We are now in our 13th year of Summer Ray. If you had asked me back in February of 2009 when I first started this series, if I knew that so many years later I would still be working on the feature film, honestly, I would have said, “Yeah right! It shouldn’t take THAT long.” Yes! I am laughing at myself! But Summer Ray is unique. It isn’t just a screenplay. It is an adapted screenplay from a soon to be 8 volume series. These things take time and lots and lots of it. If Summer Ray were just one script without the book series, it may have been produced by now. Or at least I hope so. But, I am always having to upgrade the upgrades, learn new materials, add new people or remove them. It’s a constant barrage of information and making sure it is correct. The word I am thinking of is “optimal.” It is defined as, “best or most favorable.” We have to look at what is best and most favorable for the outcome of Summer Ray and that is the viewing audience. What may have worked for other productions, may or may not with Summer Ray. I know the mathematics and the operations all have the same guided outline on how to build the parts of the film and to put it all together. But I trust Father God that He is building Summer Ray and there will be no missing parts. There won’t be things that we will have to cut corners on. We don’t have to rush the narrative either. We can slow things down and allow our viewers time to marinate in the process of this storytelling. It is a process and by rushing, we could cause the show to collapse. The pilot has had its rewrites -like 100’s of them. In the process, when I thought it was good – it was just mediocre. We want fabulous, extraordinary and astonishing. So we need to be willing to make any necessary adjustments on making this story come to life – that will help us to reach the optimal.
It isn’t always easy when people come and go. But we have a show to put on. Our cast & crew become like our extended family. We simply have to keep as much drama outside of the sets as possible. There has to be a level of order. Summer Ray is an incredibly big project. There are many things that I am still learning. I know an awful lot. But it is nothing compared to what is out there. I have to continually talk to our Fiscal Sponsor – Carole Dean of From the Heart Productions www.fromtheheartproductions.com which I am so honored to do so. This woman is a WEALTH of film industry knowledge. I am always reading up on film funding; and how to expand our audience, or how to get the books marketed just to name a few examples and it is (not can be) it is exhausting. But soon all of our characters for the pilot will be cast and we will have our read-through. Wow! What a glorious day that will be and it’s one of or next steps to, “roll camera!” Remember… it’s a process and always reach for the optimal!!! We will keep moving forward and in doing so, we will reach our destination! You will too, if you do not give up and quit!
*definition – google dictionary
THE MEMOIRS OF SUMMER RAY 