Tournaments!

I'm in Lavaca all week, shooting hoops. What I mean to say is I'm getting shots of basketball games. Flip over to arklahomavision.com to see what's going on!

Pioneer Rendezvous

Apologies for the stagnant feed as of late, folks. I've been incredibly busy with a few very special projects, and I'd like to tell you all about them. First of all, For those of you in eastern Oklahoma, the football games are up From this last season, and some of the homecoming videos are up as well. They can be found at eosv.tv. in the last 48 hours I've been up on pettit Jean mountain filming with Ray Bertram four apiece for This is Arkansas. I managed to make it to two out of the three days of the Pioneer rendezvous occurring atop the mountain, Where people come from far and wide dressed in 17th to 18th century. Clothing, And well on site in. Appropriate housing, and using the tools of the trade of the time. We collected several amazing interviews that I can't wait to get out to the public, & a bunch of great footage from the surrounding atmosphere. as we speak, I'm stuck in traffic on the bridge on my way to another project. so it is for the life of a filmmaker. this evening, I'll be working with officer Randy White, a member of the k9 unit at the Sebastian County Sheriff's Office. I'll be documenting some of the training tools and methods used to help the dogs and their day-to-day life, from sniffing out drugs to attacking perpetrators that give chase. Be on the lookout for wonderful footage of the dog jumping through obstacles, jumping at
The bite sleeve, and sniffing out drugs.

The Best of Arkansas Series Premiere: Paris

So I've made a new discovery. There's a film crew going from town to town and making tourism/documentary television episodes for use by the community as a promotional tool and airing them on television as well. Clever model. Anyway, the first town to receive this treatment was Paris, Arkansas.

I heard about the event from the Master of Ceremonies himself, Mr. Jim Reynolds, who asked me if I'd join him and capture some footage of the event. I gladly obliged, and got the wonderful chance to meet the man behind the curtain of this intriguing project, Ray Bertram, and I even got to record an interview. What a fantastic guy. Ray is the visionary behind Blind Man's Bluff Productions, An accurate name, given he's legally blind. "Not seeing-eye dog blind, but legally blind" is how the man himself puts it. He's kind, patient, and a bit sage in his mannerisms, and I can say that the care he puts into the people in Paris is equally apparent in his work.

I'll be putting together a video of the event and uploading it to arklahomavision.com if all goes well. So for all of you who want to see what's afoot in the foothills of Mt. Magazine, and on its way to the Waldron area very soon, please keep your eyes peeled!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mb5IKmI2dr0

Learning a thing or two

I woke up early this morning to ride into the Fort for the Carter's Grand Opening event. Gotta say, their products are pretty awesome, even if they are just out of my budget. Keep in mind, I am unemployed, for all intents and purposes. I love the home theatre setup in the front room, and the associates are all very helpful and each well-versed in their respective specialties. I stuck around for the food, checked out Iron Man 3 on Blu-Ray, and got a brief rundown of your standard soundboards, from the basic to the advanced. Very much appreciated. I talked about what I do, and found out what some of the other attendees were doing, and made a few good contacts. looking forward to hearing back from the Fort Smith Film Mafia and getting involved with them. Anyone looking for some great people to help you with your A/V needs, hit them up.

New Camera, New Series, CINEMORTIS!

So it's been quiet on here lately. A lot of keeping secrets for Cinemortis- A summer and a good chunk of a semester, specifically. Those days of silence are drawing to a close. I've ordered my very own camera, received it, and it's beautiful. I'm playing with it to figure it out, getting some more accessories to make it easier to use, and saving up for an editing only Mac or PC. I'm writing a web series with a friend of mine about the crazy stuff we do and say, and the way things would be if our imagination took hold of the real world by the throat and shook it furiously. It'll be a geek/gamer series about being bored out of your skull and coming up with your own entertainment, however ridiculous it is. Needless to say, it'll be a lot of fun. I really enjoyed sharing the writing/filmmaking process with a small group of comrades in a closed Facebook group, so I'll be setting that up again. Anyone interested, please message Ironic Productions on Facebook, and I'll make you privy to the scenes, script, prop and costume list, and the like. Should be fun. Finally, Cinemortis is coming, and I'd like you to be there! You can join the Facebook page to follow the trailers and first look videos.

XSplit and the joy of live editing.

I've been troubleshooting this new software and toying around with the idea of a live show. I set up a demo and played my way through it, and I gotta say, it's fun, challenging, and entirely rewarding. I'll be deciding on some content and putting together a small crew for writing and hosting. Cutaway content also needs to be shot. Good news is that I can splice in video game footage as well. If you'd like to help, send me a message or email. Stay tuned for more updates.

Ah. Feeling accomplished.

So, Today I got the first look trailer for my movie, Hideous, finished. I also put together the footage for the first draft of the Cinemortis trailer. All in all, it's been a good day.

Editing: the True Horror

I find myself here finishing up this project, with several big pieces missing. It's coherent, and the procedures are being shot tomorrow, which will fill in several gaps, but the project is ultimately not what it set out to be. scheduling conflicts were murder, and several scenes won't live up to their full potential. This saddens me.

Appreciating the work of others

Over the last few days, I have been uploading The entire Carl Albert State College Film program video library. Tedious work, but I really appreciated what I saw during the process. I noticed auteur theory and its very beginnings. Each  Director, even in learning his trade, Has a unique art style that transcends them. The beauty of the product of my work is the ease of access brought on by digitizing. I can only hope that they are preserved.

Appreciating the work of others

Over the last few days, I have been uploading The entire Carl Albert State College Film program video library. Tedious work, but I really appreciated what I saw during the process. I noticed auteur theory and its very beginnings. Each  Director, even in learning his trade, Has a unique art style that transcends them. The beauty of the product of my work is the ease of access brought on by digitizing. I can only hope that they are preserved.

On the Way Up!

En route to the big audition! Headshots are waiting to be picked up, resume needs some tweaking, and I need to work on a voice and rhythm for a character, as well as learn a few lines if they expect a monologue. Cold reads are much scarier.

Shootings, and Their Aftermaths.

Film shootings. Nobody was hurt, but the makeup was rather convincing. I think the best part is that the house was trashed. before, during, and I'm not cleaning it up yet, so after. We picked a super busy week for this. Regardless, super happy with the work that got done. We won't be the guys who haven't started yet. Many many thanks to all who came in from out of town. Thank you for bearing with me. More special effects to be worked on today and tonight, so I'll likely update again. in the mean time, check out this nasty necrotized wound.

Who wants tapioca?

Pre-production Summary and Pics

I figured it was about time to show off some of the work going on behind the scenes. Preproduction is pretty important, as you never want to just jump in and start filming. Enormous amounts of time and effort are required to be sure your shoots go as smoothly as possible. I'd like to share with you my creative process. 

First, the great minds are all gathered in a private feed. The plot is given and feedback is considered.

The scenes are explained one by one on slides, then reordered as seen fit.

The script is then written in (somewhat) proper formatting.

The shotlist will be written up in an excel-like program, with timing and lines corresponding to their shots.

Storyboarding will then take place, and those images will be edited together into an animatic for clarity and recruiting purposes.

Actors love to see what they'll be doing before they do it.

These documents are all hardcopied and kept on location for the duration of the shoot, and any and all actors and crew are given copies of what they need for their part.

The Horror Film!

Our thematic criteria for this semester is urban myths and legends. The film is to be approximately 30 minutes. Our focus as a group will be a story about an unlicensed plastic surgeon who mangles and disfigures his clients. We are only two strong, so I'll be reaching outside of the group for actors and crew. Anyone with the time and skill is welcome. Step 1 is writing, storyboarding, and animatics. Anyone who would like to join the writing panel, submit some of your work and I will invite you onboard the drawing board. Anyone interested in acting or crew work, stay tuned. We will need an expert in makeup, and someone who is willing to learn how to work with liquid latex. Lighting will be crucial for this, so a tech would be appreciated.

The Truth about Pride and Projects

You won't always love what you've made. I know I've been burnt out since the music video. It happens. you do something you love, and you wear yourself out on it. The western did that to me. This project, the commercial, I let my opposite group member take the reins. It's funny, it meets all of the criteria, but it's just not mine. It's not my baby, y'know? So we finished it today, presenting Thursday, fine. I'm reluctant to upload. I feel like a pretentious movie star who doesn't want to talk about that one job. That one job that everyone wants to talk about. Oh well, I guess you get it all here at Ironic, the good, the bad, the ugly, and you get the chance to compare it all. It'll be there for you Thursday night.

Off to bed- rather, Algebra. Wish me luck. That double-double espresso should do the trick. That's 4 shots, by the way. I'm wired.

I'm Very Proud to Announce....

THAT THE MUSIC VIDEO IS FINISHED!
Whoo! It's been a thrilling night, layering the final story bits and throwing special effects into the video. I'm quite proud of it. We'll be presenting at 1 today, Ollie Center, 119. Any actors who were a part are permitted attendance. I'll be uploading it when we find out whether or not it's chosen for the Cinemortis preshow.

Basketball, Film, and their Seamless Symbiotic Relationship

I find myself here again in the Van Buren High School Gymnasium, ready to set up and film. The live streaming of these games is a blessing. The experience is golden, and I'm doing what I love (filming, not watching sports) and people are watching my work. What could be better? I'm disappointed that I can't be helping my crew film the last of the music video, but I intend to step in and edit. That should be a blast. If you are a fan of sports, and want to view the Van Buren/Rogers games tonight, feel free to tune in. They'll be up for 30 days after they're archived. Either way, check out our channels at http://www.citylinktv.com/fort-smith-ar

Shooting, Day 2

I find myself walking on set to what looks like a house party on the fhird floor of the Ollie Center. The actors have showed up, and brought friends and girlfriends. They're surprisingly quiet and respectable, and when we begin filming, the extras filter out slowly. Shots are fast paced and beautiful, and for the extra smoothness we got with the steadycam, it was worth it for a single shot. We wrapped on our first location and a few actors, then moved on. Filmmaking tip #26, always bring a hilighter and a shotlist. Marking things off shows progress and guarantees a shorter, more streamlined experience. Hmm. Filmmaking tip list. I'm making one. Be looking out for it. Editing was a joy with our shots being checked off, until timing and shot speed/length became an issue. Thanks to our organizational skills, we even had time for a little easter egg to add to the end of the video. It's right here, for those of you who made it here. Consider it a show of hands of how many people actually read the blog.

Rainy Days and Working Actors

Just some thoughts on hindrances in the filmmaking process. If it's a rainy day, see what you can take inside. Easy enough. film the rest later. What really bums me out is when continuity depends on an actor who has a work schedule the polar opposite of the rest of your crew. Not a bad thing, just a thing. People have work, yes, but be certain that they don't start work when another actor ends class. If you cast for a film, find someone who has nothing going on. I've been warned of this,  and haven't always taken heed. Cautionary tale.

Shooting, Day 1, Music Video

Hello all! We got everything done yesterday involving story and flashbacks, as well as a few excellent shots that just happened. All that's left is the fight scenes and special effects. Editing will happen today, perhaps it will give us a taste of the feel of the video. Once that's done, we'll discuss the adjustment of the shooting schedule, as we ran out of time on a fight scene yesterday. We may be shooting Monday, in addition to Friday. Thrilled to see how I can mesh the Animatic and current footage today. It should be seamless.

Another Tuesday. A PRODUCTIVE ONE!

Today was a day of all the pieces falling into the right place. Financial aid has been awarded, as well as 20 hours per week of work study. Getting paid to hone my editing and organizational skills? Yes please! My Science professor pulled some strings to get me back into the class, though it may be impossible to catch up, and most importantly, dear readers, I've learned the ancient Chinese secret of color correction in Final Cut Pro!

I've been touching up my reel, and I might have to "digitally remaster" my western soon. Production meeting for the shoot tomorrow went well, and it looks like we may be able to pull this project off. I'll be making a digital version of our shot list out of mp3 files, so we can hear the exact music that will be playing from the beginning of the shot to the end. It'll be a pain in GoldWave, but invaluable in the field. Tonight may be a good night to pull up my documentary and look at it with fresh eyes, as it's pickled for long enough. Come disbursement date, I'll be in the market for a mac with fcp and adobe preloaded, so if any of you have a mac you're looking to sell, let me know! Message me on the facingbook or here on the site. until tomorrow, good sirs!

ANIMATIC IS UP! Check it out here!

Animatic for Music Video
(Warning, adjust your speakers. Rough edit, mind you- Blank portions are to be filled in during shooting.)

It's really great working in a group. I had the privilege of seeing its upsides today. When people come into class with their part done, it's really something. The storyboards turned out super cool, and the animatic is done, with room for some creative shots to be added in while shooting. We showed one of the guys how to edit. He quietly sat by and observed, and I think some of it sank in. Group member #4 sat and observed, which is good, because he'll be helping when the time comes to shoot. Here are a few shots from the storyboard, and I plan on uploading a bit of the animatic soon. Pics courtesy of Keajon Guidry.

So it's been a long week. I've been working side by side with the Fort Smith Radio and Television Group to film the Leflore County Basketball Tournament in its entirety, save for the consolation games. It's been a fun, rich experience, but I'm tired. I'm glad to have a break and relax. I've met up with my filmmaking group a few times, and we'll have a storyboard by Tuesday. An animatic by Thursday, if I can help it. I'll be putting out a casting call and a preview of the animatic to draw in actors. I've worked on a website for a friend tonight, and it put me in the mood to add something new and much needed to my page. Here it is, A BLOG! Now I can have new content up much easier! WHOO!

For those of you who like basketball, a link to the CITYLINK CHANNEL we've been broadcasting and archiving to. (Wister games not my work.)