2016: it’s movie time.

Everyone has seen iconic photos of Mt. Everest:

That's a big hill.

That’s a big hill.

Majestic. Grandiose. Huge. (Picture Donald Trump saying that word).

Yes, I’m making the analogy that making a movie is like ascending Mt. Everest. In truth, there are many similarities. For example, not everyone can do it. Also, it ain’t cheap. Also, more people think they can do it than actually can. In addition, like climbing Everest, the only time to safely make a movie is during three weeks in May when the weather is perfect.

Okay, maybe that last one is a stretch.

But here’s a HUGE (okay, enough with the Donald Trump) similarity: don’t climb without sherpas. A team of people who know the hill better than you. That’s an important aspect, they know the hill “better than you.” They bring skill sets that you can’t pretend to know. They know the safest spot to place the ladders to straddle ice cliffs. They know when you are acclimated to thin air enough to proceed to the next camp site. They know which lens you should use when capturing natural light indoors. They know which angle to shoot reaction shots to highlight specific moods.

Let me put it another way: if you are the most experienced, most skilled person on a project, maybe it’s time for a more challenging project.

I have spent a good part of the 2015 training for my ascent, i.e. revising the script. Sure, this blog has only seen one post in the second half of the year, but that doesn’t mean prep for the climb wasn’t happening. I was hard at work in the second half of the year revising the script…

…and it’s done! Next stop: shooting a movie!

Well, not quite. Yes, I finished a draft of the script before the shades were drawn on 2015. But, one can’t go directly from Kathmandu Airport to the summit. Yes, the second draft of the script is complete. No, it is not production ready… but it is closer. Tomorrow I meet with the producer I have been developing this project with (more on him soon, I promise) and get his notes, and we will proceed from there. There are more revisions, budgeting, and then meeting with more producers and investors. We are on the move, and things are happening…

…and we are planning our ascent.