Laura Sands

I just wanted to update a bit on the film festival. It has been pushed back because we need to find a new venue, but that’s okay. It will be done! This just gives us more time to get all the details together – to find the films, to plan the marketing, and to organize the program, the fair trade shop, and raise any funds necessary.

I am currently working with an anti-human trafficking organization to plan a benefit. We are going to screen short narrative films regarding such topics as sex trafficking, forced labor, and child slavery. The benefit will also include a fair trade store. More details to come soon! I’m so excited to be working on this, and with the date slated to be in early November, I will be throwing it together rather quickly! I do work best under pressure.

I bought the Canon Rebel T2i 550D just a week ago. It is very nice, but I honestly am a serious amateur at using a DSLR camera. When I took a photography class, I was in high school and it was a Pentax 35mm film camera. In college, studying film was literal. We didn’t have any sort of digital filmmaking classes available, though a lot of my peers shot on the Red or another expensive digital video camera. I learned on a little Arri and shot on a bigger Arri for my thesis. Using film. With a cinematographer to translate my verbal explanations of the shots I wanted into lens choices. I certainly know what I want and how to get it in the most basic sense, but right now that means changing my ISO and aperture around until I get the lighting and look that I picture in my head. Let’s just say I’ll be doing some reading to re-learn the basics of photography and then will be giving myself some time to learn the multiple settings available to me on my T2i.

And the next thing will be a nice study on lenses.

To be honest, the past few months have been a slight waste of time. Yes, getting my own apartment and a real job have been fantastic. I now have enough money to save up for my first video-capable DSLR camera, which I will be purchasing as soon as my mind shuts up from its freak-out about dishing out such a large amount of money (I am frugal). I did work on a TV pilot, which was fun and inspiring. It is truly a blessing to work with people who have more experience. And to get work at all! But it also taught me this one important factor: having a mentor is nothing compared to getting out and doing it on my own. I will never learn and improve if I work for others. The best way is to try and fail and try again. I spent a lot of money for film school – yes, I have a hefty amount of school loans – which gave me a strong background in visual storytelling. Though I didn’t go to a competitive film school, now that I’m out, all those people I worked with are my competition. Some are much more talented than me. Some are more strong-willed or aggressive. Some are rich and find things come to them easily. Some are simply awesome all around and just deserve it (the success). Some are still in LA, which is still debatably a good place to dip one’s movie-toes into. It is time for me to put my movie toes to good use, no matter that I’m in the Midwest where the art isn’t so appreciated; no matter that I like security and steadiness of a paycheck. I’m not going to quit my job and throw myself into non-work, of course. I’m going to take the next few months to use my new HDSLR to improve, tell short stories, take some nice pictures, build up a portfolio of still and video photography. Make this website have a point to it. Directing isn’t going to fall into my lap. I have to work toward it.

Welcome to the new Laura Sands – er, the old one refreshed and motivated.

Nearly a year ago I was raising money to direct my short film, Night Bloom, the story about a woman trafficked from Kazakhstan to the USA for forced prostitution. Once the film finished I submitted to several very large international film festivals, most of which had free entry fees and student sections. Unfortunately, Night Bloom has not made the cut for the ones who have gone through jury selections. I would love to submit to more film festivals – and just did enter Night Bloom into the Indianapolis Int’l Film Festival (using my own money) – but I won’t be able to get very far without some generous help. Even if you just donate $5-10, it could make a significant impact. Most film festivals’ entry fees start around $20 for early deadline or student fees, but can get up to around $30-45.

If you want to have a more personal part in the film festival submission process, feel free to search online for a film festival you like, is relevant to my film’s genre, status, and length (drama, student or low budget, short), and has a deadline coming up in the next few months. Then, ask me to allocate your donation toward that specific film festival and if I make enough from combined donations, I will submit to your choice! Just comment to this post or during your donation on ChipIn (you can use PayPal or a credit card.)

Your help would be very appreciated.