Reshoots: Was it worth it? Judge for yourself! And, test screening in Portland this Friday!
over 6 years ago – Tue, Oct 15, 2019 at 11:03:21 PM

Hello Dear Friends!

I've started the last bit of reshoots on the film. These are sections where the story is not quite working or the footage is terrible. We just did five shots yesterday (a great day!) and I wanted to share one with you.

Granny gets a better entrance

Granny need a bit grander of an entrance. So, we gave her one! This is what the it looks like when we film. 

Was it worth it?: Before and After shots

The Above shows you what the camera sees.

Test Screening this Friday!

I'm hosting a small test screening of the film this Friday in Portland. If you can make it, please message me and I will give you details. We'll watch the film and talk about what's working and what's not. 

Everything continues to go really well. We're barrelling towards the finish line as quickly as possible. I hope to have more good stuff for you soon!

Jesse

Was this reshoot worth it? Judge for yourself! Plus, test screening this Friday!
over 6 years ago – Tue, Oct 15, 2019 at 11:02:53 PM

Hello Dear Friends!

I've started the last bit of reshoots on the film. These are sections where the story is not quite working or the footage is terrible. We just did five shots yesterday (a great day!) and I wanted to share one with you.

 Granny gets a better intro! This is what the eye sees. 

Was it worth it? A look at Before and After. 

The Above shows you what the camera sees. 

Everything continues to go really well. We're barrelling towards the finish line as quickly as possible. I hope to have more good stuff for you soon!

Test Screening this Friday!

I need to get some feedback on the film. So, if you can be in Portland this Friday at 6:30, send me a message. Love to have you see this early cut and let me know what's working and what's not!

Jesse

Update from Jesse
over 6 years ago – Sun, Sep 08, 2019 at 02:42:11 AM

Hello Dear Friends,

I wanted to take a quick second a fill you in on what's going on with the film. Check it out below:

Flesh Eating Fish Progress Shots

Above is a still frame from the film with our Flesh Eating Fish ready for some brains!

Lots more good stuff coming your way. Thanks for your patience and support!

Jesse

Backer Exclusive Deleted Scene
over 6 years ago – Sun, Jul 28, 2019 at 12:46:41 AM

This post is for backers only. Please visit Kickstarter.com and log in to read.

Every shot starts with the same thought: 'Oh God, this is never gonna work!'
over 6 years ago – Sun, Jun 23, 2019 at 01:06:34 AM

Hello Everyone!

At long last I am working on the credits! Of course, I want to do something very special and interesting instead of the standard crawl. While working through old photos, I found something really cool. 

Do you go camping?

I always have this experience camping: It's nighttime, we have a wonderful fire, making s'mores, having a good time. Everything is magical in the firelight and looks amazing. Then...the next morning, you get up (way too early) and you look around this desolate site of dirt and beer cans and that illusion of where you are is totally popped. This is the magic of light!

Back to the credits: While digging through the production photos and Behind-the-Scenes footage I found a really cool set of images - the photographer took the same photo with and without flash. 

Shot with flash: Reality

I use light on Frank & Zed very carefully: to hide actors and puppet mechs, to extend sets, and to create mood. The shot with the flash exposes all my tricks! The flash overpowers all of the set lights so you get a very flat image.  You see bare concrete, the actors, sets, everything looks terrible! And this is what goes through my head on set, 'Oh God! This looks terrible. I am a fraud. This will never work." 

Lighting: To the Rescue!

My fears and anxieties finally start to calm down as we adjust the lighting. Throwing the bad stuff into shadow and putting light onto the good things. This also take a lot of time. In fact, you can see me at the bottom of the frame carefully adjusting a light. Here's what the shot looks like without flash. (This is what the camera should see.) 

Final Frame:

If you're lucky (and work real hard) you can pull off the illusion that you're not in a garage but instead a medieval throne room.  

Puppeteering Puzzler: Blowing out the Candle

Had a lot of fun with all the great answers to our last Puppeteering Puzzler so thought we'd try again. How did we get Donnie to blow out the candle perfectly in sync with the performance? Comment below with how you would do it. 

Update:

Work continues to move steadily forward on the film (Did I mention we're working on the credits!) but it may still be many months before you get a chance to see it. In particular, the BluRays etc will have lots of behind-the-scenes footage and videos which have yet to be created. I will certainly let everyone know more as I have a better picture of what's going on. 

Thanks again for all your patience and support!

Jesse

Extra Bits: I have been super into Columbo recently. So, disappointed by GoT? Looking for something new. I highly recommend it. 

 What classic show do you guys like? Comment below or message me. I'm super curious what other people into these days.