This is an update blog for the forthcoming Bug-Juice Productions film project Killer Meatloaf (working title).

Monday, January 31, 2005

Well everyone, I just thought I'd throw this out there:

I'm currently working on a flash animation trailer for our film.

I don't know how long it will take, considering I really don't know what I'm doing, but I've been reading a lot about it and watching tutorials. I'm sure that it won't be something we use officiallly but I figure it would be fun, considering I've been wanting to work with flash for quite a while.

Right now the only thing I have is a basic opening, showing the company names.

Please don't jump on me yet, asking me to put things in it (...ahem, Nix...). I'm still trying to learn how to do a simple fade, muchless an action scene. However, I hope this proves as a cool learning experience for myself and that the animation is completed and ends up on the dvd release.

Thursday, January 27, 2005

Just to clarify on the purpose of doing a trailer before completing the film.

1) It gives us something to show potential investors what we are capable of and what we are trying to do. (I know it's very old-school, but check out #2)

2) Trailers usually contain the most dynamic and visually interesting parts of the feature. The best plan for filming is to get the complicated stuff out of the way first. So, we'll be figuring out what is needed for the trailer and shooting the actual scenes, as well.

Now if, as we proceed, we find we have a better grasp of the whole process of filming and creating, we can go back and re-do any scenes we wish.

This is a way of focusing us on what we can get started with and begin all of our learning processes.

I don't have much more experience than any of you guys. I've made a few shorts. Worked on a local indie for one day. And been an actor-person in a locally shot film. I've taken filmmaking classes and that's it.

This is a learning process for all of us. And it's gonna be fun.

*Nix kicks a nearby cat for absolutely no reason at all.*

Oh, and the disc I burned of Spawn's trailer track won't play on my walkman or whatever the hell they call them nowadays. So, I'll have to get back to it when I get back from Texas. Sorry.

Nix says: 3 guys one bed, one couch and an inflatable mattress. This will be fun.

Tuesday, January 25, 2005

I do believe I have solved the huge gap problem. I turned off the "Title" field. I hope that's not a problem for you guys, because personally I hate the damn thing.

As Nix stated, I worked up a trailer track last night. I really did like what he did, regardless of how he mixed things. (It feels odd saying someone remixed my tracks, like I'm some fucking star.) Well, I sat down last night with the sole purpose of writing something trailer-wise, and with a little bit of tweaking and "support" from Nix I believe we have our trailer theme. I actually really like it. Hell, I liked his, goofy voice and all.

I'm gonna try and come up with something voice-over-wise for the trailer myself. I do, however, think we're putting the cart before the horse working on a trailer for a film we haven't even started yet. Then again, I have no experience working on a "film".

I Love Lucy.

Sorry. Reference to a trailer.

So, last night I took it upon myself to take some of Spawn's already completed soundtrack clips and put them together for trailer music. I then added some of the worst voiceovers in creation. I was just doing it so I could see what I wanted to do for our promo trailer. It's pretty funny, in a crappy sorta way. Don't get me wrong. The music is still great, even though I snipped it up quite a bit. It's just the voiceovers. Imagine that guy that does all the trailers for every movie done by some B-movie bad guy in some lame Canadian horror flick (ie: MST3K's Final Sacrifice).

Anyway, point being, I sent it to Scott and he was very supportive of my ridiculous attempt. Then he went and used mine as a template and came up with a totally new track.

It roxord my boxorz.

So, we worked together to tweak it, a bit. (Meaning that I bossed him around and told him to do what I said or I would kill his parents.)

Spawn is one of our greatest assets on this film. The soundtrack might turn out better than the film.

I'll be listening to the track while I'm on the road and figuring out what we need to film for the trailer.

Nix says: Stan Lee. Oh, I mean, Nuff Said.

Monday, January 24, 2005

Compare and Contrast. Or Something.

Just thought I'd give everyone an idea of exactly what I've been staring at the computer all day for.

First, I've included the first page of our rough draft.

My new and (hopefully) improved version of that page immediately follows.

Version 1:

Night of the Living Loaf: Beat the Meat

We open with the titles interspersed with extreme close-ups of a pair of hands in various stages of creating the meatloaf. (will expand on this idea when I figure out the recipe and process) We end with the completed loaf being pulled out of oven.

All of our characters are present for a “Dave Finally Got Laid” party. There is a large banner saying that that hangs in the back.

Our cast includes, but is not limited to: Dave, Amanda, Steve, Scott, Corey, Joe, Hizzy, Beaver, Nix, Vince.

The meatloaf is placed prominently in the middle of the table, which also has other various food items on it. Everyone is seated and eating everything except the meatloaf. After showing the various guests enjoying their food, we cut to a close-up of the meatloaf. The meatloaf thinks “Eat me!!!” (Anytime we hear the meatloaf’s’ thoughts, there is a loud metal guitar playing beneath its’ voice.) We cut back to various shots of people eating again. Finally everyone is done and leaves the table. Cut back to the loaf who thinks: “Fucking eat me!!!!” Everyone leaves except for Dave, since it is his house. We do a slow zoom into an extreme close up of the loaf then slowly pull back to see that it is night.

Cut to Dave and his parents saying goodbye, since the parents are leaving for the weekend. They tell him to take care of his small brother or sister while they are gone. They leave. Dave walks into the kitchen. He grabs dishes off of the table and cleans them in the sink. In the background the loaf jumps off the table. Dave turns to get more dishes off the table and notices that the loaf is gone.. He looks around in confusion and looks under the table. He gets up and turns in a circle. He shrugs and goes to check on his bro/sis. He/She is sleeping in bed. He goes outside to smoke and realizes that he has no smokes. He looks at the house trying to decide what to do. Finally he decides “Fudge it. It’ll just take a minute.

Inside, the meat creeps towards the bro/sis’s room (meat P.O.V.). He/She is completely covered by blankets, so we only see his/her shape. Meat P.O.V. jumps onto bed.

Cut to Dave returning. He enters and heads straight for his bro/sis’s room. Cut to: camera shoots out of doorway at hallway. Dave enters screen. He stops in the doorway in shock and horror. Meat is dripping in patches on the wall. He backs into the hallway. He hears a noise and turns to see the loaf moving towards him. Meat: “You should have fucking eaten me!!!” It fires a meat wad at his face. Dave puts up his hand and it bounces off, leaving a meaty residue on it. Dave turns and runs like hell. The loaf follows in meat-vision throughout the house. It loses Dave around a corner, looks around and backs out of house.


Version 2:

A
Wicked Wildflower/Bug Juice
Co-Production

Fade in: A pair of hands is creating the meatloaf from start to finish. Each stage of creation fades to black for titles then in to the next stage and so on. (I still don't know how to make a fucking meatloaf, but we'll get to that when we need to.) We end with a tight shot of the hands pulling the loaf from the oven.

CUT TO: DAVE'S: INT/DAY: Ideally, all of our major characters should be attending a party. We pan past the party goers and catch snippets of their conversations. We end on the banner saying "Dave Finally Got Laid".

CUT TO: The dinner table being loaded up with all sorts of food. The meatloaf is placed prominently in the center of the table.

The guests are finally seated and they all begin to dig into the various food items.....except the loaf.

CUT TO: Various close ups of the guests enjoying their meal.

CUT TO: A close up of the loaf.

CUT TO: More shots of eating. Finally, the meal is finished and the guests leave the table.

CUT TO: ZOOM/PAN into ECU of loaf then pull back to reveal is night.

CUT TO: DAVE'S: INT/NIGHT: Dave and his parents are at the front door. There are suitcases at the feet of his parents.
MOM: "David, it's only 3 days. Don't kill your brother. Please?"
DAVE: "We'll be fine, mom."
DAD: "You see to it, boy. And clean up that kitchen."
DAVE: "Okaaayyyyy. You guys get going. Have fun."
ALL EXCHANGE GOODBYES and the parents leave.


Dave locks the door and leans back against it in relief. His head slowly turns towards the kitchen doorway

CUT TO: Shot of doorway with the enormous mess left from the party beyond it.

CUT TO: Dave shakes his head.
DAVE: "Awwww, man. It wasn't worth this."
He straightens up and cracks his neck.
DAVE: "Might as well get it over with."

CUT TO: KITCHEN INT: Tight travelling shot of messy counters to the table of food detritus (with the loaf still there)then pan up to Dave standing before it. He considers where to start and grabs some random dishes.

CUT TO: Dave carrying them over to the sink and begining to clean them.

CUT TO: Front shot of Dave washing dishes. In the background, the Loaf jumps off the table. Dave turns and walks back to get more dishes and notices the missing Loaf.

CUT TO: MS of Dave as he looks around in confusion and under the table. He turns in a circle, etc...as he says:
DAVE: " What the? Who the? Where the? How the? Why I aughta. You little. Your mother was a. Don't make me. Oooooo."

Dave shrugs.
DAVE: "Whatever. I better check on the rugrat."
He leaves the kitchen.

CUT TO: Shot from top of stairs as Dave walks up them.

CUT TO: Dave walking down hall and into a doorway.

CUT TO: Dave checking on his sleeping brother. He pulls the blankets up to his bro's neck. Pauses. Then pulls them up over the bro's head. He turns.

CUT TO: Camera shooting Dave walking away from bed towards camera.
DAVE: "Maybe he'll suffocate."

CUT TO: DAVE'S EXT: Dave exits the front door and sits on the steps. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a pack of cigs.

CUT TO: CU of cig pack being opened. The pack is empty.

CUT TO: Dave looks at the pack, the house, the pack...etc... Finally he decides and says:
DAVE: "Fudge it. It'll just take a minute."
He stands and walks away from the house.

CUT TO: DAVE'S INT: Loaf creeping down the hall towards the Bro's room. The Loaf is pulsing and glowing an evil red.

CUT TO: MV (MEAT VISION) enters Bro's room and heads towards bed. MV hops onto bed.

CUT TO: DAVE'S EXT: Dave returns to the front door and finishes his cig. He flicks it into the bushes and opens the door.

CUT TO: DAVE'S INT: Dave enters and heads straight upstairs.

CUT TO: Camera shoots out of Bro's doorway in CU at hallway. Dave enters screen and begins to enter room. He stops in shock and horror. Camera zooms back to show meat and some blood dripping in patches on the walls around the door. Dave backs into the hallway and hits the wall behind him.

CUT TO: MCU of Dave sliding down the wall. There is a noise and he whips his head to the side.

CUT TO: The Loaf is moving towards him from further down the hall.

CUT TO: MCU of Loaf firing a meatwad at Dave.

CUT TO: Dave screams and puts up his hand. The Wad bounces off of it.

CUT TO: ECU of greasy residue left on Dave's hand.

CUT TO: MLS from direction of stairway. Dave stands and runs towards the camera.

CUT TO: MV follows Dave down the stairs and throughout the house. Finally, Dave disappears around a corner. MV enters kitchen. Looks about in frustration.

CUT TO: Loaf looking left and right. (It is in front of an open window.)

CUT TO: MV backs out of kitchen through window.

Staring at a Computer can be Enlightening

Everybody already knows this, but I'm putting it here so my grandchildren can thrill to my adventures when they can read. Who am I kidding? I'm never having kids at all.

I'm sitting here staring at a computer screen attempting to expand and refine our draft. "Attempting" is the primary word you should focus on. So far I've only barely reworked the party scene, but that is progress, right?

I'm hoping to get this new draft done by Friday, since I must leave for greener pastures at that time (I have to work.).

Other than that, I have begun breaking down what we already have into individual scenes for budget and scheduling purposes. And ummm....the phone just rang and I got distracted.

So, I'll just go back to staring at the computer and attempting to write.

Nix says: Look at the pretty words.

...

This is Spawn. Yes, this is my template, per request of Quill. I'm working on the big gap you see at the top of the posts, so don't fret. I hope to have it gone soon.

The one and only time I'm explaining the deal here.

This blog is a journal. A journal for myself (Quill), Nix, and Spawn, who are the driving force behind the Meatloaf movie, to post our thoughts during the entire run of this film. You won't get any "I did this today/I hate this drama bullshit/I like cheese" on this journal - this will ONLY be the happenings of Meatloaf. Later, these blog entries will be included on the official DVD special edition of "Night of the Living Loaf: Beat The Meat" in text format.

Scott and Nix will be joining us shortly, and then, you will be able to read our thoughts and updates about the film.

No, you cannot comment on our journal entries. No, you cannot join the blog - this is a Spawn, Quill, and Nix journal only, as we are the three responsible for the film production. Save your breath and our time by not asking, will you? We're busy.

Thank you. Have a meaty day.

~ "Quill"

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