Shorts, Daggers, and Research

Greetings, one and all! After a fair amount of real life obligations took up the first half of the week, inspiration struck toward the end and, after a bit more work on the mock trailer idea, we shifted over to work on the promotional short proper. The focus was on capturing the atmosphere and themes we hope to convey.

Next up, the team met again on Sunday, and trained in the fundamentals of dagger play…

While occasionally chaotic, as befitting the discipline, there was still a fair amount of progress made.

Lastly, with the summer’s path loosely framed in, we turn our minds toward quickly and effectively creating the visual elements we’ll need to really sell the idea and the world. This means… more research. A lot more. So I’ve been reading up and watching tutorials on everything from modelmaking to simulating aerial explosions. Lots of fun.

Well, that’s about all for this week. Until next time!

Preparing a Prologue

Greetings, one and all! This week we were able to get through most of the Block 7 music, as well as reviewing Block 9. On top of that, after a bit of experimentation on both ends of script writing, the rough availability for the team started trickling in, which strongly leans us toward the prologue and mock trailer idea, so that’s where we are at the moment. At the time of writing, we’re working through what would be in the mock trailer, so we know what elements can be included in the prologue, so that we won’t be doing a lot of work for only three seconds of screen time, in the case of say a set piece.

Sunday the team met again, and this time choreographed a fight scene for the prologue idea: An ambush at the dig site.

Focusing on unexpected levels of imbalance, the scuffle was short, chaotic, and “really fun” according to at least three of the participants. As an observer, I enjoyed I quite a bit, myself.

Well, that’s about all for this week. Until next time!

Music, Writing, and Plan C

Greetings, one and all! It’s with some pleasure that I’m able to announce that we’re into Blocks 5 and 6 of music revision, despite working around extensive real life interruptions. We’ve assessed all the way through Block 8 out of 9, and thankfully the changes appear to be less seismic in nature as we approach the near-present again.

Next up, we crossed the deadline for finding our final lead without success, and the aforementioned logistics issues brought on by excessive day to day life changes, which launched us into Plan B, which was an attempted rewrite of the script for less locations and a smaller cast. However, the missing character is very important to the plot, and removing him renders about half the characters we do have pointless, thus we’re basically writing a totally different script at that point. So on to Plan C, which is developing and writing a prologue for the movie, which would be able to use the actors and characters we already have. As a sort of Option B to the plan, we're also attempting to write a short fantasy web series centered around our current actors and stunt team, just in case the logistics of the prologue prove to be too steep.

Lastly, Sunday saw a reconvening of the stunt team, this time exclusively with people who have been here for more than a year. We took advantage of this opportunity, and choreographed a hypothetical fight scene for Plan C, Option B…

The fight was fun, and the stunties are really stepping up their game when it comes to timing and speed.

Well, that’s about all for this week. Until next time!  

A Musical Brief

Greetings, one and all! This week put us in a bit of limbo, as we waited for the results of various attempts, tests, and inquiries. On top of that, real life continues to intrude, so progress was slower and more cerebral in nature. Despite that, good progress was made on the music front, finishing the second batch of revisions, and assessing the third (very large) batch of edit blocks for whatever improvements were needed. As of the time of reading we should be deep into those revisions.

It’s been quite a ride to revisit our earliest work, and see just how much we’ve grown in our skills and sensibilities about music and the score in the last year or so.

Well, that’s about all for this week. Until next time!

First Readings, and First Fights

Greetings, one and all! So this week was heavily focused on assessing logistics, particularly for the needs of the week itself. This was largely thanks to the fact that it was Spring Break, so we spent a fair amount of time trying to arrange extra practices. However, we do have a very busy team, even without school, so in the end we had one giant script reading…

The actors on the team have shown great growth in their screen acting capacity, and I’m very proud of their progress. Good job, one and all!

Lastly, the stunt team met again Sunday, and, after some review, we threw the newest members into their first choreography session.

It was, quite predictably, a ball of chaos, but everyone had fun, (or perhaps I should say “which means everyone had fun,”) and the important lessons were learned. It was also a pretty entertaining thing to watch.

Well, that’s about all for this week. Until next time!

Casting and Crashing

Greetings, one and all! Well, in a spot of big news, we have three of the four lead and major actors cast for our next project. We’re in crunch time, with another yet to find, but this does give us room for hope.

Next up, the process of music composing and prop making have continued, if a bit slowly. We’re well into Block 3 on the music revision, and the final prologue sword has been completed.

Lastly, the stunt team met again for Injuries 102, and the beginnings of single sword.

While the day felt long, as it will when you’re jarring your innards more than usual, and even the instructors are sore this morning, everyone did well, and we can move into the Spring Break meets with confidence.

Well, that’s about all for this week. Until next time!

Small Arms and Taking the Hit

 Greetings, one and all! Despite real life interruptions, the second week of heavy music revision has drawn to a successful close, wrapping up the revision of Blocks 1 and 2. As of writing we are now queuing up Blocks 3 through 5 for review.

Next up, the stunt dagger for one of our major characters has been completed, and the two blades for the prologue sequence are in various stages of hilt attachment and stain curing. On top of that, the first test pieces of a new armor design have been cut out, and the concealed sidearm of another character has been finished.

Lastly, the team met again Sunday, and put the new trainees through parrying review, how to do a proper thrust, and the first step of the acting side of being a stuntie: Injuries 101, focusing on taking a hit and selling it in unarmed combat.

It was a fun day, and people were certainly warming to the dramatic violence by the end. All in all, a solid week, and a good day to cap it off.

Well, that’s about all for this week. Until next time!