Merry Christmas

Thanks to those who messaged me. I never really think that anyone reads this blog, so I didn't think about worrying some folks by posting about going to the ER.

All is well. Me and my wife were at the ER for her Grandfather. He was having heart trouble, but all is well now. He's back home, and doing alright.




Updated Blog post over at http://reddmovie.blogspot.com/.  Things are going as well as can be expected with REDD. Reached a first cut of the first 4 minutes. I'm going back and forth between amazed and dissatisfied.  We'll see where we're at when I finally get the full project up online.

Other than that, not much else going on. Need to make some movement on Monster Cops, but not sure when that will be. Right now my brain is really on just getting the REDD short finished and to it's full potential online, get the fundraising going on that as a feature, possibly on Kickstarter, and then get going on the first steps on raising money offline.

In order to do any of this I need to put together a package. Which consists of:

1) Video Example. Done, well almost. The short will serve as an example of what the feature will look and feel like.
2) Finished Screenplay. Can't have a movie without a script. Well, you can, it just wouldn't be prudent.
3) Cast and Crew. The more assets we have in place the better. Show that you've got your team in place ready to go. Is there anybody that's going to star in this that will help sell the movie?
4) Distribution. Prove this is going somewhere and has the potential to make money back.
5) Budget and Earnings. What do you need the money for? And how exactly do you plan on making it back? And how much?

So I'm getting a head start on the new year.

There are two projects I'm editing right now. One is REDD the other one is a video collage of pictures and video of my niece Brelyn and nephew Ezra.  It's always good to brush up on your editing skills by taking the time to make something for someone else.  It's of course not a professional project, but I try to treat it as so. Everything is practice.

One of the bits I'm excited about showing off is the concept of some of the weapons technology REDD uses. Especially the Trigun.  If you don't want to be spoiled before you see the short then don't watch this video.

It's very short and it's basically how the entire short ends. Well, so far.

 

Merry Christmas folks. And in case I don't get to tell ya, Happy New Year.

Sitting in the ER. Nothing serious, I think. Just one of those times in life when you take the time to sit in the ER.

Between Wake and Sleep

DREAMSCAPE (1984)

I had a nightmare last night. And as vivid and real as it felt, I couldn't tell you anything about it other than within the dream things were really upsetting and horrible.  So bad that it made me cry uncontrollably in the dream, which lead to me screaming "WHY?!" to God.

There was a point during my screaming where part of me realized I was dreaming. And since things were so terrible I decided to wake myself up by trying to get my "real" self to scream as well.

I could feel both sides. The nightmare side where I was screaming, and the reality side, where my physical face was trying to form words, trying to scream, trying to wake up.

When I finally did wake up, I did wake up moaning and my wife poking my back to get me to wake up.

The dread and fear from the dream was lingering still as I laid there finally awake. And all I've been thinking about since then is that space between the nightmare and reality.

I could feel it. I could feel myself in the dream trying to communicate to my physical self (this shit's gettin deep now.) And I remember thinking "I have to push through the ether."  Like I was aware that there was some kind of barrier between dreams and reality that I knew I could dig through. I knew that if I pushed hard enough in the dream, I could not only wake myself up, but do it by getting my waking self to mimic what my sleeping self was doing.

I immediately started to realize the parallels between this, and making movies.  The barrier between sleep and awake is not too dissimilar to the barrier between thought and creation, between what's on the page and the final cut of the movie, between an idea and a tangible product.

Where am I going with this? I have no fucking idea. Just another deep observation where I try to connect life lessons to filmmaking, again with subconscious subtext and references to universal perception and some shit like that.

Trying to communicate from your subconscious to your conscious is much like trying to take what's in your head and put it on film, or video rather.

Yes I'm running into obstacles with REDD. Can I get it out before December is over. Don't know. All I know is I'm missing a few more shots. Just a bit more work on it and I'll have a completed project. I'm so anxious to finish this, it does feel like my dream self is screaming at me from the other side of the reality wall.

And it;s not just about REDD. It's the overall goal, to make a living off making movies and videos. I've made money from it in the past, and I'm trying to find my way back to it again, but I have yet to make a sustainable living from it. This past year (past 4 years really) I've had a taste of it. Gotten checks for my video editing skills, been paid from video views, which has really convinced me that I should be able to really make this happen as something more long term.

And I will, but of course, since I am human dealing with other humans, we do let our anxieties and emotions clutter the path, make us feel rushed, force us to judge ourselves, which forces us away from our much needed logic and reason.

It's emotions that make up the ether in this reality. It's our fears and pathos that are a good percentage of our barriers that keep us from that final product. But it's also what fuels our creation. It's necessary, and instead of trying to force our way through it, we're better off understanding it, respecting it, and using it to our advantage.

Yes, that is correct, I have absolutely no idea what I am talking about.

Movies to watch after posting this:

DREAMSCAPE
NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 3: DREAM WARRIORS
THE MATRIX

EDIT: 1/8/10

Add INCEPTION to that list.

Conundrum

Hmmm. I've hit a small snag in my storyline.

Hmm. How to get around it.

The truth is, I want my short film REDD to go Viral.

Photo taken from http://marketingblog.net

What does that mean? It means I want to post the full short on Youtube and get a million views.

But Why? Because a high view count is precious to an emerging filmmaker. It'll be easier to raise the money I need if I can point to one of my video's and showcase it's popularity. Also because if I were to turn Redd into a feature, we'd have a head start on building buzz and building a following.

So how does that work? How does one make a video go viral. I've been seriously studying this for the past 3 years. I've tested the waters here and there with a few videos ever since I joined YouTube 5 years ago, but I've never made a full attempt til now.

There are several resources I can point to that pinpoint the best ways to make a viral video go, well, viral. There are very many points to consider, and no matter who you read or talk to, no matter the varying opinions on how it's done, the one caveat that I cross is this:

MAKE A GOOD VIDEO

Yes there are some videos out there with a million views that may not qualify as a good video. Those videos have a niche of some sort, and are, at the very least, entertaining. (Was that a total mis-use of commas? Hmmm.)

REDD is a short film, so I can't very well put my project in the same category as David After Dentist or Bed Intruder (Much love Antoine Dodson and the Gregory Brothers!)

I always look to videos like BATMAND: DEAD END, 405, The Hunt For Gollum, The Raven, and Street Fighter: Legacy.


The majority of those videos already have a niche. Fans of Street Fighter, Batman, or LOTR form a built in audience for any tributes or parodies. All they had to do was make a good video, and they are very good. Great execution.

With The Raven and 405 it's the impressive filmmaking and great payoff. I put mine more akin with those two movies. I don't know if the Red Riding Hood tale has the same fanbase as Batman, if it does, I'll be sure to put in all the necessary keywords and marketing for that niche, but realistically, this is an original story, where, once again it's about making a good video. Or as I just stated, it's about impressive filmmaking. However there is the new Red Riding Hood movie to consider, which I could use to build some steam for my own video.

However, I don't want to deceive anyone (too much), not like I did with my REAL WEREWOLF VIDEO. It's currently at over 180,000 views and although I do fess up to it being a fake in the description, and I have gotten some great positive comments, it's still working off the steam of the deception.




Besides my Real Werewolf vid, I've only had one other video I would consider a semi Viral success. That was my Paper Rose video. It was a tutorial on how to make a paper rose from a napkin. I posted it on Metacafe back in the days of their Producer Rewards Program (Rest In Peace). They paid for every 5,000 views. And since my video reached past 250,000, I did get a nice monthly check there for a while, and I got my first taste of how it feels to have a video go somewhat viral.


I'll follow the majority of rules and techniques I've learned. I'll be sure to market as usual on Twitter and Facebook. Tell all my friends and family. Email everyone on my contact list. Use proper tagging and keywords, of course. In the end it does come back to the filmmaking.

Is this going to be impressive enough to attract attention (views!)?

To be honest, right now, we don't quite have it, yet. YET.

April's performance as our title character has been impressive, I do love the footage we've got, but until I get the rest of the shots in, and most importantly, get the Werewolf footage knocked out, I really can't say for sure. If I can get it close to the way I see it in my head, then we'll be fine. I mean, so far so good, but is it a homerun? Not yet. But I am going to try.

As much as I would love a million views, realistically it may take a whole year, maybe even a few, but I'll settle for 100,000 views in a few months. If we get 10,000 views in a week, I'll be ok with that too.

Aside from working on views and our presence on the internet, I am going to submit to specific festivals and screenings. It is going to be very short, around 6 to 8 minutes, but there are venues for it. Perhaps that will help with the general buzz.

So what's the full plan?

Get as many views as possible on YouTube.
Submit to fests.
Really get it out there for everyone to see.
Put together the script, package, and budget for a feature length version.
Start up some crowd funding (Kickstarter or IndieGoGo, not sure which yet).
Pursue sponsors and investors.
Push to get the feature length REDD made early 2011.
Market and Distribute late 2011.
Make enough money to sustain and make another movie (Possibly Bobby's Closet).

Will it work? We shall see. But we're gonna make a run for it, that's for sure.

Check out the official site/blog for REDD

LIINKS AND TIPS FOR MAKING VIRAL VIDEOS:

- 7 Tips For Successful Viral Video Production And Distribution

- 10 Youtube URL Tricks You Should Know About

- 37 Essential Viral Video Tips, Posts and Sites

- What Makes a Video Go Viral?

- 10 Tips on making viral videos Strategies from successful examples

- Making Your Viral Video

- Making A Viral Video - Things To Consider!

- The Future of Hollywood… User Generated Films?

RIP Leslie Nielsen

My wife came running into the room to tell me the news. Leslie Nielsen had passed. After doing the intial Tweet and Facebook RIPS and how much I was sad to hear about this. I of course started on YouTube to find my fav videos of Police Squad.

I am very sad to hear of his passing, but right now, I'm in a terribly good mood, laughing my ass off watching these bits from Police Squad.

Not many know about Police Squad, the show lasted only 6 episodes, but later would hit the big screen in a little known series of movies called The Naked Gun.

This show was from the makers of Airplane, another great Leslie Nielsen comedy. The team of Jim Abrahams, Jerry Zucker, David Zucker, and Pat Proft would go on to produce some of my favorite comedies, but for me, it all started with Police Squad.

The Intro to each show was the same. Note the recurring joke about Rex Hamilton as Lincoln. And they always introduced and killed a special guest star. But since they die in the credits, they never actually appear in the show. I love how everyone is shooting a gun, including lincoln, and the announcer always introduced the episode title, but is the complete opposite of what's shown.

Special Guest star Lorne Green


My favorite one with William Shatner


And the end credits were always the best. Always a "fake" pause as a joke ensued and the credits rolled. Here's a video that features all of them. My favorite is the monkey at 2:28.


Of course, Leslie Nielsen delivered one of the greatest comedy lines of all time.


Leslie Nielsen was of course a brilliant comic actor, but he was in general a very good actor of all sorts. He played a great villain in Creepshow, as well as a great victim.


You made me laugh my ass off more than once and you will be greatly missed Mr. Nielsen.

Xmas music makes me think of home. I miss my family.

Getting a much needed massage.

Beware of spy cameras. Act normal.

Feeling Better About It

Had a great Thanksgiving Dinner, and now with better perspective I was able to get the cut a little closer to what I wanted. Still much more work to be done though.








Looks like rain tomorrow, so re-scheduling shoot for another day next week. Hopefully I can get much more footage then. It really is looking like this will be a complete short film in early December.

Special thanks to Marcellus for once again being in my corner and helping me out with some Visual Effects work. Thanks for the help bud!

Highly Dissatisfied

Finally got the majority of the footage I needed for the first 4 minutes of Redd. I'm editing it now.

I am highly dissatisfied.

But the great thing about editing, is you can fix almost anything.

Gonna let it sit, enjoy some Thanksgiving dinner, and get back to it later.

Green Lantern Trailer

My opinion. This looks like crap.





This is a fan made trailer that shows how epic it could have been, if only the filmmakers tried.

Thinking About A Werewolf

 One of the major components in what's going to make The short film REDD impressive is how the creatures look. Specifically the Giant Wolf Beasts. 

The creatures vary in the actual feature script. We'll see some zombies, vampires, demon like creatures, but since it's a spin on Red Riding Hood, then it's the Wolf Beasts that must be our heroine's "Stormtrooper."



I'd like to show that there are all manner of Wolf Beasts in this dark and evil forest, quadrupeds, bipeds, wolf-men, wolf-women, smaller wolf like creatures, and giant beasts of all kinds.  Right now, for the short, I can really only express one kind and I want it to be the biggest, and most menacing.

I've posted some of these pics before on my progress. Built the head out of cardboard, duct tape, and faux fur, and fashioned the giant claws out of giant monster gloves I bought on sale, and stuffed them with paper and cardboard.

Then I did some test shots with Brandon White so I could get a feel for how I needed to fashion the rest of the body.

And here are shots of Richard Gaither being goofy next to April Crum. I needed to get a live perspective on how tall the head would be next to April. It already towers over her without Richard being on the stilts.

It's just that pesky body and torso I need to get around. One thing's for sure, we'll have a complete Werewolf before December.

Really this post is just so I could lay out what I've got so far, and really look at what needs to be done.

Cookies by Douglas Adams

Cookies by Douglas Adams (author: "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy")

This actually did happen to a real person, and the real person was me. I had gone to catch a train. This was April 1976, in Cambridge, U.K. I was a bit early for the train. I'd gotten the time of the train wrong.

I went to get myself a newspaper to do the crossword, and a cup of coffee and a packet of cookies. I went and sat at a table.

I want you to picture the scene. It's very important that you get this very clear in your mind.

Here's the table, newspaper, cup of coffee, packet of cookies. There's a guy sitting opposite me, perfectly ordinary-looking guy wearing a business suit, carrying a briefcase.

It didn't look like he was going to do anything weird. What he did was this: he suddenly leaned across, picked up the packet of cookies, tore it open, took one out, and ate it.

Now this, I have to say, is the sort of thing the British are very bad at dealing with. There's nothing in our background, upbringing, or education that teaches you how to deal with someone who in broad daylight has just stolen your cookies.

You know what would happen if this had been South Central Los Angeles. There would have very quickly been gunfire, helicopters coming in, CNN, you know. . . But in the end, I did what any red-blooded Englishman would do: I ignored it. And I stared at the newspaper, took a sip of coffee, tried to do a clue in the newspaper, couldn't do anything, and thought, what am I going to do?

In the end I thought, nothing for it, I'll just have to go for it, and I tried very hard not to notice the fact that the packet was already mysteriously opened. I took out a cookie for myself. I thought, that settled him. But it hadn't because a moment or two later he did it again. He took another cookie.

Having not mentioned it the first time, it was somehow even harder to raise the subject the second time around. "Excuse me, I couldn't help but notice . . ." I mean, it doesn't really work.

We went through the whole packet like this. When I say the whole packet, I mean there were only about eight cookies, but it felt like a lifetime. He took one, I took one, he took one, I took one. Finally, when we got to the end, he stood up and walked away.

Well, we exchanged meaningful looks, then he walked away, and I breathed a sigh of relief and sat back. A moment or two later the train was coming in, so I tossed back the rest of my coffee, stood up, picked up the newspaper, and underneath the newspaper were my cookies.

The thing I like particularly about this story is the sensation that somewhere in England there has been wandering around for the last quarter-century a perfectly ordinary guy who's had the same exact story, only he doesn't have the punch line.

(Excerpted from "The Salmon of Doubt: Hitchhiking the Galaxy One Last Time" by Douglas Adams)

All The Right Moves

It's become apparent that a change needs to be made.  Not quite sure what, but something has to be rearranged or just completely eliminated. This must be done in order for me to move forward.

I've been taking the necessary steps to organize (as always) and optimize so I can continue to be productive, (could I possibly sound anymore like a tight ass?), but I know something drastic needs to be done to really jump start the momentum.

Of course I am getting over a cold, so I guess getting rid of my sore throat would probably be a good step forward.

Red October

So much going on, and it's October as well. Thankfully we've been able to take the time to enjoy the October/Halloween activities. Visited some Haunts, Pumpkin patches, enjoyed the Dixie Classic Fair.

Now we're heading into the final week of October. I'm wishing I was able to attend the Rally To Restore Sanity. Also wish I was able to go see my Rangers play live in the World Series. But I'll settle for the occasional Horror Movie night with my wife as I keep an eye on these great events.

And work as well. Never a time to stop working. Much going on. Working on that Documentary still, working on some reels, and I may be editing a feature film.  Also Monster Cops may have some potential distribution, so the pressure is on to get a few more episodes finished.

And of course there is my beloved REDD. Which I've worked into a feature script, if the money men decide that's the direction they would like to go in. The feedback I've been getting on the footage posted so far has been great. And it seems to be generating exactly the kind of interest I was hoping. If I can create the close to 8 minutes I see in my head, it will definitely be an exciting project to promote.

The feature version of REDD will be even better. But right now I need to be in kind of a zen mode as far as future projects. Expect anything, prepare for everything. There seem to be alot of promising things on the horizon, but I know how that can all change in a heart beat.

We're back to shooting REDD November 8th. Still got a Werewolf to finish for it, as well as the rest of the footage from the ensemble cast.

Ok, I need to shoot a wine commercial now.

World Series, Baby!

REDD Test Cut

First cut of some of the footage we've shot for REDD. Trying out some cuts, some color grading, and experimenting with the score. April Crum is our title character, our bad ass Red Riding Hood. Also features Richard Gaither, Amanda Elizabeth, and Ron Rice throws the knife. Nice shot Ron.



Canon T2i
Canon EFS 18-55mm Lens
Nikon 180mm Lens
Fotodiox Adapter
DIY Slider
Sony Vegas Pro 9
Pro Scores and Sony Acid

Much more footage to shoot. Finishing up April's stuff Monday. And as soon as we get the Werewolf finished we may have one more day with her. Still have the other leads and supporting cast to shoot, a Werewolf transformation, some Vampires, Zombies, and then some explosions to work out. This short should be done by December and will be about 8 minutes long. May do a 15 minute version for festivals, and I've worked out a script for a feature length version, if we somehow get the money for it.

The Redd Ghost

First official day of shooting on Redd with the star April Crum. Got behind schedule due to some issues with the sun going down entirely too fast, and me not being prepared for extra lighting while using new and more powerful lenses. But lessons learned, and we'll be back at it on Monday. I swear I'm so anxious to get these action shots of April in full costume. The photos below should show how bad ass she looks in full regalia.



If you're not aware, Redd is my short/mock trailer, about a post apocalyptic world and a village under attack by evil creatures and wild wolf beasts coming from the nearby dark forest. Our heroin appears to save the day and fight off the evil. My little spin on Little Red Riding Hood. A little more gothic, horror oriented, and definitely more action and adventure.

I'm hoping that this little 6 to 8 minute short/mock trailer will really display some cinematic power utilizing the Canon T2i and alot of our DIY Moviemaking resources.

Some of the props need touch up work, and I definitely need to repaint her giant gun at the end there. Oh yeah, and I should get the Werewolf costumes together shouldn't I.

I swear if I can get this done before December, that would be awesome.

Quick Reel 2010

Been working on a site for WTW Productions. Wanted to have some sort of demo available, so I threw this together. It will of course improve and lengthen the more footage we get in with the T2i. But a neat little start so far.

Adapt, Improvise

Made a few moves to try to get back on track. Sort of made my own canvas, if you will.  Point is, my comp is still out for a few weeks, but I've found a way to edit on my wife's laptop. So, not a screeching halt, more of a slow burn, but at least I can move forward.

Good thing too, because I was anxious to test out the test shots from Tuesday.  Here's a few of those shots in a very short, quick edit. Using Sony Vegas, here's my run at the "Sin City" Effect.  The entire short won't be like this, but parts of it will. Amanda Elizabeth is standing in for April Crum. April will be down next Wednesday for her shots.

Too Powerful

I'm sitting in this lounge chair, listening to John Mayer on VH1, drinking very cold coffee, as I write this.  I'm in a very somber mood. Maybe it's the coffee, but I'm sure John Mayer isn't helping.

Ok, I've changed the channel and Kevin Hart is doing stand up on Comedy Central. That's a little better.

Hmmm, nope. Still somber.

Well, my computer had died again.  Once more and I get a set of steak knives. Not really. Apparently I will get a new computer. So at this point it would be beneficial for me to have this thing die again in the two
weeks it'll take for Best Buy to fix it. So perhaps I'll have a new computer by mid November.

Ok, Kevin Hart just did a bit that totally cracked me up. It's about him watching a guy trying to lift weights at the gym.  Youtube it, it's hilarious.

Anyways, I am again on my wife's laptop.  I did test shots for Redd yesterday as well as started shooting a few scenes for it. But I can't do anything with the footage. The downside of having to share this Laptop with her is I have no editing on it, and it will not allow me to install any editing software.

So yeah, somber. Even if Kevin Hart is cracking me up.

As usual, there are lists of things for me to do. But I'm not motivated to do anything right now.  I need breakfast, there's laundry, I have to prepare for tonight as I am going to shoot some footage for the
documentary I'm working on.

Ok, in order to prevent me posting depressing, I'm going to eat some breakfast and I'll get back to this.

(Patrick has breakfast)


Alright, breakfast done. I now have hot coffee. Much better now. Still a bit of struggle to get some work done, but that's only because it's harder to do without my computer.

I have this idea that these complications are supposed to happen. I've got this really great camera now and no computer to work with.  I was gearing up, practicing, preparing, to make something really great, and if I had kept on with both a camera and a computer, then maybe I'd be making something amazing too soon.

Perhaps I'm not allowed to be too powerful.  If I had all the resources I needed, maybe that wouldn't be prudent for the planet, for surely I'd have world domination in my pocket within months. Maybe I'd be too powerful for my own good. Maybe I need to be stuck. Maybe I need to stay at one level.

Or maybe I'm a conducter without a symphony. A sculptor without clay. So what's an artist do without paint brushes.  Well, technically I have paint brushes and paint, just no canvas.  So what to do.

I can wait for a canvas, cuz maybe I'm supposed to. Or I can make my own canvas.

Leftovers

I've used the Canon T2i for a couple of commercials. The leftover footage has been a great opportunity to really try out HD quality in editing. Here are 3 videos featuring most of the footage that I did and did not use for the last few ads I shot. All shot on the Rebel in 720 / 60p, Post, Slow-Mo, and color grading in Sony Vegas Pro 9.

Basement Namaste

Features Sterling Bollinger. Music by Bond.

A Workout In The Park

Features Amanda Elizabeth. Music by Thomas Newman from Scent Of A Woman.

Slow Motion Light and Fog

Features Richard Gaither. Music by Brian Tyler and Klaus Badelt from Constantine.

Amazing 1 and 2

Fila spots I shot on the Canon Rebel T2i. Normal Kit Lens. Natural light. Post and minor grading in Sony Vegas Pro 9.  First one features Amanda Elizabeth and the second one features Sterling Bollinger.

Waiting For The Cool

Here's a freeze frame from the footage we shot at Midway Wicked Woods for their ad. Yes I had a blast playing with light and fog. Been wanting to do those shots for a while now. Richard Gaither is in the mask, my wife is holding the door, you can see her hand to the left of Richard.

As always in this roller coaster of life, there are some unexpected twists and turns. I'm working extensively on this documentary. Can't really give out the details just yet, but it's fairly in-depth and very compelling. What's more, it's not my baby, I'm simply lending my storytelling and documentary experience to the project and taking on much of the camera work and editing, but it is a project that I'm excited to be working.

I've been doing some ad work here and there. I recently finished the ad for Midway Wicked Woods, and I'm about to jump on a few other ads for Poptent. All this along with my computer being out for two weeks really pushed back my original plans. But I somewhat expected it.

I have no idea when the Monster Cops DVD will be ready. In all honesty it may not be until next year. So many scenes I was hoping to knock out, I just can't get around to because of all the other work I need to do. Now that I have my computer back, I'm inching my way through editing the scenes we have shot.

I won't lie. It's not all because of work. Alot of my time is being taken up by the new camera. Special thanks to Chris Plouffe and Richard Gaither, who helped in acquiring this camera. It's been a Godsend, and the footage it has produced has been amazing. You can see examples of it in the last two videos I posted, especially in the Midway Wicked Woods ad.

But I've been learning. Reading, researching, testing, shooting everything with that camera, not only learning the ins and out of the camera and shooting video on it (especially proper exposure, ISO, shutter settings, etc.), but also experimenting with different editing techniques in combination with different shots. Trying out slow-mo on 720/60. Understanding the proper renderings to maintain the highest quality when shooting in 1080 24p.

I was ready to bite the bullet and shoot a feature film with my 3CCD Panasonic, but now that I have the Canon T2i, the possibilities of shooting a feature the way I actually see it in my head is closer to becoming a reality. The Midway Wicked Woods Ad was a good example of that. A friend of mine saw the video and messaged me to tell me that I really needed to shoot a horror film.

So that's what I've been planning. Yes I'm still working on Monster Cops, yes I'm working on a Documentary, and yes I have client work to do, but my mind has been set on doing a feature for several years now, and now I'm more excited about it then ever.

If you've been following this blog for a while now, you know how badly I'm ready to display my feature film chops. You also know about all the scripts starting with Bobby's Closet, the feature I still plan on doing, when ever I can get together the $150,000 to do it. Then I went lower with Creep, my detective horror flick that was set around $20,000. Then when the investors fell through, and the resources changed, I went back to the idea of shooting something for no money at all and only using my 3CCD Panasonic. Which is when I came up with the Docu/Horror/Feature, Real Vampires. Which was set at total ZERO budget.

But now that I have the Canon T2i, things have changed. Real Vampires could be done on it, but I'm wanting to stray away from the "Found Footage/ Shaky Cam" style of shooting. I REALLY want to make something truly cinematic. So it's somewhat back to the drawing board. I do indeed have a plot, but I need to match it to my resources, and then try to get the budget as low as possible. The lower the budget, the easier it'll be to raise the money. Then I've just got to find the money. You know, that old chestnut.

The only other thing I'm plotting is my beloved short film REDD. We'll start shooting in October, but really I'm waiting for it to cool down tremendously. Finished up the props for the short, just gotta work on the Werewolf costume, and get everything scheduled. Everything else is just waiting on the weather.

I've already gotten messages from people who seem to be really impressed with the Midway Ad. I'm hoping REDD will do an even better job of showing what we can do, and what this camera can do.

Midway Wicked Woods 2010

2010 Ad for the Midway Wicked Woods Haunted Trail in Statesville, NC.

Shot on Canon T2i in 720 at 60. Post and grading in Sony Vegas Pro 9.

Spirit Halloween Store (Canon T2i)

First outing with the Canon T2i (550d). Spirit Halloween Store Winston Salem, NC.

Used the kit lens, 18-55mm. Shot in 1080 24p. Auto ISO.

Post and grading in Sony Vegas Pro 9.

The evil baby at the end cracks me up.

Your best is not good enough

Been quite busy, as the below micro blogs can attest to. Although there is quite a bit I didn't get to blog about. So much going on, and I am not complaining. I will say, I am enjoying the hell out of this new camera. Can't wait to really unleash it's power.

.LOG 9/2/2010 - 9/10/2010

THURSDAY
10:41 PM 9/2/2010
On the wife's laptop. My computer suffered yet another hardware crash. Can't wait to find out what the exact problem is. I'm scheduled to get it back September 18th. I just ordered the Canon Rebel T2i. That should arrive on September 14th. Until then I need to do my best to work on client's projects to the best of my ability without my desktop. I've got work to do for a new client starting next week. I can't edit any Monster Cops footage right now, but I do have props to work on, pages to write, and more scenes to finish shooting. Also I need to prep for REDD. Right now I'm looking into putting up a preliminary site for my new business venture.

FRIDAY
9:24 AM 9/3/2010
Just got up. Just did a lite workout. Now drinking cold green tea, while I make out my To Do List for the next few days. As usual, cleaning up around the house, cleaning and washing the cars, props, and trying to schedule shoot dates.

3:02 PM 9/3/2010
Taking a break from working on props. Doing laundry, getting groceries, and then back to props.

11:13 PM 9/3/2010
Made spaghetti for dinner. Cleaned the kitchen, scrubbed the stove. I spent most of the evening in the kitchen cleaning and I still have towels to fold. Tried to work on props for a bit, but I'm lacking some materials, mainly duct tape, felt, and some adhesive, also I'm a little tired. Drinking a protein shake, maybe I can get some energy back so I can concentrate on a few more tasks before I head to bed.

SATURDAY
10:25 AM 9/4/2010
Little late start to the day. Slept in for a bit. Making breakfast now.

12:47 PM 9/4/2010
Working on props. Scrounging the several boxes and containers for the right materials. Surely I have enough in here to finish something today. In a bit. I get to work on the Werewolf.

8:00 PM 9/4/2010
Almost done building the Vampire Killing Kit Prop. Lacks a few items in my opinion. Going to work out in an hour. Then try to catch up online before diving into the Werewolf costume.

SUNDAY
3:30 PM 9/5/2010
Babysat my nephew for a few hours, played cards, hangman, went outside and played catch as well as a game we like to call "Pass the Rock". That had me laughing quite hard. Now I'm catching up on emails. Later I may be able to work on the Werewolf. Right now, heading out with the wife, get some food, do some grocery shopping, and possibly pick up some more prop materials.

7:45 PM 9/5/2010
Had fun heading out with the wife. Groceries and what not. Now I am anxious to get to work on props as I hae duct tape to play with.

MONDAY
4:52 PM 9/6/2010
Finished up the Vampire Killing Kit. It could use a few more tweaks, but it's camera ready for the most part. Started work on the Basket for Redd. All it's lacking are a few more weapons and several hand guns. Built the frame for Redd's final weapon and I'm about to get into the Werewolf body. Right now I'm enjoying a bit of The Office marathon on TBS with the Wifey.

TUESDAY
7:00 AM 9/7/2010
Breakfast, then I have to head out for errands and meet up with a client for a couple of hours.

3:44 PM 9/7/2010
Had a great meeting with a client today. Ran some errands, had lunch at Hero House, got some groceries, and now I'm back on prop duty.

WEDNESDAY
1:03 AM 9/8/2010
Had a very tasty italian take out dinner with the wife from Mario's. Worked on props the rest of the night. Worked out, had a protein shake, while I watched some TV. Monique had Chubb Rock on. That totaly brought me back to High School. Letterman had Katie Holmes on, who I was rather surprised to see how she's totally grown to be so smokin hot. They showed a clip from a movie that she's starring in with Anna Paquin. I thought I was going to explode seeing those two in a scene together. But I digress. My arms feel like jello. I'm heading to bed. I'm expecting a package tomorrow.

11:06 AM 9/8/2010
Canon T2i has arrived.

5:36 PM 9/8/2010
More grocery shopping, laundry, client projects, and research, of course I have no time to play with the new cam. LOL. However in my research I found this bit of trivia:
After meeting the late Superman (1978) star Christopher Reeve at the 1979 Academy Awards, Wayne turned to Cary Grant and said, "This is our new man. He's taking over."
I think that's awesome. I've got a meatloaf in the oven and need to start on brussels sprouts soon.

THURSDAY
1:06 PM 9/9/2010
Built a DIY slider. Total cost $17 and change. So far it works very well. Just saw the trapped Chilean Miners are able to watch soccer. Glad they are not only surviving, but doing very well. My prayers to them, as well as anyone suffering from the Colorado fires and the freak storms in my beloved DFW, Texas. I'm pulling for everyone. Literally.

FRIDAY
2:31 AM 9/10/2010
Going to bed a little late tonight. Today was spent completing and modifying the DIY Slider, working on the REDD Gun Prop, and the usual, cleaning, and laundry. Went for a nice walk later in the evening with the wife. Tomorrow I'm back on test footage with the T2i, the Slider, as well as looking over client footage and finishing up some client's projects.

11:10 AM 9/10/2010
Got up round 9. Started working on client projects, looking for a decent embeded video player. Had brunch, now I'm doing that whole multi tasking thing.

6:36 PM 9/10/2010
Spent some time at the Spirit Halloween Store shooting with the T2i. It was major fun. I'll be returning every week.

Scrambling to figure out what I can do project wise, now that I am without a computer for a few weeks. Only so much I can do on my wife's laptop.

I am looking forward to finally getting a Canon T2i, hopefully the camera will arrive by the time I get my computer back.

Need to schedule some shoot dates for Monster Cops, work on props, and figure out what else I can do to be productive for now.

In line at geek squad. dropping off my newly dead comp. But its ok, cuz they're blasting blues music.

.LOG 8/24/10 - 8/28/10

The following are all micro blogs from Tuesday August 24th to Saturday August 28th. I was utilizing the .LOG hack on notepad. If you're not aware. Open up notepad type .LOG and then save it to your desktop. When you open it back up it'll update with your current time and date. This has become handy in just keeping up with little notes through out the day. I'll be doing this every so often, updating every 4 or 5 days.


8:41 AM 8/24/2010
Got up at 7:30. Just had a protein shake, now I'm trying to figure out what needs to be done today. I'm certain editing will be involved. Oh yeah, and I guess I should finish up this client's project.


9:30 AM 8/24/2010
Currently editing footage as I re-write the vampire Killing scene, while researching the best way to create this specific prop. Realized that the plot has changed slightly due to scenes I couldn't shoot at the office, so I'm renaming the Dead By Dawn episode to MONSTER COPS: Vampire Killer. Which I realize signifies some sort of closure for me as well as a sort of a rebirth. Vampire Killer was the name of my first feature film and it featured a young blond Vampire Killer named Kate Rand. This Monster Cops episode is now called Vampire Killer, and it also features Kate Rand, now being played by April Crum. This Monster Cops storyline concludes the previous storyline in that first feature, as well as resurrects that character into this world. I'm hoping to include Kate Rand in many more Monster Cops adventures.


2:52 PM 8/25/2010
Just had a meeting with a new client, hopefully I can get a bit more work in to pay the bills. Drinking a protein shake right now, then off I go to meet with a potential actor I can work with. Also got a call from another client today, apparently someone really important is impressed with my work. So, good day so far.


8:03 PM 8/25/2010
After the meeting with the actor, who is super neato by the way, I headed to the grocery store(s) as per my instructions from the wifey. After my excursion, a very cool, almost cold, breeze hit me. This was the first indication that FALL was around the corner. I got a little excited about it. Right now the cool weather means I can do exterior shots with much more comfort. We just got done with dinner, now I'm about to clean up a bit, fold some laundry, then tend to some issues concerning some clients, make some phone calls, emails, and get back to editing.


10:25 PM 8/25/2010
Finished a quick workout 30 minutes ago. Now I am going through edits, and taking care of updates on Monsters Vs. Cops IMDB page. Soon a shower, some dishes, and then sleep.


9:37 AM 8/26/2010
Up round 7:30 am. Quick breakfast and right into some editing. Working on some visual fx and cutting together segments. Gotta keep my eye on laundry at the same time. Also trying to coordinate some possible shoots at a couple of the local haunted houses.


10:40 AM 8/26/2010
Listening to Night Of The Living Podcast while editing video. I'm really getting a kick out of doing post visual fx work. I know I will have succeeded when no one notices that this scenes was composed in Photoshop and Sony Vegas Pro.


5:19 PM 8/26/2010
Round 1pm had to head out to run an errand. Met up with the Wifey and we had lunch. Then I went to check on the total price of a Canon T2i as I am hoping to acquire one soon. Went to the grocery store, got a call from a client as I was shopping. Apparently I need to work on a few videos before next week. Hopefully it'll turn out the way I need them too. Now I'm about to get started on some editing, and catching up on some emails.


6:16 PM 8/26/2010
Protein shake, trying to understand what types of SD CARDs are best for the T2i.


3:51 PM 8/27/2010
Got a late start to this Blog today. Been editing all day, and now we're coming up on that special combo of cleaning, editing, and doing laundry. Later tonight is Taco night. Wooo Hoo!


4:41 PM 8/27/2010
Folding laundry and about to attempt a new way to fold fitted sheets.


8:23 PM 8/27/2010
Taco dinner done. Back to editing. Currently editing the Chimera Talk scene in the conference room. It's really annoying the hell out of me. It's my camera movements. Obviously I had alot going on that day, because the camera work is all over the place. I'm barely getting the right shots. I need to get my shit together.


9:19 PM 8/27/2010
Was reminded today is the anniversary of Stevie Ray Vaughn's death.


9:29 PM 8/27/2010
About to come to a stopping point on editing. Next a workout, a protein shake, shower, then possibly more editing, as I listen to some Stevie Ray Vaughn.


1:28 AM 8/28/2010
Going to bed in a bit, but right now I'm doing some quick research on Forced Perspective.

Forced Perspective Research

Thinking through some possible FX scenes.

LOTR Forced Perspective



LOTR Forced Perspective Moving Camera



Forced Perspective Shots



Giant Robot FX Test



Movie Magic Episode 5 - Forced Perspective



The Keeper Of The Cardboard Key

20 Years Later

And he's still an influence on me. Stevie Ray Vaughn.

Swish Blog #1

Special thanks to Justin Johnson for the idea. Swish Blogging (Or Vlogging) is a unique way to Vlog quickly. Capturing snippets of your day and then tilting up or panning left or right at the end of each clip, this way your clips transitions neatly to the next. No explanation needed, and talking to the camera isn't necessary. Very much just a peek into your day, leaving the images to speak for themselves. Very short, and self explanatory. All transitions can be done in camera, taking it easier on the editing, getting you to the upload much faster.

I'm getting it done. Despite how my emotions may want to dictate me. The fact is I am getting it done. Maybe not as originally planned. But that's not how it's supposed to be now.

Ten Rules for Being Human

Ten Rules for Being Human

by Cherie Carter-Scott

1. You will receive a body. You may like it or hate it, but it's yours to keep for the entire period.
2. You will learn lessons. You are enrolled in a full-time informal school called, "life."
3. There are no mistakes, only lessons. Growth is a process of trial, error, and experimentation. The "failed" experiments are as much a part of the process as the experiments that ultimately "work."
4. Lessons are repeated until they are learned. A lesson will be presented to you in various forms until you have learned it. When you have learned it, you can go on to the next lesson.
5. Learning lessons does not end. There's no part of life that doesn't contain its lessons. If you're alive, that means there are still lessons to be learned.
6. "There" is no better a place than "here." When your "there" has become a "here", you will simply obtain another "there" that will again look better than "here."
7. Other people are merely mirrors of you. You cannot love or hate something about another person unless it reflects to you something you love or hate about yourself.
8. What you make of your life is up to you. You have all the tools and resources you need. What you do with them is up to you. The choice is yours.
9. Your answers lie within you. The answers to life's questions lie within you. All you need to do is look, listen, and trust.
10. You will forget all this.

The Mystery of Your Thirst

(excerpted from the revised and expanded edition of
Pronoia Is the Antidote for Paranoia by Rob Brezsny)

Imagine this scene. You're really thirsty -- so dehydrated that you're feeling faint. Yet here's the weird thing: You're walking along the bank of a wide river that's so clear you could see the bottom if you looked.

But you're not looking. In fact, you seem oblivious to the surging force of nature just a few yards away.

Is it invisible to you? Are you so preoccupied with your suffering that you're blind to the very source that would end your suffering?

Up ahead you see a man. As you approach, you realize he's holding a bottle of water. You run to him and beg him to let you drink. He readily agrees. Gratefully, you guzzle the precious liquid, then thank him profusely.

As you walk away, he calls after you, "By the way, there's a lot more water over there," and he points to the river.

Do you hear him? If you hear him, do you believe him? Or do you keep walking, hoping to find another person with another bottle somewhere up ahead?

Monster Cops Vlog: The Office Part 2

It's All In The Reflexes

I'm on the old Pork Chop Express. I don't fully know what that means, or why I'm making Big Trouble in Little China references. It's probably be because I am slightly delirious. I haven't slept yet.

Been up editing a video for a client. The great thing about being an independent working editor is also the worst thing. I don't have any set hours. You get the job done when you get the job done. And I'm not going to complain when there is a last minute job to do, especially when it's paying, and especially when it's a challenge.

"It's 5pm, I need this video done by the morning." You bet your ass I'm going to do it.

And I did it. Just emailed the uploaded video. Hope there aren't any problems that need my immediate attention as I will be out of it at least til 1pm, but probably noon.

Ok, so sleepy time now, then I get up and eat something, edit, prep pages for this weekend, and plan for the next. And see how all my ducks are lined up. Coming up part 2 of the office vlog, and another vlog where I beg for your support and money for Monster Cops.

Good morrow.

P.S.

Hot Tub Time Machine is the greatest movie EVER. It's exactly the kind of movie I've been dying to see.



sleep

Monster Cops Vlog: The Office Part 1

I really enjoyed this video.

Well That's Neat

I write like
Douglas Adams

I Write Like by Mémoires, Mac journal software. Analyze your writing!

No Budget Moviemaking From Script To Screen

Right now Real Vampires is on hold while I catch up on Monster Cops. I'm still planning out auditions and working out casting, but my main concentration is on these Monster Cops episodes. Real Vampires auditions will have to wait for a week.

Just finished re-writes on the episode titled CHIMERA. I'm editing the episode called DREAD as well as planning insert shots for that. And next week we'll get all the office shots for CHIMERA, as well as for DREAD, and DEAD BY DAWN. So yes it's looking like 3 more complete 20 minute episodes before Oct. This hopefully means a DVD with 5 episodes to complete series 1. But things happen when you self distribute, so we shall see.

I'm not even going to talk about the Werewolf Episode, titled BLOOD MOON, which I have yet to do re-writes on. This may have to wait for Series 2 DVD, as I am only halfway through the Werewolf Costume.

Right now I'm concentrating on Chimera. Now that the script is finished, it's been emailed to some of the cast, and now I have to send specific pages to the rest of the cast and the crew. What do you do once you have a complete script? What needs to be done to get it shot.

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION
First is figure out which scenes have the most cast members in it. Let's knock that out first. The office scenes have 4 to 6 characters talking at once, with many extras in the background. Time to find out if your location is available. Our office set is free next Wed, Thu, and Fri after 5pm. I may not need all those days, but it's best to plan for that anyways. Now it's time to contact everyone to see who is free on that schedule.

CAST AVAILABILITY
This is no budget moviemaking. You aren't paying anyone. So you are at the mercy of work schedules and personal problems. They show up because they want to and if they can. So plan for something to go wrong. Everyone I've contacted is free except for one actor. This person just so happened to have a lot of lines, but he has several scheduling conflicts, so that's a no go. Note: I'm not at all angry about it. Because I fully planned for this to happen, also I fully respect my actors and their own schedules. I've planned it so his lines would be easily transferable to another actor, so no major change in plot. So I call one of the other actors to let them know they have more lines.

Another problem. I have a scene between two actors but they aren't available on the same schedule. One is only free on Thursday, where the other one is only free on Wednesday and Friday. What do I do? Cut the scene. If there is an important plot point or message in that scene that is pivotal to the story, then those lines get transferred to another scene. No problem.

PROPS AND COSTUME
Now figure out what scenes you are shooting at that location. Highlight those specific pages. Start making notes on the side next to the start of each scene. The two main lists are PROPS and COSTUMES. Make a list for each scene what props are required, what costumes. Again we are no budget, so everyone brings their own costume. It's office attire mixed with police and military gear. So contact those who are in office attire let them know what to wear. Anyone in police or tactical gear, all they have to do is wear black or camo, I've got the majority of the tactical vests (yay Ebay). Since this is a multi departmental agency mixed with all military branches, For further authenticity I ask any local cops or soldiers I may know if they want to show up on set with their gear on. Many of them are more than happy to.

I've got majority of all props, but I send out an email with a list to see if anyone can fill in the blanks. Thankfully nothing is needed specifically for the storyline, just for the look, so if we don't get it, no biggie.

SHOT LIST
When I write I keep the shots in mind so I often times write in specific camera directions. Although I've shot at this location several times, prepare for anything and everything to go wrong. Maybe a room you were hoping was available is closed off. Or they painted the walls in the hall you wanted to use, and it's going to take a week for it to dry. I keep this in mind when I write out the shot list. At the start of each scene next to your props and costumes list, I right out the shot list. This is just the basic shots and angles I need to convey the action in the script.

Script Action:
"Close up of hand as it turns the door knob. The door swings open revealing the evil monster behind it."

Shot List:
- CU/LA Hand to knob. (That's Close Up / Low Angle Hand to Knob)
- XCU Knob turning. (Extreme Close Up)
- WS behind actor door opens (WS= Wide Shot)
- Rev Shot Reaction (Reverse Shot meaning shot of the actor from behind the door)
- MS Monster Growling (Medium Shot)

Mind you this is just an example. Monster Cops is shot documentary style so the shot descriptions are more complex than this. Also there are some abbreviations that I use that you may not learn in any film school. It's short hand to myself, because I'm pretty much the only person that reads the shot list.

I make a list of the basic shots (meaning the bare minimum of what I need in case I can't get what I really want), with side notes to any more creative shots that I might be able to actually get. Often times I don't have enough room for my entire shot list for each scene, so I write it out on a separate sheet and attach it to the script.

I have software that pretty much does all of the above, but I hardly ever use it. I'm so use to writing it all out myself. Also I do have call sheets, schedules, and all the traditional movie forms, but again, I hardly use them. With the exception of the releases.

SCHEDULE
Over a period of 3 days, starting at 6pm til 9:30pm, I need to get the shot list done. This is how you break it down. You're no longer following the script, you're relying on the shot list. Everyone should know their lines, everyone should have the proper costume, everything else is about getting the shots. So I double check that everyone will be there at about 6pm. And of course they are not. Some of them can't be there til 7:30 or 8pm. Not a problem. Figure out which scenes you can shoot with the actors that will be there at 6pm. Can't do it? Then figure out which shots you can get with the actors you'll have. Maybe you can knock out all of their Close Ups or Medium Shots. You can probably get their dialogue out of the way. Then when the other actors show up, you get their shots, then do the master shot, or wide shot, so we can see everyone in the same scenes.

So write out the times you need to get started, what scene or shots you can get at specific times. 6pm pages 4, 5, and 8, Close Ups of Martha, Jane, and Nathan. 7pm pages 7, 10, and 13 Medium Shots of Jones, Cutter, and Weir. And so on. Honestly, it never works. Why? Because people show up late. They drop their lines (especially me) and they get to laughing, alot. So your 6pm shots end up finishing at 7:30pm. And you have to push your schedule back. But it's fine, because it's good to prepare, because if you're not prepared you may be screwed. If everyone does show up on time and gets their lines right, and you're the one who's not on the ball, chaos will ensue. Chaos with a big group of people, in a location that you do not own. So keep your shit together.

This is everything I'm working on now. Soon I'll be contacting everyone to double check their schedule, and make changes to my lists and schedules as needed.

Other things you want to keep in mind when shooting your own scenes with several cast members.
- You can't afford to feed anyone, but a few snacks, candy, and definitely bottled water should be considered.
- Make sure there is a bathroom. This should be common sense. Also people need a place to change in and out of their costumes.
- Bring your own trashcan and trash bags. We are borrowing somebodies office. It's best to leave it the way you found it, which means keep and take out your own trash. This is true especially if you have a very large group of people in your cast and crew.

Here's my on set checklist. What I need to remember for every shoot:
Alot of this is common sense, but when you're juggling so much, you'd be surprised what you forget when you're in a rush. Making lists saves my life on a daily basis.
- Camera
- Batteries
- Plug Adapter / Extension Cords
- Tripod
- Lights
- Digital Audio Recorder
- Lav Mic
- Extra Batteries for both
- Tape Stock or Memory Cards
- Script / Shot List
- Energy Bar / Water (Gotta keep your energy up / stay hyrdated, think like you're running a marathon)
- Prop Box
- Costume Box
- Releases (Photo Release/Group Release) Anyone you're shooting must sign. It must be clear that 1) They are doing this for credit only, no money. 2) They give you permission to use their likeness and voice in anyway you see fit, thereby giving you the freedom to create what you need to. Also this helps tremendously when you're typing out the end credits.

This is all about organization and communication. Whatever your method is, whether you stick to traditional forms used in studio filmmaking, or you have your own techniques, in the end it's all about organization and communication. Make whatever lists you need to help keep you in order, and be sure you're in contact with your cast and crew, let them know what they need to know. Get them times, dates, directions to the location, details on make up and costume, and of course their script pages.

Do whatever it takes to help keep your shit together.

LINKS
Monster Cops The Series http://monstercops.com
Patrick's Blog http://patrickprejusa.com