction to echo in this dynamic.
Jonas, you are the best actor’s brother/production assistant I’ve ever worked with. This kid has an unending supply of creative energy, and he’s just down right one of the funniest people I know. I love a person who is courageous enough to say what is on their mind, so maybe he hasn’t fully learned to carry it out with proper concern just yet (please note: all the times he was quick to let me and everyone else around us know my face was dripping in sweat) but, all together that is what makes him an absolute joy to be around. Everything about him is spontaneous, which I really like.
Kelly, I don’t think there’s any person in the world who has surprised me like she has. She just dropped into my professional life, inadvertently, we met at a Target and it is strange to say that she was interested enough to come on board and make a film with us; to this day, I can’t believe I asked some girl from Target to be in my film, but when you see somebody with potential, you just don’t let them go. Somehow, I feel I have developed a deeper trust and respect within Jesus because of the way I didn’t know anything about her going into this film. Ultimately, it worked and from that, there isn’t much to add, beyond myself looking forward to all the good things she does in life.
Jacob was our dreamer. With Jacob, anything can be done. He was my partner in making the heart of this movie come through. I saw him in Oh No Ono’s music video for Swim and he has always stuck in my head. Out of the brightness of his presence came the theme of the short and its spirit and tempo. He works extremely hard and always comes to the table with depth and creativity. I always felt he loved the film as much as I did, so it was inspiring to have him around. He made me remember making movies is not all about lights or cameras, but about having fun and forgetting the pauses. He was the electricity of the movie.
and special thanks to:
ditte odgaard @ bacon cph, bruce o’neal @ lone star college, kelly’s family, john lance @ sonic boom audio, anne anselmo, erlend øye: 1/2 of kings of convenience, taxi taxi, rasmus @ rumraket, and thomas & bertrand @ strictly confidential
Nevertheless to me being long winded; everyone is a utensil by God. I am just hyper sensitive to all the things involved, and never more important is it to address and give thanks to the people who have helped me immerse in the unfolding of things. Filmmaking turns to be such an engaging environment; in a whole, it’s basically just you and some others trying to dissolve the boundary between the script and the moment you are trying to capture and create along the way. Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoy the film, we did our best.
April
aprilmakesmovies 