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

Gallery of Print Work

Don's favorite of his earlier films

I updated the Projects from the Cellar gallery to include some print work, a few DVD covers, posters, etc. Mostly for re-releases of Don Dohler and Timewarp films.

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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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A Chronicle of the Journey that is Crawler

Rob Long at Smash or Trash Indie Filmmaking published a detailed article that documents the long journey that we at Timewarp Films have traveled in our quest to complete Don Dohler's last film. It's been a tough road, but the end is in sight.

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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.

Sealed Fates Gets an IMDB Page

Joe Ripple, our director, announced this week that the page is up. You can find the link here. I guess that means I'm officially a produced screenwriter. Yay!

It's also great to now formally be listed as a film editor and cinematographer. We all wear a lot of hats.

There are still more credits that need to be added, and a lot more detail about the film, but it'll get there. Plus I'm hoping we get promotion going in 2011.

imdb, filmmaking, screenwriting

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Timewarp's Juggling Act

My buddy Rob at Smash or Trash posted a very nice write-up about the projects we at Timewarp have going on. Check it out here.

timewarp films, filmmaking, horror

References for the New Crawler

A while ago, an artist posted what he called a "mood map" along with his latest creation. It was filled with images that served as references, but also as inspiration. I thought that was a great idea. So, I decided to do the same for the redesign of the Crawler. This is what I came up with.

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

Back to Work on Crawler Starting in May

I know a lot of folks--cast and crew, as well as Timewarp fans--have been wondering when (and if) it would ever be finished. Well, the FX will be completed, and I'm shooting for the end of this year.

A lot of work has has already been done, and some FX are in the can. But one thing I plan to do is rework the look of the creature. While Don and Joe were okay with it, I was never completely satisfied. And I think now that my skills have improved and the tools available are simply amazing (I'll be using the current version of ZBrush--check out the mind-blowing gallery), I want to go for something that will WOW people. Don always said that the creature would make of break the movie, and I don't want to let him down.

Over the last few months, in addition to finishing Sealed Fates, I've been ramping up my CG skills to get ready. I hope to have the new Crawler ready by sometime in June, then fully rigged to animate by August. That leaves several months to do the rest.

I plan to post updates as much as possible with stills, clips, etc. So, stay tuned.

vfx, don dohler, crawler, zbrush, cgi

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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Sealed Fates Teaser Now Online

At last the teaser is finished and posted on YouTube. Sealed Fates: A Trilogy of Claustrophobic Terror is Timewarp's latest feature. The film is currently in post production and should be in the can this summer.

Stay tuned for a post on the making of the trailer. I got to use a lot of fun tools on this one.

Count Gore Put Me "On the Rack"

The venerable horror host Count Gore De Vol has posted an interview with me conducted by veteran Timewarp actress Leanna Chamish. It was conducted at Horrorfind this summer.

Take a look at the video, then go over to Count Gore's unique Web site,

Meet Effects Artist Mitch Klein from Gore De Vol on Vimeo.
.

Blood, Boobs & Beast DVD Release

From John at videokitchen.tv:

We are proud to announce that videokitchen.tv has signed
with Troma Entertainment, Inc. to distribute Blood, Boobs & Beast on DVD.
The DVD is currently available for pre-order on Amazon.com and will be
officially released on February 24, 2009. The DVD will come as a 2-disc Double
Feature and will include Dohler’s 1983 masterpiece Nightbeast! Additionally,
the set will include special features for both films including audio
commentaries with the filmmakers, hilarious deleted scenes, trailers and tons
of tromatic extras!

Preorder your copy today!

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of Sealed Fates's Cinematography

Since today's shoot was canceled due to hurricane Hanna sweeping through our area, it's a good time to post a bit about how we're shooting our latest feature.

There were several choices to make before the cameras rolled on the first day. Should we shoot in 24p or 30p? SD or HD? and what camera should we use? We already had 2 cameras available: the Canon XL1s and the Canon GL1. The XL1s is a solid choice, with manual control over every setting, but it shoots in SD and in 60i or 30p only. The GL1 is pretty much the same, but not nearly as versatile. I had also purchased the Canon HV20 last year. It shoots in HD, has a Cinema mode that can be converted to 24p in post, and a beautiful picture. But it doesn't have the manual control of the XL1s. Ultimately, I chose control over format and went with the XL1s.

Then there was one other decision: should I use Canon's Frame mode (30p) or shoot 60i and convert to 24p in post? I grabbed the trial of DV Filmmaker, a program that converts 60i to 24p, and did a few tests with both formats, using the same subjects¹. While the 30p footage approximated the film look, the 24p conversion had softer light and appeared more film-like. So, I purchased DV Filmmaker and decided to shoot in 60i.

So, the first day of shooting came and after the 4th or 5th take of the second shot, we get the infamous "Remove Cassette" on the XL1s. Anyone who uses that camera will probably know what I'm talking about. The problem is, it wouldn't clear no matter what we did. The drive assembly was dead. Ugh! Luckily, we brought the GL1 as a backup.

But we soon discovered that had flaws of its own.

A few takes into the next shot, we discovered 2 bad pixels on the CCD chip--not on the LCD, but the CCD, so it recorded the bad pixels. Okay, it's an easy fix in After Effects, a minor inconvenience we decided to live with.

Fast forward to the second week of shooting, or, rather, the capture session after shooting the second week. I noticed a few sound drop-offs and, worse, digital breakup on the tape. Luckily, we generally run a lot of takes of each shot, so the glitches were easily avoided in the editing room.

Until week three.

The glitches were getting worse. I was now looking at masking and cloning out glitches. The sound, fortunately, was mostly okay.

Then I discovered, or remembered, a solution. Adobe Premiere CS3 (my editor of choice) comes with a program called OnLocation (OL), which allows you to connect the camera to a PC and capture the signal directly--bypassing the tape. Well, shit, let's try that.

Holy crap, OL was easy to set up! I had purchased a 500GB external capture drive and planned to use my laptop to run everything. The XL1s (yes, we went back to the better camera since we weren't using tape anymore) plugged right in and was instantly found by OL. OL's interface has a nice monitor for our director; it even shows the zebra lines. And, perhaps best of all, no capturing. Each take goes right to the capture drive, and can be labeled as needed.

We were rolling smoothly now. The only real--shall we say...inconvenience--is the camera's wired connection to the computer while shooting, which makes camera moves somewhat limited. Add to that the signal loss when the cable length is too long², and you have to be really creative in how you shoot. But we use sticks more often than not, so we're managing. We've even established a rhythm when moving the whole rig (camera, laptop, drive, etc.) from one shot to the next.

In the future, of course, I intend to purchase an HD (probably HDV) camera that can shoot in true 24p, so we get the best cinematic look possible for our budget.

Stay tuned for more behind the scenes stories and pictures.

Photo provided by Robert Long II

¹I used my daughter's Winnie the Pooh stuffed animals, the battery-operated ones that move and talk, and staged a scene as if they were talking to each other. Silly? Yes, but it worked for the test.

²I've seen several references that say a firewire cable can be 14' without a signal loss, but I used a 10' cable and noticed some degradation in the image. It works, but should be use sparingly. I use it for hand-held shots that require a lot of movement.

Timewarp at Horrorfind this weekend

Don't miss Horrorfind Weekend 10 Aug 15-17 at the UMUC Marriott Inn & Conference Center Adelphi, MD.

There are some cool, first-time guests: Michael Biehn (The Terminator, Aliens), Chris Sarandon (Princess Bride, Fright Night), and William Forsythe (Devil's Rejects). Plus, many returning favorites like Tony Todd and, Tom Savini, and Ken Foree.

And stop by the Timewarp table and say hello!

Sealed Fates Begins Shooting

We've been chomping at the bit to film a new feature for over a year now. We're finally getting our chance this summer. The cast is set, the locations (sort of) secured -- any micro-budget company knows what I mean -- and the shooting schedule is done (for the next couple of weeks, anyway).

Now, we start rolling.

This is the first time I'll be behind the camera, other than for the Horrorfind commercial in March. So, I made a checklist for the set:

• Charged battery...check.


• Tape in, queued up...check.


• White balance set...check.


• XL1 set to interlaced mode...check (we're converting to 24p, but that's a whole, upcoming, post in itself).


• Subject framed...check.


• Lights set properly...check.

And, um, anything else?

Oh yeah,

• Focused? ...check. Whew!

Cast Set for Sealed Fates

Photo provided by Robert Long II

We finished auditions for our next feature last weekend. We didn't get as large a turnout as we expected, but the quality of those that did show up was surprisingly high. Usually, about 5-10% are really good, another 10% we can work with, and the rest should look for a new career, but this time we must have gotten at least 15% that were excellent, and another 20% that were workable. I'll take that kind of quality over quantity any day.

After viewing the tape and mulling over the choices, we decided--with very little disagreement--on our cast of choice. It was comforting to see that most of the parts had solid backups in case the first choice didn't work out.

This week we called the actors and made the offers. Nearly everyone accepted-- excitedly. While we had to go for a couple of backups, we don't feel like we settled in the least.

Now we're gearing up for production, which should begin in July. There's a lot left to do before then. Final script tweaking, prop gathering/crafting, scheduling, scouting a few more locations, purchasing equipment, and drafting all kinds of lists.

Whew, that's a lot. And I wouldn't miss it.