WHERE THE HEART LIES ... Johnson, Hyten, Golden & Bullis

[Mark Johnson]

Just touched down in Charlottesville, Virginia. Tomorrow we shoot footage for a big collision at a rural railroad crossing. I am accompanied by Chris Real, who many of you will remember from the Threading The Needle days. Chris is a motorcycle expert who shares the same office/workshop with us for our forensic business. He provided the nifty trailer with fridge and beer for our shooting TTN and he often works with us on cases that require some special expertise since he has all sorts of helmet-cam rigs and the like. In this case he built a special dolly that we will be pushing on the railroad tracks that allows the HVX to shoot from the height of the locomotive engineer's position (about 10.5 feet above the rail for seated view). The dolly is pretty ingenious and I'll post some photos tomorrow night hopefully (assuming we aren't rained out). He's also adapted the mast to be able to shoot from the back of his truck so we will no doubt be using it for various projects in the future.

Anyway, regarding NO COUNTRY, I am interpreting the ending as showing that Tommy Lee Jones has finally accepted that the brutality and pace of "modern evil" has defeated him so that he's essentially "ready to die" (and join his own dad). This is not conventional Hollywood plotting so it feels incomplete and unsatisfying. Especially when coupled with Chigur's rather bizarre outcome. In that regard, to me, the crash was evidence that his life truly was ruled by chance and that there really isn't any coupling between his evil actions and his outcome. By the thinnest of margins he escaped (likely only to be caught in fact) and he remains symbolic of the brutality and unpredictable "bad things" that accompany modern life.

That's my thumbnail take and it isn't intended to be complete or profound. Just what I take away to try and make some sense of it. I found the Tommy Lee Jones denouement to be quite good and reasonable while i struggled with the Chigur storyline. I guess I wanted that bastard to really get splattered in the end and felt cheated when he got away (even though his escape would likely be temporary given his condition and the facts of what just preceded).

[Luis Caffesse]

Are you guys still making this film?
I'm worried.... no one has posted in this thread for over 8 hours now.
Is everything okay?
:)

[Geoff_R]

Yes... :)

[Chris Messineo]

Are you guys still making this film?
I'm worried.... no one has posted in this thread for over 8 hours now.
Is everything okay?
:)
ROFL

[Mark Johnson]

Jeez, what a brutal trip this has been ... We've been all over the state of Virginia and were finally flying home exhausted BUT we both fell asleep in the terminal and the friggin' plane took off without us. Now we're stranded and have to spend the night here to catch a 7 a.m. flight in the morning. Sheesh. luckily there's a good wireless connection.

Anyway, I thought I'd post a little about this project because it has been pretty interesting. As many of you know, we make our bread and butter from shooting forensic projects mainly for cases involving big transportation disasters. Well, we are working on a train collision and got permission to shoot on the location where the collision occurred. This is actually something we do pretty regularly -- maybe 6 or 8 times a year for train crossing cases alone. Anyway, we often are asked to create a re-enactment of the view from the locomotive and most of the time the lawyers who hire us are unable to get a court order allowing us to shoot from a locomotive. Thus, we either have to give up that shot or figure out a way to get a camera over the tracks at 12 or 13 feet.

http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/10478/1197350869.jpg

http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/10478/1197350576.jpg

In the past we've many times actually flown into a location and stopped at a Home Depot or Lowe's to get a 12-foot ladder and enough cut wood and parts to build a really rickety makeshift dolly. I can't tell you how many times we've done this and it always sucks with the footage having to be massively stabilized etc. This time Chris designed a simple version that ships in its own crate and can be assembled in the field.

So, we ship it the week before and then pick it up at a trucking terminal using a pickup we borrow or rent. At the scene we slap it together and raise the HVX to the required height:

http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/10478/1197350651.jpg
http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/10478/1197350673.jpg

We had some issues with the track guides (which kept hitting the metal brackets on the lower rails called "frogs") and we had to sweat out the weather. However, we got the shots and will now be able to stabilize the footage and composite it into the view we shot from the locomotive (above).

Pretty cool. Kind of a McGyver-style approach.

[Luis Caffesse]

Wow.
That's a hell of a little rig you've got there.


By the way, you're going to laugh at me... but this is all making a hell of alot more sense to me now.
I had no idea you did forensic video work for a living - so the other day when you posted this:


Just touched down in Charlottesville, Virginia. Tomorrow we shoot footage for a big collision at a rural railroad crossing.

I thought..."MY GOD, these guys are really going all out for this LoveFest entry! A freakin' train collision!! How is anyone going to compete with that??"
:)

[Kyle Stebbins]

Wow.
I thought..."MY GOD, these guys are really going all out for this LoveFest entry! A freakin' train collision!! How is anyone going to compete with that??"
:)

Hahaha!!

That is one hell of a rig. Chris did a great job building that thing. -- I hope he wasn't too pissed about the green splintered wood we stored in his garage =)

kyle

[Wild Imagination Films]

I've always found it a little hard to feel for the people who get nailed at a railroad crossing. I mean they're train tracks. They don't just appear out of nowhere. Regardless of the flashing lights, you should always look. I don't know, just seems like one of life's more easily avoidable "accidents."
as a medic, I've worked a couple of car vs train and a man vs train. Guess who won.

[Mark Johnson]

That is one hell of a rig. Chris did a great job building that thing. -- I hope he wasn't too pissed about the green splintered wood we stored in his garage =)

Chris says he actually used some of that wood for one of his projects, so he was glad to find it.

It's 3:37 a.m. here and by our calculations, our luggage is arriving in Los Angeles right about now (we missed our plane). Tim was going to pick us up at LAX so we've alerted him to get our luggage instead. I figured that if we didn't have Tim there it was highly likely that it was likely somebody at the airport would recognize the PortaBrace bag revolving around the baggage carousel unclaimed as likely having something nice.

Tim and I were supposed to fly to Seattle for a music video shoot at 6:30 L.A. time, so I'm hoping he can pick up the HVX and fly out as planned while I catch the first available flight after I get into L.A. Man I am getting tired of being on airplanes this week.

[Mark Johnson]

I've always found it a little hard to feel for the people who get nailed at a railroad crossing. I mean they're train tracks. They don't just appear out of nowhere. Regardless of the flashing lights, you should always look. I don't know, just seems like one of life's more easily avoidable "accidents."
as a medic, I've worked a couple of car vs train and a man vs train. Guess who won.

Yeah, we're very aware of that sentiment and I will grant you that there are plenty of stupid people in the world who do stupid things at railroad crossings. However, I've seen plenty of instances where the driver has some significant extenuating circumstances on their side. In this case, for instance, the driver was turning off of a busy highway in icy conditions to go down a rural road where he had been called to do furnace work for a family. His own son was right behind him and when he turned onto the road there is less than 60 yards before reaching the tracks. At the point of turning onto the rural road there is obscuring foliage that allows only 60 FEET of view down the tracks so there is absolutely no opportunity to see an approaching train. The father turned onto the road and tried to leave room for his son behind him, who also had to turn off the highway. It appears the father slid onto the tracks on the ice inadvertently and then tried to make it across when he saw the train, to no avail. The train crew admitted not blowing the whistle because they could not see the truck (given the same foliage) and all of the trees/bushes are on the railroad property where it is supposed to be clear to allow oncoming motorists to see far enough to at least have a chance to be aware of an approaching train.

We see a lot of cases like this where there are terrible visual obstructions and no warning lights or gates. It is sad that the U.S. doesn't have an active plan to eliminate grade crossings like Canada. Anyway, the big majority of cases we've worked on have not involved people trying to outrun a train or people who make no effort to look. In most instances you have people who simply aren't as careful as they could be with conditions that make even small errors of judgement fatal. It reminds me of hunting and firearms. I was raised to treat EVERY gun as loaded - even my toy plastic ones. My father would not allow me to point ANY barrel at ANYONE and to this day that behavior is automatic. Unfortunately, most people don't get that sort of upbringing and they wave their empty rifles and shotguns around without regard because they KNOW they are empty. Every safe hunter knows there are times when human error or mistakes happen and a gun THOUGHT to be empty was loaded with tragic results.

You are like me in that I am sure you stop at EVERY railroad track because of what you've seen. Nevertheless, because of the relative infrequent passing of trains at rural crossings, many people are conditioned to expect crossings to be clear. This is bad behavior and I don't excuse it, but I do insist that railroads should keep their approaches clear because even less than careful motorists are owed an opportunity to see down the tracks.

Thanks for your comments, though. I used to ride with an EMT friend in Kansas City and I recall some amazing nights involving bullet holes, heart attacks and gonzo drunkards gone wild. One night I was holding the bag of Lactated Ringer's Solution (at least that is what sticks out in my mind) when they applied the paddles to a poor guy in arrest and somehow I got a jolt of electricity through the bag that scared the pee-woddeny out of me. Pretty funny.

[Chris Messineo]

That work you do sounds fascinating.

Makes me wish I could quit my day job. But then, most things make me wish I could quit my day job. :)

[Kyle Stebbins]

Mark, glad to see you finally got your own custom name!! That's great!!

Has anyone seen the documentary "American Movie"?

[Mark Johnson]

Chris, I moved to California in 1993 and had to figure out some way to leverage my legal background and came up with doing forensic animation and video. It's been great for me and it's been really cool to bring Tim into the business. We look at it as a way to subsidize our real passion for narrative and creative projects.

Kyle, I put American Movie on the top of my NetFlix Que so it will be there when Tim and I get back from Seattle the end of this week. Thanks for that tip, man. We also are in the middle of the DVDs for the AFC reality series "Film School" which has been great fun to watch.

I'm sitting here at LAX getting ready to fly to Seattle. Tim was able to pick up the camera last night about 1:00 a.m. and he just made it to SEA-TAC about a half hour ago. I get in about 3:00 this afternoon if I can avoid falling asleep in the terminal again.

Looks like we may actually escape the rain up there the next two days, which would be amazing. The highs are in the low 40s so the cold is going to be bad enough not to add drizzle.

I'm halfway through the book NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN and can only say that it is one of the best reads in memory. I HIGHLY recommend it to anyone who is thinking about seeing or who has seen the film. I would bet serious money that this is the winner of best adaption of a book and very likely will be best picture. The film is extremely faithful to McCarthy's book so far and the book really adds so much to the Tommy Lee Jones character (Sheriff Bell). There are many short monologues by the character that are similar to the one that opens the film and I have to say McCarthy really creates amazing characters with such fluid dialog. He never uses quotations in the book and, instead, weaves the dialog in the telling. I am surprised how well it works and that I am not irritated by the device. This is some of the most natural and yet animated dialog I've read. Here, I'll pick a random scene between Moss and his wife:

Can I go back there and look?
You're free white and twenty-one so I reckon you can do whatever you want.
I aint twenty-one.
Well whatever you are.
And you want me to get on a bus and go to Odessa.
You are getting on a bus and going to Odessa.
What am I supposed to tell Mama?
Well, try standin in the door and hollerin: Mama, I'm home.
Where's your truck at?
Gone the way of all flesh. Nothin's forever.

Some of the dialog is wrapped inside paragraphs that are explanatory so that it's like the characters interrupt and speak. I just love this book and only wish I could write this well.

[Kyle Stebbins]

Kyle, I put American Movie on the top of my NetFlix Que so it will be there when Tim and I get back from Seattle the end of this week. Thanks for that tip, man. We also are in the middle of the DVDs for the AFC reality series "Film School" which has been great fun to watch.

I think I'm going to start up a netflix account. It seems like it makes more sense than going to rent movies at the store.

Let me know your thoughts on American Movie. It's become one of my all-time favorite films due to it's raw, unadulterated look into one man's quest to make a movie. The main character is a brilliant freak, in my opinion. You want to shake his hand after the film is over.

[Chris Messineo]

I love "American Movie" (I actually bought it).

If you have the time, you should definitely listen to the filmmaker's commentary track - it's fascinating.

[Blaine]

Auditions are shaping up. We've had good response and I'm currently sending out emails with the sides and confirming their audition time.

[Kyle Stebbins]

I love "American Movie" (I actually bought it).

If you have the time, you should definitely listen to the filmmaker's commentary track - it's fascinating.

I plan to do so tonight. -- The filmmaker is Mark, right? Not the director of American Movie?

[Wild Imagination Films]

" One night I was holding the bag of Lactated Ringer's Solution..."
You've no idea how many stories I've heard start out like this, and they always go bad...

See...
"somehow I got a jolt of electricity through the bag that scared the pee-woddeny out of me. Pretty funny."
You should see the people I work with jump when they hear the word "clear."

[Mark Johnson]

I just finished NO COUNTRY on the plane to Seattle and Jeez-Loueez am I blown away. I absolutely adored the film, but you sure owe it to yourself to read the book. The book’s ending is SO much more fulfilling (in my opinion) than the film. Frankly, it is very interesting to consider the choices the Coen brothers had to make when deciding how to end the film. I’m not going to second guess them in any way, but I can sympathize with them and the difficulties they faced in trying to translate the book. I guess I’ll leave it that I’m really pleased that I read the book and feel now that I understand the whole story and the ending completely whereas I was having to interpolate things before finishing the novel.

[Blaine]

I just finished NO COUNTRY on the plane to Seattle and Jeez-Loueez am I blown away. I absolutely adored the film, but you sure owe it to yourself to read the book. The book’s ending is SO much more fulfilling (in my opinion) than the film. Frankly, it is very interesting to consider the choices the Coen brothers had to make when deciding how to end the film. I’m not going to second guess them in any way, but I can sympathize with them and the difficulties they faced in trying to translate the book. I guess I’ll leave it that I’m really pleased that I read the book and feel now that I understand the whole story and the ending completely whereas I was having to interpolate things before finishing the novel.It's arriving from Amazon tomorrow.

[Kyle Stebbins]

I'll have to add NO COUNTRY to my list of books to read.
ZEN/MOTORCYCLE is on the top of my list at the moment.

kyle

[Mark Johnson]

We're in Ilwaco Washington. Had to detour around a huge mudslide in Oregon. Beautiful scenery. I'll get some pix up tonight hopefully.

[Mark Johnson]

http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/10478/1197533906.jpg

[Kyle Stebbins]

Hahaha! what adapter is that?

[Jack Daniel Stanley]

Letus Extreme.

[Mark Johnson]

Yeah, Steven has a really sweet Extreme along with some nice fast lenses. Yesterday's footage really looked sweet. We're just about to head out to a location near Redmond, Washington and the forecast calls for possible snow and/or rain. Yikes.

[Michael Anthony Horrigan]

Too funny! :D

Great stuff guys....

Mike

[Mark Johnson]

Well, it rained all day but, fortunately, was just a miserable misty dribble so that we were able to shoot through it. Actually, for the look we were going for it was optimum and we are extremely happy with the frames we got. However, it was tough on everybody because of the wet as well as the temperatures down in the mid-thirties.

[Kyle Stebbins]

mid-thirties. ha!
try 10-15 degree weather here in nebraska. i'm sorry to say, mark, but you're a midwesterner that's been worn down and conditioned by the west coast climate. =)

any updates on the casting?

[Norm Sanders]

Once again, guys, you've got a cool looking thread here. Love how you do all the comic book looks ... you've ALWAYS got some kind of cool marketing schemes going on, and this one appears to be delivering as well. :thumbsup:

So, without reading through the entire thread, what's the above about? You're actually shooting a music video AND doing this Love Fest entry??

[Blaine]

any updates on the casting?We got good response to the project entry. The response were pared down and I made calls on Monday. Responses have been coming in all week and we have fairly well booked the audition schedule. Sunday and Monday.

Auditions will be taped and hopefully we'll be able to cast the three male roles from this batch of actors.

[Mark Johnson]

mid-thirties. ha!
try 10-15 degree weather here in nebraska. i'm sorry to say, mark, but you're a midwesterner that's been worn down and conditioned by the west coast climate. =)

Yes, Kyle, you and Alex would have considered the weather to be shirtsleeve conditions. I am happy to admit that I no longer treat shooting in the rain at near-freezing temperatures as balmy. :)


So, without reading through the entire thread, what's the above about? You're actually shooting a music video AND doing this Love Fest entry??
We are multi-tasking fools, Norm, as you well know! ... In fact, I can now announce that the poor bastard who had to play the part of "the Harbinger" in our music video was none other than Mr. Sanders himself:

http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/10478/1197631272.jpg

[Chris Messineo]

Great grabs.

Norm looks awesome in those shots.

[Jack Daniel Stanley]

arghh. Mark check your PM box.

[Mark Johnson]

Jack, sorry we were on a plane when you called yesterday.

Tomorrow we will be holding the first of two days of auditions for Where The Heart Lies. We'll be using one of the audition rooms at The Complex in Hollywood (www.complexhollywood.com/) and I must thank Blaine for handling all the scheduling and setup for us while Tim and I have been on the road. Being organizationally challenged, I certainly do appreciate the difference a good producer makes on a project like this.

[Norm Sanders]

Thanks, Chris. I've got to hand it to Tim, Mark, and Steven ... I was AMAZED at seeing some of the footy afterwards. I'd sit there wondering how a shot would turn out, while I'm freezing my butt off in front of the camera, not being able to see SQUAT with those special FX lenses in my eyes, but to see some of it at the end of the shoot ... well, I was simply proud to have been asked to be a part of it.

It was fun being able to finally get to meet these guys, and great being able to work with them.

[Brandon Rice]

We should rename this thread to encompass all the projects that Mark and Tim are working on, lol.

Good stuff guys! :thumbsup:

[Mark Johnson]

Damn, its good to be back in the warmth!

Thanks Brandon, although I think you are the master of multi-tasking as you seem to always have MANY THINGS in progress at any given moment.

A couple of things as I have a moment to relax here at the Coffee Bean. First, we were privileged to see Norm's locked edit of Berlin and, let me tell you, it rocks. If you haven't followed its production you should click his banner and read the thread. The amount of detail that went into his production is amazing and it shows on screen. I anticipate that Norm will be getting some festival awards in 2008.

We also simply cannot thank Norm enough for the work he did for us. We had worked through a couple casting agencies in the Seattle area but didn't have much luck finding the actor we wanted. We knew this would be a demanding part and, frankly, we were really worried about being able to get someone to put up with the crappy conditions and grueling schedule. To say Norm was a trooper would be a huge understatement. He drove practically all night to Cape Disappointment to meet us the first day and then had to shoot half blind in cold wet conditions before driving almost 4 hours to Redmond Washington that night. Then he had to shoot in the rain, not to mention digging a grave with his cold hurting hands.

While we were on set we'd throw him a ratty little scarf to try and keep his ears warm. In spite of this, he kept his amazing good humor and was a pure joy to be with:

http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/10478/1197753178.jpg

[Brandon Rice]

Hey Mark, mind me asking how much rental of the space for auditions cost ya?

[Mark Johnson]

Hey Mark, mind me asking how much rental of the space for auditions cost ya?

I believe $150 for both days. Cheap. The place is old and funky but its right in Hollywood and, thus, really desirable for actors location-wise and the rooms are set up really nice. I'll snap some pics with the iPhone and post them here.

While I'm posting, I also should say how grateful we are to Steven (Disjecta) for the work he did. Fortunately, he shoots under adverse conditions frequently so he took things in stride and we were outfitted well.

http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/10478/1197754526.jpg

http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/10478/1197754552.jpg

[Brandon Rice]

Love those pics! Awesome!

And thanks for that info Mark!

[Slimothy]

A big thanks to everyone involved in the MV. Norm is the man. Steven is a freak of nature. I had a blast....with a side of frostbite.

Brandon: The Complex rocks. At some places you have to pay upwards of 3-600 bucks to hold some auditions at a good place. The Complex isn't the most elegant building on Santa Monica, but it beats Tommy's bedroom.

[Norm Sanders]

Lol, funny comment Tim about the complex vs. Tommy's bedroom. :grin: I agree, nearly anywhere is more professional than a personal residence, unless you've got an incredibly gorgeous mansion. Steven's house would probably do. :)

Thanks also for the kind words, guys, much appreciate. And Mark, I've not responded to your email yet, but will. Again, thank you, and you guys are too gracious.

On another note, that iPhone pic of the eyes never came through. Think you could just post it here, or PM it to me?

[Alex Jeffery]

Wow, those pictures are awesome! That location is amazing.

[Mark Harris]

Something is seriously not right about those pics, guys. I mean, Norm's shirt is on in every one of them!

[Blaine]

Is Norm wearing the "puffy shirt"? :Drogar-BigGrin(DBG)

[Kyle Stebbins]

those pictures put me into place. it definitely looked cold and windy out there. great job on getting such good images. norm looked great on camera!

[Geoff_R]

That's a wicked location, that last super wide panoramic shot looks like something out of LOTR, perhaps Mordor :) Very cool!

**Also, how was it working with the Letus?

[Mark Johnson]

That's a wicked location, that last super wide panoramic shot looks like something out of LOTR, perhaps Mordor :) Very cool!

**Also, how was it working with the Letus?

Steven is a wiz with the Letus and I was amazed at how quickly he was able to run through setups. He clearly knows his lenses like old friends.

[Jack Daniel Stanley]

Is Norm wearing the "puffy shirt"? :Drogar-BigGrin(DBG)
indeed
http://images.usatoday.com/life/_photos/2005/11/08/inside-dvd-seinfeld.jpg
Geez what's the budget on this vid, concidering you were able to rent it out from the Smithsonian :grin:
http://americanhistory.si.edu/news/pressrelease.cfm?key=29&newskey=15
http://frenchquarterfeatures.com/Seinfeld_Smithsonian.jpg

[Mark Johnson]

Today we had our first day of auditions at the Complex in Hollywood. We found a couple truly good candidates and laughed our friggin' asses off at some truly amazingly bizarre performances. Interestingly, we found two actors who are totally wrong for this project but who both are absolute "must-haves" for future projects if the roles are right.

Lest we have given anybody a misunderstanding that we are mutating into mature and professional filmmakers, here's a little video of Hyten and me between auditions:

http://www.archivisuals.com/TimeBetween.jpg (http://www.archivisuals.com/TimeBetweenAuditions.mov)

[Blaine]

"Howya doin'?"

Hey, Johnson, you posting from the coffee shop?

[Mark Johnson]

Hey Blaine! I'm here at Coffee Bean. Come on over and I'll buy you a latte or the drink of your choice!!!

[Mark Johnson]

http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/10478/1197863643.jpg

[Blaine]

Hey, I know those reprobates.:Drogar-BigGrin(DBG)

[bosindy]

Looks like a lot of fun, hope you guys found some good talent. Have you all locked down the dates yet?

[Tom Marshall]

Ahh, The Complex... the place where dreamers dream on their long shot auditions... promises of Hollywood drifting through their heads while they read their sides. Yes, The Complex... the place where all young actors fight for their chance to be movie stars... Ahh, The Complex...

[Blaine]

Looks like a lot of fun, hope you guys found some good talent. Have you all locked down the dates yet?18th, 19th & 20th of January.

[Kyle Stebbins]

Mark, Tim, anyone...

You should check out this demo reel for a buddy of mine who is a VERY talented rotoscope/compositor. He is a self-taught visfx artist, and his work is very impressive. I was the DP for the lightsaber shoot, and it was a blast to work with Nate. I think he needs to join up on this site because I know he will get a lot of work out of it.

He has even made a connection with J. Bills of Weta Digital. You'll remember them as the company that handled all of the FX for The Lord of the Rings. He is working as his assistant, or so I'm told.

http://www.natecow.com/Demo_Reel.html

Take a minute to browse his site. You'll come across a few pictures of BTS where I'm standing with the camera. Anyway, let me know what you think and, by all means, get a hold of this guy if you need work done. He is a member of Pixel Corps. I found this relevant because you do so much fx work, mark. He'd be a great guy to throw in your handful of artists.

-kyle

[NateCaauwe]

You called? Hehehehe.... ;)

[Kyle Stebbins]

You called? Hehehehe.... ;)

Man, Nate, your picture makes you look like your 11 years old. :cheesy:

[NateCaauwe]

Man, Nate, your picture makes you look like your 11 years old. :cheesy:

Psh, whatev. That's my PXC avatar, and believe me, my old one made me look even younger. Then again, this one is almost two years old, I should make a new one...

Anywho, thanks for the plug, now back to your regularly scheduled thread :)

[Blaine]

First round of auditions are complete and it looks like we've got the candidates we need to fill out main slots.

[Luis Caffesse]

First round of auditions are complete and it looks like we've got the candidates we need to fill out main slots.
http://www.bustedtees.com/bt/images/BT-thatswhatshesaid-gallery-2193.jpg

...what do you want from me? it's late.
:)

[Brandon Rice]

Looking forward to hearing more about your cast!

[Mark Johnson]

We're almost set for our cast and have pretty much settled on two actors for two of the roles but are not certain which actor should play which character. It's an interesting dilemma because one actor "looks" best for one part but the other seems to play the part a little better. Also, we have a third character to cast and have two finalists to choose from. So, we have some work to do today and hopefully we can announce the final cast by tomorrow.

By the way, Blaine and I went to a screening of Charlie Wilson's War. The screenwriter, Aaron Sorkin, took questions afterwards and it was a fascinating evening. God, this guy can write dialogue. There's a scene between Philip Seymour Hoffman and Tom Hanks that is so well written and so much fun to watch that I am looking forward to seeing the film again when it is released. It's an unusual role for Hanks and it will be interesting to see how it does at the box office.

[Jason Ramsey]

Cool. Glad to hear it's moving along, guys.

My personal opinion.... go with the person who plays the part the best. They end up "looking" the part more in the long run.... but, hey... I'm just me.

I love Philip Seymour Hoffman. Aaron Sorkin wrote the first play I ever acted in.... "A Few Good Men". A role that I didn't "look" the part for, actually.... Lance Corporal Harold W. Dawson.

Keep it going guys. I wanna see a complete project from your camp this time. Looking forward to it.

Later,
Jason

[Luis Caffesse]

.... go with the person who plays the part the best. They end up "looking" the part more in the long run.... but, hey... I'm just me.

Well, you're not alone.
If you're looking for my two cents (and come on, who isn't?)... I'd definitely go with the one who plays the part best. Like Jason said, they will wind up 'looking' the part.

You may have had some preconceived notions of what this character should look like - but remember that as an audience, we don't have any preconceived notions of that. To us, the character is always going to look like the person you cast - that's it.

People never know what they're missing - they only know what's on the screen.
Mamet had a great quote about that - something like, "an audience will accept anything they are given no reason to disbelieve" Granted, he was referring to plot mechanics, but I think that concept applies to just about anything within a film - including the believability of the characters.

If this actor plays the part best then the character will be believable.
If someone else doesn't play it as well - it doesn't matter if he looks like the part, because in the end the part may not be as believable.

Alright - I'll stop rambling now.....
:thumbsup:

[Mark Johnson]

Much appreciated comments by both of you, Luis and Jason. I am looking forward to hammering this out with Tim and Blaine today. We're fortunate to have good actors to choose from.

The auditions were a real blast. As I mentioned in an earlier post, we had some people who were completely on another planet but some of them have such amazing looks that we've made a file for them for future projects. We've got one guy who would be perfect for a Russian mob boss or a hit-man (we had some extra time during his audition so we did a little improv and he grabbed my throat and I thought he was really going to hit me!) We found a guy from Jersey who just absolutely looks and sounds like he's fresh from the docks as well as an aging, sensitive character with a hairpiece who would be perfect for a skewed part. Anyway, the whole audition process is great experience and worked out really well for us on this project.

[Kyle Stebbins]

Good to hear! -- I also second Luis and Jason. I would think the better actress would be the obvious choice for said reasons. =)

[Luis Caffesse]

...we did a little improv and he grabbed my throat and I thought he was really going to hit me!

Isn't that the reaction you normally get when you tell your actors to just go with it and do 'whatever feels right'?
:)

[Kyle Stebbins]

I know these guys aren't really one for self-promotion ;) but I wanted to plug the Fat Monster Film's blog that "shares tales from the underbelly of indie filmmaking - The curious detritus expelled by Mark Johnson and Tim Hyten - co-founders of L.A. area film production company FAT MONSTER FILMS."

I've found the posts to be very entertaining and informative. I guess I could say that they have an educational nature to them for people like me, young college students curious about the day-to-day way of life on the west coast and the independent filmmaking 'industry'. Although, so far I've really only learned about Korean barbecue and Tim's urination habits.

Anyway, check out their blog and drop it into your favorites bin. I promise it will be worth it!! Here is the link:

http://www.fatmonsterfilms.com/fatmonsterblogger.html

[Mark Johnson]

Thanks for plugging our blog, Kyle. We enjoy keeping it and are fully aware that we've probably eliminated any possibility of running for public office given the comments therein.

Speaking of helpful tools, I give credit to Blaine for turning me onto the Creative Screenwriting magazine screenings. I also have learned that they have a HUGE archive of podcasts available for free on iTunes that are the Q&A sessions held with writers and directors after the Hollywood screenings they've hosted. The Aaron Sorkin session we saw last night will be up there in the next day or two.

More and more I find myself addicted to the podcasts I've been accumulating on my iPod.

http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/10478/1198015211.jpg

[Kyle Stebbins]

Ha!!! I see what you're trying to do.

http://www.phcstreamingmedia.net/smugglers.jpg

[Brandon Rice]

HA HA Thanks Kyle!

[Mark Johnson]

http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/10478/1198018352.jpg

[Brandon Rice]

Lol! Rofl!

[Kyle Stebbins]

http://www.kylestebbins.com/smugglers.jpg

[Brandon Rice]

I just noticed Mark's custom title... Classic! LOL

[Mark Johnson]

http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/10478/1198021783.jpg

[Mark Johnson]

http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/10478/1198022081.jpg

[Kyle Stebbins]

It would take a lot of work and energy to top that one, so I'm going to retire my cause and get back to revising my script.

Touche, Mr. Johnson. This time.

[Alex Jeffery]

http://www.alexjeffery.net/thecomiclife.jpg

[Kyle Stebbins]

now things are just getting out of control... =)

[Mark Johnson]

We're very pleased to announce that we've cast two very talented and experienced actors for the roles of Matthew Lowe and Sean Emberton:

http://www.archivisuals.com/mattsean.jpg

[Kyle Stebbins]

Tate Ammons looks a bit like Josh Holloway.

http://www.stebbinsdigital.com/Joshua.jpg

Congrats on the casting! Seems to be a fine looking bunch. You guys have a great eye for talent, so I'm excited to see your cast on camera. Great job!

[Mark Johnson]

har har har har HAR!

Man, we're looking forward to shooting this. It won't be The Corsairs, of course, but we are taking our shot.

[Kyle Stebbins]

It won't be The Corsairs, of course, but we are taking our shot.

Well that's the best we've got.

[Mark Johnson]

Alright fellow filmmakers, let the festivities begin. We have added cast Marc Shrem of Hollywood to play the part of Jack Morgan. Woo Hoo:

http://www.archivisuals.com/MarcShremUpload.jpg

[Mark Harris]

Hmmm, I have yet to see a female in your cast. Is this an all-sausage party? Or, as I like to call it: "Blaine's Secret Weekend in TJ?" :)

[Mark Johnson]

Hmmm, I have yet to see a female in your cast. Is this an all-sausage party? Or, as I like to call it: "Blaine's Secret Weekend in TJ?" :)

Hey Harris, you must not have looked at our opening poster or followed our thread way back at post 53: http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showpost.php?p=1099381&postcount=53

We had our lead actress cast (Julie Horner) within the first couple weeks we got started. :happy:

[Mark Harris]

Yeah, but that would have robbed me of my joke at Blaine's expense...

[Mark Johnson]

Hey man, how is the shoot in Ohio shaping up? Tim and I were just talking about you and how great that location looks. We want to get back to my little one-horse town in Kansas to shoot there this spring. I'll really be interested to hear how things go doing a po-dunk town shoot.

[Mark Harris]

Well in all reality, we will likely be shooting on LI. It's just not feasible to get cast out there for the shoot. But I'm pretty excited nonetheless. I'll try to do something out on OH this summer, maybe.

[Mark Johnson]

Yeah, summer in Ohio will be a much easier shoot. Whatever you shoot on the island will be amazing anyway. Seriously, you have great chops Harris. The other day we were sitting around talking about some of those frames from Katrina and how great your 'noir' look was.

[Mark Harris]

ha, thanks man. Appreciate it. I think I am flying completely solo on this one, so all praise and all blame will be mine! :)

[Jason Ramsey]

Mark,

So, did you guys end up going with the actor who looked the part more, or played the part a bit better? Just curious. It's always a tough decision. One I have been on the receiving end of often in plays in the past. Valid arguments for both sides of the coin.

Anyways, just curious what you decided to do regarding the casting there.

Later,
Jason

[Blaine]

Mark,

So, did you guys end up going with the actor who looked the part more, or played the part a bit better? Just curious. It's always a tough decision. One I have been on the receiving end of often in plays in the past. Valid arguments for both sides of the coin.

Anyways, just curious what you decided to do regarding the casting there.

Later,
Jason
Hey Jason,

We ended up going with the strongest actors for their roles. We are quite happy with the cast we ended up with, though there was much discussion before we made the decision. I can't wait to get started with the principal photography but we still have a lot of things to do.

The cast is now up on the "Front Page" :thumbsup:

[Jason Ramsey]

excellent. Thanks, Blaine. I forget that Mark has you to keep him organized and moving forward with this project :beer:

Take care.

Later,
Jason

[Mark Johnson]

Tim and I are happy to be able to report that we've completed the paperwork to be able to announce our new music video project is on behalf of Rounder Records artist Vienna Teng. Click image below for the blog release:

http://www.archivisuals.com/MarkViennaTime.jpg (http://fatmonsterfilms.com/fatmonsterblogger.html)

[Norm Sanders]

Congrats!! The top picture in the blog's not showing, just a FYI.

So are you guys going to reshoot everything from scratch, or is any of the original footage going to be used? :)

[Kyle Stebbins]

http://www.archivisuals.com/MarkViennaTime.jpg (http://fatmonsterfilms.com/fatmonsterblogger.html)

So cool, guys! Congratulations!!

[Mark Johnson]

Thanks guys. This is going to be a great project for us.

Here's a pic from backstage taken with my iPhone (as seen in the mirror). Note the bottle of Stella. Really really low-light so the image is quite grainy.

And, Norm, we're definitely using much of the footage shot so far. Vienna and the label loved what we've shown them so far.

http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/10478/1198458721.jpg

[Norm Sanders]

Wow, that's really cool Mark!! I love how you're able to post a pic from your iPhone on here!

Ahem. Wink, wink. :grin:

[Mark Johnson]

Tim, Bullis and I had a shoot in Santa Cruz so we decided to do lunch ocean-side at Margaritaville in Capitola. Sun was shining and the Stellas were cold. Hope all of you have a wonderful holiday. Thanks for being such good friends and such a great supportive on-line film community.

http://www.archivisuals.com/MerryChristmas.jpg

[Kyle Stebbins]

hell yeah, guys. livin' the life.

mark did you check out the photos of the band you're going to be sitting in with? over in the blue little world thread. thought you might get a kick out of it.

congrats again on the music video deal.

[Mark Johnson]

mark did you check out the photos of the band you're going to be sitting in with? over in the blue little world thread. thought you might get a kick out of it.

congrats again on the music video deal.

Hell yes, Kyle!!! I'm stoked. It's been decades since I played on New Years and its a kick to get to sit in with some real pros. I'm just as excited to swing by the gig your band is playing that night too. I'll definitely click off a bunch of iPhone pics for both of these threads!

***

Bullis was in great form today. He did an extended riff on donut-shop owners with heroin ring connections that was so bizarre that Tim took notes for future dialogue if we can ever write a character worthy of the words.

[Tom Marshall]

Things are looking really really good! This one's gonna kick some ass. :beer:

Let me know whatever you need and I'll be there. I just wish I lived closer to you guys...

[Norm Sanders]

Merry Christmas everyone!

Mark, you playing keys for the band? For those who don't know, Mark is an incredibly gifted piano player!

[Mark Johnson]

Merry Christmas everyone!

Mark, you playing keys for the band? For those who don't know, Mark is an incredibly gifted piano player!

Merry Christmas Norm! Believe me, I am not gifted -- merely calculating. I developed what minimal skills I have for the sole purpose of misdirecting girls away from my flaws and shortcomings long enough for the effects of intoxicating beverages to take effect. I later learned that I can appear on stage if my noodling is masked sufficiently by the talents of competent musicians.

These days, alas, my flaws and shortcomings are beyond the power of charming piano playing and mere alcohol. I may have to start packing roofies to get laid.

So good to be able to work with you, Norm, and we're hoping to get new shooting dates with you soon.

[Kyle Stebbins]

Merry Christmas team Johnson, Hyten, and Golden! I'm posting from my new iPod touch!

[Mark Johnson]

Merry Christmas team Johnson, Hyten, and Golden! I'm posting from my new iPod touch!

That rocks, Kyle. Does the Touch have a camera built in too? If so, snap a pic and upload it here dude!

[Kyle Stebbins]

That rocks, Kyle. Does the Touch have a camera built in too? If so, snap a pic and upload it here dude!

Ah, sadly no camera on this beautiful piece of technology. Lovin' the wifi, though. Also got Call of Duty 4 for the ol' 360. Lot's of fun, dyuuudes.

How was David's Christmas??

[Mark Johnson]

Kyle, we had a great time with David on Christmas. As a 12-year old, he was the ONLY one of us capable of sitting through National Treasure 2 without retching multiple times. Tim and I eventually found it so bad as to be amusing, fortunately. We hung out and played 360 games and ate stuff not good for us the rest of the day. Call of Duty 4 is the sh*t indeed.

I'm at the San Jose airport getting ready to fly back to the midwest (and your cold weather). I will call your dad tonight to discuss set lists for New Years Eve and I'll check in with you by the weekend to figure out when I'll roll in there. In fact, send me a PM with the addresses I need as well as all phone numbers so I can print them out and figure out just how much of a hump the drive is going to be from e-wood.

[Kyle Stebbins]

you got it man. Glad to hear you got a chance to play Call of Duty 4, I got it as a gift myself. Its unbelievable. - Informational PM on its way.

Stebbs

[Geoff_R]

Yea, COD 4 is amazing. Best FPS I've played in regards to the missions. I played almost non-stop the past two days, finally beat it. That sniper mission is nuts...so much fun...but multiplayer king is still Halo 3 :)

[Mark Johnson]

Kyle, I sent a PM for you to pass on to your dad.

I ended up walking off without my iPhone at the friggin' San Diego airport during a stopover so I'm without a phone at the moment. I suppose the odds are slim that someone will return it as I've already checked with lost and found. Sigh.

Let me take this opportunity to share a funny story my brother in law just told me. You see, one of his friends from South Africa came over to work at a drafting firm in Kansas City and there was a bit of cultural adjustment. He was given a young female assistant who was trying to help him get adjusted but it was a bit of a struggle. One afternoon she came in and asked if there was anything she could do to help out and he said, "well, you can go get me some rubbers." Apparently "rubbers" was the term they used for erasers in Capetown. The young thing said, "I'm sorry, but I'm not comfortable doing that" and he replied, "my last secretary always brought me rubbers". It took awhile to sort out things and avoid accusations of harassment.

[Kyle Stebbins]

Yea, COD 4 is amazing. Best FPS I've played in regards to the missions. I played almost non-stop the past two days, finally beat it. That sniper mission is nuts...so much fun...but multiplayer king is still Halo 3 :)

I couldn't possibly agree more!

[Kyle Stebbins]

I ended up walking off without my iPhone at the friggin' San Diego airport during a stopover so I'm without a phone at the moment.

Mark man. What were you thinking!?! Yeah, chances are pretty good that someone snagged the iphone and will use it with their own service plan. That freakin blows man. Actually, if you have Location turned on then you might be able to have the local police locate the phone and you could pick it up. Although, I'm not certain that the iphone even HAS Location??

Just a thought.

Anyway, I hope the snowy and brisk weather is treating you well. Eat a lot of oranges and drink water so you don't get a cold. -- But hey, you know that... you were a local yourself at one time.

[Jack Daniel Stanley]

My cat's breathe smells like cat food.

[Brandon Rice]

Huh?

[Jack Daniel Stanley]

What?

[Luis Caffesse]

Who shot who in the what now?

[Brandon Rice]

:huh:

[Luis Caffesse]

http://www.pitchproductions.com/pics/ralph.jpg

[Kyle Stebbins]

I love dvxuser and I love Jack Stanley.

Jack, why don't you join Mark and I as we bring in the new year in Lincoln, Nebraska? Surely you are already used to the cold weather...

[Tom Marshall]

Mark, I can now relate to you posting posts from the airport and on the road. I spend 15 hours today between flying and sitting in a terminal waiting for a plane. I was supposed to have 3 flights with 2 stop overs. The first one from Orlando to Dallas was on time, but the flight from Dallas to Las Vegas (don't ask me why they didn't fly from Dallas straight to LAX... I have no clue) had mechanical troubles, so I had to reschedule minutes before I had to get on the new flight. Flew from Dallas to St Louis, had a 2 hour delay from the flight from St Louis to LA...

I wound up getting home at 10:45 pm and just walked in the door... all very well worth it though. I haven't seen my parents in about a year...

Can you believe the airport in St Louis makes you PAY to use their wireless connection? 8 bucks a day...

[Mark Johnson]

Hey Tommy, the travel b.s. is indeed a pain these days. I've also found that its about 50-50 getting free wireless at airports these days. Twice in the past month I've been at airports that had "free" wireless servers but you couldn't get past the server to the net. I suspect they set these up and pretty much ignore them so that tech support is hit and miss. I keep a T-mobile account because I travel so much and at least I know I can get on the net at any Starbucks or Kinkos.

I can't wait to get back to L.A. .... I just snapped these pics from my parents' front room:

http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/10478/1198946742.jpg

[Luis Caffesse]

wow - snow for the holidays...what a novel idea!
I know you said you couldn't wait to get back to LA...but I'm jealous.

[Tom Marshall]

Yeah, I'm jealous too. A white Christmas would have been sweet...

[Kyle Stebbins]

don't worry mark, hopefully a little new years jamming will help cure those winter blues.

[Mark Johnson]

Yassah Kyle. I just got my hair cut so I'm presentable for the Cornhusker crowd. I also called an old friend from my home town who lives in Omaha and she's going to drive over to Lincoln as well. I've got my Canon Rebel with me so I can also get some pix of you guys on stage too. This will be a great way to see in a new year!

[Tom Marshall]

don't worry mark, hopefully a little new years jamming will help cure those winter blues.

If you guys decide to jam in LA and need a guitar player, let me know. :beer:

[Mark Johnson]

If you guys decide to jam in LA and need a guitar player, let me know. :beer:

There is still time to get on a plane and make it out here Tommy. Doesn't jamming in Nebraska sound like a good way to see this year out? You, me and Stairway to Heaven, huh? ha ha ha

Say, our partner and good friend Blaine is going to be getting his RED in January! Talk about great Christmas presents ... All I got was socks.

[Tom Marshall]

I don't even want to go NEAR an airport for a long, long time after Friday. 15 hours of traveling is enough for me for a while... But yeah, going to Nebraska for a while would be cool. Kyle could show us where all the babes are... :beer:

[Mark Johnson]

Ok, I made it to Lincoln Nebraska. So far I've done a sound check with Kyle's dad's band and have helped Kyle load in equipment for the gig his band is playing. Lots of Heinekens and some very extraordinary people.

To my surprise, Kyle has gone with a new look:


http://www.archivisuals.com/nebraska.jpg

[Kyle Stebbins]

http://www.stebbinsdigital.com/johnsonarrives.jpg

[Kyle Stebbins]

It's great having Mark out here in the heartland! We just got back from a local sports bar and grill called Mulligans. Unfortunately for Mark they didn't have Stella Artois beer and he was forced to drink a Heineken light. Either way, the food and company was terrific.

I think Mark is enjoying himself here in Nebraska, save the frigid weather and icy roads. He's planning on staying another night here in L-town, and tomorrow he will begin his journey to Kansas City Int'l airport.

Here's a picture of us at Mulligans.

http://www.stebbinsdigital.com/mulligans.jpg
from the left: tony milana, my father wes, me, and mark.

[Tom Marshall]

...he was forced to drink a Heineken light...

Ok, I'm staying the hell away from Nebraska. Thanks for the heads up... :D

[Mark Johnson]

I can truly say that Kyle's family makes the sub-zero temperature here inconsequential. Both Kyle and his dad are phenomenal musicians and even more phenomenally gracious hosts. I had more fun than I deserved to have in the depth of winter and will always remember this trip fondly.

I am at the Kansas City airport and about to embark on my triumphant return to the land of warmth and implants.

The thread will soon also be devoted to the real subject of shooting Where The Heart Lies as well. Welcome to 2008 everybody!

[Brandon Rice]

When are the shoot dates Mark?

[Brandon Rice]

Also, another Q... was the place you auditioned really that bad? I'm casting a feature here in a couple weeks, and want to find an inexpensive place, but it needs to be halfway decent. Thanks.

[Slimothy]

Also, another Q... was the place you auditioned really that bad? I'm casting a feature here in a couple weeks, and want to find an inexpensive place, but it needs to be halfway decent. Thanks.

Hey B,
The Complex is where we auditioned and it actually works pretty darn good. They have a bunch of different studios to choose from, some bigger and a bit nicer than others. Most importantly though is that it is cheap and right in the heart of everything. Right off of Santa Monica Blvd.

I would def. recommend it.

[Brandon Rice]

Cool man, thanks. I'll be giving them a call, so I can go check it out.

[Blaine]

I might add that when I contacted the actors, 90% of them knew right where it was. :thumbsup:

[Mark Johnson]

Just made it in to lovely Southern California. When I got on the plane this morning it was TWO BELOW ZERO and when Tim picked me up it was 75 degrees! I still had on two shirts a sweater and parka when I got off the plane. Man, it is SO sweet to be back in the sun.

Hey Blaine! So glad to see you are alive and kicking. We've got lots of work to do! Sounds like we need to crack open a new bottle of scotch and roll our sleeves up!

[Brandon Rice]

When's the shoot? Good to have you back in sunny CA Mark!

[Mark Johnson]

We're shooting the weekend of the 18th. We've got several locations so it will be a pretty busy weekend.

[John LaBonney]

We're shooting the weekend of the 18th. We've got several locations so it will be a pretty busy weekend.

Awesome! Good luck!

[Mark Harris]

We're shooting the weekend of the 18th. We've got several locations so it will be a pretty busy weekend.

Nice. I just set up shoot dates for the 14th and 15th. Then prob the 21st as well.

the 19th is my birthday and this might be the first birthday in about 3 years when I wasn't shooting on the day :)

[Mark Johnson]

Damn, it sure is nice to get back here to L.A. so we can start shooting stuff again. Except for the time I was in Nebraska playing music, I mainly found myself wishing the days would pass faster so I could get back and resume making plans with Tim for our upcoming shoots. Given that we accomplished so much in the last four months of 2007, we have big hopes and expectations for 2008.

Many thanks to all of you here who have encouraged us and put up with our nonsense....

http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/10478/1199336384.jpg

[Brandon Rice]

Awesome awesome! And here's to 2008 :beer:

Looking forward to hearing about your shoot!

[Kyle Stebbins]

Share some of that 75 degree weather, guys.
It was -8 last night!!!

man.

[Brandon Rice]

Share some of that 75 degree weather, guys.
It was -8 last night!!!

man.

Move to CA! :) :Drogar-BigGrin(DBG)

[Slimothy]

-8!!

Do you guys have a different heater system then we do on the West? I don't see how our heaters could do anything against that.

[Kyle Stebbins]

nah man, its freaking cold in our house.
that was the LOW and it probably only struck -8 for a matter of minutes... but just the same. dude, it's awful. -- totally awful.

anyway, back to the movie thread. what's the latest, guys?

[Kyle Stebbins]

Mark, you left your firewire cord for your external hard drive here... want me to mail it to you?

[Mark Johnson]

Mark, you left your firewire cord for your external hard drive here... want me to mail it to you?

Thanks Kyle. Just hang onto it. I've got a bunch of them here so it isn't worth the trouble of mailing. I'll be out there soon enough again to pick it up anyway.

I just got here at Dennis and Suzanne's. We're going to get some sushi and then talk about the shoot. I shall give them your best and show them the pix from my trip.

[Jack Daniel Stanley]

I love dvxuser and I love Jack Stanley.

Jack, why don't you join Mark and I as we bring in the new year in Lincoln, Nebraska? Surely you are already used to the cold weather...
D'oh! Blink and this thread grows 10 pages.

Looks like Mark is already back so I missed the craziness / invitation to Nebraska.

Too bad. Would be nice to meet Kyle :) ... and maybe to "meet" mindset21 as well, like in a dark alley maybe :evil:

But seriously would be cool to meet kyle and hear the jams.

Looking forward to in our blue little world.

....
The thread will soon also be devoted to the real subject of shooting Where The Heart Lies as well...

I'll believe that when I see it. :laugh:

....

http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/10478/1199336384.jpg

Awesome chairs. Is that typical Johnson photoshop hokum or the real thing? Always wanted chairs like that. :beer:



_

[Mark Johnson]

Awesome chairs. Is that typical Johnson photoshop hokum or the real thing? Always wanted chairs like that.

Actually, Jack, those are our Christmas presents from our favorite groupie Jessie. She had those made for us and they are damn cool and actually really well made. I'll have to find out where she ordered them from.

[Blaine]

Actually, Jack, those are our Christmas presents from our favorite groupie Jessie. She had those made for us and they are damn cool and actually really well made. I'll have to find out where she ordered them from.The gift looked so much smaller than that. :huh:

[Kyle Stebbins]

Jessie is one of the nicest, most caring people I have ever met. She literally catered to our EVERY NEED the last time we were out there. I can't say enough about her hospitality. Anyway, she did it again with those chairs! sweet!!

I'll hang onto that cord, Mark man. Just to clarify, it is the 6pin to 6pin firewire, right?

Peace and love from the frozen land!!

AND JACK: It sucks that you JUST got that!! New Years was A BLAST!!! Lots of good stories and many moments you would have enjoyed thoroughly. I likewise would have enjoyed meeting you. Mark and I saw each other on and off during his stay here. We were both busy fellows moving about this small town I call home.

And guys, I've been jamming out to Vienna Teng lately. She is simply incredible. I can't believe how beautiful the pictures she paints with her music are... it's phenomenal.

[Kyle Stebbins]

ALSO, Mark, I think you left your father's suit jacket here in our basement.

I think it looks good on me... ;)

If you read the Fat Monster Films blog you will come across a plug for a local Lincoln artist named Terri Jo. Mark played with her and my dad's band on New Year's Eve. -- Mark, I had a photo shoot with her on the morning of the 4th. Here is one of my favorite photos.

http://www.stebbinsdigital.com/terri1.jpg

[Robbie Comeau]

Dude, Toronto is just a cheap plane ticket away from us. Figure out a weekend you're free after the first of the year and come out and hang with us! We've always got a free couch or sleeping bag for DVXUSERs and we'll show you the gritty underbelly of L.A. and maybe even figure out something to shoot while you're here.

Just grab a couple BLUE RODEO albums and hit the road. Tell everybody its career research or some other bogus tripe and come hang!!! SERIOUSLY!

Hm, now you got me thinking. I'm still only 17. How about next year? Or were...you just...kidding...

[Mark Johnson]

Hm, now you got me thinking. I'm still only 17. How about next year? Or were...you just...kidding...

Absolutely not kidding, man! We truly enjoy and appreciate having young blood come out to shoot with us. Kyle, Alex, Zach and Tony were all 18 to 20 years old when they flew out to crew with us. We really appreciate having the chance to have DVXUSERs visit and as long as people can put up with a couch or sleeping bag on the floor then we always have room. Kyle's become a really good friend and, at 18, is shaping up to be quite a filmmaker. We look forward to having him shoot with us often and would be pleased to have some Toronto DNA in a production next year. Although we can't promise what we'll be shooting, we can promise to be shooting lots of stuff, so do stay in touch and plan on making a trip to La La land next year.....

Ciao.

Mark

[Mark Johnson]

ALSO, Mark, I think you left your father's suit jacket here in our basement.

I think it looks good on me... ;)

http://www.stebbinsdigital.com/terri1.jpg

Hang onto the jacket with my firewire. I'll get both some day and neither are needed til then. LOVE that pic, Kyle. That would make a great CD cover!!!

[Kyle Stebbins]

Absolutely not kidding, man! We truly enjoy and appreciate having young blood come out to shoot with us. Kyle, Alex, Zach and Tony were all 18 to 20 years old when they flew out to crew with us. We really appreciate having the chance to have DVXUSERs visit and as long as people can put up with a couch or sleeping bag on the floor then we always have room. Kyle's become a really good friend and, at 18, is shaping up to be quite a filmmaker. We look forward to having him shoot with us often and would be pleased to have some Toronto DNA in a production next year. Although we can't promise what we'll be shooting, we can promise to be shooting lots of stuff, so do stay in touch and plan on making a trip to La La land next year.....

Ciao.

Mark

Hey Mark man, I'm 19! almost 20!! (and Tony is 21!) =) But yes, I totally agree. It's a blast going out there. You learn a lot, plus you get a chance to meet some great people.

[Kyle Stebbins]

Hang onto the jacket with my firewire. I'll get both some day and neither are needed til then. LOVE that pic, Kyle. That would make a great CD cover!!!

Also, I found out that the jacket was MY dad's. So, you must have that jacket somewhere with you...

I'll hang onto the cord until we meet again!

[Mark Harris]

What's up in here, ladies? Any progress?

[Slimothy]

Just secured our final location tonight actually. Phew. Shoot the weekend of the 18th.

[Mark Johnson]

Here's a memory from one year ago ....

http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/10478/1200036805.jpg
Hey, indeed, we did secure an amazing location for our climax. We've also gotten committments for our tennis club location and a beautiful office setting in Pasadena.

We've been busy with our production company and have several new projects including a new video for Glassnote recording artists I HATE KATE and we're close to cutting a deal with MIGGS who just signed with Rock Ridge Music.

Jack Stanley ... mea culpa. I'll get that file to you by this weekend. ...

[Blaine]

We had a very productive Pre-Prod meeting today. We nailed down the shooting script and confirmed we had all our locations.

Now that the shooting script is complete, I'll be breaking it down tonight. I'll use it, along with Tim's shot list to develop a realistic shooting schedule. We should have that pretty well wrapped by tomorrow evening.

Our lead actress flies in on Wednesday. Looks like all the pieces are in place for a 3 day shoot beginning next Friday...:thumbsup:

Let the games begin...:beer::beer:

[Mark Harris]

Sweet guys, cannot wait for some grabs.

[Jack Daniel Stanley]

We had a very productive Pre-Prod meeting today. We nailed down the shooting script and confirmed we had all our locations.

Now that the shooting script is complete, I'll be breaking it down tonight. I'll use it, along with Tim's shot list to develop a realistic shooting schedule. We should have that pretty well wrapped by tomorrow evening.

Our lead actress flies in on Wednesday. Looks like all the pieces are in place for a 3 day shoot beginning next Friday...:thumbsup:

Let the games begin...:beer::beer:

Wait that's a post about your film ... I thought I was in the wrong thread for a second :D

What we really want to know is
Who has the highest score in Halo 3
what airport Mark is in, or was most recently in
how many women Tim's seeing at the moment, or are currently in his entourage
how many fingers (of the bartender) Mark's seeing at the moment, or who is he currently jamming with, and
what has Mark lost in an airport latelyYou know ... the important stuff. :grin:

Just kidding (of course) thanks for the update Blaine :beer: :)

[Blaine]

Wait that's a post about your film ... I thought I was in the wrong thread for a second :D

What we really want to know is
Who has the highest score in Halo 3
what airport Mark is in, or was most recently in
how many women Tim's seeing at the moment, or are currently in his entourage
how many fingers (of the bartender) Mark's seeing at the moment, or who is he currently jamming with, and
what has Mark lost in an airport latelyYou know ... the important stuff. :grin:

Just kidding (of course) thanks for the update Blaine :beer: :)LMAO, Jack. You know Johnson very well...:Drogar-BigGrin(DBG)

I'm the "serious" one (the wet blanket so to speak)... :)

[Kyle Stebbins]

Jack you nailed it, man.

[Blaine]

Stripboard, breakdown sheets, location report, contact lists, prop list and art department reports complete.

[Tom Marshall]

Must... buy... bronzer... :evil:

[Slimothy]

Wait that's a post about your film ... I thought I was in the wrong thread for a second :D

What we really want to know is
Who has the highest score in Halo 3
what airport Mark is in, or was most recently in
how many women Tim's seeing at the moment, or are currently in his entourage
how many fingers (of the bartender) Mark's seeing at the moment, or who is he currently jamming with, and
what has Mark lost in an airport latelyYou know ... the important stuff. :grin:

Just kidding (of course) thanks for the update Blaine :beer: :)

LOL.

Dude, you're fu kin funny.

Oh, and I don't play Halo 3. It's all about COD 4.

[Mark Johnson]

Today I drove out to LAX and just sat around for awhile. I may go back out this afternoon and just watch the baggage carousels go around and try and snag some stray luggage.

[Mark Johnson]

Awright ... location walkthrough today with Blaine and Geoff. Blaine's here with an edgy attitude:

http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/10478/1200254509.jpg

[Jack Daniel Stanley]

That's ok. You've gotten good results working with guys with salt-n-pepper receding hair, goatees, and edgy attitudes before. :)

[Blaine]

Winters get rough here in SoCal. Here are Tim and Geoff talking about a scene we're going to shoot on Saturday.

http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/10394/1200280146.jpg

[Mark Harris]

Winters get rough here in SoCal. Here are Tim and Geoff talking about a scene we're going to shoot on Saturday.

http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/10394/1200280146.jpg

Good Christ, what the FUCK am I doing in Bklyn?

[Blaine]

A couple more shots from today...

http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/10394/1200280784.jpg

http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/10394/1200280808.jpg

http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/10394/1200280829.jpg

http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/10394/1200280859.jpg

[Mark Harris]

Wait, I just saw that you guys got Kholi on BTS...nice!

[Blaine]

Yeah, we're looking forward to having him on set. We've got a couple more actors on board but I'm going to let Johnson make the announcement since he puts them up front on the poster.

Shooting begins Friday morning and we have a full slate through Sunday night.

(As soon as Tim gives me his shot list I'll be able to make sure we have everything scheduled...........Tim?.........Tim, are you there?)

[Tom Marshall]

Good Christ, what the poo poo am I doing in Bklyn?

Ask yourself this... Why the fuck are you Bklyn if you were visiting Los Angeles not that long ago?? Didn't you learn anything from your visit? :laugh:

[Mark Harris]

Hey, I'm FROM there, you'd think I learned it in the womb!

[Tom Marshall]

And you moved to NY from here??? You're nuts...

[Cryogenic Filmworks]

http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/10394/1200280859.jpg

So Blaine, what is your book "The Golden Game" about? I'm going to guess the trial and tribulations of running a Mark Johnson production. Are you getting some good residuals on it?

:Drogar-BigGrin(DBG)

[Blaine]

So Blaine, what is your book "The Golden Game" about? I'm going to guess the trial and tribulations of running a Mark Johnson production. Are you getting some good residuals on it?

:Drogar-BigGrin(DBG)I love your humor...:grin::grin:

[Blaine]

And you moved to NY from here??? You're nuts...
Actually, that should read: "And you moved to NY from here??? You're f*ckin' nuts..."

[Tom Marshall]

Actually, that should read: "And you moved to NY from here??? You're f*ckin' nuts..."

I like that version better...

[Blaine]

You ready to shoot Sunday evening in Pasadena, Tom?

[Tom Marshall]

I thought it was Thursday?

[Kyle Stebbins]

man i love it out there in palos verdes. nothing beats that.

looks like things are rolling along nicely. cool to see geoff out there. send my regards to my old m2... will you be using it on this shoot?

[Jack Daniel Stanley]

You ready to shoot Sunday evening in Pasadena, Tom?


I thought it was Thursday?

I love it when a plan comes together :)

[Mark Johnson]

More shots from yesterday

http://www.archivisuals.com/GeoffBlaine.jpg

http://www.archivisuals.com/Geoff.jpg

http://www.archivisuals.com/confer.jpg

[Kholi]

Next time you see Geoff, tell him I said: Give the people air!

[Kyle Stebbins]

Nice pics. just makes me want to come out there again.
what's the temperature read today?

and... check it out man!!
http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/01/13/netflix-subscribers-get-to-watch-as-many-online-videos-as-they-w/

[Blaine]

what's the temperature read today?As I'm typing this, it's 72.

[Mark Johnson]

We're excited to have our cast filled out with the addition of our man Tom Marshall
and the lovely Amanda Hills. We have also confirmed that the awesome BOSINDY is flying out
from Boston and will be crewing with us for the whole shoot. Yassuh! Additionally,
we've added two New Yorkers who have just moved here: Sam Falconi and Oliver Noble.
Sam crewed for Jack and myself on REKINDLED and he and Oliver have a pretty
damn nifty short called "Night of the Living Jews" in festival play right now:

http://www.archivisuals.com/notljSamOliver.jpg

We start rehearsals Wednesday and everything looks set (what a change from our normal modus operandi)


http://www.archivisuals.com/WTHLcastCrew.jpg

[Kyle Stebbins]

sounds awesome. tom, your a glamorous individual.

[Geoff_R]

Next time you see Geoff, tell him I said: Give the people air!
lol. Cohagen has quite a tyrannical grip on this production...I don't think he'll budge...we need Quade!

[Kholi]

lol. Cohagen has quite a tyrannical grip on this production...I don't think he'll budge...we need Quade!

Lmfao. Ahhhh now this year has officially begun.

[Kyle Stebbins]

As I'm typing this, it's 72.

As I'm typing this... it's 24.

damnit.

[Marlon Ladd]

WTF?? Who's house? What a nice view! It's over. You guys win. All you gotta' do is show pics of the view and the house and it's a wrap! LOL.

[Mark Johnson]

WTF?? Who's house? What a nice view! It's over. You guys win. All you gotta' do is show pics of the view and the house and it's a wrap! LOL.

We wish, man!!! ... ha ha. Unfortunately, it appears that the only true guranatee of success in these festivals is to be Jack Stanley.

[ZFarms Productions]

really looking forward to this, guys! can't wait to see everything come together! best of luck to ya!

[Luis Caffesse]

it appears that the only true guranatee of success in these festivals is to be Jack Stanley.

...or Hybridtheory, Andoguru, Brandon Rice, DougSpice, Zoidoid, SolomonChase, Abalex, aravance, Joe Blo, Geoff R, Envision, Finnian, Mark Harris, Timur, Darkline, Snodart, Conrad Johnson, Spidey, TheMacB, Curugon, or disjecta.

:)
Just figured we should give props where they're due.
Each of those people have won either first, second, or third place in a past fest.

(I do notice the definite lack of MY name on that list...hmmm..going to have to rectify that soon).

[Mark Harris]

(I do notice the definite lack of MY name on that list...hmmm..going to have to rectify that soon).

the heat is on, we all expect you to bring it, Texas...

[Michael Anthony Horrigan]

Good luck guys! Things really seem to be falling in place for this one.

Cheers,

Mike

[Brandon Rice]

Mark J. I PM'd you.

[Mark Johnson]

This promises to be the best night of 2008 so far:

1) 8 p.m. Rehearsals for Where The Heart Lies
2) 12:01 a.m. First Showing of CLOVERFIELD (yassuh!)

[Luis Caffesse]

the heat is on, we all expect you to bring it, Texas...

Doin' what I can - of course I don't have the small army that Mark seems to have on this thing.
I somehow imagine him like William Wallace in Braveheart storming the set with his crew.
:)

[Brandon Rice]

This promises to be the best night of 2008 so far:

1) 8 p.m. Rehearsals for Where The Heart Lies
2) 12:01 a.m. First Showing of CLOVERFIELD (yassuh!)

Awesome! :Drogar-BigGrin(DBG)

[Mark Johnson]

Doin' what I can - of course I don't have the small army that Mark seems to have on this thing.
I somehow imagine him like William Wallace in Braveheart storming the set with his crew.
:)

I expect it will be more like me wandering aimlessly around the set and being pushed out of the way as I complain testily, "Hey! Careful, man, there's a beverage here!"

[Luis Caffesse]

...as I complain testily, "Hey! Careful, man, there's a beverage here!"

Hey - sometimes you eat the 'bar'....
you know the rest.
:)

[Slimothy]

The Dude: F*ck sympathy! I don't need your f*ckin' sympathy, man, I need my f*cking johnson!
Donny: What do you need that for, Dude?

[Blaine]

The Dude: F*ck sympathy! I don't need your f*ckin' sympathy, man, I need my f*cking johnson!
Donny: What do you need that for, Dude?:huh:

[Jack Daniel Stanley]

Luis quoted Sam Elliot from the Big Lebowski.
Then Tim quoted Jeff Bridges and John Goodman respectively.

[Geoff_R]

This promises to be the best night of 2008 so far:

1) 8 p.m. Rehearsals for Where The Heart Lies
2) 12:01 a.m. First Showing of CLOVERFIELD (yassuh!)

Where are you seeing Cloverfield? All the theaters I'm looking at have a 12:01 show tomorrow night and I'm that guy who can't afford to wait a day...

[Mark Johnson]

Damn, I think it was a misprint. Under the Edwards Cinema here in Rancho it originally said 12:01 a.m. under the WEDNESDAY heading but now it's changed to 11:59 on THURSDAY. Crap. I really wanted to see it tonight ........ They changed it within the last hour.

[Jack Daniel Stanley]

Looks like whoever placed the schedule and whoever told them to place it suffered from the same confusion I always have when the announce the fest deadline as "midnight on such and such date" ... midnight is the peak of the barn roof, not on either side. So I always have to ask "do you mean 11:59:59 + 1 second on Wednesday night or 12:00:01 - 1 second on Thursday morning.

I guarantee you someone that works for that movie theater is saying "you told me midnight thursday" and their boss is saying "I did tell you midnight thursday."

[Brandon Rice]

That sucks... :(

[Blaine]

Rehearsals are over. We're happy :thumbsup:

[Brandon Rice]

Awesome! Glad to hear they went well!

[Mark Johnson]

Hold The Presses .... LOOKS LIKE CLOVERFIELD IS PLAYING TONIGHT (12:01 a.m.) ... It's playing here in Rancho Cucamonga and Ontario, CA starting at 12:01 a.m.

Tim and I are going to go. We'll post our review (without spoilers) when we get back.

[Brandon Rice]

oh snap! Lucky.

[Mark Johnson]

Well, apparently even when the notice says THURSDAY at 12:01 a.m. (or 00:01 a.m. as one site has it) it really means FRIDAY. Tim and I drove to the friggin' theater and found out that Cloverfield doesn't play until the wee hours of FRIDAY morning. Stupid ads.

[Matty_g]

haha i was hoping you wern't posting from in the theater mark!

[Zak Forsman]

haha i was hoping you wern't posting from in the theater mark!

hey, Matty... when are you going to start a thread for YOUR lovefest entry?

[Brandon Rice]

Mark J. Check your email ASAP!

[Mark Johnson]

Awright guys!!! CLOVERFIELD tonite at midnight!!! Matty, are you in?

Our lead actress, Julie, was to get in last night from the East Coast but had her flight cancelled and she had to spend the night in the friggin' airport (no hotel rooms available). Blaine picks her up this morning and fortunately she will have time to get some Z's today and tomorrow.

Our man BOSINDY also was called to duty this weekend by whatever heartless entity it is that signs his paycheck so we are all bummed to not have him crew with us. Jim, you will be missed!

Today is B-DAY ... in other words, the arrival of Bullis (assuming whatever wheels he begs, borrows or carjacks can hold together for the drive down from Oakland).

Rehearsals last night were terrific and reminded us how fortunate we were with our casting. Truly the time taken for auditions was worth the effort and had we devoted only one day to casting we would have likely missed two of our actors who were unavailable the first day.

[Ted Arabian]

Hey Fatties! How are all of my favorite players doing???

I don't have time to read this 50 page thread right now but I am sure that it is a good read! Just point me to the grabs. Are you wrapped? How is it going??? (I really can't go through your entire thread to get the low down!)

Cast looks good. Crew looks great!

Wish I was there! (when is the California Primaries???? kidding!)

[Mark Johnson]

TED! Da Man!!! You're just in time. We shoot starting Friday so just catch up now and you'll be right on time for the grabs!

Dennis and Suzanne were asking about you (we're shooting at their place Saturday and I'll be certain to report you've been helping the dems out there as they are big Obama fans).

So great to see you here again. Bosindy was going to come out and help us, but had to cancel at the last minute. Would have been nice to have a New Englander out here again.

Hey, wish you could come out here for the Super Tuesday stuff. Looks like California for once is going to be in the mix for a meaningful primary. Obama should pay you to come out here and light him. It's obviously been working so far!

[Brandon Rice]

Ah Ted appears! Awesome!

[Ted Arabian]

TED! Da Man!!! You're just in time. We shoot starting Friday so just catch up now and you'll be right on time for the grabs!

Dennis and Suzanne were asking about you (we're shooting at their place Saturday and I'll be certain to report you've been helping the dems out there as they are big Obama fans).

So great to see you here again. Bosindy was going to come out and help us, but had to cancel at the last minute. Would have been nice to have a New Englander out here again.

Hey, wish you could come out here for the Super Tuesday stuff. Looks like California for once is going to be in the mix for a meaningful primary. Obama should pay you to come out here and light him. It's obviously been working so far!
Cool! I am glad that I am in time to start watching the process and the progress! Can't wait for grabs!!!

I love Dennis and Suzanne! PLEASE pass on a hearty hello to them!!! I owe them a lobster dinner... now that I have a good chunk of money in my pocket, I'd like to deliver! Can you shoot me an email address for them? I'd like to arrange shipping of Lobsters and steamers for them.

And yeah, it surprises me that these campaigns don't travel with a lighting guy. My work for both of them was recognized and acknowledged. The best compliment I got was from the big boss in DC for the Clinton Campaign... Upon seeing my lighting for Hillary and Bill's arrival to NH for the final countdown, he passed a message to all of the advance teams to "use that guy who did the lighting for that event on all of Hillary's appearances!" I was quite proud to get that memo!

It was so cool during that time... I would turn on the news to see my lighting looked and judge other peoples lighting. I learned so much from the experience. And I would often go up to the Press and see how the lighting was for them. I always got good feedback.

And though I voted for Obama, I didn't mind seeing Hillary win NH. Heck, with my name being tossed around from DC, I'd hope to be brought onboard for bigger events if she got in! (but please.... think twice before you vote for Hillary!!! :wink: )

[Slimothy]

Nice to see you Ted! You need to get your ass out here! Guilliani needs help! Light him for god sakes!!

[Slimothy]

(but please.... think twice before you vote for Hillary!!! :wink: )

No problem there...

[Ted Arabian]

Tim! I miss you, dude! You taking care of the old man or is he still running circles around everyone else???

And I think that Rudy needs more help than I can give, LOL!

[Ted Arabian]

No problem there...

Man, I saw more of her than I needed to! It was funny when I started lighting Bill Clinton... man, that guy can sell sand to the Saudis! By the time he finished his stump speech, I was loving Hillary! Thank goodness I had an Obama gig right after to clear my head! The guy is so freakin' charismatic!

[bosindy]

Our man BOSINDY also was called to duty this weekend by whatever heartless entity it is that signs his paycheck so we are all bummed to not have him crew with us. Jim, you will be missed!

Dude you have been great and if the invitation holds open down the line, I will be darkening your door in the hopefully near future. best of luck this weekend!

[Matty_g]

hey, Matty... when are you going to start a thread for YOUR lovefest entry?
When it's actually shot.

[Zak Forsman]

When it's actually shot.

talked to Vegas yesterday. I'm going to help you guys with whatever resources I can offer. You can use the Sabi studio for auditions. Vegas liked the idea. And I told him he has total access to all my gear left over from Heart of Now.

[Mark Johnson]

I'm going to help you guys with whatever resources I can offer. You can use the Sabi studio for auditions. Vegas liked the idea. And I told him he has total access to all my gear left over from Heart of Now.

Totally awesome!!! Thanks for offering us all your gear, man. We'll use all of it! :)

[Geoff_R]

Just finished the prep and build of the camera. It sits on my desk, patiently awaiting orders...

[Blaine]

Call Sheets & Location Maps e-mailed out, check you mailboxes.

[Mark Harris]

Call Sheets & Location Maps e-mailed out, check you mailboxes.

got it.