Writing the Script & Pre-Production
I began writing "The Greeting" in August of 2016, knowing I'd be shooting and premiering the film in the Spring of 2017. Editing and revising the script took about 3 months. Once a final draft of the script was completed, I searched for a director, cinematographer, and full cast. This process took me until mid-January. Planning the shoot dates with the cast and crew, as well as scouting locations took us until early February. Shooting began in late February.
With the director in the trunk of the car in front of me, we drove around downtown Hartford for nearly two hours to complete this scene. The opening credits were shown with it.
As a member of The Moveable Joints, Trinity College's improv group, I recruited nearly all of the members to be in my movie. I wanted actors that had comedic timing and I knew could work off-script if needed.
Shooting over 2 weeks & Post-Production
With shooting beginning in late February and a premiere date of mid-April, we had a very tight time period to shoot the entire film. Specifically, we had 2 weeks to shoot a 40-minute film. Organizing shooting time with the cast was hectic and a challenge. Actors had to be replaced and the script needed to be cut further to make sure it was completed in time. Although I received help from the cast and director, I was the one in charge of making sure it was totally completed in time as it was my thesis.
With a week to spare after the final shot, and no time for reshoots, the editing was left for me. Using Final Cut Pro X, I edited for 4 days straight in the bottom of Trinity College's library. Sound editing and color correcting took the most time, but I'm extremely proud of the final product. The estimated time of the film was supposed to be 25-minutes, but it ended up being closer to 40. I'm thankful to all that helped me.