"In this Wood" News

Please Pray for Theresa Hodapp!

2011-06-27T22:34:00.000-05:00

Theresa Hodapp, one of the young leads of "Wood," needs all the prayers she can get now. Please, pray for her complete healing. This is an excerpt from Theresa’s mother’s blog entry: “…a prayer service (rosary) for Theresa is to be held on Wednesday, June 29, in the Mother’s Chapel at St. Ignatius, Martyr, Catholic Church at 6:30 pm [in Austin]…We hope to make it. If you are unable to make it, please offer a rosary or your prayers for Theresa. We thank you and are humbled and touched by the many prayers being said for her and our family. May God bless you.”

Separate Blog for Cast/Crew

2011-04-13T21:09:00.000-05:00

If you're a cast, crew member or sponsor of "In this Wood," please visit a separate blog maintained on Wordpress, where you can access password-protected updates. If you don't know the password, you can send me an email through that blog, and I'll send it you.
Thanks.

Looking for VO Actress

2011-01-13T19:28:00.001-06:00

Looking for an actress to do a brief voiceover for "In this Wood." Character: Beautiful Young Woman. Voice type: probably soprano, kind, gentle, loving, sweet, motherly; young with an old soul. If you know anyone who fits the bill, please send an email to: therese@mistandnimbus.com. Thanks!

Trailer

2010-12-20T23:18:00.003-06:00

"In this Wood" trailer from Therese Kim on Vimeo.

Theresa Hodapp

2010-12-17T19:56:00.001-06:00

Please pray for one of our leads, Theresa Hodapp, and her family. Theresa has bone cancer and is going through chemo; she just turned 17. To know them is to love them; they're such a beautiful family--inside and out.

Josh Stewart

2010-10-02T23:11:00.003-05:00

In Memory of Josh Stewart

To those of you that were involved with "In this Wood:" You probably met Josh Stewart on the mansion set. He is a longtime friend and supporter, and his daughter, Shayna, was one of the Windsor-Moore girls. Sadly, he passed away unexpectedly on Thursday. Please keep him and his beautiful young family he left behind in your thoughts and prayers. He will be greatly missed by many.

Josh's obituary

A New Documentary on The Business of Abortion

2010-09-07T18:59:00.003-05:00

"Blood Money" is a film I plan to watch. Humanity's greatest evils...slavery, genocide, are intrinsically evil, abhorrent to reasonable people today. But owning slaves at one time was considered "normal." But today, "reasonable" people easily are able to justify abortion. Our present-day "culture of death" has dulled our consciences, and being entrenched in popular culture has dimmed our ability to see issues in clear light. I hope you watch this documentary's trailer, regardless of your position on abortion, and open your mind to the realities of abortion.

Leonard scene roto

2010-09-01T22:19:00.000-05:00

Finished the "torso" roto shape last night. At 24 frames/second, with this 5-ish second shot, that was about 120 frames of outlines (the movement was very bouncy). I need to create roto shapes for the head, 2 arms, skirt, 2 legs, and link them all together to the torso: about 720 frames:840 frames in all.

Rotoscoping

2010-08-27T20:49:00.001-05:00

I've begun roto work on a shot of Ms. Leonard, a teacher at Windsor-Moore Prep, for the final sequence. I'm pulling her out of one shot to put on another. A previous attempt wasn't going well, but this one seems to be coming along nicely.

Another Bittersweet Manor, TX Story

2010-08-08T12:22:00.004-05:00

I can't help but wonder how near Virginia's farm was to Msgr. George's ranch.

Kickstarter.com Recommends "In this Wood"

2010-07-12T18:23:00.004-05:00

I just clicked on Kickstarter.com, and saw "In this Wood" is "Recommended" by the Kickstarter staff. Thank you, Kickstarter! http://www.kickstarter.com

Where we are

2010-07-08T20:40:00.000-05:00

A few scenes of roto work are completed. But our visual effects artist is very busy, has been and is out of town working on other projects, and has had limited time to work on "Wood." In the meantime, I've been preparing a fundraiser to cover the cost of what's left in post--chiefly visual effects, animated composites, recording the soundtrack, and color correction. I hope to have the fundraiser started very soon--it's almost ready to launch. Thanks for your patience!

Fr. George's Online Obituary Photo Gallery

2010-05-10T10:46:00.003-05:00

Fr. George's Dignity Memorial Online Obituary Photo Gallery

Watch a Preview of "In this Wood"

2010-05-09T23:38:00.000-05:00

You can see a preview of "In this Wood" here:

Changes

2010-05-03T20:51:00.002-05:00

We laid Fr. George to rest in Taylor today. His funeral was beautiful, officiated by our new Bishop Joe Vasquez. Just before filming "Wood," Fr. George had donated his 20-ish acres of beautiful wild wood to the Mercy of God Prayer Center. I learned that since filming, a large chapel was built where we'd shot many of the wood scenes. At the burial, I met people who were involved in the building committee, and learned about the Prayer Center's website, which linked to a virtual tour of the chapel site (and which is where the photo came from). It was strange and very sad to see pictures of what was once magical, untouched nature that was Fr. George's land. But I heard that the place was a wonderful place of healing for many, and I hope to visit the site someday soon. A few weeks ago, I drove by my old parish, St. John Neumann, where we'd shot other wood scenes, and was heartbroken to see areas we'd shot in were bulldozed and trees removed to make way for the new church building. But of course, the church finally going up is happy news. With wildly ambivalent feelings, I realize that nothing earthly lasts: life or beauty; but memories and love do. Today, I felt I understood much better the bigger picture, and what's truly important. We'll miss Fr. George, but we'll meet again.

Fr. George

2010-04-29T17:48:00.006-05:00

Monsignor George Tydlacka, a dear friend for 20 years, died yesterday evening. He will be very missed, and always remembered. He devoted his life to God as a faithful priest, and reading stories about him online, I saw how loved he is and was by so many. Msgr. George, (my family just called him Fr. George), was a giant teddy bear who gave big, squeezing hugs to his friends, and prayed for them when they were in need. He had two little dogs, ChaCha and Chiquita, who were his best companions, until he had to leave his beloved ranch in Manor behind and move to a series of nursing homes. When we were young, Fr. George used to take me, my little brother, and Mom on his tractor to visit his stocked fish pond and beautiful acres of wood, where he'd built his little house himself, and years later, let me film "In this Wood." The photo of Fr. George was taken just after we wrapped the shoot on his property, May 2007. I wish he could have seen his "ranch" on the big screen before he left. God bless our sweet Fr. George.

Progress

2010-04-27T18:31:00.007-05:00

We're still working on composites, clean up and music. The outline for a feature version of "Wood" is also taking shape. It combines key plot elements from the earliest version of "Wood's" script--which is quite different from what was shot--and a notebook of ideas for another film that have been growing for a few years. Surprisingly, they piece together like they were always meant to be combined, and form a very different, and I feel, rich story. I'm very excited about this development.

New Film on Shroud of Turin

2010-04-11T19:04:00.009-05:00

I saw this trailer for British Academy Award-Winning Film Maker, David Rolfe's, new film, "Shroud," and can't wait to see this excellent-looking film. The trailer itself is fascinating, moving, and satisfyingly long, with previews of 3-D reconstructions of what Christ's body would have looked like based on the information the Shroud has, among other things. Mr. Rolfe on his film:

"The world has not exactly been starved of Shroud docs over the last few years. All the digital channels – the History Channel, Discovery, PBS and some other independents have all had a crack. The producer of one of them – which majored on the Leonardo da Vinci theory to the exclusion of virtually everything else – reveals something of the problem the subject faces. When told that the da Vinci theory was simply untenable she said – and I quote: “I know, but it’s such a great story.” Well, in my experience, you do not need to make stuff up to tell a good story about the Shroud. The problem is that – thanks to C14 – there are now a couple of generations that know virtually nothing about the subject. This means, inevitably, recapping material that the readers of this journal will be familiar with so please bear with it as I hope you will be in for some interesting surprises by the time the film finishes... The new film will be in High Definition and this is excellent news when so much of the really interesting stuff is in the minutiae of the fibrils."

Read more at: http://www.shroud.com/pdfs/n66part4.pdf

Here is coverage on another recent, very-interesting attempt to reconstruct Christ's face with computer imaging:

An artist's depiction based on the Shroud's proportions is here.

Progress

2010-02-28T12:35:00.008-06:00

Though the edit isn't quite locked (the final sequences need final composited shots and digital corrections), I'll be working on the sound for "Wood" this coming week. A professional (extremely talented and nice) digital effects artist/compositor has been working on the roto and composites, and has finished a few shots. I thought I'd be able to do them, but I'm certainly not up to the task, and am very grateful to be working with him. A day was spent taking high-quality digital shots of trees and branches, which had backgrounds removed in Photoshop. These shots will be used to create more depth and density to some of the wood shots (above photo).

Update

2010-02-04T19:53:00.004-06:00

The edit is now at the correct length: just under 15 minutes. Composer James Norman is working out musical ideas, and I'm working on spotting notes. The film will probably have to be submitted to the first festival for consideration as a work-in-progress. But it's getting closer.

Temporarily out of commission

2009-10-17T21:04:00.004-05:00

The edit's down to 17:48 -- need to cut it down three more minutes. I haven't been able to work on "Wood" for quite some time, because the schedule's been pretty full. Hope to be able to devote most of November and December to finishing up, as I should have a month of vacation starting then. I've begun some rough roto work in Shake for the final sequence, as well.

Film Festivals to Note

2009-09-15T18:16:00.002-05:00

Have heard about a few exciting film festivals recently. Here's one. It featured some gorgeous quotes from Pope John Paul II, regarding artists:

“In order to communicate the message entrusted to her by Christ, the Church needs art. Art must make perceptible, and as far as possible attractive, the world of the spirit, of the invisible, of God.”
-Pope John Paul II

“The link between good and beautiful stirs fruitful reflection. In a certain sense, beauty is the visible form of good, just as the good is the metaphysical condition of beauty.”
-Cyprian Norwid (As quoted by Pope John Paul II in his “Letter to Artists” – 1999)

Narrator

2009-06-29T19:45:00.002-05:00

On July 7th, "Wood's" narrator will record a preliminary VO track...

The Edit

2009-06-28T18:24:00.002-05:00

So many are asking about the film nowadays. And after not being able to devote much time to it, I realize I have to drop other priority items in my life to let this little bird fly. So friends, here's where we're at: the polishing stage of the edit.
Soon--
T.

Quiet on the movie front; but just for now...

2009-05-13T22:15:00.005-05:00

Thanks, folks, for waiting and waiting...and waiting for this little film to get completed. It's been tough finding good blocks of time to finish up the last part of the edit the past few weeks. Aside from a crazy work schedule the past few weeks, we're getting our home (location for Miranda's dorm room...) ready to put on the market this month :-(( , and it's taking up all my time after work hours. Still trying to tie this up this month, but I'll post progress right here on this page.

"Wood" Update

2009-05-02T19:32:00.006-05:00

Left: DP Layton Blaylock and AC Rob McGrath line up a shot during pickups.
With pickups finished, I've been able to weave the new footage into the edit, and see just how much a difference those few shots are making. It's the little details, close-ups that create meaning in this film. Some of the footage won't be incorporated, because -- and you wouldn't notice it much by just looking at someone -- but people really can change in less than two years! When you place footage from then and now right next to each other, it's kind of amazing. Thankfully, I have enough new coverage to complete the film now. But I'm still working on the second half of it, with a goal of completing the edit by this month.

Two Great Shows on PBS

2009-04-12T23:08:00.003-05:00

I'm thoroughly enjoying two ongoing series on PBS that I'd recommend: Charles Dicken's "Little Dorrit" and Lark Rise to Candleford.

Layton Blaylock Works on Ugandan Orphanage Documentary

2009-03-31T21:55:00.010-05:00

DP Layton Blaylock is working on a documentary about a Ugandan orphanage that helps children rebuild their lives after experiencing the trauma of losing their families to the atrocities of the civil war and HIV/AIDS.

According to the non-profit group, "Change the Truth," which is assisting the orphanage, "Approximately 2.2 million children have lost one or both parents to these horrors. Often they are left to fend for themselves and end up living in the streets." "Change the Truth is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of children in Uganda, in particular those at St. Mary Kevin Orphanage Motherhood in the small town of Kajjansi."

You can watch a short film Layton worked on about the orphanage (the longer documentary will be complete in June,) and learn how to assist these children at: http://www.changethetruth.org/

Pickups Complete!

2009-03-25T21:37:00.006-05:00

DP Layton Blaylock shot them Saturday with a wonderful, wonderful crew. The footage is beautiful. Some of the most important, meaningful shots in the film were captured in those five hours. Thank you, everyone!! The footage was digitized right after the shoot directly from the camera, and I've already begun incorporating some of the new footage into the edit. It's quite a different story than it started out being, but a better one in that it's more truthful. Sometimes it's difficult to be straight-forward in storytelling, and easier to be vague and mysterious. But in this case, I think it's the better choice.

I should not be blogging now...

2009-03-20T21:15:00.001-05:00

...since pickups are tomorrow, and I have to get up extra early and do many, many things before call time. Signing off at 9:16 p.m. --

Prop problem solved.

2009-03-17T16:22:00.001-05:00

The pocket watch problem is solved. Thanks --

Search for Prop -- Can you help??

2009-03-16T20:34:00.003-05:00

I've spent a good chunk of the day searching ebay and etsy for a gold-ish pocket watch on a chain. It belonged to our propmaster. Sadly, it went missing (it was her grandmother's) after the shoot. If anyone has one that could pass for it, please let me know! Thanks --

Pickups this Saturday

2009-03-15T22:50:00.003-05:00

Prep is really coming together for Saturday, where we'll try to shoot a two-page shot list in five hours. Hope it doesn't rain. A big challenge will be moving a large concrete statue to set. I'm so grateful to Layton, the actors and everyone who will and has helped somehow without anything to gain personally... This film could never be completed without each of them...

Production Design Day

2009-03-07T15:34:00.008-06:00

I went to The Natural Gardener this morning with my mom, here in Austin off Old Bee Caves Rd. It was my first time, and wondered if we'd picked a bad day-- if some special event was taking place there. Cars and trucks were clamoring to get into the lot, and several young men were stationed at every entrance, directing traffic, and telling people: "sorry, no spaces left." But mom told me this was "typical" for this time of year. First we lined up for dirt, and waited in a caravan of trucks patiently waiting for their turn to get their beds filled up by giant tractors with their choice of compost or dirt. Felt sort of like a safari, or a car wash, while we watched huge animals through the glass. Then we walked through rows and tents filled with herbs of every kind, and all sorts of beautiful plants and flowers. This is where I'll be getting some of our materials to dress up the "set" for pickups. We bought several ferns from Home Depot, and woodland-esque flowers, and are shopping the garden at home for rampant vines and things to make more magical a wood grove. I'm looking forward to going back -- it has quite the festival atmosphere, and you could spend an entire day roaming the gorgeous living things there.

By Monday night, I'll have to pare down a 5-page shot list and 15-page storyboard, so we'll be ready for a location scout on Tuesday.

Msgr. George and Pickups

2009-03-04T23:54:00.002-06:00

Msgr. George is being transported quite a bit lately! He stayed in Georgetown at a retirement center until he recently underwent heart surgery in Round Rock, then was moved to a rehab center, then to Taylor, and then Granger. I'm not sure where he is at the moment, but I'm hoping he's still recovering.

We're shooting pickups for "Wood" on March 21st, and I'm very much looking forward to it! Austin cinematographer Layton Blaylock will be shooting key scenes with Miranda and Ms. Leonard that will clinch the film's open ends. I've left the edit and have been working on cutting down the shot list and sketching the storyboard; both are almost complete... Looking forward to dropping these shots in and locking it down!

What's Up, Lately

2009-02-06T18:01:00.003-06:00

I've been doing things out of order. For a week, I'd planned to neatly type out my shot list, etc., etc., but ended up playing with color grading...before locking the edit. This is too much fun, and instantly gratifying. Really it's not wasting time; you need to motivate yourself sometimes. i watched John Sayles' gorgeous film, "The Secret of Roan Inish" again this week to get me excited about finishing, too. A pile of scribbled notes in my journal need to be codified into that shot list. Running into a couple of humps here and there, but looking forward to the best parts of post.

Quick update

2009-01-26T20:37:00.002-06:00

Just a quick update: at the point of tweaking/perfecting the edit to the point where i should be able to "drop in" the pickups. Down to the nitty-gritty of it all. I'm trying to work out a location availability issue for pickups, scheduled for late March.

Msgr. George...

2009-01-14T20:05:00.001-06:00

...is sitting up and doing fine! Thanks for your prayers, and keep them coming!

Msgr. George Update

2009-01-13T20:20:00.004-06:00

Msgr. George is just waking up in ICU from his pentuple-bypass open heart surgery this morning. The nurses say he is stable, and will probably continue to be on a respirator for a few more days. I saw him on Sunday, and he said "he just wants to get better." I told him I'd visit again, and he gave me a big bear hug. Please continue to keep Fr. George in your prayers!! Here's an encouraging article...

Msgr. George Tydlacka Update

2009-01-10T22:22:00.003-06:00

Msgr. George is at Seton hospital in Round Rock, and will be undergoing open-heart surgery on Tuesday. He is almost 90, and I'm worried about his condition. We'll be visiting him tomorrow, and would appreciate any prayers for him. I found a page online that had pictures of him from his younger days.

The end of 2008

2008-12-30T19:33:00.018-06:00

Suzanne Lightsey, young star of my first short film, "The Retreat."
I'm glad to see 2008 go. It was a difficult year in many respects, especially with "Wood." Knowing "Wood" WILL be coming to a close and released in '09 is a relief and pretty exciting. Last night, I believe the biggest problems in the wood sequences were finally solved. A neon pink sticky that was living on my monitor listing "problems to solve in edit" was deep sixed, and I felt sort of like I finished a final exam.

After a few rounds of test viewings held throughout the year to select audience members (to help guide me on what is unclear or doesn't work in the edit,) I used to notice restless eyes and boredom. But in the past two months, I've been excited to (discreetly) watch the viewers -- leaning forward with great interest. A good sign!

For several weeks, I've been looking into how I might possibly wing getting a world-class sounding orchestra for sections of "Wood." I feel strongly it needs it to work. Somehow, things seem to fall into place when I give it my best and move forward, without knowing how things will work out. If it's meant to be, it will happen.

I'm really looking forward to concentrating on the new feature project in development. No more short films!!! It's time to cherish everything learned on this project -- good and bad -- and move onto the real thing.

Happy New Year to you -- may this new year be filled with blessings, and a renewed sense of hope!

Color and After Effects and Small Miracles

2008-12-15T23:05:00.008-06:00

I'm almost a third of the way through a hefty text on color correction. It's been an amazing education! I'll at least try color correcting in Apple's Color on my own, and see how it goes. Last night, I tried some preliminary special effects in my final sequence, and was blown away by how much of an emotional impact it made. I'll probably use After Effects for the actual effects sequence. And the notebook with notes for the feature is getting too big - time for a larger one.

A few weeks ago, I got an email from Focal Press saying i won a raffle on its site for a special-effects cinematography book. I vaguely remember entering it, and was one of five winners. But it's interesting, because I could actually use that book at this stage of my film. That reminded me of what got me into film in the first place.

In 2003 or 2004, I went to an Adobe seminar for its production software out of curiosity. I was bored with print media, and just wanted to see what motion graphics or film production was like -- not even very interested in it. After the seminar, there was a drawing for a few prizes: the two best prizes were a copy of the Adobe Premiere software, and a set of training DVDs. There were a few other prizes, like t-shirts or mousepads. Something inside of me impulsively said a silent and honest prayer to the Virgin Mary: "If I win something, I'll know I was meant to do this." A moment later, my name was called. I won the training DVDs. I'm pretty sure there were more than 100 attendees. I went to two more seminars, weeks or months apart, with the same situation: about 100 attendees and a couple of prizes. My name was drawn out of all those names at ALL THREE of those seminars. The next time I went to one, I told Mary, "You can let someone else win. I understand now." That was the only seminar out of four I didn't have my name drawn out of a jar.

Another Update

2008-12-11T21:12:00.002-06:00

I made the big decision a few days ago to change the ending of "Wood." It changes everything, but for the better. And last night, I played a dvd of the latest edit on my new blu-ray player, and with the help of the lovely HDMI cable connection, was able to see it (and "Pan's Labyrinth") in stunning 1080p! I was surprised about the color that suddenly popped out; and that the highlights that were compressed into bright whites on a dvd player came across as lovely creams, like they were supposed to.

Relief

2008-12-01T22:25:00.007-06:00

Last night was a watershed moment for me. At 1:45 a.m., I popped in a DVD of the latest edit, and was riveted for the first time ever watching it. There have been so many uphill battles throughout the entire process, and times I wondered if this film would make it. I still have big challenges ahead, but 3/4 of the film is what I venture to call "near-polished," and working. It's really working. I felt so much relief, and a renewed sense of energy about the project. Today I flew home from work, and couldn't wait to begin work on it again!
Above: One of the locations used in filming. All images © 2007 Mist & Nimbus Pictures. Photo: Benedict Kim.

Refining the Edit

2008-11-23T19:19:00.004-06:00

Finally...the edit is in its refining stage. Basically, I'm focusing on trimming down what I have now to 15 minutes, determining what needs to go for the story's sake, and trying to smooth out the match-action shots. I can now also begin making the shot list for pickups, and am about ready to record the first takes of narration.
Above: "Wood's" talented young star, Jenna Craig, as Miranda Northcott.

Goodbye, sweet Jane.

2008-11-21T23:03:00.004-06:00

+ Jane, we love you and will miss you so much. I wish you made it for the shoot now more than ever. But your beautiful face and heart are in our hearts forever. +

Another Edit Update

2008-11-16T18:24:00.004-06:00

It looks like I'll be able to get one edit down to 15 minutes, (instead of having a longer non-festival version.) The pacing is improving a lot, and that bear of the second half of the film is getting better. I'll be editing intensely again this entire week, since I have the entire week off. Hope to get it tightened up to the point where we can do a first pass at narration.

Also, I just saw an important and moving film yesterday by Austin filmmaker Layton Blaylock about a local art show of work by homeless artists, some of the artists and how the show affected them. Unfortunately the show just closed for the year, but it runs every November at Austin's ARCH. You can see the film by purchasing the DVD.

Locations

2008-11-03T17:43:00.003-06:00

I'm down to a few choice locations for pickups now -- trying to stay economical, yet the lushest locales are less accessible...

Updates

2008-10-31T00:02:00.008-05:00

Left: One of the stars of "In this Wood," Magnolia, is ushered to location. Photo: Benedict Kim
The first half of "Wood" is in the polishing stages, while the second half is undergoing significant revamping. Possibilities include: CGI, some compositing/tracking on top of pickups. And "Wood" composer James D. Norman's new-music concert series kicks off its 2008 season on Nov. 17th in Austin. Check it out here at his Audio Inversions site.

More Refining

2008-10-05T21:16:00.002-05:00

Today, some good work was done refining a fight scene. Overall, each scene -- and the whole film -- is tightening up, and getting stronger emotionally. I'm still planning major re-workings for the final scenes.

Today...

2008-10-03T18:47:00.002-05:00

I had the day off, and am refining a dorm-room scene today. On Wednesday, I further refined the opening scenes. Lots of notes jotted for the narrator's lines.

Edit Update

2008-09-25T22:47:00.007-05:00

Left: Scouting photo of the boarding school location, by Benedict Kim

Earlier this week, some significant changes were made to the edit. Scenes were moved around, and the evolving edit is giving new life to Miranda. I found it takes some guts to "mess up" a scene after you think you got it "right." But taking chances has made this a much more compelling edit, though sometimes, it just doesn't work out.

Everything seems to be running much more smoothly, now that I know a narrator will be able to fill in some backstory, when really necessary. I'm still trying to meet the end of the month deadline, but with these changes, I'm ahead and behind at the same time.

Scouting again

2008-09-18T17:57:00.004-05:00

As the edit gets closer, I'm getting a better feel for what shots I'll need in the pickups. A sense of mystery, place and journey I'd been looking for in the edit is finally emerging. I'm revisiting places I'd scouted before principal photography to build on this, and really thrilled about the weather turning autumnal. It's perfect shooting weather; and somehow this season always brings a certain nostalgia with it that's inspiring and exciting. I have tomorrow off of work, and will be working on the wood sequence the next few days.

My Twin!

2008-09-16T18:54:00.004-05:00

I just accidentally found a blogger who seems to be my twin! (Not looks-wise.) But i think everything she has on her blog (from the few minutes i looked -- don't know her spirituality,) it was a more than a little freaky and a queer feeling to see someone who actually posted pictures i've cut out myself, listed kind of obscure things I'm into and I'm floored. Here's her blog. I'll spend more time on her site later, and maybe find out we're not that similar after all. But this was very very strange.

A wee meeting

2008-09-15T22:58:00.004-05:00

On Saturday, a very lovely English woman I met at the Cathedral agreed to do the voiceover for "Wood." She was born in England and lived in London until her 20's, and was a young girl in the 1940's (just like Miranda.) She has just the voice for the film -- and sounds like a classic-storybook narrator. I'd heard her do readings at mass for years, and thought she'd be perfect for this sort of thing. And after realizing I need a narrator for sections of the film, I finally approached her. She was delighted, and said she had a theater background (i could tell) and had last recorded an "Alice in Wonderland" storybook. I'm almost sure I'll incorporate her into the project -- she'll add so much to it!

Cast and Crew News

2008-09-10T21:11:00.020-05:00

Some life-changing, milestone events have happened recently to "Wood" cast and crew. I thought I'd share a few of them.

I see the Hodapp family pretty often. (Theresa Hodapp is the "Beautiful Young Woman" in "Wood.") Well, Theresa will be welcoming Hodapp sibling no. SEVEN on Monday. That makes a family of TEN!! Stephen Hodapp (dad) tells me they bought a van that seats 12! I hope they don't mind me mentioning this on a blog, but that sounds like so much fun...great family times. All the best to them, and early Congratulations!!

"Wood" Composer James D. Norman recently completed his doctorate in musical composition. So we can call him Dr. Norman, now. (He also is an impressive chef!) Congratulations, James!

Msgr. George Tydlacka, a very good family friend who generously let us shoot the wood sequence on his beautiful property, sadly had to leave his beloved acres behind because of health reasons. After he retired, he built his little house himself, planted trees and created ponds on acres in Manor, TX, and lived there for years. He was very sad to leave his home and Cha Cha, Chiquita and kitty; but realized he couldn't live alone there anymore. He'd donated his property to Our Lady of Mercy center (which is getting ready for construction, I believe) right where we'd filmed, and just prior to production. My Mom started taking my little brother and me there when we were kids. Msgr. George used to take us past the gates in his tractor, and drive by the ponds to see the fish he kept stocked there, and the cows in the meadow. He's living in a retirement center in Georgetown now, watching his health. Let's keep him in our prayers.

And the edit grows ever closer to being finished. I'm starting to feel I can take on color correction and rotoscoping myself in Apple's Color (with some initial guidance from a master) and After Effects. We'll see.

Back again

2008-09-06T15:44:00.004-05:00

Sometime around the 24th last month, my computer died. (Not the mac i'm editing on, thank goodness.) My friend and I tried to revive it, but its time had come. I lost some files, but I think I'd been backing up most of the important stuff. I probably lost some emails, too; so if you wrote me, i wasn't ignoring you. Now i have two shiny new computers -- a mac and a dell. I'm nervously getting adjusted to the new vista os, hoping all the bad press about it was over the top. My tire blew out the day after my computer died, and some other nice things happened before that, so it's been digging out since then.

The main editing challenges are within the wood sequences, though they're not restricted to them. Parts of the original script were changed for various reasons on set or just before production that i now realize were very important. Things are missing, like close ups, scenes that show interior struggles, and there are loose ends with characters and objects that had been carefully crafted to form interweaving threads that now must be either re-shot, or worked around. At any rate, I've set a timeline for Wood's post, and will do my best to stick to it (it includes getting the pre-pickup edit locked by the end of this month.) My goal has been and still is to create a meaningful and moving piece that will last beyond the present generations, and to get this film done right; not simply done.

Sometimes being slow is a Good Thing...

2008-08-19T20:43:00.003-05:00

In a few minutes, I'll start working on the edit again. After working intensely on it for a day, I usually have to "step away" at least a day to separate from it and get fresh eyes. On days I solve a major problem, I get very excited. But I usually end up coming up with a better angle or solution to it later on. So it mostly feels like a three-steps-forward, one-back kind of thing.

I remember watching the making of LOTR-Return of the King, where Peter Jackson drove everyone nuts with his changes up till the last (im)possible minute, but in the end, was it worth it! So "wood" is only 25-minutes long...but it's a "baby" epic, to me. To the edit station!

Tolkien/Fantasy Literature

2008-08-14T21:15:00.006-05:00

I haven't had much time to work on the edit this week. But as part of my ongoing research for my script, I've been reading a few books and taking some courses. I just finished a fascinating audiobook course today by Professor Michael Drout, "Of Sorcerers and Men: Tolkien and the Roots of Modern Fantasy Literature." It was 14 lectures covering Tolkien's life and his influences for his books, the genre's "rules" and the differences between the sub-genres?, and showed the evolution (or i think, de-volving in some ways) of the genre. It covered discussions of fantasy literature (eras?):"Beowolf-ian," Victorian, Arthurian, modern-day "Magical Realism," among others. It makes the drive home from work fun.

What was so interesting to me was the solid moralistic sublayer present in Tolkien's works, how the genre seems to have become more Existential/New Age (my take,) and that fantasy literature seems like a reflecting pool of the idealogies of the time it was birthed in. I might have to re-listen to these lectures; Drout's observations are quite insightful!

It continues...

2008-08-05T20:06:00.002-05:00

I've been studying up on color correction, rotoscoping and compositing, in case it comes down to me doing it all. So far, the edit's been staying right around 25 minutes. The plan: a 25-minute version and a 15-minute one for festivals.

Tonight, as I've been doing the past week, I'm combing and re-combing through all (24?) hours of footage--even not-real takes--to find what i need. It's a painstaking process, and like writing, consists of revisions and even more revisions. But each version of the edit is improving.

Post is a Many-Splendored Thing

2008-07-31T21:20:00.006-05:00

(Left: filming the dorm scene. Photo: Billie Malone)

Yes, post production has been a long, slow process. But in a very good way. I love/hate it. It's an invaluable experience doing things yourself. You're forced to read manuals and textbooks (after staring at a computer all day at work.) But somehow, very nice experts or friends (angels) have always stepped in when I really needed help. (Also, Final Cut Studio 2 has great manuals! They actually explain some basic theory and principles instead of assuming you know everything already.)

I'm not sure I should take on color correction, as crucial as it is to the entire film's quality. I understand the basics, but the Color program that's bundled in Studio 2 looks heavy duty. Maybe I'll correct to the best of my abilities and take it to the post house to refine it.

I recently began adding sound, and with James' help, more appropriate temp music to the edit (which is close to being finished,) and I'm reminded how much realism and depth they add to the story.

Meeting with James Norman

2008-07-24T19:41:00.002-05:00

Yesterday afternoon, I went to "In this Wood" composer James Norman's house for a pre-spotting meeting. We spent a few hours listening to lots of music with the edit that he'd pulled together: several film score tracks, and several non-film score pieces as well. We discussed what we liked best, what was appropriate, tone, pacing... and I learned a lot about music for film in the process. Incredible how the different pieces, orchestrations affect the mood and meaning of the scenes we looked at. I love piano, strings, harp, flute, solo soprano; hope those make it into the score...

Back up...for now

2008-07-21T20:46:00.007-05:00

I shut down my blog a year and a half ago, when i was in the thick of pre-production on my short film, "In this Wood." I'm up again, for now, because some people may want to know what's going on with the film (it's in post.) And because I've been dredging the web (unsuccesfully) for blogs or articles by filmmakers or people who work in film who are Christian, especially Roman Catholic.

I'm very interested in finding out where like-minded filmmakers are going for funding, and mentoring. I'm a member of the Hollywood Prayer Network, but apparently the Austin chapter didn't have enough people who could make it to meetings? I'm also wondering if and how I (or someone else) can organize a little group of Austin film people who can support each other in their projects -- even if only morally. Surely there are people out there who work in film that decry (if only inwardly) the projects they work on -- and how they directly oppose what they believe in?

A feature screenplay that I'm very excited about is germinating. My idea notebook and sketchbook is slowly filling up with pieces of dreams and shards of journal musings. My day is regimented with discipline: read, learn, study...and i feel my efforts beginning to pay off. This is the beginning of a long project ahead...

I'll keep posting here for a while, with "Wood" updates and more. If only to chronicle my thoughts.

Auditions and Props

2007-02-18T19:09:00.000-06:00

I got the sides ready today for the upcoming "Miranda" auditions, and will be contacting potential auditioners this week. We had submissions from some great kids across the nation, and even out of the country! Still have to decide on the uniforms for the boarding school students -- not much time left.

Had an art-dept. meeting with Szu-Feng Chen and Elysia Edwards Friday, discussing props and where to find them on a budget. Szu-Feng has a theater background, and Elysia film. Learned a lot just listening -- it's going to be so much fun!

Casting "Miranda"

2007-02-02T17:50:00.001-06:00

Looked at about 300 headshots for "Miranda." I think around 200 last year, and 100 just in the past few days since we posted another notice. It's great to have such enthusiasm about the project! But lots of work ahead. This will be a tough casting process for such a crucial role. There are some talented and beautiful children out there!

Magical-Wood Hunting and a Coyote

2007-01-28T23:19:00.000-06:00

Finding a magical wood in Austin, TX and surrounding cities is really, really tough. I've seen miles of cedar and scrub everywhere for a year. And pines. They're okay, but don't quite have the mystique i'm looking for, with huge, ancient, knarled trunks and massive canopies. Usually I come back from uneventful, day-long scouting expeditions disappointed and bored.

But two weeks ago, the Saturday before the big ice storm in Austin, the rain was pouring down in frigid weather. I'd obtained permission to scout miles of wild wood behind a locked gate. The owners were kind enough to have the gate unlocked for me prior, so i could check it out. But I had to make sure it was locked that day. I told my friend not to worry about coming with me that day, since the weather was awful. So i faced the rain and cold alone, and picked my way down a spooky, lonely and primitive creekside "no one ever goes down into." It took a good 20 minutes to get to the bottom. The once-dry creek was swollen and swirling like a giant river. I was taking in the wild and beautiful scenery, when I sensed something moving behind me. From my peripheral vision, it looked like a dark, huge beastie. When I turned to look, it was the largest coyote I've ever seen, staring at me with these intense eyes. Well, i never actually saw a coyote before then. But it was so huge! If there are wolves in Texas... For a few seconds, it stared at me, stuck between it and a raging creek and a steep hill wall; and I really wondered if i'd be his dinner. But he darted up the hill faster than i knew any animal could. It took me two minutes to scramble up that hillside. I don't know how. But i am not exploring the wilderness alone again!!!

Why am I blogging?

2007-01-21T20:14:00.000-06:00

In the midst of script analysis and writing bios for the characters -- I mean, people -- of my first film, "In this Wood," I've been searching blogs, looking for real people who live at boarding schools in England or the Northeast states: headmasters, teachers, students...it's hard to find anything.

Getting to know these "people" and their reality is pretty exciting. But it's been hard getting focused. I get off on too many tangents and get stuck. Every tangent has more tangents. "If she's Irish, 40, and living in Boston in the 1940s, how much of an impact would the economic climate, racial stereotypes of the day have on her?" That can lead to more and more questions I can't answer. This probably means i need to research more, or that I should move the time period up to one I'm more familiar with.

So, anyway - instead of working on this analysis, (or staring at my blank notebook,) I'm starting a blog. Not for people to read, necessarily. But more to keep a journal, or have an excuse to not work on analysis. And so i can go back to these entries someday when i'm finished, and look at all my tracks...
Well, it's 8:30 p.m. -- back to work.