Location, Location, Location, & Acting!

 Well, it's been awhile since the last post, but that doesn't mean we've been laying around!  There's been a lot of prepping going into making the first F:LoNC episode, which will be filmed at the end of this month of March 2013 and posted by the end of June 2013.  Due to other projects & mostly due to lack of finances, the second & third episodes will be filmed the end of October 2013 and posted at the end of January 2014 with the fourth, fifth, & sixth episodes done the end of February 2014 and posted by the end of May 2014.

Though just last week CK showed his first three lead actors the shooting location and gave them their scripts.  They all seem very excited to be a part of this, Cody even posted his Instagram photos of it to show the world.

Here in these photos the actors are shown with the pendant that the series will circle around.  CK's gone to great lengths to keep the feel of Fallout: New Vegas going with the webseries script, along with hooking up with two legit prop makers known as "SkruffyNerfherder" and "emptysamurai" (a very special thanks to each of them, along with best wishes to their projects).  Emptysamurai is actually working on a film himself that'll take place in the Washington state area.  Thankfully as far as we know their projects won't interfere in the Fallout Universe with CK's background story he's created.  Just as a teaser we'll reveal that the story will eventually end up in the area of Missouri, Illinois, Iowa, & Wisconsin with two great factions that would overshadow NCR, The Legion, The BoS, The Enclave, or The Commonwealth should any of those individually venture into the two said factions' territories.

Well, pray all goes well with the film!  This is a long-term project that has BIG goals!

Deadline = Goal

After meeting with Richard again at the beginning of this month, we decided to set some deadlines for the 1940’s Project. We’re planning on releasing the film in October, around the time that there is a Marathon and the Huntsman Senior Games here in STG. I should have the script done by the end of the month, then we’ll get casting done by the end of March/beginning of April, and begin filming sometime in May. One reason for such a tight schedule is that Richard is getting married in September sometime along with having his honeymoon, so he’ll be out of the picture for about half a month or more.

A person of interest that will be hopefully helping us with the music for the 1940's Project is my cousin Ben Stratford. He's an excellent music composer who's composed & directed some great pieces already, and should be graduating with a degree at DSC in music. Though to get him to work with us I’ll need to crank out the words and learn fast how to write a script the correct way, but that’s one reason I’m taking a screenwriting class at DSC this month. My professor is Brian Strasmann, who worked on the script for Free Willy. He's a great guy that seems to know his way around the film field.

Now I may have to think more about it all, but we're packing all the plans for this film in a short amount of time. I just hope we can get it all done in the time allotted.

Working With DSC Commercials

This semester I've taken some more film classes. The class has been able to work on some of the Dixie State College commercials they will be showing pretty much everywhere they are able (still in the process of finding a link to the said promos). As far as classes at the college go, I've been able to help as an Assistant Director, Best Boy, & Gaffer. For those of you that don't know what each of those do, here are some definitions:

• Assistant Director: Pre-production (the period before filming starts) where they prepare the 'schedule', (a filming timetable that shows which scene is to be shot on which day and what needs to pre-booked/hired to achieve that) and Production (during the shoot) where their main task is to ensure that the production sticks to the schedule. [http://www.startintv.com/jobs/1st-ad-assistant-director-film-tv.php]


• Gaffer: The chief electrician responsible for the lights and provision of power, often in difficult conditions and carrying considerable responsibility.[http://www.startintv.com/jobs/gaffer.php]


• Best Boy: A term used in the film world, for the main assistant to the lighting electrician or Gaffer.[http://www.startintv.com/jobs/best-boy.php]
  
  

Besides doing those things and observing, I have only begun a script for my own commercial that due to time, I don't think we'll get to do. Well, that's the update. Talk to you later!

Preppin' for the possibilities

Well, today is the day (the deadline)... We'll see if I won anything within a few weeks, but if you've been looking around the contest info (prob wondering what this is all about) you will know that this coming Sunday on March 15 STA will conduct phone interviews with the top 20 applicants. From those, the top 10 picks will then do a second video submission. I really hope to get picked for this because this will be my time to shine. I have some great ideas to do and look forward to trying them out for the STA. Though if I don't get picked, I'll just move on to other film ideas. This summer is full of possibilities!

One interesting thing I read was that the age cut off for applicants is 26, so I won't be able to try out for this next year. Just so ya'll know that I'm not totally crazy, the thing I'm banking on is that I'll be picked because I have so little experience. Being like your average college student who hasn't traveled to Europe, China, South America, etc but has been around just a few states & their local vicinity. I'm competing against many who have been to at least Mexico or Canada, speak 2 or 3 languages, and some have awesome videos (see Bri Eggers), but I don't see how some of them can top their current videos or actually do the same on the field! Well, like I said before, we'll see how it goes on the 15th....................... VOTE FOR ME!! ;)

Spreadin' The Good Word

This past Monday I began in earnest my campaign to be the next STA World Traveler. What steps did I take you say? Well, let's start from the beginning:

• First off, right after I submitted my video I messaged all my Facebook friends (interesting note - In all my friend lists [except 1] I know the people pretty well in real life). When I sent the messages I gave a little paragraph for others to send so they can invite their friends.



• On Sunday night I made some flyers depicting part of the YouTube page w/ stats my video is on. I printed those and gave them out at a game night at a friends house, Danny Thomas. Thankfully I didn't know really anyone there so it was a whole new batch of people to tell it all about.
  
  I hate to give this secret away, but it might help others... See I discovered this thing on YouTube that you can promote your video by signing up to pay a little per click, so that's what I did. It may help me out only a little, but we'll see what happens in a few days!



• Then Monday I stepped out of my deteriorating comfort zone and spoke to random people and promoted my video with the little flyers again. On the way to take a test I walked up to this guy studying, probably for a test, and told him about the video and asked for his support, he said yes. Then walking through the doors to the outside and spoke with another a girl and asked if she'd view it, she said yes. Then up I went over to the testing area and asked the people at the counters if THEY would participate, they said yes & thank you!



• Now on Tuesday, when I went to math class I handed the teacher and some students the flyers I made (with a little improvement). The teacher took it, and the students did, though I noticed after class a few left theirs on their tables. Win some, lose some.
  
  
• Wednesday was great, I was able to give out more flyers and get a few more commitments from more students in a couple classes (and a friend of mine after social dance). To report on math class, the teacher said he wanted to see it, but couldn't get to it so I emailed him the link sometime later.
  
  
• Continuing to Thursday, I revamped the flyer to look better. At this point I have printed out 130 individual flyers! I believe with this look I may get more hits.
  
  
• With Friday, Saturday, & Sunday I had work, needed to catch up on homework, and had church. Though within all that I made sure my peers knew about the video and followed up with other people.

Thank you for your support! I've passed 600 views, have had 12 comments, and views in the United States, Canada, and Pakistan of all places! Remember to pass the link along, we still have 8 days left!

Update on STA video post [& more!]

Ok folks, as of about 24 hours (give or take only an hour) from posting it, my STA application video was up to 290 hits! Wow! And now that we're past the 48 hour mark, I checked last night and the video had 348 views, even better! I wonder who are the ones visting.... ;) Hopefully it's not just all my friends but also that I'm attracting views from the friends of friends & etc as well. So spread the word! Tell your family, friends, that weird kid down the street! The more that can view and comment, the better.

Speaking of commenting....

Now the weird thing is almost NO ONE has left any comments! I urge you, PLEAD with you to give me some feedback! Come on folks, you know you want to! Just a little thing like my bro did would be fine enough to start out with.

In other film news, I am cooking up (and taking any if you got 'em) ideas as to what to film next. I would LOVE to share those ideas with you, but that's part of the production world... You might end up like Stephanie Meyer did with her trying to start a spinoff Twilight series and being stabbed in the back by a 'good' friend. ( http://www.stepheniemeyer.com/midnightsun.html ) So if you really want to know any ideas I may have, you gotta submit your own and I might work with you on YOUR idea! (hint hint) ;]

Well, enough of that for today. I'll talk to you LATE-rr!

CK's STA Internship Application on it's way...

Wow, I was just reviewing the itinerary for the STA '09 interns, and guess what?! They get to go to Scotland & Ireland!!!! Boy, this is going to be some trip. First we start in Fiji, then go to Australia (another AWESOME place), then travel to India (home of the Taj Mahal), and from there go to Eastern Africa. Wait, that's not all! Then we go to Berlin, followed by Scandinavia/Russia, then it's off to my favorite places of all: Scotland and Ireland!

Now what is all this STA (Student Travel Association) stuff about anyway? Well, it's to encourage people (more specifically college students to start traveling. The first question though some may want to know, if I don't win, what's the point? Welllll.... actually there are winnings for all of the top ten contestants, they each get a full set of JanSport luggage. Then the 2nd Runner-up gets "1 round-trip ticket to Europe and a 5-country rail pass courtesy of Eurail. Take your time, pick your countries, and keep in touch with the STA Travel community along the way." (previous quote taken from the STA Travel's 2009 World Travel website) The 1st Runner-up gets "An 8-week program with accommodations at Universidad Autonoma de Barcelona, 6 . . . weekend activities, . . . an unlimited public transportation pass, and the opportunity to enjoy a summer completing a Barcelona internship . . .." (previous quote taken from the STA Travel's 2009 World Travel website) Now for the big prize: The winners (they'll be two, prob a girl & boy) will go around the world in the countries listed in the above paragraph.

Now for your participation! I really, REALLY, REALLY would love to go on this trip. So if you could comment on my YouTube Video, tell me any helpful information about the places I'll go and give me any travel tips I'd appricate it. Thanks and hope to see you through the video blog in a few months! :)

Oh, and I have to say thank you to Eric Scholl, David Beard, Kasey Call, Eric Stratford, & Ben VanLehn for helping me out with the videos (especially Scholl). Wow, it's been a fun time with making the video, I hope to post the bloopers up soon too. You can't ever have a good film without some laughs too. Stay tuned for more!