How's it going?
 

We're almost a week into the challenge already! I finally hit on an idea last night; now have to see if it's going to work. As usual, I need an FX man...

I came up with an idea surprisingly quickly, been doing planning work and trying to arrange to borrow some better equipment. With any luck I'll get some shooting done this weekend.

Got a bunch of specifics written out about what I want in my movie, finished reading that reference material I picked up, and I'm about ready to step through the scenes. Once they're arranged the way I want them it's "just" a matter of writing an actual script and shooting something. Now if I can only find enough of the fabric I need to do what I want, I'm in business.

This, of course, doesn't mean I can't help you out with some effects, Lorinda; it'd give me a reason to get around to finally deleting all those image sequences I rendered for "Blindsight", for one thing. No hard feelings if you'd rather go with someone else this time out, but I'm here if you need a hand.

Robert, I would love to have you do the effects! I had a blast working with you on Blindsight. The problem I see is that I think it's going to be really effects heavy this time, and I want you to be able to devote all your time to your trailer.

BUT...if I can't find anyone I might give you a holler anyway. Thanks so much!!!

Funny about the old clips. I finally deleted the ones you sent me last month. :)

Found out that one of the two actors I could usually count on left town. The economy has really been hit hard here and he could not find employment. I sat down with the one actor left and laid some ideas down on the table and he wants to "roll" with it.

So I start scouting locations and working up a storyboard. While we may be able to pull it off with just him, I really hope we can get some supporting cast working too. I think this one is really going to be fun.

Oh, I still have those, I have plenty of space for that; I meant the tens of gigabytes of still image sequences I rendered before I compressed the final HDV2 spec MPEG files. Countless thousands of files, most of which belong to flawed, earlier versions of the shots that I ended up not using. I'm a Hoarder, for God's sake.

I understand what you mean about the time required, and thank you for the consideration. I don't plan on much in the way of visual effects this time around, mostly practical stuff, camera tricks, that kind of thing, so I can certainly find time to help if it need be.

My own project is moving along, as best as I could expect, and I just spent the past half hour writing a one page synopsis of the film's backstory. Now that I've got the conflict, characters, setting and everything else worked out it's onward and upward (and sideward and frontward and any otherward you can imagine). Updates as events warrant via my new Twitter account. Yeah, I know. I put it off as long as I could, but the DVi account was too much to resist.

Bruce, I'm sorry to hear you lost one actor, but glad your movie's still on. Break a leg rolling with it!

Going?
 

we were to go>>>>>... shooot... 8^)

Thought I had a leg up, what with I already had a script. But I have to make an unexpected trip to Texas this weekend. Then I have a house move, and then my kids, so the next three weekends out of commision. If I can get actors willing to take off during a weekday we may be able to get this done. It was tricky writing a script for the trailer. I had to leave out a lot of things I would want to put in the real trailer, like water rafting, because of the time limitations. Hope I'm able to get this done, but currently looking iffy.

I've shot a couple of incidental scenes, and my pathetic excuse for a story is conceptualized. Now comes the fun part - browbeating some coworkers into moonlighting as talent. Hopefully I can get something edited in between my other duties!

Well after 4 days of trying to come up with an idea, i did. Wrote out the story arc and character descriptions and I'm working on the full story/script. Unfortunately as i write the script, I realize that i probably picked something that will be expensive and a lot of work...even to do the trailer.

Once I get the basics of the story down, planning to pick out what scenes to use in the trailer (though i already have a general idea). Then on to actors, props, locations - in the meantime I've already asked many people to work on the production and had a few "yes" responses.

We had a script ready so we've now shot it for the sub-challenge. Lots of editing to do plus write the trailer. You'd think it would be easy at this point, but we don't want give away all the good stuff! I feel like I'm way ahead of the game at this point. Unfortunately the next 2 weeks are already locked down with work, so that extra time I thought I'd have doesn't look quite as plentiful now.

Not much progress on this side alas. Work and kids take up most of my time. Have to do two other projects in the same time (shot some interviews on a soccerfield yesterday for a corporate project, more interviews (in-office and streetinterviews on a market to come). Different stories and angles play around in my head. Difficult to choose (because there are no limitations which does not 'help'). No actors or other help yet available so if I want to make this work I will have to free up time.

How old are your kids? :) Or you could take Daniel's approach that I liked, "browbeating some coworkers."

I'm still a bit in the "play around in my head" stage, too. Hang in there--something will hit soon!

Well, I wasn't able to get anybody to help this weekend, which means I'm going to have to do almost everything over the coming weekend. However today I did shoot a couple of shots that were possible to do single-handedly. 7 seconds of footage down, a hell of a lot more to go!

I've come up with a story and the scenes for a 10min short are roughly planned.

I plan to make a short film that goes with the trailer and release it on the 31st of October for the optional sub-challenge. I'll shoot the film on the first week of October, then from that and some additionally filmed material shall piece together a trailer for the 11nth of October.

I've started to ask around for props and am scouting locations. Have found the actors I needed.
Have also found a composer for an original soundtrack (for the film at least, not sure if it'll be ready for the trailer).

So everything's happening.