She shoots...

...she scores!

Lilly - 2

Drifters - 0

The drifters...test one by Ted (with a wee bit of photoshop by allen)

When the Drifters take to the air, they exert a great deal of power and burst into flames...

This is fun...

Been editing...a lot!

Okay...wah...I was in a bad mood last night.

Feeling much better. Last night I was in a funk, but today I'm feeling better. Much better. Lana is getting work ready for the show...oh, did I forget to mention the SHOW? Lana is showing a bunch of photos, that she took during the production, a a local coffee shop called THE GRIND! The opening is Feb 9th at seven pm. I expect Michael Clark to be there on time. :)

About there...

I'm about half way done with the Bree and Gwen fight...I really enjoyed working with Brittany Stabler and the whole team hopes to work with her again.

Okay...I've calmed down a bit...but only A BIT!

I've been re-editing the fight between Brittany (Bree) and Danielle (Gwen). But this time I am editing it with the sound of rain and thunder as well as the FANTASTIC soundtrack provided by the sleepy red boys! It is so much fun to edit a fight to music! Having a ball, right now!

FRUSTRATED!

There is a scene in "A Fish Called Wanda" where Kevin Kline opens the safe only to find it empty and he shouts out "Disappointed!" That is where I am right now with this production. If I had a computer that could handle all of the footage, it would have been edited and done a month and a half ago. Or maybe two months ago.

Tonight, I'm just not happy at all about the progress of the movie. There are things that should have been finished weeks if not months ago and I'm frustrated. I'm sure that tomorrow I will see things in a brand new light, but let me rant this evening. I want a real computer that can handle the amount of footage we have shot so that I can get this done NOW! It is dragging on too long. We should be dubbing and adding foley by now. It's pathetic.

ps. Thanks again to Michael for delivering superior stuff! Cheer!

Workin'

Cutting, editing, moving things around and listening to music. It's all part of the gig. Ted is dropping the footage that Michael sent over into our movie. It's flowing nicely, tho slower than I'd like. Tonight I'm re-cutting the fight between Danielle and Brittany...somehow, its been misplaced.

THANKS MICHAEL!!!

I got a package in the mail today and it was a real treat. Michael sent over his effects shots and they look great. I'm only posting a little of them here because some of them I really want to keep for a surprise. Thanks Michael!

(keep in mind, these posts are low res versions...the actual stuff is really tight!)

One of Michael's gliders doing a fly-by.


The sculpture of Garault just before the storm hits!

Gotta love soundtracks...

Back in the 80s (tho my first was in the 70s) I started collecting LPs of movie soundtracks. Not the rock and roll blend like "Top Gun" and such, but soundtracks to movies like Star Wars, God Father, Raiders and the like. I would lie in bed listening to them for hours on my ginormous headphones. I have always liked soundtracks and collected a lot of them over the years. Somnambulist red has been producing our soundtrack and I am just floored by it. They have captured the mood of the movie in a way I never expected. I (and here I am a nerd) have the 'love theme' they made as a ring tone on my cell phone. Yeah, you heard right. Want to make something of it? Sorry...I had a third cup of coffee today so I'm wired.

Anyway...I got a call and it woke me from a much needed nap...as it happened, I was actually dreaming about the scene where Gwen is walking through the woods and she is utterly alone and it just hit me hard - because the music was playing on my phone and I was in that 'not-quite-awake-mode-but-aware-of-my-surroundings' state of mind.

These guys, Sean and Jay, have created a score that really moves me and has altered the feel of the movie. The image below is the best way I can describe the feeling of the music they have created.

All that's left to shoot...

All we have left is a few green screen shots...

Lilly and Switchella in the cave

Gwen – pull out from eye (if you've seen Star Trek - First Contact, you know what I mean)

Gwen – close up of hands reading the POLL

Gwen – dodging the attacks of the Garum (three, maybe four shots)

Lilly with gun shooting at Drifter (one shot over the shoulder of Lilly)

Mechanical Garum arm digging in the dirt. (not to the Peter Gabriel tune)

Once these are done (and I believe the Lunch Bunch Production Crew is going to do these) we are finished...AGAIN.

Megan was a real problem...

But not for reasons you might think. The problem was that she was EXTREMELY expressive with her eyes and they had to be 'blacked out' for the final production.

I've got the Post-Production Blues, baby!

The temperature is about 40 f and it's been raining all week. 1) where was all of this rain last summer when we needed it? I know, I know! It was screwing up "Removals" production in Scotland. That was our rain, Michael. ha ha. 2) the rain has now effectively flooded our basement...wherein lies my studio and workout room thing.

So yeah, I'm sorta bummed. I want to be editing more stuff, but my computer is so slow that it takes a year to load the footage and then it just stares back at me and laughs.

So yeah, I'm bummed. And I go back to work tomorrow. No more free Saturdays.

But wait! What's that you say? You found photos from Dan-the-man that you have not viewed in months or posted ever? Well, by all means, post those bad boys and lets get past the brooding.

So here we go. This is how Ted maintained a level of authority. NO NAPS ON LOCATION!



No...that isn't a rain soaked T-shirt I have on. I was thinking so hard that day that every sweat gland in my body erupted. Yuck. I know! Deal with it. The crew did!

...except for Megan. She told me that I stank.



I have actually lost over twenty pounds since the start of shooting! That's a good thing as I look at these images and see how fat I was...but enough about me...Let's look at Megan - the one who said I stank. Here Stephanie is helping her remove two and a half hours of make up.



Actually, she was a fantastic trooper...she came to the set with her lines memorized and she put up with all of the make up and the ice cold make up removal system...

And here we have Danielle and John at SWEATBOX STUDIO!






And honestly, does anyone really miss the ice cold water?

um..wow...what a relief...

I've been immersed in this project for over two years now and I was starting to question the final product. However, last Sunday Ted and I started putting together the edits I had been assembling. He dropped them off this evening and as I watched them, I was filled with so much excitement. IT'S ACTUALLY COMING TOGETHER! And that is a big thing right now in my life! The edited footage looks fantastic and everyone's (AND I MEAN EVERYONE'S) performances ROCK. I can't believe what I subjected these people to with the faux rain and fighting and the running through the forest blind. What a fantastic crew! This is a dream come true for me because it looks SO INCREDIBLE and we haven't even added the SPFX or color balanced the footage.

I be happy!

This is a desk top image collage I am working on...cause I be happy! Remember?

Blade Runner Review

Okay, as we ease our way through post production like an air bubble in a jar of syrup (yeah, it's going that slow) I have had the opportunity to get caught up on some much needed movie watching. And yes, as the heading reads, this is my Blade Runner review. But not just any old Blade Runner, all FIVE Blade Runners.

Yes, for those of you not in the know, there were five versions of the film and numerous well made documentaries.

1. Final Cut
2. (so called) Director's Cut
3. American theatrical Cut
4. European theatrical Cut
5. Work Print...uh, Cut

First off, I loved this movie when it first came out, though most of my friends and family did not. My biggest problem was that the film (I had it on Beta, VHS and Laser Disc) was no longer viewable after our Beta was stolen (the player, not the tape) my VHS was damaged (overplayed) and my Laser Disc was sold to buy my first DVD player. Oh sure, they had the Director's cut but it did not have the dialog and there was the stupid unicorn dream and the depressing ending. So I never bothered watching it...till now.

I popped in the Final Cut, the one Ridley Scott said was his favorite. And guess what? No narration, the stupid unicorn dream and the depressing ending. I LOVED IT! I don't know why. I then watched the American theatrical cut and kept finding myself annoyed by the constant talk over the music and sound effects. The unicorn footage no longer bothered me and I felt really good when all was over. I could have had the footage in the car without the narration at the end, but I was quite honestly fine without it.

Andrew G. has a great review as well with some images on his blog and he tackles the color changes quite well. So I won't bother. Check out the images he posted on the stunt woman with the bad wig crashing through the glass and the final cut version. FANTASTIC. Ridley also fixed the scene where Dekard is 'speaking' to the snake seller. Harrison Ford's mouth was always moving tho it was the snake seller giving up Taffy Lewis' establishment. Now, his mouth doesn't move.

And the documentaries? Excellent. They even have one where they bring in writers and such and they all give their argument as to the origins of Dekard. Is he a replicant or not. A must see.

My only disappointment was the work cut. Not really all that different. Would have liked to have seen more in it.

And now, back to the bubble.

Questions and ridicule...

The artist asks "How was it done? Can I do that? Can I improve on that? Can I do the same sort of thing, but only different-perhaps from my own unique style?"

The non artist simply makes fun of the artist and adds nothing to the joy of life. Poop on you!

I might need medication...

For some reason I think that this video is cool...AND I DON'T KNOW WHY!!!

Here's the TALKING HEADS concert movie version...

And the MTV music video...you know, back when MTV actually had music videos...

Feelin' Alright...

1) Michael has dropped his SPFX in the mail and we should be getting it soon!
2) Ron and I met and the GARUM is almost done! Now comes some green screen fun!
3) Ted and I are finally putting all of my edits together for our first rough cut!
4) I've got MUDBOX! FUN TIMES!