Pam
Jones
Writer, Director, Exec. Producer, Producer
At 50 years old, I just cashed in my entire
retirement plan of $15,000 to invest in equipment and make this movie
called Camille’s Magic. I didn’t make this decision because
I am expecting to make the money back, but because I have a few stories
to tell before I die and my 50th year seemed like the year I needed to
be about my story telling.
I’ve been a movie buff all my life
and going to the movies is by far my best form of entertainment. My general
philosophy of life is to see beauty and to search for beauty. This philosophy
has kept me from being a big movie critic. Now that I’m putting
together Camille’s Magic I respect anyone who has every put together
and finished a film. Finishing this film is my goal. Moving it into the
world in whatever forms come to me is my second goal.
3/11/04
Camille’s Magic began as Shandaya’s Magic Bag, a light story
written by Robert Wooldridge about a black lesbian. Juliet and I loved
the character and the restaurant was our favorite, so we asked Robert,
(aka Our Best Friend) to let me hijack the character and develop her.
That was eight years ago. The location was controllable for research,
the character had Caribbean roots like me, big city roots like Juliet
and I had spent enough time in the kitchen to understand the dramas that
occur there from day to day.
How many novice filmmakers does it take to figure out the operation
of the wireless mic?
5/5/04
Directing and producing this film is by far the hardest thing I've ever done. We've been fortunate enough to have really committed people interesting in challenging themselves with something new.
Although I am deeply committed to my volunteer jobs with the homeless and runaway youth of Colorado Springs and whatever others ask me to do, I am the only person who does not have a day job, therefore I am the only full time person on this film.
I am HMFIC of all the different departments
like set design, costume design, marketing, etc., etc. Every week I
have a couple of days where I'm so overwhelmed I think I just can't
do it, but then I remember I only have to take one step at a time and
that there are only so many steps in a day. I remember this is for the
learning and this is just for fun. Completion is now my only goal.
7/14/04
After 10 months of technical practice with camera, sound and lighting. We had our pre-production wrap party and begin production on 7/19/04.
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