Storytellersunplugged

IT IS ACCOMPLISHED
(JAKE’S WAKE: A RUMOR NO LONGER)

By John Skipp

Dear kids –

By the time you read this, the 12-minute spec for my horror film, JAKE’S WAKE, should be up on YouTube, for everyone to see.

As we speak, my amazing editor/sound designer/visual fx man (Damon Packard) is adding the last demon flash-cuts, slapping in the last music cue, and fixing the final typos on the closing credits.

Because we are the proverbial one-pubic-hair-away-from-completion, all I have to do is look at Damon’s final edits, say “Yes,” and then move things along to the next round.

The spec is done. LONG LIVE THE SPEC!

Now the shopping begins, and full-blown preparation for the ACTUAL FILM.

This includes:

1) finalizing funds for the actual feature;

2) completely rewriting the original script, to accommodate both everything I’ve learned about the story, and everything I’ve learned about myself as a filmmaker; and

3) a bunch of other stuff like that.

Item of note: just so you know, there’s NOT A SPECK OF FOOTAGE that we’ve shot for this spec that will actually make it into the final feature film.

This is a “spec” – roughly the equivalent of an outline/synopsis that you’d submit if you were trying to sell an unfinished novel – except that we actually had to SHOOT all that shit, in order to communicate what it would look and sound like.

You may find yourself wondering, “Well, why the fuck didn’t you just SHOOT A CHUNK OF YOUR MOVIE? Then raise the rest of the funds, and finish it off?”

The answers are many, but the main ones are:

a) we couldn’t afford the hi-def cameras we want for the feature, so we went with the wonderful (and in our case, affordable) Panasonic 24p digital cameras, which deliver a very film-like quality, but don’t make the transition to theatrical readiness quite as well as we’d like.

b) we probably won’t use the same main location (much as we love it), for the feature; and

c) the fact that this is all an ELABORATE REHEARSAL/SALES TOOL: combination boot camp and calling card for me, as a writer/producer/first-time director; and our chance to assemble and hone a formidable cast/crew/production team, before we even walked in the door.

We just needed to show what we are capable of – even with very little money – and to suggest that this is a movie that can ROCK REAL HARD.

And that we’re just the guys and gals to do it.

So, yeah. Time to let the actions speak louder than words, cuz I don’t know about you, but I’m reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeal tired of talkin’ about it.

(Wanna join me in a long, collective sigh of relief? Ahhhhhhhhh… See? Doesn’t that feel better?)

Next time, I PROMISE to write about something other than my dumb movie.

NOW GO LOOK AT IT, would’ja? Please feel free to take a peek.

And I really hope you like it.

Yer pal,
Skipp

P.S. — Till I actually get a link up, look for “John Skipp” or “Jake’s Wake”. And as soon as I have one, I’ll hook ya up!