The Film is Finished!

Man, what a crazy journey it's been!  I've been so excited to make this final post, waiting for when I would finally get here... and now at last here it is...

After YEARS of work...

THE FILM IS OFFICIALLY FINISHED!

I've probably already said all there is to say on this blog over the years, about all the joys and struggles I've encountered along the way.  Of all the things I'm proud of, and all the things I would do differently if I went back and did it all over again.  So I'm not sure there's much else I can add at this point.

It goes without saying, but this film has been the greatest learning experience of my life, about WAY more than just the art of filmmaking.  I often wonder how different things would have looked had I never pursued this project, how different my life might be.  Would I have learned at the same speed?  Would I have learned quicker?  What projects would I have accomplished?  What job(s) would I have?  How would the relationships in my life be different?  Would I have more connections with people in the industry?

There is a tendency to measure one's accomplishments to that of someone much more successful.  And in that regard I feel a bit behind some of my peers.  Others have more stable careers, incomes, and even relationships than I do.  And much of that I attribute to my working on this film.  But I then remind myself that each person's journey is different.  We do not all have to accomplish the same things at the same times, to live at the same speed.  Nor do we have to accomplish the same things at all!  My experience is unique.  It is my own.  And as much as it has set me back it has also gifted me a great insight as to how I truly want to live my life and career.

I mentioned in a previous post that my experience with this film has given me a story idea for my next film.  That is a massive understatement.  As a direct result of this film, I have been bursting at the seams with ideas for my next one.  Ideas that hopefully will allow me to tell a story that is more than just a story... more than just a film... but a broader philosophy and perspective on life!  I believe in that project 100%, and any insight it contains will have been a direct result of working on "Down the Road".

All in all, making this film has been quite the adventure.  At times it felt like a gift, and at other times a curse.  But through it all, it was a labor of love, and it has taught me things I don't think I would have learned otherwise.  Could I have done that in a shorter amount of time?  Yeah!  Absolutely!  I wish I did, haha!  Yet nonetheless, this is how it all played out.

This is my story.

And I am happy it is.

Timeline

• 2006-2007 - Initial inspiration/ideas
• 2008 - Finished first draft of script (and started college)
• 2009-2010 - Filmed original version
• 2011 - Scrapped original version, started script revisions
• November 2011 - Started the blog
• April 2013 - Finished final draft of script
• June 2013 - Started filming final version
• December 2013 - Started editing (and graduated college)
• 2014-2015 - The "infinite loop" (the longer I take, the more people expect; the more people expect, the longer I take), the point of no return
• December 2015 - Principal photography complete
• 2013-2016 - Editing was slow, VFX was slower, officially realizing I was much too ambitious
• 2016-2017 - Some soul crushing, and more VFX (the bulk of it)
• 2017-2018 - Gaining new story idea
• March 2018 - VFX completed (sort of)
• 2018-2020 - Audio editing, composing music
• January 2020 - Early screening for family and friends
• 2020 - More audio editing, finished composing music
• 2021 - Officially done

P.S. I toy with the idea of writing a book about all this, about my experience making a nearly zero-budget film over the course of 10+ years.  Not to really make any money with, but to simply wrap my head around what happened.  To figure out how I went from such a simple concept, to a DECADE of perfectionism and unending work.  It would certainly be an adventure all its own.

- Erik (Director)