Sci-Fi Project: Terminal. Post Production

We are in deep in post on the Sci-Fi short, Terminal. VFX supervisor Matthew Plummer is finalising applicant's suitible to take on the heavy duty effects work. The shoot was smooth and I had a great time on the set.

I'm travelling to Newquay tomorrow to vist Justin Heasman at SketchWork Productions to lock the edit.

I'm pasting some of my diary scribblings below.


Landed back in the shire (Devon) safe and sound yesterday morning. It's now time for me to start pulling up all my notes for the edit and effects work that needs to be done. We also need to fill the position on VFX supervisor. I have someone in mind for this role and it just needs to be confirmed. There's a lot of work to be done and this is where everyone gets a piece of the action.

Looking through the rushes I'm pleased. The cinematography is fairly strong here and the lighting worked very well. One of the best reasons to shoot on sets is the control over such things. I'm still cautious as we have to get it in the edit first and I don't want to jump the gun.

My on set experience was a good one. I felt in control and I hope the cast and crew felt at ease. I always like to try and bring everyone together so they feel like a small family. Everyone seemed to click so the team spirit was high. It's this that is key. A good crew is a happy crew, or so they say. I was actually quite comfortable and ended up in a constant state of being hyperactive, which only made me feel completely exhausted and sick when I got back to the accommodation. Well, some people would say hyperactive but I like to think passionate is a better description. Even when shooting finished I couldn't sleep or stop thinking about everything but I cant do anything to change that, I'm just built that way.

Even now I can't stop, I'm trying to take a break but am finding it increasingly impossible, every second not spent improving something on the film is a failing in myself as the director. Maybe it's selfish or harsh but I can not and will not allow any chance of project to fail, I wont fail the people that supported me through the production.

One thing that did keep me going was the copious amounts of green tea I ended up drinking. Couldn't help but think this was noticed as one of the cast kindly bought me a box of green tea as a thank you at the wrap party.

I'll admit I was sad at the party, very odd experience that. Surely you should be happy that the film is moving forward into post, no? I guess it's the people your with that makes the experience what it is, this makes the movie more than just a short film or a project. It's a personal film because you just don't see cool sets and action. You see the blood, sweat and tears that went into it. You see the love, care and attention that went into every single aspect of bringing this together. I can not fathom what emotions and feelings must of gone through the cast and crew of the much bigger films like lord of the rings or star wars. These films were running for over 10 years with the pre production.

Maybe that is why I can't allow spare time to be wasted. After all there is only so much time and as the great Paul Daniels once said, every second counts.