aaaaaargh this blogging editor just crashed when saving!!

Ok here is the news. We recently started to shoot the pre-film. Ok it's not Consumed but it is a massive step forward for us. There will be a video blog covering the shoot. In the meantime here are some pictures of the day.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/grandetour/sets/72157600301203134/

I've just released the 2nd Consumed video blog onto YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BE83ZEBfHHY or here


Consumed 2nd Video Blog

Add to My Profile | More Videos



and of course the Consumed MySpace Page.

For me blogging to video is a longer process than just writing. It's also the first time I've presented and put the video blog together myself. All I can is thanks for remote controls on Cameras and easy to use video editing software.

I think thought a series of occasional video blogs is the way forward for the Consumed project. It feels as if it is more a part of the film making process.

I hope you enjoy it.

Gunfight test



Add to My Profile | More Videos

Here is some test action footage. Its not from Consumed. Its an exercise to help us get better at using our steadicam, editing footage and applying sound FX.

Hope you like it - and there will be more coming this year.

This is going to sound a little odd but bear with me as it does make sense.
We're changing tack a little bit. The hoped for November shoot for Consumed is being put back to February 07. Instead we are going to shoot some (undetermined number) short films over the next few months.

Heres way.

We realised that we needed more equipment and more experience to produce Consumed to the standard that we want to achieve. We can get the equipment with some saving. We can get the experience by making films.

So we wait, save and make some minimalistic films. Only a few minutes long each, they'll have scripts designed to allow for low resource production. That means nothing fancy looking so we have to pull out all the stops on the script and the acting.

We have two potentials in development at the moment.

Both will be posted on Myspace and of course on places like Youtube.

By doing this we prepare for Consumed. Then next year - make the best Zombie film we can.

It's October. Perhaps 8 months since the initial plan to make a classy Zombie flick on no money at all was mooted. We achieved some good story ideas early. A script was written and though being continually revised it has been universally applauded by all who have seen it. Encouragingly this includes some third parties who have a vested interested in saying the script is rubbish. They say it is good. We feel validated.

Our initial location scouting turned up some wild and desolate scenary. Places with a strong enough feel to them to become characters in their own right. That also felt good.

Our intial screen tests didn't look to bad either.

We had an encouraging start.

Then we hit development hell. It happened with the nitty gritty. The devil in the detail scrapped with us. We needed to design and test special effects makeup, build dollys and steadicams, create story boards, find rehearsal space, coordinate a cast and crew spread hundreds of miles apart. It felt like swimming in treacle.

We were learning why so many film projects fail or fall short of their goals.

We needed an answer.

It came from Robert Rodriguez. Our director read his book 'Rebel without a Crew' and got all fired up. I followed suite. It was an epiphany. If you are thinking of making a film - read it, this is a book packed full of practical ideas.

The result was a simple solution. Set a deadline and work to it no matter what. If time runs out we rely on our creativity to create solutions as we run. It makes sense. Sometimes the best ideas in movies are those moments of genius that occurs when time or money runs out. We have a script that gives us a good foundation for the film, and a cast we believe in. So far so good.

All we need do is work.

We're now less than 2 months from the shoot.

I hope to have more for you to read and watch soon.

Theres been no blog entry for a while. Consumed had entered the limbo that occurs when crew enter into examinations, holidays and work commitments. As always there was a constant stream of background chatter especially between producer and director, but little else.

Then suddenly as is so often the case things started to kick off again.

Weve run some tests on a new camera and microphone assembly. These have gone really well, proving that for our location shots a blimp windshield windshield would be necessary but that our mike is otherwise great for the job in hand.  Shooting has started on a vlog / documentary with a strong sense of silliness going through it. Although the film will be serious we cannot but help inject humour into other elements, this will be published on YouTube Ill announce this when it happens.  Our first makeup tests have run; teaching us a lot about the effects of light and camera on zombie makeup.

Lots of other things are falling into place too; such as training up on audio and video editing, and honing up presentation and animation skills.

Then there is Ask A Zombie. This is our zombie take on Ask A Ninja. Hope you like it.

Suddenly I feel us moving towards a first shoot.

Floating in preproduction that's where!

A number of the crew have been taking exams and that slowed up preparatory tasks somewhat. That is something we are happy with. The education of all crew members (including myself) comes first.

We've gathered cast; but not assigned roles yet. Roles will come out of workshops / tests / rehearsals that are planned. We need to get a group dynamic just right. So the plan is to see the cast working together before 100% saying who plays who. It sounds long winded but we are after a certain cast chemistry and this seems like a way to get it. That said our cast are terrific. No one famous but we've seen them all preform brilliantly in improvs in the past and that gives us a lot of confidence.

Our special effects artist has told me he is ready for the first makeup screen tests. Makeup is very important to Consumed and we're all keen to see how it looks on screen.

Our Myspace profile is looking better. We have a secret teenage weapon working on it. Look out for her name in the credits.

So where is Consumed?

Heading towards a shoot that's where.

In the last few days we've managed to take our first test footage based on the current script and loose storyboards. We are pleased with the results. Yes so the footage is rough. The acting appalling (our crew took the place of actors for the tests) but the end result were some promising edits. We will be keeping these for later use. So one day you may get to see them. For now the news is that the production crew are on a bit of a high. Next we start to prepare for our real shoot. I'm not sure if there will be more tests or not. All I can say is that we are keeping the standards high.

If you'd like to read more click here.

Consumed has entered another scripting phase. We're basically really honing down the storyline and characters at the moment. Last week we saw some opportunities for improving how we present the story and so we're following these through. Don't worry this is not going to be endless rewrites and no movie. We're watching out for that trap! We do intend to put the best story we can together and from that make a fine film.

This is a keep in touch blog entry. One that lets you know that things are moving forwards.

The Consumed Team are busy making associations with other organisations and a very cool band. I haven't got permission to announce anything yet - but I will as soon as the time is right.

We've also done the first pass on our location scouting. Some very promising areas are under scrutiny at the moment - we will shortly be setting out with cameras to make sure that these are perfect.

A quick question to anyone with experience making films - any recommendations or suggestions on making good location notes?

Finally I'm starting to collect useful still images on the theme of entropy. That's all I can say at the moment.

Sorry for the veil of secrecy - but big news when we can, at least I can report that things are happening.