Filmmaking 101

Filmmaking is such an intricate process. Tomorrow morning I will begin producing my fourth short film. I was never formally trained in filmmaking --- I'm part of an organization, Chica Luna Productions, that teaches women of color how to make films/media that reflect our communities. There are six of us and we each create a script and film for a short. As our turns roll by the other members rotate various positions on set: DP, AD, Sound, EDitor, etc. Each film, I'm learning a bit more. The second film I did, I was the DP and made a colossal mistake. I was so concentrated on getting the shot that I wasn't looking for the boom and it appeared in most of the shots. I was and still am mortified. I practically wanted to quit! But I realized that this is a learning process and I know that that will NEVER happen again. So tomorrow morning I'm shooting in Harlem. I hope it all goes well. Sometimes I can be so self-conscious that this gets in the way of me doing a good job. Wish me luck!

ko·bold n. --An often mischievous household elf in German folklore; A gnome that haunts underground places in German folklore

"I have come to tell you you are beautiful. I believe you are beautiful, But that it not the issue. The issue is they want you dead"---Nicolas Guillen