More Pieces to the Puzzle

Hello readers!

Sorry for missing a week, but as wise person once said "my dog ate my homework."

Updates:

Let there be tungsten balanced LIGHT!

My quick trip to LA was a success. For starters I bought a used 2K Mole Richardson studio light. This sucker puts out a lot of light and uses a lot of voltage. But it'll definitely come in handy when shooting Love, Concord. It was quite a deal too. This sucker costs about $1400 brand new and I got mine for $200 with a spare bulb! And if we had rented one for the entire duration of the shoot it would probably cost more than $200 so buying it used made the most sense. Especially knowing that these lights are battleship grade. They're built to last and I know it'll be reliable on my set.

The 1st Audition is away.

Aside from buying gear I mainly went to LA to audition an actor for the lead role of the movie. I managed to get my lead actress to meet us there to help run a few scenes with the actor auditioning. Now as a rule of thumb I rarely if ever bring in 2nd actor into an audition so early in the casting. I usually hold off until I've seen lots of actors and have weeded it down to three choices. But for this actor I felt he was worthy of us jumping right in. And he proved me right. He was really good a grasping the character and taking my direction. That and he had a working chemistry with Angelina which makes a huge difference. Now, that being said since I haven't seen anyone else yet I can't say he's right or wrong for the part as I have no comparison. But I will say that he certainly left a memorable impression on me and if I had to make the movie tomorrow for some crazy reason I think he'd do just fine.

Strong Praise from Experienced Producer

Last time I mentioned Debbie Brubaker, a talented and accomplished producer, had read my script and was going to have a conference call meeting with me and Virginia. I went into the call a little nervous that she was going to point out a laundry list of flaws with my script, but instead she gave me a very positive review. This is HUGE! For a producer as experienced as she to not only say there were only three minor flaws, but also she believes it can be sold for a profit truly raised my spirits. Virginia herself admitted this reaction from Debbie further raised her excitement to be working on the project.

Now what happens is I've gone and fixed the issues Debbie suggested I amend and I'll be giving her the finished 6th draft soon. She's then going to write a budget based on the script as well as a tentative schedule for shooting it. All this will be crucial in figuring out exactly what we'll need to accomplish the production. Having her expertise on these crucial pre-production aspects will be worth every penny we're paying her for. Again, I can't express enough how great of news and morale booster this is for me and the project!

SF Opificer's of Film Festival

The deadline to submit your short film to the first ever SF Opificer's of Film Festival is quickly approaching. So if you haven't given it to either me or Jon Bowerbank, emailed it to us, or put it in the mail you may be left out. Drop either of us a line if you still plan to submit.

Speaking of the festival I'd like to announce yet another official entry. "....a Thousand Words" is the latest short film by Jon Bertain. Jon lives and works as a professional editor in the Los Angeles area and shot this latest movie on the RED ONE digital HD camera. We're real excited to be able to premiere his film and we're sure the festival audience will also appreciate the hard work he put into this gripping movie. Bertain is yet another former student of mine from my teaching days at Saint Mary's College and I'm proud to see just how much his talent has grown since he graduated from SMC.

Again, the event is January 9th at the 9th Street Independent Film Center in San Francisco (it's the 9th at the 9th, pretty easy to remember huh). Tickets are $12. Doors open at 7:15pm and the event starts promptly at 7:30. There will be a one hour mixer/social in the theater lobby immediately following the screening. Thanks and hope to see many of you there.

Well That does it for this week gang. Have a great new year everyone!

Forward!

-Gustavo

Wheels Keep Rolling

Hello Readers!

Sorry for the delay in posting. I'm in the middle of moving to a new apartment and I'm living out of boxes.

Updates:

Potential New Producer!

I got some great news to share! My producer Virginia has passed along the latest draft of Love, Concord to a very important person: Debbie Brubaker. For those of you unfamiliar with her work, she has produced many feature films such as: La Mission, Dopamine, Bartleby, and many more. Not to mention some of her films were accepted at the Sundance Film Festival which is not easy to do (look her up on www.imdb.com she's done a lot of work).

So with Virginia passing along my script to her, Debbie will be reading it and compiling a profession budget for the project. This is a huge step in getting the project some serious weight behind it as we'll be getting expert advice on what to prepare for from someone as seasoned and accomplished at producing feature films as anyone could ask for. Hopefully, she'll have the same interest and reaction to the script as Virginia and Jon and will perhaps come on board to also help produce the project. Either way, just having her perspective on what we should prepare for will be a huge advantage for me as a first time feature film director. So again, I'm very excited about this development! :)

Off to LA.....again.

As mentioned earlier I'm off to LA to audition my first candidate for the lead role of Gerry. Angelina my actress for the lead role of Melinda, will be meeting me in LA to help with the audition. We also plan to discuss some of the logistical aspects about her role such as wardrobe, make up, etc.

So since I'll be down there during my usual posting day of Tuesday, next weeks blog may come a little later than usual. But I'll let everyone know via Face Book when it's up.

First Accepted Film

I'd like to announce the first film to be accepted to Jon and I's SF Opificer's of Film Festival. The short is entitled : "Time Capsule" and is directed by Jimmy Freeman. For those of you who don't remember Jimmy is a former student of mine who is also collaborating with me on my feature. But he is a talented artist in his own right. He also endeavors to direct films and is currently writing not only one, but many short screenplays. So come see yet another young budding Bay Area talent showcase his latest and greatest.

The festival is Saturday January 9th at the 9th Street Independent Film Center in San Francisco. The address is 145 9th Street. Doors open at 7:15 and the screening begins promptly at 7:30. Tickets to the event are $12 and all proceeds go to the production budget for my feature film Love, Concord. Hope to see you all there.

Well that does it for this week folks. Have a great week and until next time....

Forward!

-Gustavo

Is it really Snowing?

Hello Readers!

Wow! Snow in Concord and parts of Contra Costa County, haven't seen that in a while. Lets hope it continues.

Updates:

Weekly Meetings Resume:

Last week my producer, Virginia, and I resumed our practice of meeting weekly to discuss the feature film project. Jon, my DP, joined us last week as well. The three of us discussed logistics of the shoot. In particular we began to focus on locations and how many actual place we'll need to shoot the movie. The trick is to try to squeeze as much use out of one place as possible. For instance, if we shoot interiors at a house we're trying to select a house that can be the setting for more than one scene. In fact, a house may be used in the film that ends up being three "different" places in the story. That's useful! Because all movies suffer from a lack of time in their budget, so the less moving around the better!

Massive Light Please!

Jon and I also began talking shop about what lighting equipment we'll need to do the various scenes we're shooting. As the script is set in everything from day, night, interior, exterior, etc. lighting is, as always, be a challenge. However, since Jon has a respectable lighting package in his arsenal we should manage fine without having to pick up too much costly lights. One item we are planning to buy is a used 2K Tungston balanced Fresnel light. For those of you unfamiliar with movie lights, this sucker is pretty big and puts out quite a lot of light. Jon plans to use it to help light some of the night time exteriors. We'll let you know if we get it.

Draft 5.1

I recently went through and corrected the many typos of the 5th draft and even managed to chop almost a full page off. But as I received some excellent feedback from Jon, I'm probably going to end up adding that page back for a key scene at the end of the 2nd act. So I expect draft 5.2 very soon.

SF Opificer's of Film Festival

It's official people! The mini film festival will be Saturday January 9th, 2010. We're still accepting submissions for the festival in any genre and at any experience level, so if you know someone with a short movie encourage them to enter it. The deadline for submission is December 31st 2009. The submission fee is $10 and if your movie is accepted there's a $20 screening fee. All this goes toward the cost of renting the theater and the proceeds, again, go toward the Love, Concord production budget. Tickets for the event are $12 and it should be a fun night! Contact me at gguardado@gmail.com for more info or find me on FaceBook.

Well that's all for this week. I know I haven't written an article in a while but at this stage I'm finding I have less and less time to do it. Don't worry the time is being well spent planning and prepping for the production. So it might just be updates for a while, but I'll return to full articles soon.

Stay warm everyone!

Forward!

-Gustavo

Short Week

Hello readers!

Hope everyone had a relaxing Turkey day. Mine was surprisingly traffic free as I drove back to LA to spend the holiday with my In-Laws. Mmmm I had home made tamales a month early! Yum!

Updates:

1st Casting Audition

Angelina, my lead actress, and I are currently aligning our schedules to do an audition of an actor to possibly play "Gerry" the lead character of the feature. Since she lives down south and works full time it's a bit of a tricky task but hopefully within a few weeks I might be writing about finally casting the lead character.

Location Hunt:

Yesterday I had lunch with Jimmy my former student and friend at our usual Concord diner. A while back he suggested I approach the restaurant owner to see if we could use their place as the much needed diner in the screenplay. So yesterday I finally spoke to the manager and she seemed interested. She mentioned, the decision obviously hinged on the owner but nonetheless she seemed enthusiastic about it and that's good enough for me right now.

SF Opificer's of Film Festival:

We are still accepting submissions for the short film festival Jon and I are coordinating. The submission fee is $10 and if your film is selected there's a $20 acceptance fee. But it's a small price to pay to be able to see your film in a professional quality screening room with a live audience to offer feedback and comments. The event will be Saturday January 9th, 2009 (We had to change the date of the event due to a booking mishap). Doors open at 7pm the event will be roughly 90mins. After the event there will be a one hour mixer social in the screening room lobby. Tickets will be $12 and all proceeds will go toward the Love, Concord production budget.

Buy my DVDs!!

As those of you who came to my fundraisers know, I'm selling off my DVD collection to also help pad the production budget. I still have a good 50+ DVDs left from my original amount of 200. I'd still rather sell them directly to you versus pawning them so email if you'd like a list of the movies I have left. No movie is more the $9 bucks and some titles are as cheap as $3! Plus if you buy two $5 DVDs I'll knock off $1! So email me at gguardado@gmail.com if you're interested.

Well folks that does it for this week. Sorry for the short posting, but as it was a short week can ya blame me ;)

Forward!

-Gustavo

Back from the City of Traffic.

Hello readers!

Just got back from LA and boy are my lungs black! ;) Actually the weather was quite nice compared to the Bay Area so can't complain too much.

Updates:

As mentioned last week I went to LA to visit my producer Virginia. She has been working on an independent film as a script supervisor. This crew position is critical in helping the director ensure they have shot each scene in it's entirety. As most scenes are shot out of sequence, the script supervisor points out any missing action or lines the director may have missed. The script supervisor is also responsible for continuity. Meaning, making sure if an actor picks up an object in a scene, the script supervisor will point out if the actor accidentally picks it up with the wrong hand during a different take.

Virginia was nice enough to allow me to visit her on the set and I got a great opportunity to see a professional crew work from an excellent vantage point as I was sitting with her and the director the entire shoot. This allowed me to watch an experience director and get ideas and hints as to how I will handle my feature once we start shooting. I even had the opportunity to ask the director for advice for a first time feature film director (like myself) on what to expect from the burden of actual production (essentially, shooting the movie).

The director (I can't name names or the production as a liability issue) advised me to plan well during pre-production. Really use the time to plan your shot lists, not so much as to set them in concrete, but to be best familiar with your material so should something change on the day of the shoot you'll be better prepared. He also advised to basically follow your instincts but to not be afraid to listen to other ideas or options. "Many first time directors," he said, "often second guess themselves but don't act on it because they don't want to appear indecisive. Don't let that pressure stop you from changing your mind. In the end the director is in charge and has every right to change the game plan even if it causes the crew to abandon their efforts to get previous task done.

Lastly, I learned that shooting with two cameras can be a huge advantage for a director. This allows him/her to shoot the scene from more than one angle and depending on the situation could save a lot of time. This is especially helpful and time efficient if the scene being shot is restricted to close ups of the actors and if the lighting can be changed with minimal effort. The moment you change it to wide shots or have to move lights around, having two cameras then becomes a burden. Therefore, I've decided what I need to do with Jon (my DP) is comb the script for scenes we can shoot with two cameras but will not have lighting difficulties.

Mini Short Film Festival

Due to the success of the screening of "Marta's Last Exit" Jon and I are throwing a mini short film festival on December 11th. So if you want to see my latest short movie in a theater screening this is your chance. Also, if you have a short film you'd like an audience to see we're looking for submissions. There's a $10 submission fee and a $20 fee if your film is selected. Tickets to the "Opificer's of Film Festival" will be $12. So please contact me or Jon if you'd like to submit your film or check out the FaceBook link to get more info:

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=180829541652&index=1

Well that's all for this week. Hope everyone has a belly full of fun and food on Thanksgiving. Until then...

Forward!

-Gustavo

My Movie has a First Name

Hello readers!

Who else is excited about Star Trek being out on DVD and Blu-Ray? Beam me up!

Updates:

Fundraiser Part Deux:

So first and foremost lets talk about the party/fundraiser/premiere on Saturday. About 22 people attended the first public screening of my latest short film "Marta's Last Exit" and I'm confident enough to say that it was a successful screening. Many people were very impressed with what I already knew, the videography from Jon Bowerbank (my DP for the feature) is simply breathtaking.

Also, many people complimented Angelina Leon's (my lead actress for the feature) amazing performance as the troubled teen title character. Everyone agreed her performance was so attention getting yet gracefully subtle. I couldn't agree more.

I feel the screening truly raised the level of excitement and anticipation for the feature to come. I for one am very excited to work with these two people and count myself fortunate to have them on board.

Aside from watching my short we also had appetizers, desserts, and drinks. But what a lot people enjoyed was the raffle. Here's who won

:

Prav Chandrasekaren won his choice of any of two DVD's from my collection I was selling at the event. Christina Giovannetti won a bottle of Sophia rose wine from the Francis Ford Coppola vineyard. Megan Johnson won a $25 gift certificate to Pride of the Mediterranean in Black Hawk. Amanda Gillespie Baker won a $50 gift certificate to Bijan in Walnut Creek

And finally the grand prize winner was Diana Camacho who won $10o gift certificate to Bay Grille in the Berkeley Marina.

Lastly, we had a silent auction where Amanda made out like a bandit by winning the Canon color printer/scanner/fax machine for $40! She also won two bottles of wine from napa valley vineyards for $25! Lucy Chung also made off with the William Sonoma Kitchen set for $30. Anthony Giovannetti won Johnson Bro.'s plate set for $30 and lastly, Prav won the Johnson Bro.'s tea cup set for $40.

Overall we raised just over $500 in profit towards the budget of the feature so thanks to all who came. I also want to thank those of you who knew you wouldn't make it but bought raffle tickets nonetheless. This really does help, but again my goal is to raise $10,000 from donations by the time we start shooting in June. So as of now we're about 10% there!

To help us get to that goal I'm currently planning another event for the very near future. This time Jon Bowerbank will be helping by co-planning a short film festival in San Francisco. We'll be screening "Marta's Last Exit" there for those of you who still want to see it as well as other local entries. We have a tentative date of December 11th or the 12th. So pencil us in on your calenders and here's the link to the Face Book "event" :

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=180829541652&ref=nf

Grant Writing:

On Thursday last week I took a one time class on grant writing for filmmakers. It was offered by San Francisco Film Society which I've decided all local filmmakers should become a member of. This class taught me a lot about the preparation for applying to grants. What stuck out most from the class was just how much time an grant application will require. It's not something that can be filled out in an hour or a day.

Also, I learned about fiscal sponsorship. This, in a nutshell, allows filmmakers to collect money either through a grantor like a foundation or big business. And also allows for small time donations from individuals as well. The difference being is that once a film production is granted "fiscal sponsorship" anyone who donates money to that film can essentially write it off on their taxes (I am not an authorized financial planner, please consult with one before heeding this advice). The only problem with fiscal sponsorship (from my understanding of it) is one must be making a film for "non-profit" reasons. However, the teacher also mention a "hybrid" type of fiscal sponsorship which would allow one to receive "non-profit" grants and still attempt to sell the film for profit. But again I hope to get clarification of this by joining the SFFS and applying to their grant program.

Lastly, I learned there's a lot more emphasis for grants to be awarded to documentary films. While I would like to make a documentary one day, my first feature is going to be a narrative and my plan is to continue making narratives until I find a cause and or passion to pursue via a documentary. So this may be a challenge for me but I'm positive I'll be able to get some type of grant, if not for the production budget then definitely for post-production.

And the Winner is....

To say I've been struggling to name my feature would be like saying The Raiders have a hard time winning games, DUH! But alas after a very long trial and error process involving you oh so faithful readers I've come to a final selection. Thanks to everyone who participated in the voting process and also those of you who offered suggestions.

The envelope please. And the winner is....... Love, Concord

While two of my closest friends were adamantly against this title I feel it best encapsulates my feature film's story. This is a love story after all, and the use of Concord as a double entendre becomes clearer once you've read the script and discover more about the lead character Gerry.

So that's it the production has a name. Now allow me to mention that movies constantly evolve until the day they're finally screened and even then they may still change. Therefore, while I'm completely satisfied with this title it could change with a more suiting option I may discover in the editing room. But until then my movie is called Love, Concord.

Well that's all for this week folks. Next week I plan to write about visiting a professional movie set my producer, Virginia, is currently work on as script supervisor.

Have a great week everybody!

Forward!

-Gustavo

Directions to Fundraiser/Screening

Hello readers!

So apparently Google Maps and Mapquest can't find the address to the fundraiser so here's how to get there:

From Highway 4 Eastbound:

Exit San Marco Blvd/Bay Point

Make a right at the off ramp onto San Marco Blvd.

Make your first right at the light onto what should be Leland.

Go straight until the dead end.

Turn right at the dead end. The San Marco Villa office/clubhouse will be in front of the main entrance to the apartment complex.

From Highway 4 Westbound

Exit San Marco Blvd/Bay Point

Make a left at the off ramp onto San Marco Blvd.

Make your first right at the light onto what should be Leland.

Go straight until the dead end.

Turn right at the dead end. The San Marco Villa office/clubhouse will be in front of the main entrance to the apartment complex.

From Concord using Baily Road.

Turn left onto Leland.

Go straight until the dead end.

Turn right at the dead end. The San Marco Villa office/clubhouse will be in front of the main entrance to the apartment complex.

If you get lost or need last minute directions please feel free to call me at 925-980-9461

Hope to see you there!

Forward!

-Gus

Some Words from the DP

Hello readers!

Hope everyone had a great week, let's jump right in.

Updates:

Sound Issues Fixed

I had John Bennett, a production/post-production audio professional work on some of the sound issues for "Marta's Last Exit." In the short amount of time he worked on it he was able to really help shape the sound to a place I'm more comfortable with. I feel it still needs a little tweaking, but I may just be biased. I'll let the audience on Saturday's premiere tell me if I'm being too picky.

This Saturday's Event

Speaking of Saturday! The fundraiser/premiere is still set for this Saturday at 4:30pm. If you'd like to lock in the $10 cover charge please RSVP me via the Evite invitations I sent out, or my email at gguardado@gmail.com. For your connivence you can pay the $10 per ticket cover on the Evite with PayPal. Otherwise it's $15 at the door. Also, don't forget we'll have a silent auction at the event. Up for bidding are a beautiful china set from William Sonoma, a cooking utensil bundle also from William Sonoma, a brand new Canon copier, fax, scanner, printer. And some other possible last minute items. We'll be screening "Marta's Last Exit" a few times throughout the event so come early or come late you'll be able to see it. Hope to see you there!

Going back to LA-LA land.

My producer, Virginia, is currently working on a independent film in LA and has invited me to come visit her on the set. She's going to try to get me some time to speak with the Director of Photography about the "B" camera they're shooting with (a "B" camera simply means a 2nd camera a production uses which usually doesn't have all the bells and whistles the "A" camera would have. It is also some times smaller to better fit into tight spaces), which happens to be the Canon 7D I wrote about in previous blog articles. Hopefully I'll get a chance to meet the director to get some tips for my feature, but in the very least I'll up close to the action and can watch him at work.

The Short List:

Ok folks here's the short list for the final vote for the official title of the production. I want to thank all that voted. I promise this will be the last time so please vote on these selections. Pick one only please. The official title will be announced at the event on Saturday!

1. Un-Concord Love

2. Select Start!

3. First Love Concord

4. 16-Bit Love Story

5. Love, Concord

Well that's all for updates. As promised this weeks article is written by Jonathan Bowerbank, my DP. So I'll leave you with that and the promise of pictures and a recap of the party for next weeks blog entry. Until then take care!

FORWARD!

-Gustavo

Greetings film fans and friends! Jonathan Bowerbank, the film’s DP and co-conspirator here! Gus is hard at work planning the party, so I figured I’d give him a handbrake and type up this weeks blog entry to give you a bit of insight into who I am, what I do, and perhaps what inspires me.

First of all, some background information. Gus and I have known each other since we went to El Dorado Middle School in Concord. Also known as our “traumatic adolescent years”. We had P.E. together, exchanged a few elbows here and there on the basketball court, yet at the time we still really didn’t really know each other all too well. It wasn’t until the summer before our junior year at Concord High we started to really hang out and discover how much we had in common, more importantly, our love for movies. We didn’t always see eye to eye with regards to our opinions on which films were great and which were junk (and we still don’t!), but the difference in taste and an aesthetic appreciation for the art opened up a dialogue for creativity and a drive to someday start making films ourselves.

We were fortuitous enough to be attending the only high school in the district that had an A/V department fully equipped with professional video cameras and editing bays. It was here we found the outlet we sorely needed for bringing our ideas to fruition. We soon began producing short sketch pieces and our moderately popular cop series “SQUAD”. Needless to say, we were both hooked for life.

Not long after graduating high school, we parted ways in search for our own life experiences. Gus pursued his degree in filmmaking, and I took off on my travels to Central America where I lived in Guatemala for two years. It was one of the most inspiring lands I have ever visited, and it has certainly contributed to my own personal perspective on life, peoples’ living situations and world culture today. It also helped me arrive at an acute desire to tell meaningful and truthful stories through the craft of filmmaking, and has given me a keen eye for how I would like to depict this world we live in through honest and/or poetic storytelling.

This is all in addition to my own mental catalog of inspiring films which have helped me to focus on the type of filmmaker I want to be. I soon discovered I wanted to focus on cinematography, which involves nearly every creative and technical aspect of film production. Camera, lighting, set design, etc. For the past few years I have done a lot of Camera Assistant work, which consists mostly of technical duties to make sure a film’s cinematographer can focus on the creative rather than having to worry about the technical issues that can and do arise during any given shoot. I’ve learned from my experience the importance of a solid crew and the advantages that come from working with a group of creative individuals on what is essentially a collaborative art. It truly does take an army.

As with any army, there has to be a General, and Gus has certainly earned his stripes. I’m honored to be one of many he is entrusting to bring his vision to the big screen. I hope this has given you at least a bit more insight into the type of production this is turning out to be. I honestly appreciate any support we gain from you to help us to be able to do what we love, whether it be moral or financial support.

In addition to everything Gus has told you about the film’s influences, I just wanted to include a short list of some of some of the films that have influenced me for this film:

1. “Quinceañera” (2006)
2. “500 Days of Summer” (2009)
3. “Saved!” (2004)
4. “Say Anything” (1989)
5. “Swingers” (1996)
6. “Pretty in Pink” (1986)
7. “Dazed & Confused” (1993)
8. “Almost Famous” (2000)

Until next time, take care, read a book, get to the movie theater and don’t stop doing whatever it is you enjoy doing.

Update Central

Hello Readers!

Saw The Onion Movie this weekend and laughed my ass off! It's on DVD so go rent it. Got a lot of updates so lets dive in.

Updates:

The latest addition to the blog is the helpful little countdown clock in the upper left corner. This clock is relentlessly counting down the days, hours, minutes and seconds until the first day of production. A lot of people ask me "when are you going to start?" Well now you can always have an accurate up to date answer! Plus it's a good motivator for me to not procrastinate on the many big steps I have to take to finally be prepared for day one! Which is 219 days away! Yikes!

The 5th draft is done! Yes it took a month longer than I wanted it to take but it's finally in the can. I realized part way through writing this one how important a scene outline is to the writing process. I hadn't done a scene outline since the 2nd draft, but since this draft had the most significant changes to it since that draft, I realized I couldn't wing it anymore. So I stopped writing and hammered out a scene outline. With that done I breezed through the 5th draft quicker than the pace I was going at without it. Also I should mention, the notes and suggestions my Producer Virginia and Director of Photography (DP) Jon helped tremendously to get this draft to the most efficient and sharpest it's been. Thanks guys!

"Marta's Last Exit" will be getting looked at by a post production audio professional. I'm meeting with him tomorrow to hopefully fix the dialogue issues I'm having and what's kept it from being %100 done. But rest assured it will be ready in time for the event on the 14th. I'm also submitting it to its first festival this week as well. If I get into it, it can automatically be considered for the Academy Awards Short Film category. Wish me a broken leg!

Speaking of the event, I still haven't confirmed the location. But I'm close! So keep posted to the blog and or my FaceBook page as I'll announce it once it's finalized.

Lastly, not many people voted on the various title ideas last week. I could REALLY use your help with this guys. Here's your chance to be part of the creative decision making process of a feature film. So please vote on which titles you like so I can make a top five list for a final vote next week. Again I plan to announce the official title of the production at the fundraiser/premiere on the 14th.

That's it for this week guys. I know I haven't written an article the past couple weeks, but I really had to focus on finishing "Marta's..." and the 5th draft so I promise next week there'll be updates and an article. In fact, my DP Jon Bowerbank, will be writing it!

Until then, go Phillies and have a great week everyone!

Forward!

-Gustavo

Title Playoffs

Hello readers!

Damn Yankees, let's hope Philly can stop the annoyance that is Steinbrenner's team.

Updates:

Marta's last exit is 95% complete. The only thing left is to tweak the dialogue a little to make it sound more consistent. Does anyone know a good postproduction sound editor? Perhaps a student studying sound? If so let me know.

The fifth draft is more than half way done. There's some major changes in this version. Most of it has to do with scaling back the amount of locations. The more locations the more the production crew has to travel. The commute time alone is a problem, but loading and unloading movie equipment, costumes, props, etc. is just as costly to a production's time. I expect to have a finished 5th draft by the middle of the week.

Party location change. So do to an unforeseen scheduling conflict the November 14th fundraiser/premiere will no longer be in Brentwood. I still plan to hold the fundraiser that day, but I'm currently looking for a new location. I have a lead on one but nothing confirmed. So stay tuned as I'll be updating the info as soon as I can. Sorry for the inconvenience everyone!

Casting. I'll be holding casting for the main cast and speaking roles beginning in January. So if you know actors interested or yourself would like to audition for parts please contact me. I'll be posting a more accurate list of characters next week as the 5th draft will be done by then.

Second to Last Round of Title Suggestions

Consider this the playoffs to the World Series. This is the last batch of totally new title ideas I'd like to get your opinion and vote on. I'm then going to list the top 5 title ideas on the Tuesday before the fundraiser for you to vote on so the official title can be announced at the Nov. 14th event.

So take a look at these, again, you don't need to know much about the story I'm more interested in your gut instinct to the titles. Please vote by emailing me or posting a comment below on the blog. Oh and they're listed in no particular order:

1. Last Clown of Concord

2. Gerry's Concord Love

3. First Love Concord

4. Select Start!

5. Love Memorial

6. The Clown and the Brain

7. Gerry Grew up Concord

8. Un-Concord Love

9. 16-Bit Love Story

10. Gerry Wants to Continue

Well that's it for this week folks. Hope everyone has a fun and safe Halloween!

Forward!

-Gustavo

The Feature has Begun....Sort of.

Hello readers!

Let me start off by saying I saw More Than A Game this Saturday and was very impressed. I highly recommend you go see it for yourself. It's a fantastic story about never giving up and the camaraderie of being in a team. And it happens to be directed by a fellow Loyola Marymount alumni who often hung out on campus at TV Engineering where I worked. So please go see this great documentary which is now in theaters as you'll be supporting yet another young up and coming director.

Let's Try Something New

I decided to do a video in effort to save time writing out the blog this week. In the end I didn't save much time. Either way take a look:

Here's a Clip of the First Footage From the Feature

It's nothing fancy, and on a small screen it isn't very impressive, plus I haven't color corrected it yet, but I'm happy to share it nonetheless.

Don't for get if you want to buy tickets or get an evite for the fundraiser email me at gguardado@gmail.com. Have a great week everyone.

Forward!

-Gustavo

Party Time!

Hello readers!

Hope everyone in the Bay Area is enjoying the rain, I am.

Updates:

"Marta's Last Exit" is almost done folks. I'm still finishing sound and again, it's not my expertise so it's taking longer than I hoped. Nonetheless, it'll be done in time to submit it to a local film festival.

My DP and I have been researching a possible new camera for the feature film. It's the Canon 7D Digital SLR. Ever since Nikon released a D-SLR that shoots HD video more companies have followed suite. So if the specs are for real The Canon 7D may become our production camera. We plan to test the crap out of it side by side with our current camera of choice the Sony EX-1 once the 7D is released. Stay tuned for updates on this topic.

Also, still working on the 5th draft. Due to my need to finish my short film, unfortunately, my script has taken a backseat. But I am hacking away at it, slowly but surely.

The Next Fundraiser = Party!

So allow me to announce the date of the next fundraiser, drumroll please......

Saturday November 14th, 2009!

That's a month and one day away folks so mark your calendars cause this ones going to be bigger and better! Not all the details are set, but here's what we know so far.

It'll be hosted by my our friends Jorge and Debra at their beautiful home in Brentwood (no not the LA Brentwood, which isn't an actual city like some people think). The event will be in the evening and we'll be premiering "Marta's Last Exit" for the first time to the public. I also plan to reveal the official title for the feature after the screening so that should be exciting. But then after that it's party time as we'll have a music, dancing, drinks, and appetizers!

The event will have a ticket price of $10 for advance purchases and $15 at the door. Your ticket will automatically enter you into the raffle we'll be having. So far the prizes we have lined up for the raffle are gift cards to local Bay Area restaurants, for instance, Bay Grille on the Berkeley Marina and Bijan in Walnut Creek.

We'll also have a silent auction at the event. Up for grabs so far is a china set from William Sonoma and a baking kit from there as well. More items will be added as we get closer to the event.

You can talk to the people who came to the last event if you want proof of the great time we had, so we're positive you'll enjoy yourself at this one. Plus, you'll be supporting a local artist, yours truly, on his quest to make a feature film. Evites will be going out soon but feel free to email me at gguardado@gmail.com if you didn't receive an evite to the last event. I hope to see a lot of you there!

Well that's all for this week. Stay dry Bay Area!

Forward!

-Gustavo

Sound is Half the Experience

Hello readers!

So I was sick most of last week so I this week's article will be short.

Updates:

Still working on the 5th draft of the script. It's taken a lot longer as I've been getting more frequent freelance gigs. That, and I'm making some significant changes to the script. But I hope to be done with it by the end of this week.

I went to an advanced screening of an independent film I worked on this past winter and had a great time reconnecting with the crew. I also was able to share my endeavor to get my feature made next summer with these crew people and most offered their services to me. So it looks like I may have a few more volunteers.

Still finishing my short, "Marta's Last Exit." Yesterday was the one year anniversary of the completion of principal photography. It is by far the longest time it's taken me to finish a movie, but in my defense my previous three were made in college and film school when I ate, slept, and bled film. Not that I don't know, but I got student loans to pay! It'll be done soon, however, as I have an October 19th deadline to submit it to Alice's Three Minute Film Festival.

Sound is Half the Experience

So my producer Virginia introduced me to her good friend this weekend who happens to be a production sound recordist. Which is great because I'm in the hunt for a quality sound person. This particular crew position is responsible for the sound that's recorded on the set of a movie or TV show. It's a thankless job as often times even filmmakers neglect what the production sound person needs to properly record clean audio.

Therefore, I simply wanted to write a little about how the audience should pay closer attention to just how amazing movies sound. The next time you're at a movie theater remind yourself to listen to the sound that's being offered to you. You'll start to catch little subtitles you certainly won't here on your TV's little two inch speakers.

Now this isn't all the thanks to the work of the production sound person, as a lot of "sound design" goes into the post production of a movie. Nonetheless, if the movie had a good production sound recordist then most of the dialogue you hear will be the actual dialogue recorded on the set. And saves a lot of correction work in post-production.

And when the two are combined what you get is scarier visuals, more heartfelt drama, and more riveting action. Sound helps create offscreen space and more fully creates the mood the moviemakers attempt to put you the viewer in.

So trust me, I'll be putting as much attention to the sound of my feature as I will the visuals. It's something I learned as early as my first short film and something I'll forever use to further enhance the overall experience of my movies.

That's all folks have a great week!

Forward!

-Gustavo

The Use of Metaphors

Hello readers!

Just got back yesterday from hiking up to Half Dome in Yosemite and what an experience! But more on that later.

Updates:

I recently signed up for a class offered at the San Francisco Film Society on how to apply for grants as an independent filmmaker. I'll be taking this course with my producer, Virginia, in November and hopefully this'll help me raise funds for production. However, from what I understand the application process for grants, even when you win them, takes a long time. Therefore, if I do get awarded grant money it most likely will go toward postproduction. Again, the money I'm trying to raise and or save now is going strictly to the production costs of the shoot. Many people forget that it requires a lot of time and money to edit, sound design, and do visual effects and or graphics to finish a movie properly. So I advise other budding filmmakers to take a course like this as grant money can be the difference between a shot movie and a finished movie.

As for an update on my promise to sacrifice certain things until the production is over, that's going well for the most part. I'm getting in really good shape, I haven't lost much weight but I know for sure that I'm getting my cardio stamina where it needs to be. Also, the battle with my addiction to soda is slow and steady. I seem to have leveled off to one soda a week. Nonetheless I hoping to go further and be able to say in a few weeks that I made it a whole month with out

it!

The camera which my DP, Jon, and I agree we're going to use for the feature may soon be within grasp. I'm currently researching what it would take to lease the camera and or buy it outright by splitting the cost three ways between Virginia, Jon, and myself. All three of us have a need for a quality HD video camera but don't want the heavy burden of buying it alone. So pooling our resources together would allow us each to use the camera when we need it while saving a us money and potentially earning us money.

Half Dome as my Metaphor

As you all probably know metaphors are often used in literature, speeches, theaters and movies to connect to seemingly different things and or topics to show a resemblance to one another. Well this weekend Half Dome was a metaphor for me and the journey I'm on to make my feature a reality. Here's the story.....

At the beginning of September my brother, Mike, asked me if I'd be willing to hike up to the top of Half Dome in Yosemite for his 35th birthday on the 27th of the month. He warned me that it was a grueling 17 mile hike and the last 500' were on a cable system which if not climbed right could mean certain death. Being the acrophobic person I am I kinda laughed and said he was crazy, but I didn't say no.

He gave me time to think it over and as I did I realized it'd be a great way to motivate me to get into shape as I promised I would for the sake of the movie project. Therefore, I accepted my brother's challenge/invitation and began training for the hike by doing three weekends in a row of 5-10 mile hikes. When I finished doing my 1st hike up Mt. Diablo I thought I was stupid to think I could do Half Dome. I was sore as hell! But after the 2nd Mt. Diablo hike I regained my confidence as I did it faster and wasn't as sore when done.

So Saturday the 26th we drove to Yosemite. It was me, my bro, and his good friend Cyrus. We camped that night in the valley and woke the next morning and began our day long adventure at 6:30am.

The first two miles of the hike were miserable! I don't know if it was the nerves, or the lack of sleep, or the banana I ate, all three but when we started I was fighting back the need to puke. Plus the first two miles were the most physically demanding of the hike. You climb tall stair after tall stair and it just annihilates your energy. Not 30 mins. in and I was thinking of quitting. There was no way I could do this all day. But something in my head just told me "DON'T GIVE UP!"

It sounds cheesy I know, but that saying and the fact I didn't want to ruin my brother's birthday wish compelled me to take the next step. So finally after about an hour and a half into the trek I started feeling better. I was the slowest one in our group, as we hired a guide to take us there and back, but damn it I was doing it!

We got to "Sub-Dome" around 1:30ish and there before me were the cables to the summit. The problem was, there was a traffic jam on them and we only had a limited time to reach the top or we'd be hiking back in the dark. So we didn't waste time and got in line and began the scariest part of the adventure. Did I mention I'm scared of heights?!? Again, the only thing that got me on those cables was not wanting to let down my bro or myself and the hard work I put into getting that far. So one by one we climbed.

About halfway up my back started to spaz, my feet were burning from the pressure, and the line was still moving much too slow. Mike, who was right behind me, started complaining that his arms were getting tired too. All these things you don't want when you're about 5 yards in each direction to certain death!

So my bro and I had to ask ourselves if we should just turn back or risk climbing to the top? Either decision did not look good for either of us at that point but we had to do something. Cyrus, like the madman that he is, said "Fuck this!" and went out the cable system and climbed it up along side it risking his life to beat the lines and make the summit. Which I'm happy to say he did.

My bro and I, on the other hand, decided we couldn't be that bold and turned around. We safely returned to the entrance to the cable system and sat wallowing in our defeat. I honestly held back tears thinking I'd ruined my brother's birthday wish and dream to make the top. We sat there a while, and suddenly Mike and I realized something. The line was a lot thinner. My bro picked up his bag and said "I'm going for it!" and I told him to "Do it!" I really wanted to follow him, but I something told me to stay back, which I did.

So like a rage induced Rambo, Mike tore it up those cables and got to the point we stopped at in about one minute, when it took us about 20! Next thing I know he's almost at the top, and then I couldn't see him anymore so I knew he had to have made it! I was relieved.

The guide recommended I get a head start going back down so I left, disappointed I didn't summit but proud nonetheless I made it that far.

The hike back was even longer that the hike there and after all the energy it took just to get to Sub-Dome, it knew it was going to be just as tough getting home. But we made good time, after my brother caught up to me I got a bit of a rush hearing about what he saw up top. I lived vicariously through his success.

We made it back to the car around 7pm, 12½ hours after we started. We did 18 miles total at an elevation change of about 5,000 feet for a total height of about 8,836 feet. This was by far the most physically demanding thing I've ever done in my life and the best part about it is that I was fully expecting to be immobile and energy-less the next morning. But to my surprise I felt better than I had in years. Two days later and I still feel great!

So what the hell does this have to do with the feature? Again, this trek was my metaphor for what I am and will go through to finish my movie. As of right now I'm doing the "training" similar to the pre-hikes I did before going to Yosemite. But the production will be much like getting to Half Dome. Full of hard, sometimes self doubting, work but I now know I have the mental focus to plow through whatever problem comes my way. I may not have gotten to the top, but I know now what I need to do to ensure I do it the next time. Which is precisely how I see this first feature film.

The film may not be a blockbuster success, but I know it'll be a major accomplishment nonetheless. Just like making it 99% of the way to Half Dome is nothing to laugh at either!

So there you go folks. Go out there and find your Half Dome! Then once you do use that to inspire you to follow your dream, whatever that is. You will never regret the hard work you put into hiking the path to your life's ambition.

FORWARD!!!!

-Gustavo