20 pounds of stuff in a 10 pound bag...

That is how it feels as I attempt to finish up the script for "Tales of the Road-Highway 61". There is SO MUCH along the highway that is interesting to me, and I've come to really like these little-known stories, so much so that I'm having trouble editing myself. My co-writer, Tim, has done great work in boiling down some pretty complicated stories, but I'm running into time constraints. The documentary has to be 56 minutes and 40 seconds to air on Twin Cities Public Television. That sounds like a lot of time, but when you are covering territory from Grand Portage in the far northern corner of Minnesota, all the way down to the Minnesota/Wisconsin border, it isn't enough. I'm going to create a special "Director's Cut DVD" to put in some of the extra stories I can't bear to leave out, which also gives me a lot of great material with which to edit into smaller "webisodes" for Internet viewing and downloading onto hand-held devices. (I really SHOULD get one of those! :) )

I'm finding it difficult to write a script in advance of shooting. My background is in TV news, which can be a fast paced, "shoot and run" kind of affair. When out on a story, I may have an idea of what I'd like my photographer to shoot when it comes to "b-roll", but the story tends to evolve in the field. For the purposes of this documentary that style won't necessarily work. Since I've already written the companion book to the documentary, I'm famiiar with each site, and know what kinds of things I want to have shot, but I also don't want to tie my photographer's hands. The plan is to offer a "roadmap" with the script, and allow them the flexibility to exercise some of their creativity. It is always a dance in the field, and one I'm excited to start!