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