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

My Soccer Partner

Such a great video. Yes it's an ad. Great idea.



My Soccer Partner
Uploaded by jeannasr. - Watch more comedy videos and sitcoms.

Tron Legacy

Very excited about this. Love trailer 2. Trailer 3 is not as powerful, unless of course you've been a fan for 20 years.

Tron Legacy Trailer 2


Tron Legacy Trailer 3


For some reason this all made me think of Dark City.

Dark City

Never underestimate your ability to travel. Never take your time for granted. And don't forget to make sure your optics are clear.

You can make alot happen in 24 hours.

RV First Test

Simple and quick titles test.

Burgess Jenkins Acting Reel

3 Weeks of work. Pulling video from several projects. Burgess wanted something a little different from a normal scene by scene reel. I kind of went movie trailer style with it. Thankfully Burgess had some really great footage from several different projects to work with. Here's pretty much the final cut, kinda.

Use What You've Got

Finished up an Ad for Hoodie Buddies. It's a fairly neat little product. A Hoodie that you can plug your mp3 player into, and use the drawstrings as head phones. Got a few of them to use for the ad. I've been so busy I just haven't had time to give it my attention, but I at least wanted to submit a straightforward ad explaining how the product works.



Special thanks to Julie Keels for letting me use her as a model. She did a great job. Shot a few minutes worth of footage. As I was done with the ad, I decided to use the footage to test out some color correction, white balancing, and also some simulated depth of field, using cookie cutter as well as the masking tools. I actually found a few tools I didn't know Vegas had, it was like Christmas I was so happy.

Changed the aspect ratio, added defocus, softness, and rendered to 24p. Also played with rendering to different file formats, trying out quality. The following is the test, rendered to WMV, HD24p, uploaded to YouTube. I may try an alternate upload on Vimeo. Music is by Maktub featuring the amazing Reggie Watts. Feel free to watch it in HD over at YOUTUBE.



SCENE TESTS with the Leftover Footage

"Girl In The Hoodie"

The Crazies 2010

Directed by Breck Eisner

Written by Scott Kosar
and Ray Wright

Original 1973 Script by George A. Romero

Original Music by Mark Isham

Cinematography by Maxime Alexandre

Film Editing by Billy Fox

Starring: Timothy Olyphant
and Radha Mitchell




I really, really, really, enjoyed this movie. There was only one thing that I didn't like, and in the end that didn't really matter. Well paced. Beautifully shot. Good tension. Great scares. And some well thought out scenes.

As a movie lover I like to sit back and really take in a good movie. As a movie maker I always end up thinking of ways I might have written or directed a scene differently. I have to say both sides of me were very pleased with this movie. Not much I would've changed and a whole lot I really enjoyed. I'm pretty sure I would watch this over again.

I sincerely had fun watching this.

It's Everything I Stand For

It's a bold statement, for sure, but it's what I thought of when I saw this poster for an upcoming event at The Dryden Theatre. Fred Dekker (Director of Monster Squad and Night Of The Creeps) and Tom Atkins (Star of Night Of The Creeps, Halloween III, as well as several other movies) will be at this double feature. Wish I could be there.

Saw this poster designed by Jason Edminston and I was just blown away. Ok so maybe it doesn't stand for everything that I stand for, but it does fully encompass and pay tribute to two movies that heavily influenced me. I can't even begin to describe how much I absolutely love these two movies, and how much they inspired so much of what I want to create.

We're not just talking about low budget horror flicks here. What set these movies apart from most within the B-Movie Genre is the charming and lovable characters to go along with the action, and the heart to go along with the horror. To top it off, these movies were the epitome of fun. And in the end, that's all I ever wanted. To have fun.

Here's the other awesome poster that pays tribute to Tom Atkins.

SEASON OF THE FOG by James Rheem Davis. Great tribute to Atkins and the two movies Halloween III: Season Of The Witch and John Carpenter's THE FOG.

Season Of The Witch was dogged alot when I was growing up, mainly because die hard Halloween fans were disappointed in a storyline that didn't have much to do with Michael Myers, but in all honesty it's a fairly creepy movie. And as for The Fog, I model alot of my kind of scariness in my movies after those eerie Pirates in that movie, especially in my next couple of features.

Wish I could be there. But if you can make it out to Rochester, NY this Friday July 16th, then by all means, have a blast on my behalf.

Thank God for FRIGHT RAGS.

Halloween is now

111 Days 1 Hour and 11 minutes away. I have so much to do and yet I had time to try to post at 7/11 11:11. Ok back to work.

It's 7/11. Which means 111 days til Halloween. Much work to do.

Early Bday celebration. Hibachi, buffet, sushi, and World Cup is on the flat screen. This place is awesome.

Rebel

Sample vids made with the Canon Rebel T2i (550D)














Short Film: The Encounter

by Marlon Torres

While I wait

for my computer to finish backing up to the hard drive. For some reason I am reminded of a Bible verse.

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
–Matthew 6:25-27

 I read it just a while ago. Seems I needed to read it. Felt like a message from God.  Which like most messages I get, are almost always from God. And I needed it.  Let me also include another quote from the Prophet Cube, Ice Cube.

Life ain't nothin but bitches and money.
-NWA

So true.

I'm patiently awaiting this back up to be done with so I can edit these files. Got an acting reel to finish up, started a timeline for a new episode and the next feature. This new project is almost writing itself. I have an outline instead of a script, and alot of this movie will be molded around a single plot line, and filled in by a bit of improv, and what kind of personalities the cast has.  Casting has already begun. And I need to get on the ball with some script pages for RV as well as MC and get them sent out to a few folks.

And now I must make an FX scene outline. But on a final note:

"And When Alexander saw the breadth of his domain, he wept, for there were no more worlds to conquer." Hans Gruber, DIE HARD.
- Jack Donaghy, 30 Rock

That's what a ship is, what it really is

Elizabeth and Jack : [singing and dancing around a fire] We're devils and black sheep and really bad eggs. Drink up me 'hearties yo ho! Yo ho, yo ho a pirate's life for me.

Jack : I love this song! Really bad eggs! Ooh. [falls] When I get the Pearl back, I'm gonna teach it to the whole crew, and we'll sing it all the time!

Elizabeth : And you?ll be positively the most fearsome pirate in the Spanish Main .

Jack : Not just the Spanish Main , love. The entire ocean. The entire world. Wherever we want to go, we'll go. That's what a ship is, you know. It's not just a keel and a hull and a deck and sails that's what a ship needs, but what a ship is, what the Black Pearl really is, is freedom.

- Pirates Of The Caribbean: Curse Of The Black Pearl

I've got my computer back. They only had to replace the motherboard, so the hard drive remained intact, everything is right where I left it. I was without my computer for a little over 2 weeks, and although I was able to use my wife's laptop, it was very hard. She needed it for her own projects, sharing it with her, meant I had less time to work on things that needed to be worked on, and my computer is a little more powerful, where I felt like alot of the video editing I was doing on hers was going to break the damn thing.

Also I missed my set up. My monitor is bigger, the way I have my desk positioned, and my entire workflow was missing. To finally get it back meant an overwhelming sigh of relief as I feel I am back in full form, able to do things I couldn't for a while. All because, for some reason, my video out put was burned out.

But I believe such mishaps may be necessary. Helps put things in perspective.

When my wife and I first got married, we didn't have much of anything. I had my old Gateway desktop, but it was dying, and we eventually sold it. So now we had nothing, and I dreamed of eventually getting one, and being able to edit video.  Thanks to a friend I was able borrow their mac and use Final Cut Pro to do the last and final cut to my feature Vampire Killer so I could finally put it out on DVD.

Somehow we managed to scrape together about $400 and we bought a desktop from Walmart. 256mb Ram, 8gb HD, and a very average AMD Processor. I called this computer The Black Pearl. In the first Pirates Of The Caribbean, the title The Curse Of The Black Pearl referred to the curse of the Pirates on that ship, how they would remain undead and zombified as long as they had kept the gold coins away from the cursed treasure. In reality their curse was related to the treasure itself.  In truth I always felt that The Curse Of The Black Pearl referred to Jack Sparrow's curse. How his destiny was to always be the captain of the Black Pearl, and how fate would always keep him away from it.

Captain Jack yearned for his freedom to sail the ocean. Freedom was signified by The Black Pearl. For me I yearned to make movies, and for a while it was signified by a decent computer to edit on. The computer would be my Black Pearl.

This would be the computer I would learn to use Sony Vegas on (back then it was Sonic Foundry's Vegas). I edited the first and last of the Living Dead Girl's episodes, and build the first WTW DVD featuring Vampire Killer. This would be the same computer I would edit an entire feature film on. Monster Cops: The Midnight Special. I took this computer with me to NC. Along with the ginormously heavy monitor. I learned Final Draft on it, would get a taste of After Effects and 3D Studio Max, and build the first of many websites and blogs on it. I pushed it too it's limits, and sailed it til it just couldn't sail anymore.

One of the last projects I ever made with that computer would be my contest entry into Harold And Kumar 2's Video Contest. I won that contest, and the money I got from that, I would use to buy the next incarnation of my Black Pearl. My current computer. HP, 4gb Ram, 500gb HD, Intel Pen Dual Core Processor. I rarely had a problem with it. It was a monster, is a monster. No stalling, no crashing, and super fast.

I've only had it for a year and a half, when it finally experienced it's first real problem two weeks ago. That's when I sent it in to be repaired. And in those two weeks I learned to really appreciate what I had, or rather didn't have. Made me remember a time when I swore I would make great things if I had a machine like this. Well, now I have it back. And I will make great things with it, I feel I've already begun. I really love that last Monster Cops episode, and now I work to create more great things, even better things, and help me get to the next level in my evolution in moviemaking.

What a ship is, is freedom, and I have that freedom. I've had that freedom for a while now. I think I just needed to remember I had it.

Tabula rasa

  I don't like being put in a position where I am basically begging.  Part of the reason why I haven't really been blogging in a while.  I've found myself looking for opportunity instead of creating my own.

I was teased with the prospect of what crowd-funding might bring, and although I knew it was a possibility nothing would happen, I was pushed to hoping something would due to my current situation.

Money's been tight, work has been slow, and for a while there things weren't looking good. Mainly because I chose to look through helpless eyes.

I chose to.  My choice. My situation, my responsibility and no one else's.

My situation is of my own creation. Yes, maybe some things may have happened that I have no control over, but in the end you do have full control of how you react to those situations.  I chose to react with despair. Why? Because that's what human's need to do every once in a while. When you get knocked down, you have to pause for a second while you're on the ground, really look at your situation, feel it out, so when you rise, you have a better understanding of what you're rising for.

Things are better. Although much of my situation is not resolved, there is hope, but there's always hope.  I can't rely on hope.  I can only rely on me, and what I'M capable of doing, if I get help along the way, or if certain opportunities make themselves available, then great, but I still have to rely on what I can do, and with what I've got.

I've often blogged about doing the best with what you can. But in all honesty, I have to aim hire than that. I have to do something amazing with what I have. That way if I miss the target slightly I'll at least have something at a higher level.

One pledge today (Thank You Marcellus).  I'm working on one editing job that may lead to more, but again, I can't hold my breath on it. And I'm working towards putting together Monster Cops on DVD, getting it out to screenings, as well as working on a new project which I can hopefully get out to audiences later this year.

Re-focused on what I need to do. Want to help? There are a number of things you can do.

Of course, we would love your pledge. New perks, including a DVD's, T-Shirts, as well as ways to actually participate in episodes.  Click here and check it out:
http://www.indiegogo.com/Monster-Cops-The-Series

You can also help spread the link around. Tell everyone you know about Monster Cops. Get folks to check out the site http://monstercops.com

Also, the entire episode MONSTERS Vs. COPS, is up at Big Star's Short Film Contest. Please visit the link, give us a high rating (you'll be directed to register, but it doesn't take long) then please forward it to everyone.
http://www.bigstar.tv/film-contest/mockumentary-2009/3132

working title

Here We Go Again

New fundraising page. New cycle. NEW PERKS! Make a pledge, help us out, and get great perks like DVD's, Credits in the episodes and on IMDB, personalized short films, T-shirts, and now you can be a part of the series. You have the opportunity to become an Officer, a Monster, or a Victim, and have your picture used in an episode.

So what are you doing? Help out an independent web series and make a pledge now!

And The Hits Just Keep On Comin

From my experience I've come to learn that the following is so very true.

When you become clear about what you want to accomplish, when you decide for sure what goal you want to reach. As you begin your journey towards that goal, everything that is the exact opposite of that goal will come into your existence.

I had a moment of clarity about Monster Cops. What was going to be accomplished and what needed to be done. Not only that, but I understood exactly what needed to follow after those certain goals for Monster Cops were reached. It was time for me to make another feature film, but only after I was able to put out Monster Cops Series 1 DVD this Fall.

And of course there is the fundraising, which is going slow, but it is going. See the widget and if you can please click on it and make a pledge.



Right now as far as income, I take what ever commercial work, ad work, video editing work I can. So it's already a roller coaster, not really sure where the next check will come from, but it's something.

I picked up a job today. Editing a reel for an actor. It looks to pay pretty good, and the material I would work with seems fun. It's always good to get a job that pays and you can get excited about.

Of course, after the meeting, I get home to turn on my desktop, and it will not boot up. Nothing, it sits there and hums. It was working perfectly fine just a few hours before, but here there was no functionality, no process beeps, just the quiet hum of the fans cooling a processor that wasn't doing anything.

So a dilemma. Not just because I can't do my job, but also I can't work on Monster Cops, the project I'm trying to turn into my job. I do have my wife's laptop and I have all my files backed up to a hard drive. The down side, my normal software is all on the desktop, and none of it will install properly on my wife's laptop.

It's disconcerting, yes, but on some level I saw it coming. After my moment of clarity, I knew something was bound to happen. That something that tries to deter you. That tests you. That makes things fall apart. The opposite of your goal has to happen so you can better experience what it the goal itself. Up cannot exist without down, nor right without left, nor having without the feeling of not having.

Very Zen, I know. And it does put me in somewhat of a positive mood. But it still sucks ass.

But it's ok. I'll figure it all out like I always do. I'll get the job done, I'll get my desktop fixed, and hopefully we can get some support for our little indie web series. So if you please, and if you can, make a pledge, tell a friend about monstercops.com. And please watch the episodes. I think they are quite good and I am very proud of them.

Other things have transpired today. Other things that are the opposite of my goal. Other things that are better left unblogged about, except to say, this is getting harder. And all indications say that things aren't going well, that things will fail, that things are not going in a positive direction.

But I don't care. Because I've been here before. Because if you can hold out past all that is the opposite of your goal, eventually you will reach your goal. You just have to believe, you have to hold on, you have to not give up.

Is this me giving myself a pep talk? You bet your ass.

It's opposite day, and I'm holding out til its over.

Gotta go solve some software problems, log some footage, and figure out how I can Macgyver my way through one editing job, two commercials, and eventually get back to working on Monster Cops. We only have a few pledgers, but we have pledgers nonetheless, which means we owe them a decent product in this Monster Cops DVD, which I fully intend to deliver and then some.

You want a Monster Cops DVD, then please, click the widget above, and make a pledge.

I have no computer. Blogging by phone. I am forced to writing out lists and plans on notebook paper.

In an ocean of amazing. Dead in the water. Waiting for my ship to come in, as I continue to search for dry land.

Clarity

“The two things that matter the most to me: emotional resonance and rocket launchers. Party of Five, a brilliant show, and often made me cry uncontrollably, suffered ultimately from a lack of rocket launchers.”

 - Joss Whedon

It's becoming very clear. I'm going to have to do a major overhaul with Monster Cops. Ok well maybe not a "major" overhaul, but reorganization is necessary in order to reach a specific clarification on what the exact goals are and how they can be achieved.

Vlogs will proceed, as will the fundraising (duh), but retooling what the minisodes are and what episodes can and will be produced, is a must, in order to understand what direction we are going in. What content will be available online, what will be available on DVD, what is going to screen in theaters, and how we can apply our marketing strategy to that.

Yes, jumbled words in cryptic tone, I know, but this is how I roll when I'm sorting it all out.

I need to be very clear about how to proceed here, as well as to exactly where I am proceeding to.

The current Minisodes don't really convey the right tone for what I think Monster Cops truly is, and what it maybe becoming.  I'm trying to stick to my own advice here and understand what I call the Franchise Discipline.  I know what I'm writing, but I have to be aware of how the audience is perceiving it, and how to improve upon that perception in order to truly tell the essence of this story as well as provide an optimal entertainment experience for the audience.

It's my fault of course. I went in with an idea, and could only really execute comedy with The Midnight Special. With these next few episodes, I was able to convey a little more of the action, horror, and drama. But now I need to clarify that although there is comedy here, this is not all we have to offer. There is horror here. There are Monsters here, and there is Gravitas and Depth for you to experience, even if on more subtle levels.

Yes, Patrick, but could you get any deeper about this?

Hey, I can't help it. I'm trying to make something real here. Well, as real as the illusions will allow.

So yes, I'm about to do a bit of filmmaking Feng Shui in this Moviemaking House.

"I feel like in telling stories, there are the things the audience thinks are important, and then there are the things that are actually important."

- JJ Abrams

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

WIlford Brimley is staring at me

My wife randomly cut out a picture of him from a diabetes ad and stuck to my bulletin board next to my desk. I didn't realize it was there for a while. When I finally noticed it it kinda scared me. I jumped a little bit. Nothing like Wilford Brimley staring you down to start your day.

Happy Father's Day to all you Father's out there. And to those that have lost your Dad's too soon, I'm so very sorry and hope today passes with a bit of ease. I know how Mother's Day is for my wife since she lost her mom, and it makes me feel for anyone who has to go through such pain. I'm very thankful my parents are still alive, although I haven't seen them in years. One of these days I'll be able to make the trek to go see them and the rest of my family.

It's been an adventurous few days. There was the PeeWee Herman incident. If you haven't seen the last few posts, I will break it down. I tweeted I was going to make a ball of foil (this is for an ad for Poptent.net). Molly Bendall (twitter friend and fellow blogger) re-tweeted it to PeeWee. PeeWee re-tweeted it and posted it on his Facebook. Then my inbox, Twitter, and Facebook exploded with messages about the coolness of making a giant foil ball. Then I made the foil ball with pictures and Blogged and Vlogged about it, after which PeeWee retweeted and reposted on Facebook. My site immediately got over 700 hits (which is way more than the normal 30) and it's still going today.

So thank you Molly and PeeWee for the attention. Please see the previous Blog post, and take a gander at that Vlog Here.

And by all means, check out Molly's Blog as well.

And of course the site of the great supercool PeeWee Herman.

Rest assured I will be adding to the foil ball to make it super gigantic. And YES I will use recycled foil as well as recycle it once I have no use for it.

Speaking of Vlogs (was I?)

Here's the latest one for Monster Cops. Yes it is indeed more of me begging for money for our kick ass Horror Comedy Web Series.




Currently I am editing a new Minisode, prepping for the next Episode, and trying to get more pledges into our FUNDRAISER, so we can cover some costs including the fees and what not to get our submission into the New York TV Fest. I am submitting the episode Monsters Vs. Cops as a pilot to display that our series would indeed be great on TV. You can watch that episode HERE.

Thank you so much to our recent backers it is a huge help, but of course we still need more. So please if you can CLICK HERE TO SEE OUR INDIEGOGO FUNDRAISING PAGE. You make a pledge, you get great rewards, including the Monster Cops DVD coming this Fall.

Other than that, I am working on doing some guest blogging for the International Trailer Festival. I blog about moviemaking all the time, but of course now that I need to, I'm running dry. It's cool, I've got a few things I hope they'll like. I mean, if I'm going to be a geek about moviemaking might as well share it with everyone right.

Other than that, I've been doing camera research. For the longest time I've been pulling for the Canon HV40, but now I'm thinking about DSLR's. The HV40 price has gone up, so I might as well go DSLR and get a Rebel. The Rebel has really been impressing me. If I want more affordable then I could get the Olympus Pen E-PL1, but the video I'm seeing is only impressive in diorama mode. The jelloing effect is bad even in slow pans. Still pictures look great, but I'm looking for HD Video. So right now, I'm all about the Canon Rebel T2i.

Of course, this is me day dreaming. I have a decent camera to work on my web series. First things first, get Monster Cops going and as much content produced as possible, get that DVD out, then we can worry about cinematic cameras and my next feature film.

Again, it comes back to pledges. We need the funding to supplement production costs, setup screenings, screen at fests, and market the heck out of this series. So please check out MONSTER COPS, and if you like what you see, help us out, pledge and or spread the word.

Ok, I swear, Wilford Brimley just winked at me.

The Giant Ball Of Foil (Pics and Video)

So here it is.

The Giant Ball Of Foil.

I was hoping it would be bigger, but hey, I could only afford so much foil. But I WILL continue to add to it. Eventually I'd like to have a Foil Ball big enough to reenact the boulder scene from Raiders Of The Lost Ark.

Again, special thanks to Molly Bendall (mo11ymonkey) for retweeting it to PeeWee Herman (peeweeherman) who then retweeted it and posted it on Facebook. It was kind of neat that happened. Ah the power of the interwebs.

Could I look any stupider. Yes I probably could.

And now the Video Blog of how the Ball Evolved.

I Totally

just got re-tweeted by Pee Wee Herman. Special thanks to mo11ymonkey for re-tweeting me first.

All because I stated I was going to make a huge ball of foil. Which I actually am. It's for an ad. Which I hope goes over well, but hey, it's kinda all I got right now. So again, do what you can.

Alright, continuing the list, house cleaning, editing, re-writes, running errands, and the such.

Perhaps there will be a real blog later.

How're They Gonna Get Out of This Bucket of Syrup?

I am going to bed now. And when I wake up, I will finish the rest of my to do list from today.  Also, I will figure out where this $100 will come from.  What $100 you ask? Why the $100 dollars I didn't realize that I needed before next wed in order to get all the materials and pay the fees I need to pay to get Monster Cops to the New York TV Fest.  The fee is $50. Which I have part of, but as I need to make 5 DVD copies and a couple of data discs with some press materials, I realize I don't have enough disks. So I need to scrounge up the money to get said disks. And lets not even talk about packaging and shipping. I swear these things add up. The money I am getting will not be coming til well after I need to send this stuff off. So the curse of the NYTVF may strike again. Seems like every year it's something. Like fate will not allow me to submit and or screen there.

Hmm. I will figure something out. Hopefully we can get more pledges in and I can cover these costs.  Thank you to those backers who have pledged so far. It has been a huge help. I was able to get monstercops.com transferred and paid for, and hopefully soon this means we can move to a better (or at least temporary) server, with way less problems.

We'll see what happens. Good night and good luck.

As I Wait For My Re-Intergration

My iTunes just started playing Skunk Anansie "Selling Jesus." It's a song off the soundtrack for the movie Strange Days. I played that soundtrack to death back in the mid nineties. Strange Days was a movie not everyone liked, but totally knocked me out. I loved it. It became a prime example of the kind of movie I was trying to model after. It's a movie you can't really put your finger on. Is it SciFi, is it Action, is it a Thriller, is it a social commentary on race as well as technology? It's a movie that qualifies for all of the above. Directed by Kathryn Bigelow from a story by James Cameron and a script by James Cameron and Jay Cocks. It obviously has that Cameron complexity that I love so much. It's never just one thing with him. It's gotta have equal parts thrills, technology, and romance, all wrapped up in an action plot. And with Kathryn Bigelow at the helm, it was bound to be an amazing ride.

A great cast with some great performances. Ralph Fiennes does well as our hero, and Angela Basset is just a total bad ass in this movie. I will say that if you're not in the right mind set, you may not like it. It does have something to say about race and social problems in general, but for me it really adds to the tension of the movie. It gives you the extra layer of depth, and enhances the big finish. The tension totally put me on edge, as I wasn't sure how this movie was going to have a happy ending.

This movie blew me away. It made me excited to write, because this movie was an example of something a little bit different at the time but still had a bit of that detective noir mixed in with a not so futuristic setting. Like Blade Runner on speed mixed with a little crystal meth. This movie comes to mind because of recent scripts of mine I keep coming back to. Right now I'm juggling so much and I needed to think of something to shock me back into the right frame of mind. It's been a heck of a week.

The first time I saw this trailer it blew me out of the water. I distinctly remember watching this for the first time in the theater and just being in awe. It really made me want to just fuckin jump out of my seat and go make a goddamn movie! As a matter of fact I did. It was called Vampire Killer, but that's another story.

Goddamn this trailer blows my mind. I watched it every chance I got back then on VHS tapes, and I do so now, thanks to YouTube.



Strange Days (Long Trailer)

Bigger Than My Body

Nothing else to do but move forward.

Aside from a few side adventures today (Being sidetracked by a power outtage, and later the ongoing coverage from E3, some exciting stuff) I tread forward. With what must be done.

I've been assured by our make up artist that the supplies for the fx work for the big baddy in our next Monster Cops episode has been secured. I also am putting some production in motion with a second unit to get some B-Roll shots. And I'm laying down the layers for the new episode in the editing timeline in Vegas. The big plan, even without the major money, is to get the next 2 episodes done and possibly 3 so we have at least 4 to 5 episodes on this DVD we will put out in the fall.

I've also been in contact with a few theaters to hold some local (all over the triad, NC) screenings, still waiting on info from one more theater. We'll have AT LEAST one local screening near Winston Salem, NC.

Already got one backer in for IndieGoGo. If we can get a few more in then I won't really have to worry about the domain name disappearing in the next few weeks, and I can cover the cost to submit to the New York TV Fest. I would love to finally screen a Monster Cops episode there. Especially Monsters Vs. Cops, I think it would go over well with a big TV going crowd.

My main concern right now, other than money, is producing something a little more accessible with Monster Cops. Meaning, I know that if you see a video is around 20 minutes on the internet, you're bound to pass it up. If you really do want to watch this video, you have to make time for it, and you run the risk of forgetting.

Monsters Vs. Cops is 21 minutes long. Either you already like Monster Cops, or you're already looking for something long form to watch. If not, we lose you. Because with all the crap out there, 21 minutes is alot to ask of your normal internet goer. It's the reason I decided to do Minisodes, but the Minisodes are "cute" and are not a true representation of what Monster Cops is.

The key here is to, of course, create something that is so entertaining and epic that people will want to watch it. But at the same time, make it convenient for people to watch time wise. Yes, I'm talking about the very essence of the "Viral Video." We have yet to create any such videos and I feel Monster Cops lends itself to that very essence, or at the very least, has that potential, if we hit it right. I actually tested this theory with this upload.

I cheated a bit with that video. I placed the words "REAL" next to "WEREWOLF" just to see if it would at least get people to watch the whole clip. Which it did. 1 year later 112,000 views. This picked up in the last year since the topic of Werewolves had increased in popularity. Seems to have picked up quite a bit just in the last few months as well. And please see the comments on that upload. Very entertaining stuff.

The point is, I know there are alot of people who know and like Monster Cops, but I'm also aware that many of those people haven't taken the time to watch our episodes, mainly because they're just too damned long. So we have to make better quality Minisodes at less than 5 minutes, and make them true to the essence of Monster Cops. Comedy of course, but more Horror, more Monsters, more outrageousness. This will hopefully lead them to want to watch our other content.

So that's sort of the plan for Dead By Dawn. The episode itself is 17 minutes. But we'll do a 4 minute version to circulate. As I said at the top, I'm already moving on that. I'm also looking at 3 plots that would make better Minisodes. Alot of work to do, and I only hope we can get more pledges in. The more money, of course, the better chance we have of completing all this during the summer.

Working on that Teddy Bear ad was a tease. I know what I saw in my head, and I like what I had created, but in the end it still is just a "cute" little commercial. I think it's very much a case of "what I see in my head is bigger than the tools I have", but this is no one elses problem but mine. There is a part of me, that knows I can create some really great stuff with what I have. I know, I know, I've heard it before "But Patrick you've already created some great stuff with what you have." Yes, I know, but when I say GREAT, it's not anything I can really explain to you. The GREAT in my head is bigger than anything I've made or could ever convey with words. I have to show it to you.

I'm just looking forward to really showing you these stories. My body can barely catch up with my brain sometimes. Somehow, I'll find a way to get there. Right now I can only do what I've always done, do the best with what I've got.

Back to editing. I've got some possible ad assignments to consider. And I've got Vlogs to shoot.

A lot of life is dealing with your curse, dealing with the cards you were given that aren't so nice. Does it make you into a monster, or can you temper it in some way, or accept it and go in some other direction?
--Wes Craven

Plog: power outtage, bacon, lists, and a time for contemplation.