Hey all! We’re rolling ahead full steam on Month of the Novel! So far, we’ve had one shooting day and a whole lot of prep work. Let me tell you about it.
So, to begin with, I got here to Rebekah and Ruth’s house Monday night. We were given an enthusiastic costume tour by Rebekah, and then we all crashed into bed to sleep in preparation for the filmmaking adventure that would start the next day. [Read more →]
Well. We’ve done another shoot for Simply Charlotte Mason. This one was smaller, weighing in at about three hours of footage. Now we’re done with the big stuff for them, so now it’s time to turn to our own project. Yep, the book trailer. [Read more →]
A new movie. A new script. A whole cast of characters clamouring to be costumed. For me, this is the funnest part of design work. I can suspend the trivial details of time and available cash and make an idea come to life on paper. Ah, the bliss of it all! Then reality sets in and I have to either change the designs, compromise, or both.
Have you ever been slammed that way? The perfect costume design has to be thrown out because it would cost too much to make. The detailed beadwork that you absolutely loved goes away or becomes fabric paint. The ornate helmet has to be scratched and replaced with a hat. A felt one. With a bright red feather. Situations like this are depressing, annoying, and even downright ugly. [Read more →]
(This post references iSundae II: Attack of the Cones, part 1. You may want to view the movie before reading this post.)
Alright, tell me frankly, what would you do if you were confronted with the problem of creating an army of extras that serve the badguy? If I had to start completely from scratch I would probably flip out. Thankfully, I got lucky on iSundae II’s “The Norse.”
The concept of the Norse had been in the script since I don’t know when. Maybe it grew out of a scene in an earlier version, or maybe it got thrown in randomly. I can’t remember. But I do know that design concepts for their “look” are all over some pretty early sketches. There’s an axe with a symbolic icon right next to a costume sketch for Emcracy and a cloak clasp next to Cone armor. I got pretty fancy with some of the sketches and concepts, but one thing I didn’t think about: These were background characters. Extras. A generic “set-dressing.” Thus, no fancy costumes or props! Awww, man. Here’s what we ended up with. [Read more →]
You’re halfway through pre-production and the storyboards just don’t look right, even though you’ve re-done them three times.
The script isn’t working. Try what you may, it just isn’t working.
A list of props that need to be made stares you in the face. What should they look like? Your brain refuses to function.
These are places when it is easiest to say, “Forget this, I’m going to go read a book.” True, you could plunge on ahead and make yourself do them, but, for goodness sake, it’s not FUN! Isn’t this life-consuming production we call amateur movie-making supposed to be fun? If not fun, at least semi-enjoyable. I mean, who wants to burst into tears over a sketch of a medieval table? (And no, I have not personally done that one. Yet.) [Read more →]
