Another Festival, Another Award (0)

Posted on 15 June, 2008 in Glitch

I’m happy to announce that Glitch won Best Drama Short at the 2008 El Cajon Video & Film Festival yesterday.  The film was written and directed by my friend Roger Gobin.  I was the Director or Photography and Editor.  Together we have co-produced the film and my friend Peter Gorritz provided the music for the film.

The win came as a huge surprise to all of us. I had submitted the film simply because I hadn’t completed anything new in time for the festival.  It was filmed on my old camera and edited with old software, but it still managed to win.  Personally I’m still trying to see how.  I felt there was several films more deserving than mine.

I’m not going to knock it any more.  I liked working on Glitch because it was somebody else’s idea and it let me work in a subject matter that I am not used to.  Usually I am the sci-fi, horror and comedy type, so this was a very welcome experiment.

I think the best thing about making Glitch was that it was a true group effort.  It wasn’t I did this and I did that, but we all did it and we can be proud of our accomplishment.

Tags: Awards, Film Festivals

Mr. Buttons - The Last Huge Scene (0)

Posted on 12 November, 2007 in Mr. Buttons

We invaded my friend Roger’s apartment today to film the final scenes of the film. We had a lot of fun and despite the fact the scenes are filled with emotion - a few dirty jokes here and there really helps to lighten the mood.

We spent the night rehearsing the scene so things flowed much smoother when we actually had the cameras rolling.

I’m very excited about some the footage we captured today - despite the tree trimmers and screaming kids outside - I think we will be able to salvage most of it and turn it into a good film. I also had the pleasure of working with a new makeup artist today. It’s always good to have a makeup artist in your back pocket because when you’re making horror films like these, you never know when you need some one who is very skilled at realistic makeup applications.

After the filming was all over we went out to celebrate a day of great shooting with dinner at the Cheesecake Factory…mmmm.

Am I Really A Winner? (0)

Posted on 17 September, 2007 in Mr. Buttons, News Blurbs

I spent most of the day on Saturday attending the El Cajon Video and Film Festival. There were a number of entertaining films to watch. I am not going to say one bad thing about any of the films at the festival. I will only say that there were some I enjoyed more than others.

It was a strange day because we arrived early and were kind of rushed into the screening room. Later on we noticed people walking around with “Filmmaker” badges. I was little peeved I was never offered a name badge.

The upset feeling growing in my gut was soon relieved by the fact that people started approaching me and complimenting my on my film “Mr. Buttons“, which had screened earlier in the day at the festival. Despite the fact I didn’t have a badge, people still knew it was my film. How the hell did that happen? Oh, maybe by the fact I brought the doll from the film with me

Throughout the day I also kept hearing buzz that my film was going to win an award. I blew the talk off as hype and tried not to get excited about it. The festival came and went and that night at the awards ceremony they awarded me Best Horror Film in the Open Division for Mr. Buttons.

Everybody around me was excited. I took the stage and rambled off a few words that were filled with appreciation but also laced with a little of my own cocky attitude. I know the film is good, I have a ton of reviews saying the film is good. Festivals all over are picking up the film and people from Comic-Con are still asking me when they can buy their own version of the doll. Now the film has earned me my first award as a filmmaker.

I am taking this victory with a grain of salt. Yes, the award looks good on my filmmaker resume, but I’m trying not to let it go to my head. My family and friends keep telling me “You Won! You Won!”, but I find it hard to smile about it.

I know that deep down inside I can make a good film, and that if somebody actually gives me some money to make a film, I can concentrate more on directing rather than sound quality, lens flare and the hot light wedged between my legs while I’m laying on the ground balancing a camera on a stack of books for that perfect shot… I’m keeping my fingers crossed and wondering who else I need to prove myself to so I can get a real movie made

Tags: Awards, Film Festivals

Mr. Buttons - Gag Reel (0)

Posted on 22 July, 2007 in Mr. Buttons

Here’s a gag reel for our film Mr. Buttons. We had a lot of fun making this film and I think it shows in this series of clips.

Tags: Bloopers, Deleted Scenes, Outtakes

Mail Order Bride - Gag Reel (0)

Posted on 19 July, 2007 in Mail Order Bride

We originally showed these blooper clips at the premiere for Mail Order Bride. People were laughing their asses off. I get a lot of requests for the “Midget Dr. Phobia” routine… so here it is.

Tags: Bloopers, Deleted Scenes, Outtakes

Sustenance - Gag Reel (0)

Posted on 19 July, 2007 in Sustenance

Here’s the gag reel for Sustenance. We had a lot of fun making this film as well. A lot of time was spent concentrating on getting strong perfromances so we didn’t end up with too many funny clips.

Tags: Bloopers, Deleted Scenes, Outtakes

Sustenance - Photos Online! (0)

Posted on 18 June, 2007 in Sustenance

I’ve been extremely busy writing my next screenplay, prepping the new DVD and networking with a few potenial producers and investors, so I apologize for the delay. The behind the scenes photos and screen captures for Sustenance are finally online.

Tags: DVD Authoring, Photos, Post Production

Sustenance - Rough Edit Completed (0)

Posted on 2 June, 2007 in Sustenance

I am pleased to announce that I have finally finished editing the film. It took a little longer than I wanted, but it’s done. There are still some effects and audio to tinker with, but the timing and main shots are all locked in. My composer Peter Gorritz will be working on the music and we will have the whole thing ready for DVD in time for our fans at the San Diego Comic-Con.

I had a few dilemmas with this film, which is why it took a while to edit. I had written a short script and filmed a finite amount of footage, but I ended up with almost enough quality content to make this a feature film. Eventually I made the painful decision to cut characters and some scenes from the film. I would love to have every piece of footage in the film, but I think people will enjoy this one. It moves fast and keeps you guessing. Hopefully you guys will like it.

Tags: Composer, Editing, Music, Post Production, Score, Soundtrack

Sustenance - Official Artwork (0)

Posted on 25 April, 2007 in Sustenance

I created the official poster art for the film today and posted it online. I wanted it to have a “pulp” feel to it, and a design which compliments the other posters for this round of Carnal Morgue shorts. Basically it’s follow the same format as Mail Order Bride, but I switched the angles so that the poster works like a bookend for the series. I think it works.

Tags: Design, Marketing, Posters

Sustenance - Filming Completed (0)

Posted on 22 April, 2007 in Sustenance

Principal Photography was wrapped today! We had a blast filming some of the gory scenes for the film. Unfortunately we had to take down the set and throw it away. Oh well, there will be many other sets to build in the future.

Tags: Filming, Principle Photography, Production