On Indie Wednesday, we take the chance to celebrate creative work from all corners apart from our own.
Today's it's another laugh from Birdbox Studio.
Today's it's another laugh from Birdbox Studio.
Cannonball: Cabin Creeps
This one is for Ron Parritt (aka Bass Adkins). When the original cut of our first feature film clocked in at well over two hours, it became apparent that some major trims had to happen. One of the larger chunks that fell by the wayside is this scene that really served little purpose other than to further establish the creepiness of Adkins.
- It's amazing to me how long ago we shot this. Before the days of HD. And I'm not at all pleased at how much aging I've done since then.
- Check out Allen sacrificing his body at the 3:38 mark. Our reactions to that are genuine. Al goes stuntman-style and of course the scene gets cut.
- Ron's "What do you think it is?" line was one of our favorites to quote, so it hurt us to cut it.
- We shot this on Ron's uncle's property in Frankfort. He has a sort of 19th century ghost town that he built himself.
- The training montage was originally supposed to be a little more carefully constructed and shot in Wes Anderson style.
- Probably one of the biggest regrets was that the elimination of this scene removed Aaron Ratiere's incredible Bigfoot song from the body of the movie and moved it to the credits. I think we can all agree on the song's unadulterated awesomeness.
You can watch Cannonball free online (and leave us a tip if you'd like) or order a DVD to watch at home.
Comic-Con's News and Notes 7.22.13
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| We can only hope these are the guys that play Batman and Superman. |
One weekend every year, San Diego, California becomes Nerdvana. (Did you see how I did that? nerds... nirvana... Don't steal it, I just trademarked it.) Over the past four days, thousands of nerds from around the world descended on the city for SDCC - San Diego Comic-Con; the biggest and most ballyhooed of all the Cons. One day I will attend and I will drag people with me, I swear it. Many purists complain that the convention has little or nothing to do with actual comics these days, serving instead as a hype machine for all the latest movies Hollywood is churning out for the geek set. Speaking of...
WSF Notes
I'll hit you with some quick updates on production in the Compound this week. I've poured through all the Paranormus footage we shot last weekend. Good stuff. Possibly even better than we'd hoped for.
The next step is to schedule a shoot as soon as possible in August to finish this thing out. If I can edit in a timely manner, we may be able to get this thing submitted to Rivers Edge Film Fest before the late deadline. That will at least give us a chance to return to the land of quilts for our fourth consecutive year to our favorite fest on the planet. If we don't get it done... there will be much sobbing in the Compound. We need our Kerchoff's sammiches.
This week I'll be editing whenever I can on both Paranormus and Space Cops. Getting an early jump on the Paranormus edit before the next shoot may make the difference in whether we can finish it up in time.
We'll see you back here for Indie Wednesday (actually on Wednesday this time) and anything else that comes up.
Indie Friday?: This Is How You Die
Our indie short is running behind this week, but I don't want to short-change all the faithful "WSF Bloggies" out there (yes, that's a real thing). So, here you go. This short is apparently drawn from a book by the same name and it's good for a couple chuckles. Here is the book's synopsis if you want some more details:
The machines started popping up around the world. The offer was tempting: with a simple blood test, anyone could know how they would die. But the machines didn't give dates or specific circumstances-just a single word or phrase. DROWNED, CANCER, OLD AGE, CHOKED ON A HANDFUL OF POPCORN. And though the predictions were always accurate, they were also often frustratingly vague. OLD AGE, it turned out, could mean either dying of natural causes, or being shot by an elderly, bedridden man in a botched home invasion. The machines held onto that old-world sense of irony in death: you can know how it's going to happen, but you'll still be surprised when it does.
Commercial Time
Wow, that ad man looks like a jerk.
Did I mention our creativity is for sale?
Because it is.
Some people understand you need unique or weird/funny ideas to grab people's attention. Trust me: no one is more ready weird it up for you than we are.
Vertical Video Syndrome
Vertical Video is an epidemic, but we can stop it if we work together. The first step is to get the word out. We should all thank Glove and Boots for being so conscientious.
Paranormus' News and Notes 7.15.13
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| Barnabus is overcome by "the passion." |
Friday night was ghost hunting night for the WSF gang. Oh, what will those loveable scamps come up with next?
Paranormus is Todd Sheene's brain child. A (sort of) reality show about two less-than-macho ghost hunters who would rather be doing almost anything else and their friend Barnabus Morningstar, the eccentric, self-proclaimed medium.
The night lived up to its billing to say the least and there are plenty of stories to tell, so let's get to it...
First things first: Much thanks to Jim, Jeff, Trish, Heather, Jessica and all the folks of KY Paranormal who made Friday night happen. I'm stunned that so many people were willing to give up their Friday night to help us out. They were great. Also, thanks to Aram Martin and Kolton Winfield who are full-fledged members of the Walk Softly team. Once again, we literally couldn't do it without them. So, thanks for helping out the old guys. (Oh, but don't think you're off the hook yet, either.)
As the sun began to set, we headed to Harrodsburg, KY and the offices of the Harrodsburg Herald; locally famous for its level of paranormal activity. Paranormal KY set up all their legitimate investigating gear and we got down to business. These guys take their investigations seriously and truly try to help people out. They have just about every piece of gear you can think of.
True to form, we made a long night of it. We talked to spirits, ran around screaming, caused a nuisance, and thoroughly confused the late-night dwellers of Harrodsburg all while the Paranormal KY crew tried to do some real investigating.
We shot until we ran out of digital space somewhere around 1 o'clock in the morning and Allen and Todd's allergies hit full tilt. This tweet from the next morning might give you some insight on how everyone feels about our shoots...
Nothin like spending your Saturday with a killer Walk Softly Films hangover @WalkSoftlyFilms #indie #indiefilm
— Aram Micaiah Martin (@TwasAreem) July 13, 2013
Yeah, that just about sums it up. That's how we do. I hope everybody else loves it as much as I do.
Now for what you really want to know: did any of us get scratched, felt up, or possessed? Well not so much, I think we were too busy for the spirits. BUT, as we packed up to head home, Jeff Sanford grabbed us and asked if we wanted to see some video of a phenomenon they'd caught earlier in the night. Check it our for yourself, but let me say, this little clip wasn't nearly the most interesting section. At one point, it looked like there was a full-on blizzard of unidentified particles flying in from the right side of the screen, then they would stop on a dime. It was crazy.
We can't wait to show you this and all the other productions we've been working on. (I'm hoping we can finish this one up in time for an entry to the Rivers Edge Film Fest.) We'll see you back here for Indie Wednesday and anything else that comes up this week!
Indie Wednesday: Chop Chop
Birdbox Studio is apparently a room full of geniuses across the pond in London. I'm full on jealous. Impeccable concept, timing, and execution. Their work is enough to make you fall in love with traditional animation again.
Costume Hunting News and Notes 7.8.13
As promised, the WSF gang spent Wednesday night on the move in Lexington. We were scouring the streets to costume up for our newest ghost hunting project. From the mall, to second-hand stores, to vintage shops, to Thrift Store Row on New Circle, to a diner full of greasy goodness, we knocked it out in unparalleled style. In the aftermath of that night, I have a few notes I'd like to send out to the people and patrons of that fine city.
To Dillards,
Your forty-dollar bow ties are way too pricey for the Walk Softly budget. Yes, perhaps I should have known that you aren't in the economical costuming business, but know this: you just lost your shot at the BIG TIME.
To Aprés Vous Gently Worn Clothing store,
Your mid-90s University of Kentucky track suit that was recently marked down to $5 is AMAZING and if any one of us had been able to put it to use, we absolutely would have taken it off your hands.
To the ladies of Street Scene,
Thank you for your awesome vintage wares and providing us with the bulk of Todd's costume right from the jump. With a three-piece suit, powder blue tuxedo shirt, and those tinted glasses, we were well on our way to a look fit for an eccentric psychic.
To the Thrift Stores of New Circle,
You are the best. New Circle Salvation Army, there has never been a better organized thrift store in all of creation. Your clothes aren't just organized by garment, but also by size AND color?? Are you kidding me? Your selection is huge and you always, always come through for us. But, next time, maybe be a bit nicer to that girl who may have been hallucinating and just wanted to buy your couch. She had enough problems dealing with her withdrawal tremors, she didn't your attitude on top of it. And, New Circle Goodwill, thank you for your incredible stock of authentic police shirts. No longer should anyone in Lexington ever have to buy low quality police costumes that have ridiculous nametags like Officer Ben Drinking.
To Parkette Drive-In,
Well done. Well done. Your tater tots were crispy, your chili cheese fries were as delicious as they were artery-clogging, and your orange float was heaven in a cup. Oh, and the water in your sink was about 600 degrees Kelvin, so beware of lawsuits.
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| Allen and Todd literally on the run from The Scratcher. |
Look buddy, I don't know what you've got going on down South, but a 10 minute, uninterrupted, hand-inside-the-shorts, scratch to your nether-regions is neither appreciated in a restaurant nor is it a good sign for you personally. Time to either hit the showers for a serious scrub down or make a doctor's appointment.
And with that imagery, I'll bid you adieu. Come back for Indie Wednesday and a big week of updates. The aforementioned ghost hunting shoot is this Friday night, so we'll have plenty to say about it. If you aren't following us on Twitter, now would be a good time to get some live updates from the shoot.
Indie Wednesday: German Moses
How about some Flula for your Indie Wednesday? Like any good German, Flula really loves Dirk Nowitzki.
Side Note: As promised, we're going to be on a costume hunt in Lexington tonight, so keep your eyes peeled.