news and notes 10.22.12

I'm not sure how much work I'll get done this week but, as you can see, there are worse locations to edit. I am currently somewhere on the panhandle of Florida for a week of vacation and hoping to make some more headway on Space Cops Ep. 4. However, my trip to the Dirty South won't slow down all the fun here on ye olde indie production blog.

If you're disappointed in the lack of an Indie Wednesday last week, we should be able to make it up to you. How about your News and Notes today, an essay from Allen on Tuesday comparing and contrasting his experiences in indie film and community theater, the return of Indie Wednesday, AND the often promised but as-of-yet-undelivered new VHessay on Friday. It's an analysis of an 80's flick with a video game tie-in. That's right; on a week you'd expect us to phone it in, we're stepping it up a notch! ...bang

In other indie production updates, Todd has completed his script for Space Cops 5 which we're going to be attempting to shoot in early November. The script has some pitch-perfect 80s TV moments in it, mixed with pure nuttiness. You may indeed get more than one Space Cops episode in 2012.

[Note: In this spot I had written a little summary of our Space Cops Pre-Production process. But, I realized it would make a good post all on its own being that this is an indie production blog, so you'll have to wait for that.]

Regardless, be sure to stop back in for all the new posts and essays and analysis right here this week! We're still closing in on 500 Twitter followers, so keep spreading the word. #500 gets a prize pack and if you sent a tweet that brought them to us, you'll get the same prizes.

news and notes 10.15.12

October just seems to be one of those months. As if a third of the year's activities get squeezed into these four weeks. Festivals and vacations and soccer games and parties and Halloween and foot races and bike races and get-togethers and everything inbetween. A vacation is in the cards for me next week. I'll be headed to the Florida panhandle, but thanks to the new computing machine, I'll be taking the Space Cops edit with me. Speaking of...

All the Space Cops 4 footage has been sifted through and captured. There were lots of laughs for Allen, Todd, and myself in the process and I'm hoping that translates into plenty of laughs for you when it's all put together. I am currently somewhere around 3 minutes into the roughcut and editing will continue this week. We'll keep you up to date as we continue to approach the premiere of Episode 4.

Todd was unable to come up for the edit last week, so I put the Live Streaming Edit experiment on hold. We might give it a shot this week if possible. If so, you'll be warned ahead of time via Facebook and Twitter. And that leads to another update...

The Walk Softly Twitter account is up to 461 followers. Our 500th follow is going to get a Cannonball DVD with autographs, a page from our original shooting script with handwritten notes, and a hand drawn storyboard page. So pass the word along and lets shoot that number up over a thousand! Follow here!

indie wednesday: Derek Waters

Today we salute Derek Waters and his ingenious brainchild, Drunk History. Derek is the posterboy for the type of success story we love around here. After getting the normal runaround in Hollywood auditions, Waters decided to write his own material. He put together the first episode with friends he'd met like Michael Cera and Jake Johnson. Now, after millions of views, he is developing Drunk History for Comedy Central. So, he may not be indie anymore, but it's a beautiful dream for the rest of us. So congratulations, Derek! (And if Comedy Central ever wants to pick up Space Cops, we'll work for sandwiches.)

The most impressive aspect of the series is the timing. Every episode is a clinic in comedic delivery and editing. And the decision to have the actors mimic the narrator... Well, it all seems like a stroke of genious to me.

In this particular episode, you'll see JD Ryznar again. You met JD in a previous Indie Wednesday. Well, now we find out what happens when JD drinks way too much (at the request of Waters) and talks about history. Be aware, if you're at work or if the kids are around, language can get a little coarse when someone's had one (or seven) too many. Volume 6 is actually my favorite of the series, but since it has more language and a massive increase in upchuck, I'll let you find that on your own. There are so many laughs throughout and no duds, so look for the rest here if you'd like.

news and notes 10.8.12

It is good to see you, friends. Good, indeed. It is late. In fact, the midnight hour approaches as I write this and there aren't a ton of new developments, so I'll likely keep these News and Notes short. This week's update is dedicated to the SpaceX Dragon capsule. I could tell you that the dedication is due to the monumental, official shift from the Space Shuttle missions we all grew up with, to private business space launches. But actually it's only because the "SpaceX Dragon capsule" sounds like the coolest thing ever.

Space Cops editing continues this week. There may be another #EditingParty on Thursday with the whole gang and, if so, I'm looking into the possibility of doing a live video stream of the antics. That's right. Watch us edit. ....No, I do not have any idea what that would be like, but I know we laugh a lot while we're editing so maybe you would too. The idea would be video of us, video of what we're seeing on the screen, and the ability to comment in a live blog.

I believe all the community theatre duties for WSF folk and fam were completed this weekend. Hopefully several of you got the chance to see Allen as Jerry Peavler or Grace Sheene as Annie. Now we can go back to monopolizing all their time and energy for WSF endeavors once again. It is a hard knock life.

Stop back in for Indie Wednesday and possibly more this week.

indie wednesday: ruari robinson

Indie Wednesday might be running behind today, but he made it nontheless. Today we salute Ruari Robinson for his mildly disturbing, yet extremely well executed, short film, Blinky. Blinky may not exactly fit the spirit of Indie Wednesday due to its healthy budget and professional acting, but it is indie and it is outstanding work. So, without further ado, I present this 2012 Vimeo Awards winner.

news and notes 10.1.12

October 1st. Seriously? Even though the days go by too fast, there is plenty of good news to be had. First of all, I love this time of year. Autumn days are the best and I defy you say otherwise. It also means we're only one month away from the Rivers Edge International Film Fest and our trek to Paducah. Our excitement grows on the daily.

As you can see above, the Space Cops 4 edit is underway. Now you have visual proof. Todd and Allen are making their way to Frankfort tonight for a full-on WSF compound edit session and I'm looking forward to it. We'll keep you updated on how its going via the Twitter Machine (@walksoftlyfilms). It was an extremely busy weekend, but I actually got in a couple hours of footage capture Sunday morning before Church which means the new mobile editing device is already paying off. And best of all, we get to edit in the friendly confines of my house tonight. Hoo. Ray!

There are lots of things that need to be done. I have some housekeeping planned for our Twitter and YouTube and Vimeo accounts and some fun promo stuff leading up to the Space Cops release. And I'm sure I'm forgetting something because this installment of News and Notes is a tad rushed. We've got a lot going on!

Are you looking for some weekend plans? We can hook you up. One of our brilliant little collaborators, Grace Sheene, is playing the title role in Annie at Ragged Edge Theater in Harrodsburg, KY this weekend! Friday and Saturday at 8pm and Sunday at 3pm. There are tickets to be had, but I wouldn't delay in grabbing some.

Hey, have you taken advantage of our feature, Cannonball, online in its entirety yet? If you've seen it, have you forwarded the link to all your pals? I'll say it again: it's free, but we'll happily accept tips with the tip jar button or donations right here with that giant orange button. We'll see you with more stuff later this week and keep your eyes on Twitter tonight.

indie wednesday: D.A.D.D.Y.

Today we salute Dublin directing duo Mike Ahern & Enda Loughman aka D.A.D.D.Y. Mr. Foley is one of those perfect little concepts that makes you smile immediately and makes you wonder, "why didn't I think of that?" I don't want to ruin it, just push play.

And don't forget to watch our first feature film now online for the first time...FREE. And if you like it, we'll happily accept tips!

cannonball online

Today is the day. Starting now, you can watch Cannonball online!

Now, here is how this works... you follow the link and you push play. End of story. No fees, no passwords, just 90 minutes of ha-ha's instantly with a click. Think of it as a rental. Except in this case, you only leave us a tip or donation if the movie was worth your time. A buck, five bucks, zero... it's your call. In any case, every dime we receive goes directly to making more short films, Space Cops episodes, and/or even another feature someday.

On the Vimeo page where you watched the movie, you'll see a Tip Jar button. Or you can come back here and use the big orange DONATE button on the right side of the page. That button will take you to our Paypal. Either method works for us. If you really, really like it... by all means stop by our store page to order a Cannonball DVD. If you don't have any bucks to spare, we still want you to watch. You can do us a favor by sharing the link with everyone you know.

Cannonball took us roughly 10 years to produce, kids love it as much as adults, and I've never heard anyone say it was a waste of their time. Due to its age, it wasn't shot in glorious HD, but the jokes still work. So, kick back and enjoy 90 minutes with Tony, Lou, and the Bandit.

news and notes 9.24.12

News and Notes may not not be groundbreaking every week, but today's news is huge for us and it's been at least a year in the making.  So, I'll get right to it and make it brief:

Beginning tomorrow, September 25th, you'll be able to watch our feature film Cannonball online in its entirety. And it gets better. You can watch it absolutely free if you want. We'll be accepting tips/donations only and we're keeping our fingers crossed that anyone who likes it will want to slide us a few bucks to fund more productions. We wanted to give as many people as possible the opportunity to see it while opening up a new funding window at the same time and I'm excited about both. You can come right back here tomorrow for the link and official release.

Funding is especially important because...
The new WSF editing computer is here! And it's fully operational. I spent the weekend getting her all set up and the Space Cops 4 edit begins tomorrow. Get excited. You'll have new/old retro-futuristic police exploits to watch...and soon!

Cannonball on Tuesday. Indie Wednesday. And who knows what else the week will bring.

indie wednesday: JD Ryznar

I don't know what it is about West Coast slackers that resonates with me, but I'd love to hang out with JD Ryznar. Today, we salute JD with a little video that gives you a taste of his personality. His humor is laid back and offbeat and I'm thoroughly entertained by just about anything he does. This is actually one of his lesser known videos. Ryznar has actually carved out some significant internet fame.

I first found JD when I stumbled on to his Channel 101 show, Yacht Rock. Yacht Rock is probably my favorite web series, but be warned, the language can get a little salty (as you would expect when examining the history of smooth rock n' roll).  Episodes 4, 5, 10, and 11 are some of my favorites but I recommend them all. It's a genius concept and I was hooked the first time I saw it. Plus, Michael McDonald got several iTunes downloads out of me as a result. So, everybody's a winner.

Oh, and I once played Draw Something with the guy and he drew an obscene depiction of Abe Lincoln for "penny". Therefore, JD Ryznar will always be okay in my book.