"Almost" Update

By the way, we are going to be shooting on both Saturday and Sunday after all. It'll be a shorter schedule on Sunday, but we'll get some pages done.

We've got 14 5/8 pages on the schedule for the weekend (according to Sidney Lumet, scripts are divided into 1/8 of a page, so I used that standard when breaking down my script). That's about the number of pages we shot on the first weekend (14 1/2) and a little less than what we shot this past weekend (18 1/2. I was actually surprised we got that much done. It didn't seem like that much when we were doing it).

We're also going to make up some of the stuff we missed from the first two weekends during the week - probably next week. And anything we don't make up during the week, we'll get either the 8th or 9th.

We have only the restaurant scene scheduled for the 9th and nothing but pickups (anything we need that we haven't got) on the 8th.

So, we're really getting close to the end. And I, for one, will be glad when we're done shooting and I can go start editing properly. I like most of the experience of shooting this movie, but at the same time, I just want it to be over.

Yeah, I know what you mean. Sometimes I feel the same way about a big project. I love being right in the thick of things...I sort of enjoy the fact that it's not done, because, potentially, it could still turn out better than I had ever hoped for it to be. But, at the same time, even though I love working on it, I usually end up compromising it in a few areas just to finally get it done. It's hard to remain enthusiastic about anything for very long (with a few rare exceptions, I'm sure).

Well, this one has stopped being fun to shoot, too, right now.

At least this coming weekend will be better.

Just two more days....

How's the shooting going so far this weekend?

I scrwed up so we couldn't shoot this weekend, which actually works out just as well as people really do have family obligations on this holiday weekend. If I were more in-tune with other people's feelings, I would've made the schedule so we didn't shoot this weekend so people could have the holiday to do what they will, but I'm not that smart.

Plus, I think I needed a break this weekend to go through and better prepare for the scenes ahead. I've been watching quite a few more movies and picking shots I want to steal, and I can't really steal them very well if I don't prepare better.

So, it'll be good for the rest of the flick (visually) as well as for the talent.

I'm going to try, though, to pick up the rest of Janet and Hoferer sometime this next week. Hopefully we can get a night where we can get together and finish the bulk of her scenes (though I will be sad to see her finish the movie. Even though she'll probably come back for future movies when I have them to shoot, it'll still be a little sad to see her finished with this one).

And we'll shoot the rest of Hogwood's stuff on next Saturday and Sunday probably. It'll be a little sad to see him go, too. I know he's going to come in and nail the rest of his scenes, so it'll be me screwing up the proceedings next weekend.

So then as of the 10th, we'll only have Amy Jo and Hoferer stuff remaining. We'll get those whenever we can. And we may need to pick-up some shots here and there to fix things, and we definitely will be needing to record some ADR for the park scene where there's too much noise and for some of the stuff from last weekend where the microphone battery was dying and I didn't notice it (we may not have to loop that one. I won't know until I get in there and start editing).

So, it's still looking good. And I've learned a lot. I think the next one will go much smoother (though this has been relatively smooth, really) since I know the pitfalls now and can better guide the production through.

I put up some more "behind the scenes" photos on the FilmDallas website in case anyone is interested.

Check them out at http://www.filmdallas.com/photos2.html

We're picking up shooting again on Friday afternoon. We should get the rest of Janet's stuff on Friday, the rest of John's stuff on Saturday and Sunday and be down to only some Susan and Sean stuff after the weekend (scenes that I think we can all get in one day, but we'll see on that).

We're a good bit behind schedule (entirely my fault), but that's okay as we're going to get it done soon now. We're in Endgame (said in a sinister voice).

Photos look great, man. Are they clearer than the movie? I would imagine so...but if the movie's quality is anywhere near that of those photos, it should be pretty good. Janet fits in quite well. Sean looks in place...though it's hard to say without having heard him talk at all, or anything. Still trying to simulate it in my head, I suppose.

The photos actually should be less clear than the movie itself. But since I made the photos smaller, you can't really see some of the video artifacts that would show up on a print but not on the moving tape (if that makes any sense).

Starting with the park shots (in the order they are on the pages), I played with the color contrast, brightness, etc. a little bit. But I didn't spend much time on it. When I get to editing, I'll spend more time on that sort of thing and will hopefully make the picture look better and more consistent.

If I could get my stupid capture card to work, I would've put up a couple of clips already. But I've been having trouble with the card in this computer (I'm putting together a new system to do video editing only, so I'll eventually be able to post some clips, but I wanted to put some low-res clips up now). That's the price one pays when one tries to do things on the cheap (the capture card and software in this machine is of the cheapo variety. The machine is of the cheapo variety, too, though).

I also may put up some shots from the stuff from the second weekend (with Jeff and John and Roger Sampson).

I love my new video camera (that makes it easy to take stills from the video).

More photos:
http://www.filmdallas.com/photos6.html

Cool.

Yeah, what kind of camera are you using? I've been looking for a digital camera. Do you think Jamie will pose for me?

Those are all stills from the miniDV tape. My Sony VX2000 video camera has a memory stick that allows for me to pull stills off the tape easily.

Some of the footage itself was shot with a Canon XL1 and some with the VX2000.

I don't have a digital still camera.

I put up another one of my silly little journals where I am supposed to talk about the movie but never do over at the FilmDallas.com website at http://www.filmdallas.com/twist18.html in case anyone is interested in anything I have to say (I'm betting not).

Well, we shot some more stuff this afternoon. Actually, we managed to finish up Janet's stuff, so she's through on the movie (which I'm sad about. Even though I imagine I'll still see her relatively often, it's still a little sad to see her done with this one). Gavin (Roger Moore) also finished today.

We're shooting again on Friday and Saturday and should get all but one scene done. It appears the bookstore scene will be the last thing we shoot, and it will probably be another week before we get that one done.

We're moving right along, granted a bit slower than I had originally planned. But at least we're getting it done.

How can we see this movie?

You be nice to me until I finish editing and then ask for a videotape copy.

Ryan, I noticed you live in Plano.....5 minutes away from me. We both love movies. What's your e-mail??? We can chat!
Whaddya say?

Well, I had to take down the message board on the FilmDallas site. I was making a post and hit "submit". When the board came back up, all the FilmDallas forum posts were gone. And I couldn't get back in to see what the problem was or post anymore because my password had been removed or changed.

So, there's no message board at FilmDallas.com for the time being. And I'm not sure that all the previous posts will make it back once I bring the board itself back. I cannot guarantee that they aren't all already gone.

But since nobody but a couple of people posted there anyway, I don't guess it makes that much difference whether I have a board there or not.

Sorry Ryan.

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I put a couple more photos up today at http://www.filmdallas.com/photos7.html

Dang, Laurie looks as good as Janet. You got some good looking chicks for this, Ryan. Bummer about the forum -- if your password changed, then I have to believe someone hacked the thing (doesn't seem likely), or the webhost messed with it somehow...that is, assuming I understand what you're saying.

Very odd all around. It's a real shame. You should consider installing phpBB, which is free, and stores it's data in a MySQL backend. If it's in a backend like that, I could help you back it up to a file on your hard drive, and restore it if need be...that would probably work.