WHAT: Being swamped is having so much going on at one time that you have very little time for sleep, and even when you sleep, you're still thinking about all the stuff you have to do.WHY: We start shooting HEAD IN THE SAND on Friday, and production has ramped up in the last week and a half. Add with that the remain projects and assignments due for my final courses, and you begin to see why I'm writing about being swamped.Even so, in film production, the "pre-production" seems to be the most stressful: it's the time when there are so many variables and unknowns. Once shooting starts, it's simply a matter of controlling the chaos. Prior to that, it's a matter of staying afloat until the first frame is shot and the film crew take on a life of their own.As soon as events even out - hopefully mid-next week - I will return with new Conversation Starters. In the meantime, please browse the archives for gems that you may have missed./sms