Some Thoughts on Viewing "Clive" on the Big Screen

It has now been a week since the premiere of "Say Hello to Clive for Me" at the Pickwick Theater and I finally have a moment to blog about it.
I am not sure I can quite describe what it was like to finally see it on the big screen fully edited with sound and all. On one hand the film was completely familiar; I had lived with the world and the characters so long that it felt like I had seen the film a dozen times. I have to say as one of the screenwriters that in the end everything was true to the screenplay, even where there were changes made in the process of filming and editing, it all remained true to what was written and brought the screenplay to life. Even the sound and music was perfect in my estimation in capturing the world of the screenplay. In this regard I could not have been happier. I think this is a testament to not only the collaborative and community nature of the art of film but of those who came on and worked on "Clive".
At moments I could tell that this was our first movie, somethings could have been tighter, I think even on the level of the writing. But "Clive" was very much a project in which we learned the art of film making as we made the film. I learned a lot just seeing the final project. I am still astounded that we not only made this film but that we turned out a good piece of film. It was an amazing experience to work with all the people who came and worked on "Clive" and believed in the Screenplay, and brought it too life, without everyone working to make the best film "Clive" never would have seen the light of day.
But of course there was Steve's persistence as he spent months mostly alone editing the film. He was very concerned that some of his editing would not capture what I as one of the writers saw in the film, but I agreed with every one of his editing choices in the end. But then Steve has always known this story and its characters as good as any of us on the writing team sometimes better. I would not have written the screen play had it not been for Steve approaching me at a New Years Eve Party at his place asking so do you want to write a movie with me. I of course said yes and I am glad I did.
I am glad that all of you who saw it enjoyed it immensely and found it to be a good piece of film. In the end if you connected with the characters and were able to enjoy the film and find beauty in it then I think we accomplished are job.
I can hardly wait to begin work on the next screenplay.