FEATURE: Enemy of the Mind | Production Blog

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UPDATE 10.20.11:

Enemy of the Mind is in the final stages of post-production, and I need your help! I have started an IndieGoGo to help with festival run and distribution.
Check that out here!
http://igg.me/p/44491?a=37148&i=shlk

I'll be posting an in depth update on my experience with the film in a few days, until then thanks for all the insight DVx!

Posted on 6.7.11
Hello all! I first want to say thanks to all dvxers who have posted valuable info in the Forums, to which I have scoured for answers to questions.

I have been procrastinating on a production blog, thought I'd start now. Plus, I have to backtrack a bunch so here goes.

First, the script originally started as a short film, by Manny Rey (he'll probably make an appearance on here at some point). He wrote it one day having coffee.

I was working on another short film called 18 Days and we discussed shooting them simultaneously. We put out an audition call on ShortFilmTexas.com and other sites, Craigslist, etc. and set it up at the Dougherty Arts Center in Austin, Texas. (A great place to audition, and it's free!)

We're in the audition room, great actors are coming in, and I start thinking to myself, this needs to be a feature, we have a lot work with.

The following week, I jammed this little cop short into a full length feature and we sent it back and forth for about 7 days or so and said, OK, let's shoot.

In December, we started shooting. Due to actors' schedules, etc. we shot over the last few months and now We've wrapped photography and I'm in the process of tweaking the sound, adding music, etc. I edited the film along the way so we're good on editing, just need to get it out!

Also, we've had some interest from investors and distribution companies, via word-of-mouth.
And, we ran into Sanjay Patel, and he's working on a new poster for the film.
I've included one I created and will post the new one as soon as I get it!

I'll be posting more, actors pics, etc. so Stay tuned!
FaceBook=http://ow.ly/5bker

 
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poster2-2.jpg

Old poster here and I can't figure out how to embed it!
But, we have a connection at AMC Independent, theatre release possible!
 
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I liked the first trailer better than the alternate trailer. It seems like a movie I could watch. And the poster looks nice.
 
thanks for checking out the trailer henke!
I've made a bunch of them and the one I have on the first post is the one I'm sticking with. I have a friend of mine cutting another but there's only some many times a director can cut his own trailer.
I'm gonna nix the 2nd one.
 
trailer looks nice, and it also sounds nice.

There's only one detail: the sound is 1 frame "to late" in this teaser. It can be because of the "compressing/decompressing/uploading/downloading/decoding/encoding", but
check in your edit if you move the sound 1 frame to "the left" it looks more "sync" ?
 
dre:
Thanks for checking out the trailer and your comments.
I will def. look into seeing if it is out of sync. However, I got some tips/criticisms of the trailer from a Hollywood trailer guy (Predators, The Strangers, etc.), so I'm making a new one.
I'm glad you said it sounds good because I've seen your comments on other posts about sound so now I'm feeling good.
Thanks a bunch!
 
Here I am talking about Enemy of the Mind! It's been my love for the last year and she is almost full grown. Check it out!
Plus, I updated the first page!
 
Since I didn’t keep up with one during shooting, I’ve decided to grab a BTS photo and write something about it, from Day 1. I’m sure I don’t have photos for all days but perhaps….

OK, here we go!

IMG_7045.jpg

Day 1

The script is written, the camera is ready, I have my storyboards, if you can even call them storyboards, and I have the day set out in my head. I remember thinking, OK, I’ve done 3 shorts and now all of the sudden I think I can pull of this feature. I thought we would never finish filming to be honest. I was definitely afraid the filming would stall and it would just DIE. I’ve read about it happening. But it didn’t!
Allison Wood, she plays Detective Pam Hays in EOTM, let us film in her bad ass high rise condo in Austin. She’s the blond in the white jacket. It was around Christmas, there’s a tree behind them, and I lit the **** out of her place with this four light Arri kit I snatched off Craigslist.
The day before I knew I wanted to smash something so I hit up the Goodwill and just happened to find two of the exact same lamps. Boom, I could smash one and still have another for some other angles.
Ray, the dude behind Allison, is one of the two crew members I had throughout the entire shoot. I think he responded to an ad I had out for my short, 18 Days, but I’m not really sure. Luckily, he was here to help out this day because I couldn’t have done it without him.
We shot three or four different scenes at this place and it was definitely rushed.
Manny Rey, who plays Detective Frank del Toro in the film along with Diane Bernard, she plays Abby del Toro, are in this picture as well. They did some great work in their scenes, considering we didn’t rehearse, we blocked them out in about 5 minutes and then I said, Ready? They were.
On this shooting day, I learned a lot about directing, things I’ll never forget. I played like I knew exactly what I was doing but in reality I was just winging it. I’m pretty sure I was even trying to pretend to be teaching Ray stuff, but really I was just making sure he wasn’t going to say, Uh, hey, yeah, that is NOT how you do that. Especially, when it came down to the death scene. OK, fine, when it came down to all of the scenes. I won’t go into details about that just yet but someday.
Oh, and Diane, I’m sorry I kicked that piece of lamp in your eyeball.
When my film career takes off, I’ll look back at this picture and remember where it all started.
 
setone.jpg
Day 2

Back on the set of Enemy of the Mind. In this picture we have Ray again, Manny Rey again, Allison Wood again, this time as Detective Pam Hays; and our young Detective John Rains, played by Chris Osborn.

This was a fun day, we started early and we had a great location. I'd thank the person who hooked us up with this place, but it would reveal a little known secret and tactic I use when making films. FIBBING. Yes, little fibs will get you the locations you need and nobody has to know. Uh, except now. Dang! Well, thanks Betty at $%^.

These scenes worried me because I wasn't sure we'd have the right place. But we GOT IT. This place had it all: Hospital beds, the tools of the trade, the works. And, we had craft services this day too! OK, fine it was tacos from Maria's but still, food is food.

We had two scenes to shoot at this particular place, so I had the joy of making it look as different as possible each time.

I lit it up with that same 4 light kit and hit the actors with the lights diffused through the ER curtain. Crazy enough for us, this place was BUSY and filled with bodies.

Ray and I played doctors and we even had some extras playing nurses and doctors for us. It was awesome.

Allison is here writhing in pain from her-WAIT, you'll just have to watch the movie to find out what happened...

A little hint. There's an on-screen kiss! Stay tuned.
 
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