So I'm putting together the production team for the next film project.  If any of my LJ buddies (or lurkers) are interested drop me line.

You can check out what's happening on www.ratlingproductions.com

Come on, come on, come on.  It'll be fun!  Really!

So, quite accidentally, I found out that there was something happening this past week-end called the Indie Lounge here in town.  It was a series of seminars/workshops aimed at the Independent film producer.  I went, had a blast and learned a whole lot of really cool stuff that will make for a better film next time around.  Also was able to make some connections with professionals actually working in the industry.  Cool, cool, cool!

The premier went well.  About 80 people  attended.  They seemed to like the film.  Their comments were pretty much as I had hoped they would be.  The web page has been updated.  You can see it at:  www.RatlingProductions.com

The first Ratling Newletter went out.  I've got 19 people so far who are subscribed which is cool.  We are showing a clip/extended trailer at a local film festival today.  I was a little hesitant to enter the submission.  But the organizer of the festival said my film was really good for a no budget first time production.  On the good side, I will have access to a second camera and sound equipment on the next project.  Which is great.  The sound equipment will go a long way to fix the problem of the on camera mike.  And the second camera will ensure that I don`t miss any of those reaction shots.

So, the copies for the cast and crew are done.  Nothing fancy, just the DVD although I did put the nice colored covers on the cases.  Sale DVD's are almost ready.  Posters are done.  The display items are packed.  The popcorn machine is on reserve.  Web page is up and running at: www.RatlingProductions.com     The guest list is filling in........  Tomorrow shop and prep the nibbly foods.

I heard a lot from both sides on the week-end.  Bottom line, as far as my two cents goes, is that fencing is not 14th Century.  Period.  Yes, I will concede the point made by someone that there were schools that taught sword play - but not fencing.  Their Majesties are trying to do a 14th Century reign.  So they are offering fencers a way to play.  The other option was to banish fencing completely for the duration of their reign, which they are within their rights to do.  Sometimes the lesser of two evils turns out to be the better option.  I for one look forward to playing within the context that they have set.  Better than not getting to play at all.

You can check it out at www.ratlingproductions.com

So the movie is done.  The DVD cover is finished.  The posters are ready to go to print.  I'm in the process of booking a space for the premier showing.  The web page will be up and running soon.

Ratling Productions is on the verge of officially launching!!!!!!!!  Pass the word on.

I'm hoping to book space for the first or second Sunday in October.  Anyone interested in coming let me know so I can send you a personal invite.

Just putting it out there.  I'm looking for someone to help do up an animated logo for my production company.  Any suggestions?  Names?  Don't have too much money but we can work something out.

I've just finished and posted the first trailer for my film.  You can check it out on You Tube.  Do a search for RatlingProductions.  You'll find Shimea Trailer.  Would love to get feedback.

My father died on December 26, 2004.  I wasn't there.  He was in BC and I was here.  He went into the hospital in the morning with a bad cold to get checked up and a few hours later he died peacefully.  My father had Alzheimer's and no longer recognized anyone.  I was, of course, berated by both my mother and aunt for not coming to see him before he passed away. However, I had spoken to him by phone several months earlier while he still retained some sense of touch with this reality.  By the end of the conversation he was lost and no longer knew me.  I spoke briefly to him just once afterwards but it was like speaking to a stranger.  So I never went down to see him.  My critics thought me a callous, unloving daughter.  They couldn't understand that I didn't want my last memory of my father to be drowned in the confusion of his Alzheimer's.  I did fly down for the funeral, though I missed his cremation.  And I said my last good-byes to my father.

My father was an awesome man and a special person in my heart.  He taught me how to play chess.  We read the same books and spent hours discussing them.  He made Robin Hood hats out of newspaper, taught me how to make whistles from willow twigs and built me a pair of stilts that I walked everywhere on for a whole summer.  He half buried a car axle in the back yard so we could have our very own merry-go-round.  He built my sister the ugliest bike ever by cannibalizing spare bike parts and it was her pride and joy for many years.  He worked hard to provide for us a safe and happy home.

Siting vigil last night by my father-in-laws bedside brought back a great gulf of feelings I had thought I had dealt with.  Brian Sr. was the opposite of everything my dad was.  But he welcomed me into the family without reservation or question.  In my being there last night, I finally found the closure I missed with my father's passing.

So my motherboard died.  Bummer.  The whole film was trapped on the computer.

Retrieved all the files.  Burned everything to disc.  Downloaded everything to the new computer (oh, and by the way, Vista sucks).  Opened the first scene.  There were a few bits missing.  No problem.  I could fix that.  Discovered that the recovered raw footage - Vista won't show me the thumbnails.  Gotta open every single file to find the footage I need.  Next scene, missing about half.  Next scene some of the sound was there.  By scene seven, I only had one of the sound effects.

I opened scene 8 last night.  Nothing.  Zip.  Nada.  Back to square one with the film.  There are 22 scenes in the film.

Bummer.  A 100 plus hours of work down the crapper.

Conversely,  now that I know how my program works I think the new edits are better.  But what a pain.  Hope to spend a great deal of time on the week-end re-editing.

On the good side all the CGI is done and I have all the music now.

• Taught a class at Pennsic  (informally - never on the class schedule)
• Ran a court
• Fought or fenced at an event while drunk
• Worked the "Puking Duke" shift a Chirurgeons Point at Pennsic
• Been an Event Stewart/Autocrat
• Been an officer
• Had a name and/or device accepted by the SCA College of Arms
• Had a name and/or device rejected by the SCA College of Arms
• Worked in at least three different volunteer departments at Pennsic
• Written a scroll text
• Ran a bardic circle
• Attend a foreign war  (Pennsic - since it's in another Kingdom)
• Traveled more than 10 hours each way for a one-day event
• Had the privilege of begging a boon for a Peerage
• Spent the night in a hotel room with more people than the bed space holds
• Slept in more than 1 tent at a camping event
• Fought/fought for in a Crown/Coronet Tourney
• Been to an SCA event/function in every Kingdom except Drachenwald and Lochac
• Lived in three Kingdoms
• Been in the SCA more than half my life
• Won a tournament in five different kingdoms
• Been authorized in a fighting style not legal in your home kingdom at the time
• Met your future spouse at an SCA event  
• Taught at a Collegium
• Had a Marshalate Complaint as a Heavy Weapons fighter or fencer
• Had anyone request permission to conflict with your authorized device
• Have at least one story that involves a camping event, alcohol and a porta privy
• Ever had both a suzerein and vassal at the same time
• Ever been present at the formation of a Crown Principality...
• Worked in at least three different volunteer departments at Great Western War
• Ever been to an SCA event which was being covered by the press
• Ever been quoted by the press regarding the SCA
• Remember the Rattan shortages of a couple of decades ago
• Ever participated in an experimental weapon program
• Been to a "Known World" event
• Been to another Kingdom's Crown/Coronation
• Shouted another Kingdom's name at the end of a Royal Court
• Ever made out with foreign Royalty at an event
• Been the responsible officer during an "issue"
• Woken up at an event next to someone and couldn't remember their name
• Flown to an event
• Written a Coronation or Peerage Ceremony
• Received a Peerage from your future spouse before you were involved with him/her
• Streaked a campsite at a War
• Autocrated/Stewarded a kingdom event while pregnant
• Had the same office twice
• Watched one of your students accept their own peerage
• Created a Kingdom Office or Deputy Office  - kind of.  I was the first person to hold the office; someone else created it
• Written an article for your Kingdom Newsletter
• Had your peerage vigil at the Runestone
• Ridden in a golf cart at Estrella Pennsic
• Own more than one pavilion/period tent at the same time, both usable

Alyce’s three:

 

• Was Chronicler at the local, Baronial and Kingdom levels
• Had the privileged of being a Landed Baroness
• Got to carry the winning flag out of the woods battle one year

So here's what's happening.

I've finished the initial editing of the film.  And I've started to put it all together with the music and effects.  It's actually looking pretty good.  The only thing slowing things down is waiting on the last of the SFX to be done.  There is one scene near the end that I will need to re-shoot.  Bummer.  It's been shot twice already.  There's good moments in both takes but I can't join them seamlessly. Of course, it's an exterior shot, and oh look, we have snow now.  So I need to find one of those creepy unfinished basements in an old house or the like and turn it into an interior dungeony shot.  No one said movie-making is easy.

That said, it's actually been a positive experience overall.  I think I actually like the editing better than the directing, though.  And as I continue to discover what my editing program can do I keep make each scene better.  However, at some point I have to stop tweaking otherwise the film will never get done.  But I guess that's part of the art in any medium.

So, I have the prologue, opening credits and first four scenes done (or forst 8 minutes).   The prologue has changed from it's original format.  It was going to be a comic book with some voice over.  I got the voice-over work recorded without to much hassle.  But, after some back and forth with an artist the conversations yielded no artwork.  So I scrapped that whole concept, cool as it would have been.  Instead I pulled good old Alice Sheffield from the shelf, dusted her off and had her do the Prologue/Epilogue as a storyteller.  The results, I think, will work nicely.

My sister, of course, is really curious as to what I'm doing.  Throughout the course of the filming she's asked about several scene and has registered some surprise about changes.  She's the co-writer of the script so she's concerned I may have breached the integrity of our work.  I think she'll be pleased with the results.

Here's the bottom line.  I am aiming on getting the film finished by the end of January.  Copying and making arrangements for the showing follow.  Hopefully by the end of February I will be able to screen the film at a gala opening for cast, crew and family.  Then off to the internet for marketing.

My expectations?  I would like to make enough from sales to purchase a second camera and tripod, as well as expand my editing suite.  I kinda drool over After Effects.  So, somewhere between $3 and $5 thousand.

Then on to the next project: Rick Starr and the Queen of the Arachnid People.  A black and white 1940's style space adventure.  (I keep thinking musical but we'll see)

This little event yesterday was sparsely attended.  Not sure why.  Maybe it was the threat of weather.  But it was a great little event!  Here are the highlights for me:

- Fencing for the simple pure pleasure and fun of it.  It's good when winning sometimes is not the ultimate goal of a tournament.

- Food.  Lots and lots of food.  Yummy, scrumptious food.

- A chance to make people laugh.  A lot.

- Warm companionship and convivial company.

- Did I mention food?!!!!

- Singing and getting others to sing too.

-Dancing.  Vigorously.

- Oh, and food. 

Your muse is Calliope!

30% Calliope, 0% Thalia, 10% Urania, 10% Clio, 0% Erato, 20% Euterpe, 10% Melpomene, 10% Polyhymnia and 10% Terpsichore!

Calliope is the oldest and wisest of the muses.  She is called "The One of Beautiful Speech."   Calliope is the muse of epic or heroic poetry and may have been the very one that inspired Homer when he wrote the Illiad and the Odyessy. 

Allow Calliope to inspire you. 

Your result for The hardcore SCA Test ...

The Queen's Champion

You scored 53% hardcore SCA!

So another week-end shoot is in the bag.  It was great.  I had arranged with a restaurant owner here in town to use his place for the tavern shoot.  He let us in, turned off the alarm, made us coffee and left us to have the entire place to ourselves for 3 hours.  Just asked that we make sure the door was locked on our way out.

It was awesome.  I looked at the footage today and think I can edit some nice stuff.  The mirrors were a bitch to work with, but I think I only got my reflection in one shot.  The rain were we supposed to have held off and the day was gorgeous so we got another outdoors segment for the opening titles in the can as well.

Most of the shooting will now be taking place outside so we will be at the mercy of the weather gods. 

I am disappointed with the way the footage for the throne room scenes is ending up being edited.  The funeral scenes we shot will work out nicely.  Music will mask the floor sounds.  I think the second and third throne room scenes will as well.  But the first one is being very problematic in the editing.  The floors creak abominably.  The shorter walls we had to use mean there is a lot of cropping and cutting.  This creates a slightly less crisp picture.  To edit out most of the creaking floor I need to re-equalize the sound and that's creating problems with the clarity of the spoken lines.  I'm beginning to think I want to see if I can track down a better location and re-shoot the initial throne room scene.

The biggest source of perturbance (is that a real word, well it should be) is the number of people who over the course of the past several months have offered to participate in the film.  Yet when I have let them know about shot dates, I have been met with silence.  I don't mind that people have other commitments.  What bothers me is when those commitments aren't relayed to me and I expect  X number of people to show up and then fall short.  I'm not sure how to work around that problem.  Maybe, there's no way to do that for now.  Oh, well.  Big shrug and a sigh.

The first scene of the film is now finished to my satisfaction and is in the bag, except for the music.  My gut feeling says to cut out the second scene entirely, which means scrapping the first throne room scene and not having to re-shoot it, and cutting to the third scene.  It will make the film tighter.  The first throne room has changed from the original script's storyline and now is more of a set-up piece and no longer drives the action.  But there a a few cool bits. So I am in a pickle.

Ah, well, I will have to think on it.

Overall, it's going okay.  I'm getting some good stuff and the bits I've started to edit are turning out quite nicely.

This month I faced a large problem regarding location.  I've scheduled the inside shots during the months of February, March and April because it's mostly too cold to shoot outside, not to mention the snow.  February was right on track.  March hit a major speed bump.

The site I originally wanted, never got back to my numerous phone and e-mail inquiries.  So, on the advice of a fellow local filmmaker I contacted FilmKW to help.  No response.  I finally had to go to the head of their group before someone responded.  Okay.  So we went over what I needed, sent off the blurbs about the film and the company to him as requested and he assured me he would get back with something in a day or two.  Well, I waited with bated breathe.  All I got from him was a list he compiled while driving around of possible places, most of which I had already contacted while compiling a list of possible places while driving around.  No contact names, numbers or anything useful.  In fact, I'm not sure if he even drove around since several of the locations no longer existed.  His explanation for the lack of information was that he just didn't have time.  I'm guessing that it was just that I didn't have the big bucks.

So I started to track down another site.  It looked good, very good, as I progressed through the many, many people needed to get an informed decision.  I got as far as dates, time, requirements of use until the big cheese at the top kiboshed the whole thing with an empathic "No, and I don't know what the others were thinking."

Back to square one.  I posted to my cast and crew that we would probably have to postpone the March shoot.  One of the cast members sent me a post with a suggestion for a possible site.  Now it was a place I had already tried to contact.  When I had called I was told they had nothing.  But his contact was a different person at the site.  So I tried again.  I sent off an e-mail with what I was looking for and how long I would need it.  By now I had given up with finding the ideal space and was just looking for a space.  I got a phone call back, we discussed at length the production and my needs for the location.  They asked me to check the availability with the booking manager.

I did.  It was available for a big time slot on the week-end in question.  I came in to look at the site.  Not perfect, or even ideal, but I would be able to make it work with some creative lighting, set dressing and camera work.  I went in to sign the contract and was told I would be charged a substantial hourly rate.  No, no, no, I told him.  From my previous conversation I was told it would not cost me anything.  Well, of course, he couldn't make that decision.  And of course, I had already contacted my cast and crew to show up since I had considered this a done deal.  So I re-contacted my original contact and asked her to call me or e-mail me at work so we could iron this out.

Of course, she didn't.  She e-mailed me at home, on the Thursday, before the long week-end.  So I didn't get her e-mail till I came home from work.  The location was now closed for the holiday week-end and the Monday as well, since they are always closed on Mondays.  That meant that she wouldn't get my responding message until Tuesday and we were scheduled to shoot four days later.

Well, I offered her six hours of volunteer work in exchange for the 6 hours of site use.  On Tuesday she called and we agreed to the terms and I arranged to go back in and sign the agreement and pick up keys.  Problem solved.

Except it wasn't.  There are these large movable walls that come with the site and were integral to my set design.  I was told I could use all the walls as part of the agreement.  Great!  Because they were movable I could configure the sets to represent two different locations within the castle.  Awesome.  Except when I got home on Friday, around 8:30 pm after running errands following work, there was another e-mail from this woman at the center, sent during the day to my home address, though I had specifically asked her not to send me e-mails to my home address during office hours since I have no access to that e-mail account from work, saying that they put up a wall for the evening performance of a play.  And that I was UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES TO TOUCH THE WALL.  I was a little bummed by this, since I had the location until 1 pm. and the theatre group was not scheduled to go until 1:30 (of which I made very sure we would not have a conflict and to which I had already offered them help setting things up to ensure we both had sufficient time in the space).  But I swallowed my upset and figured I could work around their backdrop.

Well, the backdrop was at the far end of the hall.  Not an issue.  Except that my movable wall sections were now nicely trapped behind the backdrop with no way of getting them out.  Huh!  I was really not impressed.  There were a few old office wall panels, the kind that have feet so the can be moved and rearranged.  We managed to make use of them, although they were all off centered and uneven and no two of them actually lined up properly side by side.

I think we created okay spaces.  They looked nice in the camera.  I have to download them and see what they look like on the screen.  But I so dislike it when people agree to things they have no real interest in honoring.  I would rather people acted like adults and took ownership of their decisions by just saying "No.  We can't help you."  I would have continued looking.  As it is, would I recommend this space to others?  No.  No I wouldn't because their management people provided me with poor service.  Now I am indebted to them for 6 hours of volunteer work.  Some small sadistic part of me wants to give them really bad service.  The kind of shoddy, standing around, minimal work kind of time.  Unfortunately, I tend to bury those sadistic impulses.  Since my volunteer time will be videotaping, I planned to use this as a way to further my portfolio more than an aid to them.

Now, I just gotta find me a bar for the next shoot date.

As an aside rant, I wish I could get more guys interested in acting in this thing.  So far I have a surfeit of women.  This has been okay to this point.  But as filming advances into the next several months I'm going to need to find more and more men.  A lot of the coming scenes will involve fighting and battles.

So here's the shameless plug:  If you're a guy, if you have guy friends, I need you!  Drop me a line.  We can talk.

Okay.  Rant over.