48 Hours In Purgatory - A Reflection

It is 2:07am on Christmas Eve, 2009 and I haven't seen a bed since Friday the 18th. I have been locked away in 2 rooms with no windows putting the final touches on the epic adventure that has been the film 48 Hours In Purgatory. As I sit here watching the progress bar slowly move closer and closer to 100%, "this is war" by 30 seconds to mars plays in the background, it's hard to picture a better way of ending this chapter.

I don't think up to this point I know a movie better then I know 48. I know most of the lines by heart, I know every single mistake, problem area and things that we wanted but couldn't. What is lost now is the objectivity that the film is actually good. I feel that it's good - even watching the first 20 minutes of the final film it felt, looked and sounded like a real film.

It has been an insane project right from doing pre-production during the final weeks of 2nd year (april 2009) to the epic battle with final cut over the last 24 hours. Film making is not easy, in fact it's actually near impossible. No normal human being would ever put his or herself through this process. I tried to explain to someone earlier tonight what and why I was doing what I was doing and I came across as sounding like a mentally deranged human being. It was funny but also kind of mind blowing - to me it's just what has to be done at this point in time - spend 5 days with 4 dudes in a room with no windows watching the same footage over and over again because the buzz of the warehouse ambience track seemed a little loud and needed to be turned down or a little logo in a shot that is seen over credits for about 5 seconds needs to be moved a little farther to left.

The sad but awesome thing is that gimme a week to recover - and I would just do it again.

What is even more insane is that me and Jay had a conversation about the next film already. Maybe gimme 2 weeks to recover.

During the course of finishing a film on this scale at this point in my life - you really get to know people, really, really, well. Who you can trust, who you can't. Watching Jeremy put the final touches on the mix down in the Hb04 studio was epic to see. A screen shot of the pro tools session should go up in the studio as a reminder to all film students that it can be done, here and now. Then there was Nick - all alone color correcting. He invented a way of modifying 3 computer chairs to a pretty comfy bed. But seriously the look of the film is amazing and his vast knowledge of all things technical was a serious must, not only in this final stage of post-production but also even during production. One of my favorite things was turning to Jay and saying -" you don't know this person, but they watched your movie frame by frame to edit clothing movement". This film is filled with people like that - dedicated to their craft and uber talented.

If all things go well, we will be "shooting lights and being able too" summer 2010 and the process will start all over. Hopefully with a little more money, more experience under our belt and the knowledge that seriously, anything is possible if you realize that giving up is just not an option. A great 20th century philosopher once said " Do or do not, there is no try".

MK