Not Friday the 13th
It feels like a Friday today. I know it is now, but when I was writing this yesterday, it felt like a Friday. This is/was because I’m heading down to Yialos later this morning to do the jobs we usually do on a Friday; post office, bank, etc. We’ll probably stop for lunch somewhere while we still can, like we often do on a Friday. After that, a wander back up the hill, or a taxi if there is post or shopping to carry, or the bus if we get the timing right and then… We shall see.
I am well into editing ‘Symi, Stuff & Nonsense’ and am on target to finish that today (Friday) so that I can start on my next project on Saturday and give it all my attention for the next two months up to deadline. It’s a film script, and that brings me onto ‘The 13th‘. That film, filmed on Symi as I am sure you know, was shown again last weekend to a goodly amount of audience. Many of the comments we’ve had back about the film, from the last to showings on Symi, are justly made and can be addressed here. The sound mixing was not balanced and the music was too loud. This was, apparently an issue with the copy sent for this screening and an issue which needs to be sorted out by QC. That’s quality control, and that’s a process which the company have not yet been able to afford to do. If/when they find a distributor (after the round of festivals has finished) then money will also need to be found to fix this, and other quality standard issues that may arise. It’s expensive and they don’t want to do it until they are sure of a distribution deal.
The second issue (sorry to sound American but ‘complaint’ is too strong a word for the feedback we’ve received) concerns some dark scenes. Again, this is a QC thing, but the version of the film is meant for larger screens with brighter projectors, or something. Watching it on a café wall is going to give you some lighting issues when the file is meant for a larger space. And then there is the thing about not understanding the story. All I can say to this is: Due to time limits there was not enough time to film some scenes, and the director then had to make the best of what they had, using some voice-overs to fill in a few gaps. I also say, ‘Yes, I agree with you,’ because it’s not actually my original story and the ninth draft of the film (the shooting script) had input from several other people, was affected by location and time and therefore, parts were improvised on the hoof, as they say.
But I will say, if having seen the film, you want to check out the original story, then you need to get a copy of ‘The Judas Inheritance,’ and you can do that in a moment.
As usual, there is more in a novel than there is in a film (that’s to do with time and structure etc.) and there’s a fair amount of Symi history used in the book, tying in actual events and places on the island with the mystery and thrill of the story. Kindle and print copies can be found here.
