UFO

Just saw this online. I love this stuff and I'm pretty good at spotting fakes having attempted much of the same effects. But Jesus Christ. This one's pretty damn good.



The motion blur, the motion tracking, the sound. Really it's that motion tracking that I find impressive. When the camera moves it's completely natural. Something I only got right at the tail end of my "glowing orb" video here.



Working on this type of stuff on no budget, is really kicking me in the ass. But fun.

Contest Round Up #453

What better way to hone your skills than submitting to a contest. get some practice in while giving yourself a chance to win cash and prizes. Some of these are kinda cutting it close on the deadline, as usual. I've put them in order of deadline, as usual. If you know of anymore then by all means comment and let us know.


Ourstage (of course)
Deadline: On going
http://www.ourstage.com/go/video?gclid=CIHF35nw540CFSgRGgodYHnf0Q


Psoriasis Cure Now Video Contest
Early Bird Deadline: 8/15/07
http://www.psoriasis-cure-now.org/contest/


Best Buy Youtube Tech-U-out Contest
8/18/07
http://www.youtube.com/contest/TechUOut

IFC's Assassins Creed Short Film Contest
Deadline: 8/20/07
http://medialab.ifc.com/content.jsp?pg=assassin_s_creed.html


Jumpcut and Butterfinger's “Battle of the Balls” Video Contest
Deadline 8/21/07
http://www.jumpcut.com/groups/detail?g_id=30A18AA624F511DC8AB3000423CF385C&fudd=


Project 86 Make Your Own Video Contest!
Deadline: 8/24/07
http://www.youtube.com/group/project86contest


Mobile Video Rockstar
Deadline: 8/31/07
http://www.namethatmusicvideo.com/?pg=contest


SuperMediaStore Video Contest
Deadline: 9/14/07
http://www.youtube.com/group/SuperMediaStore


XLNT ADS PARTICIPATING BRANDS CONTEST
Deadline: 9/15/07
This is actually about 8 different contests. Go to their site and click on anyone of the "participating brands" to the left.
http://www.xlntads.com/


FairVote Democracy Video Contest
Deadline: 9/28/07
http://www.fairvote.org/upgradedemocracy/enter.php


10 Day Take 2
Deadline: 10/4/07
http://www.ziddio.com/contest.zd?dispatch=landing&contest=25


Psoriasis Cure Now Video Contest
Regular Deadline: 10/10/07
http://www.psoriasis-cure-now.org/contest/


Videomaker Short Video Contest
Deadline: 10/31/07
http://www.videomaker.com/blog/2007/07/318-videomaker-short-video-contest-is-under-way


I'll repost as I find out about them. Always got my ear to the ground.

Reanimator on DVD

Doing more review videos on Expotv.com

Here's one I did for the Reanimator DVD. I think I'll be sticking with horror and cult DVD's for a while. Gives me an excuse to edit something since I love to edit so.



I love these freeze frames they choose to use. I look constipated in all of them.

Monster Squad DVD

I'm really getting a kick out of doing reviews on Expotv.com

Here's one for the Monster Squad DVD.

Minneapolis

I've been out all day and just found out a little while ago. Minneapolis my thoughts and prayers are with you.

I am truely dumbfounded by this.

Thank You

Thank you to everyone that texted and voted. We did not win the grand prize, but more importantly we helped spread the word about our little indie movie. Thanks to everyone who showed there support for the flick. It means alot to me. I'm very happy to have found so many people that support this project. I appreciate all of you.

Feel free to continue to tell people about our movie. Visit our official site at
MONSTERCOPS.COM

You can get the DVD as well as download the movie for rent or to own at
AMAZON.COM

You can even find out more about hosting your own screening at
BRAVE NEW THEATERS

Thank you so much for helping us in our quest to make movies independently and raise money for cancer charities.

- Patrick

WE MADE NUMBER 1 !!!!

So thank you to everyone who received that last email and voted in. Apparently it worked because WE MADE #1 IN THE TRAILERS CATEGORY. Now for the next 24 hours the TEXT VOTING begins and the text votes will decide what category wins. In this case we're hoping the trailers category wins. If we win that's $5,000.00 for our indie making efforts.

See the full list of number ones in video here: http://www.ourstage.com/judge?genre=video

So don't stop now. Help us out and text: trailer01 to 78243

Again text trailer01 to 78243.

Fair warning, it's 50 cents per text, so if ya aint got it, I won't be mad at ya. But if you can, then by all means please do so, and tell everyone you know who might care to do so.

Again thank you all for helping out and showing support. Let's see if we can win this thing. THANK YOU!

- Patrick

HELP US WIN!!!!

HELP US WIN!!!!

Watch this video to find out how.



or just read below

OURSTAGE.com is an online contest for music and videos where people watch or listen to music or videos and then select which one is "best". The trailer for Monster Cops: The Midnight Special is in 4th place. We could very well win $5,000.00 and much needed exposure for our movie, if we can make it to #1, but we need people to vote. Help us out!

Click here: ourstage.com/judge?channel=27-trailers

Please help us out and tell everyone you know who might be so inclined to vote.

Voting ends August 1st. The number 1 video will be chosen in each category (ours is in TRAILERS, of course)

That's when people can text in their votes to choose which category will win.

We need all the help we can get.

Please pass this on. :D

Breast Cancer Hospitalization Bill - Important legislation for all women.

There's a bill called the Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act which will require insurance companies to cover a mini mum 48-hour hospital stay for patients undergoing a mastectomy. It's about eliminating the 'drive-through mastectomy' where women are forced to go home just a few hours after surgery, against the wishes of their doctor, still groggy from anesthesia and sometimes with drainage tubes still
attached. Lifetime Television has put this bill on their web page with a petition drive to show your support. Last year over half the House signed on.

PLEASE!! Sign the petition by clicking on the web site below. You need not give more than your name and zip code number. Opens in a new window.

http://www.lifetimetv.com/health/breast_mastectomy_pledge.html

This takes about 2 seconds. PLEASE PASS THIS ON to your friends and family, and on behalf of all women, THANKS.

Thanks to Sara for bringing this to my attention.

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT WHAT LIFTIME IS DOING TO STOP BREAST CANCER

To The Bone

and that's how I'm playin it.

Been working, both at the day job as well as on the indie movie front. Right now deciding exactly what needs to be worked on next. Working on the feature script, the one I hope to shoot soon. But still seeing how I can workout doing a Monster Cops episode. Many factors are involved, not making any of this easy. But hey, these are the problems I like having. And for further annoyance I keep getting emails from distributors I have already told no to, several times. And their deals don't get any better either. The more they persist, the more I feel going full DIY is the right direction.

Still marketing Monster Cops: TMS. Still trying to get the word out about the DVD. But I get the feeling we'll have more of a response towards Ocotber. I am so very anxious to produce something else. That feeling of really wanting to show what I can do, is really getting to me. I just can't wait to have the budget to unleash my full potential, or even my half potential.

Today Monster Squad hits DVD and I will be getting my copy. And I just found out that The Dark Knight teaser will be on The Simpsons movie, so double excitement. Also the Walking With Dinosaurs Live Show is headed this way, even more excitement. Jeez, Monsters, Batman, Simpsons, and Dinoaurs. Jesus I am a nerd.

Don't Stop Believin

Today was one of those days where you remember something that you never really forgot in the first place. The movie never ends. ;)

Our Stage

If you haven't been over to OURSTAGE, feel free to check it out and see what all the hubbub is about. The trailer for MONSTER COPS: THE MIDNIGHT SPECIAL is in the contest loop and you can vote for us to help us win some much needed exposure as well cash. Go there and find out how.

Monster Cops is one of their featured trailers in their recent online video. Check it out here:
http://ejblog.ourstage.com/2007/07/10/the-daily-spam-w-julie-pham-new-channels/

Thanks to Julie Pham for getting us more exposure.

To Reach The Future You Have To Let Go Of The Past

Lord knows I've done that, and such advice has been helpful, but now I find myself coming round full circle. It's the past that has reinspired me. In working on preproduction for this current feature I find myself stuck. Not exactly writer's block, just having the basic essence of the idea of the movie slip away a bit, usually due to, ya know, life.

But I find myself going through old VHS tapes I forgot I had. One of them a tape from my very very first feature, VAMPIRE KILLER, aka Dark Angel: Vampire Killer. It actually had a few other titles but I won't go into that. This tape had rehearsal footage, screen tests, and test shots. What really got me excited was watching how some of us including myself were so into rehearsing. Specifically me and two other people, Billy and the star of the movie Bree, were working on the choreography of a fight scene that never actually made into the final film.

So inspired at the time, so passionate, it all came rushing back to me. The way some of us worked, how dedicated and just how frickin into it we were. Running test shots while going over kicks and punches. Billy really had some solid acrobatic skill which really paid off in some of these fight scenes and Bree being a dancer really added alot of flow to the fight. And I was coming up with some great stuff including this gag with a broken tennis racket that I'm definitely going to put into this current movie. The feedback I was getting from the two fighters was just great, it seemed to all come together, and all of this occuring on my parents front yard about 13 years ago. Perhaps one of these days I'll put the damned movie on DVD with special features and behind the scenes stuff.

It got me going through other tapes of projects I had done. Old shorts, videos and projects I had edited, really seeing how I've evolved as a moviemaker and how my passion for it all has never really gone away. It got me out of the rut I find myself in now with this current movie. I have certainly let go of the past to reach for my future, but in reflecting on the past I find myself steps closer to the future.

So far things are going as planned for this project. All snags and difficulties that I was expecting are occuring, but since I was expecting them, no biggie. This whole moviemaking journey is a heck of a trip.

Jackson and Wright, So Long Alamo Drafthouse

Indiana Jones 4 not "cheating" with CG

Frank Marshall talks about Indy 4.

Marshall and Spielberg wanted to shoot the fourth "Indiana Jones" movie in the same style as the first three.

"Steven is very aware of the process and we're not cheating with CG (computer graphics) at all," Marshall said. "It keeps the B movie feel."

Read the entire article from the New Haven Register

To The Back Wall Of The Theater

You have to be able to take yourself to that other place.


D.A.R.Y.L. Trailer


The Last Starfighter (fanmade trailer)


The Monster Squad Trailer


Real Genius Trailer


Fright Night Trailer


Fright Night 2 Trailer


Die Hard Trailer


Die Hard With A Vengeance (Beethoven Trailer)

Keep Moving Forward

You have to be able to take yourself to that other place.

I'm working on a screenplay, my next movie. And I don't really like talking about writing other than posting in blogs and such. Of the random people at work who somehow pass by me and ask me what I'm working on, I just switch the screen to a free cell game and say "nothing." Many of them assume I'm still in school and I'm working on a paper. The others that know me as a filmmaker know not to bother me, but just can't help coming up behind me and staring at the screen, which I hate. I switch back to that free cell game and wait for them to leave, they apologize and then leave me alone.

It's a very basic pharse, "I'm writing a screenplay." It's akin to those other phrases that get tossed around alot everywhere especially in close company and in blogs. "I'm working on that novel" "I'm writing a song" "I'm writing a screenplay" The fact is I am working on a screenplay, but so much more than that. I'm making another movie.

And I haven't talked much about it to anyone. That's because I'm a believer in the birthday wish syndrome. Like a birthday wish made when the candles are blown out, if you tell someone about it, it will not come true. So although I will, coming soon, communicate more thoroughly about this current project to garner more support from the general public, I will not reveal exactly what the plot is until everything is in it's place. Some of the things that I am working towards in this preproduction phase is location scouting, pre-vis storyboarding, conceptual artwork, the score, casting, marketing and distribution agenda, and of course the screenplay.

So bare with me as I type this out, this mainly for my own edification and to better help me sort it all out, not that I don't already have all this written down in a billion other applications. As with most blogs o' mine, this is me talking to me.

LOCATION SCOUTING
Shooting will be here in North Carolina, because that's where I'm at right now. I have still yet to find out the specific filming laws here but I don't forsee what I want to do a problem since more and more indie films are being shot here. Also if permits are required I've already budgeted that in. Most permits and paper work usually max out around 2 to 3 grand and such, so not a problem if I'm ready for it. I am looking for warehouse space for base of operations, and something I can turn into a studio so I can anticipate having to build sets. I'd really like to avoid using the School Of The Arts backlot here for reasons passing understanding. I anticipate weird weather, and it will be handy to have a studio to fall back on if I need to, plus I'm already planning for alot of indoor shooting and prebuilt exteriors. Already been taking many many photos for the sotryboarding process as well as locations I would like to use.

PRE-VIS STORYBOARDS
Like regular storyboards but somewhat animated on video with added soundeffects, utilizing digital photos and drawings. Something to really bring to life those shots I want. The key here is to show the movie before it's actually made to get everyone on the same page.

CONCEPTUAL ART WORK
Again necessary for the Pre-Vis, but also important for to describe in detail the particualr type of technology being used in the storyline. Already looking at using KRE8 Effects (http://www.kre8-fx.com/) they've been doing work on the upcoming TRENCHES. They're work looks akin to what I'm trying to accomplish, some really great work.

THE SCORE
As always I'm doing the score. Already got some key elements of the score produced, but the rest will have to be done with an orchestra, or at least with a very good set of keyboards with orcehstrated sampling, preferably a yamaha psr-3000. The music software I use right now is Fruity Loops and it does a tremendous job, especially with everything I've been learning over the past year, it does sooooo much, but it's still a pain for me to compose using a point and click mouse, I need keys.

CASTING
It's always good to have your cast in mind, even if you can't afford Tom Hanks, if it helps you finish the script then go on and imagine Tom Hanks in the role. But thankfully the kind of celebs I have in mind are more than in my price range and are only popular among those familiar with the sci-fi/horror genre. Already got my list going, got some very familiar faces on it, and I have everyone's contact info and agent info. Only need 4 key roles to fill.

MARKETING AND DISTRIBUTION AGENDA
This is just the basic rundown of how the entire production will go down, and what happens after the final cut. How it will be seen, where it will be seen, how the theatrical release may go and how the DVD release will go. Spells everything out to a T and explains how money will be made back and how much of it will go to charity.

And now we are back on to the ...

SCREENPLAY
The great thing about writing a screenplay you're going to shoot is that you don't have to adhere so closely to the the screenplay format. Although in honesty, I've forgone most of those rules a long time ago, due to the fact that most of those format rules are hardly obeyed by anyone anymore, just the basics. Scene Headings left, Action left to right, Character and dialogue center, put page numbers top right of page. Other than that I'm just trying to be clear and concise without being too uptight, I mean come on, as long as you and your crew understand what's going on, no need to put CUT TO before every scene heading.

But as far as the plot and the creative aspects are concerned, in making this movie, or any movie for that matter, you've really got to take yourself to that other place. That place where noone exists but you and the story. If you don't feel it then you're audience will not feel it. You have to engulf yourself in the very essence of what it is you're trying to achieve and then write from that place. These are the rules for how I write and may not necessarily be good for everyone else.

1. Get comfortable. Change your shoes, your shirt, get a comfortable chair, whatever it takes. I can't write in the heat. Gotta be a comfortable temprature for me to concentrate. I need the right music, or at the very least the right SILENCE. And there has to be pleasant scents in the room or no scent at all. There's this guy at work who likes to smoke clove cigarettes by the exit door nearest me. It seeps in and kills my senses. I told him to stop. He thinks I'm an asshole now, I don't care, because if he doesn't stop then the script stops and my movie stops. UNACCEPTABLE. If people have to think your an asshole for you to finish your work, then let them think your an asshole. Plus, who the hell smokes cloves anyways.

2. If you get blocked don't fight it. IF YOU GET BLOCKED DON'T FIGHT IT. If for some reason you can't get your self to write anything down and you just go blank, let it happen, go do something else, go for a jog, eat some fruit, get into a fist fight. Get oxygen (not the network), get the adrenaline flowing a little, eat something smell something hear something you're not familiar with. Do something else other than sit there and get frustrated and angry over how you can't write anything. If you fight it you will lose and then you'll end up feeling like shit and then you'll just give up and never finish.

3. If you're writing crap, just keep writing. The best advice I ever got was from William Froug from my favortie book on screenwriting ever. If you have a problem with what you're writing then write it out. If you think you're headed in the wrong direction or if you think you're writing utter shite, just keep writing. Nine times outta ten you're very being knows what you want more than you do, so just keep writing and you may find that it's leading you to where you didn't realize where you wanted to be. And even if you don't like where it ends up at least you got the crap out of the way and can now start fresh. Just get it all out on the page. This is part of the reason I have to handwrite my treatment first before I even touch the keys.

I'll talk more about this project later, but right now I've got 40 more pages of rewrites before I start putting together the rest of the package.

An interview with ... well ... me

Here's a small excerpt from my interview. Click the link below to read it in it's entirety.

"The Office" Meets Zombies, Werewolves and Vampires
An Interview with Patrick Prejusa, Director of "The Midnight Special"
By Kelly Keltner

"Hollywood is crap. I could make a better film than they could."
A lot of people are guilty of saying this exact line, but just how many people actually attempt it?

Not many. It's usually those that have a love of film and respect the medium that go on to make successful films. The ones who grow up loving both the good films and the "bad." A guy like Patrick Prejusa.

When I first "met" Patrick online a few years back, he was still working on his film, "The Midnight Special." Day after day he juggled filming his masterpiece with a real life job, his marriage and life's own nasty setbacks. Today, however, he finally has something to show for it all: a finished film.


Read the whole interview here.

When did noah build the ark ...

BEFORE the flood.

I've heard everyone say it. People I've worked with, people I've worked for, everyone has said in one way or another, "I'm tired of working for other people."

I think the main goal with most people I've heard say that, and definitely the main goal for me is to be in charge of yourself. To live your own life. Or as I've just read in this blog post by Tina Parcell I’m getting tired of placing my welfare in the hands of others.

I've felt that statement from a number of people for a very long time, especially from myself. I'm glad to post that I am (and have been) taking the steps towards not only making my dreams come true, and reaching my goals, but also putting my own welfare in my own hands. I'm excited to do so, and am confident that I'll be getting there very soon.

But like everything it all starts with change.

Quo Vadimas

Well first off, special thanks to Dametria who was nice enough to nominate our movie on THE MOVIES MADE ME DO IT. Go HERE, register, sign in, and vote us UP!

We've also got a screening coming up in Charlottesville, VA, at The Gravity Lounge. CLICK HERE for more info.

I'm having problems updating monstercops.com, so I'm unable to update the screening page. Still says we've got that screening up at Balticon in May. Would've loved to have been there. Actually I'd love to have been at any of the screenings, but it's the penalty you pay for being a broke ass, no-budget moviemaker. It kills me, because in my opinion that's the best part, really getting to see that live audience react to your movie. See them laugh at the right parts, or even at the wrong parts. Get the real feeling of what you've laid out for the audience. One of these days. Heck I may catch the Dallas screening in September, that's looking like more of a possibility. Would be nice to see home for a bit as well.

I'm just glad the movie has been able to be on the big screen in different cities thanks to cooperative scifi conventions, indie screening events like The Lone Star Film Society in Fort Worth, Texas. Thanks to fests that love our movie like The Spooky Movie Film Fest in Virginia who has been able to give us exposure at other screenings as well, and thanks also to Brave New Theatres helping revolutionize how movies are distributed to the audience.

The movie is on DVD thanks to the wonderful service provided by CUSTOMFLIX. They have been an indies dream come true helping us sell the DVD through our own shop as well as on AMAZON.COM. They helped get us into the IMDB.COM. We've sold quite a few copies already and I have yet to REALLY market the movie.

Juli's doing so well. It's been close to 8 months since Brenda died and I'm happy to say the sadness has lessened. It hasn't gone away, don't think it ever will, but I'm getting passed it and Juli is coming to terms with it, which is my main concern. I'm so proud of her. Not just because she's shown great strength in dealing with her mom dying, but for other achievements like, her knitting has improved. Don't know if I've posted about it before but she knits, she loves knitting, and I recall a time when she didn't have a clue about knitting. Now she actually has a job where she teaches people how to knit. Very advanced stuff too. Stuff I didn't even know you could knit. I'm just amazed at what you can create with just two sticks and some yarn, not unlike no-budget moviemaking. She's also stepped back into painting as well, although the knitting has been distracting here. I'm just so amazed at how far she's gotten. Her mother would be proud, is proud.

So, all seems to be fine. So, what now? Where are we going?

Well, continue the marketing build up for the movie, meaning, get more screenings, post more bulletins, get as many people to know about the movie as possible. All of this building towards my little marketing ploy coming up closer to October and the Halloween season. I've got press releases to put out over the next few moths, getting in contact with the different media outlets related to the different genres having to do with the movie, asian american press, indie film press, horror, scifi, etc. We've gotta get the word out about raising money for Cancer Charities. So much contained in this little horror comedy or rather comedy horror. I've also got Video Blogs coming up that will fill the very empty Video Blog Section on monstercops.com.

But aside from the continued marketing of the movie, where exactly will I be headed next. I'm very much not done with Monster Cops, as I've said before I very much see it as a series, and a much improved version over The Midnight Special, meaning I'd need the money to really do what I wanted to with the franchise, like really show you some monsters and scares amidst the comedy and action. But my specific plan for what I have in mind on distributing this series is a little unorthodox, and there's no way I can do it without funding. And raising funds is much easier to do with a movie rather than an unorthodox series.

So I've dug back into the past and brought forth a storyline that I will turn into a feature. It's what I've been busting my ass on for two weeks now. Working on the script, trying to get together the conceptual drawings, and all the other necessary hubbubsp?) that go with pitching a movie. Hopefully before mid July I'll have the full pitch and package put together and online.

But as far as where I'm headed. Right back into production. Doing another feature and as planned The Midnight Special was my no-budget feature, so this will be my low-budget feature. I can't go back to no-budget again. Because The Midnight Special was no-budget the structure, the plot, the overall idea suffered. I didn't get to do what I really wanted and I had to settle for just trying to capture the essence of it. Don't get me wrong, I love my movie, I love The Midnight Special, but in my opinion it lacked a certain amount of horror and suspense. And I've been aching to really show what I can do so much so that I actually tried to put something together here last month and it just didn't work. When it's not a paying show people don't show up, locations disappear, and all the normal hassles of movie making are quadrupled. This one's gotta be a paying show, so a fundraising we will go.

That's where I'm at and that's where I'm headed. The process starts over again. Screenwriting, storyboards, and fundraising. The movie is everything I love in a movie, comedy, horror, action, thriller, drama. I won't discuss my timetable cuz I don't want to jinx it, but hopefully with past experience I can avoid most of the moviemaking trappings and pittfalls and make room for new ones. It's going to be interesting.

In other news, PIXAR does not disappoint. Brad Bird, John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton, Joe Ranft, Pete Docter and everyone at Pixar, I owe much to you guys keeping my spirits up. And in helping me remember to Keep Moving Forward.

'Just keep swimming'


The Stranger: Do you feel responsible for the show failing?

Dana Whitaker: The show didn't fail. The man I work for, a guy named Isaac Jaffee... he took a chance on me, and I didn't rise to meet his... expectations. And there are people who work for me who needed me to be a better field captain. The *show* didn't fail. But I do feel responsible, and that's gonna have to be all right with you.

The Stranger: You know what would make you feel better right now?

Dana Whitaker: Really, nothing.

The Stranger: You don't want to hear what I think would make you feel better?

Dana Whitaker: I really don't.

The Stranger: In the three day history of our relationship, have I been wrong about anything?

Dana Whitaker: Look...

The Stranger: Dana, I'm what the world considers to be a phenomenally succesful man, and I've failed much more than I've succeeded. And each time I fail, I get my people together, and I say, "Where are we going?" And it starts to get better.

Sports Night Episode 22 "Quo Vadimas"
Written by Aaron Sorkin
Directed by Thomas Schlamme