some days are good days

Today was a salad day.

Our patron came through for us yet again. I won't say who she is until the film is finished, but she has been intermittently sending us money. It always seems to arrive when we are about to have to sell the camera to pay the rent.

And someone bought two shares of Tokyo Cowboys, so we can carry on editing for at least another month, and we can have vegetables again!

I calculated that if we go through 30 tapes a week, we'll be finished digitizing in 10 weeks. From there, I've tried to calculate each step so that we finish in December. The goal is to finish by the end of the year and start trying to sell it in 2006. I never thought it would take me this long. I think I wrote in an early diary entry that we could pop it off in 6 months. I've seen two birthdays go by since starting, and I will see another one before it's finished.

We could really use a post-production supervisor who could see the project through to finish. But, we won't be able to get that kind of person on board for no money. So, I think it's just Patrick and me to the end. What would they do?

1) Schedule the post and make sure that we are keeping on track
2) give objective feedback on various cuts
3) work on the publicity materials
4) get us free grading, dub, etc.
5) raise the rest of the budget
6) work on a festival schedule
7) update the website
8) loads of other stuff

Maybe an intern? Hmmmm. Something to ask Adam about.

Just digitizing Bryan at the moment. He's a tough character, and I'm not sure if he is going to make the cut. We just didn't get enough footage with him. But I'm digitizing the really good bits just in case.

We decided to go in chronological order. Going out of order was really doing my head in. I didn't know where we were in the process. Now I do: 150 down, 300 to go.

Been working days for money as well as digitizing at night, so my brain is a bit mush at the moment. V and R fed us tonight, and V gave me a pair of trousers and R gave patrick some razor blades. I can use them to shave my legs as well. I think we are their new favorite charity. It's good to have so many people looking after us. We are really lucky.

I have to keep reminding myself that digitizing is part of editing...it's not preparation for editing. This is an important point to keep spirits up.

Patrick says that after he finishes his short in May, he's going to dedicate 100% of his time to Tokyo Cowboys until it is finished. I wonder how we are going to edit together.

It's 1:20 a.m., and I have to work a full day tomorrow before digitizing again. It's rough. But I keep thinking about James Joyce. He's my inspiration. He's been pushing me since my early endeavors.