F47 Productions

This blog has moved

2010-04-05T12:54:00.001-07:00

This blog is now located at http://f47productions.blogspot.com/.
You will be automatically redirected in 30 seconds, or you may click here.

For feed subscribers, please update your feed subscriptions to
http://f47productions.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default.

ACCEPTED!! - Today is a good day. (Notes 27 - The Good Soldier)

2010-03-08T15:37:00.000-08:00

Just when I thought I would receive nothing but rejection, I opened my email to a welcome surprise - an acceptance message from the Cambridge International Super 8 Film Festival in England.

This is a perfect venue for this film as it will be among others that are shot on Super 8.

The film is scheduled as part of the "Panorama 2" on April 30th at Buckingham House (Murray Edwards College). That's all I know right now.

They have extended an invitation to me but at this point, I'm not sure if I will be able to make it out there or not.

Check out their website.
http://www.cambridge-super8.org/index.html

The Good Soldier - Notes 26 - Some Results and Notes

2010-02-22T08:34:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since I last posted something about the film so I'd like to give a few updates (as I wait for my slightly *adjusted* version of the film to render in Final Cut).

First some results from some of the festivals that I've submitted to....
Sundance (UT) - rejected
Slamdance (UT) - rejected
SXSW (TX) - rejected
Dam Short (NV) - rejected
Sedona (AZ) - rejected
Rutgers (NJ) - rejected
Ann Arbor (MI) - rejected
Phoenix (AZ) - rejected
Cinequest (CA) - rejected
Gen Art (NY) - rejected
Atlanta (GA) - rejected
Beverly Hills (CA) - rejected
Nashville (TN) - rejected
Method Fest (CA) - rejected
Tulsa United (nationwide) - awaiting
Rooftop Films (NY) - awaiting
Cambridge (UK) - awaiting
deadCenter (OK) - awaiting

Pretty good, huh? That's a lot of rejection! I'm almost getting used to it. The only thing I hate about being rejected is the fact that I paid anywhere from $40-60 per event to enter. And all I get in return is a form email that reads as follows:

"If you are receiving this email, we regret to inform you that your entry has not been selected for the 2010 (Insert Name) Film Festival. We do thank you for submitting your film, and we wish you success in your future endeavors.

If you have any questions, feel free to email us at ....

Sincerely,
Programming Staff of the (Insert name) Film Festival"

Isn't that great? I've received like 14 of these now - and it's always so much fun opening one. I feel my character building one form-email at a time.

So now for the good news: I haven't been rejected by everyone yet. I received a call from someone at deadCenter Film Festival yesterday saying that my screening DVD did not work. So I am making another one today to mail to them. Then they can reject me too.

But it got me thinking...what if one of the DVDs I sent to one of the many other festivals had the same issue? Would they call and ask me for another copy or would they just toss it aside? Makes me wonder. I'm thinking of contacting a few of them just to see: 1) what their policy is on non-operating DVDs 2) if they have any notes about the functionality of mine.

I would at least like to know that someone (anyone) was able to actually view the film and reject it based on it's merit (or lack thereof).

So is my ego bruised from all of this rejection? No. I need it. I like it. Really, I'm being serious here. Rarely is someone's work "accepted" first time running. And a little rejection is good to make one work harder next time. I've gone well beyond my initial goal of going from idea to movie - I never thought I would even attempt a siege of the festival circuit. And perhaps this will be a lesson to me - that I should have saved my money. But then again, I don't regret applying either. If I hadn't submitted to all those festivals I would have never known the possibility of having my film shown at one.

****
In other news - I am in the process of mastering a complete DVD which will hopefully have subtitles in English and French and possibly (if i can get around to it) a commentary track, a slideshow, and maybe other features. The goal is to get this done by Spring and get everyone who helped on the film, a copy of the film - as well as hold a private showing or two.

****
As for music rights: it's been an on-going pain in the ass resulting in stalemate. Doesn't really matter though if I'm not showing it anywhere!

The Good Soldier - Notes 25 - More Festival Submissions & Stuff

2009-12-18T19:51:00.001-08:00

This is kind of a dead period right now. It's a waiting game to see which festivals select the film as part of their show.

Good news bad news: got the word from Sundance - no go. Got the word from Slamdance, also no go. That's the bad news, I guess. But it was such a LONG shot. I mean, Sundance had 9800 submissions in the short film category alone and they selected 200. Slamdance had 5400 short film entries and selected only 100. Those are some sucky odds. But I'm not sweating it. This is a Super 8 film - I don't think either of those festivals are really the market for this type of film. I'm really hoping for a more artsy type festival - something a little more underground. With that in mind I submitted to a few more festivals.

I sent the film to a film festival in Brooklyn that screens films on rooftops - cool idea and right up my alley (see RPS). It's also going to the Dam Short Film Festival in Boulder City, Nevada. Sent it to the U.S. Super 8 Film and Digital Video Festival at Rutgers University in New Jersey; The Method Fest Independent Film Festival in El Segundo, CA; The United Film Festival series which includes several major cities.

And of course I couldn't pass up an opportunity to send it to South-by-Southwest Film Festival in Austin and last but not least the deadCENTER film festival here in OKC. I'm saving the big OKC metro debut for deadCENTER, that is, if they'll have me.

***
I am still having some issues with the music licensing side of things. They sure make it difficult to do business. I think the only organization with more hoops to jump through would have to be the U.S. government. Seriously. Do these people want to be paid for songs or not? I'm getting pretty discouraged with getting the licensing lined up. Seems like I've made all the right contacts and have some agreements here and there but each entity makes their agreement contingent upon someone elses concurrence. Frankly, it is probably good that things are still up in the air. Nothing needs to go into effect until I have a scheduled festival to show.

***
I have some other content I am working on and have even been encouraged to write or include as a DVD commentary some information about the process of making the film - sort of an educational look at doing a narrative short in Super 8.

***
Finally, I have plans to host an exclusive cast and crew showing very soon. Stay tuned.

The Good Soldier - Notes 24 - Submitted to 5 More Festivals

2009-10-22T21:20:00.000-07:00

The Good Soldier - Notes 23 - Music Licensing (& what I've learned so far)

2009-09-30T09:20:00.000-07:00

I am in the midst of yet another educational opportunity. Little did I know at the outset of this project, the nuances of music licensing for film. Sure, I knew a few things - generalities really - but what I am experiencing now is a crash-course in "How To License Music For Film."

The Good Soldier has an original score (beautifully composed by Anne-Vale Brittan, I might add) that I have permission to use, so there is no issue there. In fact, I will say up-front that creating your own music or finding/hiring someone outright to do an original piece is probably easier than all this licensing stuff. But even that has it's host of issues.

There are two songs in the film, both from the 1940s, and both require licensing. At first when I downloaded them from http://archive.org (my favorite website), I thought - AWESOME - free music! Wrong. Just because they were found for free does not necessarily make them free. Be careful in making those kind of assumptions.

I want this post to serve as a primer, of sorts, to those trying to do the same thing I am doing; license music for film festivals and possible distribution. Please keep in mind that this is something I am going through right now and I am still learning - so there may be some adjustments made to the post later depending on what happens.

There were some things that I was forewarned about early on: 1) the music industry has been known to take their time - your deadlines are not their deadlines. To a large extent I have found this to be true - with one exception, which I will get to later. 2) Customer service (i.e. being nice) is not what the music industry is known for - so don't be surprised if people get pissy with you. 3) Don't expect to get ANYTHING for free - if you think something is public domain - you're probably wrong - in fact, you probably owe someone money for the song you are about to use and you just don't know it. Do your research, make some calls, find out what you don't know and you'll be better off for it. Information is out there you just have to be willing to learn about it.

Here's the deal with public domain - "There are no sound recordings in the Public Domain in the USA. If you need a music recording - even a recording of a public domain song - you will either have to record it yourself or license a Royalty Free Music recording." (Source: Public Domain Info Project)

So where do you begin?
Take a song, any song. If you have the album you already have a lot of information about it. There are two things you need to know: who the publisher is (or sometimes songwriter) and who did the recording. The publisher/songwriter and performer can be looked up on the ASCAP website using their ACE search tool. If you can't find it there you may look at SESAC or BMI. On the ASCAP website (which is where I found my film's songs) it will give you the contact information of the publisher. Use this information to contact the publisher by phone or find them on the internet and contact them through their online form or email. Publishers want things in writing so even if you call them they will still ask you to submit a form in writing to them.

If you know the recording company - great - you're one step ahead of where I am. I am still searching for the original recording of both of my songs. I think they are owned now by Sony-BMG (which purchased the original Columbia recordings) - but I don't know for sure yet. You will need to contact the record company too, same as the publishing company.

Who am I paying for the licensing?
You pay the publisher for the song rights and the record company for the recording rights. Here's another kicker: music publishers and record companies act on a "most favored nations basis". Let's say you strike a deal with the publisher for $500 for synch rights, worldwide, for festivals. Then you contact the record company and they want to charge you $750 - well, under the most favored nations clause the publisher will raise their price to $750 to match the record company. If my hunch is right, the price always moves up, not down.

What are the licensing terms?
Terms of the license are based on a number of things: how you intend to use the song in the film, where you use the song, how many times, the duration of the song. It's also based on if you want the film to tour in the US or take it to international festivals. Price seems to double if you are going worldwide. It's also based on the popularity of the song, how it's been used in the past, and how the song fits with the film. And probably a number of other things they don't tell us about. If you intend to distribute (sell) the film they'll want to know how many copies you are going to produce and where (territory) you will be selling them. Then there is an up-front payment based on the number of copies produced.

What do the record companies and publishers need to know about your film?
Just about everything. The title, the story, the duration and how the song fits in with it. If you are using a song on the opening credits or the end credits, expect to pay more.

All this is great info but why would I pay for music?
Because I've heard stories of a person sitting in the audience at a film festival, they hear a song on the film and realize - that's their Great Uncle's song! And they wonder if Uncle So-And-So knows that his song is in a movie so they give him a call. And amazingly, he had no idea that his song was in that movie - no one ever told him or received permission. And that's too bad because, by the way, the movie sucked and it really misrepresented the song. So he decides to call up his record company and take action. Next thing you know you've paid an attorney $25K for services and reached a settlement.

That's just one reason. There are others. Bottom line is you are breaking the law if you don't license music appropriately and risk getting sued big-time.

***
As far as where I am in the process, I've heard from the publisher of one song and received a quote - $250 for one year of licensing within the US for festivals. I've had great luck with this particular publisher and they (the company) has been very responsive and helpful. They responded quickly to my inquiry and appear willing to work with me.

I am waiting to hear back from the record company and see what their price is going to be - I'm guessing the $250 range per song. I am also waiting for Warner-Chappell music to call me back with an estimate on the other song. In all, I'm guessing that it's going to cost me somewhere around $1000 in total to use the songs in the film (for one year in festivals). My experience thus far has been good.

Yes, I had an initial sticker shock.

You always come back to the question: is it worth it? And what are my alternatives?
That's really a question that you have to weigh for yourself and your project. In terms of this film, I feel it is worth it. Music licensing is something I completely overlooked in my initial film budget - but it was one of those variable that I didn't know how to quantify so I cast it to the back of my mind, at the time. In the future, I will be better prepared and anticipate the licensing issue.

There are alternatives to licensing the two songs: I could choose to not use the songs at all or I could work the original score into other sections of the film. But the songs are genuine 1940s pieces and they add an authentic element to the film that I really want - I feel that progress the story and the tone. So for me, it is important enough to accept the cost and include them.

On an editorial note, I don't think many individual filmmakers understand the ins-and-outs of the music industry and licensing. It's not something we want to deal with or think about. Furthermore, the music industry as a whole makes it difficult to license films. If there were a central clearing-house that was sort of a one-stop-shop it would be much easier and I think filmmakers would be more likely to follow through on licensing. Unfortunately, it is difficult to follow the rules because it's not clear what they are, communication with the publishers/record companies is lacking, and every company seems to have their own protocol.

Hopefully, this post has been helpful to someone out there in the same boat as I.

Here are some helpful links to get you going:
ASCAP
SESAC
All Music
Sound Exchange http://www.pdinfo.com/index.php
Public Domain Information Project

The Good Soldier - Notes 22 - GOAL ACHIEVED - Submitted to Sundance

2009-09-22T19:40:00.000-07:00

Let's go back to November, 2008 when I posted this. At that time this was nothing more than an idea. That's it. An idea. I came up with this wild idea to write and produce a film with the ultimate goal of submitting it to Sundance by the deadline for the 2010 exhibition. Yesterday, that goal became a reality when the film was received by Sundance on the final day for short film submissions.

The amount of money I spent pursuing this dream was nothing compared to what I gained from the experience. This was my film school.

People ask me, "Where did you come up with the idea to make a movie?" I don't know how to answer this. It's always been there. It's just something that I have always wanted to do. Those of you who are climbers understand this drive in terms of climbing: what makes you want to climb? It's just desire. What more can explain it?

I learned more about the process of filmmaking, creating, directing, and cinematography than I have in all of the books and articles I've read and classes/seminars I've attended. There is no education like experience.

I have to thank everyone that has so generously dedicated their time, their resources, their advice, their insight, their knowledge and their energy into this project. I am indebted to you all and look forward to helping you with your creative endeavors. I sincerely thank you - you deserve an enormous amount of credit for everything you've done and I hope that, in some way, this film, this experience, is a means to propel you in the direction of your own goals.

For those of you out there considering making your own movie - either in film or video (I've made clear that there is a difference, right?) - I hope that this online journal has provided some idea of what the process is like. I know when I started searching online for information about the day-to-day activities that occur in the making of a film i found it difficult to find much online. Most sites and books cover the bigger picture of shooting a movie - and those are great, as well as necessary - but sometimes you want more on-the-ground nitty-gritty information about what it's really like and what you can expect. Undoubtedly, every project is going to be slightly different in terms of the experience - this was just my experience - but maybe knowing my experience will make it less like driving in fog when you head out on the road to make your own film (sorry for the corny metaphor).

All of that said....let's move on.
This is only the beginning. I want people to see this thing!

I'm working on more film festival submissions. And I'm working on securing music rights for a couple of songs in the film. After that is settled I will begin showing the film locally and (hopefully) some indie-distribution. My goal was never to make money on the film - but I'm not saying it wouldn't be nice to pay myself back for my efforts! Plus, it could mean the chance to make another film. But let's not get ahead of ourselves....

The Good Soldier - Notes 21 - Music Score, More Editing, and Sundance

2009-09-18T22:01:00.000-07:00

At this point I'm really too tired to write anything. But you can tell by the title of this post that a lot is going on. I've been working on the film nearly all day every day this week. We recorded the score on Thursday night. It adds an entirely new dimension to the film. It's amazing.

I am holding a private test screening for a few people. This should help me get an idea of the type of reactions the film generates. After that I may make more changes before the next festival submission.

The deadline for Sundance is Monday and it looks now that I WILL have it there on time.

More later...

The Good Soldier - Notes 20 - Rough Cut Complete

2009-09-11T19:16:00.000-07:00

Spent hours yesterday staring at the computer screen, editing like mad. The result is a finished rough cut of the film. It checks in at 26:56. A rough cut is basically what it sounds like; it's an assembled version of the film from start to finish. The dialogue is present but lacks polish, there are no titles, no credits, most of the sound f/x and the music/score are missing, and very little audio mixing. So why is this meaningful at all? Because all the major shots are there and the story is told from beginning to end. It gives me (and others) and good working copy of the film from which to complete the remaining elements.

This morning I met with Anne-Vale, the woman composing and overseeing the creation of the score for the film. I presented her with the rough cut and she will use this to complete the musical elements.

The actual score will be recorded on Thursday, 9/17 and I will be there. Can't wait to experience that part of the process.

So the work that remains includes creating and adding sound f/x, adding the score, mixing the audio, doing some further editing and rearranging to cut some time out of the film (I'd like to get it below the 25 minute mark), and adding titles and credits. I also have a bit of additional ADR work which means a brief session in the studio again. Finally, I need to burn it to DVD and prepare the submission forms.

More good news - caught a break in terms of the Sundance deadline. Apparently, I was looking at the deadline schedule for 2009 instead of the 2010 festival. It is actually on Monday, 9/21. This opens up a small doorway for me to have the film there by the deadline.

So the plan is to hammer away at editing this week - get everything in place and polished. Get the score on Thursday evening. Add it on Friday. Maybe do some more fixing up on Friday and even Saturday. Have a test viewing on Saturday. Any additional corrections on Sunday along with burning the disc. Submit it same-day-air to LA on the final deadline date on Monday.

The Good Soldier - Notes 19 - Still Editing

2009-09-08T21:43:00.000-07:00

This is what editing in Final Cut Pro looks like.

Today I made amazing progress. I edited footage from the end of scene 12 up through scene 28, that's out of a total of 33 scenes. Some scenes are longer than others - technically speaking - some are more sequences than scenes. Number 33 is the longest and most involved because it contains so many different elements.

I have synced together a good portion of the dialog along with the footage, it makes it easier to select the best takes and get a feel for the story. The sound quality is going to need some additional work in terms of mixing and layering in sound f/x and music. But I am getting closer with each step. It's beginning to look like an actual film!

The first deadline and my original goal (to submit to Sundance for 2010) is quickly approaching - it's Sept 19. I think I can have the film cut by then but the score is another story. There's some issues with reserving recording space that may or may not work out. I'm at the point now where I can see that this project IS going to get done. Now it's just a matter of, will it be done this month or next month?

The next big festival that I am planning on entering is Slamdance. It runs the same time as Sundance (and also in Park City, UT) but their regular deadline is Sept 30 and then their late entry deadline is Oct 30. So I'm confident that I can hit the Oct one at the latest and maybe even the Sept one. Another thing: in my research of the two festivals I think Slamdance may be the better festival for this film and for me. It is geared for new filmmakers, they accept more shorts, and generally speaking, it seems like a way more laid-back festival and perhaps a better first-time festival experience. I probably have a better shot at getting it accepted at Slamdance too.

So does that mean I'm giving up on Sundance? Well, not really. We'll just see how it goes - if it gets done in time, it gets done in time, if not, so be it.

The Good Soldier - Notes 18 - Editing begins

2009-08-26T08:48:00.001-07:00

Editing officially began last night. Out of 1.5 hours of work I got 1 minute of (un)finished footage. That ain't a good ratio. But I was sort of just messing around with different cuts - trying to refresh my memory about how editing goes. Once I get moving I think things will go fairly well.

After today I will know better what to expect.

As far as the sound - there are several places where I need to do some foley work.

So I'm going to get to work now...

The Good Soldier - Notes 17 - Film Processed & Transferred!

2009-08-24T20:12:00.000-07:00

From The Good Soldier Production Photos

Let me see if I can put all of this into perspective. I had this idea. I wrote this story. I found some brilliant and motivated people to help. I shot this movie and learned a ton.

I just returned from Burbank, CA where I saw the developed film for the first time. I sat in on the transfer process where they take the film from its "film" version to a digitized copy; files on a hard drive.

I sat in amazement as I watched reel after reel of incredible black and white footage scroll by. I am so impressed what this collaborative effort of filmmaker, cast, and crew has brought us.

The entire staff at Yale Film & Video did an awesome job and I am so grateful that I selected them to develop and transfer the film. I especially must thank Keith, the owner of Yale Film & Video, who really went out of his way to welcome me. Everyone at Yale was very friendly and professional. I look forward to future projects with them.

Visiting with the Yale crew has only reinforced my belief that, regardless of the progression of the digital revolution, HD and RED cameras, there is a special place for FILM and what film can do and offer as an artistic expression of life and story. I would truly hate to see the film labs of the world go by the wayside because of digital. Keith and I had a discussion about this during lunch. Cameras and the medium they shoot are nothing more than tools, much like brushes and paint, and picking the right tool for the project is important. Sometimes that tool is digital. But sometimes that tool is film.

I am a bit bias I suppose, I have a deep-rooted and heart-felt tie to the medium of film, more so than digital. I feel more expression, more life, more realism in the medium. Not to mention more challenge. That's not to disqualify digital, I think it has its place and its uses, which is why I use it too, but one can never forget the history of film and the power of it.

From The Good Soldier Production Photos

I think people are sometimes scared of film. What if it doesn't turn out? What if it comes back blurry? Out of focus? Completely black? These are all legitimate fears - and ones that I encountered first-hand. My first test footage was shite. But part of making something look good has to do with a learning curve. Too many times I think people get a hold of a top-of-the-line digital camera and automatically think: I'm a filmmaker (or photographer) now.

I remember having this discussion/argument way back in high school when I worked in the film/video studies program and our high school "news" channel. Someone would say, "Let's go make a film about...," and I would correct them with, "You mean video." And though it got on my friends' nerves, the more I repeated it the more they realized, there IS a real difference. FILM IS NOT VIDEO. Film is a physical and chemical process. Video is a magnetic and digital (i.e. numbers) process. They are different and the end result is not the same.

***

From The Good Soldier Production Photos

But, wow. I am incredibly off topic now.

What I really want to say is that the footage looks incredible! Sure, there were scenes that didn't turn out as well as I thought but I think I have enough to work with.

Burbank was a great experience and I am forever grateful that I was lucky enough to experience that part of the process.

Now, the editing begins! Stay tuned and stick with me. We're going to Sundance, baby!

The Good Soldier - Notes 16 - IT'S A WRAP!

2009-08-18T10:39:00.000-07:00

From The Good Soldier Production Photos

Yesterday (Monday, 8/17/09) was a milestone for both the film and myself. We completed the film production phase on The Good Soldier. The film is already on its way to California for processing and transfer. And I am on my way tomorrow as well - to San Diego for a vacation.

I will spend Friday in Burbank at Yale Film & Video supervising the transfer of the film to digital. By the days end I should have the entire digitized film on hard drive and the actual film on reels.

The shoot yesterday went really well. We had two scenes at two different locations. We started at the gym for the first scene. There was almost a continuity issue but luckily Erik caught the fact that some characters were wearing gloves in previous scenes and we'd forgotten them in the scene we were shooting. Thankfully he caught it in time for us to quickly re-shoot the scene, this time with gloves on.

From The Good Soldier Production Photos

Then we rushed down to Norman for the second scene. The "bedroom scene," as we are calling it, went really well. Thanks to "Dr. Joe" for letting us use his house - it was the perfect location - I couldn't have asked for better. It was a fun scene to shoot - maybe a little awkward for the two characters but they both did an awesome job and we all had fun making jokes about the whole situation. We even had time to play a little Rock Band.

Oh yeah, one more thing - we finally had a light burn out. Just before shooting the bedroom scene one of the lights fizzled. I guess we lucked out that it happened on the LAST shot. That's one piece of advice I never took: always have extra bulbs. Next time I will.

There are some more pictures from the film uploaded to the Picasa site - scroll down for the latest ones.

The Good Soldier - Notes 15 - Time-lapse sunset shoot

2009-08-17T09:32:00.000-07:00

From The Good Soldier Production Photos

Yesterday, Sunday (8/16/09), I visited a location in Sutton Wilderness in Norman, OK for some sunset shots for the film. I set up two cameras and ran them at different speeds and heights (off the ground). Camera one was run at 1 frame per 5 seconds, camera two was run at 1 frame per 20 seconds. Both cameras were operated for about one hour from the same position. This is partly experimental considering it was my first time to shoot time-lapse. It was a beautiful sunset with drifting clouds and a brilliant evening glow. Hard to know what it will look like in black and white.

From The Good Soldier Production Photos

Today marks the final day of shooting. I have two scenes remaining. By the end of today it will be a complete wrap on the (film) production. Still some folly sound to be done and the soundtrack is currently in production. More reports to come.

Finally, I received word today from Yale that the film they received last week (36 rolls) has been developed and "looks good." That's all I know. I won't know the details until I see it myself on Friday.

The Good Soldier - Notes 14 - 87.5 minutes & counting

2009-08-11T18:18:00.000-07:00

I currently have 87.5 minutes of black and white super 8 film in the can for The Good Soldier and there are just a handful of scenes remaining. The 35 rolls of film was sent to Yale Film & Video in Burbank, CA yesterday for processing and transfer to digital.

For those of you unfamiliar with film, that means I have seen none of the footage shot - it's not like digital, you can't see what you've shot immediately after shooting it. It will not be until August 21st when I actually go to the lab in Burbank to see what I've created. Until then, it's still in my mind.

When I visit the lab I will not only get to see the processed film but I will get to be there for the transfer to digital and be involved in that process. This was just an added bonus - it just so happened that our vacation to Cali coincided with the lab work - so lucky me. I love the fact that I get to have this added hands-on experience.

I've already begun going through all the recorded sound files; those recorded on set and in studio. And I've started working on titles and organizing the project. It's a lot to do. There are all of these individual pieces that must be reassembled to meet the script and tell a story on screen. It already feels like writing again - but this time I know the story and how it ends I just have to show it. In editing it is equally difficult to take all of this footage - almost 1.5 hours worth - and distill it down to a 20 minute film. That's a lot of choices to make and a lot of leftover material.

Post-production will officially begin when I return from California. Hopefully, I will not have any re-shoots. A re-shoot is just what it sounds like: when you have to re-shoot a scene because either the footage didn't turned out or you are missing a key component for some reason.

***
So out next (and final) shooting date is Monday, August 17th. We have two locations to visit and two very important scenes to shoot.

The Good Soldier - Notes 13 - Saturday Wrap!

2009-08-08T18:27:00.000-07:00

Original logo/art by Seth Capshaw

Today was a hard day. It was hot. It was windy. How can it be so windy yet still be so hot? It's like working in a convection oven. But that's Oklahoma in August.

The scenes we shot today took place on a rooftop and in the upper head-house/tower of the silos. Setup took some time because we had to get all the equipment up ladders and in odd locations. It was a combination of trying to get the right lighting but at the same time hiding the lights and cords - and still make it all look natural. But that's film.

All this was done with a mere three person crew - including the lead actor! It was a skeleton crew to say the least but it seemed to work given the obstacles and precarious positions we were dealing with. But the shots today may be some of the best in the film - given the locations and the unbelievable angles. There is an overhead shot in particular that's going to look like a $50K crane-shot. I love cheating shots like these - people wonder, "How the hell did they get THAT shot?"

Brian, the lead, is a trooper. It's a good thing he is as adventurous as he is - and that he's not afraid of heights. "You think you can get up there and stand on the edge?" I'd ask him. "Sure," he'd say. I was more nervous about it than he. It's not a good thing if you accidentally kill off your lead actor. "Oh, by the way, that board up there, make sure you don't stand on it, it's rotted and you could fall through."

Most people would have packed it in by now. Not Brian, I think the danger just excites him more.

It was the middle of the day and we found ourselves lugging and hauling production equipment over 100 feet up - by ladder. All this for what? 2 minutes of film, maybe. But those shots - I can't wait to see them.

Saturday's shoot went great, despite the heat and profuse sweating. All that's left are two short (but essential) scenes that we'll shoot, hopefully on the August 17th.

The film shot thus far is going in the mail on Monday morning to be processed. The plan is to pick up the remaining shots and get it to Yale Film/Video in Burbank quickly - either by mail or by hand....

Another stroke of luck: we're going to San Diego on the 19th. During the trip I'm making a special trip up the coast to Burbank to be present the lab for the film transfer! I'm psyched about this - it means that I will have input during the transfer and get to make adjustments to the brightness and contrast. Not to mention I will have my very first look at the film then and there!

The Good Soldier - Notes 12 - Production Photos

2009-08-07T19:27:00.000-07:00

We've got quite a few pictures from the production shoot last weekend. I am uploading them to my Picassa album. See them here.

As for what remains, we have a couple of scenes that we are shooting tomorrow morning. These are scenes that we had left over from the main shooting days. The plan was to shoot them on Thursday but it was raining so we had to push the date back a bit.

After this I have one more day of shooting - August 17th - and it's just a couple of scenes with "Miss June."

In the meantime, all the film up through Saturday's shoot will be shipped off to Yale Film & Video in Burbank for processing and transfer. I'm hoping (if I can find an affordable plane ticket) to go out to Burbank so I can be there during the telecine process. That will allow me to give input on elements of the transfer and possibly make adjustments to the light when needed.

The Good Soldier - Notes 11 - In Production

2009-08-02T18:54:00.000-07:00

So we are 2 days into production on The Good Soldier and everything is going well. Not that I am entirely sure what it is really supposed to feel like because I would not consider myself an expert on film production shoots, but by the accounts of the cast and crew people seem to be pleased with our progress. Apparently I've done a good job in getting my shit together and being somewhat organized in terms of pre-production. Sustaining that organization through production has been the primary role of our script supervisor, Lisa, also my wife. I knew she would do great at that.

Driving to the film shoot early Saturday morning I remember thinking: by the end of the day I'm going to know what it feels like to shoot a movie.

That morning we started off pretty slow. At the outset we had forgotten a couple of important items that we had to make special trips for and there was some time spent in just gearing up and establishing the scene. It was a good idea to just work with the main character on the first day, and we made good progress. Still, we were somewhat behind schedule - based on my overly ambitious shooting schedule. It was really my fault for beefing it up so much. But in retrospect there were no major screw-ups and we made it from shot to shot quite nicely. By days end I was completely and utterly spent. I clearly had not anticipated the physical and mental stamina required in maintaining the constant attention to the camera, the lens, the shot, the scene, the acting, the continuity, the pace, the script, and all the technical aspects of lighting, sound, and props. It was a groundswell of information to process.

It wasn't until arriving home late Saturday night that I was really able to reconsider what I'd done. I realized there were shots I missed and shots I wanted to change - but overall I felt satisfied with the process thus far.

****
I want to share some things, outside of this basic documenting of what happened for those thinking about filming their own movie and for those that just want to know what it feels like. The concept of making a movie is glamorized and romanticized. So many times the daily work that goes into making a movie is filtered out almost as if the movie goes from idea, to story, to film, to theater. As simple as that. But what happens on a set is that each person has a specific role and everyone is reliant on each other to get the job done. So in that sense it feels like work. You're setting up heavy and oftentimes cumbersome equipment, positioning lights, moving props around, making sure each thing is consistent from shot to shot and scene to scene. Then you're working with the actors to make sure they know what their moves, lines and emotions are. All this might happen in the course of fifteen minutes then you move a bunch of stuff around and do it again, and again, and then again. And all the while there is a constant attention to two major things: exposure and focus. Is the light level correct for black and white film? Is the action in focus?

It didn't feel glamorous. It didn't feel romantic. At least, not on the surface. But then again....I have to be honest. I have loved every single second of it. It's everything I'd hoped and thought it would be. Now I know this is why people want to make films.

****

Sunday, today, felt easier than yesterday. We got started faster. We bounced from scene to scene and even picked up a couple of extra shots that will tie things together better. We had some big scenes today - shot a lot of film. I'm blazing through these 50 ft rolls. I've shot 21 rolls so far.

At one point I had a sinking feeling that we just were not going to finish based on the schedule I created. It was just too much for two days. So I began to get a little overwhelmed with the amount we have remaining to shoot. And though we were planning to shoot on Monday evening in Norman I hadn't thought of another time to shoot the scenes we'd missed. But then there was some discussion and someone asked, "Well, what are you doing tomorrow?" Before I knew it people were volunteering to shoot during the day on Monday in order to catch up. So it looks like we are continuing the shoot as a make-up day tomorrow.

Tomorrow will be a FULL day of shooting but I am anxious to get going.

There are tons of pictures from the shoot and some video to share but it will have to wait until there is time to mess with all of that.

The Good Soldier - Notes 10 - Shooting Begins

2009-07-31T20:49:00.000-07:00

Just a quick note: principal photography for The Good Soldier begins tomorrow and will continue through Sunday and again on Monday evening.

At this point all I can do is hope that everything is line and ready to go. It will be an early start tomorrow but I am anxious to get going.

Out of fear that I might run out, I ordered 15 more rolls of film today which should be here by Monday. I'm going to have to keep a close eye on how much film I'm burning through. Would be real easy to let time get away from me and keep rolling when I don't have to.

The Good Soldier - Notes 9 - An Update

2009-07-21T19:00:00.000-07:00

I am very pleased with how things are going thus far. Each step feels like another accomplishment - one that I wasn't sure I'd ever be able to make. Today I met with a music composer about a score for the film. She is very excited and anxious to get started. I will share more about who this person is as things move along - I just want to make sure I have her okay before sharing too much about her. Needless to say I am psyched to have someone that is an accomplished composer and musician working with me on the film. I feel like we are very much on the same page as far as the music goes so I am excited to see what the results are. If all goes as I think it will, the score will give it those brilliant touches that I am looking for.

The costumes have been purchased for the main characters. I underestimated the cost for the costumes. They were about ten times the amount I budgeted for. One of the things they tell you if you are going to make your own film - pick the present day as your time-period. One of the reasons for this is the wardrobe. It is expensive to find vintage or impression WWII era uniforms. I ended up purchasing mine through a company called Top Pots in Sydney, Australia. They refurbish old military helmets. They not only had the costumes I need but they had what I wanted in stock, at a reasonable price, and were able to get them to me in a timely manner - so there you have it - sometimes it just comes down to that.

We have a production meeting coming up this weekend. We'll get all the cast and crew together (or all that can reasonably make it) and discuss the details of the upcoming shoot. The actual shoot is scheduled to begin on Saturday, August 1 and will continue on August 2 and a couple of days in the following week.

It's all coming together, slowly but surely.

The Good Soldier - Notes 8 - Film Test RESULTS

2009-07-07T20:56:00.000-07:00

I received the processed film back from Yale Film & Video today. I can't tell you how nervous I have been about this test footage episode. The results of my first film test (using Ektachrome 64T color film) was a mess. Completely overexposed. Completely worthless. So going into this test shoot I feared that I might do one of a number of things to muck it up, namely, screw up the light and overexpose, screw up the light and underexpose, or get everything out of focus. Any one of those things would mean not only a waste of time and money but a need to go back to the drawing board and re-think this whole idea of shooting black and white Super 8 altogether. Given the circumstances, I felt, just prior to watching this film, that I might a) cry if the footage sucked b) cry if the film footage was miraculously gorgeous or c) remain at a happy medium if it was somewhere in between. Obviously, option "C" was the biggest gray area going into this.

It was with some reluctance that I ran the film through my projector and adjusted the picture to the screen height and distance. I paused more than once and might even have said a little prayer (though, truth be told, I don't really pray, just in circumstances such as these) before twisting the dial to run. The lamp flickered on, the film raced through the projector shutter and then: light. Picture. Clear. Clean, Focused. Utterly beautiful, black and white with a hint of sepia tone. There before me on my old, somewhat yellowed, Da-Lite pop-up movie screen was an image as beautiful as anything I have ever shot on camera before. Everything about the picture was what, and perhaps more than, I had imagined. It was scenario "A." And for a moment I thought I felt the tears coming. But no - this was just the beginning of the film - the whole thing couldn't possibly be this perfect.

The second "take" came and it was blurry. The light was perfect but the picture was blurry. And soon enough I realized what had happened - the camera focused, at the beginning, on the slate and not the action/talent, so when the slate was moved I was left with a close focus rather than a further away focus where the action was. This will be an easy fix and one that I will be more aware of during the actual filming. I was feeling closer to option "C" but still with the high of option "A."

Then I was taken by surprise again, the next scene, take 3, appeared almost more beautiful than the first scene. I picked this shot from the outside of the building looking in through an old window, the glass missing. The light is just such that it accents the actors face through the window and the shadows are still there for contrast. I can't wait to use this same shot in the film. I was nearing option "A" again.

There were a few more experimental shots that I did, all with good results. Only one of the later scenes had a focus issue - none had a light over/under exposure issue, which is what I was truly afraid of. With Tri-X film there is not much "latitude" in on the film in terms of light so if you are off by an F-stop (or God-forbid, two) then you are screwed.

The pictures I am including here are of still shots taken directly off my movie screen - they probably don't really do the actual pictures justice as I'm not the best still/digital photographer. But they should give a sense of the scene and the lighting.

All in all I consider this test-shoot a huge success. There's an enormous sense of relief in knowing that I can do this. I can set up a shot, understand and adjust for the light, depth of field and focus, and come away with footage that it is worthwhile.

I'll take this footage and get it transferred to digital and mess around with syncing it up to the digital audio we recorded. Given the results, I feel that it is time to move along to the actual shoot. I have pretty much everything I need now, including the re-assurance that this whole thing IS possible.

Next step is going to be a read-through rehearsal and then shooting begins. Thanks again to everyone who was there for the shoot. And a special thanks to Erik, for his willingness to be on camera for this.

The Good Soldier - Notes 7 - Film Test Shoot + THE CAST

2009-06-26T19:21:00.001-07:00

Today was a good day - as far as I can tell. When shooting film it can be tough to tell until you get the print back and get to see whether you metered wisely or F'd the whole thing up and have to try it again. In any case, it was a fun and worthwhile day of arranging the set and positioning the lights to capture the angles and images just so. I had a lot of help - very valuable help in the "crew" that I have. These guys are amazing at what they do and fun to work with to boot.

The purpose of today was to test out the lighting conditions and a few of the actual scene setups using the camera and film stock that I am going to shoot. In addition, we recorded audio using an Edirol R-09 digital recorded and wireless lavaliere microphone. The plan is to examine the footage and work on syncing the film footage with the captured audio. It can be a tricky process especially since the film speed can vary and the digital audio speed remains constant.

I received all of the film stock today for the film; 30 rolls of Kodak Tri-X Reversal. That's 2:30 min of footage per roll (50 ft) when running at 24 frames per second. That gives a total of 75 minutes of footage for, what is to be, a 20 minute film.

Today I am officially announcing the main cast of The Good Soldier:
The Soldier - Brian Gililland
The Commander - Jack Hays
Miss June - Leah Trafford
Soldier 1596 - Erik Schultz

I haven't nailed down all of the "Extras" just yet - there are about 4 or 5.

I need to give a big thanks to Magna Talent Agency in Oklahoma City for helping us out and sending us some great actors for the audition. The two main characters, Brian and Jack, are both represented by Magna.

So what's the next step? Get the test footage processed - make sure it looks good. Then rehearsals. Then the first day of shooting.

The Good Soldier - Auditions - Notes 6

2009-06-16T19:24:00.000-07:00

We held auditions for the film last Wednesday, June 10. We had 14 people audition for the two roles. It was my first experience casting and one I will not forget.

I have to be honest - when I heard the first lines from my script read aloud, by someone who was channeling one of the main characters - something in my heart fluttered and I felt emotional. It was the first time I have ever had something that I wrote performed. At that moment the writing, the story, all of that "stuff" that was merely in my head was coming to life. It put into perspective the magnitude of filmmaking in my life. And furthermore, I witnessed what someone else - with their own thoughts, perceptions, and feelings, can bring to a story that I might never have anticipated.

I am very grateful to have had so many people show up and put it all out there in an effort to bring these characters to life. It's a tough thing to get in front of people and a camera and act. And even tougher to make it believable. It takes a lot of courage and I truly respect those that gave it a shot - especially those that made this their first time.

I am thankful to John who has been a great supporter, guide, and teacher during this auditioning process. His input has been extremely valuable and I really appreciate having him on board. And thanks to Chris for helping manage the casting schedule.

I have watched the audition tape a few times now and narrowed the possibilities down. I have yet to make any final decisions. I expect to have one more audition before I make the selections.

***
As far as the technical stuff for the audition, everything went pretty well. I did have some issue with my HDV camera and hooking up a wireless lav mic to it - ultimately all the sound was recorded through the camera mic, which kind of sucked for sound quality but it still managed to capture it all. When it comes to the actual shoot I will need to work out all of the bugs on the sound. I am almost more nervous about the sound than the film.

The lighting for the room proved to be very good and I think the 3-point light package I have is going to work fine. It seemed to help quite a bit that the auditions took placed in the actual location that the film will be shot and many of the props were set up and able to be used.

***
I am in the process of making some decisions about where to purchase film, where to process it and where to have it transferred. I'm not only looking at price but quality of the final picture and turn-around time. It's a difficult decision given these three elements but making the right decision is crucial.

I have also come up with a final shooting schedule. If all goes well, I will be shouting "Action!" in exactly 10 days.

Auditions Today for The Good Soldier

2009-06-10T08:30:00.000-07:00

Holding auditions today for The Good Soldier. As of right now we have about 14 people that are scheduled to perform.

This will be my first experience with casting - so it will be a learning experience in terms of the process and how it all works. I'm lucky to have a couple of people on board with experience in casting.

I am excited to see how the actors approach the characters hopefully find actors that give life to the characters. That's really what it is all about.

I'll let you know how it s goes when it's done.

The Good Soldier - Notes 5 - Production Meeting & Casting Call

2009-06-03T19:00:00.000-07:00

Every day - one step closer to turning dream into reality - well, movie reality. I held my first production meeting today. Four people attended (including myself). We had the meeting at the actual shooting location - which was all the more inspiring for everyone. It helped to put the picture in everyone's mind.

We are officially announcing the CASTING CALL right now. The details are posted below or you can download a PDF version here.

Casting Call for short film – “The Good Soldier”

Auditions held on Wednesday, June 10 beginning at 7 pm in OKC (contact for location and script lines to read)

Contact: Aaron Gibson – aaron@fusionfortyseven.com

Seeking actors for an unpaid acting gig for submission to Sundance and other festivals.

Synopsis: The Good Soldier is the story of a young man ordered to hold an observation post in a remote location during the early 1940s. After nearly a year with zero activity he becomes dismayed at the purpose of his mission, little has been revealed to him. As a result, he's driven by an ever-pressing urge to uncover the true reason for his position and the mission. What does the future hold for this good soldier? Not everything is as it appears.

We are casting for the two main characters:

The Soldier – Male 20s. A young soldier in the early 1940s – during WWII. A do-gooder young gun –willing to sacrifice himself – has the best intentions – which proves to be his downfall. Wide range of moods and appearance from clean-cut military to wave-of-despair, going hungry, and losing it all.

The Commander – Male 40s-60s. Strong military/radio communication voice. Much of this role is “voice” but there is one critical scene where the look is important. Role is stern, cold, matter-of-fact, and quite deceitful.

Other Details:
Filming to commence sometime between, June 20 – 28. Estimating a 3-4 day shoot.
Film stock: Tri-X & Plus-X Super 8 film
Film Duration: 15-20 mins
Location: OKC metro area

I'm hoping the best for this casting call. If all goes well and we find our two actors then I hope to start principal photography on June 20. Man, that seems so close.

Here are a couple pictures of some of the props for the film.
This one is a picture of one of the radios that the main character communicates with the commander through. It is supposed to be an actual working radio - unfortunately I haven't plugged it in yet to find out. I should really do that.

Next up is a picture of a replica M1 Garrand rifle. Yes, it looks real but it is actual made completely of resin - not a moving part on it. But it should look great in the film.

Finally, and perhaps quite gratuitously, here's a picture of the cameras that I'm going to be shooting the film with. These are Canons 814 XL-S Super 8 cameras. The "S" means that they are capable of recording sound. Except they no longer manufacture sound film so all the film I shoot will be silent. Sound will be recorded through a separate digital audio recording device and later synced during the editing process. It's a bit of old combined with new school.

So the next big step is on Wednesday, June 10 when we hold auditions. Until then I will be constructing the set and doing some additional test shoots.