For those of you who keep asking me where you can see a copy of the film... it's finally available online.
Keep in mind, this is the festival cut. Not the real one. I'm still working on that. To watch it, click here.
Enjoy! And be sure to give us a super high rating...
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Monday, September 22, 2008
The (Hide And) Seeker Wins Big!
Well, this was unexpected. Last night was the red carpet screening of the Top 16 submissions to the Campus Movie Fest. Not only did The (Hide And) Seeker make the cut, but it also won awards for Best Actor (Morgan McCormick) and Best Comedy! Woohoo!
I was surprised we won. In the realm of no-budget student films, there is usually a wide range of quality, and that was certainly true of the films screened last night. A lot of them weren't very good at all. Others actually showed a lot of good writing and directing. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm proud of the festival cut, but so much stuff got edited out or had to be changed that some of it really bugs me.
So what did we win? Well, firstly, the film is going to be screened in Atlanta at the regional finals. I doubt it will win anything, but still, it will probably be in the company of some very good films, which is a privilege. Morgan won $100 in iTunes gift certificates and a fake Oscar-esque statuette that looks like a golden Ken doll with an afro. Our team as a whole ended up getting $100 in iTunes gift certificates to split, 2 iPod shuffles, and a copy of Final Cut Studio 2. I'm keeping the last one, since it's all I really care about. Having a $1200 post-production software package should come in very handy for future projects, especially since I haven't been editing on Final Cut Pro, just the bare-bones version that came with my Mac.
Here are some photos from last night's event. Enjoy!
Seated from left to right: Megan, Morgan, Morgan's dad, me, my parents.
Me and Ricci looking at something off-stage.
Morgan and Megan, giddy with glee.
Morgan with his Best Actor prizes.
I was surprised we won. In the realm of no-budget student films, there is usually a wide range of quality, and that was certainly true of the films screened last night. A lot of them weren't very good at all. Others actually showed a lot of good writing and directing. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm proud of the festival cut, but so much stuff got edited out or had to be changed that some of it really bugs me.
So what did we win? Well, firstly, the film is going to be screened in Atlanta at the regional finals. I doubt it will win anything, but still, it will probably be in the company of some very good films, which is a privilege. Morgan won $100 in iTunes gift certificates and a fake Oscar-esque statuette that looks like a golden Ken doll with an afro. Our team as a whole ended up getting $100 in iTunes gift certificates to split, 2 iPod shuffles, and a copy of Final Cut Studio 2. I'm keeping the last one, since it's all I really care about. Having a $1200 post-production software package should come in very handy for future projects, especially since I haven't been editing on Final Cut Pro, just the bare-bones version that came with my Mac.
Here are some photos from last night's event. Enjoy!
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Festival Cut Complete!
So, the festival cut is finished and turned in. I edited late into Monday night, and then had to skip two classes today in order to put on the finishing touches and burn it to a DVD for submission.
It clocks in at around 5 minutes, 7 seconds. The judges won't watch past 5 minutes, but I made sure that the only thing past the limit mark is unnecessary credits. It took a lot of creative cutting to get it down that low. Part of me is glad it's over, but another part of me can't wait to get started cutting together the longer version, since there's a whole lot of great footage.
Overall, I'm pretty happy with how it turned out, considering it's a no-budget student film with non-actors. It's not perfect, but most of the flaws are small technical details that I wasn't aware of until I actually got the footage onto my computer. For example, while the lighting of certain shots looked great on the camcorder's viewfinder, when you're actually looking at it on a monitor you notice all the areas you missed.
Also: what's up with boom mics? I was under the impression that they're uni-directional, and only pick up sound in a concentrated area. That's not what happened with me. There were several points during shooting where we had to cut a take because of background noise that was getting picked up. Plus, silence in a room is different from an actual absence of sound. So with some of the interviews, I expected the only sound to be people talking. Turns out the mic also picks up "room noise." Sometimes, it can even be utilized to one's advantage, such as when we filmed one scene with the washing machine humming in the background for effect (which will hopefully come off as dramatic and not just annoying). What I wasn't expecting was that the room noise can at times be drastically different from one location to the next, even if there doesn't seem to be anything in either place making any noise. This made sound editing pretty irritating, and it's still not as perfect as I'd like.
I realized there's a crew member I've forgotten to mention on this blog. My roommate/cousin, Jim Kennedy, joined us on the shoot and helped with the boom mic. We also ended up revising a scene on the spot, and the result is that he even has a cameo in the film. He did an great job. Not only that, but he's a graphic designer, and has been a huge help in post-production. He helped out with some of the title design, and as a result that aspect of the film looks much more professional than it would have if I had done it. He's also designing a fake movie poster so overflowing with awesomeness I fully intend to print out a couple to hang up and to give to people. It could very well be the best thing to come out of this whole project. That should hopefully be finished within a week, and when it is I'll be sure to post a picture of it.
Anyways... there's not much more to say other than that. Overall, I'm pretty happy with how things have turned out, though as with any film project there are things I'm kicking myself for not doing better. The red carpet big-screen showing of the Top 16 submissions is on Sunday. I have no idea if they'll inform me before then whether or not T(HA)S made it. I've resigned myself to the fact that in all likelihood, despite all our hard work, we probably won't get chosen. Still, it was worth it, and my experience working on the festival cut should come in handy when I start working on the longer version.
I leave you now with some official stills from the film:
I really could have used some more lights for this scene.
So a black guy and Rambo walk into the woods...
My dad, as himself. Plus, Jim's awesome "war paint" title design.
One of my favorite shots, if only because of the depth of field.
It clocks in at around 5 minutes, 7 seconds. The judges won't watch past 5 minutes, but I made sure that the only thing past the limit mark is unnecessary credits. It took a lot of creative cutting to get it down that low. Part of me is glad it's over, but another part of me can't wait to get started cutting together the longer version, since there's a whole lot of great footage.
Overall, I'm pretty happy with how it turned out, considering it's a no-budget student film with non-actors. It's not perfect, but most of the flaws are small technical details that I wasn't aware of until I actually got the footage onto my computer. For example, while the lighting of certain shots looked great on the camcorder's viewfinder, when you're actually looking at it on a monitor you notice all the areas you missed.
Also: what's up with boom mics? I was under the impression that they're uni-directional, and only pick up sound in a concentrated area. That's not what happened with me. There were several points during shooting where we had to cut a take because of background noise that was getting picked up. Plus, silence in a room is different from an actual absence of sound. So with some of the interviews, I expected the only sound to be people talking. Turns out the mic also picks up "room noise." Sometimes, it can even be utilized to one's advantage, such as when we filmed one scene with the washing machine humming in the background for effect (which will hopefully come off as dramatic and not just annoying). What I wasn't expecting was that the room noise can at times be drastically different from one location to the next, even if there doesn't seem to be anything in either place making any noise. This made sound editing pretty irritating, and it's still not as perfect as I'd like.
I realized there's a crew member I've forgotten to mention on this blog. My roommate/cousin, Jim Kennedy, joined us on the shoot and helped with the boom mic. We also ended up revising a scene on the spot, and the result is that he even has a cameo in the film. He did an great job. Not only that, but he's a graphic designer, and has been a huge help in post-production. He helped out with some of the title design, and as a result that aspect of the film looks much more professional than it would have if I had done it. He's also designing a fake movie poster so overflowing with awesomeness I fully intend to print out a couple to hang up and to give to people. It could very well be the best thing to come out of this whole project. That should hopefully be finished within a week, and when it is I'll be sure to post a picture of it.
Anyways... there's not much more to say other than that. Overall, I'm pretty happy with how things have turned out, though as with any film project there are things I'm kicking myself for not doing better. The red carpet big-screen showing of the Top 16 submissions is on Sunday. I have no idea if they'll inform me before then whether or not T(HA)S made it. I've resigned myself to the fact that in all likelihood, despite all our hard work, we probably won't get chosen. Still, it was worth it, and my experience working on the festival cut should come in handy when I start working on the longer version.
I leave you now with some official stills from the film:
Monday, September 15, 2008
Filming - Days 2 and 3
Saturday's shoot ran long, but went very well. We got a lot of great takes and a bunch of B-roll. Unfortunately, it looks like most of it won't make the festival cut, and maybe not even the Director's Cut. I think I should also quickly edit together some sort of a deleted scenes reel...
Today's shoot also went well. We finished up the interior scenes, quick and easy. Here are some behind-the-scenes stills from the shoots:
Hiding in the recycle bins.
Reviewing the footage.
Filming a key scene.
Rehearsing a shot.
My IMDB profile pic?
Me with a light! Yay!
I want whatever she's smoking.
We discovered Morgan can fit in his mini-fridge.
If only he had stopped choking on frion long enough for us to put this in the film!
Prepping a scene.
Filming a dramatic moment.
Peekaboo!
I spent all afternoon and evening editing. The festival cut is around 90% complete. With the exception of one interview (thankfully the least important one), all the footage turned out near-perfect, and the only problem with that one is that it's slightly out-of-focus. Probably still usable. As expected, the biggest challenge is editing this down to 5 minutes. I'm having to cut some of the best parts... expect the other cut to be around 7-10 minutes long. And not all of it is extra or auxiliary scenes, a lot of it is taken straight from the script. It's quite possible an entire "subplot" (if it can be called that) that was present in the script won't make it into the festival cut. As of now, I've still got about 35 seconds left to cut from somewhere.
I might post some actual stills from the film later. Until then, I desperately need at least a few hours of sleep...
Today's shoot also went well. We finished up the interior scenes, quick and easy. Here are some behind-the-scenes stills from the shoots:
I spent all afternoon and evening editing. The festival cut is around 90% complete. With the exception of one interview (thankfully the least important one), all the footage turned out near-perfect, and the only problem with that one is that it's slightly out-of-focus. Probably still usable. As expected, the biggest challenge is editing this down to 5 minutes. I'm having to cut some of the best parts... expect the other cut to be around 7-10 minutes long. And not all of it is extra or auxiliary scenes, a lot of it is taken straight from the script. It's quite possible an entire "subplot" (if it can be called that) that was present in the script won't make it into the festival cut. As of now, I've still got about 35 seconds left to cut from somewhere.
I might post some actual stills from the film later. Until then, I desperately need at least a few hours of sleep...
Friday, September 12, 2008
Filming - Day 1
Today's shoot took longer than expected, but I think it was worth it. We shot all the interview sequences, which provide the narrative backbone of the film. Every member of the cast appeared on camera today. A lot of time had to be spent moving equipment from place to place so the interviews weren't visually identical, but once the cameras started rolling things went fairly smoothly.
It's interesting. The two older members of the cast, Dr. Odom and my dad, seemed much more natural in front of the camera from the get-go. I'm not sure if this is due to their personalities or if they've just lived long enough to know how to relax and let things flow when they know they're going to be watched by other people.
Don't get me wrong - the other members of the cast turned out fine. It just took more takes and it was a bigger challenge directing them. I guess that's a good thing though. It allowed me to really focus on the technicalities of their performance and practice explaining what I needed them to change between takes.
Right now, my biggest concern is that the film is going to run way too long for the festival. We've got a lot of great material, and the vast majority of it will wind up on the cutting room floor until the finalized "director's cut." I knew that would be the case from the beginning, but we might end up having to cut much more than expected for it to clock in at under 5 minutes. Maybe even a whole character! We'll see. It'll depend on how filming goes tomorrow and Sunday.
Tomorrow we'll hopefully be able to get all the exterior scenes in the can. Then on Sunday we'll shoot the last remaining interior sequence. It should be fun. It'll be less structured, with more improv and handheld stuff. Hopefully that will make things easier rather than harder.
It's interesting. The two older members of the cast, Dr. Odom and my dad, seemed much more natural in front of the camera from the get-go. I'm not sure if this is due to their personalities or if they've just lived long enough to know how to relax and let things flow when they know they're going to be watched by other people.
Don't get me wrong - the other members of the cast turned out fine. It just took more takes and it was a bigger challenge directing them. I guess that's a good thing though. It allowed me to really focus on the technicalities of their performance and practice explaining what I needed them to change between takes.
Right now, my biggest concern is that the film is going to run way too long for the festival. We've got a lot of great material, and the vast majority of it will wind up on the cutting room floor until the finalized "director's cut." I knew that would be the case from the beginning, but we might end up having to cut much more than expected for it to clock in at under 5 minutes. Maybe even a whole character! We'll see. It'll depend on how filming goes tomorrow and Sunday.
Tomorrow we'll hopefully be able to get all the exterior scenes in the can. Then on Sunday we'll shoot the last remaining interior sequence. It should be fun. It'll be less structured, with more improv and handheld stuff. Hopefully that will make things easier rather than harder.
Not A Good Start
Wednesday totally sucked. Here's what happened.
So I go by the Communication department at around 2:30 to check out the equipment. The shoot is supposed to be at 4:00. Now, according to department regulations, equipment can only be checked out between 1:30 and 4:00 - I'm in the right time frame.
I get there to discover that Robert, the guy in charge of checking out equipment, for some reason has left the university and won't be back for about 10 days. That's no problem, I think to myself. After all, I've been signed up to get this equipment for a week. Surely he realized that and left instructions, right?
Wrong.
Nobody in the department has keys to get into where the equipment is except the Head of the Department, and he won't let anyone back there unless it's for class. Campus Movie Fest doesn't count. However, I'm told the professor of my video production class has keys and is supposed to check out the equipment in Robert's absence. So I go down to his office to get him...
He's not there. Instead, I find a note on his door saying to drop by between 10:00 and 12:30 on Thursday, during his office hours.
It was at this point I nearly burst a blood vessel.
IF THE SIGN-UP SHEET SAYS EQUIPMENT IS TO BE CHECKED OUT FROM 1:30 TO 4:00, YOU SHOULD BE THERE BETWEEN 1:30 AND 4:00 TO CHECK IT OUT.
I went to the Film Studies department to try to get equipment from them. But unfortunately I'm required to get permission from the head of the department, and of course, she wasn't around. I spent a few hours wandering around trying every other solution I could think of. I even thought I would temporarily check out the Campus Movie Fest equipment, but they didn't have any good mics. So basically, I got screwed.
When I got home that night, I had an email from my professor saying, "Andrew, Robert's gone for a while. Stop by my office today from 10 to 12:30 to get the equipment."
He had emailed it to me at 10:02 AM.
ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! YOU CAN'T EMAIL SOMEONE DURING THE NEW TIME TO INFORM THEM OF THE NEW TIME AND EXPECT THEM TO GET IT, IF THEY ARE UNDER THE IMPRESSION THEY DON'T HAVE TO SHOW UP UNTIL 1:30! IT DOESN'T WORK THAT WAY!
You know what the worst part is? When I signed up to check out the equipment, I left my phone number. All he had to do was pick up the phone and call me to let me know that I would need to stop by earlier than expected.
As a result of the Communication department's inability to communicate, Wednesday's shoot had to be postponed until Friday. I spent most of the evening extremely pissed off and thinking about killing kittens.
I went by during my professor's office hours on Thursday, like he said. I got the equipment. I had to miss class in order to do this. Somehow, I managed to restrain myself from punching him square in the balls as soon as I saw him. The thought crossed my mind numerous times.
Anyways, I've got the equipment now, and we're set to go. The plan is to film all of the interview segments tomorrow. It's going to be a busy day. Hopefully the rest of the shoot will go well and without any unexpected setbacks...
So I go by the Communication department at around 2:30 to check out the equipment. The shoot is supposed to be at 4:00. Now, according to department regulations, equipment can only be checked out between 1:30 and 4:00 - I'm in the right time frame.
I get there to discover that Robert, the guy in charge of checking out equipment, for some reason has left the university and won't be back for about 10 days. That's no problem, I think to myself. After all, I've been signed up to get this equipment for a week. Surely he realized that and left instructions, right?
Wrong.
Nobody in the department has keys to get into where the equipment is except the Head of the Department, and he won't let anyone back there unless it's for class. Campus Movie Fest doesn't count. However, I'm told the professor of my video production class has keys and is supposed to check out the equipment in Robert's absence. So I go down to his office to get him...
He's not there. Instead, I find a note on his door saying to drop by between 10:00 and 12:30 on Thursday, during his office hours.
It was at this point I nearly burst a blood vessel.
IF THE SIGN-UP SHEET SAYS EQUIPMENT IS TO BE CHECKED OUT FROM 1:30 TO 4:00, YOU SHOULD BE THERE BETWEEN 1:30 AND 4:00 TO CHECK IT OUT.
I went to the Film Studies department to try to get equipment from them. But unfortunately I'm required to get permission from the head of the department, and of course, she wasn't around. I spent a few hours wandering around trying every other solution I could think of. I even thought I would temporarily check out the Campus Movie Fest equipment, but they didn't have any good mics. So basically, I got screwed.
When I got home that night, I had an email from my professor saying, "Andrew, Robert's gone for a while. Stop by my office today from 10 to 12:30 to get the equipment."
He had emailed it to me at 10:02 AM.
ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! YOU CAN'T EMAIL SOMEONE DURING THE NEW TIME TO INFORM THEM OF THE NEW TIME AND EXPECT THEM TO GET IT, IF THEY ARE UNDER THE IMPRESSION THEY DON'T HAVE TO SHOW UP UNTIL 1:30! IT DOESN'T WORK THAT WAY!
You know what the worst part is? When I signed up to check out the equipment, I left my phone number. All he had to do was pick up the phone and call me to let me know that I would need to stop by earlier than expected.
As a result of the Communication department's inability to communicate, Wednesday's shoot had to be postponed until Friday. I spent most of the evening extremely pissed off and thinking about killing kittens.
I went by during my professor's office hours on Thursday, like he said. I got the equipment. I had to miss class in order to do this. Somehow, I managed to restrain myself from punching him square in the balls as soon as I saw him. The thought crossed my mind numerous times.
Anyways, I've got the equipment now, and we're set to go. The plan is to film all of the interview segments tomorrow. It's going to be a busy day. Hopefully the rest of the shoot will go well and without any unexpected setbacks...
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
The Cast and Crew
Casting has been finalized! Here's the lowdown on who is playing who, complete with some random pictures. And yes, I'm perfectly aware that aside from Sheridan, you have no idea who these characters are.
NOTE: Philip Johnson (my father) will be playing the part of a counselor/therapist as himself, mainly because he does in fact have a degree in psychology and counseling. He is not pictured.
Morgan McCormick - Sheridan Dublowsky, Hide-And-Seek Expert
Michael Lloyd - Daniel Jones, Sheridan's Best Friend
Megan Alise Carroll - Belle Jordan, Sheridan's Girlfriend
Janice Odom - Cheryl Dublowsky, Sheridan's Mother
Ricci Kearney - Team Co-Leader
Andrew Johnson - Yes, that's me with a dead sheep. That's who's directing this thing. You'll hear my voice, that's about it.
Filming begins tomorrow. Wish us luck!
NOTE: Philip Johnson (my father) will be playing the part of a counselor/therapist as himself, mainly because he does in fact have a degree in psychology and counseling. He is not pictured.
Filming begins tomorrow. Wish us luck!
Monday, September 8, 2008
More Prep Work!
So, I've spent the past week trying desperately to keep up everything that needs to be done to hopefully ensure a problem-free production. It's times like this I wish I was a big-name Hollywood director who could boss people around and get them to do all the work. Let's see, here's what I've been working on lately:
1) Went costume shopping. Ended up only finding one shirt that might work, and some face paint. That's okay, though, I'm not too worried about costuming at this point.
2) Worked on the script some more.
3) Started a tentative shot list to try and nail down what exactly is going to be involved in terms of camera work.
4) Finished casting, with one possible exception we're waiting to hear from. If he doesn't work out, Ricci might end up being the back-up.
5) Went location scouting for a few hours. Selected all locations.
6) Rented out the camera, boom mic and lighting equipment, since the technical side of things is usually my biggest obstacle. Practiced basic 3-point lighting and played with the camera so I'll know how to get all the shots I need.
7) Started to work out a tentative shooting schedule.
Not everything is finalized yet, but I seem to be making good progress. Hopefully by the time Wednesday (and especially the weekend) rolls around, everything will be set and we'll just be able to show up, shoot, and get out.
Here's some random pictures to give you an idea of what to expect:
The camera I'll be filming with - A Sony DCR-VX2100.
Ah, the woods. An obligatory location for any student film.
This random wall on campus may double for a street scene.
Random recycle bins. Or are they?
A cool tunnel which may or may not be used.
My friend Ricci, who might be appearing in the film.
Morgan McCormick, who stars as Sheridan. No, that is not what he'll be wearing in the film.
1) Went costume shopping. Ended up only finding one shirt that might work, and some face paint. That's okay, though, I'm not too worried about costuming at this point.
2) Worked on the script some more.
3) Started a tentative shot list to try and nail down what exactly is going to be involved in terms of camera work.
4) Finished casting, with one possible exception we're waiting to hear from. If he doesn't work out, Ricci might end up being the back-up.
5) Went location scouting for a few hours. Selected all locations.
6) Rented out the camera, boom mic and lighting equipment, since the technical side of things is usually my biggest obstacle. Practiced basic 3-point lighting and played with the camera so I'll know how to get all the shots I need.
7) Started to work out a tentative shooting schedule.
Not everything is finalized yet, but I seem to be making good progress. Hopefully by the time Wednesday (and especially the weekend) rolls around, everything will be set and we'll just be able to show up, shoot, and get out.
Here's some random pictures to give you an idea of what to expect:
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Pre-Production
"One of life's primal situations; the game of hide and seek. Oh, the delicious thrill of hiding while the others come looking for you, the delicious terror of being discovered, but what panic when, after a long search, the others abandon you! You mustn't hide too well. You mustn't be too good at the game. The player must never be bigger than the game itself." --Jean Baudrillard
Welcome to the official production blog for my new short film, The (Hide And) Seeker!
The (Hide And) Seeker will be a short mockumentary profiling expert hide-and-seek player, Sheridan Dublowsky, and his obsession with the game.
This film is being produced primarily for the purposes of the Campus Movie Fest (http://www.campusmoviefest.com) at NC State, and marks my first narrative short in 3 years not filmed for the purposes of school. After experimenting with documentaries, and writing a few dramatic shorts and one feature-length script, I'm returning to comedy. I am co-leading a team with my friend and former UAB Films Committee Chairman, Ricci Kearney. The final film will be approximately 5 minutes long (the festival limit), though I might also edit a slightly longer version.
The festival officially kicks off on Wednesday, September 10, and teams are only allowed to film 10% of their submissions before then. I'll have until September 16 to film and edit. Until then, things are going to be pretty hectic!
The script has been finished, though Ricci and I are still tinkering with it. We'll probably end up writing and filming more scenes than necessary, and then figuring out what works and what doesn't in the editing room.
We've cast four roles so far, and are still looking for people to fill the other three. There are a few locations chosen, but Ricci and I will be taking a few hours in the next few days to scout for some more. I'm also in the process of working out a shooting schedule and a detailed shot list. I want to be as prepared as possible before entering production, since there won't be much time to waste.
I'm excited. Just one week left until filming!
Welcome to the official production blog for my new short film, The (Hide And) Seeker!
The (Hide And) Seeker will be a short mockumentary profiling expert hide-and-seek player, Sheridan Dublowsky, and his obsession with the game.
This film is being produced primarily for the purposes of the Campus Movie Fest (http://www.campusmoviefest.com) at NC State, and marks my first narrative short in 3 years not filmed for the purposes of school. After experimenting with documentaries, and writing a few dramatic shorts and one feature-length script, I'm returning to comedy. I am co-leading a team with my friend and former UAB Films Committee Chairman, Ricci Kearney. The final film will be approximately 5 minutes long (the festival limit), though I might also edit a slightly longer version.
The festival officially kicks off on Wednesday, September 10, and teams are only allowed to film 10% of their submissions before then. I'll have until September 16 to film and edit. Until then, things are going to be pretty hectic!
The script has been finished, though Ricci and I are still tinkering with it. We'll probably end up writing and filming more scenes than necessary, and then figuring out what works and what doesn't in the editing room.
We've cast four roles so far, and are still looking for people to fill the other three. There are a few locations chosen, but Ricci and I will be taking a few hours in the next few days to scout for some more. I'm also in the process of working out a shooting schedule and a detailed shot list. I want to be as prepared as possible before entering production, since there won't be much time to waste.
I'm excited. Just one week left until filming!
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