Boardin'

That's right, story-boarding again.

I subscribe to this practice, you know. It's the secret to how a director keeps control. Cuz there's never a shortage of assholes in this world waiting to pounce on the opportunity to stir the pot. It is deliriously infuriating to have even one of these individuals on your set. When you got your story-boarding tight (and the degree varies), you know exactly where you're going that shooting day. Storyboards give a director the freedom from thinking too much on the set. Thinking often looks like not knowing what you're doing. That's when the asshole pounces, the instant he sees what merely resembles uncertainty in the director's eyes. That is the reason movie directors started wearing sunglasses. It's why John Ford wore them. You thought it was so they could stare at the actresses' breasts without getting caught, but no, you're mistaken. Storyboards are great tools.

I draw stick figures occasionally. Generally I need to see some semblance of the character. My storyboards are sometimes funny. I also like storyboards because I don't like to waste people's time. My actors and crew are giving me their donated time. As much as they love working on the film, it's still their time. I value my time, so I try to respect theirs. This ethic started with my photography, but not out of respect for anyone's time. It was because I wanted to keep the budget low so I'd try to get all the shots I needed in one hour. Saving money made me confident with shooting fast. My models always like that they're done pretty quickly when working for me. They make an hour's pay and they're out of there. But I'm not paying anyone on these films, so I work quickly to keep them from going apeshit on me. Storyboards are the antidote to apeshit.

And also to the treachery of assholes.

I use index cards. The big ones. Data on the lined side, the sketch on the blank. I also use a black ink pen, medium point. 'Medio' in some parts of the world. I like that word. Reminds me of trips to Bogota when I'd order a steak in the restaurant catercorner from the Atlantico (maybe Atlantis? Can't remember) Mall entrance. The waiter would ask how I wanted it and I'd reply, 'Medio'. With a glass of Concho Y Toro 'Casillero del Diablo'. Medio. Medio.

I'm gonna need a new pack of index cards cuz I'm almost out. Only ten or so scenes and I'm almost out of cards. This is an hour long movie.

Story boarding...