Questions Answered and Updates

I promise that this will not have spoilers. I will mention a number of things that we have in mind, but there is no way that anyone could see into the twisted minds of the writers and actors and figure out exactly where this story will go. So, read on with confidence and enjoy the ride.

Q & A

First, let me get to the questions from fans.

Yes, you can still donate to the production. It can be done one of two ways. You can donate directly to the production company or to one of the vendors supplying goods and services for the web series. For instance, you could help pay for extra prosthetic make-up directly with the vendor. That could free up our committed resources for something else that would be nice to have. You could help pay for a location or for catering. The level of contribution will be awarded the same kind of perks we did on the Indiegogo campaign. Just email me privately, and I can set it up anyway you like. My email address is deborahlwarner@gmail.com. We are keeping copious records of everything and are willing to open the books to any contributor at the end of the production.

No, thankfully, the lower budget will not mean that the series will lose its sense of humor. I believe that the series has gotten even funnier in a macabre kind of way or in the 'that's so wrong' kind of humor that came from our actors. But there won't be silliness. The characters take what's happening in their lives very seriously. It's just that some of the things happening are seriously screwed up. It's like if Buffy the Vampire Slayer met film noir. As I've said, I don't there is a way to stop Garett Maggart from being funny. We've just found some really different ways for that humor to show itself while keeping the tension and sometimes the horror.

Yes, this script does have elements from the second half of the novel, Demon Under Glass. But it also has themes from stories that appeared in the Demonspawn: On the Run anthologies. Once the script has been finalized, we'll notify the authors whose works are represented. I'm sure they'll be jazzed about getting credits on IMDB.com. Half of the script, however, is completely original. The discussions we had during the Nosferatu TVpodcast really did open our minds to some possibilities we had not considered. We've spent the last couple of weeks fleshing out the arc with what we have for resources. We'll have a draft to put in front of the actors by next weekend. I hope to finalize the remaining cast shortly after that. I will be sharing the character breakdowns on the blog. We're always looking for casting ideas.

Frugal Film Making

I posted this link on the Demonspawn Facebook Page. I found this Youtube Channel, the Frugal Filmmaker  and blog while looking for options to solve audio recording issues we were having with the teaser, my documentary other shoots we were doing out of pocket. I realized that it was the same site we used to find plans and instructions to make a stabilizing rig for the camera with PVC pipe. You can kind of see it in this photo. This fabulous man puts up a video almost every week that has something useful for a filmmaker with no money. In fact, his motto is basically that poverty is no excuse to not make a film. We did find a few options to solve our sound problems. I even tried them when I recorded a cooking video this week. Jon also decided to wear a wire for most of a day. They are very clear mics with their own digital recorders that are also thumb drives. We have enough for our leads and some spares while spending far less than we would to rent the same equipment. We really don't want to rent any equipment. It was inexpensive enough for us to invest in the equipment on our own like the stabilizing rig. Well, he has dozens of ideas for Demonspawn's equipment needs. He even does a video on craft services that was quite helpful. Most important of all is that he will answer questions on matters not covered in the videos in a very timely manner. That is very refreshing in a city where everyone has a hand out for any little bit of information.

That's it for now. I'll have more next week. Keep the questions coming. And we really appreciate the words of support.

Wild Surprises, Audio Files and Flashbacks

The word surprise usually isn't welcomed in the film biz. Sometimes, it's a delightful surprise like a funding source popping up from nowhere and saving the day. However, most of the time, surprises range from unpleasant to terrifying. A typhoon hits while filming a big budget movie in Hawaii (Jurassic Park) or the Burmese army invades your location looking for monks that escaped an opium farm (The Quest). This past week was one of surprises. Sandy was not the only disaster we had to deal with this week though it had an impact on a lot of what got done this week. All of the principals in Demonspawn are from the east coast. We all have family and friends who were in the path of the storm. The coverage was deeply troublesome as many hours passed without hearing from our loved ones. We spent a lot of time Monday and Tuesday making calls and sending texts. What wasn't time consuming was certainly distracting. The web series script got derailed. Needless to say, the plans to record for the podcasts were shot to hell by mid week. These things happen. We have a new date that should hold up for this week. More importantly, All of our loved ones weathered the storm pretty well.

Meanwhile, Jon is editing the audio files. There's been a lot of cursing which means that there's some issue that's popped up. Still, he hasn't stopped working which means the issue isn't fatal. It looks like we'll go live next weekend. Please keep in mind that the estimation is tentative. This week has hammered home the point that I should be very careful about putting anything in stone. Aside from the upheaval brought by Sandy, a long stalled documentary project suddenly lurched forward. It is a personal project, but it means a lot to a community that is world-wide. I had to seize the opportunity. Aside from this week, the documentary should not interfere with Demonspawn. I don't have any more shoots planned for that until after the web series wraps principal photography.

Flashback Fun

We plan to have a lot of fun with flashbacks of Simon's life in the distant past. I've mentioned that in past blogs that we will be doing Highlander: The Series style flashbacks on incidents in Simon's life that mirror the current situation he is in. That's great, because we can have all kinds of fun with locations and costumes and such. Also, actors tend to enjoy doing period pieces. We've found some amazing sources for costumes. Our Make-up Diva is working on hair pieces and sideburns. It's going to be awesome on it's own. On top of all of that, there is a fiendishly fun twist to the period flashbacks that everyone is looking forward to doing. However, there is another kind of flashback that we want to do that is far more problematic: scenes from the Delphi Project. We're going to have to digitally recreate the isolation chamber which means that movement within the scene would be limited. Re-doing the 'demon box' will depend on how much money we raise. We really want to re-buld it. It would be fabulous to place Owen's Molinar into the origin story. That would generate new promo art and book covers! That's something Jon and our FX guru are working on. Whether or not any DUG flashbacks appear in the web series depends on the results of the research.

That's it for now. I have one more blog obligation this weekend before I can get back to the script. I may do a blog during the week with podcast announcements, so check back here. You can also subscribe for updates at the bottom of the Menu on the right.

Music Rights and the Indie Filmmaker

The big news is that Jon finished the rough cut of the teaser despite a terrible cold. He's been adding images from the book trailer and working on the opening credits. I should know in a few days when we can upload the teaser. Jon does not want to show anything other than the final cut of the teaser. I agree with him. Past experience has shown that viewers can get fixated on perceived flaws that will be corrected in post and hit the social nets with word of how bad the entire project is. We literally cannot afford for that to happen. Be patient. He's almost done with the images. The last part to get edited is the audio. Then, there is finding and adding sound FX and music. Speaking of music, it is one of the issues that has been brought up a lot lately among readers of the blog. That is complicated matter for indie filmmakers even for something as short as a trailer.

The Right Rights

Websites like Youtube are getting more strict with the use of music in videos. Even if a video manages to evade notice for a time – sometimes for long periods – it can get yanked when the rights holder finds out about it. The problem is that even though the vast majority of videos do not ever get enough hits to make money, all channels are set up to become monetized. Thus, the possibility of making money at all means that having unlicensed music is an infringement. The other factor in these decisions is a legal term called easement. If a rights holder fails to enforce their copyright in any venue, it can be forfeited. So, even when a noticed is placed on the video acknowledging that the material is not theirs and no infringement is intended, that is not protection from being yanked. Have enough videos yanked, and the account goes away.

So, we have to go the route of getting a license from the start. For the teaser, our options are limited to services like freesoundtrackmusic.com, one that I already use for my cooking videos or using parts of the Demon Under Glass soundtrack. We have no money for the teaser. It makes no sense to pay for the rights to music for the teaser. But what will we do for the actual web series? That depends on how much money we raise. There are a couple of composers that we like and would love to hire. Though they are up and comers in the industry, hiring them means that they would have to turn down other paid work to do our soundtrack. Thus, they have to be paid at a rate comparable to the work they would be missing. And while it is true that there are a lot of talented people just dying to get a break in the biz and would work for nothing but a credit, it is a lot of work and time to find candidates that are both talented and reliable enough to finish the job properly. That is the problem with work that is done for absolutely no money. It can get delayed or even abandoned in favor of paid jobs without any real penalty from the industry. Producers can cause a world of problems for a freelancer who walks away from a paid gig, especially since moneys always exchange hands before the job begins. But you can't get much sympathy from professionals about someone dumping a job that involved no pay. We have some really good people in mind that we plan to hire on bigger projects. Which of the composers we hire will depend solely on how much money is raised.

Updates

I'm barreling through a detailed treatment for the script, so that the actors will know what's in store for them before they do the podcast interviews. The plan is to get something in their hands by Wednesday. The interviews are scheduled for next weekend. Worry not, I will post something on the blog that will in no way spoil the other venues where the interviews will air.

Size Matters Except When It Doesn't

My all time favorite analogy for what it is like to work on a film project is from Dr. Ian Malcolm, Jeff Goldblum's character in Jurassic Park 2. Basically, he says 'First there is the oohing and aahing. Later comes the running and the screaming.' This captures the arc of film making perfectly. And this is true no matter how big or small the shoot is. I hear stories from $150 million sets that make our losing a queen size mattress on the 405 freeway look like genius. Did you know that due to some logistical mix ups, the leads in Pirate's of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest had to wear wet costumes on more than one occasion? I don't mean the costumes got wet, and they had to stay in them. No, they were never cleaned and dried from being wet the day before. This means that Depp, Bloom and Knightley were in soggy duds. On the other side, I'm in forums with a number of web series producers who are reporting problems with SAG or problems with locations to problems with equipment that are the same as any fully budgeted shoot. When it comes to snafus, shoots cannot be judged by their size. However, size can matter a lot. How does that make sense? Read on.

Size and the Home PC

We were thrilled to get our groovy new Toshiba camera that records 1080p video and need minimal lights. What we hadn't thought about was just how big each file is and how that would impact the editing program. To saw that it did not run smoothly in Jon's editing program is an understatement and a half. It ran in a really jumpy manner – not good for finely editing scenes – and it clog the ram on the PC something fierce. I tried to run it in the editing program on my faster laptop, but that editing program (which is newer) had to convert it to a much lower rez to even run clips. Jon had to consult a film making forum he's in to find the answer. We needed a program to re-render all the clips to a lower resolution. He can do the edits on those and then cut the original clips by mating the time codes from the low rez edit. All of this finagling burned up a lot of time. Normally, it would only burn up a few hours. That wouldn't really matter a few years back. However, Jon now has a demanding day job, and we are working on a few other things at the same time. He doesn't have much more than a few hours a week to give Demonspawn. This surprise set us back at least a week. And that was right before Yaoi-con. Sigh. On the bright side, I really like the screen grabs on Jon's machine. I'll be putting some up throughout this blog. I only had time to grab a few this time around.

Size, Locations and Star Perks

While being too big was not ideal for editing, being too small is proving a bit problematic with locations which will impact our shooting schedule. Hangover 3 can close down a California Freeway. That shoot has the bucks to do that and weather the withering criticism of the most dangerous of Los Angeles creatures – an inconvenienced driver. We are too small to get my local library to close early on its shortest day of the week. The library and the groovy gazebo both have to be shot on a Sunday – and not the same Sunday. Some locations are only available mid-week when they are less busy. The sound stages are fine at the moment, but that could change on a dime if a bigger production wants the same space at the same time. Being small is definitely an issue in scheduling. All of my actors are professional and will fulfill their commitments to the production and work hard doing it. However, it's always best for set morale to make sure that actors are treated well while dealing with budget constraints. For instance, actor trailers or Honey Wagons are a great perk if the production can afford it. This gives them a place to be away from the shoot until they are needed and be comfortable. Good food is another perk that we will have at whatever budget level. I plan to get a good caterer that will follow us from location to location. Luckily, there is a lot of competition out here for Craft Services. There will be one that fits our budget. While I will not mention company names of our vendors and locations, I will post photos in this blog and in the info on the fund raising campaign on what the money is going for. In most cases, I can include photographs. And then, there are the scheduling considerations for the actors. Lower budgets means a higher level of consideration of an actor's schedules when we plan the shoot. They may have other commitments we'd have to keep in mind. Also, at that time of year, there are football playoffs and the Super Bowl to keep in mind. Our leads and the producers are avid football fans. It's less stressful for all of us, if the shooting schedule keeps these games in mind.

Size matters in so many things, except when it doesn't matter at all. No wonder there is a lot of running and screaming in the end.

Next time, I'll have a firm date for the release of the teaser trailer and the launch of the fund raising campaign. Also, there will be a preview of the podcast interviews.

Post Teaser Shoot Doings and Plans

The biggest question of the last couple of weeks as been when will the teaser trailer go up? It will be the first or second week in October when we launch or fundraising campaign on Indiegogo.com. The video will only be running on the campaign page until after the fundraising is over. Then, it will go up on DraggonTV's Youtube page. There also will be more images put up on this site, but we will save some for the campaign page. We will also have some mini interviews with the cast. There has to be a reason for fans of all sorts to come to the page, after all.

Meanwhile, we have been very busy scouting locations for the full shoot. I was, in fact, visiting downtown LA locations the week after the trailer shoot. We have almost every location that we need for the script we have in mind. I have one or two more places I'd like to visit before we actually write the script and set the budgets. That last bit brings up a couple of questions we've been asked.

First, we aren't writing the script solely on the resources we can find within out price range. The script will spring from two stories in the upcoming Demonspawn anthology. We expect that to come out in November. We know enough about the elements in those stories to figure out budget items like locations, cast, props, costumes, etc. I completely forgot to mention that in my initial blog about budgets, so the confusion is entirely because of me. And the other question is about the fundraising's outcome on whether or not we actually do the shoot. The reason we're going with Indiegogo.com as opposed to Kickstarter.com is because with Kickstarter if the campaign is even a dollar short of its goal, nothing is paid out. With Indiegogo.com, the campaign is paid out whatever is raised by the end of the fund raising period. Thus, we are building a three tier budget. There is a best case scenario where we are only limited by time to get what we want shot. We would go for a stunt coordinator who does wire work so Simon can really leap about with Joe in his arms. We'd really like to have Simon's fangs done by a dentist like we had for Demon Under Glass. Those are more comfortable and thin enough to allow Simon to speak without a lisp. 

There is the middle budget where we get some of the bells and whistles and cut back on others. And then there is the bare minimum budget where we'd have to get really creative, but we could still get something done and have it look good. Below that minimum, we are not willing to turn the key in the engine. The shoot will be a SAG project, so we want to maintain a professional level of production values and a decent level of pay for cast and crew. It's also important on a shoot that will always be pressed for time that everyone working is well fed and comfortable at the various locations. We're not sure what those levels are yet. We will have basic budget numbers posted as part of the campaign, so donors will know where the money is going.

The next couple of weeks will mean a lot of touring locations and interviewing crew candidates. We're deliberately picking a time of year to shoot when most of the industry is quiet. That gives us a fairly nice sized pool of people to choose from in each position where we have a vacancy. Some slots are already filled. I have found almost all of the locations that we will need. Only one remains elusive. I plan to work on that in the next week or so. I'd prefer a real life location for the gastropub, but Los Angeles is so jaded about shoots. They believe that even if a project is low budget, that couldn't possibly apply to their rates. And a claim of giving a place exposure is met with a roll of the eyes. A good yelp review can be seen by thousands of potential customers without costing an establishment any down time. I am seeing claims by businesses that they are film friendly on the LA film Commission site. They claim is that these businesses want to stem the flow of runaway productions. It sounds good. I plan to check them out with an optimistic outlook.

I'll report on my results the next time.

Teaser Shoot Field Notes

As I've said in previous blogs, in a larger shoot, there are department heads who have their own lists to check, double check and final check. For this one, there were three of us. There was Sunshine Lliteras who had some makeup and half of the set dressing. There was the Home owner who lent us the location. He had to sign for the furniture we rented. Then there was my lists which was everything else. Jon Cunningham, the director, had the shot list and the camera rigging. Everything had be be cross checked the Friday before the shoot. We had everything staged for quick car loading before turning in for the night.

The call time for the location was 7am. Jack Donner (Bassett) and Donal Thoms-Capello (Saybrook) had a call time of 8am. We planned on rolling camera on them no later than 9am. Garett Maggart (Joe) and Owen Szabo (Simon) had a call time of 9am. The first glitch of the day was that Sunshine got hung up in traffic and would be late. My first executive decision was to take a cab with most of the items on all of our lists to the location which was ten minutes away. I had not planned to unpack the car and begin setting up everything on my own, but stuff happens and the clock was running. Once the clock is running on a production, a producer cannot let anything stand in the way.

In the cardboard container is that danged sandwich.

Of course, Jack was early. I had him come inside and hang out with Garett who is also always early. I suspected Donal was early, too, but I couldn't spot him in any of the cars parked nearest to the house. I set up the makeup station and put away the food first. I had just finished setting up the mike stand and the one light stand when Jon and Sunshine arrived. Since Jack was there, we had him get into his costume and makeup first. Jon and Garett set up the first room by rearranging the larger furniture. We don't dragoon actors into helping on set. I have had some volunteer on occasion. Scott Levy, for example, was very helpful with the military aspects of Demon Under Glass. Typically, I prefer actors focus on their lines and relaxing. But Owen wasn't due for a while, and Garett is a very handy guy, so his helping was welcomed. Donal had arrived by the time we needed a lighting stand in. We were delighted that he played chess often enough to help us set up the board. By the time Owen arrived, at just before 9am, we were ready to start the Bassett/Saybrook scenes. We rolled camera at 9:15am. A little later than scheduled, but not too bad considering how small a crew we had.

These new digital cameras are a marvel. They look like consumer cameras yet can shoot video at 1080p with ambient light. We had one light that was more for portrait photography than for film. It was enough. The lack of need for light and the camera's lightness made it easy to move from angle to angle without stopping to tweak light levels. That can take as long as twenty minuets per change in camera position. We were able to move from shot to shot almost without stopping. The actors never lost momentum nor got tired. We were able to wrap the room and dismiss both actors by 11am. Unheard of in our previous experience.

During the shoot, I had to dash out of the room to retrieve props like a pastrami sandwich and container of soup. During that time, I got a good earful of how Garett and Owen were reading their lines. I was really pleased at what I was hearing. They also seemed to be bonding on a personal level. That's always great when actors get on personally, especially when they will be spending a great deal of time together. [for more on the food props and on the actor bonding that happened on set, you can read my personal blog about the shoot here: http://dlwarner.blogspot.com/2012/08/pastrami-epiphanies-and-actor-bonding.html. While we were shooting the Bassett/Saybrook scenes, Sunshine was helping Garett and Owen turn into Joe and Simon. As soon as we wrapped the prison breakroom set, Jon and Sunshine started set dressing Joe and Simon's living room. We had black out curtains to put up along with alternative artwork than what was on the walls. The sofa also had to be moved and the sound and lighting equipment placed.

Our small crew moved from one task to another. The routine was familiar enough that instructions weren't necessary. We walked Jack and Donal to their cars after they changed out of their costumes. It's a custom on some sets that when an actor is wrapped – they have completed the job – that the director or producer takes the time to say goodbye and thank them. Sometimes they discuss their acting choices and how they will make the film better. We like to do that no matter how small the production. I think that gesture is more important to smaller projects. Jon was very happy with the first part of the shoot, and he wanted those actors to know why.

The second half of the shoot was all Joe and Simon. It was more complex than the first. There is way more movement from the characters. Rehearsal of movements as well as dialog was necessary, so Jon could figure how to move the camera around the actors' movements. At this point, we could have broken for lunch, but that would have really slowed down the momentum of the shoot. The actors wanted to press forward. We had snacks and fruit for in between takes. Sunshine and I started heating up the meal while the guys rehearsed. We figured that even if none of the actors ate (Jack and Donal opted to head on with the rest of their schedule), the food would be a nice gift for the owner of the house.

The Joe/Simon scenes went much the same way as the Basset/Saybrook scenes with the actors moving from shot to shot with very little time in between. As always, Garett adjusted some of his lines and made them funnier and more 'Joe.' There weren't many blown takes that didn't involve a technical adjustment (moving a light or the microphone). Sometimes, our set doggie got into scenes without anyone realizing it. He was really interested when it looked like everyone was going out the front door. He thought it was time to go bye-bye. We've always had luck with sweet set doggies. I'm glad that held true. Jon was able to experiment with camera angles and the actors experimented with a few different readings of the lines. I was pleased that the blocking caused a physical intimacy between the characters while solving some editing dilemma for Jon. It is clear that these characters have a close relationship. Despite the fears of Agent Saybrook, it is very clear that Joe does not fear Simon at all. It is also clear that, despite the razzing from Joe and the mayhem that follows, Simon is content with their situation so long as no one tried to separate him from Joe. We got what we needed for the teaser by the time that part of the shoot was done. [See Teaser Gallery1 in the MENU to the right for images of Joe and Simon together.]

We also had one more set to dress before we could wrap the shoot and eat. There was a quick photo shoot on a greenscreen that was to be the final shots of the day. This was to be a taste of the flashback scenes that will be a big part of the web series. We had to find a way to hang the green screen fabric that didn't damage the walls. In the end, we used the same 3M Command Hooks that we used to hand the black out curtains in the living room. There we used a thing curtain rod that fit nicely into the hoot. All of those items were deeply discounted at Target which was having a back to school sale. The two windows cost around $15 to dress. We had extra hooks and tabs from our Christmas decorations to use on the green screen. All of the hooks came off without any damage to the paint on the walls. The authentic Japanese table was on loan from Lucy Doty and Central City Studio. Lucy was our medical consultant on Demon Under Glass. She now owns a studio in Downtown Los Angeles. The tea set was a wedding gift. The men's kimonos are mine. I've embraced many aspects of Japanese culture in the last few years. The kimonos had yet to find a use at home. I had to make the sash or obi. Getting them into those kimonos was the silliest part of the shoot by far. The dialog reflects the absurdity of the scene.

As I said in my personal blog, the speed that the shoot finished was astounding. We had the house back to the way we found it and were largely packed three hours earlier than expected. Owen had to move onto another appointment, but the food was enjoyed by the rest of us. The home owner reports that he enjoyed the leftovers immensely as did our set doggie. Most importantly, we have the right kind of footage to give potential viewers and supporters a clear idea of what the web series. We also know that we need more crew including a photographer for the behind the scenes photos. I also must schedule the pod casts we'll do during the shoot in January so that we aren't trying to cram them in between shots.

Next up for Jon is editing. Meanwhile, I have begun actively scouting for the web series and talking to potential crew and cast. But all of that is for next time.

Lists and Piles and Other Fun Stuff

We are less than a week from the teaser trailer shoot. Thus, today is all about lists. There are lots of lists necessary for a shoot. There is even a list of lists. That is what I'm working on right now. The Master List has items like:

• Cast List (contact information, clothing sizes)
• Crew List (contact information)
• Equipment List (every piece of rigging and the support items like batteries, gaffing tape, etc)
• Wardrobe List (listed by character and by scene)
• Prop List (listed by character and by scene)
• Set Dressing List (listed by scene)
• Make-up list (items listed and character make-up schemes, fangs, blood, etc.)
• Shot List (ever scene that is to be shot and who and what is in each scene)
• Still Photo List (the must have images)
• Podcast List (questions that must be covered)
• Craft Services list (food, beverages, snacks, plates, cups, trash bags, etc)
• Miscellaneous (First Aid Kit, cough drops, mints, gum, cigarettes, toothbrushes)

Every production, regardless of size, has lists like these. On large productions, it is the responsibility of the department heads to make sure that they have everything they need and to check off everything on the list. On our feature, it was the line producer and the 2^nd AD who made sure that all the department heads handed in their lists with everything check off. On this shoot, it will be my job to go over each list and make sure all the items are where they are supposed to be.

To make filling everything out easier, it's a good idea to have a timeline during which all the items on the list are checked off. For example, I have either ordered all that I needed for the shoot, or I have a shopping schedule that allows for a leisurely and sane acquisition of everything. The timeline also has tasks that must be completed by certain dates. For example, last week, I scouted the location for the photo shoot and made a list of props and set dressing that was on hand and a list of what was needed. Today, I contacted all of the actors to make sure they had kept their availability open. I also needed to verify clothing sizes and find out if anyone has been getting very tanned in the summer sun. This was of particular concern where Simon was concerned. Adjustments in make up would be necessary If Owen turned up in shades of George Hamilton. Tomorrow, Jon and I will scout the location for the teaser. Then, we can complete the prop and set dressing lists. The scripts go out tonight (Saturday), so there is ample time for questions and, possibly, adjustments.

This all sounds very reasonable and trouble free. However, I know from experience that on the Wednesday before the photoshoot and the Friday before the teaser shoot that I'll be running around all day. There is something staring me in the face that none of us can see right now. It's happened with not just every shoot of mine, but every one I've seen from ringside. There is always someone running around looking desperately for something that got missed on a list. As of now, I am not planning on running around too much.

A spoiler free pile. That was difficult to put together.

Once there are lists, soon there will be piles about our home. Piles are inevitable as the items on the list are acquired. They can be inconvenient and even a safety hazard, but piles are far preferable to leaving something behind. Following this sentence was a fifteen minute, mildly intense search for a set of fangs. As it turned out, they were in a bag with some of the items that arrived earlier this week. Turns out, we're more on the ball and far early than is the norm. I still think we need an extra set of fangs. At any rate, it is preferable to move the piles to a staging area at the location as soon as possible. However, that's often not practical. If the location is being rented by other productions, we would have to rent the place from the moment we put down a single bag. And even if that weren't the case, stuff gets lost at a soundstage. Things get moved to make room for other people's things. Then, there is the fact that one producer's bag of props or set dressing is another producer's bag of trash, and out it goes. The move from home to location is a chore, but it's far better than discovering that items on the list have gone missing. The great box and bag relay is just part of the gig like the gallons of coffee and dozens of bottles of water.

That's it for now. There will be some photos posted of the shoots next week, but it won't be a full blog. There will be a blog about the shoots the following week. If all goes well, there will also be a podcast with the actors from the set.

If there are any questions that you want asked during that podcast session, you can submit them in the comments below or via the contacts listed in the menu on the right side of this page. 

Until next time.

Actor Input and Eureka Moments

When we first came up with the idea for the web series, we contacted actors who we wanted in the cast to run the idea past them. I sent detailed e-mails with as much description as I could managed without having a script. There were bound to be questions along the way. Before I actually wrote the script, I wanted to sit down with the leads and go over all that we had in mind. In the case of Garett Maggart, it's great to get input from an experienced actor who has lived with the part.

He is familiar with Highlander, the series. That made explaining the flashbacks easy. The plan is that in each of the flashbacks is a way of challenging Simon on his instinctive response toward behavior that keeps his profile low and keeps Delphi off their trail. But Simon is tricky. Those flashbacks are not necessarily what happened. Joe is smart enough about Simon to know that. The flashbacks will not be at all like the ones on Highlander. The viewer will have to look really closely to see the truth and predict what actions Simon will take. There is also a big, twisted twist to the flashbacks that Garett really liked if the evil chuckle was an indication. I will not spoil those in the blog.

The parody TV shows and films met with approval. I was given some details about True Blood that I didn't know about. We also discussed a few more TV shows and movies that would make good parodies. We still have a long list of titles that we'll have to watch before we write the parodies, but I have a good starting point for a few of them. From that lively discussion, I've decided that we should put Garett's talents as a mimic to use by having Joe mock Simon about the shows he tends to watch.

Sometimes, a meeting with an actor will yield a completely unexpected outcome – and I don't mean the kind that involve the police or a restraining order or turning up in my living room wearing only underpants (That's happened twice.). Sometimes, a single comment can ignite the lightning in a bottle that makes a project really special. This revelation also changed a possible drawback to the casting into an asset. Garett said 'So Simon will be that young guy, Owen?' From that, I had a revelation. While Garett is a very long way from being old, he is a silver haired kind of handsome. We could keep him as he is appearance wise* and use the perception of Joe being older as both dramatic and comedic fodder. When looking at Owen's Simon, it's hard to wrap one's head around the vampire being over a thousand years old. Joe will occasionally forget which way the age difference goes especially when Simon acts like a frat boy in his opinion. That is a good source of humor especially when they are stuck in close quarters while keeping a low profile.

Joe's knee jerk response to Simon's youthful appearance also blunts any possibility of a bromance becoming a romance. “Even if I was interested, and I'm not, I'm no cradle robber,” is how I see Joe reacting to any kind of flirting from Simon. We'll have to keep the bromance at broadcast TV levels as we'll be on Youtube which can be a bit touchy about what's uploaded. Joe's age is also a source of danger for Joe. How long will Simon wait before making a move to keep Joe from becoming aged? There will always be that tension between them of whether or not Simon will actor to keep his companion with him forever. This dynamic is something I had never considered, and it will yield some really nice character moments.

We will be able to use the necessity of having to recast Simon to an advantage. As to how we will handle the obvious change in actors, it was decided that we will handle it the way Star Trek handled the change in Klingons between The Original Series and The Next Generation – no one shall speak of it. Demon Under Glass fans are quite an imaginative lot. I'm sure some brilliant mythos will rise that explains the change in Simon's appearance.

Another issue that came up in our discussion was Simon's wealth. I completely forgot to mention the plan to make fake famous paintings using Costco's service at the meeting. We also developed a source for fine jewelry and valuable knick knacks while developing a different project. This sort of finery would show up from time to time, depending on where they are living. Simon's wealth is also why we would be shopping in thrift stores on the west side of LA where the wealthy people live and donate clothing. We think Joe would have a reaction to living in more luxurious surroundings than he is used to. Perhaps, he'll be vaguely uncomfortable at first then grow to really appreciate it over time.

We penciled in shooting dates at the meeting. It's now set for late December between Christmas and New Year's and the first week in January excluding the holiday. That gives us time to nail down the script and run a full fund raising campaign. Speaking of the fund raising campaign, one of the perks typically offered on a Kickstarter or Indiegogo campaign is a screening and an after party. I chanced upon a lovely restaurant very near my neighborhood that would be ideal for an after party. The chef is from Tuscany. Her husband and co-owner was a regular on Star Trek Deep Space Nine. The food and the atmosphere are fabulous yet it has a homey vibe. It is a stone's throw away from a very nice movie theater complex that does private screenings complete with a red carpet. It is also minutes away from the Sheraton Four Points Hotel where a fan event for The Sentinel was once held. I've sent the restaurant and the theater specs for a quote.

The web series is definitely gaining momentum.

*Unless a production is paying at least the full daily rate or that actor's customary rate, a producer cannot ask them to change their hair color or hair length, shave facial hair or radically change their weight (loose or gain 50 more pounds). The look they have when they are cast is likely the look they feel will get them booked. Asking for a profound physical change could potentially cost them income. It is unprofessional to ask an actor to do that without proper compensation. Unfortunately, that means a producer also cannot prohibit an actor from engaging in activities that are potentially risky. I've just postponed a shoot, because an actor received a face injury while sparring. I'll cover all of this in another blog about casting.

M is for Miscellaneous

Usually this catch all topic is left for the end of a given process. But I'm not doing these blogs in any particular order, and I'll likely come back to a topic more than once. Today, I am driven by questions from some very kind readers. As you will see by my detailed response, I am open to questions – even if I've covered something before.

Improv vs Scripted

One very fine question was about the script. Since web series are not as formal affairs as film or television, and some web series have mentioned that much on the screen is improv, why are we taking such painful care in writing the Demonspawn scripts. The question is especially relevant when we have a lead actor who is a very fine improv actor. Were I to hazard a guess on why other shows use improv is that they are not paying for sets or locations and they have unlimited access to them. The number one reason I can't even consider improv as the main method of acting in Demonspawn is that it takes a lot of time. Ten minutes of dialog per episode is a lot to come up with on the fly even when everyone is on the same page with their characters. It can take hours before one frame is shot. Time is the biggest enemy in any shoot, because it is very expensive. We will have one shot at each location for under the typical 12 hours of time. I'd say that we'd have 8. We may have as much as 10 if we're lucky. Some of that time will be eaten up with setting up lights, make-up and wardrobe. The clock starts the moment we all arrive in the parking lot.

That said, we aren't adverse to improv at all. One of the best moments in shooting Demon Under Glass was standing in the rain with Garett Maggart and Jason Carter re-doing the whole scene where Simon snatches the caduceus (oh, yeah. We need a new caduceus). And then there was re-writing the fight in the isolation tank between Joe and Simon. We were in their trailer firing ideas back and forth. It was really fun and very satisfying creatively. I don't thins could have happened until the actors were really familiar with their characters. That takes time with a script. To refine the script and give the actors an opportunity for input on the dialog, part of the budget will be allocated for table reads (sometimes known as pizza reads) where we just see how the dialog sounds being read by actors. Usually we find out there is too much dialog. We also want to have rehearsals after the script has been refined. This familiarity with the material will speed up the actual shoots, but it will also make improv easier and more effective. The actors will really know their characters having had more time in their heads. It's great for the actors and makes the shoots run as smoothly as possible. Contrary to popular opinion, actors don't like to wing it. A lack of a script or the barest sketch of a script indicates that the production doesn't have a clear idea of where they want to go or how they are going to get there. SAG certainly won't grant signatory status to a production that doesn't have a real script.

Music

Another question has been what music will we use for the series. Will we use the music from the film? Jon says that each new project is an opportunity to do something different. Thus, we will not be using the compositions written for Demon Under Glass. In doing the cooking videos and chatting with other web producers, I've discovered sites like http://freesoundtrackmusic.com that allows for the purchase of a limited license to original music. Searches of this site can be made by composer, mood of the scene or style of music. These licenses are specifically for Youtube. If we take the project to a higher level of distribution, we can pay an additional fee to keep those selections. There are several sites like this. Each one has hundreds of compositions.

Miscellaneous

While searching for the music sites, I ran across another kind of asset that we may make use of during the Demonspawn shoot. There are companies that offer licenses to use virtual sets. They are 3D computer generated environments into which actors can be realistically composited. The licenses for these assets are very reasonable (from $75 to $450). Fortunately, we are connected to talented people who can do these kinds of composites seamlessly. This gives us some options we hadn't considered for sets and some vampire type FX.

One more question that has come up often is are the actors reading this blog. As of this date, all the actors currently involved in the web series have the link to the blog. I notify them when I put up a new post.  Judging from the questions I've gotten back from them, they are reading the blog.

Until next time.

Plots and Casting Part 1/?

This will be a frequently talked about subject. This is the bare bones beginning.

It is an often quote bit of advice that one should never write a script with particular people in mind to play the parts. It's fine to be inspired by a particular actor or performance. Whatever it takes to make the characters real and the dialog easier to write. However, there are reams of stories about how a film was developed with specific actors in mind but produced with the 12^th choice in the role. This rule applies when a film goes through normal development and is funded before the casting call is placed. For most indie films, raising what is needed for the budget depends on what actor is attached to the project. Lead actors from network series of the 1990s can raise as much as $1 million dollars in the horror/scifi arena. Lead actors from the 2000s can raise as much as $3million in the horror/scifi arena. For a while ten years ago, Jeff Fahey was hitting that arena hard in the 2000s until his career righted itself. Persuading an actor to attach themselves to a project before it is funded is not easy. The best and most inexpensive way is the script. But how?

A casting director had some interesting advice. He said that we had to figure out what kind of actor they were. If they were adventurous types that are always looking stretch themselves, the best way to them is to write something for them that they have never played before. Comedians are always lamenting not being considered for dramatic rolls. Dramatic actors often want to cut up. For some, the enticement is playing a particular type of character like a hooker or a vampire or a cowboy. Or perhaps a hooker cowboy who is also a vampire. I shouldn't say things like that in this town. It'll be a series on the CW.

We have a broad canvas on which to create the Demonspawn web series. Simon Molinar has a history that spans centuries. He has known every type of person from peasant to royalty on both sides of the law and every side of politics. We decided that it would be foolish to not take advantage of that history. And between the Highlander and Forever Knight, we had a template to follow. In present day, there is a situation plaguing Simon and Joe. Sometimes, Simon finds a corresponding theme in his long and active past. The past informs the decisions made in the present. Actually, with Joe in his life, Simon is forced to look at his past decisions and choose a different path – in some cases. I say sometimes, because Simon likes to talk about his life. There may be no corresponding situation at all. He may be just in the mood to spin a yarn. At any rate it gives us a lot of latitude for characters that are not only fun to watch and fit the story but also can attract the actors we are after.

But that isn't the only way we plan to attract actors and, hopefully, viewers. Star names of all sorts like to do parodies of major films and TV. They do such skits on shows like SNL. The website Funny or Die http://www.funnyordie.com/ is full of celebrity driven parody. We have a couple of names that are interested in the parodies we have in mind. Hopefully, from that interest, we can attract more. The parodies are all films, TV shows or commercials that Joe and Simon are watching. It can be anything from crime dramas, to reality shows to scifi and horror. Of course, we will thoroughly lampoon Twilight, but there are many other fun topics to explore. Not all will be brutal lampoons. Some will be loving send ups – like the way Young Frankenstein did with old horror films. There will be glee amidst the thrills and chills.

Now, how do we get these fun scripts to the actors we're after? We have a couple of options. The direct approach involves running a Breakdown(TM) or casting call. Since web series are more common and often fall under a SAG contract, managers are more likely to heed a client's request to look at them and pass them along. To hedge that bet, we can mention a specific actor in the Breakdown as a prototype for the character. We have connections to a few names through routes so serendipitous that no one would believe me if I laid them out in a diagram. We believe that at least one and possibly two of them would go for the parodies.

Now, to the basic plot for the web series. There are minor spoilers ahead.

The series will begin a few years after Simon and Joe [the full backstory to these characters can be found on the menu to the right under Backstory] go on the run from Delphi 2.0. The events in Demon Under Glass and how Joe came to be on the run with Simon a year later will be covered in the opening sequence of each episode in a voice over by Joe with images matching the narration. Then, Joe will do a voice over bringing viewers up to speed on where they are at that particular time and why. In this arc, Joe and Simon are in a new town keeping a low profile. They've had a close brush with capture (there will be flashbacks). Something about how they were discovered makes them paranoid. While Simon tries to figure out if they are being tracked, Joe is analyzing the data they got. After a while, Simon becomes convinced that they are being watched by someone not associated with Delphi. It has happened to Simon before, but this time there is the internet to intensify the attention. Joe is skeptical at first, but he soon realizes that there are women who believe in vampires watching him and Simon. Mayhem ensues. All the while, the pair are going about their usual routines which includes a lot of TV and movies, shop, do chores and argue.

'Till next time.

Scripts and Budgets

When we first moved out here in the mid- 1990s, the best advisors on film production told us to write what any given story needed for it to be told well and to not worry about how much it cost. However, back in those days, general wisdom was that a writer would pitch a script either directly to a studio or to a production company with a studio production deal. That is what we did for a number of years. These entities have the deep pockets to make anything written on a page a reality. Times have radically changed.

As we considered developing this web series, the first thing we had to look at was what assets we have, what assets we could obtain for free (or close to it), and what do we absolutely have to lay out money for. The easiest place to save money is the script. For example, One gunshot – from a blank pistol – requires an expensive rider on the production's insurance policy, the presence of a fire marshal (at $80 and hour with a four hour minimum) and a stunt coordinator certified in the use of firearms ($800/day). One gunshot! We would love to have Simon scale walls that are three stories or more tall in this web series. I'm sure that Owen Szabo would love to strap on a wire rig and scale a building. It may be hard to keep him from doing something like that, but the insurance rider for that cost more than the basic policy and requires a coordinator and a whole lot of safety equipment. I'm not saying that there won't be breathtaking action in this web series. It's just that everything we wrote had to be run through a lot of research and asset acquisition. It took a lot of creativity that was well beyond spinning a story.

Then, there are sets and locations. We have access to a location that will make a suitable home for Joe and Simon for this season. We had to be assured at we can film all the scenes we need to (no problems from neighbors with parking on the block, that sort of thing). Luckily, it's written into canon that Joe and Simon move frequently. I wouldn't expect to come back to the same location from one season to the next. LA neighbors can be fairly hard nosed when it comes to any kind of shoot. We could be the best neighbors in the world, and someone may still get a bug up their but about the content or not getting to have some of the catering. They could want a fee for their 'inconvenience' or complain to the permit office and block us from the location. It's best not to push one's luck. 

We are fortunate that the city, county and state are pro-film. We have found some wonderful locations owned by various government entities that we can shoot at without a fee. One of them is this great, old timey gazebo that we can make look like it's from the turn of the last century for one of the flashback scenes. We have to hire an LAPD officer to watch over us, but that's cool. We'll need someone to keep the homeless regulars out of the shots. They won't sit still for make-up, so we'll have to move them along for a while. We'll be shooting in a library where a vampire romance novel club meets, and at a really plush community auditorium that will double as a movie theater. All of these are free of fees. They also have plenty of parking and places for wardrobe, make-up and meal breaks. Yes, these things must be considered – along with where the bathrooms are – while I am writing the action in the scripts. If any location is lacking in these basic amenities, rental of trailers has to be considered. That brings with it the headache of where it would be parked and the cost of the fuel, water and the teamsters to drive it ($30/hour, 8 hour minimum and we need two – even for one vehicle – and I'd have to feed them).

Speaking of food, that has to be factored into the scripts as well. For lower budgeted projects, good food is a must. That is one of the elements that we have to pay for. And I mean paying for a caterer. We've had experience trying to feed a crew by preparing everything on our own. It is a hat that comes with too many headaches. We won't even try to do craft services http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Craft_service snack table. We have to make sure that they are good and reliable. As the price of food tends to be per head, we have to keep an eye on how much cast and crew we have each day. Throngs of extras may be free (you can always find people who want to be on camera in LA), but that's a lot of mouths to feed. Trash is also something that we have to keep track of. More people make more trash. Some of these folks can be really slovenly about where they dispose of food and drinks. I've been on big productions where instead of nagging cast and crew about where they were putting empty containers or napkins, a cleaning service is hired. Honestly, it can come down to that. But that won't happen with us. I really insist that if I'm not working with children, I shouldn't have to pick up after anyone or pay someone to do it. Keeping the numbers down diminishes the problem.

So, on top of the terror for writers in looking at a blank page, indie filmmakers have to keep in mind myriad constraints to the budget. This can be daunting on the one hand. On the other hand, these constraints can be an interesting creative challenge. The very elements that made film noir fascinating to critics and audiences were born from some very tight constraints on content and budget. It wasn't easy to have sexually charged, hard boiled crime dramas drenched in violence under the Hays Code http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_Production_Code. On top of that, noir was considered on the B list at studios by and large. The budgets were not so big. All this made writers work harder. Many times, magic was created. Actors tend to thrive in this setting, because their skills are leaned upon more heavily when there isn't the cash for big FX and not everything can be laid out and spoon fed to the audience. It's become a fascinating puzzle for us.

This brings us to how to write a script to interest well known actors enough to work for tens of dollars and some great catering. That's for the next blog!