Tuesday, July 25, 2006

Hollywood Nights V: The Most Final Of All Chapters

Our film is finally finished. It took two teeth-gnashing weeks, but we have arrived at what they call in the business a "Finished Cut" (Tumble has just thrown an Introduction to Filmmaking book at my head after reading that sentence).

To recap: On our visit to California, Chestnut, Tumble and I decided to rent the Brian De Palma film Scarface since Chestnut was the only person who'd seen it before. However, our trip to the local video barn proved fruitless. We decided at once to write our own Scarface and spend the rest of our vacation filming it around the various landscapes of Los Angeles, no matter how often Chestnut chastised us for not being familiar with the source material.

Anyhoo, I now present to you from the three of us at 120 Linden Avenue the story of

posted @ 10:56 PM est [link]

Thursday, July 13, 2006

Hollywood Nights IV: The Soothsayer's Revenge
We have arrived safely back in Pittsburgh with all principal Scarface footage in tow. Tumble has converted the breakfast nook into an editing bay using a cracked copy of Final Cut Pro on Chestnut's company iBook. Editing progress is reviewed every morning at breakfast and begun again upon Chestnut's return from work (with breaks for dinner and beer runs).
After several heated review sessions, one of which saw bacon thrown, we have a rough cut of the first scene "in the bag" as they say. What? Oh. Tumble has informed me that they do not actually say that ever (Tumble has taken the day off to jot copious notes for the dvd commentary). Chestnut was commanding as Mediocrates, the incompetent henchman of Silas Midnight.

I for one can't wait until we can bask in the glow of a tale well woven, but until then it's back to the loom.

-F

oh, P.S. Tumble just read that last line and made a gagging face.
posted @ 01:31 PM est [link]

Wednesday, July 5, 2006

Hollywood Nights III: The Curse of Dread Cove
Our stay in Los Angeles has stumbled into its third full week, tangled in the throes of what those of us in the business call "pick-up shots". We have written in a flashback for Scarface involving his master, the honorable Sir Professor Sensei, who was killed by Silas Midnight when Scarface was known only as Alvin (the scar comes later in a scene still under debate).

Not to give too much away, but we have just completed filming a sword duel, the welts from which Tumble is quietly nursing as he writes Professor Sensei's death scene in the kitchen on Chestnut's sister's laptop.

This, as they say, may be one they remember us for.

-F
posted @ 11:19 PM est [link]