La Bomba
As I recently mentioned, The Early Mixes is being screened at the eGarage in Long Island City. I took a ride down there with Dan and Eric last week to check out the space, which was pretty cool (it's literally a converted garage) as well as Megan Boyle's Improv Nation group, which was great fun.
But now we come to it: The Early Mixes is being screened the day after tomorrow for a live audience. I can't help but be apprehensive. Certain individuals have seen the film in various states of development, but this is totally different. A whole bunch of people are going to see the finished film, warts and all, and there are no more excuses. Once the bomb is dropped, it can't be recalled.
There is a point on a project when you realize you can't do anything more on it and any more changes you make aren't necessarily going to be improvements. I reached that point a while ago on The Early Mixes. When I look at the film now, I see some flaws (the opening sequence didn't ever render properly, one or two sequences could have used more coverage and/or takes, the camera itself gave us trouble a few times) and I might have made a few different choices here and there, but I can say with some satisfaction that it is, by and large, the film that I set out to make when Dan first approached me with the concept. I have definitely recreated a particular time and place in our shared past. It looks very much like what I expected it to, it plays out as I planned. I have confidence that the music track (both score and songs) is great, and I like my sound mix.
So what about the film as a whole? It's very volatile, but that stems from the characters and the story. The protagonist is often gruff and angry. It's very vulgar, but to make it not so would have been dishonest (most of the really disgusting conversations in the film are based on true events). The characters often do things to bait each other. There is humor, but this is ultimately a film about personal demons. It's a bit of a downer.
It's strange. Despite its modest scope, this film has been a constant in my life for years. There are still things that need to be done, but the act of making it is over, and suddenly there are no more Big Decisions about how all of the threads will fit together. If they don't fit now, they're just not going to.
It's ready for others to assess and judge. And that's really scary.