-Are you shooting on DV or film?
-If film, 16mm or 35mm?
-If DV, what kind of camera are you using?
-Will the film be shot in B&W or color?

Outside of these questions, since this sounds very much like a DIY flick, it would be useful to watch some French New Wave flicks. Someone mentioned Godard before, but Truffaut and Agnes Varda are also helpful in making sophisticated films with minimal resources.

Since you mention that you are the director and cinematographer, as well as the star, it would be helpful to watch some of Woody Allen's early work to see how he does it. I know that someone mentioned _Deconstructing Harry_, but watching a film like _Bananas_ or _Manhattan_ would be helpful in seeing how he uses mise-en-scene and other filmic elements to tell the story.

Also, it would be good to know a little more about what your film is about. You did say that it is based on a series of short stories, so will your film be a series of vignettes, or are all the stories converged into one unified narrative? And is this a comedy or drama? I think that this question is important because the tone of your film will largely determine the camera angles, the pace of editing, and the lighting that you use.

I apologize if I reiterated what anyone said before, but I just wanted to ask these questions (and make some comments) so that I could get a better sense of what you're trying to do with this film.

BROTHER_DONTE
misterbrother@aol.com

"CHILDREN OF GOD?" by Muhibb Dyer

While we argue over religion,
children's arguments in the streets
result in untimely deaths.

While we fight over the Bible and the Qu'ran,
children are fighting for their lives,
in courtrooms where they face
hundreds of years.

While we debate over Allah and Jehovah,
children debate over whether to go to school
or sell dope.

How many souls will we lose,
while we concentrate on who's doctrine
is the most just?

When will we recognize that the devil's work
is being done to perfection
while we argue, fuss, fight
and ignore the responsibility
we have to our children

For this, we all will be held accountable,
and on that day,
the way we worshipped him
will be less significant.

From the 2003 12-month calendar "The Children are Crying."

For more information, e-mail thechildrenarecrying@hotmail.com

More on "The Children are Crying" calendar:
http://www.jsonline.com/news/Metro/jan03/110295.asp

More on the Milwaukee poetry scene:
http://www.jsonline.com/onwisconsin/music/jan03/109313.asp

Check out local hip-hop/spoken word act BLACK ELEPHANT at:
http://www.kairocom.com