Oh So Very “Blue”

April 07, 2011 • Leave a Comment

Blue was originally supposed to be “an easy film I could make in three days.” It turned out to be a lesson in humility. It really is a film that I should’ve waited a year or so to direct, but instead made so fast (once again under deadline for OU’s student film festival) that so many corners were cut to the point where the finished film was a jagged circle with frayed construction paper edges. That being said, it turned out better than it had any right to, and our little ramshackle production still scored pretty high in the end, winning an award for Special Effects (in this case, the gore effects).

It was my first experience working with a professional actress, Karen Mester, whom I’d met in a TV production course and had taken a liking to. Not only was she beautiful and sweet, but grounded in a way that helped us identify with each other. So when I pitched her the idea for Blue, she jumped at the opportunity for us to work together, and I really hope that it isn’t the last time. Not just because I loved working with her, but because I believe in going out on a high note. This is more like a B-flat.

Once again putting on his villain face for a role, my good friend and fellow cinephile Andrew Kotwicki was on board to do some serious murdering. He must wonder what I really think of him after only casting him as bad guys in my movies. We dressed him up how I thought an inexperienced home invader would look and then recruited my friend Chris Daniels to play Karen’s husband. Chosen for his imposing physical stature, Chris definitely looked like a guy who could toss Andy like a salad, but his lack of experience turned a “quick shoot” into a fairly grueling time for me as a director.

Combine that element with a three-day shooting schedule, the fact that I was shooting two on-screen deaths and a fight sequence which had to be choreographed on site, and you have a recipe for disaster. And it sure felt like it. Cutting this movie was like meatball surgery. My inexperience suddenly seemed as tangible to me as the camera itself. The version of this movie that played at the OU film festival is not what I’m posting, but instead a truncated edit that showcases its potential. Eventually I’d like to get the funds to make it properly. Hope you all enjoy it!

Keywords: films

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