Suffering Fools - A Note from the Director

As I sit and edit the footage from Suffering Fools, I can't help but laugh. The outtakes make me giggle constantly. Our actors are pure entertainers, not only for the viewers of the finished film, but for the crew as well. Allow me to recount a few things I learned during principle photography:

1. It's a bit awkward to be 3 feet away from 2 actors filming them making out, especially when they start before I even say "Action" and then having to hear the boom guy laugh at me when I clumsily whisper, "Umm, action" instead of saying "Cut!".
2. Designing creepy costumes can give me nightmares, even when I'm the one who wrote the script and designed it. The actress scared me then. She scares me now. lol (Teresa, you rock!)
3. I saw more girls touching each other during this shoot than I have in my entire life. The DVD extras will be interesting!
4. What happened to all the cookies?? Wait, what's that crunching sound I hear in the headphones? Oh, it's Rodney...and the cookies!!
5. Speaking of Rodney, he is unable to eat pizza while watching 2 girls make out. And I can't aim a camera either.
6. Christian's pants are too tight, but not all the time.
7. Never, EVER, buy a disco light that only responds well to the sound of "Around the World" by Daft Punk. Your cast and crew may start to hate you.
8. Get bigger breakers and upgrade the wiring in a house before using tons of high-wattage lights.
9. "Thumper" is a mysterious figure. He's kinda like Quato from Total Recall. *giggle*
10. No matter how many times you practice and perfect practical FXs, they never work when the camera is rolling.
11. Irish Spring soap is EXCELLENT at removing fake blood stains from skin. Highly recommended!
12. And finally, take the time to light properly and never rush. I'll eventually learn this.

Filmmaking is a lot of work, but it is worth it when you see the footage come to life for the first time. Last night, I burned the first test DVD to check out the sound mix and color correction in the home theater setup. At that moment, I knew we had accomplished what I wanted. It looked and sounded great. I think I'm getting better at mixing 5.1 surround.

Thank you to all who were involved in this project. You will see the fruits of your labor soon. And a HUGE thank you to my precious wife. Her encouragement, enthusiasm, and support is what keeps me going.

~ Craig