Project History: "Somewhere Between"

Somewhere Between began during this summer as I contemplated which film I would like to direct during the Fall Semester. Then I heard Katie Perry's I Kissed a Girl on the radio. I thought the song was catchy and I loved the lyrics. Of course, people went into an uproar over the song because they thought it promoted lesbianism. Well, I'm not going to get drawn into the argument here, but instead I am just going to say I liked the song because it displayed a woman straddling the line, not really sure who she is, who is just trying to have a little fun. I liked that. And then I heard another song this summer, Saviour by Anggun. These two songs combined in my head to form the basis of Somewhere Between, and I started writing.

Since that time I have written several several drafts of the script, and the story has changed a bit. I will post a blog later that will detail the synopsis of the story, but for now the simple one-liner goes like this: A mysterious female thief and determined female detective discover the world is not simply divided between good and evil as they face each other...and then save each other.

Throughout the Fall Semester the script has gone through several drafts. I took Introduction to Screenwriting this semester which has helped me somewhat. While I was already very familiar with story structure and formatting, I was always weak on plot and substance. Andy Hulse taught me a few things about how to approach storytelling and how to create good character backgrounds. I feel the writing has gotten better over the last two months, and I think before the film begins shooting I will have a very solid script.

At the beginning of the semester I met with two actresses to discuss their roles in the film. Olivia Hawley accepted the role as the newly-hired female police detective that is on the hunt for the thief. I worked with Olivia in a short film last year and she did an fabulous job playing a supporting role. The other role, that of the mysterious female thief, went to Nikki Thomas. Nikki has a small extra role in a film last year, but was always interested in doing more acting. I am really looking forward to working with both of them.

The project currently stands in pre-development. I also took a Producing class this semester, which has inspired me to take this production to the next level. Here is the current status of the project: I am working on a prospectus for the film in order to secure funding. I have delayed production until February 2009 in order to properly prepare for the film, and also because the end of this semester is starting to kick my butt. 

Currently I am seeking a good Director of Photography, Stunt Coordinator, and Choreographer. Development will continue for another few weeks, and then I will begin the process of seeking funding for this project. The film will be open to any and all UNCW students who would like to work on the short film set. 

I will update this blog more often about the status of Somewhere Between when I have more...