Timewarp Films Crawler is DONE!

Wow! I haven't posted here in 3 1/2 years. Well, during that time I finally managed to finish Crawler. For those who don't know, Crawler is Timewarp Film's 4th film -- shot in 2003/2004. Don Dohler, the producer, passed away 2 years after that. We all still miss him. He had edited about 95% of the movie, and laid in some sound effects and music (composed by Justin Timpane). The film sat for a (long)while waiting for the VFX to be finished. That's on me. I'd like to say that it was just that hard to do a ton of monster animation on the computer, but it had more to do with life getting in the way. Now i'm happy to say the whole thing is done, and Don's original edit is in tact. I did have to tweak the creature sequences for pacing after laying in the VFX, but that was something Don and I had agreed would be necessary from the beginning. Not to worry, his editing style is all there. Actually, Crawler as a whole represents a return to Don's roots. I think it feels very much like classic Dohler, with some Timewarp action thrown in.

I also want to thank my buddy Rob Long for his continued help. He worked on some VFX for me and kept me motivated to keep going.

We have some plans in the works for a premiere. I'm hoping that happens in early 2020. In the meantime, here's an updated trailer (above). Enjoy!

Read more about Crawler here.

For those interested in the technical information:

• The creature was created in ZBrush and animated in Blender.
• Sound effects editing was done in Audacity
• 2D VFX, compositing, audio mixing, and color correction were done in HitFilm (not an easy task. I would definitely do more of this in Blender now)
• Upconversion (SD to 720p) was done with XMedia Recode (another excellent free tool)
• the trailer was edited with Lightworks (better editing, but... well, looks like I may need a post on tools)
• Music for the trailer was created using ProScores in Acid Pro

A Documentary on The Blair Witch Project

A while back, a friend asked me to rework an old documentary he and some of his buds made back when The Blair Witch was released in theaters. They found the house -- which was somewhere in Howard County, Maryland -- as well as other locations in the movie such as the Burkettsville cemetery. They shot a lot of footage, even an interview with the Mayor of Burkettsville. The cinematographer put something together and it wasn't bad, but with the special 15th anniversary blue ray release of the movie planned, my friend wanted to see if we could make something the producers would want to include as an extra.

What you see above is the result. It came out pretty well, I think. We even showed it to Eduardo Sanchez, the director of the movie. He liked it and showed it to the powers that be, but it ultimately it wasn't included. At least it lives on Youtube.

Have a look, and "like" it if you like it.

Don Dohler: Uncontained Imagination « Baltimore Filmmakers

Baltimore Filmmakers posted a nice article about my friend, the late Don Dohler. Here's the link: Don Dohler: Uncontained Imagination « Baltimore Filmmakers.

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Smash or Trash TV Goes Live

Last year, Rob Long from the Smash or Trash  Indie Filmmaking Web site, shot 5 interviews with actors, producers, and filmmakers (including me) in the Maryland area. After some delays, the segments are finally posted for viewing. I think they turned out really well. Check them out below, or go to Rob's post.

Smash or Trash TV Episode 1: Interview with Lee Doll


Smash or Trash TV Episode 1: Interview with Lee Doll from Frank Lama on Vimeo.

Smash or Trash TV: Episode 2- Louanna Lee & Victoria Lynn


Smash or Trash TV: Episode 2- Louanna Lee & Victoria Lynn from Frank Lama on Vimeo.


Smash or Trash TV: Episode 3- Mitch Klein Interview


Smash or Trash TV: Episode 3- Mitch Klein Interview from Frank Lama on Vimeo.


Smash or Trash TV: Episode 4 - Leanna Chamish and George Stover Interview


Smash or Trash TV: Segment 4 from DarkCellar on Vimeo.


Smash or Trash TV Episode 5: Brian St. August and Alfred Guy Interview

Note: click on the above link to access episode 5. I couldn't embed that one since it's on Facebook.

Great Videography Tips from Videomaker

Videomaker.com posted a few lists of helpful tips for those starting out shooting their own stuff. I'm happy to say I follow most of them. Below are a few of my favorites, with some commentary:

• [No] Headhunting--placing every subject in the center of your frame.


• [No] Backlighting--too much light falling on the background instead of on the subject.


• Use manual focus if your camcorder has it. [You really need a camcorder with manual focus, unless you're shooting a home movie.]


• Set white balance at every location. [Even if you're using presets.]


• Shoot to edit.


• Use an external microphone if you have one. [Period!]

Here's the link to the article.

 

New Production Photos Uploaded for Sealed Fates

On location shooting Man's Best Friend

We just updated our Facebook page for Sealed Fates with a bunch of production photos--everything from auditions through shooting the three stories. I do wish more of the actors were represented, but at least we have some shots of all the leads. Take a look, and don't forget to "like" the page.  ;)

 

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ADF Studios Joins the Crawler Visual Effects Team

Timewarp Films is pleased to announce that Brian Anderson, the owner and operator of ADF Studios, has joined the post-production effort for the long-anticipated Crawler.

Anderson brings a fresh perspective, and a much-needed dose of enthusiasm to a project that has been on the back burner for longer than I care to admit. But Brian is hitting the ground running, which allows me to shift focus to completing the final edit, sound design, and other post-production activities -- confident that his VFX tasks will be completed.

On Sunday, we had our first production meeting. We watched the rough cut of the film in order to assess the scope of tasks involved. What immediately struck him while watching was how the film has an X-Files feel to it; something I never noticed. We brainstormed about the potential for additional scenes for the creature that will help round out the story. This was something Don and Joe had hoped for during pre-production.

After viewing, we discussed the workload. There's a lot to do, but we agreed it's well within our reach. We will start with an updated creature design. Much of the original concepts will remain, but given the improved technology, and Brian's fresh take, I think we hashed out some great ideas. More on that in a future post.

I'm very excited to have Brian on board. He brings to the table an extensive resume of freelance work, including the visual effects for two feature films (Ninjas vs. Zombies and Ninjas vs. Vampires), as well as a reputation for speed and quality.

One additional piece of news. When we discovered several gaps in the musical score, Justin Timpane, who composed the original score, offered to add additional tracks and re-mix existing ones.

Theme Song for The Fixer

The ever-prolific Lee Doll has a new series about to debut called The Fixer. In addition to the usual production team of Lee himself, Rob Long, and Jeff Herberger, one of my oldest friends, Steve Rifkin, wrote the screenplay (and also has a cameo). It stars Brian St. August and Sealed Fates alum Al Guy (who also did stunt choreography). As usual, I'm doing some visual effects. Looking forward to it.

DIY Follow Focus Solutions

Image via Wikipedia

theBlackandBlue Web site posted an article, with a lot of photos, about building your own follow focus for your DSLR camera. Some of them look really nice. Check it out here.

dslr, filmmaking, cinematography, diy

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60 Best Blogs for Aspiring Screenwriters

Image via Wikipedia

http://www.bachelorsdegree.org has posted links to some great screenwriting and filmmaking sites. Check it out here.

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Support Garden of Hedon on IndieGoGo

Kangas Kahn Films, LLC, is going back into production this fall with its latest feature "Garden of Hedon." I don't have many details, but I did hear the director say it's a mystery/horror with some elements like "the best ten minutes of Eyes Wide Shut." So, I guess anything goes in this one.

They're looking for some extra financing, so please check out the site and consider a donation. There are come cool perks, including exclusive production updates and your name in the credits. From the IndieGoGo site:

“Gardon of Hedon” is a mystery/horror about a detective who wakes up in a surreal house where every pleasure is indulged. Drugs. Sex. Gambling.

It’s all there and more…including murder.

It’s going to be a mix of giallo and fantastique, with a healthy does of American mystery.

People ask us all the time how they can get involved in our movies—well, here’s the chance!

We’ll be shooting it in November, and we need help securing the final funds! (total budget is $20K, of which we have 75%)

Check out the perks! We’ve come up with what we think are some great incentives to donate! Want your name in the credits of a flick? There’s TONS of ways to do it here!

Kangas does have a good track record so far, with his first three films (Hunting Humans and Fear of Clowns 1&2) distributed-- the latter two by Lionsgate.

This film will be shot on with a Red. That should be cool!

filmmaking, horror, mystery, financing, indie

So, you think filmmaking is easy?

Only if you're clowning around.

Yeah, the lead-in is a bad pun for a link to a great log about how hard it is to complete a feature film and get distribution. Kangas Kahn Films, owned and operated by a friend of mine, has had some success making features. Kangas is most known for the Fear of Clowns films (see... bad pun). The first one was distributed by Lions Gate, and he's working on a deal for the second.

The logs really drive home how hard it is to make a feature-length film without studio backing. I've been reading for a while, and I can soooo relate to a lot of what he says. Sometimes I just laugh hysterically, and sometimes want to strangle the nimrod(s) doing to him what I've had done to me.

If you're interested in making your own movie, read these blogs. If you still want to make a movie, you're one of us, and have some sort of mental defect -- like all us low-budget filmmakers. :lol:

Fear of Clowns log

Fear of Clowns 2 log

Hunting Humans saga

filmmaking, distribution, low-budget

FX Explosion for "Louanna Lee"

FX Text Explosion from DarkCellar on Vimeo.

Last year, producer Lee Doll started filming a pilot series call "The Adventures of Louanna Lee" (sort of like the old Nancy Drew mysteries) with his teenage daughter in the title role. Talk about a great way to stay close to your kids.

Since then, he's completed and release episode 1, and episode 2 is due out this month. He's also produced a slew of music videos as well.

I came out to grip a couple of times for the first 2 episodes. It was a lot of fun--especially since I know most of the cast and crew. Among them are Timewarp regulars Leanna Chamish and George Stover, who play Louanna's mother and grandfather respectively, as well as my buddy Rob Long (production design) and Jeff Herberger (director/dp).

For episode 3, Lee asked if I could do some FX to help spice things up. I was happy to get involved. He asked what I could do--they hadn't locked the script yet, and wanted to see if I could suggest something I could pull off convincingly. I said, "how about blowing up a building." He and Jeff liked that idea and they wrote something to that effect into the story. As a proof of concept, they asked if I could do a test shot for them. Jeff sent me footage of what they use as the family house in the show, and the above video is what I came up with. They seemed to like it, so we're going to do the real shot for the show--though Lee said we might be able to use this shot as well.

filmmaking, vfx, after effects

Photo Gallery from the Sealed Fates Premiere

Rob at Smash or Trash Indie Filmmaking has published a slew of photos from the premiere. I like this one the best :)

Click here for the rest.

indie, filmmaking, horror

SEALED FATES World Premiere at the Carroll Arts Center

My buddy Rob Long had some nice things to say about our premiere of Sealed Fates as he sums up the evening. Here's an excerpt:

All three stories (Brick By Brick, Collections, Man’s Best Friend) had terrific acting across the board; probably the strongest cast that Timewarp Films has had to date – and also one of the largest casts as well.

Click here for the full article.

indie, filmmaking, horror, timewarp

Poster Art for Sealed Fates

[caption id="attachment_212" align="aligncenter" width="240" caption="Created by Robert B. Long II"][/caption]

Check out the great artwork my buddy Rob created for the film. We also corrected a grammatical error from the previous version. Is there such a thing as a claustrophobic trilogy? I didn't know trilogies had feelings. ;)

Premiere date set for Sealed Fates

 

After a three-year run, we at Timewarp Films are  finally wrapping up production on or latest feature Sealed Fates. It's been a long road with many interesting stories, which I'll save for another post. But we're finally ready to show this thing. Here's the official release from our Producer/Director Joe Ripple:

The time is upon us. I'm proud to announce the official premiere for "Sealed Fates."

We will be having the Premiere on Saturday, April 3rd, 2010. The time will be 7:00, although we have the theater space from 7:00 p.m. until 11:00 p.m. - which means we may show the film around 8:00. This gives everyone a bit of time to catch up, chat a bit, and so forth.

The location will be the "Carroll Arts Center," located at:   91 W. Main Street, Westminster, Maryland, 21157

Tickets for guests will be $10.00 per person!

The theater will be serving concessions...including alcohol (cash bar) for those choosing to drink. We have the space for four hours, so there will be plenty of time for the showing and general partying! People will be able to buy tickets online in advance with a credit card, and pay by cash or check at the door.

We are asking that you PLEASE spread the word, however, so we can fill this 270 seat theater! (The film is rated "R," so no one under 17 without supervision, please!!!)

Visit the Sealed Fates fan page on Facebook:

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50 Best Blogs for Moviemakers | MovieMaker Magazine

Movie Maker magazine online posted a list of their choices of the 50 best blogs for movie making. I'm not on the list, :lol: , but there are some other great sites listed. Most I've never even heard of. Take a look, and here's the link to the original article: 50 Best Blogs for Moviemakers | MovieMaker Magazine.

50 Best Blogs for Moviemakers

• Adventures in Self-Releasing
• All About Indie Filmmaking
• All These Wonderful Things
• The Anonymous Production Assistant’s Blog
• The Art of the Title Sequence
• Ben’s Blog
• The Big Picture
• Blog Stage
• Bright Lights After Dark
• Cinema Tech
• Cinematical
• The Documentary Blog
• The Edit Foundry
• The Editblog
• Fast, Cheap Movie Thoughts
• Film Dailies
• Film School Rejects
• The Film Sensei
• Filmmaker Blog
• Filmmaking Stuff
• FilmSound.org
• FreshDV
• GreenCine Daily
• Hammer to Nail
• HD for Indies
• Hollywood Elsewhere
• The House Next Door
• In Contention
• The Independent Eye
• JohnAugust.com
• The Joy of Film Editing
• Just F*ing Entertain Me
• Living Your Dream: An Acting & Film School Blog
• Making the Movie
• A Moon Brothers Film
• The Movie Blog
• MovingPictureBlog
• OnSuper8.org
• Persistence of Vision
• Projector Films
• /Film
• Some Came Running
• StudioDaily
• Thompson on Hollywood
• Totally Unauthorized
• Travel Day
• Truly Free Film
• Twitch
• The Unknown Screenwriter
• Workbook Project

A nice discussion of independent film distribution

Screenwriter John August posted about a low-budget film (One Too Many Mornings) that will be showing at Sundance, and it spawned a very informative discussion on independent film distribution and how it is changing. Well worth a read. Here's the link.

Artbeats Offering Free Daily Stock Clip

Artbeats, a well respected site for stock footage, is now offering a daily clip for free download. They are offering the clips in HD and SD (both NTSC and PAL). Free registration is required. I've downloaded a few and they are nice. These clips usually sell for about $200-300.