The Big Picture

It's those little pieces of life, those small moments that make a big difference.  Those little bits of time you experience that add up to entirely wonderful day.  Today was a great, beautiful Fall day spent with my wonderful wife.  And so many of those little moments we share just make it all so complete and amazing.

Seeing the sun shine through golden Autumn leaves. Feeling that cool crisp air. Holding hands with the woman you love. Walking through the park. Picking out pumpkins. Sipping apple cider. Just sitting in a car next to your beautiful wife and hearing that perfect song come on to help narrate that perfect moment.  These were just some of the moments I experienced that added up to one great amazing day.

It really was a beautiful day. Some gorgeous fall foliage, the trees surrounding our house covered in light golds, dark browns, and dark greens. The lowering sun hitting it all just right. Not too warm, not too cold. Perfect day to get a few shots of Fall on the video camera. Something really amazing about seeing the leaves fall in Autumn. It's almost as wondrous as watching it snow in Winter.

Hit the local pumpkin patch. I love pumpkins and what's more I love seeing huge rows of pumpkins. The pumpkins were a bit pricey so we decided to wait and buy a couple later at the store.  Strolled through the park for a bit. Gorgeous lake out there, saw the ducks swim, and tried to find what must've been an invisible teleporting frog. I swear I would hear it next to me, I'd look down, it would stop, then start up in another area.

Got some dinner, headed to the store to get groceries and pick a few pumpkins. The entire time listening to a nice little mix of modern pop hits and horror movie scores (we're odd like that.)  At one point Harry Connick Jr. was on then the theme from Friday The 13th, which was particularily funny to hear driving through the huge wooded areas of the park. Went home, carved pumpkins, while watching Halloween and drinking apple cider. Then finished off season 4 of Supernatural then watched Ghosthunters.

Doesn't sound too adventurous, no. But when you're with the right person, everything can be a wonderful romantic adventure.  And that's how it is with me and Juli. The simplest things can become amazing moments simply because you're with that special someone. Geez I could write for Hallmark.

It's fairly similar to making movies. You create those little moments that add up to one big picture that tells a story.  Today our story is one of love and romance and sharing loving moments.  It was about enjoying what great things Fall has to offer, and savoring those great things. I can only hope I can accomplish the same thing as a movie maker. Create wonderful moments that the audience can savor, and pushes them toward a bigger picture and compelling story.

I'm anxious to really get going on RED. Or rather REDD. This little Red Riding Hood re-do is still in limbo as far as how I want to title it. Samantics.

Already got the ball rolling on casting, costume, and special fx. I'm anxious to get going on test shots, which we will be doing next week, along with starting on fight choreohgraphy.  Already done with the score.  Here's a taste:



Created with Pro Scores, Acid, and Fruity Loops. I hope this helps convey the kind of feel and intensity I'm aiming for. I just hope it helps to enhance all those great moments that I hope will create an amazing picture for the audience to witness and savor. I'm just working toward that bigger picture, one great moment at a time.

Werewolf Research

COSTUMES and FX

Production List 2009 to 2010

So here's exactly what I'm working on right now. Yes, this is me blogging to help bring things to fruition. If I blog about it, so shall it be done. If it works, I'll blog about that 12 million dollars I'll earn.

- Monster Cops
My goal is to have at least 4 complete episodes at about 20 to 24 minutes each. 1 is online now, we're about to complete another one. We've shot half of the 3rd and just need to shoot and edit the 4th. I'll aim for 5 complete episodes, but 4 is more realistic. A Monster Cops Series 1 DVD release would be set for an early spring release if we get enough episodes completed. That 4th episode depends greatly on our werewolf FX. The 4th is a Werewolf episode and I don't want to do it if the Lycan is too entirely ridiculous.

This goes hand in hand with ...

- REDD
Redd is a short film. It's a gothic, horror, action version of Red Riding Hood, where the title character is treated more like an action hero and the big bad wolf is actually a big bad Werewolf. Also features much of what we've accomplished before with Monster Cops, Vampires, Zombies rising from the grave. Except in a more cinematic style. This is part short film, part mock trailer. Working on Werewolf FX now, which we can hopefully utilize in that 4th Monster Cops episode. I'm aiming to do something mind blowing on no budget. Really show what we can do.

April Crum trying on her possible costume as the character Redd.

This is really just me attempting to make something big budget movie style utilizing the resources we already have. I truely believe something great can be created with what you've got. Examples of great DIY moviemaking for no money are all over YouTube. So many talented folks out there. It's our turn to create something truly mind blowing. This is very much a big picture movie and will hopefully help in the fundraising for ...

- BOBBY'S CLOSET
The Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Adventure, Monster movie. The budget for that is between 80 and 50 grand. Trying to raising money for it, and I hope to have it so we can start shooting in Spring/Summer of 2010. Definitely going to shoot this one on either a RED Camera or, I'm strongly considering a VDSLR Camera like the Canon 7D. Really go for that cinematic look. I've blogged about it before. This one is my throwback to the 80's. Back To The Future, Poltergeist, Raiders Of The Lost Ark, Close Encounters. And as with all of my projects I want to utilize a percentage of any and all profits by donating it to Cancer Charities. So many causes and so much support to give.  To entertain and to help.  But first, we need our own budget to make this happen and continue to make it happen.

Going to try a number of fund raising ideas. Already have some inquiries from some possible investors, going to try crowd sourcing, sponsorship, and perhaps a good old fashioned bake sale. Already have a few details up on how you can help make this movie happen, and a few of the benefits of donating to this movie.  Still have much work to do before we completely unveil the full plan. Along the way, we're doing concept art, preliminary casting, and location scouting.  Check out the site when you get a chance. http://bobbysclosetmovie.com. I'll try to update the blog there as much as I can.

I'm very excited about all of these projects, alot of things seem to be falling into place.  I hope we can continue to be lucky.  Luck is preparation meeting opportunity. I'm prepared for this opportunity.

Awake

Can't sleep. Currently on my wife's laptop while QVC's Halloween Spooktacular is on. I love that they're selling Halloween items. I'm really getting a kick out of the 5' Hanging Motion Activated Kicking Scare Crow. It's an evil pumpkin face on top of a scarecrow's body. It's leg's flail and it's eyes light up when you walk in front of it. Neat.

If our budget would allow it, I know Juli and I would buy every single Halloween item we saw.

On QVC, a guy in a giant monster monkey outfit just walked on to the set, has played with the scarecrow, and has now left. Weird.

Anyhoo. Juli and I love Halloween. Currently our bedroom is adorned with a string of pumpkin lights across our wall, and 6 different Halloween candle holders sit across the stand in front of our TV.

On QVC, an evil pirate man has now joined the monster monkey and they are now dancing. Ah, I see, this is apparently a new item they are now selling. Halloween Masks with Hat and Hair. I see a creepy pirate with a pirate hat and hair, and the monkey mask also has hair and is wearing a clown hat. I could very well be hallucinating all this.

Anyways. I cannot fully express my love for Halloween. Those that know me know how much I love it, and I love that Juli loves it just as much as I do. The other night we finally got to watch Trick r' Treat. Had the candles lit and everything. It was actually quite a neat site to see those lit up pumpkins and haunted houses in front of the TV as the opening credits rolled.

Trick r' Treat is not only a great Halloween movie, it's just an overall great movie. Well directed, well written, great performances, and very intriguing. It really does capture that Halloween spirit. It does indeed lean towards the eerie and demented. Although I was able to pick up on alot of the twists, there were a few moments I just was not expecting.

I may give a full review later, but for now I'll say it was a great experience to watch a movie that celebrated one of my favorite holidays. And it was quite refreshing to watch an original horror movie, and not one that's a reboot or a remake. Warner Bros. decided not to release this one in theaters a couple of years ago. Huge mistake in my opinion.

On QVC, 6' Animated Witches Airblown w/ Candy Dish Cauldron. It's a huge air filled prop of 3 cartoonish looking witches sitting around a cartoon cauldron. Their heads spin. Someone just unplugged it and they all collapsed. That looked kind of neat.

Anyway, it's sad that so many sequels and remakes get to theaters, and a great original movie like Trick r' Treat gets shelved for two years and then goes direct to DVD. Sad. Oh well, I am proud to own it. It now goes with my 3 other favorite Halloween movies, The Nightmare Before Christmas the original Halloween, and Sleepy Hollow.

PROJECT LIST UPDATES:

MONSTER COPS - Finish and premiere the next episode online on Halloween or soon after. Complete 2 more episodes and as many webisodes as possible before February. Distribute a Monster Cops DVD early next year that includes all 4 episodes and about 13 webisodes altogether, as well as a ton of DVD extras, vlogs, gag reel, etc.

HALLOWEEN VIDEOS - There are two Halloween videos. One is called The Long Halloween, pretty much my way of celebrating and paying triute to the holiday. The other one is called The Halloween Machine. Been working on that one for years, got the music for it done and everything, but every year it gets canceled, because it is time consuming and somewhat of a large undertaking. We shall see.

REDD - This is a short film that I've been mulling over for a long while now. I've just recently decided that it needs to be pursued fully. I'm trying to figure out how we can do this. If I can do it the way I see it in my head, it'll be mind blowing.

BOBBY'S CLOSET - It's in preproduction. I'm hoping we can shoot this by spring of next year. Still in the fund-raising stage. I hope to unveil the next part of our fund-raising strategy soon.

Ok, getting sleepy. QVC is back to selling clothes now anyhow.

Happiness isn't getting what you want. It's wanting what you get.

It's a frog

There was a frog on our kitchen window. So I got the camera. Yes, random.

"Perya" - a Canon 7D Short

The more research I do on this camera, the more and more I'm falling in love with it. This 3 minute short was shot on the Canon 7D. Amazing quality, great shots, great cuts, decent docu/short. And it's got Filipinos in it. What more do you want?





The Canon 7D, in short, is a still camera that can record in HD and in 24p. Since it's already set up for prime lenses, it gives you great quality video. I'm really leaning towards this camera for Bobby's Closet. With a few tricks in editing, this quality is comparable to a RED camera and is much much more affordable.

Slow Motion Zombie Hit

Thanks to Richard Gaither I actually got one of the shots I've always wanted to get for Monster Cops. The classic Zombie crawling out of a grave. We've done it a couple of times, but the above clip was the exact shot I was looking for. The right angle of seeing that creature claw out of the soil, then one of the Monster Cops firing a bullet into it's head. It's great when you can finally put together a shot you've had in your head for so long.

We shot this in Richard's backyard. He had put a long piece of plywood on top of two chairs. Cut a hole in the center. Draped some kind of fabric over the hole, then placed soil and shrubbery all over the wood. At the right angle we had a shot of the ground. Have a zombie claw it's way from underneath through the soil covered fabric, and you've got it. We put Brandon on a stool, aiming his prop gun. Richard rigged a tube through the forehead of the zombie mask. He squirted fake blood through the tube as I cued our zombie (Darin Chamberlin) to react and fall over.

In post, using Sony Vegas, I color corrected everything, and utilized brightness and contrast to make the footage pop look wise. On the final angle where the Zombie gets shot, I faked Depth Of Field utilizing a cookie cutter and gausian blur. I also added a bit of a glow, and then rendered everything into 24p HD to give it somewhat of a film look.

This was really fun to put together and I can't wait to utilize some of these tricks for other projects.

Hoping to have two more episodes up before Halloween and few more webisodes. Would love to have enough to put on a DVD and distribute just in time for Christmas. We'll give it our best shot. Might be a great way to help raise some money for Bobby's Closet.

Michael Jackson's THIS IS IT

Monster Cops. End Of Summer VLOG

VLOG September 09

I really need a better background.

80's Influence and Bobby's Closet

Death Of Auto-Tune and the Birth of Great Music

I love music. I love when different styles of music collide. I'm always a big fan of when an orchestra or symphony can be added to any type of pop, rock, or hip-hop song. I also love when someone can take one type of song and reinterpret into something else, not just covering a song, but transforming and therefore enhancing a song. Among the gazillions of covers and remixes out there it happens rarely, but when it does it's amazing.

Here's an example of such a transformation and enhancement. This blows my mind and I listen to it often. This is Obadiah Parker (aka Matt Weddle) doing an amazing cover of Outkast's "Hey Ya."



The greatness of the original song is that the sound and tempo make the lyrics ironic. In this cover, the heavy meaning of the words come out, but then at the end the irony returns when he starts performing the audience call outs with the same deep sound. But that's just my observation. Aside from that, it's a really great cover. Be sure to check out http://www.obadiahparker.com


I absolutely love all the music coming out of TRUE BLOOD. I haven't gotten a chance to really get into the show like my wife has, but I have had the pleasure of listening to most of the music. This particular song is awesome on so many levels. G-Tom Mac covering "Cry Little Sister."



I love the Lost Boys reference and I love that this particular song has made a comeback on a great show about Vampires. I'm fond of that bluesy country sound and it fits this song so well. A new take on a classic and at the same time brings out the essence of the song.


And while I'm posting great music, might as well throw in the song I've been playing to death. I've already posted it once and I even used in the Archangel teaser. Elbow's "Grounds For Divorce" with the BBC Orchestra.




And here's the whole reason I was posting in the first place. Jay-Z's 9/11 tribute concert this past Friday was phenomenal. I wish I could've been there. From what I've read, and what I've seen, I heard it was an amazing concert and a heartwarming tribute. But this performance in general blew my mind. There were a number of stars that came out to perform with J, but when John Mayer came out to jam with J, I felt like it went up a whole other level.

This is an amazing combination of Hip-Hop, Pop, and Rock and Blues, all styles I absolutely love. Jay is an amazing rapper, and Mayer is an amazing guitarist. This sound is so big, it blows my mind everytime. Love this one.



As if I didn't already love Death Of Auto-Tune. Great song, now even greater.

I really miss being able to take the time to really sit down and make music. Here lately it's been on the fly, recording stuff for projects and ads when necessary. Not the same as taking the time to really create, produce, and record something from the heart. I'm hoping I can get to do that soon. I've got 4 notebooks filled with lyrics and songs I've written since about 1995. There's a couple of songs in there I've been dying to really record for a while now.


One step at a time though. Coming up the Vlogs, quite a few of them. No really this time. I'm editing one for Bobby's Closet as we speak, then one as an update on all the projects, and another as a response to a lot of questions I've been getting concerning my DIY Necronomicon video I made last year.

If you've tried to call or text me. I've apparently left my cel at home. I'll contact you later. Or you can email me.

Archangel, Reupload

I decided to add one small bit to the Archangel teaser. Just wanted to add a small explosion to give it a bigger feel. Once again, all done on Vegas.

Teaser trailer for a movie that doesn't exist. Fake trailer for a movie about a hit man battling other assassins. Just an excuse to try out some filters, visual fx, and editing techniques.

Shot on Panasonic GS320
Edited on Sony Vegas
Rendered to 24p in HD format

Features Chris Plouffe as the main hit man. Also features Brandon White, Richard Gaither, Sarah Vroom.

Music is "Grounds For Divorce" performed by ELBOW and the BBC ORCHESTRA

Trick R Treat

So very excited!

'Trick R Treat' DVD Trailer @ Yahoo! Video

Archangel Teaser

Fake Trailer. An excuse to test out a few shots, editing techniques, filters, yadda, yadda. An assassin battling other assassins, the usual.

Shot with the Panasonic GS320. Edited on Sony Vegas.

Featuring Chris Plouffe, Brandon White, Sarah Vroom, and Richard Gaither. Much of it shot at Northwoods Stables.

Music borrowed from ELBOW and the BBC Orchestra "Grounds For Divorce" Such a great version, had to use it.

Don't you know what the night can do?

I'm blessed. When I need it, the right song comes on the radio. When I'm down, the right words are always spoken. And when I forget, there's something that always reminds me.

Special thanks to Chris Petite for showing his support for myself and for Monster Cops. And to David Koss for letting us use his studio those many years ago to shoot some scenes for the first Monster Cops movie THE MIDNIGHT SPECIAL, and for taking this awesome pic.

I made a movie with two crappy cameras and really great cast. Let's see what I can do with a much better camera and a really great cast.

Successfully cleaned out all the nonessential, now I can breathe and think clearly enough to get rolling on this untitled vampire movie. Although my wife has indeed given it a title, but I don't like it. Sadly, it's starting to grow on me. We'll see.

This week, more fund raising for Bobby's Closet. Now, working on details for the Vampire shoot this month.

A Good Start

“Organizing is what you do before you do something, so that when you do it, it is not all mixed up.”
- A. A. Milne

He who fails to plan, plans to fail.
- Proverb

I always take the beginning of each month seriously. I think of how some much can be done in one month. 2 things I always think of around this time of year, Halloween, and Indie Movies. Of course that's what I always think of.

Today was planned out. It was about getting organized and planning for the festivities for the rest of the year. For Halloween I always want to do something to mark the occasion. For me the best way to do that is to make a video, record everything me and my wife do, work on projects like bake a Halloween cake, carve pumpkins, go to haunted houses, etc. Put it all together as a big tribute to Halloween. I've only really gotten that down once. This year I hope to do something to celebrate the season.

On top of that, I really want to make a movie. Monster Cops episodes and webisodes are a given of course, but I'm ready to make a feature again. Something to screen and put out on DVD. Bobby's Closet is in the fundraising stage, and might be for a while. I'm not shooting that one til we get the full budget, so we can do it properly. But right now, I've got a decent camera (just bought a wide angle lens for it) I've got the editing software, and I've got a ton of free or almost free resources. So I'm going to take my shot at doing the no budget thing once more.

The Midnight Special I successfully shot, edited, and distributed. The only downside to that, was the camera I used to shoot that movie was satisfactory. Now I have a tremendously better camera, not the cinematic style cam I plan on using on Bobby's Closet, but still high broadcast quality. We've got the stuff to make a movie now, so let's make a movie now. NOW!

I would love for this to be in the can and edited before the Christmas season, which means I have to shoot this late September, early October. Which means I need to get organized now. So that's what today was all about. But of course I had to stop by the Halloween Store. And yes, SPIRIT is open.






Now it wasn't all just me drooling over the masks and decorations, dreaming of creating my own Halloween Wonderland. I was actually looking at prices for make up and some costumes. Pricey as hell. But it was fun to look.

After that it was off to Home Depot to buy zip ties and pegboard.

This is all part of my plan to get everything as organized as humanly possible. The cords under my desk are a huge mess. So hard to clean and dust out. Thankfully I was able to use the zip ties and pegboard to get it all off the floor and organized behind my desk.



I have to get organized otherwise any large projects I enter into will just be a big mess. The next few days are all about organizing and getting started on this Untitled Vampire Movie. With the pegboard, I feel it's easier to breathe already. When it's all organized it'll be easier to focus, and therefore easier for me to create something that will blow your mind.

Next up, throw away anything and everything that is not necessary. I mean it, if I can't use it, if it doesn't help me make a movie, or accomplish any of my goals, then it no longer needs to exist. If I want to make something big, I need to make room for it.

You had to give it to him: he had a plan. And it started to make sense, in a Tyler sort of way. No fear. No distractions. The ability to let that which does not matter truly slide.

- Fight Club

Let The Celebration Begin 2009

It's Halloween.

Yes, yes, it's only September 1st (now 2nd), but for Halloween Fans like myself that only means it's the beginning of the true Halloween celebration. Although I've pretty much been celebrating Halloween since August 1st, and technically July 1st.

Let's get things started right, with BUNNIES!!!!