With both feet firmly planted on thin ice, I’ve waded into the deep end to make my own feature film! It is truly a mixture of joyful splendor and total fear. On the one hand I get to have real actors try very hard to please me, without them even realizing that I need them to be perfect for the part just as much as they want to be perfect for the part.

I get to share my vision with people who can really help me and watch as they catch the excitement in my voice and begin to echo it. I plan each shot and imagine how each actor will perform the scene and how cool it will look. I get to watch them rehearse and hear and see my words and ideas come to life! There’s nothing else I’d rather do with my life.

On the other hand… only a dear friend of mine is financing this project right now, and even he is using his extensive credit to do it. We have no real cash, but believe so much in the marketability of this project that we’re willing to take the risk. And yes, to all you artistic purists out there, I said “marketability”. What good is sounding out your message or showing your artistic style in a film if no one but your friends will ever see it?

So yes, I am planning ahead for the mass marketing of this film and very proud of that fact. It’s not a Schindler’s List or even a Terminator II, but it’s intriguing, exciting and current. It’s called PsyClone and it’s coming soon to a… well on this budget, a TV near you.

However, we do have the ears of some serious investors who can propel our little project all the way to DigitalHD. Then we can at least be able to dream of big screen glory. The only delay has been finding the leads. We saw over 270 people and only recently found our leading man. We had to go SAG because whatever talent is in the area didn’t show up for auditions until we did, and even then we had to drive to Pittsburgh and Cincinnati to find people who could really do the part… (I live near Cleveland).

Anyway, we began shooting in MiniDV on October 19th and put in four shoot days before I realized we weren’t going to have enough money to finish. Damn! So we’ve stopped shooting so I can quickly edit the scenes and use them to raise some eyebrows… and some cash. I’m currently filmlooking the footage myself using some Photoshop filters and have been amazed at how good it’s looking (see samples).

The acting has been great, but I tried to press fit a beautiful actress into the lead and just can’t get past my original vision. Even though she’s plenty talented, I just cannot envision her coming to the position of strength required of the lead, so I get the unenviable task of telling her I have to recast the role. YUCK! By the time you read this I will have done the deed, but I truly do not relish the task.

I feel this is my only shot at truly making movies and if I’m not 100% at ease with my cast, then I won’t be able to concentrate on directing, and on no budget I have to be tremendously focused.

Well, another scene is finished rendering so I got to get back at it. I’ll try to write more in the near future, but this process is wholly absorbing and leaves me little time for, well, anything! If you’d like info on the film or to see screen grabs from it, check us out at psyclone.jumpmovies.com.

Bill Johns is a seasoned veteran cameraman, DV filmmaker and digital video commentator. Send him a note with your comments, or take a look at his Web site.