Permissions Granted, yippie!
As some of you may know, I have been working on a passion project called The Reel Deal: Real Talent, Tips, and Tales—A Journey through the New Zealand film community—for over ten years now. The Reel Deal is a behind-the-scenes look at Aotearoa’s renowned film industry—from the perspective of the people who paint, build, design, and breathe life into its visual storytelling. Part memoir, practical guide, and celebration, this book weaves together behind-the-scenes stories, career journeys, tips, and tools from more than 50 creatives.
Yes, over ten years… I can't believe it has been that long since I started writing the book. There were definitely many moments I thought I wouldn't finish this project. Not only was I a single mum with limited free time, juggling demanding film projects on and off, but many of the people I contacted for interviews were also busy with their own demanding work schedules; it was tricky to coordinate everyone's availability. Also, initially, it was challenging to sell the idea to some people; I am just a crew member, after all, not representing a studio or an established documentary persona. Thank goodness some saw the appeal in that fact from the start. People like Ra Vincent, Sam Genet, Colin Davidson, Gen Cooper and Melissa Spicer believed in me and the project from the start. Giving my down-to-earth exploration of the NZ film community momentum.
So, I kept at it, ticking away at it whenever I could. The more people who contributed, the more I felt driven to honour and acknowledge the film family. As I mentioned in previous blog posts, my health has taken a turn over the past year or so. Strange as it may sound, I am grateful I have finally been able to focus on finishing the book and getting it out there.
I pieced together all the interviews I've collected over the years, hoping they would all still hold up. I updated some and added a few new ones. Fingers and toes crossed, I handed it over to my friend Seth, who is a professional editor. My biggest fear was that it wouldn't be cohesive. My feedback was very reassuring. As a reader, the journey made sense and was engaging all the way through to the last interview! Yippee! There were edits where I rambled or repeated stuff, but all good for the first pass.
My next task was to finish the book layout and design (BLAD). I had a clear vision from the beginning: it should feel like a note or scrapbook and be as dyslexia-friendly as possible. I aimed for it to be visual and include chunks of information. I wanted to create vignettes that would lean into the people and departments I was exploring and sharing. I had to learn InDesign, and I was very fortunate, once again, to have a friend help me out. Murillo spent many hours setting up some template foundations for me to work from. I was on my way, excited to be at this stage of things, finally.
What I didn't expect was how complicated and time-consuming it would be to gather images and permissions for the book. It was very important to me to put a face to some of the names we see in film credits. Even if I didn't get to interview all the people in different roles, I hoped to have photos of the diverse crew and departments. Then there's the challenge of confidentiality agreements and photo rights. It goes on and on. It took many months and a lot of help from wonderful people, such as Lauren Stewart, Daisy Hall, and Celia Jaspers, to build the photo library and secure the necessary permissions. The fact that so many people agreed to take part was truly heart-warming.
I've faced quite a few delays in my progress due to doctor visits—including a trip to Australia for a specialist, medical issues, and the start and stop of clinical trials. Luckily, I've received plenty of support in that arena as well. As you might imagine, one of the most challenging parts of progressing in the book was obtaining photo permissions involving actual sets or production representation. But I am so, so pleased and relieved to share that the last few permissions have now been granted! Chelsea Winstanley ( Producer) generously allowed the use of some images and a promotional photo from "What We Do in the Shadows." Yippee! That was the last of it. Now I’m refining my pitch for publishers… this will be another blog.
Once again, I invite you to follow my Facebook page or blog, Keep on Keeping on; my journey to getting published and more. You can also visit the website, which is accessible but ‘under construction’ as I continue to add content at my own pace. The aim is to continue what I started with my book, focusing on highlighting and celebrating the film crew while encouraging students or anyone interested in film work. It will feature a blog link, a gallery page for the film crew to share fun photos (respecting confidentiality agreements, of course), new interviews, scenic/props painting tips, and updates on the book. www.thereeldealcrew.com
May we all find inspiration to keep on keeping on with joy in our hearts- T
