The Not Next Big Blue ?
Posted By Paul Kotik on 14 January 2007
Sky -The film so far has cost 80 thousand dollars, which is considered ultra low budget. By way of comparison, most low budget films start at around a $1 million and up. We managed this by shooting with a high definition video camera rather than on film, and with the support of a cast and crew who were willing to work on a "credit and copy" basis.
DB - So far? What do you mean by "so far" ?
Sky - I'm currently fundraising the remaining 50% through targeted donations of $5-$10 thousand each to finish the editing, music, trailer, sound design, mastering, and duplication of the film. We have raised about 50% of the funds so far in the form of grants, sponsorships, and donations. Contributors will be named as executive producers and producers of the film, and will be invited as special guests to all screenings. If you can identify with the core message of the film and want to enable its completion, contact the producer.
DB - Was there ever a time when you had doubts about the project?
Sky - In the beginning, we had no idea how we would do it, and had very little money available. Justin sold most of what he owned and drove out to San Diego. He slept on a mattress in a small room in the back of my garage. There, we began planning, writing, and researching, with daily threats from the Homeowners Association of eviction for “improper use of garage space”.
Initially we talked to a Hollywood producer for some guidance, and he told us that we were wasting our time making a film about the spiritual side of freediving. He said we should play up the danger of it otherwise there would be no public interest. We thanked him for his opinion and moved forward anyway, but I must admit I thought a lot about what he said.
When we were in the thick of the production I remember the toughest day. I was preparing for a shoot and I couldn’t save the script file on my computer because my hard drive was full. Instead, I tried emailing it to the actors but my email account was full from all the project emails. Then I tried to print it out, only to find I was out of printer ink. I drove to the store with the gas gauge on “E” and tried to buy some ink but my credit card was maxed out from the rest of production. At the same time I was starving from working all day and couldn't buy food or water either. It was so ridiculous that I laughed at the situation, but then stepped pack and thought about what a huge risk this was to try to pull off. I almost lost it that day, but fortunately Justin, Tamara, and my Dad pitched in help and got me through it.
DB - How about the others? The cast and crew?
Sky - Internally we all went through various cycles of stress and uncertainty. Each of us had our doubts at different points during the film, but each of us would in turn cheer the other up and keep the other motivated to finish the project. There were times each of us were in tears from frustration, exhaustion, and financial “brokenness”, but we managed to keep each other motivated to finish the project.
DB - You had a test screening in La Jolla, CA. How did it go, and will the film be changed?
Sky - Yeah, we held an April premiere at the new high definition Cal-IT2 theater in La Jolla, which was a great success. We had hundreds of people in attendance, and the diving footage looked absolutely beautiful on the theater’s HD projector. The version that we screened was definitely not ready to be “locked”, but being young filmmakers we wanted to just get it on the screen get as much feedback as possible for the final version. In addition, we wanted to show all of the amazing volunteers, crew and cast the fruits of their labors during the process of the first edit.
DB - So what will be different in the final cut?
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