I Fucking Love The Movies

It has to be said. I mean I know it's obvious, but I'm really feeling it right now.

I love movies.

I love writing movies, making movies. I find utter fascination in the behind the scenes of every movie. I love the look at the Special FX, Interviews with Actors about there process, insights from Producers and Directors.

I love the details of distribution and marketing. The creativity and drive it takes to get the word out about a movie. The lengths people will go to. From the big bucks the Studios are willing to shell out to the creative wonder of a William Castle production.

Which of course borders into my love of the exhibition of movies. I love DVD, Redbox, Netflix. I love movie theaters, outdoor screenings. I love this resurgence of Drive In Movie Theaters. I love the many different ways you can experience a movie now. In your home or out and about with the public. I love it all.

Right now I'm flipping channels. TCM is always running something that pays tribute to those classic movies. And I love how so many channels are playing so many different movies. I'm literally surrounded by movies.

Mix this in with the fact that I'm coming to the end of finally wrapping up my own movie REDD, I'm really really feeling it.

Now more than ever is an amazing time to be both a movie maker and a movie lover and I'm so happy to be in the middle of it all.

Toy Story (The Walking Dead Version)

There was a meme going around about how The Walking Dead and Toy Story were actually quite similar. This got my brain working and I threw this together.

Equality

Just an update on my Dad. He's going to be fine. My Mom says he'll need physical therapy for a while, but he's showing good signs he may even be discharged today.

Thank you everyone for all your well wishes, all the love and support. I truly truly appreciate it.

Dad had a stroke this morning. He's doing ok, but we're waiting on MRI results to find out what kind of nerve damage there is if any.

I've been a bit catatonic all day. Mom is worried. We all are.

I'm trying to prepare for tomorrow's shoot. I'm not satisfied with this ad I've written and I'm trying to get my head in the game. Gotta figure out how to make this ad a great one.

Creativity under pressure. That's been my life for a while now.

I've been teetering between upset / anxious and calm / introspective.

The only thing that's really gotten my attention is this Maverick's game.

I could use a win.

Organizing

In an attempt to get things organized I've decided to start another blog.  This blog (onespartan) will remain more about personal matters with the occasional update on life matters and filmmaking.

This NEW blog (http://wtwmoviecompany.blogspot.com/) Will concentrate on my adventures in moviemaking, talk about filmmaking techniques, DIY tutorials, as well as post about moviemaking of all kinds from all movies.

wtwmoviecompany.blogspot.com will most likely become the actual wtwmoviecompany.com site. Since I've just been unsatisfied with the actual site I built for wtwmoviecompany.com

I want the new blog to be a place where I can really get into detail about the projects we're working on as well as cover and create tutorials on alot of our no-budget low budget techniques.

So feel free to head on over to the new blog to keep up with the bad assery that is WTW's DIY Moviemaking Techniques as well as posts about moviemaking, special fx, and general movie love.


http://wtwmoviecompany.blogspot.com/

How a shipping company earned 650,000 Facebook fans in a year

In my quest to further understand social marketing and learn how best to improve our skills in marketing my movies, I found this article to be very interesting.

How a shipping company earned 650,000 Facebook fans in a year

This article suggests a more organic approach. Being more personable and honest. A strategy that's also best in life actually. Just be you, just be honest, just be a human being.

Here's a list of tips from the article:

1. Improvise. Wichmann hasn't planned a single post in the year Maersk has been on social media. "You just sit down at the keyboard or use your mobile phone when there is something to say, and then you do it as well as you can," he says. "Conversely, if you plan to send out a certain story next Wednesday at 12:00, it then turns into a marketing exercise. Then you lose the moment. And then you (or the agency) also spend too much time on it."

2. It has to be simple. "Don't convince yourself that everything you have to say-or your company has to say-is exciting," he says. "The users decide whether to spend time reading your post, or not, in a split second, based on a combination of what is said in the first few words and whether they usually find the company's information relevant."

3. Tell stories and more stories. Corporate, or brand journalism, is on the rise for a reason. "It's about ditching the marketing plans and taking on people who can unearth and tell stories in a lively and credible way. And this includes both good and bad news," Wichmann says. Tell the stories that reflect your company's reality. "It is therefore also imperative that the company really is 'good' and has nothing to hide. Otherwise this wouldn't be the smartest approach," he adds.

Picture Post Recap for 2012

It's been a roller coaster as always. Making this movie has been rough, sad, funny, and exciting all at once, and we're only really getting started. Production is only part of the journey in really making a movie. Some strange things have happened. Scary things. Ridiculous and funny moments abound all last year. Here now we shall re-cap some of those adventures in making this little sci-fi epic called REDD through the magic of posting what we like to call photos.

Thanks to the sale of a few ads on Poptent I was able to rent out a small studio space. Set up the green screen and all our DIY gear and we were able to get alot done in this space.

$40 of PVC pipe and I was able to put together an entire light kit. That PVC pipe has been used in a billion different ways since then.

Getting the crew together to knock out several scenes for REDD. This was Vampire Day.
More pics from Vampire Day below.

Sterling Bollinger in that gorgeous dress as one of the Vampires in REDD.

Natalie securing her fangs. I really love the Nosferatu (Don VanMeter) behind her getting his nails done.

Don VanMeter in full make up being applied by his wife and very talented artist Chana VanMeter.

Setting up and getting our fangs on.

Group shot. We knocked out shots for REDD, Monster Cops, and a fanfilm short that I'll probably never finish.

Joe Cox playing BLADE in a FanFilm that we started but have yet to finish.
The point was to get footage for me to test out some new fx on, so it served it's purpose and I learned alot.
I would love to actually finish the idea for this FanFilm.

Sean Ormond and Joe Cox in a nice fight we shot for that same FanFilm.

Stepping outside the studio. Shooting an Ad over at Northwoods Stables.

Shooting an Ad with Megan Reynolds and Amanda Elizabeth.

This sums up the attitude and goofy spirit on set when we shoot anything. A horse is usually involved somehow.

Shooting with Chris Plouffe and Amanda Elizabeth.

On set for the Breyers Ice Cream Ad.

The random crazy people we used for the Breyers Ice Cream Ad.

The best shot in the Ad. Bob the Dog posing for his close up.

April Crum in an Ad for ConAir. 

Jennifer Russoli and Matt Sara stare at nothing.

And now they're staring at something. Magic? (not really)

SNOW (Alethea Delmage) ready to fight.

A drawing from our very own April Crum in celebration of our successful Kickstarter campaign.

REDD in repair mode.

In another scene for REDD. Brooke Hamrick plays Annie.

From REDD, Rebecca Morris is Shannon.

Chris Plouffe in a gun cross.

Eve Butler as RICK.

The ridiculous extent we will go to create our fantasies.

New graphics for Monster Cops. I swear this is a series I will always go back to over and over.
I'll constantly be trying to make episodes for this thing.

We started work on new feature which is now titled Saturday Night Fright.

Danielle Motley about to knock out Chris Plouffe.

Danielle Motley and Amanda Elizabeth star in Saturday Night Fright.

One of my fav pics of the year. Kelly Emerson in her small role for Saturday Night Fright.

Shaun Holcomb joins in as one of our newest Monster Cops.

Sean Killebrew getting tactical.

Prepping for a breach.

Amanda Elizabeth getting killed as a Vamp.

Back on set with the old crew. Me, Chris Plouffe, Brandon White, and Danielle Motley.

My obsession with old school John Woo movies knows no bounds.

Alethea ready to shoot someone.

I swear if ever I do a romantic comedy I'll end up finding a way to put a gun cross in it.

April does her best Pebbles impression.

One of the many composite shots I'm doing in Hitfilm.

DVD Mockup. Can't wait to get these made.

One of our nifty shirts.

Poster A for REDD.

Amanda getting bloody.

Composite shot for REDD. U.S. Military Space Station.

Using the portable green screen in Kelly's living room.
Here we wrap up shooting Jennifer Russoli's scenes.

Jennifer Russoli as CARTER. Green screen footage after post work.

Sterling Bollinger all vamped out in this green screen composite shot for REDD.

 

Last day of shooting Richard Gaither's scenes.

Red cape. 2 guns.

I look forward to this new year. Wrapping up REDD and moving on to the next movie. I wonder what kind of amazing adventures we'll encounter this time around. Whatever they may be we'll make the very best of it and continue to work to make those dreams happen.

We're on Day 1 of the new year. Let's get busy living.