A question I often get asked about script writing, film making, acting is – Where do I start? How do I start? What’s a good place to start? My answer is always invariably… at the beginning. Now that doesn’t have to be a conventional beginning. Your beginning could be someone else’s end. Your end, someone’s mid point. And so on & so forth until I have confused you so much, you forget what the question was.

Which brings me to the beginning of my blog. And it is with much excitement and enthusiasm that I chose this point as a good place to start. Draft 10 is in it’s final stages of completion. A script read is in the midst of being organised… The light at the end of the tunnel suddenly doesn’t seem so far off!

As you may well be aware, SHOTGUN! is a project I have been harnessing for 4 years now. It’s loosely based on, but more inspired by a short film my younger brother made called HardCase, which was a really simple, but fast moving “Lock, Stock & 2 Smokin’ Barrels” type short film. He was in year 12 in high school doing media studies when he made it & I was in my second year of my Bachelor of Film & TV.

“Woah…” I remember thinking as the credits rolled, as this project was head and shoulders above most things I’d seen at Film School. Technically & aesthetically it wasn’t brilliant, but the simplicity of the story (with a nice little twist) & the marriage of camera movement, sound & music was inspiring at the very least. So I endeavored to make a feature film with the same principles & some of my own.

I won’t bore you with the on goings of the past 4 years, from conception up until now (you can read about it a bit in my bio if you’d like), but lets say I feel well traveled & ready to go on this next stage of the film making process – Pre-Production!!

I couldn’t think of two guys who are better equipped to help me realise this project. The generosity with which Nick Colla & Chris Hocking have taken both me & my baby and nurtured it to be their own is astounding. I feel honored to be included as part of LateNite Films now & can’t wait for what the future holds for us!!

There are many exciting things coming up, the script read being one of them. Basically we’ve sat down & decided that we need to hear this bad boy read aloud. Not only that but with an audience. So we’ve been busy working our little bottoms off over the last 48 hours to lock down a read-through cast (thank God for the generosity of our peers, we’ve managed a fully professional ensemble), get a studio space (thank you 16th Street!!) and finally, get an audience!! Well, we haven’t so much done that last part yet… but we will! I can tell you from past experience, there is nothing quite like hearing your script read aloud. I’m not sure how it’s going to feel with an audience sitting behind me, but I can tell you I am so excited I have had a catheter installed to save money on underwear.

We’re also hope to kick off a behind the scenes story, we’re just trying to find the right person to undertake such a mammoth project (but fingers crossed we can find someone with enough balls & guile to make something really special).

Anyway, I think I’ve blabbered on & on enough for one post.