AMJ: Script
I describe myself as a reluctant producer, because in order to get my work out there I’ve had to pick up the mantle and run with getting things done by myself. Not something I’d recommend, however, there are times when needs must. The problem with producing and directing a film is that one ends up being pulled in too many directions. I guess the lesson learned from writing, producing and directing both of my short films – I did have some help with More Cake – is that I can’t do both jobs real justice and I find that it’s the creative and fun stuff that ends up suffering, because I’m so focussed on making sure the other critical elements are in place.
AMJ: Slate
I could’ve tried to find another producer when the producer I was working with suddenly quit. However, I knew that if I put things on hold and didn’t move forward with the project the likelihood of it seeing the light of day was slim to none. I look back on the events with smile and wonder how I managed to get through production without my head exploding from the stress. Although I did at one point breakdown and cried like a baby after one of my actors told me he had an audition and their agent told me that not only was I being unreasonable, I was also preventing their client from feeding his family. With only one day of shooting left, there was no way I could release him for even a second.
AMJ Cast & Crew
Despite everything that went wrong in production, such as having an accident with the van, kit not turning up, almost losing the location and most importantly squeezing a 4 day shoot into 3 days; I would say this has been the best learning experience for me as a filmmaker. Nothing is ever going to be 100% perfect, and no matter how much one prepares, stuff goes wrong. Dealing with those adversities in a calm unflappable manner, kept the cast and crew focussed and preserved the trust they had in me, which is why every single person on set went that extra mile in order to make A Mother’s Journey a beautiful and impactful film. I’m excited about sharing it with the rest of the world.
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