The Born Good (Hybrid) Film Challenge: How I'm using Lost In Sunshine and Aether Paranormal filmmaking styles to breed something Good!

Hey, my sweet Sunshines!

Sorry it's been a few weeks since I've officially blogged, but I've been (*deep breath*) working a day job for $, booking makeup gigs for the fall, planning logistics for a trailer to shoot in two weeks that'll hopefully be playing in a 6-plex this summer, learning more about transmedia thru our new LIS transmedia producer, Adipat, finding time to work on my current screenplay, & read my screenwriting magazine, finishing a paranormal feature & figuring out a festival route for it, talking to people in LA about a possible reality show for our group, planning to shoot my first solo feature this fall, while learning about a 5 minute reel we aspire to shoot for LIS this summer so it can be shopped by our team in Toronto...oh, and getting ready to start esthetician classes in Aug. so I can get my license for that... ya know, the regular.

What have you been up to, Jelly Bean? Whatever it is, I hope it boosts your creative juices so that they're overflowing, and that you are inspired to hit your internal GO button! If you find yourself deflated and dehydrated by your day, perhaps it's time for a change...? :)

Today, while on a Lost In Sunshine production call with my producer, Lorie, I realized that the new feature I'm shooting this year, Born Good, has been (stylistically) inspired by previous work. Basically, my two styles of filmmaking are merging, for better or worse! :)

With LIS, we use a more traditional style of filmmaking, so to speak. We're a low-budget film, but we operate about as frequently and thoroughly as a major studio film!! Much of that comes from passion, and the incredible talent that chooses to participate in our journey and make it happen with us, despite an unpredictable timeline.

In example, we storyboard, we do extensive location scouting, we cast with a professional casting director, pay a legal attorney, marketing/distribution specialist, etc., and plan on shooting with a FULL crew when the time comes!

With Aether Paranormal, we are far less traditional. Our style's more fly-by-the-seat-of your-pants, with multiple brainstorming sessions and notes before we shoot from a detailed outline. No real script to talk about. We thrive on the unknown... after all, it's a paranormal investigation, right? Our hope is that we will capture what we don't already know!! And in some cases, we rely heavily on our chemistry and group-dynamic to pull us through!

Born Good is in some way a hybrid. My experimental concoction. I'm more concerned that I have a solid story than a script, even though screenwriting is my first love. I know that we won't have the time or budget to have a script supervisor, or money to pay for something like...oh... PA's!! So, I have enlisted the help of two very talented actors, whom naturally possess the skills my characters need, and hired crew that's used to the fly (i.e., Beaux from AP & ION Image Studio, LeVan Owens, Ia Enstera (AKA Art Goddness), and Shad Chancey from Goat45 Design).

The payoff is uncertain, as with most endeavors, but something tells me this is going to be a special shoot. There's no time for bullshit. There's no time for anything that's less than productive, so having no-nonsense crew and a positive, friendly cast is crucial. Locations have to be free, food has to be donated, producers have to think outside the girl scout cookie box, and time has to be respected.

I'm looking forward to all the love this production and its 'makers' will bring... oh, and the sweets, too... where's my sweet witch whoopies at yo!?

Don't forget to join our Born Good experience on FB, too!

J