It's always something...

...in independent film.

This weekend featured not one but TWO separate but equally frustrating events.

First, our primary location -- where we're shooting for one full week out of our three week schedule -- started threatening to drop out on us. Bunch of college guys, and all of a sudden they didn't realize we were going to be shooting in their bedrooms. Ya know, after we walked through the entire house and talked about what rooms would substitute for what locations in the script. And they don't want us to start to early. And one of them doesn't want us to use his room at all, because he's really freaky about it and is afraid of his stuff getting broken.

None of these are outrageous claims. But they were appropriate to bring up back when we made the agreement. Not now. In any case, we're trying to accomodate so we don't lose the location.

The second problem: we nearly had half our budget pulled out from under us. The department is providing a significant amount of our productione expenses, plus the purchase of some equipment that they'll be able to use after our production. Today, the director of our division put a cap on the amount that suddenly seemed WAY lower than the originally agreed upon amount.

Okay, a bit of a tease here -- this one turned out to be a miscommunication. When we asked for clarification, we realized it was just a poorly worded e-mail. But I had a few hours of sweating that out.

And tomorrow I have to meet with these students about that location stuff. {enter smooth talk mode]

The good (casting) news: I have cast a wonderful actress (I believe) in the major female supporting role. NY-based actress, alum of Second City and Upright Citizens Brigade. I'm looking forward to working with her.

Now if I can just cast the lead...