Friday, December 10, 2010

DAY 241: MAKING THE THRILLER/HORROR FILM CRAWL


Phase 1 of building the movie set for CRAWL is complete - now it's onto getting the set and props for the movie completed. 
Please remember - be sure to sign up as member and have your friends sign up - it's free -  and -  it shows your support of Independent Films - which can only survive with you/the publics interaction - for you/your spreading of the word - is in fact the on and only lifeblood of success for Independent art/creativity.





Get #EXTREMEINDIE BABY!!!



Sunday, November 28, 2010

DAY 235: MAKING THE THRILLER/HORROR FILM CRAWL


Here ya go friends - a new update on our progress....


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BE SURE TO VISIT WWW.CRAWLMOVIE.COM  for the 24/7 ;-)

THNX my true friends ;-)
O.W.

Friday, November 12, 2010

DAY 221: MAKING THE THRILLER/HORROR FILM CRAWL


Yup - here ya go my friends ;-)  BE SURE TO VIEW THE SURPRISE AT THE END OF THE VID!
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BE SURE TO VISIT WWW.CRAWLMOVIE.COM  for the 24/7 ;-)



THNX my true friends ;-)
O.W.

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

ACTORS: This is what happens when....

Simply put... this is what happens when you send an actor to scout a film location..... lololol





Monday, October 18, 2010

DAY 208: MAKING THE THRILLER/HORROR FILM CRAWL


Pre-production for the GROUNDBREAKING ORIGINAL ACTION-PACKED THRILLER HORROR movie CRAWL just got more exciting - wanna know why....

...........................we will be one of the VERY FIRST MOVIES FILMED WITH THE:


Follow the Making of CRAWL and watch for MANY updates and test footage with new NIKON D7000!

Friday, October 15, 2010

DAY 205: MAKING THE THRILLER/HORROR FILM CRAWL


Pre-production is slamming forward on the exciting GROUNDBREAKING ORIGINAL ACTION-PACKED THRILLER HORROR movie CRAWL. Financing and Investors are just about all ironed out - just a few more interviews/meeting and all parties brought on board will be decided upon and thus construction break ground quickly. Currently we are looking at Jan/Feb for a shooting date - which leaves precious few days left for Nicole and I to tie up all ends of pre-production - a huge task - but one that will be met.

Don't forget to become a member of our site here - it's free - and remember - Independent Films/Art - and Artists critical life-force/survival/lifeblood is: interaction and word of mouth/support - from you the public.

Any and all support is tremendously appreciated.

I mean that.

Enjoy the update below - and I look forward to sharing the TENSION-FILLED HORRIFIC CHARACTER-DRIVEN THRILLER movie CRAWL to a venue near you soon - so you may get your SCREAM ON!


O.W.

Saturday, September 25, 2010

DAY 192: MAKING THE THRILLER/HORROR FILM CRAWL




MORE SOON MY FRIENDS - BE SURE TO BECOME A MEMBER OF THE SITE - AND STAY READY - SOON THE ADVENTURE BEGINS FILMING!!!



Friday, September 17, 2010

FILMMAKING: Musclin' - My Short Film - Part 5

I hope you are enjoying Oak's video updates as much as I am! I don't know about you but I just eat this stuff up. It's the grit that it takes to make a movie that you don't often get to see, or know about.

I am proud to say I have my first video update ready on my film Musclin'. I talk about the story theme, points about the look of the movie, a website I am currently building, and more!





- Steve Olander

Don't forget to become a member of the site, and don't forget to subscribe to the blog THE MAKING OF A HORROR FILM. Thank you!

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

DAY 186: MAKING THE THRILLER/HORROR FILM CRAWL



As the filming of the movie CRAWL approaches - tons more needs to be done - here's Day 186 of the Making of CRAWL - and within days a new teaser will be posted - with actual footage of the making of the teaser released to members of this site only ;-)

Enjoy ;-)


Have a GRAND creative one my #EXTREMEINDIE ppl! More soon!

O.Ward


Monday, September 6, 2010

FILMMAKING: Musclin' - My Short Film - Part 4

So now comes some fun, designing the poster for the movie. It needs to have enough in image and words to get aross the the correct idea of what the movie is about and also has to provide enough intrigue to make the person looking at the poster feel the NEED to see this movie. The film has a few elements that should cause it to appeal to a great number of people. Here is the poster as it stands after 7 incarnations...

Sunday, August 29, 2010

FILMMAKER SPOTLIGHT: LINKS OF THE DAY





Thursday, August 26, 2010

FILMMAKING: Props and Where to Get Them Cheap

When you are going to shoot your film you are going to need props. You might need something from the 1970's, or maybe a military item, uniform, or weapons. Maybe you need garage equipment that looks like it has a lot of use on it. What about old family pictures or vintage pictures of people that might be of a historical reference in your story? Do you need something you can get cheap because you are going to destroy it in your film? Whatever you need there is a one stop place where you will likely find it. Maybe not this week but maybe next week. I am talking about the large, permanent flea markets!

For my short film, Musclin', I need a pair of vintage glasses from the 1920's. How much would you expect to pay for a rare item such as this? I got two pair of these glasses, in their original cases, for $12.

MOVIE FAN CHAT: The Girl Who Played with Fire, Dexter etc...



Well after seeing The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, we went to see the Girl Who Played With Fire.  Now as I wrote before, I have read the books and I can tell you, the Fire one drove me up the wall.  I was so upset over the events in the book I could hardly stand to read for very long at a time.  I knew things would probably turn out okay but everything just kept piling up against our heroine, who is under the huge looming threat of being forced to live in an institution and her life controlled completely by "Big Brother".  If any book would scare you about government officials having control to run your life to "take care of you", this series would do the trick.  So I went with a lot of anticipation of build up tension while watching this movie.

Friday, August 20, 2010

FILMMAKING: Why You Need to Attend Film Festivals


On August 6, 7, and 8, 2010, I attended my first film festival, "The Indie Gathering International Film Festival" in Westlake, Ohio. I wasn't screening a film for competition but a 4 minute "experimental art video" I edited was being shown complimentarily by Ray Szuch, the event organizer. Who said there aren't any great humanitarians anymore?


EVEN if there is no other reason for you to go to a film festival, like you can't find a movie that interests you (this is hypothetical as there is no way this can happen), and you don't have anything showing there yourself (which happens.....too often...), there are still lectures and seminars that are given by people that have been successful and are there to help you become successful too.

DAy 172: MAKING THE THRILLER/HORROR FILM CRAWL


As we prepare during pre-production for the set building to break ground - all engines are full steam on for costumes, props, and final storyboard editing - camera shots to be completed before set build begins. Have fun with the new update - we will be featuring key supporters in all future videos - we have an ocean of everyday supporters - be patient and your name will appear in our video blogs as our way of saying thank you and letting you know how important your support is for us and all indie films. Thank you - enjoy - the next update will be very soon and please remember to have all your friends become a member of the site - it helps us tremendously.

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

MOVIE FAN CHAT: Shutter Island, Date Night, Kick-Ass and more...




Shutter Island.  Just watched last night and liked some things, didn't like others.  Where was this island situated?  In the worst weather area of the world for sure!  From seeing inception previews, the deep resonant sound portraying fear and impending doom was recognizable and works for sure.  I became a little irriated at the main character's guilt ridden memories and was ready to commit him myself for that alone.  Leonardo is not my favorite actor so sometimes I have to overcome my dislike of his facial expressions to remember the character he is portraying.  Of course by the end I was not sure what to believe.  I remembered the eye contact between "Albert" or the federal marshall?? and various insane patients on the grounds.  It was definitely directed at him.  And the note specifically for him.  Also the amused looks and actions of the staff regarding the doctors present previously.  All of this supported the idea he was a patient, etc.  But the whole premise was a little silly.  I can't imagine any facility allowing that much license and use of all the patients to create an atmosphere for one patient.  But it kept me watching to the end.  I would have liked a definite ending as to which was true but that's not the trend these days.
 
Watched Date Night the other night and that was a complete waste of time.  Could have been a funny cute movie but it wasn't.  The only funny part was the reaction of parties when cars became stuck together.  Otherwise, pathetic.  I knew better but was hoping for a miracle.  A funny movie!!!
 
Kick Ass was a surprise to me.  I actually enjoyed it for a quirky action film.  Nickolas Cage is always a blast.  He can act so much the nerd pyschopath.  I liked the wanta-be hero and the tough little girl.  I liked the bad guy's son who longs to be accepted by tough dad but ends up liking the good guys.  All in all, a neat little movie!!!
 
Not much out there right now.  I am looking forward to seeing inception, even if it does have Leonardo in it.  lol  Special effects in previews look awesome.  Even though it had excessive violence and the usual shoot em up solution to problems, I will never forget the first time awesome look of the Matrix action clips.  Great visual effects!!!
 
One of my favorite tv shows, Madmen, has started and its great to see all my favorite characters again.  Love Dad but hope he gets his act together and quits acting like a real heel.  One of the great things about this show is its vintage time.  The scene about Don finding out about his good friend and wife of the man whose identity Don stole was great and revealing.  He discovers she is the only one who doesn't know she has terminal cancer.  The doctor has discussed it with everyone else but her.  I had forgotten there was a time when doctors did this.  They decided who should know and who shouldn't know about a terminal illness.  Forget about patient rights.  Hard to believe in this day and time.  I love Peggy in this series.  The scene with her climbing on her desk to spy on Don was hilarious!!  And the cliques everyone believed back then, even the women against women:  such as, Peggy must have slept with Don to get the job position she had in the business.  And this by a secretary who had slept with the boss.
 
Isn't the young boy who lives down the street from Don's ex-wife and kids a real creepy kid????  He scared me the first time I saw him in the series and now even more.  Be careful what you say in front of this young man!!  You may get more than you bargained for!  Does Don's ex hate him or what!!!  And what a saint her new hubbie is.  Wonder how long that is going to last.  So many twists and turns in this series, as in all good stories.  Can't wait for Dexter to start.
 
Certain reality shows are great fun.  I still love Project Runway, and Design Star, and the newest one, Art Works or some such title.  I really enjoyed this one!  Maybe because I paint myself and could really connect to the contestants.  What an opportunity for these young artists to meet with very influential art promoters, gallery owners, and well known artists in New York.  Love Chopped too.  Makes me a wreck with the short time period and the usually horrible ingredients but enjoy the show.  Aren't those judges really nasty or what???
 
Being a bit old-fashioned, I still love Survivor and Amazing Race.  Can't help myself, just love em!
 
Till next time.  

SHIRL'


  

Thursday, August 12, 2010

DAY 163: MAKING A THRILLER/HORROR FILM CRAWL


So far - so good on the pre-production route for the filming of the movie CRAWL. The heat here is still over 100 during the day - but that won't stop Nikki and I from building the set of the movie within the AC filled warehouse - which - if you watch the video blog below - you will learn lots more about ;-)

Please be sure to become a MEMBER of the site - and if you are already a member - please get at least one friend to sign up - it literally is the lifeblood for Indie FIlms - and - helps so much with gaining screening for the finished movie ;-)



Stay tuned for more updates as the approaching date for filming the THRILLER/HORROR MOVIE: CRAWL is fast approaching!



Thank you much:
Oklahoma Ward

Thursday, August 5, 2010

DAY 157: MAKING THE THRILLER/HORROR FILM CRAWL


Moving forward in pre-production - almost have control central set up/edit bay. A special nod in this video to filmmaker David P. Baker (@davidpbaker) and a glimpse of our unique DSLR camera. It's a hotter than hell video....


Sunday, August 1, 2010

DAY 154: MAKING THE THRILLER/HORROR FILM CRAWL


   Here's a quick update from the state we are going to do our filming in - Oklahoma: so far we have looked at over 15 warehouses/buildings to film in - currently -  right before we make the final decision on what building we choose - we are also looking at building a a brand new 30x60x14 foot warehouse with a level concrete floor and bathrooms and edit bay - if we do this - we will be offering the warehouse for Indie filmmakers and Indie projects - for very cheap - and I do mean #extremeindie cheap! For now - Nikki and I are working furiously getting the space for the edit bay up and running - waiting on the AC guy to instal the AC for/becasue it's 107 degree HOT currently - and you all know how G5s react with extreme heat! Here's some footage for you to view of our search for buildings - more updates coming soon as we continue counting down towards filming the movie CRAWL ;-)



   Be sure to become a member of the site - becoming a member is free and it helps support independent films/movies - and we all want that lol ;-)

Oklahoma Ward

Saturday, July 31, 2010

FILMMAKING: Musclin' - My Short Film - Part 3



Today, July 31, was to be my first day of principle photography as it was the first time everyone on my cast and crew, all volunteers, could get together on the same day at the same time. Everything was ready, and I had everything I needed, except for the weather. The story takes place on a sunny day and today was not that.

Not all was lost as I now have, as mentioned, all that I need, and time to tweak what was "just good enough for now." Here is how I prepared for this shoot.

In preparation for the shoot I did not have the fortune of having a storyboard program, nor even the time to draw it by hand. However, I do need some sense of what the shots will be, how they will be set up, how to light the shot, and how best to position the camera and get as many of the shots from that position that will be taken, before moving the camera and setting it up again. This is really important during those intercut over-the-shoulder conversations. This is also necessary to maximize efficiency.

What I did was create a "Shot List." This is a list of all the shots I will be taking, the camera position, movement, the angle, distance, and a note of the action for reference. I have never learned or even read HOW TO DO THIS but I came up with a plan that seems to make it easy for me.

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

MOVIE FAN CHAT: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo



Well, I love the books, Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and Girl Who Played With Fire, so naturally I wanted to see the movies.  So last night I saw Girl with Dragon Tattoo.  Of course I know everything can't be transferred from book to big screen but they did a pretty good job.  Funny how your mind's image of the characters sometimes doesn't match the movie's pick of characters.  I thought the main character, dragon girl, was a pretty good match except I thought she would look younger in the face due to the constant reminder in the book of how young she looked.  But I liked the look the movie gave her otherwise.  I found the most interesting part of the movie was when she was on the screen.  Also in the book we watched her keep her vigil on her evil government parole officer.  I thought the movie did a good job on the rape scene and its horrible violence.  They did give us a glimpse of bad times in her past but just to tantalize, not to clarify.
 

Monday, July 26, 2010

DAY 145: MAKING THE THRILLER/HORROR FILM CRAWL



....and finally - on our way to the movie set location!





...next - renting the warehouse for the set build and setting up the edit studio ;-)

Be sure to become a member here - extremeindie excitement coming down the road friends ;-)

Oklahoma Ward

Friday, July 23, 2010

FILMMAKING: What George Lucas Did to Me - Part 2


While I was a teenager I of course built models of X-wings and Tie Fighters. I wanted to work in a prop department but other than interest and ambition I knew I didn't really have anything to offer. I got married in 1985 and we had one child right away. My life was now committed to a family life and all the responsibilities that entails. My dream of making movies was put on the back burner while I worried about getting a paycheck. It was shortly after the crash of the economy in 1982 and keeping a job was not easy. I was laid off from 4 jobs in the 1980's alone.

Thursday, July 22, 2010

DAY 144: MAKING THE THRILLER/HORROR FILM CRAWL



Jumping over the last hurdles of
getting to the film set. Beware the alien finger at the end of the video....

Gotta love the indie filmmaker life!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Day 143: MAKING THE THRILLER/HORROR FILM CRAWL


The trials of moving across states for the filming of the movie CRAWL - part of being indie is doing it all yourself. Nikki and I working hard packing up studio and trying to get on location to start building the set for the movie filming this summer.


For the next week or so of vid blogs - the quality will be a bit rough as there will be no finetuning on the G5's - going straight from iPhone to YouTube. Lean and mean indie style baby ;)
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Blindness...


Well it seems yesterday is supposed to be our last day of rain until fall.  And horribly hot this coming week.  If today is any indication, they may be right!  Last  night I watched a movie on tv which I had never heard of, etc. and even though it had a lot of problems, it kept me to the end.  Blindness, the movie.  Directed by the same man who directed City of God, which surprised me no end.

Julianne Moore was the main character in the story.  Seems the world was suddenly infected with a mysterious illness, which suddenly with no warning would render the victim totally blind.  When it first develops, the people in charge decided to round up all the blinded victims and put them in a concentration camp due to the highly infectious disease.  Julianne's doctor husband has become blind so he is condemned to the camp.  When the van and all the suited guards come for him, Julianne joins him even though she is not blind.

Monday, July 12, 2010

FILMMAKING: What George Lucas Did to Me - Part 1


I was only 13. How could I have known? I thought I was just going to the movies to see a new, exciting film that looked real cool in the commercials on TV, especially that gold robot. Little was I to know that a man named George Lucas was about to shape my life, and I would never be the same again.

Watching this movie was NOTHING like watching any movie I had seen before. It had the feel of a real place instead of a sterile movie environment like other space movies where everything was new and shiny. There were rusting and damaged spacecraft, broken down robots, dirt was in all the usual places of things that have been around, and only the bad guys were wearing real, proper space uniforms. This was a place I could believe in......and I did.

Thursday, July 8, 2010

Persons Unknown, The Book of Eli and more...



Well, it has been a really unusual rainy rainy summer here!  First it was blazing hot for weeks, then the rains came.  What a year!  Anybody else keeping up with Persons Unknown?  We are, due to the fact that there is nothing else out there right now.  Not Lost by any stretch but its interesting enough to keep us coming back.  We now know a traitor in the midst and someone has been eliminated!!!  Killed, in other words.  Sounds like Daddy of the victim is involved with the baddies too!!  The victim's death is being hidden from the rest of the group still trapped in the "village." 

Thursday, July 1, 2010

ACTORS TIP: It's getting closer...



We officially started moving out of the edit studio as of yesterday - and I couldn't help but get giddy at the thought of what's happening - we're packing to head off and film a movie! I can't wait to get to Oklahoma and start building the set and start getting to physically be "in" the world I'll be living and acting in. 

Now, this may sound strange - but besides physically - I've already started making small changes in my personality and my lifestyle to start feeling more like the character in the movie I'll be playing:Tank -  and it's so freeing! See, all my life I've been the type of person who cared a lot what people think of me. I'd never leave the house with my hair a mess or without my makeup on. I always had to be presentable - and I guess it was my way of feeling accepted. Even going to the gym - which didn't happen often back then - I would make sure my clothes were just right - my hair - tight in a ponytail with hairspray so I didn't have any wispy hair sticking out. I felt that if I didn't look good - people would judge me. Make fun of me - or - I don't know. Anyway - point being - it was this inner fear of just being myself and being ok with that which I lived with.

Sunday, June 20, 2010

DAY 110: MAKING THE THRILLER/HORROR FILM: C R A * *


Day 110 - and all things are moving along fast in pre-production. As Craig flew up and over from Austin to LA packing along with him the camera we a considering using - we decided to tackle the questions we had about using this new Indie darling - the 5D. Here is the result of the test footage - shot at 2am in the morning - with minimal - and most of the time - no artificial light. 



Well - tons more pre-production info and more test footage/camera discussion coming very soon - and look out for the official thriller/horror movie site page  - the official name of the movie - kickstarter campaign - auditions - music video - viral campaign - set build - artwork - all coming soon my friends - and most of all - THANKS for the support ;-) I mean that. Now - back to making a kickass scary movie for ya'll to enjoy ;-) 



Oklahoma Ward

Monday, June 14, 2010

FILMMAKING: A Slick Way To Fund Your Project


In this post you will learn about a method of funding your feature film, short film, trailer, documentary, or whatever creative project you may have. You can gain funding without bending to an investor because this method is not about investors. You will have to do some work to garner pledges, but it's for something you love and are passionate about, so you are doing this already. It's called Kickstarter.com .




MOVIE FAN CHAT: Breaking Bad, The Tudors and more...



Wow!  Talk about a teaser ending last night on BB.  Jesse, Jesse, Jesse!!!  Didn't think you were ever going to pull that trigger.  And then I think, why am I egging on a unprovoked killing of a relatively innocent man.  I know, I know, he was making meth and surely knew the possible consequences but still, he wasn't threatening Jesse.  Do you think I will be waiting next season with bells on??  You betcha!  Questions abound.  Will chicken man take revenge on the scumbag attorney?  Will chicken man threaten Walt's family?  Guess the kitchen homey meals with chicken man ended last night, right?  I loved the old flashback of Walt and wife contemplating the purchase of a home and expecting first child.  Walt says, "Why can't we go overboard on price, things will only go up from here."  What innocent dreams and optimism we humans harbor.

Friday, June 11, 2010

MOVIE FAN CHAT: This and that...


Hello again.  Not much to report on.  Having seen much since the last time.  Watched SYTYCD, both the notifications and the first show.  I'm not too happy about 6 guys and only 5 girls.  What's the Deal?  I'm surprised none of the girls haven't complained about this.  Is there going to be two winners this year, one guy and one girl, or just one winner, which gives the guys a little edge here.  What's the deal, Nigel????  Also not too crazy about the experienced top former dancers dancing with the  new contestants.  Hopefully it will be better in future but watching the various dances, it was very hard for the viewer to pick out the current contestants from the others on the stage while dancing.  Added was the difficulty of seeing the dancers against the background lights which in effect back-lit the dancers but obliterated almost everything but their silhouettes.   Great for artistic effect but hard to do any judging.  But overall it is great to see the fabulous dancing and routines.

Thursday, June 10, 2010

FILMMAKING: Musclin', My Short Film: PART 2


To update the progress on my film, the unexpected set-back of everyone's schedules has been a positive event in disguise. This has given me the time to acquired the Canon HV30 high def camera I mentioned in my last post, in new condition, for $400 off the regular retail price. I've also secured permission to shoot at the ice cream stand.

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

MOVIE FAN CHAT: Daybreakers, Justified, Reasonable Doubt and more...


Well, we watched Daybreakers the other night, not knowing what to expect, and it was interesting to say the least.  Sometimes the plot got a little confusing but overall it was different from most vampire movies.  There was some gory looking over the hill vampires, who turned into scary monsters even to the general population of vampires from lack of real blood.  But the movie didn't depend entirely upon scary distorted makeup to carry the movie.  Oddly just watching vampires in suits and ultra sleek settings, drinking their cocktails of blood, bloody coffee and so on was hardest of all to watch for me.  Same in District 9.  That cat food in the cans being gobbled up by the aliens and half alien was very hard to watch.  I had to tell myself its not real blood in Daybreakers and not real cat food in District 9.  Funny how small images can really get to you.

MOVIE FAN CHAT: Trailers - what you want is..!



We are bringing another question to you - the fans - because we are listening to what you think and want!

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

MOVIE FAN CHAT: Breaking Bad, Justified, Tudors, The Road...


Well I don't know what everybody else thought but I thought Breaking Bad was awesome!!!  Did Jesse show his courage and convictions by standing up to the chicken man and his Mafioso sidekick!  I was worried to death about this plan to use the streetwalker to poison the two street thugs, THEN when Jesse was picked up by the two bad guys and driven to remote location, I really thought his time was up!   Especially after the serious talk about "no half measures" to our hero.  I thought Jesse was a goner for sure.  Then when he is taken up for the meeting with all present and realizes he has been sold out by his "partner", did you feel the anger and disgust and the fight to control himself.  How did you like the handshakes forced upon him with the two thugs.  But if that wasn't shocking enough, then the killing of the 11 year old boy and young brother of Jesse's current girlfriend!