Pick Ups: Round 3

Well its a wrap. November 14th  around 5:30 I officially called the final take for THE SAVING. Its finally done. Every single shot, the whole gorram movie. Myself and the Second Unit Crew, all females (wacky fun!) headed back to the parking garage where we shot a large chunk of the film's main action sequence. It was weird to step back "on set",  a lot of memories flooded back and I was once again freshly reminded how much I love filmmaking.

Like the yin and yang bracelet Stephanie gave me for my birthday our two pick up shooting days, Saturday and Sunday couldn't have been more opposite.

Saturday was just straight up mind numbingly stressful. I  caught myself thinking "Really MJ, What the heck have you gotten yourself into!?" Definitely not uncommon to the experience of an indie filmmaking, everything that could go wrong went wrong. Tempers flared, feelings were hurt, schedules thrown out the window, shots had to be severally re-thought and loads of damage control Plan Bs put into action. Yet somehow at the end of the day we still got the shots we needed and nobody was dead. I call that a victory. I passed out on my still made bed around 2 am Sunday morning, my closing thoughts were simply prayers for peace and a better tomorrow.  My prayers were answered.

Literally I couldn't have asked for a more drastic up swing in productivity and morale. Sunday went off without a hitch. Got on set and our lovely make up and hair supervisor Carice Eastin gave Steph's hair a much needed trim for the sake of continuity ON TOP of a WINDY parking garage. Yes, she is just that awesome. And then we went and filmed. Banged out the shot list, few tweaks here and there, some coaching for the right emotional intensity but besides that things ran like a well oiled machine.It was all a little surreal.

Check out the Vlog below for more details on how Sunday really restored my heart and reminded that even with the ups and downs I still wouldn't wanna be doing anything else with my life.

November 15, 2010

Dated November 14th, 2010

 

Pick ups, rather fantastic gory death shots, partying old school at my place ...

more info

Pick ups, rather fantastic gory death shots, partying old school at my place with my film peeps and closest friends for my 18th birthday. Nov. 14th was a very successful day for me and the cast/crew of THE SAVING. Talking Picks Ups shots, artistic vision, publicity stunts, and why Stephanie should most definitely die in all the films she's cast in. She's really getting way too good at it. I think the best part was she ended up texting between takes while covered in blood. We make our own fun and it amuses me. :D

LESSONS LEARNED

1. Stuff falls out apart. It just does. Learn to pick up the pieces, pull up your bootstraps, lean on those who care about you and put one foot in front of the other. It does get better.

2. I will try my best to retain the tradition of consuming at least a double shot of espresso on set. Cause, you know, I'm all about traditions :D

3. My Crew/Cast have to be some of the most loving caring people a person could find themselves working with. I'm greatly blessed to able to have them be a part of my life.

4. I'm very much indebted to my mother for teaching me great photo composition. Her mentorship is a direct reflection of my shooting style.

5. Anything can be a publicity stunt. Use your blood covered female lead wisely and you might just secure yourself a some new Indiegogo backers. That and its wacky fun.

IN CONCLUSION: Filmmaking. Hell one day. Not so much the next. It flip-flops but I still love it.

Director's Vlog (Episode 2)

Dated November 7th. 2010






So whatya guys think of the new haircut?

Nathan M. Schilz @StudioAlethea

His Official Website

Its a Holiday!

Otherwise known as International Shamelessly Plug The Saving Day!! In honor of the momentous occasion and the release of THE SAVING rough cut I give you MJ Slide's "Happy Nerd Dance" :D :D

More Then just a Movie

My desire from the very get-go of embarking on this journey of writing and directing "THE SAVING" was I sincerely wanted this film to be about more then just two characters and their struggles. I wanted it to step beyond that, to grab the audience by their heads and their hearts, not only making them think but motivating them to act.  Film is such a powerful medium and can effect people in a deeply personal way. THE SAVING has already wholly changed my life and I'm pretty sure its safe to say its also changed Stephanie's.

Well...in lesser words, I got my wish. THE SAVING has stepped beyond MJ Slide & Co. and its pretty much the coolest feeling ever. All thanks to the awesome folks over at ReachOut.com. I stumbled upon this website a few months ago right before THE SAVING went into Principle Photography and its been on my radar ever since. Reach Out is a website designed specifically as a safe haven for teens and young adults to find people who understand the tough situations in life they're going through. A place where one can open up and not worry about the judgmental eyes, ears, and mouths of those who wear their ignorance and malice on their sleeves or simply just don't  give a flip. One of their central focuses is dealing with heart wrenching rate of teen suicide in this modern day and age. Its more then just a number but the number in itself is staggering. From ages 14-25 the third leading cause of death is suicide.


Get "THE FACTS" here. Ignorance can no longer be our excuse. 

We must do our part to make a difference and that's exactly what myself and the cast and crew of THE SAVING plan on doing. I decided after much consideration that as a key bonus feature on THE SAVING DVD my team and I are were going to put together a documentary short film companion piece about teen suicide in the United States, covering all the angles. Those who have lost loves ones, considered suicide themselves, survived suicide attempts and those on the forefront, the families, counselors, psychologists and best friends who are fighting back, lighting up the darkness.

You can learn more about the the documentary below in the my latest vlog and what you can do to help support both this endeavor and all of those who are partnering together to raise awareness about teen suicide in their communities and all over the US and the world.





REACH OUT.COM INTERVIEW WITH ME AND STEPHANIE

THE S. MATTHEUS SESSIONS - Session 21

 


SYNOPSIS: The final psychological evaluation leaves Doctor Amanda Allen at a loss for what to do.

Is Skye telling the truth? What's really brewing in her mind as she gets ready to reenter the real world? Has she mended her way?

Looking back on this whole experience we really did make it as accurate as we possibly could. Both Apryl and Stephanie really poured all of themselves into these Sessions and its seriously paid off. I hope you as the viewers pull as much from these segments as I have, not only from the talent displayed on screen but also a better understanding of who Skye really is and how she operates.

Ya The Play's The Thing! (So you should go see it)

A Review of Robin Hood: The Next Generation

Performed by the Greer Children's Theatre
Directed by Mr. Kevin Treu

I feel it's important to clarify a few things before I get into the meat of this review. First off, I'm not a theatre person, at all. Simply not my cup of tea. Second, I like comedies even less, with the exception of Oscar Wilde and Shakespeare. Don't get me wrong, I love a good laugh but its gotta be good. None of this halfsy stuff. So when I say I sincerely enjoyed Robin Hood: The Next Generation (RHNG) you can understand the full weight of my meaning.

Now one deserves a bit of insight into the premise.

Things are definitely changing in Sherwood Forest. Sir Robin Hood and Lady Marian have been married for 20 years and their beautiful daughter, Robin, is about to come of age. The Queen has selected the young woman to succeed her to the throne but insists she first must be wed to a man of royal lineage. Being a woman of the next generation, Robin naturally resents being married off so quickly without some romance. So she devises a clever contest in which the best archer and swordsman shall win her hand. Robin convinces her maid to stand in for her while she herself dresses as a man to compete and win the contest to prove her point. And after living her whole life in the forest, winning won't be hard to do!

Meanwhile, the young male contenders have plans of their own. Prince Jared resents being forced into the competition since he, too, wants to marry for love and so convinces his manservant to switch places with him. Other contenders include comic princes Harold and Gerald, poor Prince Rodney the Regrettable, and wimpy Lord Horvath, whose mother (Lady Vendola) has evil plans for usurping the throne.

Needless to say it sounds rather like a Shakespearean comedy does it not and in some senses it plays out (pun intended) similarly to what the Bard could have penned. Much mishap and confusion over switched identities and misunderstood affections. With a healthy dose of modern pop culture references scattered throughout, RHNG succeeds in amusing a wide range of audience members, from young children to adults.

Robin, the lovely leading lady at the helm of this two hour romp in and around the woods of Sherwood Forest is played by none of the other then THE SAVING's female lead Stephanie Ibboston. As her film Director it was refreshing to see Stephanie take the stage with a more lighthearted personality and it also reaffirmed my belief that this girl can play any character she sets her mind to and knock the thing out of the park.

Thankfully Ibboston's stellar portrayal of the head strong yet endearing daughter of England's favorite folk hero was not the only one worth meriting. The rest of the cast very much put their heart and soul into their individual roles and their efforts quite brilliantly shine through. There was a defined feeling of cohesiveness that I find is rather rare for a group of teenagers to achieve. In other words, I was pleasantly surprised.

Taking on the role of the much sought after Prince Jared *insert trumpet sound here* Sean Hackle has the command and presence to handle the character with both charm and wit. And of course all great leads need strong supporting characters and RHNG is no exception to that rule. My hat most justly goes off to the right hand guy and girl of Prince Jared and Lady Robin. Ambrose, Jared's manservant, played by the ever hilarious and very well cast Trevor Catalano and Lady Robin's hand maid Madolyn, played by Laura Scheving cannot help but warm your heart and put a smile on your face.

Now what stage play is complete without a well executed over-the-top female villain that would make the woman who voiced Ursula the Sea Witch grin ear to ear? Oh ya RHNG happens to have one of those too. Roberta Barnes as Lady Vendola pretty much captures the essence of humorous conniving evil personified. Accompanied by the bumbling yet lovable apothecary forced into sorcery, Capers, played by Ginny Treu, they make quite the pair.

Finally rounded out by comedic princely duo Herald and Gerald (Brandon Gaunt & Dean Tierney) this play wins your heart from the opening line.

In summary: Kevin Treu organized his acting troops with masterful hand and cast and crew of Robin Hood: The Next Generation put on one heck of a show! They might have made a theatre fangirl out of me yet. Opening weekend went off without a hitch but crazy crew of the Greer Little Theatre still have next weekend to blow you away,  They need you there. Support the arts. Indulge in some laughs. I promise, warm fuzzy feelings will ensue.

Go ahead, buy a ticket. You will not regret it. I didn't. And I bought three.

PURCHASE YOUR TICKETS HERE

MJ out.

PS. Thank God its not a Musical :D

THE S. MATTHEUS SESSIONS - Session 8,11,14

Things reach a boiling point as psychologist Doctor Amanda Allen starts digging into the origins of 16 year old Skye Mattheus's anger and bitterness. Mad props to Stephanie and Apryl. You both really brought it with this round. I think I might go with improv more often :D

For some reason, embeding from Youtube is freaking out blogger and making the screen HUGE so I'll just have to link you guys up  instead.

THE S. MATTHEUS SESSIONS - Session 8,11,14