Website is Live

[Ah... ah....  ZSGQCCUDQWVS !!  Sorry about that.  Technorati verify tag.  Anyways, we'll continue - ]


One of the (let's say "cool") things about doing DIY movies is that you have to do it all your own self.  From lighting to lunch to directing to cleaning up when you're done, if you don't do it, it don't get done.  


Now that we're in post production, one of the next big push things is marketing, of which the website is a part.  Big part, actually.  Which means someone needs to get that thing up and running.  And when someone says "someone" in the DIY context, guess who that means?


So.  Brushed off CoffeeCup's HTML editor, whacked in some HTML 5, pushed it up to the server with CoffeeCup's DirectFTP, and there ya go.  One "Pardon our dust" website, live and well.  Well, maybe not all that well - You'll notice that the Photos and the Media pages are bereft of anything even remotely interesting.  And that the people page needs more... people-ish content.  


Still though, the thing is now up and kicking.  Take a gander if you dare:


http://www.Sixufus.com


Look for more content as the weeks progress...

Trailer!

Whilest you and I have been lazing about and snoozing and taking our ease, Maurice Moore's team has been working.

Well, despite our guiltiness of sloth, I do hearby present the first Sixufus trailer known to man:


Sixufus teaser from alex rios on Vimeo.

Post

Nope, that title's not just a circular reference to this missive. It's a description of the current state of Sixufus: The process a film goes through after principal photography takes place.

Let me paint the picture for you:

You've got hours and hours of video/film to look at.
After you look at it, or sometimes whilest you look at it, you arrange it into the desired order.
You cut out the parts that you don't want.
You arrange it some more.
You add stuff - Transitions, visual effects. Titles.
You correct stuff - Color correction, effects correction.
You review. You go back to arranging stuff.
You remove stuff you added, then add other stuff that needs to be corrected.

Kinda a full-time job.

Then, when you're done with that? You work on the sound and music.

So - It takes a while. And if you're like me, and have a day job and a house to maintain? This may take a bit.

So let's come back full circle - Sixufus is in post. Somewhere in Europe, the brothers Rios are poring over the Sixufus production footage in the already-described manner. Meanwhile, Ben Pedersen is prepping his studio for the sound and music pass. (We'll talk much more about Ben in the near future.)

Meanwhile, the writer sits in Austin, cheering them all on. Because he saw this and hoped for the best.

It's a Wrap!

Got the message last night.  Not by phone, not by telegraph.  Oh no.  This, ladies and gentlemen, is the Era of Facebook, which means I found out via my Facebook news feed:  An update from our director, Maurice Moore:

THAT'S A WRAP!!!!!!!! Wow...we did it. A beautiful feature film in 18 days. I am a blessed man!! To my AWESOME cast and crew- you guys were amazing. U made me look like I knew what I was doing. I'm forever in your debt!! Time to Party. See you tonight at the wrap party. Much Love...ANAIK FILMS 4-EVER!!!!

Along with the news feed, turns out that Laura Perez, our Line Producer, posted some on-set photos.  Which I quickly, but silently, pilfered for your Betterment.  You're welcome.

So's as not to spoil, I'll just present these shots without any details about the scene itself.  

That's Maurice and Nathan in the foreground, Director working with Leading Man: 

That's Maurice on the far left, with the camera pointed at Raney Branch sitting on the right.

Here's a great shot of the locale they're using.  Looks nice in LA, eh??

That's Moe on the left, our sound expert Jordan next to him, and that's Frank and Alex on the right. 

Here's a much better pic of Alex Rios, our producer/camera/post-production force. 

Here's his just-as-talented brother, Frank Rios, our Director of Photography:

Here's a pic of the source of our photos, Line Producer Laura Perez:

Thought I'd close out this post with one of my favorite pics:  One of the props.

Lights, camera...

Got the phone call last night - Principal photography begins on Sixufus today, 5/4/10, at 9 AM Pacific time, in Los Angeles.

OK, so this isn't a big post.  Maybe you feel cheated.  But Hey, this news alone deserves it's own article, dontcha think?

For my sins, how about a new pic?  Here's an action shot of our director, hard at work:

Getting closer....

... to shooting, that is.  The latest word is, the Brothers Rios arrive in LA 4/24/10, do a week of pre-production strategizing, then out come the lights, cameras, and action! for principal photography beginning 5/1/10 (or therebouts).

And in typical indie fashion, Maurice got in touch with the writer (ahem) with a change for one of the key scenes.  Turns out we couldn't get a locale for Mayor Doreen's office, but we COULD get a restaurant locale.  (I would have thought it would be the other way around, but that's showbiz.)  Change in script required.

Fired up the last version of the script (Draft 6, dated 2/25/10), changed the locale in the slugline.  In a fit of inspiration, called Moe and asked if we could add a character.  He said go for it.  Back to work I went, and ended up with a scene that got more done, story-telling-wise, than before.

I love it when a spontaneous plan comes together.

Be back soon with on-set stills.  As they become available, of course.

We've got movement

Sure, lure you in by quoting Aliens.  An old ploy.

For Sixufus, the referred-to movement is of a financial variety, which means that the Sixufus production is now in forward motion again.  The latest estimate has Maurice and Co. firing up their gear anytime between mid-April and early May.  And because Maurice's team is almost completely staffed, and the roles mostly cast, it's a safe bet that Sixufus will be in the can sometime in May.  (Not finished completely, mind, just done with principal photography.)

The plan is for someone to take on-set stills.  If that happens, we'll be posting 'em on the official website (www.sixufus.com) for your edification, whilest we continue news updates at this locale.

Meanwhile, we're scouring the net for publicity-type folks.  Know anyone like that?

Sixufus - The Six Outrageous Truths/Lies

Bad news.  This isn't a Sixufus update. No.  I've been pummeled by JD Robinson, aka, the Techno War God, in a chain-blog of dubious lineage and distinction.  You've heard of it, no?  Quoting JD's quote:

• Tell up to six outrageous lies about yourself, and at least one outrageous truth – or – switch it around and tell six outrageous truths and one outrageous lie.
• Nominate some more “Creative Writers” who might have fun coming up with outrageous lies of their own. (Check the end of this post.)
• Post links to the blogs you nominate.
• Leave a comment on each of the blogs letting them know that you have nominated them.

Still, this is the Sixufus blog.  So in the spirit of Sixufus, we'll replace the word "yourself" with Darwin, the main character in Sixufus, who suffers from Dissociative Identity Disorder.  And give you the six outrageous lies + one truth.  Or vice-versa.

1. In the throes of an Oedipal rage, Darwin killed his mother by pinning her to the ground with a long knife, then running over her head with the car.  Though Darwin was the prime suspect, he was acquited of the crime due to a lack of evidence.  
2. At 29, Darwin's psychiatric care was halted when Dr. Marie Johnston's mutilated body was found in a dumpster behind her upscale apartment.  Again, Darwin was the prime suspect.  And again, another murder goes unpunished.
3. At 40, Darwin was knighted for his charity work with Bosnian refugees in Brighton.
4. At 46, Darwin is still, technically, a virgin.
5. Darwin is recognized as the world's foremost expert on the life and works of Virgil.
6. Darwin once attended an outdoor Rolling Stones concert in Dallas in a downpour. He has since lost the T-shirt.
7. Darwin teaches by day, but at night is a much-in-demand DJ in the fashionable Rave hot spots of his city.

Not good?  Sigh.  OK, here goes:

1. In the throes of an Oedipal rage, Scott killed his mother by ...

Oh.   Sorry.  Let's try that again -

1. I once competed in a Guitar Hero contest in a suburban Texas town, and have since been known as The Guitar Hero in certain social circles.
2. While selling magazines door to door in Nashville, I met, and shook hands with, the one and only Johnny Paycheck.
3. Bill Clinton, while out jogging, went by my house while I was outside and we spoke.  I have voted for him ever since.
4. I once attended an outdoor Rolling Stones concert in the pouring rain.  I have since lost the t-shirt.
5. I have an uncle who lives in Scotland, who's digital photographs of Nessie were stolen when his website was hacked.  He suspects a jealous Nessie-researching rival who married an ex-girlfriend.   
6. I once spoke to a group of psychologists about the significance of wearing Izod shirts.  
7. I was kicked out of school for a semester for playing my stereo too loud.  

Whew.  Off the hook.  But oh goodie, I get to pass the chain's curse on to Brand Gamblin and Allison Duncan (aka SVallie)!

A new year, another pre-production update

Halloween.  Thanksgiving.  Christmas, New Years Eve.  And Sixufus is still in pre-production.  Like all things announced, it runs the risk of never happening.

Sometimes delays like these are staff-based, as in we can't find the folks to do the work.  But that's not the case this time:  Maurice has identified and recruited all his actors.  And his production and post-production staff, a team that Moe has worked with before, are in place and eager to take on the challenges presented by Sixufus.

The problem in this case is the stereotypical indie problem:  The almighty dollar.  Or lack thereof.

So even though the script was written with a goal of being a zero-budget shoot, money must still be found for various and sundry items.  To wit:

The Shoot
Locations, meals, props, time.  Though Sixufus has a bare minimum of these, they still require an outlay.  Even if someone is willing to turn their apartment over to wacky indie filmmakers for a couple of weeks, the talent and crew still need a burger and the accompanying fries.  Let's say one meal for 8 people for 2 weeks:  At the wildly unrealistic 5 bucks a head, you still need (8 * 14) * $5, or $560.  Too bad that stuff doesn't grow on trees.

The On-screen Talent

The actors in our production are undeniably talented, but also undeniably members of a union.  The Screen Actors Guild, to be precise.  If Maurice wants to work with the actors in his town, he has to pay cold hard cash to the on-screen talent of this production.  That, or be blackballed for life; unable to hire a SAG actor again.  (And just to be clear, most actors are, or are aspiring to be, SAG affiliated.)  This is not an option, but a reality.

The Off-screen Talent

Maurice's team is made up from folks in Austin and Spain.  Austin, as in Texas; and Spain, as in Europe.  Getting to LA, on time and with all their gear in tow, is not going to be cheap.

Realistically?  A 0-budget feature-length film needs some money.  Sure, you hear of guys producing $70 movies, but that number is not an accurate accounting metric of the assets used to produce it.  Cameras, lights, microphones, software, hardware; plus the time and expertise to use them, has a financial value.  As an indie filmmaker, the question is "What can you trade to use them?"  Burger King won't trade fries for video editing favors.  Typically.

So, to tackle this goal, Maurice has generated a budget and is eliciting interest amongst his contacts in LA.  Only a matter of time, really, until someone sees the value of the team and project, and ponies up for a slice of the pie.