One last message to everyone before we bury ourselves in this weekend’s filmmaking frenzy. Tickets to our 48 Hour Film Project screening — we’re part of Group H, showing next Friday, May 9, at 9:30 pm — are now on sale online or at the AFI Silver Theater box office. The show is expected to sell out, so if you’d like to attend (and for the record, I’d like to see as many friendly faces in the audience as possible), be sure to pick up your tickets sooner rather than later.
And as an aside, I’ve recut the trailer for “Number One With a Bullet” slightly — mostly just adding in a few extra shots to help explain the plot a bit better. (It’s amazing what another eight seconds can do.) Go ahead and give it a look-see.
P.S.: If you’re on this weekend’s production team, expect to hear from us with more info tonight. And if you want to be on the team and haven’t said so before now... well, talk fast.
Friday, May 02, 2008
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Less Than One Week to Go!
In the frenzy of activity surrounding the finish of principal photography on “Number One With a Bullet,” it’s easy to forget that we’re shooting another movie in just one week. And at this stage, we’ve still got some pretty big holes to fill. So I’ll keep this message short (for me, anyway) and to the point.
We still need actors; a lot of our regular troupe will be unavailable this time around. As always, we can’t promise anything (since we won’t know what we’ll have until we write our script Friday evening), but if you’ll be available, please let me know — and if you’ve got any questions, please ask. Soon.
We need locations; I haven’t had time to do all the legwork I usually try to do beforehand here. At a minimum, we could use a house and/or apartment, an office, and some kind of recreational location (cafe, bar, restaurant, lounge, etc.). We’ll be shooting (mostly) across Saturday, so if you’ve got access to such a place, or have any contacts who can help us reserve some of these places, please let me know ASAP.
And we could still use some help on the editorial end, if only to alleviate some of my own impending exhaustion. Any availability overnight Saturday or during the day Sunday would be a big help.
Okay, that’s it for now. But as a special reward for listening, I’ll direct you to the brand-new trailer for “Number One With a Bullet,” now available for online viewing at www.onewithabullet.com. Okay, so it’s not the full movie, but we’ve still got a lot of work to do before that’s ready. Enjoy!
We still need actors; a lot of our regular troupe will be unavailable this time around. As always, we can’t promise anything (since we won’t know what we’ll have until we write our script Friday evening), but if you’ll be available, please let me know — and if you’ve got any questions, please ask. Soon.
We need locations; I haven’t had time to do all the legwork I usually try to do beforehand here. At a minimum, we could use a house and/or apartment, an office, and some kind of recreational location (cafe, bar, restaurant, lounge, etc.). We’ll be shooting (mostly) across Saturday, so if you’ve got access to such a place, or have any contacts who can help us reserve some of these places, please let me know ASAP.
And we could still use some help on the editorial end, if only to alleviate some of my own impending exhaustion. Any availability overnight Saturday or during the day Sunday would be a big help.
Okay, that’s it for now. But as a special reward for listening, I’ll direct you to the brand-new trailer for “Number One With a Bullet,” now available for online viewing at www.onewithabullet.com. Okay, so it’s not the full movie, but we’ve still got a lot of work to do before that’s ready. Enjoy!
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Not Slowing Down
I wanted to let everyone know that we officially wrapped principal photography on “Number One With a Bullet” this past weekend. And I’m only now starting to get back up to fighting strength. Which is a good thing — since we’re only two weeks away from this year’s 48 Hour Film Project. (I don’t know what I was thinking with this back-to-back scheduling.)
The shoot was intense, but hugely successful. We had the usual bumps along the way (not to mention more than our share of unusual bumps), but the whole team was running on all cylinders, both in front of and behind the camera. I’ve been looking at the footage, and some of it is absolutely amazing. Performances, look, sound, everything. My enthusiasm for this project has been wholeheartedly rekindled. I’m scrambling to cut together a full trailer for the film, so that we’ll have at least something to show everyone who put in so many long hours bringing this little idea to fruition. I’ll send out a note when it’s up for viewing, but just in case, be sure to check out the official site, onewithabullet.com, for updates. And then we’ll be diving full-on into the editing and postproduction process; there’s still a lot of work to do, but we’re definitely on track.
Which brings me to our second item on the agenda — putting together our team for this year’s 48 Hour Film Project, taking place over the weekend of May 2–4. We’re losing quite a few of our regular contingent this time around, so we do find ourselves in need of participants, especially in the editorial arena. So if you want to pitch in, drop me a line — and if we can use you, we’ll make sure to put you on the roster. (In keeping with our largely accidental tradition of never keeping the same writer twice, we’ve managed to ensnare... I mean, acquire the services of novelist Barry Lyga, author of The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl and Boy Toy, so I want to make sure we can all live up to that standard.)
Of course, I may not be answering my email right away, since I’m on my way to Disney World with the family for a few days — I figured we could all use some quality time together after I effectively abandoned them for the past month. But I’ll be back next week, ready to go!
Or at least that’s what I’m telling myself.
The shoot was intense, but hugely successful. We had the usual bumps along the way (not to mention more than our share of unusual bumps), but the whole team was running on all cylinders, both in front of and behind the camera. I’ve been looking at the footage, and some of it is absolutely amazing. Performances, look, sound, everything. My enthusiasm for this project has been wholeheartedly rekindled. I’m scrambling to cut together a full trailer for the film, so that we’ll have at least something to show everyone who put in so many long hours bringing this little idea to fruition. I’ll send out a note when it’s up for viewing, but just in case, be sure to check out the official site, onewithabullet.com, for updates. And then we’ll be diving full-on into the editing and postproduction process; there’s still a lot of work to do, but we’re definitely on track.
Which brings me to our second item on the agenda — putting together our team for this year’s 48 Hour Film Project, taking place over the weekend of May 2–4. We’re losing quite a few of our regular contingent this time around, so we do find ourselves in need of participants, especially in the editorial arena. So if you want to pitch in, drop me a line — and if we can use you, we’ll make sure to put you on the roster. (In keeping with our largely accidental tradition of never keeping the same writer twice, we’ve managed to ensnare... I mean, acquire the services of novelist Barry Lyga, author of The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl and Boy Toy, so I want to make sure we can all live up to that standard.)
Of course, I may not be answering my email right away, since I’m on my way to Disney World with the family for a few days — I figured we could all use some quality time together after I effectively abandoned them for the past month. But I’ll be back next week, ready to go!
Or at least that’s what I’m telling myself.
Thursday, April 03, 2008
Lock and Load
Well, folks, we’re now less than 48 hours away from the commencement of lensing on “Number One With a Bullet,” so it seems like an opportune time for a news-blog update. It feels like I haven’t slept in two weeks, and it certainly doesn’t look like I’ll be getting any real rack time for the next couple of weeks either. I never thought I’d be one to espouse the “I’ll sleep when I’m dead” philosophy (I like sleep — sleep is good), but lately it seems like I’m getting closer to that.
Of course, it looks like the big items (at least for the first weekend) are all in order. SAG paperwork, insurance, equipment, locations, shooting schedule... but it’s the nagging little details that seem to eat up most of my attention right now. Like, say, food. (Seriously — if anyone wants to handle making sure people are fed, please let me know ASAP. I’ll even send you a shopping list.)
And then there’s the stress of realizing that we’ve set ourselves a schedule that’ll make the 48 Hour Film Project look like a walk in the park.
But on the plus side, I have to admit that a big part of my insomnia is caused by my sheer excitement at the prospect of tackling a project this big. Sure, it’s still a short, but it’s twice the length of anything we’ve done before, and the production effort we’re putting forth dwarfs that of any of our past projects. I’m happy with the script, inspired by the crew, ecstatic about the cast, and relishing the adrenaline rush that comes with stretching our capabilities just beyond where I would have placed the breaking point only a few short months ago.
This past year has been a positive whirlwind of learning, and I think it’s only by forcing us to make the leap that we’ll really see if we’re ready to advance to the next level.
For those of you helping out with the production, I’ll be seeing you this weekend. For those eager to jump in on the 48 Hour Film Project (May 2-4), drop me a line (but please understand I may not respond in all that timely a manner). And for those who just want to watch and enjoy, I’m optimistic that we’ll have something truly worth your while in the very near future.
Of course, it looks like the big items (at least for the first weekend) are all in order. SAG paperwork, insurance, equipment, locations, shooting schedule... but it’s the nagging little details that seem to eat up most of my attention right now. Like, say, food. (Seriously — if anyone wants to handle making sure people are fed, please let me know ASAP. I’ll even send you a shopping list.)
And then there’s the stress of realizing that we’ve set ourselves a schedule that’ll make the 48 Hour Film Project look like a walk in the park.
But on the plus side, I have to admit that a big part of my insomnia is caused by my sheer excitement at the prospect of tackling a project this big. Sure, it’s still a short, but it’s twice the length of anything we’ve done before, and the production effort we’re putting forth dwarfs that of any of our past projects. I’m happy with the script, inspired by the crew, ecstatic about the cast, and relishing the adrenaline rush that comes with stretching our capabilities just beyond where I would have placed the breaking point only a few short months ago.
This past year has been a positive whirlwind of learning, and I think it’s only by forcing us to make the leap that we’ll really see if we’re ready to advance to the next level.
For those of you helping out with the production, I’ll be seeing you this weekend. For those eager to jump in on the 48 Hour Film Project (May 2-4), drop me a line (but please understand I may not respond in all that timely a manner). And for those who just want to watch and enjoy, I’m optimistic that we’ll have something truly worth your while in the very near future.
Friday, March 14, 2008
“Number One With a Bullet” Update
Well, things are moving quickly. Casting is complete, and we’ve got a phenomenal bunch of people on board! We had somewhere in the neighborhood of 250 submissions, and saw close to 120 different actors. The selection process was brutal — we had so many great candidates — but in the end, I think we’ve made the best choices for our little ensemble. Kudos to Bjorn Munson for organizing our casting, and thanks to Barry Gribble for letting us use the Integral Arts offices. And a special thanks to all the actors who came out and gave it a shot. I was truly humbled by the efforts you all put forth, and hope to see you again for future projects.
Preproduction is proceeding apace; with just three weeks to go before the cameras roll, we’re right about on schedule. And while I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t stressing just a bit (okay, more than a bit), I’m also getting more and more excited as the day grows closer. In fact, I’ve gone ahead and cut together a little “teaser trailer” that I’m hoping will get people psyched for the big shoot. You can view it at the film’s official website — onewithabullet.com — or via YouTube or MySpace as well. It really is just a teaser (since we obviously haven’t shot a frame yet), but I’m hoping it at least sets the stage for our little venture.
We’re still locking down some locations, so if anyone has any leads (preferably in or very near the city), please let me know as soon as possible; while we’ve got our main location (the office) all set, we still need a large house exterior and driveway, a walk-in-freezer (or wine cellar), and a well-apportioned study. And we’re also in the process of filling out our crew roster; if you want to join in, drop me a line ASAP.
And as if that weren’t enough, we’re also signed up for the 48 Hour Film Project, scheduled for the first weekend in May. So if you want to help out there, be sure to let me know as well.
Okay, enough talk. Go watch the trailer and have a nice weekend!
Preproduction is proceeding apace; with just three weeks to go before the cameras roll, we’re right about on schedule. And while I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t stressing just a bit (okay, more than a bit), I’m also getting more and more excited as the day grows closer. In fact, I’ve gone ahead and cut together a little “teaser trailer” that I’m hoping will get people psyched for the big shoot. You can view it at the film’s official website — onewithabullet.com — or via YouTube or MySpace as well. It really is just a teaser (since we obviously haven’t shot a frame yet), but I’m hoping it at least sets the stage for our little venture.
We’re still locking down some locations, so if anyone has any leads (preferably in or very near the city), please let me know as soon as possible; while we’ve got our main location (the office) all set, we still need a large house exterior and driveway, a walk-in-freezer (or wine cellar), and a well-apportioned study. And we’re also in the process of filling out our crew roster; if you want to join in, drop me a line ASAP.
And as if that weren’t enough, we’re also signed up for the 48 Hour Film Project, scheduled for the first weekend in May. So if you want to help out there, be sure to let me know as well.
Okay, enough talk. Go watch the trailer and have a nice weekend!
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Official Casting Notice for “Number One With a Bullet”
All right, folks, here’s the official casting notice. We’re looking forward to hearing from some of you soon!
Tohubohu Productions, makers of multiple popular and award-winning short films, are set to cast “Number One With a Bullet,” a fast-paced black comedy short shooting in April of 2008. The film is being shot in HD in the Washington, DC, area, and will be produced under the SAG Short Film Agreement; both SAG and non-union actors are welcome to audition. Under the agreement, payment is deferred, but credit and copy are provided. On top of that, you’ll have a chance to work with an eager and dedicated team, have some great festival exposure, and very possibly get a pony.*
Principal photography will be over the weekends of April 5–6 and April 12–13, 2008
Please visit http://www.tohubohuproductions.com/bullet.html for background on the story, descriptions of the roles, and the audition sides.
Auditions are by appointment, and will be held in mid/late February to early March, with the first auditions being held this Sunday, February 17th. Interested actors may email their headshots (please keep file sizes below 300 KB) and résumés to casting-at-tohubohuproductions-dot-com for consideration. Please be sure to indicate your availability during the shooting dates and the role for which you would like to read.
* Or not very possibly, as the case may be.
Tohubohu Productions, makers of multiple popular and award-winning short films, are set to cast “Number One With a Bullet,” a fast-paced black comedy short shooting in April of 2008. The film is being shot in HD in the Washington, DC, area, and will be produced under the SAG Short Film Agreement; both SAG and non-union actors are welcome to audition. Under the agreement, payment is deferred, but credit and copy are provided. On top of that, you’ll have a chance to work with an eager and dedicated team, have some great festival exposure, and very possibly get a pony.*
Principal photography will be over the weekends of April 5–6 and April 12–13, 2008
Please visit http://www.tohubohuproductions.com/bullet.html for background on the story, descriptions of the roles, and the audition sides.
Auditions are by appointment, and will be held in mid/late February to early March, with the first auditions being held this Sunday, February 17th. Interested actors may email their headshots (please keep file sizes below 300 KB) and résumés to casting-at-tohubohuproductions-dot-com for consideration. Please be sure to indicate your availability during the shooting dates and the role for which you would like to read.
* Or not very possibly, as the case may be.
Monday, February 04, 2008
Something Old, Something New
Just so nobody starts thinking that our older projects just sit on a shelf somewhere, I thought I’d pass along the news that “Machinations” has just been selected for the SFF-rated Film Festival in Athens, Greece — our first international screening. The festival’s in March, though we don’t have a specific date just yet (so you may want to hold off on booking your tickets for the moment).
Then there’s the matter of our newest project, “Number One With a Bullet.” Well, folks, we’ve been working like mad on the script, nailing down some key locations (and clearances), and trying to get the paperwork rolling. It’s been a much longer process than we had anticipated, though I think it’s been worth the wait. But finally, in the interests of getting our butts in gear, we’ve locked shooting dates: the weekends of April 5–6 and 12–13, 2008. We’re working backward from there — which means it’s time to start booking our cast and crew. As to the former, we expect to have a casting call out soon. Very soon. We’re looking for two leads, seven supporting actors, and three or four day players (plus assorted extras), and we’re planning to produce the film under a SAG short-film agreement (deferred payment).
As for the latter? Let us know ASAP if you can help out. We’ll need help pretty much across the board — starting with a dedicated production team. And department heads. And lots of equipment. Okay, so really everything.
For those of you who aren’t familiar with the project (or who’ve forgotten in the many months since our last communication), here’s the skinny: “Number One With a Bullet” is a fast-paced black comedy short that we’ll be shooting in HD and submitting to the festival circuit. The story follows Jack Reade, a mild-mannered academic who finally has a chance to publish his own Great American Novel. But just as he thinks his tome will see print, Pete Willoughby, a smug and influential editor, informs Jack that the book will remain locked in publishing purgatory. After an accident befalls Pete, Jack forges a desperate alliance with Carrie Singer, a disgruntled employee who also happens to be the book’s number-one fan. Together, they concoct an insane scheme to cover up Pete’s death and greenlight the book. Unfortunately, the publishing process is chock full of approvals and before long, other denizens of Dennison Publishing may fall prey to “accidents.”
Speak quickly — the ball’s rolling...
Then there’s the matter of our newest project, “Number One With a Bullet.” Well, folks, we’ve been working like mad on the script, nailing down some key locations (and clearances), and trying to get the paperwork rolling. It’s been a much longer process than we had anticipated, though I think it’s been worth the wait. But finally, in the interests of getting our butts in gear, we’ve locked shooting dates: the weekends of April 5–6 and 12–13, 2008. We’re working backward from there — which means it’s time to start booking our cast and crew. As to the former, we expect to have a casting call out soon. Very soon. We’re looking for two leads, seven supporting actors, and three or four day players (plus assorted extras), and we’re planning to produce the film under a SAG short-film agreement (deferred payment).
As for the latter? Let us know ASAP if you can help out. We’ll need help pretty much across the board — starting with a dedicated production team. And department heads. And lots of equipment. Okay, so really everything.
For those of you who aren’t familiar with the project (or who’ve forgotten in the many months since our last communication), here’s the skinny: “Number One With a Bullet” is a fast-paced black comedy short that we’ll be shooting in HD and submitting to the festival circuit. The story follows Jack Reade, a mild-mannered academic who finally has a chance to publish his own Great American Novel. But just as he thinks his tome will see print, Pete Willoughby, a smug and influential editor, informs Jack that the book will remain locked in publishing purgatory. After an accident befalls Pete, Jack forges a desperate alliance with Carrie Singer, a disgruntled employee who also happens to be the book’s number-one fan. Together, they concoct an insane scheme to cover up Pete’s death and greenlight the book. Unfortunately, the publishing process is chock full of approvals and before long, other denizens of Dennison Publishing may fall prey to “accidents.”
Speak quickly — the ball’s rolling...
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