Last week we examined the importance of maintaining good organization throughout the production process, and especially in pre-prod. Since then I have been asked to comment on my experiences in the making of the film “a final peace”.

For those of you who don’t know, “a final peace” was my first independent film and my first documentary. It focuses primarily on the life of my uncle and the challenges he experienced from the time he was a child until his untimely death at the age of 35 from AIDS.

More than a simple recounting of Tom’s life, the film is an examination of the traumatic effects of incest and pedophilia on my family, and how they are coping with what happened to Tommy 25 years after his death.

I have never openly discussed the project, or the challenges I experienced during its production, but now feel that it may be a good time to start. So, beginning this week we will examine what it means to make a documentary about a subject that is extremely personal and sensitive, using “a final peace” as our guide.

The idea for “a final peace” first came to me as a possible subject for my senior thesis. At the time I really didn’t know the full history of what happened to my uncle, or how extensively his life had affected others. I knew that he had been molested by his father when he was still a child, and that, for whatever reason, no one in my family did anything about it. My goal, therefore, was to uncover exactly what had happened, why, and what it meant to those involved today.

Initially the film was to be a kind of “celebration” of my uncle’s life; something that would emphasize the more favorable qualities that I felt best represented the kind of person he was to me. Looking back on it now, I see the film as an excellent example of how dramatically our motivations and intentions can change from the time we first conceive of an idea for a film, to the end of its production.

The first task I gave myself was to discuss my idea with my family, and to gauge their level interest and support. Regardless of what I intended the film to be at the time, the reality was that the subject was still very painful for many in my family. I needed to know who would be willing to sit down and share their experiences in front of a camera, and who would not.

While the responses I got were varied, the majority of my family members approved of the idea, and most were willing to participate in its realization. Only one family member in particular, my Uncle Reider (Tom’s older step-brother), refused to assist.

This was an unexpected and significant disappointment. Because of the close relationship he had enjoyed with Tom, I was counting on his participation as both an interviewee and primary source. But despite my sincere efforts to convince him of the ‘good’ of the project, he refused to help.

When this happens early in a production, the first thought you have is, can I complete the film without their help? Since the pool of interviewees may be limited (as it often is), it is crucial that you secure as many as you can that have an intimate or first-hand knowledge of the subject matter. My uncle refusing to participate was, therefore, a major blow to my plans right out of the gate.

As has been discussed in previous blogs, your intuition plays a tremendous role in the filmmaking process. When challenges arise, it becomes one of the primary factors in helping you to determine which path to take. Despite my uncle’s refusal to help, my instincts told me that I would find a way to do the film without his assistance, even if that meant that I had to change the film’s intent.

Fortunately, my instincts were correct. I did finish the film without my uncle’s help and I am convinced that it is better because of it. Still, at the time, I was greatly concerned that I would not be able to find someone to replace my uncle and the content that he could provide. Little did I know that I would soon land an extremely important interview that would dramatically change the focus of the piece; or that, an unlikely family member would join the project and deliver the most compelling content of the entire film.

Next week we will discuss the role of serendipity in “a final peace”, and why I came to believe that it was my ‘destiny’ to tell the story of “Tom-Tom Stubbs”.