Scout and Reroute

Greetings once again! After Thanksgiving Day, we swung back into production for the short, scouting out locations on Friday. However, there was a hiccup, as the primary locations we'd been planning on were rendered unusable by various seasonal issues. Fortunately, we were able to find new locations, fairly close to both our staging place and each other. So it's a go for this coming week.

Sunday, we practiced the fights some more, and costumed our actors and stunties.

The leads took the weapons home for more practice, and stress-testing. (Conclusion: they need some help.) All in all, a good bit of work. The shoot dates have been locked, so now we pray for favorable weather.

That's about all for this week. Until next time!

A Filmmaker Gives Thanks

Over the last few years, Thanksgiving week has generally been fairly slow for us. Not so this year. This time around, we find ourselves in the middle of preparation to shoot a short. One with two fight scenes, no less. It's a busy time of year, with jobs and school, and all of the preparations for both Thanksgiving and Christmas. Nonetheless, the team is as consistent as ever, working through what needs to be done in preparation for the shoot. So I guess I just want to pause during this week where it is our tradition to give thanks, and express my gratitude for all of you who have joined me on this crazy adventure that is filmmaking. I'm thankful for your steady commitment, your humor, and your spirit, as we engage in some very unusual activities in very strange places.
As we prepare for the shoot, I want you, and everyone else who reads this, to know that I'm thankful for each and every one of you.

Happy Thanksgiving to one and all! See ya next week.

Casting the Confrontation

Greetings once again!

This week the short script was finalized, and we began the casting process. After a reading session, the potential candidates were narrowed down, and now we move into a workshopping period.

 

    

Here we refine both the dramatic and combat performances, in order to determine the best match-up to place in front of the camera. While it may be certifiably insane to attempt this in the late fall, with contrary weather and conflicting schedules, we nonetheless soldier on.

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

Project Ho!

It is with no small degree of joy that I announce that we are in the process of developing a short intended for release by the end of the year. Unlike most of our work, this one has a slightly more... villainous bent. While the actors are still un-cast, the team has been preparing the opening fight scene, and working through the technical aspects of the process.

Well, that's about all for this week, more details to come as the project develops. Until next time!

The Nine Isles Come to Lebanon

Well, that was wild. Monday we set up shop downtown, preparing for the annual trick or treating event put on by the businesses of Lebanon. As mentioned before, we had been asked to do something to make the local book store memorable. So we transformed a bit of it into a fantasy tavern, and played characters from our fantasy universe of the Nine Isles.

Then the floodgates opened.

Hilarity ensued as a thousand or so kids and parents flowed through the scene over the course of two hours. While some of us worked to feed the kids through, give them their candy, and avoid a pileup on the way, the rest kept up a lively conversation in the midst of it all. I think the parents enjoyed it as much as, if not more than, their kids. Even after the candy was gone, they still brought their kids through, just for the experience.
All in all a successful venture. Now to see if they will remember our name...

Anyway, that's about all for this week. Until next time!