A behind the scenes shot from my shoot, “35.”

My shoot this semester went great. It’s wrapped and we’re in post, which comes with it’s own joys and challenges. The cuts thus far look great and I am excited about it, but I’m even more excited to get started producing thesis projects. I’m currently working on three: mine, and the projects of two directors. They’re all interesting stories, though quite different and all with their own sets of challenges, but I’m ready to dive in.

Thesis projects are like our babies. We love all the projects we’ve worked on thus far, but the thesis is definitely the holy grail. That’s probably why they come with specific instructions and parameters that need to be met. The most difficult to achieve, right now, is that the film can’t be longer than 15 minutes—including credits. We are in the early stages of development for mine, titled For the Love of Monsters, but the script is currently 17 pages long (the general rule is 1 page = 1 minute.) The thought of taking stuff out of it so that it meets the length requirement is painful and makes me want to argue for becoming an exception to the rule. However, I remind myself that the thesis process is meant to mirror the industry’s working conditions, where we will most likely have parameters that feel like they’re hampering creativity but are integral to making sure the film is made well. I also remind myself that some of the best work can be born out of limitations that prevented the artists from getting exactly what they wanted.

The one sheet for my thesis project.

With the thesis projects, it will also be my first time producing director-led projects, and I’m excited to be a collaborator in a different capacity and learn from the experience. It’s kind of strange being in charge of a production and also being a work-for-hire, but I look forward to figuring out the best way to make the relationship work and bring the incredible films the writer/directors have written to life.

I am savoring the slight lull I have before things really rev up, but looking forward to getting the work done!