What went down

My trip to India proved to be fruitful- I met with several production companies in Mumbai who were interested in doing an international co-production with a US or other international production companies.

The idea is to diversify their risks- our budget is quite high for an Indian film and I can understand the apprehensions of placing all of their eggs in one basket. But the issue also is that a co-production will garner access to marketplaces that respective companies have been previously unable to reach. For Indian companies, they get access to mainstream UK and US audiences, and for international companies, they get a rare opportunity to participate in the largest film industry in the world. It's a compelling setup, now we just need someone to take the leap of faith an put forward some funding.

My trip from India has made me more excited than ever about the prospects of this film. I'm imagining the most beautiful shots in my head and creatively I think we can stand toe-to-toe with any other production out there. This film will be a feast for the senses, I can promise that. Anthony has upped his efforts and now I feel I'm at the stage where I need to concentrate more on the directing aspects of the production. I need to map the film out entirely on paper.

Many directors frown at the idea of storyboarding- I relish it. I draw all of my own storyboards, and I try to plan out every detail I possibly can in advance. It helps me organize my thoughts, and needless to say it is a blessing to the production, as we'll have a pretty exact idea on the resources we'll need and an idea of how to schedule properly. It'll save us a ton of time and money.

It's simply not enough for me to have an idea gestating in my head. I have to get it down on paper first. It differs for everyone, but i need to have that physical representation in my hands. And I enjoy drawing the boards, as it lets me physically create the frame myself. When I storyboard, it kind of allows me on set to focus my attentions on the actors and the performances, because for the most part my framing is set. The rest of the composition I leave to my crew- I hold the talents of my cinematographer, my art director, and my production designer in high faith and esteem, and trust them to deliver the cohesive vision of the scene. It's why my crew selection process is so arduous- the movie is made in the quality of the people, not simply the idea itself.

I never wish to lecture on the wrongs or rights of filmmaking- everyone had their own artistic technique and it suits their philosophies and aesthetic tastes. Everyone, including myself, is as equally right as they are wrong. But that's what makes art beautiful.