Heat 2 Book Review Project
- josephtravissmitha
- Mar 23
- 2 min read
Over a year of reading, writing, editing, scripting, researching, teleprompting, VO and music producing, clip gathering, organizing, and collaborating.
If I had to guess conservatively 200 –250 hours of work. Just on my end.
Read it twice and multiple re-reads while scripting.
Wrote the first condensed draft summary (50 + pages).
Chopped that down to a final shooting draft of 13 – 14 pages.
Watched at least 10 hours of understanding how to use others’ work, citing them, and giving them credit the right way and using those clips into this project.
I knew that this was going to be a massive project.
I did not think it would take NEARLY this long.
I am so proud of myself for sticking it out.
Had I not loved this story so much; I really doubt I would have stuck it out.
The eight or nine days of producing this project consisted of exceptionally long nights.
Had to record around 12 to 12:30 at night and would go on until 2:30 or 3 in the morning due to avoiding outside in the neighborhood.
Created the music for the opening. That was fun. Recorded from my Roland E-kit.
Collaborated with five other people on this project.
All things considered there is not one part of this whole thing that I did not enjoy.
It was a labor of love.
I’ve already won because I stuck it out and had a lot of fun doing it.
This was my first time setting up multiple cameras and my teleprompter to record this beast.
I learned a lot about how your words translate from script to screen.
Learned about how you look/present on film actually compared to how you think you look/present on film.
I gained more knowledge about what my camera/lighting setup can produce and what I can expect to get from it in the future.
There were times when I was fed up and I took days, maybe even weeks off from this. I didn’t know if I wanted to continue making this or if this could all work out together.
Unless your patience matches your drive, I don’t know how else you can do it.
You must bust down the elephant to microscopic pieces to make it happen.
Just when you think you just about got it knocked. Guess what? There is more work to do.
To do it right, there just is.
Months ago, when I was already knee deep in this project. I was concerned about using clips from other movies simply because you run the risk of it being taken down on YT.
But you know what? I did the research, did the work, and there are sometimes you got to ignore feelings and all of that and just go. Press on.
You can’t wait for it to all line up and be perfect. You just have to go. Keep moving.
You can check out the video right here on this link.
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