This time last summer, I was sitting by Lake Ontario in a hammock with a gentle summer breeze blowing in off the water and a magnificent sunset before my eyes. My laptop, which, at the time, had a completely functioning battery, was seated upon my lap with the first draft of [i]Douglas.[/i] pulledup on it. The cursor blinked at me silently, waiting to process any information I might thrust upon it. I remember being torn by a fully useless scene of guts and gore, because, at the time, this was a serial killer script... and hey, what's a serial killer script without the obligatory trail of entrails?

It's amazing what a year can do.

Now I sit here on my couch bundled in a hoodie because it's fifty degrees outside in June and my cat sits next to me shedding uncontrollably. Instead of a cursor blinking, it's a red light on my cellphone indicating the missed calls and messages I have. I just finished being on the phone with one of my producers, discussing concerns with the scheduling, and believe me, they're legitimate concerns. My inbox is filled with emails and my head is filled with schedules and numbers and scenes and shots and ideas and problems and tasks that I'll never get around to.

So it's crunch time. We are just over three weeks before production. It's coming up quickly, a little too quickly, but isn't that how it always goes? One prepares and prepares and prepares and it never seems like enough once you're standing on set, melting under the lights with your entire cast and crew staring back and waiting for you to just make that one. first. move. It weirds me out to think that just a few months ago I was having my first pre-pro meeting with the producer in the basement of MassArt because that's where his office was. We sat and looked at each other for that first meeting and just thought, jesus, what first?!

We've come a long way since then. Our meetings have become some sense of organized chaos. All this stuff is happening around me and there's hardly no stopping it. Sure, we need more money, all productions need more money (another $5,000-8,000 would do us just fine!), and our schedule needs a little work (we're insane, it's cool.), but the fact remains that this is happening, it's real, and on July 7th I will be standing in front of my cast and crew on location in Quincy about to make that one. first. move.

-Michelle "Mothra" Millette-
Director/Writer - [i]Douglas.[/i]

PS - If you would like to help us out in anyway, donations are always welcomed (and are tax deductible! Ask your friends! Family! Lawyers! Dentists!), and everyone who donates is credited, but if no money is what you have, we will need PAs and grips, so email us if that is your jam - douglasthemovie@yahoo.com