A. B. C.

Always. Be. Closing.

That is the lesson that Alec Baldwin gives in his amazing profanity-laden speech in the film Glengarry Glen Ross. It is a lesson that Rob and I practiced while making "The Station" in Chicago last fall. And it is a lesson that, for some reason, I chose to ignore while in preproduction for my 3rd project.

By "closing", I mean getting every aspect of the production locked, confirmed, and double confirmed. Especially when it comes to filming out and about at locations, and forms and permits.

"Get them to sign on the line that is dotted!"

I had my last scene to shoot tonight, a quick couple of shots to get at a really cool looking restaurant in downtown LA. I had spoken with an assistant manager there about filming tonight a week ago. He was really cool, since it was a Mon. night it wasn't to be a problem at all.

I meant to get him the forms to sign. I was going to get everything cleared with the LA film office. I wanted to make sure that every "i" was dotted and every "t" was crossed. I should have closed it.

But I didn't.

I was busy, he seemed really cool about everything, so I decided I didn't need to close it. So I show up, crew in tow, actors on their way, and it turns out the guy who had been my contact man at the restaurant no longer worked there. So the guy in charge had no idea that filming was supposed to take place. And the owner of the place was "too busy" to talk to me, the mother%$#@& *~!&*!!

And so I had to tell my actors sorry and send them home. I tried to get a few shots from outside "guerilla-style", but I'm not sure they'll work. We'll have to shoot it later this week. I'm pissed. Now, granted, it was a pretty freak occurrence that my main contact just 7 days ago get FIRED in between then and now. But still, I may have been able to film tonight if I had signed location release forms, and especially if I had a FILM LA permit. But I was not a closer.

ABC. ABC. ABC.

So now I need to spend the next few days finding, convincing, and CLOSING a new location.

Anyway, it's not really all doom and gloom. The last three days I shot and everything went relatively smoothly. Yesterday (Sunday) was a crazy day: 3 locations, starting at 8:30am and going until pretty much midnight. I didn't think I was going to pull it off but I had some great help from some friends and my actors, in addition to being really talented, are FANTASTIC to work with and totally rolled with everything. Got some great shots, really great performances, and I think I've got a movie even without the restaurant scene, but I still want it.

Still, the shooting went really well the first three days so I guess I should have expected the production gods to reign lighting and sulfur down upon me. As soon as I get this other junk sorted out I'll post some pictures from the shooting that took place this weekend, my friends took a lot of great looking stills.

Now, I'm going to start searching for restaurants to shoot at, then go to sleep, and dream that someday a tall, handsome, guy in an expensive suit with slicked back hair will burst in, start yelling, and tell me how to CLOSE.

"That's it: I'm done!"