Somewhere There's Music

Every time I visit New Mexico, I'm seduced by the beauty. Yesterday I was in Santa Fe in an adobe home with curved walls and windows that look towards the mountains. Cathy, Rashaan and I drove up so they could rehearse songs for a church performance this Sunday. The rehearsal went WAY TOO LONG, but at least they had good tomato and basil, thin-crust pizza. I ate about six small pieces and two helpings of salad. That's how long it went.

After we ducked out of there in the pouring rain, we went by another amazing house a few miles away, that of Larry Mitchell and his documentary filmmaker wife, Candy. Larry's a music producer and friend of Cathy. He promises to give the traditional gospel music for my movie a more hip hop edge. He's also going to do some music "beds" for the various scenes, to give them more resonance. Cathy and Rashaan sang a couple bars of "Jesus on the Main Line" and "I'll Be Somewhere Listening for My Name," and Larry did fun effects. I'm excited. Going to try to stay a little longer tonight and finish checking out the casting so I can finalize my cast list early tomorrow, and get on to putting finishing touches on the script. One of the auditioners misread a line that made it even funnier. It's a keeper.

Yesterday Patrick the Producer and I worked out a shot list, ripping it up (figuratively) four or five times before we came up with a good plan for the few days we have to shoot. In talking it through, piece by piece, I came up with a few more ideas that I think will enhance the storytelling.