I’ve been following the Celtx software for some time. I currently use Final Draft for screenwriting, but I have a soft spot for free/open source projects.
Celtx has now released their version 1.0, which usually means it’s ready for prime time. I can’t say for certain that is true, but they have tweaked a lot of their features and added some new ones. I’m personally interested in the production tools: call sheets, prop lists, storyboard organization, etc. I plan to try out the production features on our upcoming project. I’ll post my results.
As I mentioned in my last post, we’ll be holding auditions for our latest feature on June 8th and June 14th at The Days Hotel Timonium – 9615 Deerco Road, Timonium, Maryland, 21093.
Here is the list of major roles available (other smaller speaking and non-speaking roles are also available).
“Deborah Mason”
(Female, 25-40)
She dresses for success and takes her career seriously. She’s new to management and hasn’t dealt with difficult employees before; though she’s confident she can handle whatever comes her way.
“Charles Vanderhaven”
(Male, 30-60)
Extremely detail oriented and paranoid, Charles is a textbook example of obsessive compulsive disorder. His only friend in the world is his dog, Pixie. He would do anything, ANYTHING, to ensure her safety. Other humans just inconvenience him; he wants nothing to do with them.
“Harold Becker”
(Male, 28-40)
A blue-collar man through and through. He has no patience for intellectuals who think they’re better than he is. He’s old fashioned, and will go to great lengths to protect his family.
“Sally”
(Female, 21-60)
Deborah’s assistant. She’s overworked because of her own desire to get ahead, but lacks the skills to get much further than assistant. And her passive-aggressive, sarcastic nature doesn’t help.
“Shane Foster”
(Male, 30-50)
Foster is a mafia “Hitman,” who’s been contracted for one last assignment for his boss. He had been previously promised that he would never have to do anything like this again, but his loyalty is so great that he accepts the offer. Foster has ice in his veins, but this latest assignment has limitations that he must follow, which compounds his frustration.
“Eric Litchfield”
(Male, 45-65)
Litchfield is a corporate America man, been a business man all his life. He hasn’t let his career get to him, though. He’s very friendly, conversational and outgoing. He’s one of three men trapped in an elevator, but even so, this doesn’t rattle him, and he can find humor in virtually any situation. He’s the kind of guy almost anyone can like.
“Ravi Sinjaad”
(Male, 25-45)
Sinjaad’s family is originally from India, but he came to America at a very young age. He is hard working, but somewhat timid, and does not like enclosed spaces. He gets nervous easily, and every once in awhile comes up with funny quips…that he doesn’t realize are funny.
“Don Buccini”
(Male, 55-75)
A mafia powerhouse, Don Buccini is THE major player in the area he controls. He is ruthless, vengeful, and yet has a soft side for those who have supported his rise to power. He looks upon “Shane Foster” as his second son.
“Dominick Buccini”
(Male, 23-30)
Spoiled, angry and incredibly vicious, Dominick is the typical psychopath that would kill someone just to watch them die…and then will run and hide behind his father’s mafia empire. He can’t wait for his father to be gone, however, because he has plans…BIG plans…for the role that he will assume. He hates “Shane Foster.”
“Darlene Spencer”
(Female, 18-25)
She is on the verge of a nervous breakdown, taunted by the ghostly image of a woman that haunts her dreams. She also hears voices that are beginning to influence her — leading her to contemplate suicide.
“Lindsay Campbell”
(Female, 21-35)
Impressionable, and a bit of a drama queen, she’s happily married, but always worried her husband will leave her, because she feels she’s not good enough. She currently takes antidepressants, and looks at her new home as a fresh start on her life.
“Jason Campbell”
(Male, 21-35)
Geeky computer guy, always upbeat. Husband of Lindsay, he no doubt loves his wife, but gets frustrated by her almost constant need for attention. Even so, he will step up and protect her when she needs it.
“Bonnie Hanson”
(Female, 28-40)
A polite and friendly — though noticeably phony — real estate agent, she treats her clients with respect, but never strays from her goal: selling the house and making lots of money.
“Maddy Hatfield”
(Female, 30-50)
An old-fashioned, devoted wife. Maddy is painfully aware of her husband’s contempt for her. She longs for his affection, but constant failure is wearing her down.
“George Hatfield”
(Male, 30-50)
Ignorant, abusive and controlling, he hates all women, including his wife, Maddy, and only interacts with them when he wants food or sex — and sometimes he doesn’t ask. He takes.
From Director Joe Ripple:
After seeing both national and world-wide distribution on four of their first five features, Timewarp Films, LLC will be holding open auditions for its sixth project, tentatively entitled “Sealed Fates.” This horror anthology project is slated to begin filming in late June. Several roles are available for both men and women, all races are welcome. Respectfully, no roles for children are available at this time. This is a non-union production, shooting on weekends with deferred pay, but meals will be provided. A DVD copy of the completed project will also be provided to each actor.
We will be holding auditions at “The Days Hotel Timonium,” 9615 Deerco Road, Timonium, Maryland, 21093. The audition dates will be Sunday, June 8th and then the following Saturday, June 14th from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. both days. The audition will be a cold read. Please bring a headshot and resume; however you MUST audition to be considered for a role.
Please do not call the hotel with any questions. All questions can be answered by Director Joe Ripple, via email at timewarpfilms@comcast.net
For more information about our company, please visit www.timewarpfilms.com
I read a post on Blendernation, a cornerstone of the Blender 3D community, that I felt bared repeating–for two reasons.
First, Colin Levy (Peerless Productions), created a 30 second public service announcement (PSA) as an entry for PSAId, a contest sponsored by the Center for International Disaster Information (CIDI). It’s very impressive and has a strong message; no wonder it was a finalist. You can view his entry here.
Second, because he uploaded a video on how he used Blender 3D for camera mapping in order to create the proper setting for the scene. He also has a full camera mapping tutorial on his Web site.
I started a section for showcasing the projects I’ve worked on. Projects from the Cellar will have stills galleries of FX and videos, with some behind the scenes commentary, and how-tos.
I’ve already added sections for Amateur Short Films, a Stakes FX gallery, a Monster Planet FX gallery, and a video on how to create a quick and dirty vampire death. Stay tuned for more.
Last weekend was Horrorfind Weekend.
As always, Timewarp Films had a table and we were hawking our films. It was nice to actually have a new one to offer. We weren’t able to get copies of Dead Hunt for last August’s show.
We shared space with our sister organization, Scares that Care (also run by Joe Ripple, our director). It really stole the show. We raffled off Ichabod, a creepy looking head on a stick, and conducted a silent auction–all for charity. It was a great success! We took in over $2000.
I spent most of the weekend hiding behind my laptop. I was updating a script for submission to the Bluecat Screenplay Competition. But I did pop my head up every once in a while to chat with fellow filmmakers, fans of Don Dohler and Timewarp Films (always a pleasure to speak with people that like your stuff), and, of course, the other Timewarpers helping out: Stewie, Rob (pictured; right), Zig, Colleen, Leanna (pictured; center), Eric, and the man himself, Joe Ripple.
Overall it was great fun. Unfortunately, the turnout wasn’t what they hoped for. But this was the first time in a new location, and March doesn’t bring out the fans like August does.
One highlight for me was getting to meet George Romero (pictured below). As a low-budget filmmaker, getting to meet a legend in the field is a real treat. He was taller than I expected, and a great guy to talk to. We shared our opinions on filmmaking, and he told me his favorite of his own films is Martin, a film I’ve wanted to see since watching Document of the Dead. Needless to say, I jumped on Amazon when I got home and ordered a copy.
Here’s a pic of the table. The barely visible Zig is behind the TV, Stewie is filming Rob taking the picture — exciting footage, it must be — and that’s me in the center, face buried.
Colleen, Leanna, and Eric pose to promote Dead Hunt.
And finally, a bunch of us went to the local Outback on Saturday to celebrate my wife’s birthday.
A very busy and tiring weekend, but a fun one.
Thanks to Rob and Stewie for the pictures.
Friend and fellow filmmaker Robert Long II has just started a Web site for indie filmmakers called smashortrashindiefilmmaking.com. He’s just starting out, but plans to have interviews with other filmmakers, articles, resources, reviews, and lots more. He’s already posted an in-depth interview with filmmaker Don Glüt. Check it out.
Today Mike, the head honcho of Horrorfind, approved our cut of the commercial. So, here it is:
Monday, Joe will pick up the DV tape and get a digital beta (I think that’s what it’s called) made. He will then send it to…wherever you send commercials, I guess. I know nothing about that end of the business. I’m just ecstatic that something I shot and edited will be on local and cable TV.
Stay tuned for an extended version later in February.
Saturday we shot a commercial for the March Horrorfind convention in College Park, MD. Since George Romero is one of the guests (along with cast members of the Dead movies) we wanted to do a zombie- themed commercial. One with some zip.
Joe, our director, came up with a great idea: a hip granny reminisces about Romero movies and then kicks some zombie ass. And there was a lot of ass to kick. We were expecting 10 extras at the most, but wound up with at least 25–plenty to pull off a Romero-esque horde. Of course, we only have 30 seconds to work with–it’s amazing how short that really is–so we couldn’t do all that we wanted.
Overall, the shoot went very well. The weather was cold but clear, and not too sunny; too much sun wreaks havoc with digital video. And the setting was awesome. We have to shoot there again.
To be honest, I was a little nervous going into the shoot. This was my first time behind the camera for Timewarp. That role was always reserved for Don Dohler, our mentor–and this was the first shoot since he passed away in 2006. I was fully aware of the large shoes I was filling. But just kept thinking about making him proud.
Many thanks to Joe for keeping the zombies under control, and for checking to see if I focused the lens 
, and thanks to Stewie and Zig, our faithful crew, for helping out. Zig actually reminded me about the ND (neutral density) filter on the XL1. It helps with overexposure so you don’t have to stop down too far. That was a big duh.
I mentioned earlier that 30 seconds is a very short time. Well, I did my first pass cutting the commercial, and it came in at 45 seconds, an eternity in editing. After a couple more passes, I’m down to 34 seconds. I’ve had to chop some lines, and make some shots shorter, and generally be creative. But it’s not over yet. I guess I need a chainsaw. Luckily, we plan to make an extended version so we can put the rest in. We filmed a ton of zombie footage. No way we waste that.
And, by the way, everything was in focus. 
I’ll post the final version of the commercial when I’m done.
The DV Rebel’s Guide: An All-Digital Approach to Making Killer Action Movies on the Cheap.
Author: Stu Maschwitz
Are you a DV Rebel? You might be if you know your way around a camera, NLE1, Adobe After Effects, or any of the million CG programs out there. Or perhaps you’ve made, or were involved in making, a short film or low-budget feature. If so, you are a DV Rebel–and the DV Rebel’s Guide is just what you’ve been looking for to make your next project even better.
The Guide is for anyone with a passion for good filmmaking, and the drive to learn and improve the final product. As Maschwitz puts it:
“It’s for anyone whose cinematic ambitions extend beyond the self-imposed restrictions of standard indie fare. If the story about which you are passionate involves exotic locations, visual spectacle, weather, Kung Fu, or any other stuff that makes movies better than plays, then welcome to the book that won’t try to talk you off the ledge.”
Just because you don’t have a big budget doesn’t mean you can’t make the film you want. Maschwitz says he hopes some of what you read in the book will make you “throw down the book immediately and go try it out.” He was right. In fact, I constantly found myself thinking, Yes! That’s what I do, or Holy shit! I never thought of that.
Rather than limiting your film to one location, shying away from interesting shots, or avoiding special and visual effects like the plague, Maschwitz encourages you to trust yourself to make the film only you can make. And The Guide has the tools to help. Included in the arsenal he provides are: where to find affordable and convincing prop guns (and how to make them appear to be fired); how to effectively light your set with lights from your local hardware chain; and how to dolly, slide, and steady your camera for under $100. In return, he asks that you don’t skimp on three things: The camera (“for the Rebel, HD is an option; 24p is a must.”)2, a professional NLE, and Adobe After Effects. Four things if you include Photoshop.
Indeed Maschwitz’s approach is “postproduction heavy,” but that doesn’t mean he advocates a fix-it-in-post style. In fact, it’s the opposite. Postproduction begins during pre-production. The key to his approach is production value, “that nebulous quality that makes a film feel big.” By using the resources at hand to their fullest, and acknowledging your limitations, you can make a film that appears you spent a lot more that you actually did. “[Y]ou won’t be making Terminator 2 — but if you stretch and strain and get really creative, maybe you can make The Terminator.”
Also notable is Maschwitz’s writing style. He addresses his audience as peers, in a friendly style that strives to motivate Rebels to make better films. He’s indeed one of us, a Rebel. Barnes and Nobel is filled with filmmaking books that either dig so deep into a subject that it scares away most potential readers, or are so general you have to be a complete newbie to get anything from them3. But the DV Rebel’s guide speaks directly to DV Rebels, and tells them exactly what they need to know about the craft. Sure, he could have written 300 more pages or separated the chapters into different volumes, completely dumping his brain onto paper, but that’s not what The Guide is about. It’s about getting out there to make films; not merely reading about it.
The book covers planning and storyboarding, shooting, effects, editing, and mastering–providing information essential to maximizing production value and keeping the recorded image as pristine as possible. Most of the chapter called Onlining4 digs deep into After Effects. The color correction section alone could make a newbie’s head explode, but as a DV Rebel, I was exhilarated. I felt the book was written at my level of experience, filling many holes in my knowledge, but not spoon-feeding me stuff I already knew.
The Guide also comes with a companion DVD. The video portion has a short film called The Last Birthday Card that Maschwitz wrote and directed. It’s a true Rebel project, and he uses clips as examples throughout the book. In addition to the film itself, there is a version with commentary, and an FX breakdown. The commentary is great. I do wish, however, that he included more in the FX breakdown. There were two major FX sequences in the film, a helicopter and a car crash, but the featurette only covers the helicopter shots.
Also included on the DVD are some Rebel tools for post-production. You’ll find some nifty After Effects scripts, including a palette that will make you crave a cigarette when you’re finished playing with it. OMG!
There are a couple of topics I wish he had expanded on further. Sound and lighting are, to me, the most neglected elements in low-budget films. Maschwitz does cover both of them, offering pointers, but I would have loved to see more detail on both. Of course, he admits he’s no sound expert and doesn’t want to come off sounding like one. I can accept that. And his pointers, dos and don’ts, are specific and direct in true Rebel fashion.
Lighting is covered in a little more detail, offering some great advice. But lighting is one aspect I feel needs more than just pointers; I feel the foundation should be laid out, even for Rebels. I’ve seen too many films where the lighting showed the DP’s lack of experience. And nothing takes me out of a movie faster than when something doesn’t look right.
But these are minor quibbles. I found The DV Rebel’s Guide extremely informative in nearly every aspect of filmmaking. More than that, Maschwitz’s love of the craft shines through on every page, which made me want to get out and make a great movie.
About the Author:
From the back cover: Stu Maschwitz is a commercial director and cofounder and CTO of The Orphanage, a San Francisco-based visual effects and film production company. Maschwitz spent five years as a visual effects artist at George Lucas’s Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) and went on to create the award-winning Magic Bullet software, used in his 1999 short film The Last Birthday Card. Made with the very first DV camera for a budget of around $5000, Birthday Card shocked viewers with its high production value and killer effects.
Maschwits also publishes a blog called ProLost, and hosts a forum as a companion for the DV Rebel’s Guide called The Rebel Cafe.
1 NLE stands for Non-linear editor. The most popular professional NLEs are Adobe Premiere, Final Cut Pro, and Avid.
2 The Canon HV20 is the first consumer-level camera (under $1000) that shoots 24p (with some tweaking when capturing). It doesn’t have all the bells and whistles of prosumer cameras, but it has become increasingly popular–and seriously pimped out. More about the HV20 in future posts.
3 There are a lot of other good books on filmmaking. But sometimes it gets frustrating to sift through the mediocrity to find a gem.
4 Onlining is a term I’d never heard until reading the book. Maschwitz defines it as: “…a noun and a verb that refers to the process of creating the final, high quality version of your film.”