Blink and You'll Miss It

As developments seem to be coming by the day, and as I plan on this being a significant part of my life for the next month, it seems most fitting to give my movie Amateur Hour it's own blog.

I am Jonathan Shock, writer of the screenplay Amateur Hour, and of the play The Shaft. This is the blog that I will be using to record all aspects of the making of Amateur Hour and its associated bits and pieces. Stay tuned for regular news, updates, pictures, stories, gaffs, and all things in between.

Amateur Hour starring Brian Sutherland and Beau Prichard, is the story of Sean (Brian Sutherland), a 20 something waiter, who gets fed up with the trials and stresses of trying to make it and finding his place in the world. As such, he is introduced to Reno Brown (Beau Prichard) and his associate Mr. Fix, who turn them on to a life of crime and a different way to make a quick buck. Action, Drama, and Hilarity ensue as Sean and his friend Aven learn to become criminals and do their best not to act like it's Amateur Hour.

As this blog begins we find ourselves in the very early stages of this film's life. We hosted a reading last weekend with myself, Beau and Alan Prichard, Halle and Michael Salas, and Beau Prichard. It went really well and Brian and Beau both instantly took to the script, and have been beyond supportive into trying to get it put on film. We have another reading scheduled for Sunday, where we hope to bring in some friends of Brian's who are local Seattle filmmakers in an effort to get some more people on board so that this movie might actaully get to see the light of day. As such, Beau and I have been working hard the last couple days to edit the script down from it's original 97 pages (in Word Format. Almost 150! in Final Cut format) into something a little lean and meaner. It's been a struggle trying to get people to understand that although the plot is important to the movie, it's not really the driving force of the film. As such, it's important to keep alot of the dialogue as intact as possible, but no bones about it the script is too long, so sacrafices must be made. Every cut is excruciating though, so hopefully we can get through it while keeping as much of it intact as possible.

I was also struck with another ambitious idea tonight about letting Brian's natural improv talent really come through in a bold new way while working on this movie. More to come on that later.

We'll know more about where we stand come Monday. So everyone think good thoughts for us at the reading!