Thursday, December 10th, 2009
OK. So I’ve got a rough cut done. And trying to get it on DVD in order to ship out by tomorrow’s fest deadline. Of course, it’s all last minute, having tweaked and nudged and filtered right up until the last possible moment.
And, of course, some things are going wrong technically. Having a little bit of trouble compressing the film to fit on a DVD (although I think I’m using the correct setting in Compressor, but I’m trying another one as I type this). The problem is that it takes about 6 hours for Compressor to write the file needed to author the DVD. And then after that, I have to import that file into DVD Studio Pro to encode it, which takes another good couple of hours. So it’s not like I can just tweak something and see of it works right away. It takes fooooorever.
But I’ll get it. I hope. Also have to fill out my online form for the title design competition, and fill out the other festival forms. Ugh. And pay money I don’t have for submission fees. Double ugh. And get it all postmarked by tomorrow. Ugh, ugh, ugh! OK, take a deep breath…
But it’s a deadline that we will have met, for our own sake, at least.
I’m excited about the next phase, though: color-correction. I spent 5 hours the other night applying all the “film dust” filters, which was mind-numbingly laborious (it also took 2 hours to render), but I got it. And I love it all. It’s exactly what i wanted (using the brilliant Magic Bullet software). I’m going to post some samples of the film looks I’m experimenting with soon.
And I’ve finally found and contacted the brilliant sound designer we used on “Sleepdancer,” Sergio Sanmiguel, so hopefully he’ll be able to work on this film, too. As soon as I get picture locked. Which should be in the next month or so. I hope.
Anyway, if I could just get a DVD to work, for now. Damn technology kills me. Ugh!
-r.
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Tuesday, December 1st, 2009
I honestly can’t believe it’s November!! Oh, wait. DECEMBER??!!!
I mean, really, where has the time gone? “The Dead Can’t Dance” has literally consumed a year of my life at this point, actually more (if you count writing the script, which I do). I knew production would make the time go by fast, but this is ridiculous!
I’m still chipping away at the rough cut. I got all the radio announcer parts laid in last night, and I love it! We did some callbacks casting before we finally settled on our friend Michael “Archie” Archibold, and it was a perfect choice. He has a great radio voice and great snarkiness to his delivery. They are really some very funny parts.
I need to get a couple of voiceovers from TJ, but that might have to wait until early next week, as he just had surgery today to remove a hernia (thank goodness - I mean to provide him some relief). And I need to do some foley work to fix some audio gaps on a zombie attack.
And one big hurdle left is finding some powwow music I can use. We thought we had something all set up, but now that fell through. I may just have to use something temporarily then add in something else later to make our deadline next week.
Other than that, it’s all pretty much there. Tightened up some stuff, and even with adding the radio bits, we’re still clocking in at about 1:45. Not bad. I do want to tighten it up just a bit more, though, and once we get the powwow music sequences in, that will add probably another 3 or 4 minutes, plus end credits.
Now I’m rethinking the title sequence just a little. I want to try a radically different approach than what I have now just to try it. I don’t think I’ll like it, but I just want to try it.
But we’re getting closer, peeps. Something else I can’t believe!
Have a great December,
-r.
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Tuesday, November 24th, 2009
OK, so something had to give, and it was my body. I could feel a cold or something just trying to gnaw its way in, and I kept fighting it off with vitamins, herbs and supplements, but some general nastiness is settling in now. It’s not as bad it could be, ’cause I’m still popping pills and potions like crazy, but it has slowed me down considerably. At least my throat isn’t sore anymore.
We didn’t get to get the radio announcer stuff over the weekend as I had hoped, due to some conflicts, but we’ll hopefully reschedule for this weekend, perhaps.
I did, though, get some “blood splatters” done on Saturday (basically me just throwing red paint around) and that was a blast. I want to use this stuff in the main title design, which I have spent a lot of time on in the past couple of days, when I am lucid enough to sit at my computer and not be bleary-eyed (which seems like the case all the time lately, anyway).
The title design is going well, and I had been looking forward to doing it. But I’m not quite happy with it, so I tore it up last night to rework it, did, then hated what I reworked. So I tore it up again, which means I’ve pretty much backed up a couple of steps. But I’m a perfectionist and I want it to be cool. I time and again visit the Art of the Title Sequence blog for inspiration. Cool stuff.
What’s really great about working on the title sequence for “The Dead Can’t Dance” is the duality with my motion type design program, LiveType, which works pretty hand-in-hand with Final Cut Pro. If you make a change in LiveType, you save it there and the change pops up over in FCP. But the downside is FCP has to render any changes you make each time, and while FCP’s rendering time is light years ahead of what it used to be, working with type and effects takes rendering time — about 3-4 minutes with every change in LiveType, not to mention if you move anything just a smidgen on the FCP timeline. But I’m finding that I’m still liking working on the cross platform rather than wholly in LiveType, which is possible, but a little clunky, especially since you can import video but no audio — crucial for timing.
Sorry to get so technical, but it has its frustrating parts and that’s what’s actually eating into a lot of the time spent. But, like I said, I’m really enjoying this part, and I’ll get it to where I’m happy (enough) with it soon, and move on. I can’t afford to spend too much more time on it right now.
I have a looming feeling that we’re not going to make our Dec. 3 festival submission deadline since THAT IS NEXT WEEK!! Whew! But, so what? It would be great to play this festival, but us and thousands of others submit each year, so the odds are pretty slim that we’d get in.
Still, if I can swing it and get a rough cut I’m happy enough to send in, this festival also has a “last-minute deadline,” but the submission fee jumps to $100. Ouch. (The late Dec. 3 submission fee itself is $60, so it seems kind of silly to just be throwing this money away. But I’ve been through all this before — oy.)
OK, I’ll quit writing around it, the festival is SXSW in Austin. Not that it’s a big deal to keep it hush-hush, because like I said, we probably won’t get in, anyway, but something new at the festival this year is a title design competition that I also (or, at least) want to enter. That deadline is also Dec. 11 (only $10 — hey!). But if it looks like we’re just not going to finish a rough cut in time to submit, I will turn some energy back to the title design, because just that, like I said, could eat up a lot of time, and I would want it to be worthy of submission.
Otherwise, still waiting on the powwow music, which I should get this week hopefully very, very soon, to edit those sequences.
And I need to sit down and watch the film as I have it now (even with the gaps) from start to finish, which I haven’t done yet, just to get an initial idea of flow and pacing. Maybe I’ll do that tonight before picking a sequence to fine-tune.
And then comes audio. Argh. Really not looking forward to it. Anyone know a good film sound designer who works for cheap? As in really cheap?
But have a great holiday week everyone!
-r.
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Thursday, September 24th, 2009
On Wednesday, we finally were able to get the final scene with Stupid, the good zombie, played by my dear friend Wade Hampton. So I’m pleased as punch to announce that WADE HAMPTON IS WRAPPED on “The Dead Can’t Dance.” (The pic is from the Independent School shoot, which seems like years ago.)
And as we get closer to wrapping up principal photography, things are getting emotional for me. Believe me, I want to wrap this baby up for good, but I also hate to see it end, in a way. We’ve all become such a filmmaking family, getting to know each others’ quirks, strengths and personalities. I’ve had the very good fortune of stumbling onto an amazing crew and I hope the friendships we’ve developed keep growing.
Especially with Sir Christopher and his family, whose farm near Udall is where we shot all our exterior road scenes. We are now wrapped at that location, as well, and I hated to see it end, just because he and his family are such great, warm, inviting, gracious people. Making this film has certainly been an adventure, but what has made it great is all the people we have come to know and work with, all sharing in the same pursuit: to make a movie and tell a story.
On Sunday, we’ll get an interior car scene done, then on Tuesday we’ll get a quick bar exterior scene. Then on Oct. 6 and 7, we’ll travel to Oklahoma to get the Quik Stop scenes. And then, lo and behold, we will be done!
I just can’t believe it. I’m excited and overwhelmed at the next stage, too, though. This is going to take a LOT of post work, but I think I’ll really enjoy it. This is the phase I love, where it starts forming the actual movie. Then there’s lots of audio and foley work to be done as well as digital effects. Just another phase of the adventure, and it’ll be great.
For now, I’ll enjoy the few shooting days we have left, and focus on organizing a wrap party. And I need to set up some photo galleries and cut a trailer in the very near future.
I have a line in the movie, where I tell Stupid, “So long, buddy.” I really hate to be done with him. But I love that we are, too.
Dancing to the finish line,
-r.
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Friday, September 4th, 2009
Time usually goes fast. But while working on this film, time has just ceased to exist.
I just honestly can’t believe it’s September, it’s all gone by amazingly quick. I thought we would be wrapped by now, but we’re not, and that’s fine. We’re back on track and moving right along. We got another quick scene with TJ on Wednesday, the weather actually looks like its going to give us a break for the weekend, and we’ll get another lengthy, dialogue-heavy scene done on Sunday, an important one, and then we’ll be completely wrapped at Oaklawn elementary.
And things look good for Tuesday to get the final scene with Stupid. (We’re getting to use the word “final” a lot more now, which is unfathomable.)
It also looks like things are going to work out for us to have the rest stop on Sunday the 13th, and we’ll also get some road scenes in the car done on the 12th.
Going to turn some energy back to the radio announcer part very soon, and also get that stuff shot and recorded in a couple of weeks.
Still needing to confirm a convenience store/gas station for the last scenes we’ll shoot, but we should be able to get that done in about 3 days. Otherwise, there’s some small pick-up stuff needed, of course, but if everything goes right, we should be wrapped by early October — not a moment too soon before the chill of fall sets in. The ‘Dead’ will be done dancing. Hallelujah. Then we can head full steam into post production.
Things feel good. Positive. Everyone is still in a good mood. Everyone also has more commitments now, with school started, other projects looming over us and new jobs. But they’re all still committed to seeing this baby through. Everyone has a personal stake in it now. Amazing…
So, heading into fall. And loving it.
-r.
Posted in Inspiration, The Dead Can't Dance, Writing, production, title sequence | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, June 30th, 2009
I know I’m getting ahead of myself here, but I want a cool title sequence for “The Dead Can’t Dance,” not just opening credits.
I love title sequences. I think they are an art form unto themselves. It’s something I want to get more experience doing, and so as I move ahead on everything else, I hope to play with the main title design periodically.
The new Final Cut Pro suite comes bundled with an upgrade of its LiveType software. I’ve used LiveType for some brief title treatments in “Sleepdancer” and our last short, “A Momentary Lapse of Brilliance.” But neither were full-fledged title sequence designs.
Since I am a graphic designer, I’d like to think to think I have a pretty good typographic sense. I’ve already started doing some research on the title design I want to create, and I imagine spending quite a good deal of time on it. It will be an evolving thing of its own.
Anyway, I started vaguely messing around with some type treatments for “The Dead Can’t Dance” last night, my first real sitting with the new LiveType upgrade. And I have to say it’s much better than the previous version. There are some new filters and motion effects, and i was able to browse fonts and effects simply, and manipulate a few into something I actually liked, and can envision using.
If course, this is just the first step. But it’s nice to have started it, and I completely got caught up in it. I finally looked at the clock and it was 5 a.m. Wow. I needed to get to bed. Of course, when I did, I couldn’t sleep.
But while I was laying there thinking, I suddenly wondered how I would design my titles in the correct aspect ratio. So far, I’ve only used 4:3 (the standard size of TVs). And I knew that that was what I was working in already. That’s not going to work, since I’ll be editing in Final Cut Pro with a 16×9 aspect ration (widescreen).
I’m sure this is boring as hell to most everyone, but I found an answer to my problem on Apple’s site today:
“Final Cut Pro supports anamorphic media for use in 16:9 sequences. When
creating titles in LiveType for use in such sequences, it is necessary
to make correct project settings. Otherwise, content may not fit the
frame or may not maintain geometric proportions. Making these settings
also ensures that graphics and movies imported into LiveType have the
correct proportions in the 16:9 sequence in Final Cut Pro.
For DV NTSC:
1. Open LiveType and open your project.
2. Choose Edit > Project Properties.
3. In the Project Properties window, choose “NTSC DV 3:2″ from the
Presets menu.
4. Change Pixel Aspect to 1.19.
5. Click OK.”
So…. there you go. Problem solved. At least, I hope. I’ll try to play around with it tonight, maybe.
Or get some sleep.
-r.
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