Finished our Super 8 shooting today. The shine had definitely worn off the process for Leo, but he soldiered on and we shot some great sequences (looking at x-rays on dad's lightboard in the bathroom, helping mom walk down the stairs, putting mom's socks on...). We had the ultimate carrot: a jacuzzi... Shipping off twelve Super 8 cartridges today: curious how they'll look - neither Sinisa nor I had ever shot Super 8 stock with movie lights... Next up: the science fiction sequences. I had to do some tests to see the best approach to replicating that' sitting six inches in front of a TV and watching the same VHS for the 100th time' look. My efforts for the UFVA visual sample were passable but can definitely be improved upon.

Started shooting Super 8 with young Leo McBrosse... Started out a little rough: both underwater cameras (Kodak XL55) flamed out and the weather went sour, but it ended up being a good day... We shot seven scenes with Leo, mostly over the shoulder and POV stuff. Overexposed as a rule. I'm excited about it. I think the Super 8 recreations (a young jason hacking away at six foot tall weeds with his mother's shoehorn, or stomping around in the mud with mom's old plastic leg braces) with add some much-needed levity to the project... Tomorrow we get the x-ray examinations and young Jason walking mom down the stairs... Working with child actors wasn't quite the nightmare I'd envisioned: Leo needed a patient and firm hand, but he was a quick learner and a good listener. I'm glad I had mom and dad around to keep him occupied.

It's been awhile since my last post. Quick catch up: been teaching two Intro to Film Production sections, and working a couple days a week as a contractor, which means I've had little time to do much with Mothersbane other than stare at the glorious frame grabs I've mounted on foamcore on my wall... Panavision has suspended their New Filmmaker Grant until April, so I had to put off shooting the last of our Super 16 stuff with mom til then... I've been named a finalist for a UFV Carole Fielding Student Grant. I was asked to submit a visual sample - this turned out to be one of the hardest things I've ever attempted. With only 1/2 to 2/3 of my footage, and without much of my sound, how can I convey the film without simply explaining/telling? I found myself constantly writing explanatory voiceover to contextualize gaps and unify the structure. It's very talky and I could have gone about it better, but it DID get me to do some serious editing, so that was nice... Flying home today to shoot the Super 8 sequences with a little boy that is a dead ringer for me age 8. Got an underwater camera mount (!) to play with, a lovely Niz Braun with a great lens, 25 rolls of 64t and a set of 2ks. Should be fun... Mom is doing great; getting around on her walker, driving a little, cooking up a storm and going nearly vegetarian. They think she'll be walking unassisted by mid-March. She sounds strong and enthusiastic on the phone.