Production Update #10: Reminder: Last minute shoot tomorrow (TUES 7/20)

Micro-budget Indie Film Challenge #1: Synchonizing schedules so that cast and crew are all available to shoot on a day with great weather and no mechanical gremlins.

Micro-budget Indie Film Challenge #2: Mobilizing quickly when a chance to shoot presents itself suddenly.

So, I apologize for the extreme, last-minute notice here, but the opportunity has presented itself to do a half-day shoot tomorrow (TUES 7/20) afternoon. We will be picking up 12 rural walkby scenes that will help us polish off the first sequence of the film...

Crew & talent call: Noon

Location: Lineboro, MD

We will wrap by 5pm.

Confirmed crew & talent:

* Novia Campbell -- talent

* Bob Sapora -- director of photography

* Gordon Masters -- production audio recordist (will be bringing walkie talkies)

* Jonathan Slade --  writer/director

Thanks, as always, for being the "Indie Film Rapid Response Team."



Production Update #9: No shooting this weekend

It looks like a number of folks will still be on vacation this week, so we'll have to put our shooting on hold.  We've already had 3 very successful production days and I don't want to lose our momentum, but it's important for all crew members to understand that this is THE greatest challenge of independent film--matching schedules of those who so generously donate their time...

Here's the good news:

* All the film has been processed and it looks -- and sounds -- great

* I've begun editing the film in the McDaniel College Film Apprentice Edit Suite. It’s one of the perks of being a full-time professor. They expect you to undertake crazy summer projects like this. If you happen to be on campus at any point, please stop by and check out the cut. I’m usually here editing after 1pm on most weekdays.

Up next:

* We'll be shooting all those rural walkbys that we missed in the first 4 pages...

* We'll be shooting a night scene in a barn (Talia sleeps in her wedding dress)...

* We'll be shooting a few pick-up shots at a local fireman's carnival to make the "Barnyard Bingo" event look more populated...

Thanks again for everyone's enthusiasm -- just 4 more days to shoot this summer... Stay tuned to your email for late-breaking production notices...



Production Update #8: Thanks; No Shoot this weekend

I want to once again thank the people who made our second full day of production such a resounding success. Consider yourselves all Barnyard Bingo experts. I understand Gergely is now planning to export this adrenaline-filled activity to his hometown in Hungary.

I don't know about anyone else, but when we were finished shooting on Saturday, I was pooped! [ouch!]

No filming this weekend. Too many folks will be away during the July 4th celebrations (including me)... but pencil in a tentative day for the weekend of July 10 or 11... We'll probably try to shoot on ONE of those days. So check your schedules, and I'll update you all on that as soon as I can...

Summary: We shot 1,000 feet of Kodak 7246 on 6/26/04 -- that's about 30 minutes of raw footage. So far we've captured 4 complete scenes (about 8 script pages). A great start, but a long way to go.

Attached is another photo of the cast and crew from Saturday. What a line-up!

Production Update #7: Inexpensive Production Stills—Hooray!

Here’s a few production stills taken by Jim Buckley, a member of the Lineboro Volunteer Fire Police who also will appear in the film as the announcer at yesterday’s Barnyard Bingo.  Thanks, Jim, for watching us while we were watching the cow.



Production Update #6: Here’s the Poop!

Okay. I’ve had a number of emails asking what exactly Barnyard Bingo is. And since we’ll be filming this event in just two days, I guess an explanation is in order:

The Lineboro Volunteer Fire Department has been hosting this “game of chance” as a fundraiser for more than a decade now.  Essentially, they fence off a small grass lot behind the firehall, paint a bright orange grid on the ground, then they cut loose a cow in a corral and wait for it to take a crap.

Seriously.

If you are lucky enough to have purchased the ticket that matches the square where the cow crapped… well, you just won $1,000.

And don’t kid yourself: I bought 8 tickets. When you’re trying to finance a truly independent film, you’ve got to get as creative as possible. (Please poop on me! Please poop on me!)

As for how this event fits into the overall plot of this film, I have to admit that I’m not sure yet.  But come on: Dozens of people are going to stand around in the blazing heat, munch on pit beef, and wait for a cow take a shit. How can you NOT film this!

Hope to see you on Saturday.