The Character Is Steadfast
This is Finish Your Monsters, a weekly blogletter about the creative process. I'm sharing adventures in art and life as well as setting CLIFFHANGER goals for myself, so--
DID I MAKE MY GOAL?
Big picture, I’m working away on the post-production of our horror film, Dead Media. Last week, I committed to the goal of finishing the THIRD DRAFT of the edit and getting closer to picture lock!
And I half-completed that goal. I’m about halfway through the third pass on the edit.
This is a week where I’m delighted to be writing a weekly blogletter. My cruel inside voices are yelling at me that I’m not getting enough done or fast enough. But writing this blogletter requires me to look back at what I actually got done this week. Reality enters the chat and starts screaming at the cruel voices to shut up. Which is nice!
The edit is coming along well. On Saturday, my wife, Sara and I went through the film pausing to discuss almost every scene—what was working, what wasn’t, and ideas to tweak. It took about five hours, but it was extremely helpful and I’m really enjoying making the changes.
Also this week, I scheduled two days of pick-up shoots in Minneapolis, made some progress on the film score, made some progress on a possible premiere for the film, started work on business taxes (deadline was extended in California due to the fires in January), went for a couple long walks, had a nice dinner with friends, and a squirrel stared at me.
Okay, that last one has nothing to do with me, it was just a highlight of the week.
Anyway, if you’re interested in helping us pull the film across that finish line, I need to raise a bit more money for post-production. You can make a one time tax-deductible donation via Film North here. Thanks to the folks who have made contributions in the last few weeks. Deeply, deeply appreciated.
ADVENTURES OF THE WEEK--
This week, I’m consumed with the idea of STEADFAST characters.
Every week when I write this blogletter I ask myself, “What was the biggest challenge? What was the biggest adventure? Did you learn (or more likely relearn) any lessons this week?”
And I found myself saying a firm and quiet, “NO.”
I didn’t learn (or relearn) a goddamn thing this week. I just kept my head down and kept going.
This got me thinking about character arcs and narrative structures and how we internalize them.
A lot of storytelling is based on change. The main character starts in stasis then they go through experiences that change them. They learn. They grow. They evolve. Or they fail to evolve and suffer the consequences.
Great! I love stories of change. I think it’s extremely important we evolve. I think many horrors the world faces are because people fear change. They cling not only to the present but an idealized imaginary past. They would rather retreat to a fantasy than face the terrifying possibility of change.
But if I spend too much time internalizing the narrative of change on an individual level, I sometimes yell at myself for not having constant transformative experiences.
Which leads me to the value of STEADFAST character narratives.
Some of my favorite fictional characters are steadfast. They have firm convictions I agree with and the conflict in the narrative comes from having those convictions challenged. The triumph comes from the characters holding to those convictions despite incredible pressure.
The depiction of Steve Rogers as Captain America in the MCU is a great example of steadfast. He goes through many HUGE changes—injected with a super serum, frozen in ice for decades, his best friend becomes a horrific assassin, the only way he can go on a good date is via complicated time travel, etc. All very relatable stuff EMOTIONALLY if not literally.
But through all those changes and challenges, his core beliefs are steadfast—he hates bullies, he values friendship, and he is extremely leery of the corruption that can go grow inside large organizations. In his three films, he faces many conflicts, but he remains steadfast as he opposes not just his enemies, but compromised allies—the US military, SHIELD, and his own super-team, the Avengers. I think Sam Wilson, the new Captain America, is another great example of a steadfast character.
Another favorite is The Doctor from Doctor Who. A show, a myth, a character that is defined by change and evolution. The character literally regenerates into new versions. The show changes massively from season to season and sometimes episode to episode. Yet within all that, The Doctor, as a character strives to stay true to their core beliefs: Kindness, empathy, the importance of helping others, idiosyncratic fashion choices, etc.
There are countless examples in film, television, literature, epic poems, etc of steadfast characters. These are a couple that came to mind because I watched their adventures recently.
Anyway, I realized that for me this week was about being steadfast.
For my creative and producer work on the film, I needed to just keep believing in the project, keep my head down and do the work regardless of the setbacks, the conflicts, the anxiety.
For my general emotional state, I needed to be steadfast. This week I found myself just profoundly sad about the horrors going on in the world. The sheer volume of pointless suffering, the attacks on science and art and basic healthcare and self-expression and on and on.
On a particularly bleak emotional day, I walked to my local record store. I reconnected with a sense of community and art and the tactile joy of physically putting a piece of actual vinyl on an actual turntable. A joy that has been with me in its own steadfast way for decades.
Maybe next week will be one of wild combustible change and evolution, but this week was a good reminder that sometimes the greatest challenge is just holding on. And that remaining yourself through the storm is a great victory.
LIGHT PLUGS—
Imposter!
This is a short film I have nothing to do with, but it looks great! My friend, Anna Sundberg, (who stars in Dead Media) also stars in this short, thought-provoking thriller.
I also had a chance to meet the filmmaking team at Lucky Cut Productions and they’re a great crew with a great mission.
They’re raising funds for IMPOSTER.
You can check out their promo video and their crowdfunding campaign here.
The Nightmare Adorable!
I wrote and directed this short horror film back in 2023. Can you help us get to 1000 views on YouTube?
DEAD MEDIA! We’ve got a fiscal sponsorship with the great Minnesota organization Film North. They can accept one-time donations that will go directly toward finishing the film: SCORE, VFX, COLOR GRADING, etc. It’s like a Kickstarter where the rewards are A) a tax deduction and B) helping us make the film.
For full info, please check out the page for the upcoming horror film, DEAD MEDIA!
Or if you have any questions about supporting the film, feel free to reach out to me personally!
MY GOAL FOR THE WEEK--
I’ve got to spin a lot of plates to keep things moving on the post-production for Dead Media. But I really need to get the film closer to the final edit so I’m continuing on with that goal. So my goal again this week is finishing the third draft edit of Dead Media.
YOUR GOAL FOR THE WEEK--
I would absolutely LOVE to hear what you're working on this week in the comments below. What's your goal? How can I help you literally finish your monsters?
A LITTLE SKETCH--
This week’s sketch is a vinyl record that does not exist. The band, Steadfast, with their hit record, In Motion. What kind of music is it? Jazz? Rock? Heavy Popabilly? Who knows? Enjoy the mystery. Anyway, thanks for reading and best of luck finishing your monsters!
