LOVELY achieves picture lock (Size Doesn’t Matter)

With very little fanfare — sitting here alone in the man cave — the cut for WHAT’S UP LOVELY is now at picture lock.  Very exciting times.  The fun is just beginning as it will be handed off to 3 talented individuals for scoring and sound design.  More details on them in a future blog entry.

The final cut runs at a lean 69 minutes.  Any longer and the film itself starts to feel bloated (believe it or not).  Each scene in the film could include a bit more dialogue to obtain a longer running time, but upon watching it with the extra footage it just didn’t feel right.  In its current state the film feels like a complete journey in which the core of each moment is told — nothing more nothing less.

A great quote on the topic of running time is found in a FILMMAKER MAGAZINE article interviewing Tom Tykwer (filmmaker of “Run Lola Run — one of my favorite films):

“I know so many films which I would have loved to see at 75 minutes, and they’re 138 or something. I like that. I very much enjoy it, like when Aki Kaurismaki came up with all these 68-minute films. The Match Factory Girl, films like that, one good idea told in its absolute essence. After 68 minutes, you don’t feel like it was too little; it was a rich film. And you don’t feel there’s any ornament.”

There is a notion in many film-goers minds (including mine admittedly) that films must be a certain length to achieve a certain status of “feature”.  I am excited about the prospect that the length of LOVELY is potentially a topic for debate, but ultimately know had it been longer that it just does not work as strongly as it does now.

The story told is ultimately the deciding factor of its length.  It is what audiences will embrace.  And I hope the time flies leaving them wanting more.

JENN DEES as Luci