(Not) 100 Movies

So I was watching Die Hard a few weeks ago -- about two days after I announced the whole 100 Movies thing, and I realized, "This movie easily makes my top 100." And then I thought about how many movies I don't have on my list yet, and the fact that it would probably take me over a year to post all 100 entries. By then, my list will have changed. Movies I post about one week may not even be on the list six weeks later, and by the end, I'll probably have added a lot of additional movies to the list.

Not to mention I have other projects going that are more important. So I'm going to put "100 Movies" on hold for now.

What have I been doing on this month-long hiatus? Editing. If you've been following Disposing Dwight, you'll be glad to hear that in the past week I've edited over three minutes, and it's turning out a lot better than I originally hoped. I still need to shoot the additional scenes I missed in June, and I'm also compiling a list of extra shots I need for the scenes I already have. Right now the list is about a page long, ranging from "Timmy smiles, eyes twinkling" to "the head explodes on the pavement, blood and brain splattering everywhere (in slow-motion)".

I'm also writing a few more things -- I finally got around to putting ACMD on paper. It's a script my friend and I have been developing for about four months. We finally finished a pretty solid outline and now we're moving on to writing the actual story. I'm just barely into it so far, but once I get rolling I should be able to knock out the first draft in a couple weeks. It's something I hope to film someday, but we'll see... it all comes down to the budget.

Anyway, I'm trying to get Disposing Dwight wrapped so I can move on to another project. I hope to shoot another film this June, the same month we shot Dwight. I'm not sure what it'll be yet, but it'll be much more ambitious, which means I'll need all previous films totally finished so I can give more attention to my new film.

That's all for now... Couple reviews coming soon, maybe, among other things. I'll post a rough scene from Disposing Dwight soon so you guys can see my progress so far.

Disposing Dwight making progress - for real this time

Since I upgraded to Mac, I also upgraded to Final Cut Pro X. I got the software the other day, and I think I have the hang of it now.

I'm transferring all 692 video clips over to my new computer right now. It's a long process... but I'm getting there.

From here, I'll start arranging the clips in order, find out which scenes/shots are missing, then I'll go out and shoot the remaining portions of my magnum opus.

I don't really have a release date yet, but it'll be done before June. I'm doing another film in June. More to come-- maybe even a short scene, when I get it done.

Time Flies Like an Arrow

So much for new years resolutions, huh? But everybody says that. I said I'd update this blog weekly, but... Yeah... I figured I had to post something, so here's a rambling mishmash of what's been going on lately.

Honestly there isn't much to say. I know I've made a lot of these kinds of posts lately, but really... there's not much to tell. The new top-secret screenplay is, uh... making some progress, I guess. It's gone through a lot of plot changes lately, but we're still not ready to get it on paper.

It takes time to get dialogue this good!

On a somewhat related note, Malcolm is definitely moving forward. After pretty much shelving the idea completely, I recently revisited the script and found it was much better than I thought. It still need a lot of work though... rewrites, some big changes... and I'm even considering changing the whole direction of the story. But I'm planning on shooting whenever Disposing Dwight is done.

Editing on Disposing Dwight is... coming along. I was making some progress originally (the first two scenes were pretty much done) but I recently upgraded to Mac (Christmas) which means I'll have to re-edit the film on my new software.

If you're wondering (probably not), I was originally using Avid Studio on HP with Windows 7. Now I'm trying to decide on Adobe Premiere Pro or Final Cut Pro X. Either way, I'll have to re-edit those few completed scenes.

Swaaaag

Also, an html-programming-tech-magic-wizard-guru friend of mine is developing an official site for Screenriff Productions (if that's the name we stick with). Now I just need some completed films!

The site isn't online yet, but it's gonna be cool when it is. I'll probably keep this blog for updates/reviews/life (everything I normally do) and use the other site for posting my work and contact info.

Lotta work ahead... but hey, the sooner Disposing Dwight is in the can, the sooner I can start on whatever next project I decide on. I've got some ideas, but nothing close to completion. Lots of really promising beginnings of stories, if I do say so myself. Now I just need to get around to finishing one.

I'm planning on shooting whatever it is by June (Disposing Dwight's one-year anniversary! Dang!!), as well as another short by fall. That'll be three "real" short films under my belt, which means I'll be ready to move on to bigger projects (I hope). I'm not promising anything, but 2014 will (hopefully) bring a feature film. Yeah, man!!

The Importance of Storyboarding

I'd heard in the past about directors who didn't storyboard and figured I'd try it with Disposing Dwight. After all, it was a simple enough script. All I had to do was point the camera on my actors and have them say lines.

Besides, a storyboards is a lot of work. It would take time to draw out every shot of the movie. Time I didn't have, since the last draft of the script was completed a few days before shooting.

The make-it-up-as-you-go method didn't work out so well. Sure, there were some pretty cool shots (mainly accidental) but if I could reshoot it, I'd use a storyboard. Not that my shots are bad or anything, but because a storyboard would have made life so much easier on set.

Which I why I made this to use for reshoots:

It's not much, but when it's 98° outside and your actors are threatening to quit, there's a huge difference between "not much, but something" and "no idea at all".

This is the opening scene, by the way, something I haven't gotten around to film yet. It's just a pre-credits teaser that isn't necessary until I finish editing the rest of the film.

That's all for this time. Back to editing!

Merry Christmas

Below is my custom made Disposing Dwight Christmas ornament. (Only two in existence! Mustache not included.)

Merry Christmas!

Disposing Dwight update, part deux

Just an update on Disposing Dwight. I'm editing as I write this, and so far I'm about 3 minutes in. I know, not much progress, but I'm liking how it's turning out so far.

For now, here's a teaser trailer for the film. It started with me throwing a bunch of clips together to play around with color correction, then I found it had this interesting rhythm to it. Thus was born the greatest trailer of all time!

Please spread the word and tell everyone you know who might or might not be interested. (Basically, give me free advertising.)

On a related note, I started writing The Making of Disposing Dwight last night. It's a short book chronicling the story of Disposing Dwight, from when our first script fell through and we were forced to make Dwight instead, to completion of the film... or at least, as complete as it is right now. I'll also include the complete 28-page screenplay in the back of the book, for those of you who are just dying to read it.

I'm planning on self-publishing some copies and including a disc of the finished film. I'll give them out to family and friends who are interested, but you'll probably have to chance to order copies online as well.

Also, I'm currently co-developing a feature film, currently titled Adan Cobos Must Die until Mr. Coauthor and I can agree on a final title. (I'm actually kind of digging the current title. What's not to like?)

ACMD is best described as an all-out horror/thriller, with a healthy dose of old school camp, abundant slasher movie tropes, and aliens. Check out the first poster!

We really went all out with it.

Anyway, I don't want to get ahead of myself. We probably won't make much progress on this project until Dwight is complete, but I wanted to bring it up anyway. This is an update, after all.

More to come. I think I might make an effort to update this blog weekly, whether it be a review or  just me rambling about my numerous writing projects.

(Continue to) stay tuned!

NaNoWriMo & Killer Tomatoes

I haven't been posting much lately due to Disposing Dwight post production and NaNoWriMo. But I'll have a review up soon, as there are a many movies in my queue.

I'm choosing between Tarantula (1955), Chopping Mall (1986), Night of the Lepus (1972), Pumpkinhead (1988), Equinox (1970), Robot Monster (1953), and, of course, Attack of the Killer Tomatoes (1978).

No, really... it's a real movie.

But back to NaNo... I've changed storylines three times since starting. I began without much of a plan, deciding to just wing it for once. My first plot didn't work at all, so I switched. About ten days later, that plot wasn't working, either, and even though I was over 9,000 words in, I switched to my current idea. And I'm catching up quickly.

And I might visit my previous ideas some other time (I'll definitely write my first idea, once I can make it work). But what I've learned that if you aren't really into the idea, the project won't turn out good, no matter what.

Then again, sometimes you may like your idea so much
you forget how ridiculous it is.

For now, please enjoy this trailer for Equinox (1970). The whole reason I wanted to see this film was the pure awesome of the trailer. Not that it was a very good trailer, since I still have no idea what this film's even about-- something about a time traveling demon book with claymation dragons?-- but it looks entertaining as heck, and that's what counts.

Seriously, guys. This is what every grindhouse film should be.

Hopefully I'll get a chance to review this. More posts coming soon!

Disposing Dwight update

We filmed some more today. A few weeks ago some actors went back home (a whole state away, so it means probably no reshoots). My family spent a week sick, then a few more weeks procrastinating and trying to find an available day for filming.

We’re almost done now. I’m going to edit what we have so far, and then decide which scenes will need reshoots (if possible). It's likely there are a few scenes we may have forgotten to film, too.

I’ve edited a teaser, but so far there is no complete trailer or any full scenes of the film yet. I would post the teaser on here, but I’m not sure how well the whole copyrighted-music-thing will go over.

I do have a few posters, as well as a couple more stills from the film to tide everyone over until the release. (Hopefully this fall-- trailer by early September.)

Possibly the tamest scene in the last four minutes of the film.

How you doin'?

Ready to rock

Artsy!

Days 5 & 6 on set

There's not much to say about recent shooting. It's been incredibly hot this week, which is convenient since the script is about 50% outdoor scenes.

At least we're mostly done with shooting-- I finished all of Emma and Marie's scenes while the actors could be in town, and am planning on shooting the rest of the film by mid-July.

For now, here are some random stills from the film.

Days 3 & 4 on set

Overall the shooting is going well. We're almost halfway done, and I'm hoping to wrap shooting by the first week in July. The release will hopefully be sometime in September.

I've learned a lot about filmmaking over the week. I've gone from "Holy crap, I have no clue what I'm doing!" to "Well, off to work."

Day 3

We shot part of an interrogation scene and an entire outdoor scene, where the hitmen leave the kids beside the road in the middle of nowhere. Why would they? It's a long story.

The challenge with the outdoor scene was that we were filming the whole thing in my neighborhood at an empty wooded lot (nobody has bought it yet.) We were restricted in the camera angles we could use, since we couldn't show any houses in the frame.

Above: pretty much the only angle we could use.

Another issue was the cars. Usually there isn't much traffic in my neck of the woods, but for some reason, Wednesday was the day everyone decided to go out-and-about. Which meant about every five or so shots were interrupted by cars.

One red truck drove past about three times. On the fourth time, the driver stopped and rolled down his window. We weren't really in the mood to talk to this guy, since he'd already ruined a great take (and a great take is very rare with the actors I'm working with.)

"Did you buy the lot?" he asked. The heck was he talking about? We're kids! We can't buy the lot.

"No," I answered, "just making a movie."

"Oh," he said, and drove off.

I wondered why he'd given us such weird looks when he left.

It wasn't until later that I realized I'd been wearing my fake mustache the entire time.

He probably thought I was thirty.

Day 4

Today we shot the remainder of the kitchen scene. It's the opening scene that's taken us about three days to shoot. Don't ask why. It's not even a long scene-- it's just that dialogue isn't my actors' strong point.

Later we filmed a scene down at the nature trail near my neighborhood, where we were yelled at by a creepy guy who was with his dog in his backyard. See, the nature trail is a long concrete path through the woods. There's a neighborhood nearby, and the backyards of these houses border the trail. There's also a creek that runs in between the backyards and the trail.

There's a log that runs across the creek, and when my actor for "Jack" attempted to walk across it, the guy told him to stop.

It wasn't a big deal-- it's just kind of strange that a total stranger would even care, since the creek isn't even on his property.

You meet some weirdos in the film industry.

Adjusting our awesome mustaches.

Day 2 on set

Today was productive, as well as interesting, since we all could have died while I was setting up lights.

We started the shoot by filming some more of a scene that we didn't complete yesterday (we still didn't finish it today.) Then we set up a blue screen on my dad's car, since none of us actors can actually drive yet.

After some trial and error (and a crapload of tape) we got the screen secured.

We tried to crank the car for some air conditioning since it was a hundred degrees out and I didn't want my actors to all have heat strokes...but the car wouldn't start.

It reminded my of something from a horror movie, where the characters are being chased by a killer, and when they get in their brand new car, it all-of-a-sudden doesn't work.

Anyway, once we finally did get it to crank (you're supposed to jiggle the steering wheel), we prepared to shoot.

But then the wind blew my lights over.

They're these nice photography lights I got for Christmas, and I was annoyed that I lost one of them the first time I'd used it. So I went to clean it up, but then "Johnny" saw it, and, realizing that it was one of the swirly-florescent bulbs, informed me that it emitted toxic gas when broken, and mercury was poisoning our lungs at the very second.

Once we took care of the mess (my dad sweeped the glass up since we were all too scared to go outside) we started to shoot.

It took about an hour in all. A lot of buildup (about three hours, I think) for such a brief scene. But overall it was worth it, since I finally got to wear one of those awesome fake mustaches.

Day 1 on set

Above: Our only set photo

Like the title says--today was day one on the set of my first real short film. (We're actually using a script this time!)

Due to lack of actors available for Malcolm, I decided to write something else that I could film and only cast family members.

Thus was born "Disposing Dwight," a comedy/thriller about four kids who (accidentally) murder their friend, and set out to hide the body. On the way they run into two hit men and get mixed up in a chase to recover lost treasure. Oh yeah-- and the hit men wear fake mustaches and hair extensions.

We'll be filming for the rest of the week and then probably a few more days in July, and I thought I'd try to keep updating our progress.

So far it's going well, but hopefully we'll get better at holding a boom pole as the shoot progresses.

Today we filmed two-and-a-half scenes, and I hope to film another full scene tomorrow (plus finish our incomplete scene from today.)

Updates coming soon, as well as set photos and hopefully a teaser trailer.

For now, here's a (brief) excerpt from the screenplay:

Read it here

Also, Malcolm has not been forgotten. I'm plan to start production sometime in a few months, once I get some people together. A Halloween release would be cool.