Show me your happy face!

Why do we do it?

It's not like things aren't hard enough in your own country. You gotta go overseas and bear the weight and responsibility of shooting somewhere else in a different language and culture.

Sigh.

Yesterday was a bit trying.

You might say everything is a positive step in the right direction - or you might say that each step you've landing in a big pile of dung. Either way we are now four days from shooting and there is still a lot to do and we don't have the money to do it all. While we are covered for everything now - we are most likely shooting ourselves in the foot for post.

Like shoots everywhere - you go in with one budget and get that budget approved. But as things start to get a little more out of control - the budget goes up. And I haven't ever really come in over budget. I am fanatical about being percise and not spending more than I'm given. Of course now I work at a company that overspends every shoot. Not just to do it - but because they constantly want to make a better project. And the end result justifies it.

I really hope the same can be said for China.

So much of the future will be judged on this set of shooting - so we really have to do a goood job. And what we're doing is so radically different from what they do in the States - who knows what they'll think.

At yestereday's meeting we found out we were going over. Mostly on locations. Some on actors. I ended up eating the location fees for the restaurant and club - and the actors fees should be working out. We shall see.

I spent the morning telling John, our newly arrived DP - just off the plane at 5:30 am - that things were great, that the partners were great, that it would be nothing like our last shooting here - when we hit the meeting and find out that we're already over budget and we haven't even started shooting yet.

I think we took care of the big problems. Now its just the typical little problems.

In the States - we always say to the client - yes. You can have that. But it wasn't budgeted for - so it will be more expensive. So they know their choices. Here - they don't say that. They say - Whatever you want. It's all good. And then tell you later - after you choose - that you went way over the budgeted amount.

Hmmm.

Well. On one hand we're learning. On the other - it can get frustrating. And yet - I'm still excited about the shoot. The locations we paid through the nose for - even by US standards - like US $1000/hour - are beautiful. I hope they look great on camera.

We finished casting today. For anyone who thought Chinese men were small - we saw at least 6 guys today who were all over 6'5. Giants. They could barely fit in the room and the wide angle lens couldnt fit them into the frame.

The two styles of acting - Chinese and American - couldn't be more different. We like an understated, natural delivery. Here - they can't tell that's acting. They want big, broad, over the top - show me your happy face - type stuff. It hurts my heart to watch it. But watch it I must - and contextualize it I must. And cry myself to sleep at night I must...

Today all locations are locked. I'm doing the shot list - John's going to the camera place to pick his lights and his lenses - and Bill is working with the art director on the final sketches. Friday we put on the big show...

Might actually get some writing done later if I'm a good boy and buckle down on what I'm supposed to do now.

We'll see... :)

Till then... Here's my Segal Happy face.

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