tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54549071848841385182024-03-05T22:39:07.597-08:00The Once and Future BrideA blog about the production of the short film " The Once and Future Bride" -- While choosing a wedding dress, a young woman, her best friend and her mother explore the meaning behind making life choices. Combined with the story of a young teen bride, the mother accidentally ingests a hallucinogenic and we learn the mystery behind her concern. In the end, people just choose, then move on.Museworkshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02889016323124766472noreply@blogger.comBlogger65125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5454907184884138518.post-64123877002049953062011-04-11T22:46:00.000-07:002013-08-07T14:13:55.451-07:00SNEAK PREVIEW is right around the corner!!
After nearly two years of blogging about this film, pre-production, production, post-production and distribution.... it's exciting to be able to announce the film's unofficial PREMIERE.
DATE: Friday, April 15
TIME: 8:30 pm
LOCATION: The Starry Plough, Berkeley
3101 Shattuck Avenue
What started as a writing project on the front lawn sitting in the sun with Mick Erausquin (my Museworkshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02889016323124766472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5454907184884138518.post-91486503346514031722011-02-02T07:31:00.000-08:002013-08-07T14:09:55.608-07:00Bringing in the hired guns
Monday night I drove to Oakland and picked up the Master Drive. We're officially done. Beyond doing a re-cut, re-shooting or diving into days of anal color correction, I have corrected every little thing that could be done. It's almost surreal, but that big nasty cloud in the back of my brain is gone now, that haunting list of tiny things that needed to be fixed to make it the best it could be. Museworkshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02889016323124766472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5454907184884138518.post-91653885637608596092010-09-16T18:42:00.000-07:002010-09-16T18:59:23.213-07:00Sundown For A New DayIn 7 short weeks the world has changed... and today we solved the biggest issue: relinking the media files. My wise and generous editor came by this afternoon and we sat at my counter -- doors open, me with a frosty frappuccino, he with a tall soft drink, and Sagan on the floor munching chips and playing with the light saber -- trying desperately to figure out why the files wouldn't link Museworkshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02889016323124766472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5454907184884138518.post-73584116836639322752010-07-28T12:59:00.000-07:002010-07-28T13:09:13.160-07:00Keeping the Faith: Surreal Endings and Exposing YourselfIt's now Wednesday July 28. Monday I got the music for the intro. Yesterday I sent my last note to Scott. That was the day he also received the final sound files from our sound editor Richard Ross. The film is now complete, and needs no more direction from me or anyone else. By Saturday July 31, I will have 4 DVDs in my hand. And on Sunday August 1, I will be on a plane to Dublin, Museworkshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02889016323124766472noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5454907184884138518.post-79584430335741905062010-07-26T20:48:00.000-07:002010-07-26T20:48:57.488-07:00Museworks Logo IntroIt's official. Love it.
Notice the details... logo gets bigger as it moves up the tree. First you see "muse", then there is a flash, then you see "works" as it fades out.
Superb music - nice rhythm, subtle crescendo, sweet dissonance, and a shift in key at the crescendo. It makes me feel like there are possibilities in the world.
In a word, Magical
Outstanding work by composer Museworkshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02889016323124766472noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5454907184884138518.post-32913325270387083712010-07-09T18:52:00.000-07:002010-07-28T16:09:08.817-07:00FILM LOCKSToday, we got the email from Richard Ross, our sound designer. The film is locked. What does this mean? It means, my friends, that all video/pictures/frames are set. We are making NO MORE CHANGES to the film.
At this point we are "laying off" the sound, cleaning it up, mastering the levels, adding sound effects, adding music (so that it fades in and out at the appropriate times visually), and Museworkshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02889016323124766472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5454907184884138518.post-63116944695715923312010-07-01T15:02:00.000-07:002010-07-02T15:27:10.697-07:00Creating the Brand... courtesy of Artist Jennifer DowneyIt's been over a month since I've written a real blog posting, but oh, it has been one long journey. We are, my friends, nearing the end of production. Final edits have been completed. Versions have been posted. Effects have been added, changed, re-added, edited and changed again. Credits writted and changed. Music composed. Licensed music edited, cut in and laid on the video. Conference Museworkshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02889016323124766472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5454907184884138518.post-62317866319602128412010-05-19T15:40:00.000-07:002010-05-19T23:41:39.651-07:00Meet Douglas Pipes, Musician/Composer/Funny ManYesterday I had a short but important conversation with the music composer, Douglas Pipes. He has the Fine Cut of the film (I don't say Final here because I know I'm taking out a couple of frames to clean it up) and he had questions -- about music, sound, vibe, feeling. We talked about what he needed to understand the "vibe" that I wanted, and I listened. Officially, he has all the temp Museworkshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02889016323124766472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5454907184884138518.post-30729144069902129592010-05-16T21:59:00.001-07:002010-05-16T22:17:14.428-07:00Heartlessly Saving The HeartThis week we had some celebrating to do. On Tuesday, Scott and I sat side by side and went through the film scene by scene from start to finish, over and over. Going through my revision notes and making edits I tried to be heartless, without of course taking the heart out of the story.
As the screenwriter I really had the authority to remove unnecessary scenes, take out fat, make it lean, cut Museworkshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02889016323124766472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5454907184884138518.post-50474933987774292862010-05-07T20:13:00.000-07:002010-05-07T20:33:08.781-07:00Whippin' It (Good) With Shoes Fully TiedRight now, at this very moment, listening to Devo, drinking Chardonnary courtesy of Chateau St. Jean, I am officially celebrating. Three weeks behind. It's been a wild two weeks. Took a hatchet to the world and spent a few days dealing with the bleeding. And throughout all of it, I'm smiling.
Just when I was ready to finalize the editing process and begin refining the film, I had to take a Museworkshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02889016323124766472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5454907184884138518.post-8370687625100194972010-05-01T09:59:00.000-07:002010-05-02T19:56:58.060-07:00Visions of ChocolateIt's been raining during the last couple of months, so when the sun finally came out I stopped by the bridal shop to say hello to the ladies. They were bushed, in the middle of prom season, and had spent the morning putting clothes away only to prepare for the 3 pm onslaught of high schoolers once school was out for another day so the girls could tear it all down again.
We still need to shoot Museworkshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02889016323124766472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5454907184884138518.post-88436433524862224592010-04-19T13:01:00.000-07:002010-04-21T11:07:09.536-07:00Tunes for Tots, better known as Child Labor (Goddess images included)Saraswati, Hindu goddess of knowledge, creativity and openness
I have a great love affair with films. I grew up watching movies with my mother, a huge film buff who could name the year, the director, and the actors in almost any film from the 1940s and onward. So, while most parents take their kids to the park, I would take my little 5-year-old charmer to a Yugoslvian film with subtitles. (yes, Museworkshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02889016323124766472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5454907184884138518.post-18807055815607028642010-04-02T06:51:00.000-07:002010-12-26T19:15:09.548-08:00SWEATS & ICE CREAM: commuting and meeting LIVE with the computerWe're smack dab in the middle of editing. That's right, I said "smack dab." I have no idea what that really means or where it comes from, but it gets the point across. More than seven minutes edited, three key effects scenes in progress, listening to loads of music, long conversations with the music composer, weekly editing & effects meetings, and starting last night, my very first official Museworkshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02889016323124766472noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5454907184884138518.post-26686890105002225752010-03-20T20:22:00.000-07:002010-03-21T08:21:38.577-07:00The Art of Editing: Meet Artist Raymond Scott DaigleWe're already reviewed 7+ minutes of semi-edited footage and it looks good. I like the pace. But most importantly I like the ideas. After figuring out how to store the footage, what level to edit, how to set the levels, I think our post-production team is in a good spot. So that we can make our time and efforts more efficient, the scenes that need special effects are being cut together first so Museworkshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02889016323124766472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5454907184884138518.post-37460430643253911432010-03-16T23:06:00.000-07:002010-03-16T23:07:07.433-07:00The Technical Journey of the Vacant MindAs we progress through editing we're also trying to get our effects done and find some solid usable music that will move through the film.
The music part is something we have a handle on. In the 1980s I worked for SST Records. Originally hired as an editor/ proofreader, I became the desktop publishing queen and the music licensing gal, which means I did the contracts for soundtracks and Museworkshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02889016323124766472noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5454907184884138518.post-15225821647141185572010-03-01T21:37:00.000-08:002010-03-07T09:33:55.998-08:00Meet Matt Rhodes... the master of special effectsIn 2004 and 2005 I lost two of my beloved Aunties to cancer. Feeling helpless and craving somewhere to focus my energies, I joined the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team In Training and spent four years doing triathlons and raising money to help cure blood cancers.
For my 2006 triathlon team I was voted Honoree Captain and had the great honor of scheduling the inspiring talks from people whoMuseworkshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02889016323124766472noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5454907184884138518.post-90619466139459789342010-02-23T07:27:00.000-08:002010-02-23T07:36:00.367-08:0039 Days (and one last scene)... that's how long it's been since principal photography wrapped. What have we done since then? Sure feels like a lot. First, I immediately took two weeks off to sleep, spend time with my daughter and basically process the production. At the end of January I met with Matt Rhodes, our special effects master, to go over the scenes that needed effects.
By mid-February THE MACHINE had Museworkshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02889016323124766472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5454907184884138518.post-18022740042126272192010-02-23T07:06:00.000-08:002010-02-23T07:42:23.208-08:00Two Rules to Never BreakI've spent a lot of the post-shooting time reading background on editing, filmaking, writing, working with studios, etc. One book I did read before starting production was "How NOT to Make a Short Film," by Roberta Munroe, a filmmaker and longtime Sundance Short Film Program Manager. Most of the dangerous situations I had steered clear of, but two things stood out to me: (1) Don't have yourMuseworkshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02889016323124766472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5454907184884138518.post-82146860004957155122010-02-03T05:48:00.000-08:002010-02-03T06:41:12.459-08:00Inspiration from the cereal boxOur pick-up shots were put on hold until later in February, when all the plumbing work will be done in the studio. No good when there's clanging and banging in the background.Until then I'm prepping all the background work. Met with my post-production whiz Matt, sent him and editor Scott the shooting notes (this is a story in itself, just getting them scanned, but I'll spare you the technical Museworkshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02889016323124766472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5454907184884138518.post-78019644560527810292010-01-24T16:46:00.000-08:002010-01-24T18:14:51.004-08:00Launching Into Post-ProductionSome pick-up shots are planned for next weekend, Jan 30-31, which will include a scene we cut out of the bridal shop shoot and some additional dialogue I'm working on. We're planning to shoot against a green screen so we can experiment with beach or vacation-like backdrops. After that, we're heading into post-production.At the moment I'm reading "In the Blink of an Eye" by the renowned editor Museworkshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02889016323124766472noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5454907184884138518.post-62701850491957635982010-01-16T08:39:00.000-08:002010-01-16T09:49:04.503-08:00The Last Supper: Day 4 hits the booksToday was GetItDoneDay. We moved fast and furious through all the coverage shots we needed. I had fallen asleep at the end of Day 3 so there was no Call Sheet and no Shooting Schedule. So from 10:30 pm to 11:30 pm I reviewed the daily schedules, eliminated what we had done, reviewed the script, and listed all the people and shots we needed for the day. This was it. If we didn't get it, it wasn't Museworkshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02889016323124766472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5454907184884138518.post-50974068657508017812010-01-16T07:53:00.000-08:002010-01-16T08:36:21.015-08:00Day 3, the Long and Winding RoadStarted the day with the keys locked in the running van. Waited 45 mins for AAA to unlock the van and made everyone wait an hour because inside were the keys to the green room and the shop. Ouch. Director's fired.Also started about 1/2 a day behind shooting the montage and realized pretty quickly that we weren't going to be able to get full-length gown shots, so we went for attitude. Another Museworkshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02889016323124766472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5454907184884138518.post-9363442091042241062010-01-15T23:24:00.000-08:002010-01-16T00:33:47.858-08:00Day 2 Production... in the heat of itToday we fell behind in a huge way. We shot only half of what we had scheduled, but managed to fit in the outdoor shot of the gals coming in. At least we have a minimum entry shot locked in.After the first 12-hour session, the midnight to noon schedule was still okay. I tried to organize each shot according to section of the room so we didn't have to move too much furniture or lights. It made forMuseworkshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02889016323124766472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5454907184884138518.post-29654379918222875932010-01-11T19:41:00.000-08:002010-01-11T20:10:44.384-08:00Production: Day 1 DownIt was long and cold, but also fun and engaging. Doing an all-night shoot is dreadfully painful on the feet, at least that's the first thing I have to say. The crew is top-notch, and I'm ever so grateful for my core team -- Sam Murphy, Michael Epple, and AD Wyatt Norton. And my sound and light crew is simply superb. The PA's are hard workers, and my continuity supervisor is my other brain. Lisa Museworkshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02889016323124766472noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5454907184884138518.post-85063525558739146112010-01-06T09:01:00.000-08:002010-02-08T13:52:47.410-08:00MEET VICTORIA D'ORAZI... and her inspirationPeople have asked about the inspiration for our characters, but there is really only one that emanated from a real live person, or two people actually.
This story really revolves around Joan Everett, Helen's mother, the mother of the bride. It is her journey we see, and her back story is the catalyst for everything. At one point, I remembered my father telling me a story about my grandmother, Museworkshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02889016323124766472noreply@blogger.com1