Thursday, June 25, 2009

The Back Lot

Come on help this guy out. He's got charisma.



This is fairly close to some of the same routes we'll be taking when we start fundraising. His budget is way lower than ours. His is $3,500. And I have every confidence he can make that happen. If the script and story is good and he keeps this kind of drive, he'll do it.

Check out this guy on indiegogo http://www.indiegogo.com/thebacklot

As for OUR current estimated budget for the feature, we're pretty much at $100,000. We MIGHT be able to pull it off for $73,000. I'm going through the script right now to see what we can cut or modify to get it back down to about 60 to 50,000. But that's later.

Right now I gotta make sure we're prepped for the reading Saturday, and I need to figure out just how many commercials we'll be shooting in the next few weeks. We probably won't get back to shooting Monster Cops til closer to August, but we will see. And I am still working on getting a new Vlog up for http://monstercops.com as well as getting the first segment done on HHM. I don't know how that project will go now that I'm hip deep in the feature.



It often helps just to put the titles together, see how you want your movie to start.

Music is from Lady In The Water by James Newton Howard.

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Sunday, June 21, 2009

Phantasm II

I love it when fate gives you all the signs you need to keep you going. All I can think about lately is THE MOVIE. The feature film I'm going to shoot next. I keep refining the story over and over, and nothing else can get done (raising money, full casting, concept art) until the script is finished completely. It's almost there, trust me.

But as with all things creative, you do hit those stumbling blocks. Thankfully I've got angels on my side, and they like to throw little bits of inspiration at me to keep me going. This time around it was a video uploaded to YouTube. A video of a trailer for a movie that I used to worship.



I love this trailer. The Phantasm movies were a HUGE influence on me. The first one was very dated, very 70's, and a whole lot of fun. Years later into the 80's Phantasm II would finally arrive. This one was whole lot more fun and a much bigger adventure. Gorey at times, of course, but with plenty of action, and dark humor. I mean you just can't beat Reggie "The Ice Cream Man" Bannister. For me, him and his QUADRUPLE BARREL Shotgun are right up there with Freddy and his Glove, or Ash and his Boomstick.

I really love how this trailer starts off, the text, the voice over, and the end scene is great. I really needed to see this entire trailer to help me understand where I'm going with this script. A few holes needed to be plugged and I think this really did it.

I'm going to watch it again, and get back to writing, so we can get to raising money, and we can get to shooting.

Special thanks to BRINGBACKTHEEIGHTIES for posting this. Please check out his channel on YOUTUBE for more great videos and trailers.

Saturday, June 20, 2009

Old Spice Infomercial

My second ad for Old Spice Ever Clear. I hope to get 2 more done and submitted. Enjoy.

Toy Story 3

So excited. Normally teasers for movies that you're excited about are disappointing, because they show you nothing. That's what they're supposed to do. Show you nothing and get you all excited about something. It's an announcement that it's on the way. But this one was pretty nifty. I love Pixar.

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Serenity Fight Scene

Here's the rehearsal fight featuring Bridget Riley, from the the movie SERENITY.




And here's the actual fight featured in the movie featuring Summer Glau.

Monday, June 15, 2009

Conan gets his ass kicked.

I thought this was nifty. Late night feels a bit better with Conan back. I love that he's on the Universal lot.


Saturday, June 13, 2009

Friday, June 12, 2009

When It's Cooking, It's Cooking.

So happy there are so many production opportunities coming up. At least ones that I feel. Assignments, contests, and video production jobs always come up, but I can't really seem to work on them unless I'm feeling it. This new Old Spice assignment over at Poptent totally hit me, and I had a ton of ideas. First off, they already have a great campaign, with ads featuring Bruce Campbell and Neil Patrick Harris, as well as having a solid comedic tone overall, I knew which way to take this project.

The ad I wrote was actually about 60 seconds long. I assumed when I got into post, I could work the magic and cut it down to the required 30 seconds. No such magic. Sometimes the editing just can't help the script. But I was able to cut together a different kind of commercial using the footage, and use the rest of the script (along with other ideas) to make a couple more ads. I really feel this assignment and hope it ends up paying well, but as always with any assignment or contest, it's about the fun first. If I didn't get an idea that I knew I would enjoy making, then the ideas wouldn't be worth doing. Plus it all adds on to the old portfolio, which will do nothing but help any shot at raising money for the feature film.

Here's the final ad entitled Residue Evil: Part 1 "Happenings". I wanted Brandon to play it like something was haunting him, in this case a generic deodorant the causes white clumps of residue.



This is titled Part 1 because I hope to have a Part 2 and 3 to this Residue Evil saga, basically paying homage to different genre's of Horror films. In this case this is very much a haunting. Wish we would have added in a few more supernatural type moments (Deodorant Floating, Deodorant spelling out DIE on a mirror), but overall I think it's alright. Getting good feedback so far, and in the end I just want to make you laugh, if not chuckle, while learning about the product, which I must say is pretty nifty.

Also got another video opportunity that I'm very excited about, because this one immediately gave me an idea that I'm very excited about doing. Definitely one I hope I can pull off the way I see it in my head. Again, so happy I'm getting assignments that I'm feeling creative wise.

Of course all this dealys Monster Cops for a few weeks, but it's cool. I need to let this episode sit for a while, the script I wrote for it wasn't sitting right with me, and this'll give me sometime to sort it out, as well as possibly get some new gear and guns, and get that giant monster up and ready for it.

Tomorrow, more work on HHM, the new project, work on details for Residue Evil part 2 and 3, work on the feature film. Somewhere in there there is working out and cleaning the house.

Thursday, June 11, 2009

80,000 dollars

I'm working out the budget for the next feature film I plan on shooting, and I've whittled it down to about 80 grand. Originally it was at 500,000. Then I cut it down to 350,000.

But due toe certain events in the past week, I was inspired and remembered a few old tricks that would allow me to cut the budget down even further. 80,000 is where I'm at now. Minimal cast (sorta), just enough crew. FX heavy, of course, but that's not a problem for me and some of the folks I know. Jesus, look at what we've done with no money.

So a full fledged effort is underway to raise the money, that started tonight. Looking good so far, in that no one has said no. Granted no one has said yes yet, but we'll work on that. It'll be easier once the script, budget, business plan, cast, crew, and website are all completed. It's Thursday June 11th, and I'm aiming to have the money and be in production by October, if not before the end of the year. A bit ambitious, yes, but this one's got a good vibe to it. If anything we'll be shooting by next spring. I hope to have the full script, budget, business plan, and website in 2 months.

This particular movie is completely separate from Monster Cops. Different feel (sorta), different style. Monster Cops is documentary style and I'm very much married to that particular feel for each episode/short/movie. I'm prepping a script and budget for a new Monster Cops feature film, but it is estimated at 500,000 to 350,000 dollars. Low budget yes, but still alot of money.

This new flick is more of a cinematic style, a full fledged feature film. Estimated at 80,000 dollars, still alot of money, but 80,000 seems alot more possible to raise then 500,000. We shall see. I don't like talking about scripts before they're completed, but I will say that this movie is like (allow me to reference some of my fav movies and tv shows) a combination of Arrested Development, Evil Dead, Weird Science, and The Shawshank Redemption.

Got started on the first Old Spice Commercial tonight. Most of the dialogue and inserts are done. Now we've got to get the monster ready, and then it's all about filling in the action shots. It's going to be alot to cram into a 30 second spot. I'm anxious to edit it all together. Matter of fact I'm loading footage now, and will edit the first bit of it tonight. I've got 2 more to complete, and possibly even a 4th and 5th.

Also did some work on my coveted HHM project. Haven't really told anyone about it. I'll have this particular video and website out for everyone to peruse well before Halloween, most likely in August, preferably in July. Can't wait to get the full project out for people to see.

Saturday, June 6, 2009

New Beatbox Vid

This guys got some skill.

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

MC VLog Zombie Day May 16th

The great Zombie shoot we had on May 16th and all it's gory glory. http://monstercops.com

Fighting

I hate how the weather sometimes puts me in this daze, like I don't want to do anything. MUST FIGHT IT!

I'm going to work out a bit to wake me up. Then eat something. Then we'll see how I feel. But TONIGHT I Must:

- Upload new vlog to Vimeo and Facebook.
- Update Monstercops.com accordingly.
- Make major headway on HHM.
- Work on MONSTER COPS MOVIE script.
- Work on Best Buy Ad.

Somehow, if I blog about it, it makes it more official and perhaps I'll actually get it all done.

Let's see how far I get. As usual, this will probably spill over into Thursday.

Sunday, May 31, 2009

Nesquik Happy Place

Conceived, Shot, Produced, and Performed by Chris Plouffe and Brandon White. Edited by Patrick A. Prejusa. This video is not in anyway actually associated with Nesquik.

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

The Day The Robots Woke Up

Great concept, animation, story. Overall very creative.



Sunday, May 24, 2009

The Hurt Locker

Now this is what I'm talking about!

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