It's Done, The Rough Cut is Done!

OMG, I can't believe it.  I just today finished the rough cut of my documentary "Voices of the Homeless," scrolling credits and all.  First I was afraid to start and now it is already done.  How did that happen?  And as I suspected, it ended itself.  What an art form this is.  Even as editors, we are just instruments to be used, aren't we?

I'll admit I still have one interview to re-shoot and paste over the over-exposed interview that is currently there.  I have to fix this and adjust that.  I have a few more after-work-and-all-afternoon-Saturday sessions to fix and adjust, fluff and tickle until this puppy is absolutely done.

But for all intents and purposes -- IT'S DONE!  And it feels exactly right.

Wow.

Great Critique

A real filmmaker joined me in the editing room last night.  George Algers sat with me for a half hour and watched what I have so far.  His comments were so valuable.  His suggestions were so appreciated.  But most of all, his reaction was most impressive.  I think I have something here.  It is too bad that technically this will never be a super slick production.  But just from his reaction I can tell that it does indeed have the heart and soul necessary to cause people to think and open up concerning the plight of the homeless, what they can teach us, the magic of jazz improvisers, and how they can heal us.

Starting the Outro

I'm almost there.  I can't believe how much editing scared me before I started and now the bulk of it is done and I'm contemplating how to end it.  I think of the ending as an outro like we say in music.  Just today I cut together the interview with our percussionist Chris Wabich.  I was dreading doing it because there's this unsightly toothbrush sitting on a ledge behind his head.  But cut together, Chris' interview is so hilarious the way he sees the world and so sweet just because of who he is that somehow the toothbrush kind of fits.  And he's a drummer after all.  They're wonderfully crazy by nature.

And now to end it.

And then to fix the problems, since the ending will the beginning of it going from a rough cut to a finished product.

I can't believe I'm almost there.

"Voices" Promo

Last time I was in the editing room, I put together a 6-minute promo of my "Voices of the Homeless" documentary.  Here it is from my YouTube channel:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OefnqshWd7w&feature=youtu.be

Copy and paste into your browser.

Thanks for reading and for watching.
Toni

Last Interview for this Project

Actually, I HOPE it was my last interview.  I shot an interview of someone who had been in the audience the day we performed "Voices of the Homeless."  Her name is Dani Randazzo and she happens to be a social worker.  Her interview was a re-shoot because when I shot her interview the first time, I caught a really bad Interview Shooting 101 camera glare that ruined the beautiful and heartfelt interview she gave.  Tonight after my day job I went to her house and re-shot it.  I am embarrassed to admit I also asked her for a couple of style changes, as long as I was re-shooting.  She graciously responded and made the changes but she did NOT like it.  "They should care about what I say not how I look."  But she's a beautiful woman and I don't know about other photographers but I would feel awful if I made her look awful, or if I didn't ask for something that would make her look better.

But did I feel like a shallow loser?  Yes.  Oh well, it was another great interview and I'm hoping it is my LAST. 

This weekend I'll be editing the percussionist's interview, where a toothbrush stands sentry behind his head on a ledge.  I'm hoping the interview will stand on it's own so that I don't have to plead with him to re-shoot THAT interview as well.  I mean, this guy travels all over the globe.  How could I schedule another interview if it took 9 months to get the first one.

But never mind.  I'm hoping I've got everything I need now.  For the moment, as far as I'm concerned, I am DONE shooting.

And that's how I spent my Monday night, April 23, 2012.  I wonder what kind of life I'll have when this is over.  With no documentary to shoot, edit, and worry about -- will I even have a life?

BTW:  I need to go back to the hospital and find out how 3-Dog is.  I saw him over a week ago with the staples in  his head and the bandages on his sides from where the punks jumped him and beat him.  I'm hoping he is mending.  What an amazing man he is.  Such a good man. 

I just hope my documentary helps the homeless and jazz musicians in some way.

G'night all.

3-Dog

Here's something I didn't expect.  I got an email this morning from Project Understanding, my old partner in the "Voices of the Homeless" performance, for which I am making this documentary.  The email contained a copy of a police report stating that Mike (that is, 3-Dog's Mike), one of the storytellers in "Voices of the Homeless," had been jumped, beaten and stabbed by three punks last week.  I was already in tears before I got to the end of the report where it also stated that "Michael" was in stable condition.

Since I am a jazz singer with a day job, I had to wait until my lunch hour to get to the hospital.  As I walked down the hall I prepared for the worst.  Outside of 3-Dog's room, I had to put on gloves and a hospital gown.  Now I am really preparing myself.

And then I walked in.

But instead of seeing my friend all bandaged up with tubes coming out of his mouth, I saw 3-Dog sitting up in bed, so clean and coherent I could not believe my eyes.  I was amazed.  In fact, 3-Dog was amazed because, as he told me, he SHOULD be in a coma right now.  He showed me the staples on top of his head.  He showed me the bandages at his sides where his lungs were injured.  But he's not in a coma and he's still breathing and he looks so good I know there is a fair God out there somewhere.

And THIS is why I'm making "Voices of the Homeless."  3-Dog is an amazing man.  He is not amazing because he is homeless, or bighearted, or a pain in the butt, or funny.  It's not because he can play an instrument or sing, because he can't.  3-Dog represents everything that is courageous and pissy in the world.  After today, I realized you can NOT keep a guy like 3-Dog down.  He even put one of his attackers in the hospital!

We've got to get these guys off the streets.  Somehow we have to get them to safety.  3-Dog said it is worse out there than ever now.  A homeless woman is definitely not safe.  He was jumped by three stupid punks who were looking to beat up a homeless man.  Boy, did they ever pick the wrong one.

I am making this documentary because people like 3-Dog helped me.  The wisdom, determination, and courage that is out there, and the kindness, is something we can all learn from.  Well, I'm learning still.


Oh and here's the best part . . . those three punks?  THEY GOT CAUGHT!  Yes!!

Down to 13 minutes and Change

How did I do that?  How I did I get to 14 minutes and 45 seconds, add more material, and then end up down a minute?  How?  Because I got rid of the dull stuff, the repetitive stuff, and the loose edits.  But man, does that ever make this process like a see-saw.  I'm ahead, I'm behind, I'm ahead, I'm behind.  I've never done this before.  What a weird process it is.