Day 123: Rolling along

Day 123.  I’m on schedule!  I just finished scene 32.  It’s only a little after five and I’ve had like two cups of green tea (not decaffeinated) so I’m amped to keep moving forward.  I’m going to start scene 33 and see how far I can get before my caffeine high wears off.

Sidebar:  I don’t normally drink caffeine, like ever.  I don’t drink coffee or sodas or caffeinated teas.  My only caffeine source is usually chocolate.  I’ve taken to green tea with caffeine because it’s supposed to be good for you and I need the extra energy juice in order to have even the remotest chance of pulling off my fast motion plan.  But here’s the deal, the last couple of days I’ve noticed I’m breaking out like a pubescent teenager!  Come to think of it, if I get too crazy in my chocolate consumption I usually break out, too.  Hmmmm.  What gives?  Is this normal?  Does caffeine cause acne?  Why am I not just googling this right now, you might ask?  Well, I gave myself 15 minutes to write this and post it.  Then I have to get back to scene 33.  Kitchen stove timer is set.  Not kidding.  If anyone has any intel on an acne/caffeine connection, please share, it would be greatly appreciated.

As expected, scene 31 was a ridiculous mess.  It took me a solid day and a half.  And, while I was working on it I realized that I never set up a character that I was “calling back” in scene 31. How could I call him back when no one had met him yet in the first place?  Oops.  It’s hard to have a call back with out a setup.  And the character also plays a big part in a payoff in scene 33!  And you certainly can’t have a payoff without a setup.  So, I had to go hunt for the right spot to add him in the earlier scene bins.  I found myself back in scene 18 for few hours this morning.  But I wasn’t bitter—which is pretty surprising—I was excited.  Similar to writing a script, I’m actually building in setups and payoffs in my documentary.  And that makes me happy!

Until tomorrow, create from what you have…and don’t forget the setup.

Kelli Joan Bennett is a filmmaker, actress, writer, entrepreneur, advocate for creative thinking and Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Think Outside The Box Inside The Box Media.

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