t.minus 55 days
posted Mar 10, 2010 Comments
Strange and redacted teasers are coming and going on t.minus - each one is a clue that ties into the finished film.
Labels: Post-Production, t.minus, Vimeo
Strange and redacted teasers are coming and going on t.minus - each one is a clue that ties into the finished film.
t.minus 58 days
posted Mar 7, 2010 Comments
Two nights ago I purchased Amanda's plane ticket from Los Angeles to Reno - we'll be filming during the 5th to the 15th in May. I still have to purchase a plane ticket for myself, but I'll most likely be flying back to NY and not MI, so I have some details to work out first. It's all very exciting - May is approaching fast (58 days from now) and I've been loosing sleep trying to make sure nothing has been left unplanned.
The wonderful Karen Abad and I will be going over - via Skype - what I have storyboarded so-far as well as what still needs to be added to our May shot list. I'm nervous because time-wise, as well as budget-wise; we have 10 days to get every last shot needed involving Larry. There's some other work that requires an old 8mm camera and two college-aged girls during the 40s... but that's a different shoot for a different time.
Also, one quick Kickstarter update before I sign off - I just received the first KSR-edition of our 64 Days Production Journals in the mail and everything looks great! So for those of you who have been waiting very patiently for those, I'll be getting them out very shortly.
I apologize for the post feeling so short and scattered - but that's very much how I'm feeling currently - perhaps I should force myself to bed before 3 am tonight. I think I'll do that...
The wonderful Karen Abad and I will be going over - via Skype - what I have storyboarded so-far as well as what still needs to be added to our May shot list. I'm nervous because time-wise, as well as budget-wise; we have 10 days to get every last shot needed involving Larry. There's some other work that requires an old 8mm camera and two college-aged girls during the 40s... but that's a different shoot for a different time.
Also, one quick Kickstarter update before I sign off - I just received the first KSR-edition of our 64 Days Production Journals in the mail and everything looks great! So for those of you who have been waiting very patiently for those, I'll be getting them out very shortly.
I apologize for the post feeling so short and scattered - but that's very much how I'm feeling currently - perhaps I should force myself to bed before 3 am tonight. I think I'll do that...
Labels: 64 Days, Crew, p52, Post-Production, t.minus, Writing
Skip Perfection & Launch Early
posted Feb 26, 2010 Comments
In the last few years, since running this production blog, I've talked many, many, many times to other filmmakers who want to wait till after they raise funds / after they cast actors / after they finalize the script / after they location scout / after they finish principle photography / after they finish their film's first rough cut... all *before* worrying about a website.
There's an impulse to get everything as close-to-perfect before putting it out there infront of people - now, I'm not making a case for releasing the roughest parts of your feature film, I wouldn't know how to go about such a thing in a constructive way - but it's important to put as much of your project out in the open as early as you can.
One point I found interesting in the post was this: "On a psychological level, a team thinks differently once the first version of a product is up and running. Rather than working for a hypothetical group of customers, everything you do affects real people. Your team will become more expedient and start to think of the project in smaller chunks rather than as an insurmountable giant."
Amanda and I released the 1st five episodes relating to Pedal before many components of the film were "ready". The episodes themselves are rough and are sometimes hard for me to watch without being overly critical. But they shifted the mindset we were working in dramatically.
There is no comparing the day-to-day urgency in working on a project with only yourself to answer to... only yourself to disappoint if you don't come through on schedule - as opposed to being public about your project's intentions, ambitions, and missteps. The difference would be similar to rehearsing a speech infront of the bathroom mirror and giving that same speech infront of a crowd of hundreds; everything changes.
Amanda and I have tried to sneak as much of the finished film, For Thousands of Miles, into the supporting episodes and stories (64 Days) as we could. Hitting on specific moods or story-telling styles which allowed us to see not only *how* people reacted but, more importantly, *what* they reacted to. This feedback has had a very strong affect on the film's narrative - really in a way that I never would have expected.
I can look through each page of the script and find specific lines that have either found their way into - or remained in the script - because of a comment someone left on an episode, or because of an email we received that said a certain line from episode one meant something much larger to them personally.
I understand that in the earliest stages of planning; things will change greatly - but in launching your project early, in making public your ideas and goals; which specific things will change between planning and release will be guided in a much more constructive and rewarding way.
Labels: advice, p52, Post-Production
so much for balance...
posted Feb 19, 2010 Comments
I've spent the entire week writing and re-writing and scribbling notes on script print-outs and combing paragraphs with highlighters. Which has meant two things; first, I've made a lot of progress with the film's narration and structure and story... and second, that I've fallen behind on everything else in my life.
I plan to force myself to step away from the script over the weekend and do some serious catching up - but I do feel really good about the last week. Not to say I haven't been struggling with certain parts of writing... I have, as far as I can tell now, two areas of the script, totaling no more than a page, that need to be written or finished. Those areas are; one, the very last line of the film, and two, the bridge in story after Larry McKurtis has returned home but before he had seriously committed to his upcoming 16,000 mile adventure.
Amanda and I had a Skype call with Larry on Thursday and talked about the fast-approaching trip to Northern California to film additional scenes of the film. I'm really excited about running around the Sierra Buttes and seeing Larry and Jay again - it's been too long.
I plan to force myself to step away from the script over the weekend and do some serious catching up - but I do feel really good about the last week. Not to say I haven't been struggling with certain parts of writing... I have, as far as I can tell now, two areas of the script, totaling no more than a page, that need to be written or finished. Those areas are; one, the very last line of the film, and two, the bridge in story after Larry McKurtis has returned home but before he had seriously committed to his upcoming 16,000 mile adventure.
Amanda and I had a Skype call with Larry on Thursday and talked about the fast-approaching trip to Northern California to film additional scenes of the film. I'm really excited about running around the Sierra Buttes and seeing Larry and Jay again - it's been too long.
Labels: FToM, Kickstarter, p52, Post-Production, Writing
Do Something Different
posted Feb 12, 2010 Comments
I was going through my unread Instapaper list tonight - cleaning things up, watching videos I had saved for later, etc - and I came across a post by Ted Hope, from his blog, Truly Free Film, titled: 50* Ways You Can Do Something Different On This Production.
There were a few points that I particularly liked - that got me thinking about ways in which I could change the way we're doing things on Pedal. I thought I'd write about them here and get people's feedback.
#2: Do something stylistically just because you like it. Allow something to be "outside" the film, something that doesn't fit so right and is only there because you dig it. Why does it always have to fit?
This is one of those suggestions that seems like it would come naturally - but I have found that there is an incredible amount of self-sensorship or filtering with ideas during the creative process.
I try to write everything down that comes to mind - and find ways of working it in, or at least discussing it with Amanda as an option. But many ideas get dumped too quickly because they don't "fit", and what does that really mean? Doesn't fit how? Doesn't fit with things I've seen done before?
Reading this suggestion helped remind me that there is a difference - albeit a fine lined one - between something not "fitting" and something not "working". As the story of FToM gets closer and closer to being locked down - I need to add in ideas that really feel creative and new... maybe they'll only make the deleted-scenes in a DVD extra... but at least I'll have tried hard to make them work.
#9: What would be a different business model? Could you give it away? Free it? Never plan to screen it theatrically? What if the movie was not the main event, but something else was?
Although we do have solid plans to release FToM freely - I want to think more about the idea of the film not being the main-event. What could we structure around the film that would give it more meaning... more interaction... more momentum?
I don't have an answer for this yet - but it's something I want to revisit often as we work through post-production.
#12: What if you built your audience base prior to shooting? And maintained significant communication with them throughout the process? How might that change your final work?
I feel like I've tried very hard to do this during every step of Pedal. Sometimes I've not done as good a job as I would like... I let things get in the way of being open and keeping a conversion going around the project - or around storytelling in general.
But I like how Ted ask, "How might that change your final work?", because this blog has lead to a back-and-forth that has dramatically changed the project itself and the final film. So much so I'm not quite sure I would even know where to start... I feel very fortunate for this site and the people that it's helped introduced me with.
I now know that, for me, storytelling will always be a very empty undertaking without this kind of community from day-one.
#13: Innovate. Try some new equipment on every production. Improve a simple process. Isn't production about the communication of information in the service of art, as efficiently, economically, and aesthetically as possible?
I wanted to mention this idea for one specific reason - when the crew, The Black Sheep, flew from Belgium to Los Angeles, they brought a handful of different equipment with them to use on the road. They packed their main camera of course, an Fx1 with a SGpro 35kit, a 16mm hand-crank camera - but also several small mp4 cameras. These small low-quality cameras turned out to be incredibly helpful for both the 64 Days series as well as FToM. The jump in quality and frame-size really helps add another layer to the story... the footage feels personal in a way that the HD footage does not.
When Amanda, Karen and I leave for Northern California to film additional scenes with Larry, I intend to have a camera in my hands at all times filming little details.
I've been working hard to storyboards specific shots and have been busy editing those into a timeline with temporary voice-over tracks - and these shots will be the main focus, they'll be scheduled out and planned in detail. But there's so much I could miss if don't take the time to step back and record things the way I see them in the moment without the filter of "how is this going to fit into the film".
There were a few points that I particularly liked - that got me thinking about ways in which I could change the way we're doing things on Pedal. I thought I'd write about them here and get people's feedback.
#2: Do something stylistically just because you like it. Allow something to be "outside" the film, something that doesn't fit so right and is only there because you dig it. Why does it always have to fit?
This is one of those suggestions that seems like it would come naturally - but I have found that there is an incredible amount of self-sensorship or filtering with ideas during the creative process.
I try to write everything down that comes to mind - and find ways of working it in, or at least discussing it with Amanda as an option. But many ideas get dumped too quickly because they don't "fit", and what does that really mean? Doesn't fit how? Doesn't fit with things I've seen done before?
Reading this suggestion helped remind me that there is a difference - albeit a fine lined one - between something not "fitting" and something not "working". As the story of FToM gets closer and closer to being locked down - I need to add in ideas that really feel creative and new... maybe they'll only make the deleted-scenes in a DVD extra... but at least I'll have tried hard to make them work.
#9: What would be a different business model? Could you give it away? Free it? Never plan to screen it theatrically? What if the movie was not the main event, but something else was?
Although we do have solid plans to release FToM freely - I want to think more about the idea of the film not being the main-event. What could we structure around the film that would give it more meaning... more interaction... more momentum?
I don't have an answer for this yet - but it's something I want to revisit often as we work through post-production.
#12: What if you built your audience base prior to shooting? And maintained significant communication with them throughout the process? How might that change your final work?
I feel like I've tried very hard to do this during every step of Pedal. Sometimes I've not done as good a job as I would like... I let things get in the way of being open and keeping a conversion going around the project - or around storytelling in general.
But I like how Ted ask, "How might that change your final work?", because this blog has lead to a back-and-forth that has dramatically changed the project itself and the final film. So much so I'm not quite sure I would even know where to start... I feel very fortunate for this site and the people that it's helped introduced me with.
I now know that, for me, storytelling will always be a very empty undertaking without this kind of community from day-one.
#13: Innovate. Try some new equipment on every production. Improve a simple process. Isn't production about the communication of information in the service of art, as efficiently, economically, and aesthetically as possible?
I wanted to mention this idea for one specific reason - when the crew, The Black Sheep, flew from Belgium to Los Angeles, they brought a handful of different equipment with them to use on the road. They packed their main camera of course, an Fx1 with a SGpro 35kit, a 16mm hand-crank camera - but also several small mp4 cameras. These small low-quality cameras turned out to be incredibly helpful for both the 64 Days series as well as FToM. The jump in quality and frame-size really helps add another layer to the story... the footage feels personal in a way that the HD footage does not.
When Amanda, Karen and I leave for Northern California to film additional scenes with Larry, I intend to have a camera in my hands at all times filming little details.
I've been working hard to storyboards specific shots and have been busy editing those into a timeline with temporary voice-over tracks - and these shots will be the main focus, they'll be scheduled out and planned in detail. But there's so much I could miss if don't take the time to step back and record things the way I see them in the moment without the filter of "how is this going to fit into the film".
Labels: Black Sheep, Ideas, p52, Post-Production
Post Production * Week 112
posted Feb 6, 2010 Comments
I sound a bit under the weather in this update - but despite my sore throat I've been hard at work editing and writing for the film.
Amanda and I have been working over video-chat to work out the rough parts of the script. On top of that, we recently finished our 64 Days Production Journal and I just so happened to get it in the mail today after I started recording this video.
I'm really excited at how they turned out! We'll be posting more on that later - for now, it's time for me to get back to editing.
Labels: 64 Days, Post-Production, Vimeo, Vlog, Weekly Update
we ♥ karen abad ♥s dinosaurs
posted Jan 30, 2010 Comments
A few post back I mentioned: "Amanda and I are very close to working with two very talented people who's work we think is amazing". For some of you who follow the film on twitter, you might have come across the USA Today article that made the announcement a few days earlier than planned - which I thought was quite funny. But in any case:
In May, Amanda and I will be traveling to Northern California - we'll be doing this to film scenes with Larry that are from the perspective of both coming home and (then later in the film) prepping for his next 16,000 mile adventure. We've always known that we would need additional help with these scenes - unlike the strictly documentary part of For Thousands of Miles, these will be specific shots that involve a lot of planning and precision (in some cases). So, after a lot of thought, we approached our 1st choice for the posistion, Karen Abad. And she said "of course!".
I really can't explain how fortunate I feel about the history of this project - I think back to just weeks after this production blog launched (in 2004), when I talked with Amanda about my number one choice, out of *anyone*, for filming this documentary, being a small team of Belgians half way around the world. And by some odd and random string of events - it actually happened. I actually was able to spend two amazing weeks on the road with a team of three filmmakers who taught me so much about storytelling.
In May, Amanda and I will be traveling to Northern California - we'll be doing this to film scenes with Larry that are from the perspective of both coming home and (then later in the film) prepping for his next 16,000 mile adventure. We've always known that we would need additional help with these scenes - unlike the strictly documentary part of For Thousands of Miles, these will be specific shots that involve a lot of planning and precision (in some cases). So, after a lot of thought, we approached our 1st choice for the posistion, Karen Abad. And she said "of course!".
I really can't explain how fortunate I feel about the history of this project - I think back to just weeks after this production blog launched (in 2004), when I talked with Amanda about my number one choice, out of *anyone*, for filming this documentary, being a small team of Belgians half way around the world. And by some odd and random string of events - it actually happened. I actually was able to spend two amazing weeks on the road with a team of three filmmakers who taught me so much about storytelling.
Labels: Crew, Expedition to Endure, Post-Production
* t-shirts
posted Jan 29, 2010 Comments
I had no idea the machines they use to print shirts were so awesome - the way it drops and spins around is kinda' hypnotizing. I think I shot way, way more footage of their machine than anything else.
The tees are 100% organic cotton unisex alternate apparel shirts - and all the profits help support our feature film. Get yours at big cartel.
Labels: Post-Production, Store, t-shirts, VGkids, Vimeo
Assembling a Distribution Team
posted Jan 21, 2010 Comments
There's a long list of tiny steps that have to be taken before For Thousands of Miles is ready to distribute. My goals for this year are highly ambitious - and I know that my chances of reaching those goals on-my-own are remote. Amanda and I have been fortunate enough in the past to bring on people who are not only amazingly talented, but incredibly supportive in their confidence of Pedal.
But there is one area of this project that is very intimidating to me. And for as far as we've come alone with this film... for all the obstacles and dead-ends and set-backs... the one area where I do feel increasingly isolated is: distribution.
I have heard over and over again - the last three years especially - the importance of a distribution plan *before* you even start your film. This is not to say that Amanda and I have zero plans for the release of FToM - we actually have a strict idea of releasing the film for free online (see Nina Paley). But with this model of release comes an overwhelming amount of preparation... preparation that I feel hasn't been done.
For example - On Peter Broderick's website, he goes into some of the key points behind a distribution team, which include: strategy, foreign sales, outreach coordinators, theatrical and semi-theatrical bookers, and print and online publicists. Do all of these points apply to FToM? No. But enough of them do to make it clear Amanda and I must find a way to really lock down our plans, to really fill in the lines between point a and point b of saying "we are releasing our film online for free" and actually making it happen.
I'll end this post with a few questions: How have (experienced filmmakers) / do-you-plan (aspiring filmmakers) on releasing your film? How did / will you form a distribution team? Was / is this team included in your project's budget? If your film, like many 1st time filmmakers, has no real financial foundation - how did you still go about forming a team of people for something global like this? Any advice could really help put my mind at ease and get Amanda and I pointed in a more constructive direction.
Labels: Distribution, Feedback, Filmmaker Summit, Post-Production, Slamdance, Workbook Project
Maintaining Momentum
posted Jan 11, 2010 Comments
The last week of work for Pedal has been a big multi-tasking challenge. It always seems like the holidays come with a traffic-jam of task and catching-up. I've been keeping myself overworked with re-writing / storyboarding / scanning those storyboards and editing them into the FToM timeline.
Which brings me to a question I wanted to ask: Do any of you reading have ideas about how we can be more open in what Amanda and I are working on from now until May (when we film in Northern California)? Are you interested in seeing a list of weekly task? Are you interested in simply seeing more Production Vlog Updates?
I suppose my thinking is, the next few months are going to require a tremendous amount of focus and energy... and I'm a believer in the idea that people's interaction and involvement, even oversight, is extremely motivating and sparks creativity.
Moving on. I wish I could go into details right now - but it's not time for a full announcement just yet, but I'm far too excited to keep it all to myself: Amanda and I are very close to working with two very talented people who's work we think is amazing. One will be (hopefully) involved with areas of filming, and the other will be (hopefully) involved with areas of design and illustration. More on that as soon as possible - we don't like to keep secrets from everyone.
Which brings me to a question I wanted to ask: Do any of you reading have ideas about how we can be more open in what Amanda and I are working on from now until May (when we film in Northern California)? Are you interested in seeing a list of weekly task? Are you interested in simply seeing more Production Vlog Updates?
I suppose my thinking is, the next few months are going to require a tremendous amount of focus and energy... and I'm a believer in the idea that people's interaction and involvement, even oversight, is extremely motivating and sparks creativity.
Moving on. I wish I could go into details right now - but it's not time for a full announcement just yet, but I'm far too excited to keep it all to myself: Amanda and I are very close to working with two very talented people who's work we think is amazing. One will be (hopefully) involved with areas of filming, and the other will be (hopefully) involved with areas of design and illustration. More on that as soon as possible - we don't like to keep secrets from everyone.
2010: the next year of post production
posted Jan 4, 2010 Comments
This post isn't a resolution of any kind - but it is what I see happening with the project within the next year... what Amanda and I will be working hard to accomplish. 2010 is going to be a big year for Pedal - there's been an overwhelming amount of effort behind getting ourselves positioned to burst past some of our last and largest hurtles.
Enough about that for now - there's still a few months for details on our upcoming week in Northern California.
I'd be lying if I said I wasn't scared to say this out loud... to put it here in writing - but inside I do feel Amanda and I could have For Thousands of Miles done this year. I want that... so much. We're close enough to the end where it's something that's within reach. I've been patient for so long... and perhaps it's dangerous to focus on the end before we're there. It's a goal... but it can easily become a distraction.
2009 was a really exciting, really stressful, really amazing year for all things Project Pedal and life in general - and I know 2010 is going to be even better!
The second being - I stumbled across a site called Project 52 that had a simple but great challenge: Project52 is a personal challenge geared toward getting fresh content on your website. The goal is to write at least 1 new article per week for 1 year.
Earlier last year I was closer in the habit of 2 post per week - but I know these last two months especially I've been struggling to keep up. So I've signed up at 52 in an effort to not two weeks go by between updates this year. I'd also love to get Amanda writing more here - we've been working a lot over iChat and Skype and I think her perspective on this leg of production would be interesting for people. Remember - if there's anything you'd like to know more about, please let us know. We're always happy to answer questions and be as transparent as possible.
Labels: FToM, p52, Post-Production, Store
filmmaking during the holidays
posted Dec 18, 2009 Comments
The holidays during High School for me always used to bring considerable stress - I ran Cross Country for four years and anything that interfered with my daily training felt like a major distraction and derailment. I always felt incredibly guilty and lazy if I wasn't able to, at the very least, put in three miles. Perhaps I was a strange teenager.
I bring it up because I find it funny that now, I don't get anywhere near the exercise I used to, but I do feel a great deal of stress when holidays come around because it's nearly impossible to work on Pedal my normal 5-6 days out of the week.
That's not to say I haven't touched Pedal in any capacity for the last week - I've been very busy finishing up some of the Kickstarter rewards for all the amazing people who helped backed our last campaign. Normally my time would be spent doing KSR work half the time, and the other half I'd be writing or story-boarding. It's just this month has been half KSR and half getting ready for Christmas.
After that - the very real and pressing deadline of Feburary is coming up, in which all the film's writing needs to be done. Or at least done enough to film from. Any changes made will need to be small enough to work with what we have. All story-boarding and logistical planning needs to be complete by April - in which we also need to have nearly all the temporary voice-overs recorded and placed in sequence with the drawings of needed shots.
Larry will be leaving near the end of June or early July for his 16,000 mile adventure and sustainability efforts for Expedition to Endure. All of FToM's additional filming needs to happen between April and June or else Larry will be out of town for the next year.
It's a lot to finalize and I'm excited to do so. I can't wait to pull off some of the shots that we've been working on - much of the film tells the two-sides of coming home, and we're working hard to be sure the visuals of the film match those mirror opposites of someone's post-trip experiences.
I bring it up because I find it funny that now, I don't get anywhere near the exercise I used to, but I do feel a great deal of stress when holidays come around because it's nearly impossible to work on Pedal my normal 5-6 days out of the week.
That's not to say I haven't touched Pedal in any capacity for the last week - I've been very busy finishing up some of the Kickstarter rewards for all the amazing people who helped backed our last campaign. Normally my time would be spent doing KSR work half the time, and the other half I'd be writing or story-boarding. It's just this month has been half KSR and half getting ready for Christmas.
After that - the very real and pressing deadline of Feburary is coming up, in which all the film's writing needs to be done. Or at least done enough to film from. Any changes made will need to be small enough to work with what we have. All story-boarding and logistical planning needs to be complete by April - in which we also need to have nearly all the temporary voice-overs recorded and placed in sequence with the drawings of needed shots.
Larry will be leaving near the end of June or early July for his 16,000 mile adventure and sustainability efforts for Expedition to Endure. All of FToM's additional filming needs to happen between April and June or else Larry will be out of town for the next year.
It's a lot to finalize and I'm excited to do so. I can't wait to pull off some of the shots that we've been working on - much of the film tells the two-sides of coming home, and we're working hard to be sure the visuals of the film match those mirror opposites of someone's post-trip experiences.
Labels: Editing, Kickstarter, Post-Production
Crawling Out From Under the Bed Covers
posted Dec 6, 2009 Comments
On Thanksgiving morning I woke up with a killer sore throat - which by the time Saturday night hit, turned into a full-blown flu that kept me up the entire night in the bathroom. Three days after that and I was finally able to drag myself out of bed without being too dizzy to stand. I haven't been that sick in a long, long, long time - six days in bed was fairly extreme for me when it comes to my typical cold.
I have an overwhelming pile of things to catch up on now that I'm back on my feet - first up is putting the finishing touches on the Kickstarter rewards for all the unbelievably amazing people who helped us reach our goal and secure $8,945 towards the film!
In between working on our KSR responsibilities I'll be very anxiously story-boarding more pieces of the film that we'll be shooting in Northern California with Larry. I have to remind myself most days that there are still many small stages of FToM left to complete - but at the same time, we feel so close to the end. I look at the script and I compare it to the time-line in Final Cut and it's just very exciting. I feel like we only have several major hurtles left to deal with before we're able to sit down and actually watch a rough cut of FToM.
It's time I get back to work - don't forget to share any ideas for DVD bonus features in the comments!
I have an overwhelming pile of things to catch up on now that I'm back on my feet - first up is putting the finishing touches on the Kickstarter rewards for all the unbelievably amazing people who helped us reach our goal and secure $8,945 towards the film!
In between working on our KSR responsibilities I'll be very anxiously story-boarding more pieces of the film that we'll be shooting in Northern California with Larry. I have to remind myself most days that there are still many small stages of FToM left to complete - but at the same time, we feel so close to the end. I look at the script and I compare it to the time-line in Final Cut and it's just very exciting. I feel like we only have several major hurtles left to deal with before we're able to sit down and actually watch a rough cut of FToM.
It's time I get back to work - don't forget to share any ideas for DVD bonus features in the comments!
Labels: 64 Days, Kickstarter, Post-Production
Kickstarter - We Did It!
posted Nov 16, 2009 Comments
November 11th marked a few excited things: a 28th birthday, the 100th week of post production, and the day FToM on Kickstarter reached 100% of it's funding goal!
Since then pledges have slowly kept coming in - and we want to make the best of this momentum and the remaining days (campaign doesn't end until Thanksgiving).
We'd love to see if we can hit an even higher goal - Kickstarter is such a powerful and unique outreach tool and we want to raise the bar as high as possible.
We've designed FToM t shirts that we're really happy with (Alternative Apparel 100 percent organic cotton unisex) and want to give as many as we possibly can to the amazing people who helped us reach this goal.
Also - with 10 days left - I have a bit of a birthday wish: to get Livestrong / Lance Armstrong to pledge a $1 to the film. If you click this link - it will pop open twitter, with a pre-written tweet all ready to send. I know we can do this!
Labels: Kickstarter, Post-Production, Twitter, Weekly Update
*this* meets *this*
posted Nov 6, 2009 Comments
Amanda and I had already been struggling to get Pedal off the ground for 3 years by the time we released Episode One (in Dec of 06). Even at that stage in pre-production, the story driving the feature length film had evolved quite a bit since day 1 of planning.
Now it's been over two years since following Larry McKurtis across the country, and Amanda and I have gone through several variations on roughly the same story during the writing and editing process. One of the most important changes has been the interview segments, which I wanted to talk about in this post.
After two years of writing and editing and more writing, I've been more and more accepting, specifically the last 4 months, of the reality that these interviews don't fit smoothly with the rest of the film. They don't need to be in the film... they don't bridge any thoughts or moments that otherwise feel rough. The only reason it feels that we would use the interviews is because... well, typically you see interviews in documentaries.
And that doesn't seem like a very good reason to use them.
The other day, Amanda and I had a long brain-storming session over iChat, we did a full read-through of the script as it stands today, and discussed the few pieces of the film that are still just notes in an outline. One of the most important things we talked about was "what" For Thousands of Miles has evolved towards.
We both agreed that FToM closer resembles a documentary like Earth, or March of the Penguins then it does Man on a Wire, or Dig!. I've always heard that documentaries really find their story in the editing room - I just hadn't assumed that FToM would become the film it has.
And I started to really consider this format for the film... I wanted to treat FToM like a case study. Like we were learning about this species of animal; people, that sometimes would travel impossible-to-imagine distances for seemingly no reason. Sometimes alone, sometimes in small packs. A big focus of this study would be the after effects that these youthful adventures would have.
Pedal has never been a project about someone's personal experience - it was never intended to tell stories from one person's trip. And although visually we follow one person from coast to coast, there are many layers in the narration that feel more generalized... That these emotions aren't unique to Larry's experience - that most people go down a long and exhausting road internally after they've come home.
Also, one last thought before I sign off - I've never been able to explain Pedal as a *this* meets *this* kind of pitch. It's been 6 years of working on this film and I just could never do it. But after talking with Amanda and really going over things - I think I'm finally comfortable with mashing two films together as a close'ish representation of what people can expect.
Now it's been over two years since following Larry McKurtis across the country, and Amanda and I have gone through several variations on roughly the same story during the writing and editing process. One of the most important changes has been the interview segments, which I wanted to talk about in this post.
After two years of writing and editing and more writing, I've been more and more accepting, specifically the last 4 months, of the reality that these interviews don't fit smoothly with the rest of the film. They don't need to be in the film... they don't bridge any thoughts or moments that otherwise feel rough. The only reason it feels that we would use the interviews is because... well, typically you see interviews in documentaries.
And that doesn't seem like a very good reason to use them.
The other day, Amanda and I had a long brain-storming session over iChat, we did a full read-through of the script as it stands today, and discussed the few pieces of the film that are still just notes in an outline. One of the most important things we talked about was "what" For Thousands of Miles has evolved towards.
We both agreed that FToM closer resembles a documentary like Earth, or March of the Penguins then it does Man on a Wire, or Dig!. I've always heard that documentaries really find their story in the editing room - I just hadn't assumed that FToM would become the film it has.
And I started to really consider this format for the film... I wanted to treat FToM like a case study. Like we were learning about this species of animal; people, that sometimes would travel impossible-to-imagine distances for seemingly no reason. Sometimes alone, sometimes in small packs. A big focus of this study would be the after effects that these youthful adventures would have.
Pedal has never been a project about someone's personal experience - it was never intended to tell stories from one person's trip. And although visually we follow one person from coast to coast, there are many layers in the narration that feel more generalized... That these emotions aren't unique to Larry's experience - that most people go down a long and exhausting road internally after they've come home.
Also, one last thought before I sign off - I've never been able to explain Pedal as a *this* meets *this* kind of pitch. It's been 6 years of working on this film and I just could never do it. But after talking with Amanda and really going over things - I think I'm finally comfortable with mashing two films together as a close'ish representation of what people can expect.
Labels: FToM, Inspiration, Post-Production
A goal 6 years in the making
posted Oct 26, 2009 Comments
It's 11am, EST, and that means we're kicking off our day long Digg*athon! I'll keep this post short and to the point. Let's start with the shortened URL for easy sharing:
digg.com/d318Fjp
And if any of you are reading this post via your phone, you can Digg our submission here on mobile Digg:
tr.im/D6tn
Here's a quick snippet from the description if any of you would like to pass the above links along to friends:
A film project six years in the making - with only 31 days left on an all-or-nothing Kickstarter campaign, it's time to see just how far we can push this ambitious documentary during post production!
Just have 15 seconds? Digg this story. Have a $1 you can pledge? Each backer goes a long way. Help spread the word, and be a part of our indie film!
Keep an eye on our KSR campaign and our twitter account for updates on how things are going. Here's to an exciting day!
And if any of you are reading this post via your phone, you can Digg our submission here on mobile Digg:
Here's a quick snippet from the description if any of you would like to pass the above links along to friends:
A film project six years in the making - with only 31 days left on an all-or-nothing Kickstarter campaign, it's time to see just how far we can push this ambitious documentary during post production!
Just have 15 seconds? Digg this story. Have a $1 you can pledge? Each backer goes a long way. Help spread the word, and be a part of our indie film!
Keep an eye on our KSR campaign and our twitter account for updates on how things are going. Here's to an exciting day!
Labels: Diggathon, Kickstarter, Outreach, Post-Production
Digg*athon!
posted Oct 23, 2009 Comments
Several days ago, I posted a quick question about setting a date to Digg our current For Thousands of Miles (FToM) Kickstarter campaign - all the feedback we received was positive.
We'll be Digging the film's campaign at 11 am EST on Monday, October 26th. The first 2 hours following will be the most critical in pushing Pedal towards the front page of Digg, but the Digg*athon will last the entire day, as all diggs will be very helpful.
It's important to clarify "why are we doing this?". Digg can be a very powerful site, and it can help reach out to hundreds-of-thousands of new people in a matter of hours.
The last time we submitted something Kickstarter-related to Digg, we spent only about an hour pushing the story on Twitter and Facebook, and had just shy of 40 people help Digg it. What was most amazing though; was at the start of that morning, our campaign was lagging at around the 20% mark for total funds raised, by the end of the night, we had jumped to over 60% - raising more than $4,200 in pledges.
We know that Digg was just one part of the equation that afternoon, but we're excited to see what kind of effect the site could have if FToM's campaign received, say, 100+ diggs, or even 300+ diggs? How many new people would that put the film in front of? How many of those new people would find the film worth pushing forward?
We are hoping that by taking the weekend to help spread the word about Monday morning's Digg*athon - we will be able to pull in at least 70 diggs within the 1st hour.
A few things to keep in mind: if you'll be away from your computer during the first 2 hours - you can very easily help Digg with almost any cell phone (ie: iPhone, Blackberry, or any cellphone with internet access) via mobile Digg.
If you don't have an account already, make one early so you'll be able to simply click the URL, and then the "digg it" button and be done with it. You can even connect Digg to your Facebook account to make signing up much faster.
Also, comments are factored into the algorithm for Digg's site -if you are able to, leaving something as simple as a one sentence comment could help launch the submission ahead of several other stories with the exact same number of Diggs. If you have a question regarding the film, it would be a great place to post it, it could help spark a conversation.
The hashtag we'll be using for all related tweets, post, or status updates will be "#diggathon", if you'd like to help spread the word, using this hashtag will help us track that progress.
We're only $1,900 short of meeting our goal! Let's see how much closer to that goal we can get by the end of Monday night. Mark your calendars or add yourself to our event page, and thank you all so much to everyone in advance for your involvement and support.
We'll be Digging the film's campaign at 11 am EST on Monday, October 26th. The first 2 hours following will be the most critical in pushing Pedal towards the front page of Digg, but the Digg*athon will last the entire day, as all diggs will be very helpful.
It's important to clarify "why are we doing this?". Digg can be a very powerful site, and it can help reach out to hundreds-of-thousands of new people in a matter of hours.
The last time we submitted something Kickstarter-related to Digg, we spent only about an hour pushing the story on Twitter and Facebook, and had just shy of 40 people help Digg it. What was most amazing though; was at the start of that morning, our campaign was lagging at around the 20% mark for total funds raised, by the end of the night, we had jumped to over 60% - raising more than $4,200 in pledges.
We know that Digg was just one part of the equation that afternoon, but we're excited to see what kind of effect the site could have if FToM's campaign received, say, 100+ diggs, or even 300+ diggs? How many new people would that put the film in front of? How many of those new people would find the film worth pushing forward?
We are hoping that by taking the weekend to help spread the word about Monday morning's Digg*athon - we will be able to pull in at least 70 diggs within the 1st hour.
A few things to keep in mind: if you'll be away from your computer during the first 2 hours - you can very easily help Digg with almost any cell phone (ie: iPhone, Blackberry, or any cellphone with internet access) via mobile Digg.
If you don't have an account already, make one early so you'll be able to simply click the URL, and then the "digg it" button and be done with it. You can even connect Digg to your Facebook account to make signing up much faster.
Also, comments are factored into the algorithm for Digg's site -if you are able to, leaving something as simple as a one sentence comment could help launch the submission ahead of several other stories with the exact same number of Diggs. If you have a question regarding the film, it would be a great place to post it, it could help spark a conversation.
The hashtag we'll be using for all related tweets, post, or status updates will be "#diggathon", if you'd like to help spread the word, using this hashtag will help us track that progress.
We're only $1,900 short of meeting our goal! Let's see how much closer to that goal we can get by the end of Monday night. Mark your calendars or add yourself to our event page, and thank you all so much to everyone in advance for your involvement and support.
Labels: Diggathon, Kickstarter, Outreach, Post-Production
three pages
posted Oct 17, 2009 Comments
I've spent most of the last week going over and over the same three pages of script. I'm not at the stage yet where I feel mostly frustrated, I just have yet to find how they fit together and overlap.
The three pages all deal with the moment Larry arrives at the Atlantic Ocean, in Bar Harbor, and for the first time in 4,200 miles, has reached the end of the road.
Another page deals with the rush of emotions that come at the very end of any long adventure... all the memories associated with your trip, all the struggles and little memories seem to snap together at once and it's an overwhelming rush that comes and goes all too fast.
I guess I just thought that writing about this might help me find what I'm looking for, and also it's been 9 days since my last post and I wanted to let people know what I've been working on piecing together. All this talk of Bar Harbor and arriving at the Atlantic has reminded me of this video Amanda and I recorded, knowing that we had finally made it to the end of production:
Also, before I sign off, I wanted to say thanks to everyone for all the feedback on the Digg*athon question. I've been working on putting that together as soon as possible. Stay posted.
The three pages all deal with the moment Larry arrives at the Atlantic Ocean, in Bar Harbor, and for the first time in 4,200 miles, has reached the end of the road.
Another page deals with the rush of emotions that come at the very end of any long adventure... all the memories associated with your trip, all the struggles and little memories seem to snap together at once and it's an overwhelming rush that comes and goes all too fast.
I guess I just thought that writing about this might help me find what I'm looking for, and also it's been 9 days since my last post and I wanted to let people know what I've been working on piecing together. All this talk of Bar Harbor and arriving at the Atlantic has reminded me of this video Amanda and I recorded, knowing that we had finally made it to the end of production:
Also, before I sign off, I wanted to say thanks to everyone for all the feedback on the Digg*athon question. I've been working on putting that together as soon as possible. Stay posted.
Labels: bar harbor, Digg, Post-Production, Writing
Digg*athon?
posted Oct 8, 2009 Comments
I've been procrastinating on this question for a few weeks now - mostly cause it wasn't necessarily pressing, and I had a lot of other higher-priority things on my "to do" list - but with only 49 days left in our post production funding campaign, I figured sooner was better than later.
Nine days ago, I launched a new KSR introduction video - I submitted that new video to Digg, where more than 30 people helped vote it up. By the end of the day, we had raised more than $4,000 in new pledges!
I suppose I'm getting ahead of myself.
First the "idea", then the question: The idea is pretty simple; pick a date (just a few days out) to submit Project Pedal to Digg. Spend those 2 or 3 days getting the word out to people - with tools like twitter, facebook (an event page), emails, etc - to mark their calendars, and (if they don't have one already) quickly create a Digg account.
Having said that, I wanted to get feedback, before committing to it, from everyone out there reading: Should we try this? What area of the project should we digg (our film's homepage, our kickstarter campaign, a specific blog post)? How many days out should we set the "Digg*athon"?
This post is all about feedback. If you have any questions, comments or thoughts, please leave them so we can openly discus this and make a decision. Thanks!
Nine days ago, I launched a new KSR introduction video - I submitted that new video to Digg, where more than 30 people helped vote it up. By the end of the day, we had raised more than $4,000 in new pledges!
I suppose I'm getting ahead of myself.
First the "idea", then the question: The idea is pretty simple; pick a date (just a few days out) to submit Project Pedal to Digg. Spend those 2 or 3 days getting the word out to people - with tools like twitter, facebook (an event page), emails, etc - to mark their calendars, and (if they don't have one already) quickly create a Digg account.
Having said that, I wanted to get feedback, before committing to it, from everyone out there reading: Should we try this? What area of the project should we digg (our film's homepage, our kickstarter campaign, a specific blog post)? How many days out should we set the "Digg*athon"?
This post is all about feedback. If you have any questions, comments or thoughts, please leave them so we can openly discus this and make a decision. Thanks!
Labels: Diggathon, Feedback, Kickstarter, Post-Production
leaps and bounds
posted Oct 5, 2009 Comments
There are days, weeks even, where this project can feel stuck in the mud. That no matter how hard I try; I just spin in place - and it goes without much saying that it's a difficult feeling to put up with. Whether it's accurate or not.
And I'm not writing this post to whine or sulk - I'm writing to say that I feel quite the opposite right now. A month ago I was still running over and over the same 4 pages of script and barely making any real progress... I was also starting to worry that I wasn't able to reach out to enough new people for our current Kickstarter campaign.
I felt like I was dragging my feet on both fronts. I know a lot of people find themselves in these situations, that no matter what it is you're working on or busy with, that there are times when you just want to crawl under a rock and sleep.
And, I admit, that I did that for several days... not literally, but I would sit at my typewriter and blank out... I would walk around in circles with the script in hand, reading the same 4 pages out-loud on repeat. I would see that we had a slow day on Kickstarter and instead of pushing harder to get the word out, I wouldn't mention it anywhere.
But last week, something finally shifted and I began to make leaps and bounds with the script. Long lost pages and narration began to fit together and tell a story that felt smooth and progressive. Which, I believe, lead to the burst of confidence and momentum I needed to re-record and re-edit a new intro' video for our Kickstarter campaign.
The morning I uploaded our new intro', we currently had raised 20% of our goal - a handful of RTs, a few dozen diggs, and a wave of status updates later - and by the time I had gone to bed we jumped forward to an amazing 60%!
Which means a few things: a) we might actually be able to pull this funding campaign off after all (which means lots of exciting progress just ahead)! b) that in the next 52 days, I should be able to piece together large and completed sections of the film (writing, editing, voice-over, etc). c) that we are reaching all kinds of new people out there... and that we are very anxious to make a lasting connection with them. d) I felt like I a fourth point... but it is past my bedtime and I'm feeling groggy. So, I don't think it's coming back to me.
Now I'm sitting here on the floor, listening to The Wind, and blanking out in the direction of my typewriter - and I just want to finish this post by saying: Everyone gets into a slump. Everyone. But in my personal opinion, it's important to let it to depress you... to let it eat away at you and your confidence... to let your lack of action get under your skin and leave you feeling anxious.
Because when all that gives way and eventually comes out in full force - you can use it in your favor. You can come out swinging harder... as if you'd been up against the ropes with the timer running out. It might not be the most efficient way of working, but it does feel damn good sometimes.
And I'm not writing this post to whine or sulk - I'm writing to say that I feel quite the opposite right now. A month ago I was still running over and over the same 4 pages of script and barely making any real progress... I was also starting to worry that I wasn't able to reach out to enough new people for our current Kickstarter campaign.
I felt like I was dragging my feet on both fronts. I know a lot of people find themselves in these situations, that no matter what it is you're working on or busy with, that there are times when you just want to crawl under a rock and sleep.
And, I admit, that I did that for several days... not literally, but I would sit at my typewriter and blank out... I would walk around in circles with the script in hand, reading the same 4 pages out-loud on repeat. I would see that we had a slow day on Kickstarter and instead of pushing harder to get the word out, I wouldn't mention it anywhere.
But last week, something finally shifted and I began to make leaps and bounds with the script. Long lost pages and narration began to fit together and tell a story that felt smooth and progressive. Which, I believe, lead to the burst of confidence and momentum I needed to re-record and re-edit a new intro' video for our Kickstarter campaign.
The morning I uploaded our new intro', we currently had raised 20% of our goal - a handful of RTs, a few dozen diggs, and a wave of status updates later - and by the time I had gone to bed we jumped forward to an amazing 60%!
Which means a few things: a) we might actually be able to pull this funding campaign off after all (which means lots of exciting progress just ahead)! b) that in the next 52 days, I should be able to piece together large and completed sections of the film (writing, editing, voice-over, etc). c) that we are reaching all kinds of new people out there... and that we are very anxious to make a lasting connection with them. d) I felt like I a fourth point... but it is past my bedtime and I'm feeling groggy. So, I don't think it's coming back to me.
Now I'm sitting here on the floor, listening to The Wind, and blanking out in the direction of my typewriter - and I just want to finish this post by saying: Everyone gets into a slump. Everyone. But in my personal opinion, it's important to let it to depress you... to let it eat away at you and your confidence... to let your lack of action get under your skin and leave you feeling anxious.
Because when all that gives way and eventually comes out in full force - you can use it in your favor. You can come out swinging harder... as if you'd been up against the ropes with the timer running out. It might not be the most efficient way of working, but it does feel damn good sometimes.
Labels: Inspiration, Kickstarter, Post-Production, Writing
we have a film to make
posted Oct 1, 2009 Comments
33 days ago, Amanda and I launched a brand new Kickstarter campaign to help fund the last stages of post-production.
Since then we've been backed by over 40 people, with pledges ranging from $1 to over $500! We have raised $1,638 towards our goal of $8,300!
This is an all or nothing campaign. Meaning if we don't hit $8.3k, then no one's pledges go through.
Help support For Thousands of Miles, plus get awesome stuff like Pedal buttons, posters, autographed scripts, a 64 Days DVD with audio commentary and even my personal typewriter.
If you're new to this project, take a quick moment to check out our "hi, hello" intro page, it's a very informal, brief recap of the last 6 years.
Please consider backing our film with a $1 donation, or help spread the word by liking this video, sharing our KSR project with your followers on Twitter or your friends on Facebook. We are really excited about the next stages in post - and we are very, very grateful for all of your support!
Labels: Fund, Kickstarter, Outreach, Post-Production, Vimeo
Post Production - Week 92
posted Sep 15, 2009 Comments
Up past my bed-time getting some writing done - wanted to check in to update people on how writing has been going, and also to say thank you for all the amazing support we've been seeing through Kickstarter.
Labels: Kickstarter, Post-Production, Vlog, Weekly Update, Writing
something a little more sincere
posted Sep 6, 2009 Comments
Okay, my friend Eric suggested I get a little more sincere in my Kickstarter project description, so I wanted to give that a try:
There's a part of me that assumes when I mention, "I've been working on this film the last 6 years", that people automatically connect the dots, that they fill in the gaps of that statement and with it; understand how personal and important this film is to me. And that might be an unfair assumption.
The first few years after my trip I bottled everything up that I felt and learned from it - there was a frustration of being unable to put into words what it all meant. How profound it became once I was back home and able to pick each layer apart and let it sink in. I felt separated from everyone I was close to before leaving, I felt still on the road in many ways.
Then I began to write things down, and those things first evolved into a book, and then later that unfinished book evolved into a film outline.
I know all that might seem funny for a documentary about someone riding a bike for 3 months straight. But in order to successfully ride a distance of 2 or 3 or even 5 thousand miles, you have to, piece by piece, leave behind the person you thought you were.
There's a part of me that assumes when I mention, "I've been working on this film the last 6 years", that people automatically connect the dots, that they fill in the gaps of that statement and with it; understand how personal and important this film is to me. And that might be an unfair assumption.
The first few years after my trip I bottled everything up that I felt and learned from it - there was a frustration of being unable to put into words what it all meant. How profound it became once I was back home and able to pick each layer apart and let it sink in. I felt separated from everyone I was close to before leaving, I felt still on the road in many ways.
Then I began to write things down, and those things first evolved into a book, and then later that unfinished book evolved into a film outline.
I know all that might seem funny for a documentary about someone riding a bike for 3 months straight. But in order to successfully ride a distance of 2 or 3 or even 5 thousand miles, you have to, piece by piece, leave behind the person you thought you were.
Labels: 6 Years, Kickstarter, Post-Production, Update
outreach ideas?
posted Sep 4, 2009 Comments
I put a lot of work and thought into our recent Kickstarter campaign - and the honest truth is, I know full well it's a big goal. A goal that percentage-wise, isn't in our favor of reaching.
We could have gone for a smaller amount, and we might be forced to do so 3 months from now; dividing the first round of funding towards securing equipment, and then a follow-up for travel expenses, and another for additional storage to actual edit the footage we took, etc.
That would be a safer way to approach the next steps in post, but in the spirit of biting off more than we can chew, we went with the whole needed budget. I would love nothing more than to sit back and let the magic of the interwebs reach out into the world and find new people who might fall head-over-heals for our project. But... they say better safe than sorry, and in this case, I feel it's very, very important to reach to this goal. And I feel that to do so, we're going to need to pull some major strings, and think of some new and very effective ways of reaching new people.
I am open to suggestions. Actually, the entire point of this post is a call for new ideas. Don't hold back, I am interested in any and all possible forms of outreach. Raising the last $8k of our goal is going to take some serious hard work, and some serious love.
We could have gone for a smaller amount, and we might be forced to do so 3 months from now; dividing the first round of funding towards securing equipment, and then a follow-up for travel expenses, and another for additional storage to actual edit the footage we took, etc.
That would be a safer way to approach the next steps in post, but in the spirit of biting off more than we can chew, we went with the whole needed budget. I would love nothing more than to sit back and let the magic of the interwebs reach out into the world and find new people who might fall head-over-heals for our project. But... they say better safe than sorry, and in this case, I feel it's very, very important to reach to this goal. And I feel that to do so, we're going to need to pull some major strings, and think of some new and very effective ways of reaching new people.
I am open to suggestions. Actually, the entire point of this post is a call for new ideas. Don't hold back, I am interested in any and all possible forms of outreach. Raising the last $8k of our goal is going to take some serious hard work, and some serious love.
Labels: Ideas, Kickstarter, Outreach, Post-Production
the next step - cont'd
posted Aug 30, 2009 Comments
Amanda and I just launched a brand new Kickstarter campaign to help fund the last stages of post-production!
Here's the (long) description from our campaign page:
Our 1st round of initial post-production funding was a great success on Kickstarter! And because of the amazing 18 backers, which helped raise $1,105, I've been able to work full-time on FToM for the last three months.
Recently, I finished editing a huge chunk of this ambitious documentary, cutting down over 120+ hours of footage into a near 5 hour rough edit. Which brings us to our 2nd round of funding:
So what's the next step? I have a long road of writing still ahead of me. The script, which mainly deals with several narratives blocks in the film are still rough at best, and in most cases detailed treatments and outlines.
The few connecting pieces of FToM that have yet to be filmed - that mainly deal with the experience of coming home from a long ride - need to be story-boarded and added into the editing sequences as place-holders for pacing and mood.
Pick-up shots: it's time for Amanda and I to travel to Northern California, where our main character in the documentary, Larry McKurtis, is currently living and working. FToM deals a lot with the hardest part of a long-distance experience... waking up one morning in your bedroom, and realizing it's over.
That is to say, your entire experience on the road shifts when it begins to sink in that it's over. Moments that, at the time, felt slow and uneventful, blur together and begin to represent something more. You try to move on with your life, your routine, but so much of your mind is still stuck on the road.
There is a very, very short list of needed equipment (mostly simple hardware-store lights, an SLR adapter, and a basic DIY dolly cart) that we'll have to secure for the 1-2 weeks of controlled shooting.
From there, we'll need to purchase additional hard-drive space (because I'm working on two completely maxed out Lacie drives as it is) to import the new footage (as well as inexpensive USB LaCie drives for redundant backups... can't be too careful). Several more weeks of heavy editing will follow - which will mostly involve replacing all story-boarded sequences with the actual footage. Recording any temporary narration track (we have someone professional in mind for narration, but that's a different adventure all together at this moment).
At this point - we should have a watchable edit in Final Cut. Amanda and I will begin to work closely on making adjustments, and doing small personal screenings to receive outside feedback on the project. Make more adjustments. Repeat.
From there we'll need to ship off a locked edit to Belgium where Olivier will color correct the film. As well as hire a visual effects creator (for "I'm doing this because I love your film" wages) for a small number of simple and subtle layers to scenes dealing with imagination on the road.
I know this sounds like a lot - and it is, but all these overwhelming steps can be speed-up and more easily managed with a working budget and, more importantly, a supportive community.
DIY film-making can be a crushing, lonely, experience... but all things worth doing are difficult - and together we can be a part of something that I believe will beautiful, inspiring and unique.
Labels: Fund, Kickstarter, Post-Production
the next step
posted Aug 24, 2009 Comments
I've had several days to think about the two possible directions I mentioned in my last video update. First off, thanks so much to everyone who gave their advice and helped me weigh the pro's and con's.
There's a lot of little reasons for this, but for the most part, I left LA behind with the idea of focusing 100% on the film.
On a related note - for whatever reason, we've been getting a sudden increase in donations and I wanted to stress how amazingly helpful they have been. The recent PayPal donations and the $1,000 Kickstarter campaign we ran in June have helped me work full-time on FToM and narrow down 115+ hours of footage into a 4 hour rough-edit segment. And that has been an huge step towards finishing the film, so thank you so much!
That's all for tonight - I'd like to write a separate post about the specific steps ahead, as always I'd love to hear questions and comments regarding any aspects of the project.
There's a lot of little reasons for this, but for the most part, I left LA behind with the idea of focusing 100% on the film.
On a related note - for whatever reason, we've been getting a sudden increase in donations and I wanted to stress how amazingly helpful they have been. The recent PayPal donations and the $1,000 Kickstarter campaign we ran in June have helped me work full-time on FToM and narrow down 115+ hours of footage into a 4 hour rough-edit segment. And that has been an huge step towards finishing the film, so thank you so much!
That's all for tonight - I'd like to write a separate post about the specific steps ahead, as always I'd love to hear questions and comments regarding any aspects of the project.
Labels: 64 Days, FToM, Fund, Post-Production
Post Production - Week 88
posted Aug 18, 2009 Comments
I was up late last night working - and decided a video update was long, long overdue. I've been finished up on a huge step of post-production for almost two weeks now, and I've been waiting to make that announcement on video.
Also - and more importantly, I need people's input on what the next step for me should be.
Labels: Editing, FToM, Post-Production, Vlog, Weekly Update
There's more than one kind of free
posted Aug 16, 2009 Comments
I just finished watching a really inspiring video, twittered by Zak Forsman, of Nina Paley at the Phily DIY Days meet-up, that I mentioned recently, presenting the revenue results for her Creative Commons free-distribution approach. Yep, that's right, she has made money by giving her film away for free.
Nina released her animated film, Sita Sings the Blues, five months ago under a Creative Commons Share Alike license. Now this site, has for several years, published under a Creative Commons Noncommercial Share Alike license, and that license applies to all the content we post here; the episodes, the teasers, the production updates, etc (unless specifically said otherwise).
But what you can't do under our project's current license, that you are allowed (and encouraged) to do under Nina's is sell the content. It's not even required that you cut a percentage of the profits with the person who created the work. Although, in most professional cases, that person or organization does share their profit.
She brings up a specific example of this in the video, a Film Festival downloaded her film, put it in their schedule, and sent her a short email afterward saying something along the lines of, "hey, we put your film in our fest'. We'll send you a check in a few weeks". Her film played there, did very well, and she received a check for a few thousand dollars.
That is how film distribution should work! It's not there yet, but people like Nina are working very hard to prove that it is a viable option for both filmmakers and theaters. It's really inspiring and encouraging to see this model working, and working so well, even in it's early stages of approach.
The way in which Nina makes most of her money is through selling "containers", more specifically: DVDs and merchandise. This has been a hard sell for other filmmakers and distributors, a huge majority are still hard-pressed to understand that just because someone can stream or download a film for free, doesn't mean they will not pay for it.
The distribution of FToM has always been something I knew would have to be different - it's just not a film that is designed to be played in theaters all across the US. It's not a blockbuster, or a sleeper hit, or fun for the whole family. And I'm okay with that. I'm going to plan according for it, which means I won't be submitting to all the major film fest' with the hopes of being picked up. I'll still submit, but I won't be holding my breath.
FToM is guaranteed to do far, far better with a release approach similar to Nina's. And honestly, whether the film is more or less likely to be successful under this model is besides the point - I want to help push this form of distribution forward. I think it's important.
I think as more and more theaters upgrade their projection equipment to include digital, the more they tap into the internet, the more unavoidable it is to see organizations and companies come forward and help showcase film's with Creative Commons licenses. Most likely using something close to an on-demand / streaming / bit-torrent approach.
And that, to me, sounds like a very, very good thing.
Nina released her animated film, Sita Sings the Blues, five months ago under a Creative Commons Share Alike license. Now this site, has for several years, published under a Creative Commons Noncommercial Share Alike license, and that license applies to all the content we post here; the episodes, the teasers, the production updates, etc (unless specifically said otherwise).
But what you can't do under our project's current license, that you are allowed (and encouraged) to do under Nina's is sell the content. It's not even required that you cut a percentage of the profits with the person who created the work. Although, in most professional cases, that person or organization does share their profit.
She brings up a specific example of this in the video, a Film Festival downloaded her film, put it in their schedule, and sent her a short email afterward saying something along the lines of, "hey, we put your film in our fest'. We'll send you a check in a few weeks". Her film played there, did very well, and she received a check for a few thousand dollars.
That is how film distribution should work! It's not there yet, but people like Nina are working very hard to prove that it is a viable option for both filmmakers and theaters. It's really inspiring and encouraging to see this model working, and working so well, even in it's early stages of approach.
The way in which Nina makes most of her money is through selling "containers", more specifically: DVDs and merchandise. This has been a hard sell for other filmmakers and distributors, a huge majority are still hard-pressed to understand that just because someone can stream or download a film for free, doesn't mean they will not pay for it.
The distribution of FToM has always been something I knew would have to be different - it's just not a film that is designed to be played in theaters all across the US. It's not a blockbuster, or a sleeper hit, or fun for the whole family. And I'm okay with that. I'm going to plan according for it, which means I won't be submitting to all the major film fest' with the hopes of being picked up. I'll still submit, but I won't be holding my breath.
FToM is guaranteed to do far, far better with a release approach similar to Nina's. And honestly, whether the film is more or less likely to be successful under this model is besides the point - I want to help push this form of distribution forward. I think it's important.
I think as more and more theaters upgrade their projection equipment to include digital, the more they tap into the internet, the more unavoidable it is to see organizations and companies come forward and help showcase film's with Creative Commons licenses. Most likely using something close to an on-demand / streaming / bit-torrent approach.
And that, to me, sounds like a very, very good thing.
Labels: Creative Commons, Distribution, DIY, FToM, Post-Production
Teaser 017
posted Aug 4, 2009 Comments
I've mainly been using instrumental music for these teasers - but to be honest, I've always wanted to use music more in line with this teaser.
If I can help it, at least half of the soundtrack will be music you're used to hearing in these teasers, and the other half will be more... old, lonely, love-related. There's a good reason for that - but one I'll save for the film.
Until then - here's a shot of Larry pushing slowly back against the winds in ND... alone on the road with nothing left to do but think about everything his life has been, and everything he wants it to be.
Teaser 017 from mike ambs ☂ on Vimeo.
Labels: Embed, Post-Production, Teaser
Teaser 016
posted Jul 16, 2009 Comments
Maybe someone better with words could explain why it is abandoned houses always feel so fascinating when on the road.
I used to spend hours in them on my first bike trip... Tim and I would drag our bikes off the road, make lunch while sitting on a dirty, glass-covered floor. I would poke through old dressers, look for things that used to be important to someone. Baseball cards. Magazines with notes scribbled on the margins.
It was late when Larry came across this old farm-house - he stopped, took a few pictures, wandered around the back and peaked inside... but there wasn't enough light to really find your way around.
He was only there a few minutes, and then he was back on his bike... I wondered when I was filming this when the last time anyone payed any attention to this empty home.
Labels: Post-Production, Teaser, Vimeo
edit. sleep. repeat.
posted Jul 12, 2009 Comments
I kept putting off updating the blog this last week - I was hoping I would be done piecing together all the elements I need for the next t.minus campaign, and that I could write a post announcing it was up and ready for people to look at. But... I've been running into some problems with that, and I needed to step away from it until I figure out how to fix them.
I realize that's not the most the exciting update - but the last few weeks have been incredibly routine. A lot of repetitive editing, repetitive tasks that I need to stay on top of: updating cycling forums about Stockpile, emails, newsletters, et cetera.
To be honest it's been a bit emotionally draining. I know some might argue that I need to keep a reasonable positive spin on my updates and what I say publicly, you never know who's reading or paying attention to your project. But I think all filmmakers go through different funks during each stage of production. It's hard not to - and it's even harder when you're going through it alone.
I guess I would just love nothing more lately than to focus on editing - to be able to pass off all the areas of responsibility to someone else. But I know everyone reading this could use an extra hand and 8 more hours during the day.
I can say that music has been a huge, huge help recently, I've been able to catch up on a lot of the suggestions from our ♬ suggestion page. As always, if you've heard any great music recently that you think would be a perfect fit in For Thousands of Miles, be sure to drop us a comment in our Disqus thread.
I realize that's not the most the exciting update - but the last few weeks have been incredibly routine. A lot of repetitive editing, repetitive tasks that I need to stay on top of: updating cycling forums about Stockpile, emails, newsletters, et cetera.
To be honest it's been a bit emotionally draining. I know some might argue that I need to keep a reasonable positive spin on my updates and what I say publicly, you never know who's reading or paying attention to your project. But I think all filmmakers go through different funks during each stage of production. It's hard not to - and it's even harder when you're going through it alone.
I guess I would just love nothing more lately than to focus on editing - to be able to pass off all the areas of responsibility to someone else. But I know everyone reading this could use an extra hand and 8 more hours during the day.
I can say that music has been a huge, huge help recently, I've been able to catch up on a lot of the suggestions from our ♬ suggestion page. As always, if you've heard any great music recently that you think would be a perfect fit in For Thousands of Miles, be sure to drop us a comment in our Disqus thread.
Labels: Editing, FToM, Music, Post-Production, t.minus
Teaser 015
posted Jun 26, 2009 Comments
So, people have been asking me to post a FToM teaser that had a little bit of dialog in it for a while now. And I don't really have an excuse as to what took me so long to actually picking one out.
But, I have to give Erica some credit here... I had yet *another* quiet biking shot picked out and ready to go and she strong-armed me into saving that for another time and picking out something "different".
This group was one of the first people Larry ran into after having to say goodbye to his best-friend Jay earlier this morning. I know it must have been hard on Larry to carry on as if nothing was wrong or out-of-place.
Labels: Post-Production, Teaser, Vimeo
Update from Ypsi HQs
posted Jun 25, 2009 Comments
I'm sitting by the open window right now, enjoying the smell that comes after a mid-west thunder storm, and an iTunes playlist from Jon. It's almost been 10 days since my last post, so I thought I'd better check in and give everyone an update on what I've been busy with.
FToM: First on the list, the film. I've still been very busy going through clip by clip and dropping what I like in the timeline. I'm probably 1/3rd of the way through the 2nd TB of footage.
One reader replied, "I have a good feeling about the project. It looks like the personal essence of the moments will come through. Teaser number two shows, to me anyways, how profound it is to be insignificant. Good luck on the project."
Our main goal with Stockpile is to be able to visually show just how connected we are by the places we've been - how our experiences are intertwined in ways that are easily overlooked. We have a long way to go before we reach the number of videos needed to do that, but with steady pressure and outreach, by the time the film needs it, I believe we'll be prepared.
It turned out to be a really impressive and supportive community of people. of all the sites we've joined that had fundraising support, it's been by far the most successful.
Also, of course, a huge thank you to those of you who have recently donated via our new funding site. I know we had a few people do so during the Kickstarter campaign and I didn't want to sound like I was leaving them out.
I'm excited about the next round of funding - and have been thinking of ways to incorporate a breakdown of upcoming expenses that we can split into individual campaigns.
I can't say too much about it at the moment, but I can tell you it's a collaboration project that anyone can be a part of! And, if I can make up my mind on a design, there could be t-shirts involved too.
FToM: First on the list, the film. I've still been very busy going through clip by clip and dropping what I like in the timeline. I'm probably 1/3rd of the way through the 2nd TB of footage.
One reader replied, "I have a good feeling about the project. It looks like the personal essence of the moments will come through. Teaser number two shows, to me anyways, how profound it is to be insignificant. Good luck on the project."
Our main goal with Stockpile is to be able to visually show just how connected we are by the places we've been - how our experiences are intertwined in ways that are easily overlooked. We have a long way to go before we reach the number of videos needed to do that, but with steady pressure and outreach, by the time the film needs it, I believe we'll be prepared.
It turned out to be a really impressive and supportive community of people. of all the sites we've joined that had fundraising support, it's been by far the most successful.
Also, of course, a huge thank you to those of you who have recently donated via our new funding site. I know we had a few people do so during the Kickstarter campaign and I didn't want to sound like I was leaving them out.
I'm excited about the next round of funding - and have been thinking of ways to incorporate a breakdown of upcoming expenses that we can split into individual campaigns.
I can't say too much about it at the moment, but I can tell you it's a collaboration project that anyone can be a part of! And, if I can make up my mind on a design, there could be t-shirts involved too.
Labels: FToM, Fund, Post-Production, Stockpile, t.minus
Post Production - Week 78
posted Jun 17, 2009 Comments
Sorry this took so long to upload - I recorded this friday afternoon, and wasn't able to edit it while in Kentucky like I'd hoped.
But here it is - just an update on how I've been combing through the footage for the trip and making sense of it. It's a basic approach, but the baby-step process seems to be helping.
But here it is - just an update on how I've been combing through the footage for the trip and making sense of it. It's a basic approach, but the baby-step process seems to be helping.
Labels: Post-Production, Punakea, Weekly Update
Scatter-Brained
posted Jun 11, 2009 Comments
Last night I twittered that I finished off the first of two 1 TB drives full of FToM's footage - I went through and condensed many of the edits and took out clips I knew weren't working now that I had seen it next to other clips. So the timeline is still just barely pushing 2 hrs and 15 min.
I have a long, long road ahead of me. Finishing one of the drives was a great feeling, but it was a small step.
In my last post, I mentioned that I had been working hard on updated our Stockpile project. If you haven't seen the new site yet, please take a moment to check it out and help spread the word. When I was on the phone with Winona, from Adventure Cycling, she suggested I create a promo video for our outreach campaign. I thought it was a great idea, so here it is, our new 60 second Stockpile promo:
I have a long, long road ahead of me. Finishing one of the drives was a great feeling, but it was a small step.
In my last post, I mentioned that I had been working hard on updated our Stockpile project. If you haven't seen the new site yet, please take a moment to check it out and help spread the word. When I was on the phone with Winona, from Adventure Cycling, she suggested I create a promo video for our outreach campaign. I thought it was a great idea, so here it is, our new 60 second Stockpile promo:
Labels: Embed, Fund, Post-Production, Stockpile, Twitter, Vimeo
Like a Mad Man
posted Jun 4, 2009 Comments
Since my last post, about simplifying my editing workflow, I've been cutting For Thousands of Miles like a mad man. I created a separate sequence, nicknamed The Odyssey, and went from a blank slate to over 2 ½ hours in the last few days.
It feels so refreshing to just filter out the beginning, and the end of FToM, and just focus on the chunk that deals with a more linear (emotionally) arc. Treating it as it's own separate piece has lifted so much of the pressure and confusion from editing, and I can see already that having this larger, more complete block of the film actually in front of me, will make it much easier in the near future to tie it back into the bookends of the film.
Back to work for now - be sure to let us know in the comments if you anything questions about what's going on behind the scenes of Pedal.
It feels so refreshing to just filter out the beginning, and the end of FToM, and just focus on the chunk that deals with a more linear (emotionally) arc. Treating it as it's own separate piece has lifted so much of the pressure and confusion from editing, and I can see already that having this larger, more complete block of the film actually in front of me, will make it much easier in the near future to tie it back into the bookends of the film.
Back to work for now - be sure to let us know in the comments if you anything questions about what's going on behind the scenes of Pedal.
Labels: FToM, Post-Production, Stockpile, Vimeo
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