Last night was one of those nights. After a lifetime of watching, examining, enjoying and flat out being obsessed with movies the day finally came that I saw my big fat head on the big screen. "The Death of Joe Britz" premiere was last night and I couldn't have imagined a more perfect evening. Well, I could but it is far away and begins with the phrase "And the Oscar for Best Picture goes to..."
Last night though, that was something magical for me. It is strange when something like this happens, you plan and you plan and you plan for it. You spend money on advertising, you talk it up but you don't realize what is happening until you are there.
Before hand, I went to Woodstock's with much of the cast and several friends. My mom had gone before hand and step up the upstairs very nicely. All the conversations, everything. It didn't hit me that I was actually going to be seeing my film after it. Woodstock's is almost a garuntee if I see a film in Davis and it didn't feel like anything special except I was with some of my best friends and family having a great time.
We took a quick stroll from there to the theater which is when it became rather real very quickly. I bought my ticket and walked in. It still didn't hit me while I was in the lobby, but then I took my first step into the theater.
It is strange when things creep up on you because it is the smallest thing that makes you realize what is actually going on. For me it was where to sit. A question that is often one of those things were people don't care about except that they are in the middle. This decision though... it hit me that this seat will be the one that I will view my film. That is when it hit me.
The next 30 minutes as we waited for it to reach 7:30 was the most emotional 30 minutes I've had in my life. I went from happy to nervous to ecstatic to scared shitless almost every other minute. Then the lights dimmed. As I walked up to give the small "welcome" speech that I didn't have prepared at all it all hit me at once and I almost began to cry. It was wonderful seeing the hundred people who all decided to show up just to see my film. Scanning the crowd and seeing my closest friends and family. I can hardly remember the words of what I said except for this phrase "wow... this is real."
The title popped up and for the next hour I heard the audience laugh and go "aw..." at all the right places. The fear I had was gone and it was filled with joy.
After it ended I had the cast join me on stage in this order:
Luke and Sam
Emylee
Kyle
Ray
Now, I did have a method to my madness. It was mainly the size of the characters, but Ray had to be last with me. He and I have been waiting for this day forever and now that it finally came, while the majority of it was my doing, without Ray I would never have been in that position.
In short, this was an incredible evening and one I will remember to the day I day. The feeling, the people, the ups and downs of this entire process of getting this film made has been the best experience in my life thus far.
Thanks to everyone,
Rob Blake
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