With only four days left until my flight to the United States, I'm bubbling with excitement over the imminent meeting with the potential cast for our upcoming independent film, Echo 8's 'Five By Five.'
This journey has just kicked off with an international script table read, and I know it will be a long and challenging one, filled with numerous script revisions and auditions, all leading up to the pivotal shoot day in 2025.
Hiroshi Kasuga, another budding independent film producer, deserves special acknowledgment for his pivotal role in turning this dream of finding a potential cast into a reality. At the heart of our film, Echo 8, are the characters of Grandma and Grandson.
Right from the project's inception, we recognized that these two characters were absolutely crucial to our narrative. Without them, our film ran the risk of becoming just another action-packed movie, missing the emotional depth and substance we aimed to convey.
With our potential cast in place, we are one step closer to realizing our vision of creating a film that deeply resonates with audiences.
As a film director, I've learned that integrity is the cornerstone of the creative process and the final product. Stories being told need authenticity and truth at their core. In addition, audiences resonate with genuine emotions and experiences. In terms of conduct, integrity in your actions and decisions is the key to building trust among your cast and crew. This leads to a smooth production process and one that will leave a memorable experience.
Today's gentle reminder is to treat all humans with respect and articulate this gratitude whenever you can. Much love to everyone who has given so much of their time, guidance, and energy to my creative shared vision.
485 days left till we shoot!