Week 1 Part A

Well it’s the first week of school, and I have really enjoyed the Christmas break. I contacted Mrs. Simpson before the break and asked her to look for some old pictures and accounts of the younger days of the park. I have not contacted her yet and I am looking forward to going up there later this semester and wrap things up. To be honest, I haven’t thought much about this project during the break, except for coming up with the idea of title card artwork and looked at my super 8 mm footage. The super 8 mm footage (to y delight) has developed, yet sadly it was not converted, as I asked, to mini dv. I have more super 8 mm cartridges to use. I want the holes to organize what I have and see what else I need. I will plug the holes with super 8 mm footage and I still have kodachrome cartridges to use. One is exposed already. I’ll use the rest of the film and send it all off to be developed and have it all put on a single or two mini DV tape. Glad to be back though, I am scared that my last semester @ UNCW will be the most challenging yet.

Week 1 Part B

I re-photographed the super 8 mm footage while I was converting family films and captured it just to use and get an idea of its place in the film. I think our weakest element right now however is not the photography. I still feel I only have one interview in the format that I need. I will get into that as I sift through the audio and see if it has snatches and snippets I can use. I wish I was able to be there for the interviews. I think I would have asked more questions. This is good though because I will refine and update my questions for the remaining interviews. Thank God that I have more lined up, because the ones that have already been conducted are suspect. But we will see, perhaps things will develop differently as the project comes together. I want to attend a sound class or two with Markowski to fix the Barry Paige interview. I think I need some expert advice on the sound aspect of this film. I am waiting to hear back from the bluegrass band, but they have been contacted. I know of another solo artist to contact as well, just in case.

Week 2

Well we’re into it now. We are the first to go in showing our stuff. Steve and I can handle it though. I am very impressed with this young man. He is a complementary partner for this film and I am glad to have him aboard. I can explain concepts to him that he just gets along with me. Anyway seems we will be doing an all day session on Sunday and some of Saturday as well. I am thinking about going light to dark with composition and placement of photography. I think that splitting up the images on certain screens is a good idea. I have a lot of really good stills to use and I think that it breaks up things a bit. I like looking at multiple images on screen and the amount of stills I have that would look great sitting up on screen like that. I think some even can stand alone on screen. How this and all the moving and non moving footage work together is another story. I have been thinking about the order the audio (when I get the rest of it) will be put together. That is a huge piece of this film



Week 3

Well we busted ass and got it all done. We organized the day light footage and put in some dialogue of the girl we recorded. She is head and shoulders above the rest of the interviewees. Steve, and Damian’s interview was alright but they did not hit the keywords or subjects that need to be covered and touched upon. They were really over the top on their tone. I want to interview Steve again and get his back on track. I have contacted all of my interviewees and they are ready to go. I need to get going on organizing these. I have three people to help me when I go back up to the farm. One is my friend Jason who is bummed he can’t get into any of the production classes. I told him I have some production for him. When I go back up to the farm there is definitely some more stuff I want to get: him working, the daughter, Vollis’wife, maybe all of them together in the park. I need a good night drive-by; I don’t have a good one on file. So I think I can get it all done in one day. The best weather would be overcast through the day and clear at night with a moon. (And windy)

Week 4

Class was canceled, so me and Steve lived to fight another day (even though we were ready) we messed with it a little bit. But the best part was that I came up with the rhythm of the film. I think that the legend of Acid Park breathes through the words of the people who tell the story. And without those words the story doesn’t exist. So my idea was that the images only appear on the film when the words of the storytellers are told. The pauses of black will be brief but varied in length and duration. The story from light to dark will still be there. But it will be a true tale. One that allows itself to only exist while told in legend and myth. We will be going on this week so I as always look forward to the criticism and growth produced from these sessions.


Week 5

Well we went before the class first. And I think it went fairly well, except for some reason our images of stills were pixilated and blurred. This was pretty disappointing for me since of the expense that I went through to get them transferred over to disc. But the class and Mrs. Silva didn’t really like photos, Matt and Skip liked them. But the stills will be lost from the film. This means more work but it also means I know what I will be shooting on some of the super 8 mm cartridges. It is hard to be able to capture the moving image when it doesn’t move so hopefully when we head up there we will have ideal conditions. But the park plays differently every time I head up there. So we will find out. Also brought up was the soundtrack on the need for one or not. I have the options to feel out with music, so I will make my decisions when I actually get the music. I do know that I don’t want to shove it down people’s throats. But light doses add to the overall production value of the film I think. This is the first time some people had seen the footage and I think it was overall well received. The photography is pretty strong so I need to focus on the sound element now. With my concept for the film’s rhythm hinging on this soundscape it is forming into something sound intensive (pro tools). The visit to sound class is deemed necessary now. Also the idea of going dark to light instead was brought up as light is shed on a subject as it becomes visible to the audience. I am fine with that because it is just my idea upside down. That is close enough for me; I just wanted to go from light to dark from an esthetic point of view. The darker images are just plain prettier, and moved more. The light images are moving less.


Week 6

I forgot to mention I heard back from the bluegrass band and they are on board, I explained the concept to them and what I was looking for from them. I need to get some footage to them so they can come up with some ideas. I gave them my blog address and contact information. Let’s see how it goes from there; I am in the position that it won’t break me if they get busy. I used this week to mainly catch up on other classes. Not much else to report. I know stuff is around the corner and before I know it the end of the semester will be here and I really want to get it on track. I spoke to Professor Eric Patterson about my doc and he has been there! So you know I am gonna get his interview as well. He said no problem so the revised questions I mentioned have to get done and we’ll start knocking out these interviews soon.

Week 7

We have our new deadline ahead of us, it is crunch time. But Steve and I find the time somehow. We started sifting through all of our footage and see what we got and organized it in large chunks. We are going first again in class (this is a trend for us) with a large rough cut. There is a time limit of thirty minutes and I think most of our best stuff should be under this amount. The one thing we don’t have is the audio. The layout of the images’ duration dictates itself by dialogue layout. The interviews already conducted are mostly, as I feared, unusable. Damian’s tale is riddled with expletives which I would have to bleep. Barry Paige is echoey (bad). Steve’s interview was too revealing. I think the kid with the good girl interview is stoned. I am not too worried because as I always do, I overbook talent. I have 5-6 interviews ahead still. We keep putting off going up to Acid Park, lining up which one to go is tricky and my schedule is what is holding us back. Unlike last semester, I have been using Sundays and Saturdays to catch up on homework and regular work. I am overwhelmed officially now. I can’t wait to go before the class with all of our stuff out there (images mainly). I love feedback. Ha ha! All of the stills have been taken out mostly. I will meet with the title artist and get him to make sure to take note of the pics we wanted to use so they end up on the film somewhere.

Week 8
Class canceled. So here is my chance to catch up on the audio. I have reworked the questions for the interviews and held the marantz just for this weekend. Steve is contacting the Tattoo shop Piercer hopefully we get him scheduled. I have called the twin friends of mine to set up a time but only get voice mail. I told Dr. Patterson that I would catch him on the Monday after the weekend. So that would be four interviews done, I think it should be okay though. I talked to the twins a couple weeks ago and reminded them.

Week 8 Part II

So the piercer dude is nowhere to be found. And something serious has happened to my other twins’ interview. It may never happen because of what happened. My little interview is the least of their worries now. I have to re-adjust and see what I have left. Interviews closer to the project have more focus than before. What a blessing that Dr. Patterson was found. If I didn’t take his class this semester, I would have never guessed in a million years that he has been there. The rough cut is ready minus sound of course. The class will get to see 90% of what will be the final film, untightened, of course. I will still get this interview thing back on track. I ended up having problems with the marantz and I found out that European mikes have a different form of battery insertion. I used the marantz before and didn’t have this problem. But it was set to stereo. I am using mono for the interviews. I am going to set up a casting call for the remaining interviewees and get it all done as soon as possible. I have contacted the solo artist, he is all over it and we are meeting later this week so he can see the images and get his head around the subject. We have the opportunity since we are going first to have next week to accomplish these interviews. It looks like I need to get my pillow and sleeping bag ready, it is going to be a long couple of nights in the new Bear Hall. Critical times are upon us.

Week 9

We have shown a fine cut to the class and attached some sound. Unfortunately, we had some doubling issues (picture and sound repeated, boringly). I really feel this took away from the critique that we could have had. But forward we must move. Money issues have forced me to make some decisions on the super 8 footage, I still want to photograph some close-ups with the camera to replace the stills but it looks like it will have to wait until after the end of the year screening. As mentioned before I listened to the interviews conducted by last semesters group and found them to be fairly useless. Damian swears every other word so his interview’s presence will have to be piecemeal in nature. Stephen’s interview will also have to be redone. I came up with a new line of questions, designed to be repetitive as to flesh out as many memories as possible, while at the same time, producing alternate takes with which to have other options available to me. It is now two and a half pages, with room for the interviewee to reflect on their answers, yet feel comfortable with the setting. I want those interviewed to be in the same mindset as when they were at Acid Park. Also mentioned was the need for wide shots, shots of the car, and of course, elusive Vollis working.

Week 10

Still no spring in North Carolina, but I love the cool weather. Life outside of school stepped up its game and I have not been able to move forward. I have checked out equipment but alas, the marantz befuddles me and I get no interviews. All I am able to do is acquire some creaking sounds from outside the editing lab, which sound surprisingly like windmills; perhaps these can be used with the sound design, in later weeks. I schedule a marantz tutorial with Tony Creech and call it a week.

Week 11

The credits song lyrics have come across the wire; they are based on a random web account placed on my blog from last semester. The musician has told me that he is already recording the track and it will be coming soon! I can’t wait; I think the production value of this piece will be through the roof. No interviews yet. I have, however, met with Mr. Creech and found out what I did wrong with the marantz and hopefully I know what I am doing now. The title artist and I met and went over what pictures we would use. This was a great experience for me, because I was able to get someone not involved in the film excited and anxious to contribute (just like the musician). We discuss what of the discarded pictures we could use (about 60 in all) and I sent him home with transparencies, sharpies, and a picture disc for comparisons. Not a great week but a good enough one.

Week 12

Full Frame looms in the near distance. All projects will have to be suspended for that weekend. I want full attention to be paid to these films. Mostly in production value and story is what I am interested in. I have a place to stay at my mother-in-law’s and I can’t contain my excitement. The end title’s song was sent to me in rough-cut, and it is incredible! I played it for the class and I think they were impressed, I know I was, so was Steve. Steve actually has seen the band play before (six degrees of separation). I took that as a good luck sign and marched forward. I obtained my wife’s interview and contacted the Simpson’s and set up a date to go up and get the final moments needed for the film. Mrs. Simpson was very nice and I told her that I was looking forward to finally meeting her (she has proven to be more elusive than her husband, Vollis). I pray for good weather because that is the week it will all have to happen, good or bad. Final decisions are made for the final 30 pics to be used in the end title cards (there will be minimal front titles due to length concerns). I printed out grayscale copies for the artist, it is literally in his hands now.

Week 13 (Hell Week 1)

Interviews are scheduled this week, all are ready, and here we go! I conducted Skip’s interview and all went well aside from the extraneous commotions that occur during an outside interview. Next was Steve’s, he also had a truck that wanted to go continually in reverse (beep, beep, beep, beep, etc). It would prove to be a way better interview than the last one conducted. It was a lot of starting and stopping because of the extra noise but it was in the books. Next was Dr. Patterson’s interview, his was more controlled because it was held in his office. He had a lot to say on the subject, as he had been preparing for the interview for 3 weeks or more. He had a lot of nice things to say about the place, but seemed pretty far removed from the subject, but the nice thing is that he and his companion both were skeptical of the story but both believed it for the most part, especially after seeing the car. His experience raised more questions than answers, but they went to see it during the day, which is a completely different experience. After all interviews were completed, to my horror, all files were in an MP3 format. Compressed media, the settings of the marantz I had so painstakingly set, somehow reset themselves to default. Luckily they were at mono and at the highest settings for MP3. I converted them using QuickTime Pro and moved forward hoping that Pro Tools would be my savior, along with the Barry Paige, girl 1, man 1, and Damian’s ugly recorded interviews. Oh I hate sound! Sunday, Skip and I went to Acid Park to film Vollis, the car, shoot the rest of the super 8, and film the night drive bys. It was cold, overcast, and wet. We were able to finish most of the things planned, but as the rain fell harder, we had to let the night shots go to hopefully next week on the way home from Full Frame. I called Carol Simpson for an interview; she never called me back. Putting this week behind me I made preparations for Full Frame.

Week 14 (Hell Week 2)

What an experience Full Frame was. I totally didn’t have time for it but I forced myself to go because the next time I get a full access pass to a film festival it will have to be because I am a participating filmmaker. On the way home, Steve and I shot some night drive bys, it was late, dark and we needed more light, and more crew. But we got something at least. Also accomplished this weekend, Steve conducted my interview (in camera, with a shotgun mike, my nemesis, the marantz, was not present) Last week I forgot to mention the festival plan, which is due this week. I decided to create an excel file for it, and boy what a mistake! The actual legwork for this project was in no way as hard as trying to make an excel spreadsheet on a printable 8.5 X 11 sheet of paper. The experience was gratifying though; I conducted it as though it was my real festival plan. I learned so much about the process and had a little bit of fun on the withoutabox website. Plans were set up to get the fine visual cut finished for our film so we may concentrate on sound. Sound was laboriously trimmed and trimmed and trimmed and named and named and named. Sound as in image was massive in length and breadth. But it will be used to create quite an extensive and rich soundscape. The musician called me to touch base with me to let me know that the master print is finalized with fiddle. He also recorded some accompanying music to help space gaps. The title artist has finished his work; we just have to film their projections. This project is coming together fast.

Last Week
The sound element of this project proved to be very taxing. It really encompassed an enormous part of the project, as I have always envisioned it. This was the hardest part of this edit, we have had the images ready for some time already. But, after hours and hours of time and Sundays, we got it pretty well pieced together. The musician submitted the final version for me with the fiddle which is now in the track and the artist submitted his work. The projection didn’t work as well as hoped, so they became high resolution scans. These scans took 7 hours to do 15 pictures but they are beautiful and exactly as I envisioned. A lot of good people helped me on this project and I hope I made it up to them, with the final edit of the film. I love it and I get emotional watching it. What a joy
Last Entry (for school anyway)
I spoke too soon. It isn't over, last week I thought we were turning in final projects. I was wrong. It was another pre-screening this week is the last project. We received a lot of mixed reviews, and it was a lot for me to decipher. I really had a hard time what people were trying to tell me. One suggestion was for me to show the interviewees/account tellers. Not only would this be impossible but it also is against original concept. I met with Steve a few days later and we talked about it. He kind of read things differently than I did, and heard the more important things. Once he repeated these to me, I remembered some of these statements said and we implemented some things. We put a portion of the end song at the front of the movie and interlaced segments of Vollis throughout the film. A beginning title sequence was implemented, and end titles sped up (director credit at the front). These were positive changes and the film is stronger and has a thicker back bone to it. As previously mentioned in other entries, film can always be improved and tweaked to make it better and better, tighter and tighter. I think we are farther along, but more steps need to be taken. I still have to come up with the money for the super 8 footage. I really hope that there is a place for it in this film. I always saw small spaces to lie between the accounts to allow them to sink in, perhaps we can add 30 seconds or a minute to allow this to happen. We are at ten minutes and 27 seconds right now, so we have a little wiggle room. I will get the footage back in the next month or so and have a couple more meetings and screenings before we send it off in the festival circuit. As it stands right now, the film is pretty strong. And I look forward to hearing the next round of suggestions and/or constructive criticism. I still love the film and hope to continue to make it better.