While being dragged in various directions, I've managed to make some contacts and yesterday ended up speaking with the Amazing Arlene, head of the Port Townsend Chamber. She was surprisingly supportive, and offered to make contacts and help in whatever way she could. What we still need are some critical crew:
- HAIR & MAKEUP, specializing in ghost/horror fx
- FOOD, crews need real meals and it's bad form not to provide it (reaching out to local spots over the next week or so)
- PA's, because we're going to need some folks to keep it all together
That being said, after a long chat with my DP yesterday, I've decided to slow down the train and move the production to mid-March. We are not only in the middle of a pandemic, it's exploding exponentially and the headlines are screaming how many more people have been infected, hospitalized and died -- more than ever before. Hair and makeup teams in particular are in your face, literally.
While I can say that I produced my last short in the midst of the pandemic, July in Los Angeles (where tests are aplenty) is a very different ball game from December in Washington - where tests are hard to come by and the rainy season has just started, and we will likely be forced to huddle indoors from the rain and cold. In the end, I opted for caution. My priority will always be the health and safety of my cast and crew, and to proceed otherwise is careless and foolhardy. Plus, I'm staying in the home of a retired MD (Dad is a pathologist). Despite my stoic Catholic stance, we are indeed a science-based family.
What's our budget, you ask? For now, about $10K, which is as lean as I could make it. I told the Amazing Arlene that my goal was to do it right and proper....
- Business license - check
- City permits - check
- Insurance & workers comp - check
... and that means I'm spending the budget funds on the business side - with any remaining I can cobble together to pay for food and a warm trailer. So if you're inclined, here's a little list of other needs. When you pitch in, let me know what you want to pay for! (Donation button is on the left)
- Camera lens rental $750
- Light rental $500
- Craft Services (food) $500
- Wardrobe/Costumes $300
- Makeup $400 min.
- Trailer $1,000
By moving this small yet beautiful film to March, I'm also creating a better opportunity for me to find the right crew. My makeup person has to be exactly what I need - and I'll be digging deep to find her. In the meantime, the train has left the station. We might be slowing down, but we're still headed out. Safe and secure.
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