indie wednesday: The Underwater Realm

Today we take a look at The Underwater Realm from Realm Pictures. UWR, as they call it, is a five part series. (Watch the rest here.) It is important to know going in that these are not short films. Apparently they were always intended to be teasers. A little taste of (presumably) larger stories they had in mind that could also showcase the technical skills of all involved.

If you're interested in the particulars and the intent, I highly recommend reading this interview with several of the filmmakers. There are so many people involved with this including Director David Reynolds, Producer Jonathan Dupont, and DP Eve Hazelton and we are featuring them primarily because the undertaking of this project was incredibly ambitious and while I don't know if all their goals for UWR will be realized, I am certain that they should be very proud.

The Underwater Realm is also another interesting examination of crowdfunding. UWR waged an immensely successful Kickstarter campaign to the tune of $101,000. All the donations made will basically amount to exactly that: donations. Kickstarter is difficult for me to wrap my mind around. (I sometimes wonder exactly what type of project it would take for me to consider waging such a campaign. Asking for that kind of money is scary even though the concept of crowdfunding makes it slightly less so. And the pressure to produce after those dollars roll in has to be immense.) Of course, all budgets are relative. Although 100K is an amount I can't even imagine at the disposal of Walk Softly Films, and I certainly doubt we would use it on teasers rather than a complete short or feature film at the least, the Realm Pictures gang points out that just the coffee budget on a film like The Hobbit was higher.

To be fair, this was their plan from the start. Do something no one had ever seen before. Give people a taste of productions shot completely underwater. Trust me, the logistics are mind boggling and I'm actually impressed that they were able to do all of this for that price. They were creating a promise to sell. They intentionally modeled UWR after other successful shorts on the web that had garnered big deals for the filmmakers responsible.

So, what do you think? Did they succeed? Was it a good plan? Was it the best use of their funds? Some of the feedback on YouTube has been downright ridiculous and cruel (as is to be expected). But I will say I tend to agree with those that think a more complete story could have helped immensely. There are five pieces, but none of them feel like a complete segment or that there is even a significant connecting thread between them to create that story.

Nonetheless... Congratulations to Realm Pictures. UWR is impressive and they should be very proud at what they were able to do.

jackie franklin's news and notes 1.7.13

"In the stars, Jonny..."

Who can forget the emotional performance above that gave Jackie Franklin his first and last Emmy in 1981? Or for that matter, his shameful trainwreck of an acceptance speech? If you don't recall the classic scene as clearly as you'd like, don't worry. I've been painstakingly restoring it frame by frame all weekend. Episode Four of Space Cops can soon be enjoyed and experienced by a whole new generation; publicly available for the first time in over three decades.

The rough cut is now basically complete on Ep. 4 and today I begin work on special effects and applying all the necessary music, sound effects, and color correction. Let the good times roll!

Incredibly, there is even more to look forward to. Beginning with Episode 4, we will be releasing a companion video of outtakes from every production. (You wouldn't believe some of the tomfoolery Gene Paul, Jackie, and Reginald can get into.)

Also, I'm planning to put out some behind-the-scenes footage of our 3 Ladies shoot very soon. Matt Todd was cool enough to shoot it and I'm going to edit it and load it up ASAP. You might be entertained or horrified.

More of the usual on the blog this week including Indie Wednesday and who knows what else might turn up.

indie wednesday: Yacht Rock

JD Ryznar has been featured here before and I can no longer resist the urge to share one of his finest creations: Yacht Rock. If you haven't seen them already, enjoy the beginning of the series. It's an origin story of sorts, featuring Michael McDonald's rise to stardom and the birth of his complex relationship with none other than Kenny Loggins.

indie wednesday: Black Magic Cinema Camera

Today's Indie Wednesday can serve two audiences. First, the indie filmmakers amongst you will enjoy seeing the types of images the new Black Magic Cinema Camera can produce. If anyone cares for my two cents, here it is:  simply based on all the tests and footage I've seen, the resolution and flexibility of this thing (for the $3K price tag) are unmatched. Seriously, the resolution is crazy. However, like most shooters, I'd still like to see a larger sensor on it in future models for all the things that we love about full sensor DSLRs.

For the rest of you, we're running full speed towards January so just enjoy some footage of the warmth and sandy beaches of Mexico!

Beautiful shots by Andrew Julian and he gives some helpful insight in the comments section on his experiences and opinions regarding the BMCC versus DSLRs.

mike post's news and notes 12.17.12

It was difficult to think about anything this weekend other than the unimaginable events that took place in Newtown, Connecticut on Friday morning. I just want to say that we are praying daily for all the families involved. And while there certainly must be an exhaustive examination and discussion of the issues this event raises, let's all please be sensitive to those who are grieving. Some people jumped on this story within hours of it being reported, treating it as nothing more than fodder for their own long standing arguments. This is real. Real people were lost and others are dealing with it right now. Let's make sure we're all sensitive to that.

This picture is too perfect to comprehend.

I did a bit of editing on Space Cops Ep. 4 this weekend. One major shift beginning with Episode 4 is a focus on the importance of music. I want Space Cops to be pitch-perfect 80s television (well... almost) and every great 80s show has great music. More often than not, it starts with a perfect theme song written by Mike Post and then a host of variations on that theme to fit the mood in any scene the episode might have. The love version, the action version, the light-hearted shenanigans version...  Every big moment has a "stinger" and every segue has a little transition, etc, etc. Over the next week or two, I'll be trying to study some TV classics of that era to see how and when they use their music. Then we can attempt to emulate that formula as closely as possible.

Unfortunately there is no way to fake the perfection that is Mike Post. Mike Post is the John Williams of television. His string of theme song home runs is mind boggling. Rockford Files, Magnum P.I., Hill Street Blues, The A-Team, Hardcastle and McCormick, CHiPs, Quantum Leap... are you kidding me? You could shut your eyes, listen to these intros and know each show intimately before you ever watched the first frame. The man is magic and I am not being snarky or sarcastic in the slightest. Mike Post amazes me.

However, I am very thankful for the extremely talented Brandon Long gifting us with a catchy Space Cops theme that I love. I don't want anyone to mistake my admiration for Mike Post as being ungrateful for what we already have. Not in the slightest. How many of you have checked out the latest offering from Brandon's band, Maynard?

I'll switch gears with this little nugget:  I started writing a script for Bizarnival 2 this weekend.

We're as busy as ever at the WSF compound and we'll keep you informed as info develops. You can count on Indie Wednesday and more this week, so be sure to check back in. But for now, lets all take a moment to revel in the kind of unadulterated awesome 80's magic I was talking about, courtesy of Mike Post and Magnum P.I..

indie wednesday: Jarrett Lee Conaway

I'm pleased to present Foolishly Seeking True Love by Jarrett Lee Conaway. Technically, this short is absolutely impeccable. Every single shot is painstakingly composed to the last detail and most are gorgeous. You can be certain you'll be hearing Jarrett's name again. There are big things in his future. Sometimes you just know and this is one of those times.

I've seen pieces influenced by Wes Anderson before but rarely, if ever, executed this well and able to live on its own without being a victim of distracting mimicry. If I had to guess, I'd say it was shot on some version of RED camera and color corrected by someone who reeeaaally knew what they were doing.

news and notes 12.10.12

It's only the first line, and yet, already a classic.

Today's updates will be short since it's business as usual this week. As you can tell from the picture above, Allen has been hard at work. Now we have another Space Cops episode on deck as soon as we finish the two we're currently editing (ep. 4) or shooting (ep. 5). I think you're going to dig them. We're starting to hit our stride and zero in on what we want this web series to look and feel like. I can't wait to hear some feedback and get your help in spreading the new episodes to the masses.

I expect to finish the Episode 4 rough cut this week and start on effects work. There are a lot of effects shots in this one and it's time to get cooking with the After Effects. I'm hoping to be close to a premiere by the end of this month, but I'm sure the holidays are going to take their toll on my free time.

If you're currently living in the Bluegrass State, you know we've had some unseasonably warm temperatures. That would have been perfect for finishing off our Episode 5 exteriors, however along with warm temps has come rain. So much rain. Needless to say, we didn't get a chance to finish our business at the farm this week. Is there any chance we get another shot before Winter completely sets in?

Last but not least, our limited offer still stands for anyone looking for a creative firm. If you didn't read about it, you can check out all the details here.

indie wednesday: Oh Yeah Wow

Occasionally I want to use Indie Wednesday to share something that just looks cool and Rippled fits in that category. I love light effects like these and I have an inkling of just how long this took to produce. Reason enough to show it here. The folks at Oh Yeah Wow combined their visuals with the music of All India Radio and it's just a neat piece. So, enjoy.

Hire Us! WSF Creative

Four of our six Telly Awards.

Look at us as a Creative Agency with full video production and graphic design capability in-house. The "in-house" part will save you cash, but the key is the creative.

Walk Softly Films is an award winning film production company with 13 years of experience. We've won Best Narrative Short awards as well as Best Narrative Feature Film at various film festivals. I have six national Telly Awards for video production and copy writing on commercials I've produced. All of the above were written and conceived by at least one of us. What I'm saying is that we are three creative dudes who are good at what we do.

WSF has never done creative work-for-hire before. And we may never do it again. We need cash to produce the films we want to produce and fake mustaches aren't cheap. So, here is what we are offering: a one time chance to bring all our creativity to bear for your business. And this doesn't have to be a commercial or industrial video. We're talking complete creative services and strategies. We're capable of logo/graphic design. If you need ideas to plan an out-of-the-box event, whatever... you name it, we can talk about it.

Here's the thing... You only want us if you're looking for something special. You only want us if special and unique are worth it. If you want a run-of-the-mill "here's what's on sale" commercial. We aren't what you're looking for. You can get that "free" from one of the television stations and they'll phone it in and crank that spot out in an hour.

If you want something that is completely crazy; something that people can't look away from or stop talking about; something they'll remember for years; something premium... then this is for you. Because trust me, if we're going to do this, we're going to go completely crazy with it. No matter what you need.

If you're interested, email me. Or send me your number and we can get started on the phone. Nothing formal! Just a chat to see if we're a good match for you. If I don't believe we can make a large and positive impact on your business or non-profit, I promise we won't let you go one more step down that road. And don't wait around. When I say we intend on doing this one time and one time only, I mean it. One chance, last chance. (The only exception is that we can't work inside the Frankfort area. Conflict of interest with my day job and all that.)

Email:  scott@walksoftlyfilms.com