I've seen the lights go out on Broadway

Part of putting together a puzzle. solving a riddle, or finding the solution to a problem is the waiting. The patience required to carefully put things together as to achieve the final picture. Waiting, patience, stopping to really look at the possible picture. It's an art form I still haven't fully gotten a hold of, mainly when it comes to editing.

Writing is a little easier. I've learned to write and then walk away. Stories may pour from your pen like butter, but there are those times where you reach that supposed block, and you need to leave it alone for a bit. When it comes to writing I've gotten use to it. But the visual aspect of editing is a little different. Especially when you've got your basic movie sitting on the timeline. You've basically got the whole thing right in front of you. You can watch the majority of it, its those little bits and pieces you haven't put in yet that form the blank spaces.

And those blank spaces are a pain in the ass. But a necessary pain. I edit fast. I can cut together what I need in an hour. So part of me really takes it hard when I reach a point where I have to stop and walk away for a bit. Just like writing, you have to reach a point where you put your tools down and let it sit for a while. It's the difference between telling a story and making crap.

I can almost guarantee you it's how alot of crap movies are made. The editors are urged to move fast to reach that screening date, and what was a swift process is now a rushed process. Swift is different from rushed. Swift means you're at a pace, productive, yet still effective, and still in control. Rushed means you lose control, you lose being effective and productive, and soon its just a race to throw things together.

We're trying to tell a story here. And you can't rush the story. A story is told not spit out. It's crap that comes out fast, and there's puh-lenty of fast crap out there. If you look to how the masters did it, they took their time. Moving swiftly only when it was needed. Taking each step that was necessary at their own pace, they would reach their destination just as quickly as those rushing to the same place, but with less energy spent on hustling and more energy spent on enjoying the walk.

Me? I'm just trying not to make crap.

MC Vlog Scene 28

I had alot of fun shooting at the stables. All the cops, all the zombies and everyone in between were a blast to work with. It was really one of those nights that was very productive and extremely fun at the same time. And here's a video blog to show you just how fun it all was. Thanks to all the zombies for getting bloody, and to Kelly Emerson for letting us shoot there.

Weapons Training

Here are pics and freezes from the MKX 300 Weapons Training scene.

First a few action figure poses.

Agent Windows.

Agent Weir.

The Vampire Keels.

The Vampire Keels again.

The MKX weapon prop, nights before. I had just purchased some led tap lights and had glued them on using welder glue (amazing glue). The gun itself is a mix of Simply Orange bottles, gray cable, bolts and washers, great stuff, red and white led lights, and an old video camera, all spray painted with black and silver.

The fully finished weapons prop. Although I realize now that it was missing a few lights that day.

Getting ready to shoot the MKX 300 scene. Aaron Plouffe is our test zombie.

Weapons Training Graphic.

Nigel.

Nigel introducing the MKX Weapon.

Windows about to demonstrate the weapon on a test zombie.

The test zombie.

After the zombie has been killed.

The Vampire Keels.

The Vampire Fangs.

Holding the vampire back

The vampire in restraints as Windows explains how to kill a vampire.

The MKX 300 lcd screen.

The Vampire Keels hit with an MK 9mm Silver and Garlic Bullet

The Vampire Keels hitting the bloody wall.

Always follow up your bullet hit. Weir with the wooden stake. Windows with the sunlight emitter.

Edgar Smirch

Edgar Smirch, Half Vampire, Killer for hire, and he's really got it in for Shadow Company. In a scene from this episode, Edgar Smirch was played beautifully by the great D.G. Holland. Here are a few pics from and freeze frames from that day, and as you can see we got pretty bloody. Thanks again to Chris for letting us abuse his office.

Respect Jon Favreau

Originally posted on Jon Favreau's Myspace blog. Much respect to Mr. Favreau. Always been a fan of his as an actor, now even more so as a director. He did a great job with Iron Man and with blog post shows that he is a smart director as well. I feel maybe Marvel Studios may be rushing things a bit, and Mr. Favreau is smart in saying something about it.

It’s been five weeks since the one and only phone call my reps have gotten from Marvel. I know their hands are full with the Hulk and I’m sure they will get into it shortly, as they tell me they intend to. I ran into the Marvel guys at the Hulk premiere and everyone sounded eager to get to work on IM2.

I am concerned, however, about the announced release date of April 2010. Neither Robert nor I were consulted about this and we are both concerned about how realistic the date is in light of the fact that we have no script, story or even writers hired yet. This genre of movie is best when it is done thoughtfully and with plenty of preparation. It might be better to follow the BB/DK, X/X2 three year release pattern than to scramble for a date. It is difficult because there are no Marvel 09 releases and they need product, but I also think we owe it to the fans to have a great version of IM2 and, at this point, we would have less time to make it than the first one.

I do think that sequels come out way to fast nowadays and I'm glad that directors like Chris Nolan, Bryan Singer, and Jon Favreau are bringing it back to how it was back in the day, when a sequel would take it's time to come out to ensure that it is indeed worth the time and money, when a sequel was worth the wait. Another facet in the discipline of creating a franchise. Too many studios make movie stoo quickly, and just look at the rash of crap that it's gotten us.