A New Beginning

 So, remember how I said Day 1 went well? It did, but that doesn’t mean it was perfect. Behind the cool shots and cinematic luck, there were problems. And I mean problems.

Issue #1: My Actor Was Giving AI Energy

Look, my guy Joseph? Great person. Acting skills? Questionable. His voice was so flat during some lines I genuinely thought I would get a random to act as my main character, I'm just kidding I love my uncle. But since this is a thriller, I needed emotion, depth, maybe even a little pain in his voice, but what I got was the energy of someone reading a cereal box. Not ideal. I realized quickly that the script sounded too forced, so I decided to loosen it up and allow for some improvisation. Instead of forcing every word to be said exactly as written, I encouraged my actor to make the lines feel natural. This immediately helped, making the conversation more realistic and less robotic. Moving forward, I’ll continue to adjust the script as needed and guide my actors to bring more expression into their performances.

Here is an example: Blooper

Issue #2: Communication? Never Heard of It.

A major obstacle was miscommunication. I would give direction, assume my actor understood, and then realize mid-scene that we weren’t on the same page. This led to wasted time and unnecessary retakes. I realized I need to be clearer and more specific with my instructions. Instead of general guidance like "Act frustrated," I’ll explain how I want the frustration to come across, whether it’s through facial expressions, body language, or pacing. I’ll also take a moment before each scene to make sure everyone knows exactly what we’re doing to avoid confusion.

Issue #3: The Time Crunch Was Real

I only got the shots with Joseph because time flew by way faster than expected. Some scenes didn’t get filmed, and now I have to pray that the same barista is there when I go back. To work around this, I decided to include two baristas in the storyline rather than relying on just one. That way, if the original barista isn’t available, it won’t affect the film’s consistency. Moving forward, I’ll also make a more structured shot list, prioritizing the most essential scenes first so I don’t run into the same issue again.

Day 1 looked good on the outside, but the inside? A bit of a mess. The good news? I know what went wrong, and I know how to fix it. The solutions I’m implementing: improvising dialogue, improving communication, and managing time better, will not only help me complete this project but also prepare me for future productions. Every challenge is an opportunity to improve.