Lilly's gun

Just sent this to Shawn, the master of PVC.

Tarina/Lilly

Though Tarina was not the first choice for Lilly and the character had to go trhough many changes, Tarina has really made Lilly come alive.

I can not WAIT until next week!

Last night it rained. My 9 year old, Zack, said, "Why don't you put a plastic tarp over the chalk walk image and duct tape it down." So he and my wife did that and it survived the rain. Many pieces did not survive.

When I arrived today to work on it I found that the IDIOT security dorks had driven over several chalk pieces (mine as well) and ruined them. My image survived the rain, but their golf cart tore back some of the tarp and allowed water to damage Lincoln's face and several other areas.

I spent 12 hours total on the image...I'm hosed.

Can't wait to shoot next week...bummed that I only have 3 weeks left. As the french say, "Such is life." Only they say it in french.

Below is the damage that the security caused when they drove over the tarp. What a bunch of wankers!



A few action photos of me drying out in the heat...




Finally done!

New banner and poster...

been working on a new banner and poster...should be up by Sunday.

A good day!

We got to Main Street at 8:00 am and I painted my 8 ft x 8 ft square with white tempera. Last year some one used Acrylic and the white square was there for about six months.



Then I unloaded the proper gear. Pastels, charcol, gloves, rags, liquid refreshments.



This year I am doing an image of Lincoln with two young soldiers.



I still have about 4 more hours to go and I'll do that tomorrow morning when its cooler. I stopped around 3:45 today.



Everything was going fine until the Stormtroopers arrived with a loan Tuscan Raider. These guys were in the parade for some reason...

It's chalk walk time again...

Every year about this time Fort Wayne has the 3 River's Festival. It's an excuse to eat bad food and listen to old bands from the 70s and 80. There's a midway full of rides I'm to big for and Carnies with small hands. But there is also the chalk walk. About 100 artists or more converge on the scalding hot cement of Main Street and we draw on 8 ft x 8 ft squares with chalk until our hands bleed or we pass out from dehydration.

Below is last year's entry.

Two cool things...

1) I had Ted and Matt doing about 75% of the shooting last Sunday and it was a tricky shoot. No matter which way you looked, there was either the house, a swing, a pile of cut wood or a burn pile with a million dollars worth of spent fireworks boxes. I have not seen all of the footage yet, but what I have seen is great. There are only two shots where they caught 'civilization' in the scene and both can be cropped or edited out.

2) One of the kids from next door asked to see the stuff we shot and so I showed him some of the web stuff. Max, my younger, said, "Doesn't my dad have a really cool movie?" That warms the heart!

Just took a few quizzes for grins...

53%

Mingle² - Free Online Dating

and

I am 85% Addicted to Coffee

Mingle² - Free Online Dating


I'm not looking for dates! I just liked the quiz.

Putting together a portfolio of costume designs for a new job that should finally make my life less stressful...and I hear thunder...lots of thunder. Life is good!

Speed up or slow down...

We had a situation this past shoot where Danielle was a little cautious about punching her advisary, Adam. He's been in the army and he can take a hit, but Danielle, desspite her hardened exterior, was a tad soft on him and the punches were coming in a bit slow. So, what to do...speed up the action? NO...then the rain falls faster and it looks fake...instead...we...slow...it...down and make it look like a slow motion shot.

Hey...this can't be right...everyone is having fun...



The beggars...






Okay...this is funny...I stuck Danielle's sword into the ground...it hadn't rained for weeks and the ground was HARD. During the scene she was supposed to pull the sword out and she couldn't...ha ha...ha...okay...I thought it was funny.




Gwen gets ready to fight the beggar...



Hi...I'm Gwen, glad to meet ya!

Tarina was fine until the water hit her...




Too bad no one ever has fun on location! Actually, this has been a great experience for my sons...Zack especially. It has boosted his self confidence as he has been able to help with props and help with the rain rack. His expression makes it all worth it!!!



Danielle...always getting hurt...



Shawn...rain wrangler...master of PVC...



Stephanie is our propmaster and now actress...



And of course here I am not living my dream and having a crap time...oh wait...I am living my dream (which started when I was ten and first saw Star Wars and wanted to make a movie) and having a GREAT TIME!!!

A few points of interest...

1) Sunday we added Stephanie to our ranks as actress (not just prop master anymore) and she did fantastic.

2) Don't give Adam sharp objects and a blind fold. As he entered the scene, he unexpectedly went into this wild thrashing bit with the weapons in his hands and missed both Sally and Stephanie by mere inches...proof that all of our actors are REALLY blindfolded as neither girl moved.

3) I've been asked by three people this week what our budget is...I counted the receipts and was happy to see that I have spent about $85.00. The trip to the vet today was way over that...we could have financed a sequel with the vet bill.

4) Watched the "director's cut" of Daredevil...what a fantastic film. Why was the other version even released?!?!? It's like "The Professional" and then watching "Leon - the Professional"

ALL IMAGES BY LANA MABBIT

(Tomorrow I'll post the photos taken with the cheap camera...)

Tho I have done a lot of directing on this film, and am doing so here, today I turned over the role of Director to Ted...we'll see...we'll see...



Adam got a lot of scrapes and cuts doing this scene...after he fell backward into a puddle of mud and ROCKS, Stephanie and Sally dragged him away...




Okay...it's me directing again...just can't help HAVING FUN AND DOING MY ART!



Gwen (Danielle) is attacked by (Core) Adam, but alas, Core thought he was going to fight an old man...he gets bruised!




This is, of course, Sally doing what she does best...acting before she dies...




This is the scene where Core (Adam) has been bested by Gwen and Quil (Stephanie) is sulking...

Got a little more done on the GARUM...

John has begun work on the DRIFTER

Started sculpting the Garum head tonight...

It's a little out of focus, but it shows scale...



This is only about an hour worth of sculpting...probably five more hours to go...



The Garum has a lot of damage to his face...lots of scratches and cuts...



"I believe that...yes, that is a cavity. A little drilling and some drugs and you'll be killing and eating villagers in no time." I plan on making the teeth out of translucent SCULPY.

Nice...

Every once and a while you get a shot that just WORKS...the new banner does just that. Ted is working on some color correction and I am extremely excited about the fact that this Sunday we will have two Canon XL1's on location...we should be able to get back on schedule. YAY!!!

color tests...

These are in the early stage and they are a bit extreme...but this is getting close to some...some of the footage we need for the film...trust me, it will all make sense...

test one



test two

It's been a long week off

We skipped filming last weekend for several reasons and I really miss it. In the mean time we...

1) adopted a four week old kitten that my wife found at a busy intersection.



2) celebrated the boy's birthdays.



3) sat out back and watched the flying squirrels.