HELLO! THIS SITE HAS BEEN MIGRATED OVER TO OUR NEW DOMAIN: www.iMustMakeThisFilm.com All new content has been posted over there!
Come on over to see what we've done lately!!!! |
| Latest Updates... |
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 oh the pain! ;) |
2006-12-05 |
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 i had to post this work-in-progress shot for you guys!! I slowed it down to half the speed so you can appreciate/scrutinize my handy work. I'm close to the end of these effects and this sequence is one of the fun ones!! I had to encode in divx so I wouldn't hose your bandwidth. check it yo. When completed and played at regular speed, this sequence is only 10 seconds long! hope you like. more soon. mc |
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| slightly off topic..and slightly on...heh |
2006-12-01 |
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hey guys, A short film/parody I made a couple of years ago recently placed 4th in the MTV Desktop Film Festival. The winners and semi-finalists are all being showcased on a special section of iFilm.com, another of MTV's properties. Even though it placed 4th, it seems to be doing really well in terms of page views. so here's my shameless promotion for it. It's called "Itzfuct"...and i hope you'll agree that it really is... mc |
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| more than halfway thru!!! |
2006-11-30 |
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sup all, woah, i'm getting tired! In addition to the day job, i've been committing 4-6 hours a day on the vfx for the film - 1 hour on the train each way + another 2-4 hours in the evening!! I've been meaning to post some samples for you, but i just don't want to take any time away from actually creating them. many shots are just muzzle flashes and shell ejections- standard stuff now - but there are some others that are just so much fun to do- the thing is, I'm hesitant to show them to you cuz many of them are major plot points that would really ruin the viewing. so instead, I thought I'd post some links of great places to learn and get vfx assets to enhance your own action flicks...
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| keep on trucking! |
2006-11-27 |
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sup all, hope your holidays were cool. I've been trucking through this list of vfx that are on my plate. Will post a montage soon for you guys. will also post a library of assets for you After Effects freaks if you want to duplicate my muzzle flashes and shell casings for your own work. I also got the latest soundtrack work from Chris. This time it was a scene from the end where our hero Lee (played by Ollie) is dazed and confused. It rocks!!!! one last thing before i go- any of you cast members out there checking the site: shoot me an email so I know you're alive! you know who you are! mc |
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| some more vfx |
2006-11-17 |
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yo it's late! here are 6 visual effects clips that I've done this week.(10 megs, divx) Included here is the expanded scene of the headshot posted earlier this week. more info later!! 
later: heya. so just added this animated gif for you to help you decide if 10 megs is worth the download (is it? oh please) |
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| cranking.. |
2006-11-14 |
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hope you guys are enjoying the updates. I completed another one last night and half of one on the train to work this morning! Instead of posting every single one each time I complete them, i'll try to save them up and post 3 or 4 together. been having a great time finishing and sharing the work with you guys. been getting good feedback, so thanks for that! it means a lot. I'm having another private screening tomorrow night with a couple of sci-fi geeks to show them what i have and get some feedback. so far the number of ppl who have seen what I have are less than 10. More laters! mark. |
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| Headshot. |
2006-11-12 |
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I had a productive sunday this weekend. (saturday was go-to-the-comicbook-store-day). Started the final straightaway of this marathon. 42 fx shots I need to complete. Polished off 2 today. Here's a sample. 
If you read the article I wrote in SF, you'll remember the bodygaurd headshot effect that I discussed preparing for. This is it.(quicktime, 7 megs). |
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| shit. |
2006-11-07 |
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| i was going to write a nice post about how well audio pickups went last night but instead the only thing on my mind is how i left the damn camera on the train................. |
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| First completed sequence for you to seeeeeeee.... |
2006-10-31 |
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 Hey guys,
I've been busy getting fx sequences done and wanted to share one that's pretty complete. If you're a returning visitor, you may have read my post about the Multibodies in the prop section, or Chris Haigh's amazing soundtrack work, or maybe you read about how I build a set in my basement of the dropship's interior in SF magazine. in any case, here's a sample clip from the film that incorporates all of those elements!! ENJOY. (8 meg WMV file) mc |
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| Programmer's Desktop - sample clip |
2006-10-25 |
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Hey guys, So here's a sample clip(wmv format) of the programmer's desktop I posted about earlier this week. The footage of the screen was done this past weekend... more |
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| Programmer's Desktop |
2006-10-22 |
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 Yo yo, this past weekend we completed the pickups for the film and now have all the live action footage! The fine cut that Chris, the composer, is using to score the film contains several placeholder plates that just describe what the shot would contain. Now I have the footage to fill it in! All that's left is for the 3D shots to be completed and then there will really be no more placeholders!!
So, I've uploaded a new effect i wanted to share with you... more |
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| Where we at?? |
2006-10-20 |
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 hey guys, i'm back!
I took a week off (2 weeks ago!) to see family and get some rest, and am now gunning to wrap this up. SORRRY for no updates! i've received some angry eager fans wanting to know what's going on so here's a summary post, and a promise to post more stuff! more |
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| anatomy of a shot.. |
2006-09-27 |
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hey all, i realized i posted this on a couple of forums but hadn't even added it here!! Here's a mini-mini-doc on how i assembled the different elements for this shot. Check it out (windows media) mc |
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| Audio pickups |
2006-09-26 |
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yo guys, last night we had a session of audio pickups with actor Joe Barbagallo. With the fine cut 99.99% complete, there are areas where I need some both additional dialogue and/or re-recording of existing dialogue to smooth scenes out. So Joe and I met at the Nickelodeon offices where i work and... more |
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| Press coverage in Student Filmmakers!! again :D |
2006-09-18 |
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Hey all, just got the issue in the mail! August issue of Student Filmmakers has a 5 page spread on Deployment Strategy. more |
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| Music and FX updates |
2006-09-07 |
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Hey all, Time for an update! First off- there will be more updates more often from now on. I promise!! In this post- updates on soundtrack, sound mixing, 3D effects, 2D effects, and more!! so read on! more |
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| insanity! |
2006-08-03 |
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Oh the humanity! Finally an update! In this one: Finecut, Placeholder Footage, Soundtrack news. Check it out! more |
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| R O U G H C U T C O M P L E T E ! |
2006-06-06 |
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1:09 am eastern standard time, June 6th, 2006. The rough cut is complete. Now I will sleep.  |
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| New CGI images - texturing & design complete! |
2006-06-02 |
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pretty darn sweet. here are some images of the completed models and texturing for the Homeland Security Cyber Crime HQ and a hover bus...more after the jump... 
more |
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| Student Filmmakers April 2006 issue!! |
2006-06-02 |
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Deployment Strategy gets 5 page article in April issue of Student Filmmakers magazine!  
In the magazine that recognizes all filmmakers as perpetual students, we have an article about how one of our sets was built. Viewers of our video blog #1 will recall how we built a set in the basement for a key scene. The article expands on the topic. Download the pdf here! If you like what you read, you can subscribe to the magazine at studentfilmmakers.com |
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| Almost done... |
2006-05-17 |
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 Hey guys,
Worked like a madman editing the final scene of the film last night..I can see the light at the end of the tunnel...at least for the ROUGH cut..check it... more |
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| One month of no posts is waaaay tooo looong... |
2006-05-07 |
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deepest apologies all for not having posted in a while. thanks for your patience! So what's been going on all this time?? here are four quick updates with a renewed promise to have more updates soon!! more |
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| Music composition |
2006-03-28 |
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So I thought I'd write a bit about how Chris, the composer, and I spent the weekend discussing the music for the film.... I actually had sent Chris roughcut versions of a couple of scenes over the internet before he came to NYC. I'd render the clips from Premiere into windows media files and upload them to an ftp site for Chris to download. He's already read the script so he knew how the scenes fit into the whole film. more |
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| Rough cut editing update! |
2006-03-20 |
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 Hey all,
Had a really productive editing weekend! Completed the roughcut for a couple of cool scenes...Thought I'd post some stills from them for you to see. The main sequences I started on were ones that revealed the rogue programmer, his employer, and his "pet" sexbot. That lead straight into the first confrontation scene with the soldiers of D9. It was great to be interacting with the footage again because the raw clips always bring you back to the fun you had during shooting! It was also a nice feeling to see shots that were filmed completely out of sequence come together to complete a splice, an edit, and a scene! More photos after the jump... more |
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| New CG shots |
2006-03-10 |
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 Hey guys, here's another WIP update on Andrew's police carrier.
We've done a test composite here on the bg plate and I added some glowing after burner effect. (The bg plate is a photo taken from the offices here at MTV!) This isn't a clip from the final film, but just another test. Enjoy! more |
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| CGI work underway and looking good! |
2006-02-24 |
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| Logging video FINALLY over!! |
2006-02-07 |
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Jeez, it takes freaking forever to log video! We had roughly 10 hours of video to go thru and log. Just started editing the first scene: the locker room. sorry it's been quiet here for a while here are some progress report notes... more |
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| Editing and Video Press Junket! |
2006-01-27 |
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The editing process has begun!! We've also just done our own video press junket for the making-of documentaries and some video blogs we're working on!
more |
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| Slice of Sci-Fi podcast coverage now available! |
2006-01-24 |
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Hey all, I just listened to the our podcast coverage on Slice of Sci-fi! It was really cool! Listen for yourself!! Episode 041's discussion about regurgitated stories creates a fantastic segway into the story about our project! Here's the link: http://www.sliceofscifi.com/ Sometimes the site is swamped with traffic so keep trying if your browser doesn't resolve the url. Mc |
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| new PRESS section! |
2006-01-22 |
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| Just added a PRESS section to the main navigation. I figured having 3 postings related to press coverage is enough to warrant a section, right? oh, i hope there will be more in the future ;) |
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| Press coverage on XM Radio and Podcasting show! |
2006-01-22 |
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Hey all, Just finished doing a phone interview with the guys over at "Slice of Sci-Fi." They have a weekly show on XM radio and are apparent one the largest podcasting stations out there! Mike and Evo are the hosts and will be doing a short piece on us this Tuesday, January 24th! Check out their site: http://www.sliceofscifi.com more |
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| Student Filmmakers Magazine coverage! |
2006-01-22 |
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Hey all, Wanted to announce today that the DS production will be featured in the premiere issue of Student Filmmakers magazine this spring! more |
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| Posted more photos! |
2006-01-22 |
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 Hey all, posted more photos tonight of some behind-the-scenes stuff when we were shooting. Check them out here. |
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| NEW Media Gallery section |
2006-01-20 |
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just added a "Media Gallery" section. most photos and stuff will appear there now. The production stills were moved from Director's Blog into that section. So did the cast character photos... There are still many photos in other sections of the site, so make sure you browse around to see them all! Will post behind-the-scenes photos and more there too later this weekend. |
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| Back in the saddle... |
2006-01-18 |
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hey all, this winter weather in NYC/NJ is a nasty! I'm back from my rest & recovery week in Florida, and back at work! I started editing the rough cut of the film and am beginning to ramp up post-production. I was up till 3am editing (in NJ) and had to be here in the city by 10am. I'm getting tired again! Hopefully will have CGI artist and 3D effects work up and running soon... Will try to post screenshots from our shoot as well as some behind-the-scenes photos. For all that detail in the Director's blog entries, people are still screaming for photos! I will get them to you!! mc |
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| Cast production photos online! |
2006-01-18 |
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 Hey all, Just posted some cast production photos..take a look...
when the film's finally done, maybe I'll convert these into G.I. Joe tech specs with each character's strength... ...yes, yes, I had to include a photo of myself! The guns were just too cool to pass up! more |
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| Posted all the production blogs today... |
2006-01-12 |
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hey all, I just posted all the production blogs from last week and back-dated them so each blog entry represents its respective shooting day. Check it out. I'll post screen captures as soon as I can. (I'm trying to recover on vacation now ;) The dailies look great and I can't wait to edit! More next week... mc |
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| Day 7 Production Blog |
2006-01-08 |
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Day 7 Production Blog ..."8 years ago, I was doing the same type of equipment returns on a Blue’s Traveller MTV music video shoot as a lowly production assistant. Today, I’m that same PA, but it’s my film..." more |
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| Day 6 Production Blog |
2006-01-07 |
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Day 6 Production Blog "...I’m totally paranoid about Einar getting my suit messy. I confess to him that he’s wearing my favorite suit and he cracks up laughing. Hey, that’s low budget film making!" more |
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| Day 5 Production Blog |
2006-01-06 |
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Day 5 Production Blog "...My sprained finger has now ballooned into 2 sausage links. Shut your mouth and stop complaining let’s go!!!!" more |
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| Day 4 Production Blog |
2006-01-05 |
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Day 4 Production Blog "...This morning my brain wakes up but my body refuses to. I have a temporary lapse of sanity where I decide to not go to set this morning and sleep instead..." more |
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| Day 3 Production Blog |
2006-01-04 |
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Day 3 Production Blog “Fuck the shield” more |
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| Day 2 Production Blog |
2006-01-03 |
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Day 2 Production Blog "...he’s 5’ 6” and most of my actors are 5’ 8”. I resolve this by planning to shoot the actors from a high angle pointing downwards and Rob from a low angle shooting upwards..." more |
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| Dropship interior set shoot today!! |
2006-01-02 |
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| Hey all, exhausted can't type, but today we had a great shoot. we filmed the dropship interior scene...will post photos at some point, but you can see the set's construction in the Locations section...the cast was great and we actually wrapped early! will post more later! mc |
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| Update...principle photography next week!! |
2005-12-28 |
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I just fired off an email to my entire cast about next week's shoot...then realized 90% could be repurposed as a director's blog entry! That's making good use of time! It's all about organizing the chaos...i've edited it a bit so that it's fits the blog style..take a look... more |
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| fixed bug.. |
2005-12-28 |
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 ...fixed minor bug in Practical FX post I made a week ago..clicking on thumbnail images should now show you larger pics..Firefox users had it working all the time! |
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| First day of shooting blog..Dec 17th! |
2005-12-23 |
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Hey all, As promised here's my blog entry for the first day of shooting: December 17th, 2005 Our location was an abandoned factory located down in Trenton, NJ. You couldn't ask for a richer looking location, and it was a low-budget film's dream in that you didn't need an art department to add too much more to it... more |
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| first weekend of shooting... |
2005-12-18 |
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i. am. so. very. tired... Note the top right of this site's "project status" meter. Pre-production has wrapped and production has begun!! zzzzzzzz....(more later this week) |
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| got costumes and blue goo!! |
2005-12-12 |
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hey all, had a productive weekend. Friday Spent my friday night in a cold, dark, abandoned factory spray painting lockers black for this weekend's shoot. (note to self: spray painting for 2 hours straight makes your index finger numb for 3 days straight) Saturday The costumes arrived in the mail and the actors at Saturday's rehearsal managed to try them on and they look great! (These are the SWAT BDU's I'm talking about. Battle Dress Uniforms, ok?!) So we managed to do some in-costume rehearsals as well as finish choreographing the main fight scene between our main character, Lee, and the weaponized android escort. We basically started from the beginning of the confrontation and kept adding on moves and exchanges all the way until the end...It was a lot of fun! We had to try to maintain some realism and have Lee really not get hit all too often by the android cuz it would really just kill him in one punch! Sunday On sunday, we were over at the GornFX studios to do a head mold of our diplomat actor, Einar Gunnar. It was cool to see what I've read about in Fangoria Magazines all this time! I'll post photos later this week if I can...there was tons of blue goo that looked like melted smurf! btw...we're shooting this saturday!!! mc |
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| On set rehearsals, shoot date set!, and costumes on order!! |
2005-12-08 |
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happy november! I kicked some ice this weekend and banged out another computer interface sequence. This is the 3rd completed sequence of what I'm calling, "interface" sequences. I referred to this one a couple of weeks ago when I started to create some of the assets for it...
As i mentioned in the earlier post, i've been looking for a 3D animator. Here are some rough documents I put together in my RFP to explain to potential animators what I'm looking for. 
Oy, mates! Just had a totally wicked weekend! Chris Haigh, our soundtrack composer, was in New York City with his family on a vacation! For you blokes who haven't been keeping tabs, Chris is from South Yorkshire, England!! 
OMFG! We've posted production stills!! Take a look. I can't help but drool over the footage myself. Honestly, everything came out a lot better than I thought it would! Enjoy!! 
Behold the melting Smurf man!! Actually, it's our actor, Einar Gunnar, who's playing the diplomat. In this post, we're documenting Part I of how me make a mold of his head (only to completely destroy it later!!). When done, the mold will have blood, guts, and maybe- if we're all very good- some cow's brain for luck!! Click to see our pics...