| Theatrical Trailer - Finding Magneto |
[23 Jun 2006|08:20am] |
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Edit: Got the formatting right and added a link to the music at the proper place.
THEATRICAL TRAILER: FINDING MAGNETOJittery raw video footage, impossible to tell of what, outside, but with odd smooth rounded walls. The sound of feet running, indistinct radio VOICE-OVERS.
RADIO VOICE 1:
Go left, go left. RADIO VOICE 2:
It's up ahead. Get the shot, you should be able to.. RADIO VOICE 1:
Straight ahead, go, go. The raw video footage lifts up, focuses, pulls back, resolves to the side of a nuclear power plant. At first it's difficult to see what the frame is looking for. Then it resolves - a man floating off the ground. It's Magneto, in the famous shot from live TV in his first appearance. This is from an archival recording that has not been retouched or cleaned up. ( MAGNETO: Good Evening )
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[25 Dec 2005|03:27pm] |
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I know, I know, it's been forever since I updated you all with the new information on CinemaHelix's new production, the drama "Finding Magneto", to be released to select independent theaters this summer. We are currently in the middle of principal photography, which is being conducted in three parts:
Salem Center: Interiors, close and distant work, road work, and the home of the lead character.
New York City: We are shooting all over New York City from our headquarters at the Gramercy Park Art Hostel, and a big thank you to the board of directors there who let us pick up the last few weeks of the season after another group cancelled. New York City is all of our city shots, all of our work in clubs and industrial centers, as well as the entire SHIELD sequence.
Avon Creek, New Jersey: This is a small town that's trying to attract filmmakers, and they've been just great to CinemaHelix, putting us in touch with local businesses such as the Regal Diner, where we're shooting the middle sequence of the film. Throughout the Avon Creek area we'll be
I have gotten some e-mails from some people asking about how we're dealing with the In God's Image group given that they're here right as we're doing our highly genetically "integrated" production. Actually I went over and shot some footage of their first rally. Very well-produced bigotry, very good public relations and marketing. On a professional level, I can see they have a great deal of strength. But as we found out when the money guy got arrested for stealing from the group, hate can't provide a moral basis for how to live life. I would say they need a new name: "God Help Us". Actually that wouldn't be a bad name for any group out there, whatever they're about.
I haven't seen Jill very much...she got really busy...I know I shouldn't take it personally. It's cool. I've been busy too. You'd think that would keep me from wondering about her...
And I haven't seen the faculty much either, outside of classes, which means my plan's working. I nailed my finals and got basically As. Even in PE, for the first time. I guess that's the advantage of a private school where they can make SURE they know what you're eating.
I am really starting to think I have something here, this script, after the last revision, when I pushed the ending just that tiny bit further, is really affecting the cast and crew, these are issues that definitely speak to them as much as they do to me, so...one can hope....
Next post - pictures and sounds from the production....
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[12 Oct 2005|02:04pm] |
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Nadia's here at the school now, and I met this great girl named Jill from Nebraska who was literally chased out of her small town after her power went haywire at The Big Game. Well, they're cliches for a reason, I guess. I asked her out even after I discovered she was a cheerleader. I have no clue what my league is these days, it seems like everybody is out of it, so if I don't want to have a life totally alone, I better get used to taking my chances where I can find them.
I got a roommate, Chris. He wants to break into get a good look at the X-Jet. I was along with this idea for a while until I got busted like three times in three days. The heat is on, better just keep my head down and finish this screenplay.
Nadia is really talented, she did these murals down in the City, I filmed her with them...we are now going to try to get her some actual public art gigs. It should be cool if we can work it out over the phone...man, can you imagine how "in your face" it is going to be when she shows up?
Ms. Frost said that the movie is too controversial for the school to touch, but she might be able to put a little bit into the kitty in return for some work. I'm cool with that. Also, the town of Avon River, New Jersey responded to my letter about indie filmmaking there...so it looks like we may have a location! The casting call is getting some good responses too. If we can just get the money, I think this might happen.
Catastrophe seems different since the night she and Piper snuck out and got wasted, maybe she is finally settling in? Who knows.
I got a uniform and a codename. Ha haaaa. The codename is silly, "Director", but the uniform is neat. I put this little shoulder strap thingy on it for doodads like light meters and viewfinders and...stuff. The only thing we've done with it is a Danger Room scenario.
More on the Ramsey scenario later. In short, it was crap. But what can you expect when you give amateurs essentially an unlimited budget? That Danger Room is one of the most significant artistic development since the printing press and it's just sitting around getting used for mutant junk. Not that I have any problem with mutant junk, it's just really shortsighted. Oh well.
Note to self: Don't ask Derrek for help with anything. He doesn't understand what the word "help" means. I think he thinks it means "make things a lot worse".
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[30 Sep 2005|01:18pm] |
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Ms. Blaire took me down to New York City! It was really the first time I got to go around the city and actually shoot some still frames and even a few pans and handheld walking sequences. I know I looked like a completely feeble tourist, gawking at all the buildings and people, but I didn't care. It was incredible! You could just feel the energy of the city all around you.
We were there to look for some guy who they wanted to recruit for the Academy. He's an older guy, a tattoo artist named Dante (possibly. could be a fake name.) Pretty talented too, at least I was impressed with the designs, not knowing anything about tattoos! He is apparently a telepath. I don't know if he scanned my brain or not. How can you tell? Anyway, he agreed to come back to the Academy and check the place out. I'm sure they have some college level stuff for him to do, or maybe there's like a telepath's symposium or whatnot.
I have to go back to that city. Soon, and often.
"'Cause everyone's your friend in New York City
And everything is beautiful when you're young and pretty
The streets are paved with diamonds and there's just so much to see
But the best thing about New York City is you and me!"
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| Preliminary Call Sheet For "Finding Magneto" |
[30 Sep 2005|09:58am] |
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Call Type: Non-SAG, non-equity. CinemaHelix Productions employs mutant performers.
Performers of all ethnic, racial and genetic backgrounds are encouraged to attend.
This is a student production of an indepdendent feature film, "Finding Magneto", that will be shooting during December 2005 and January 2006, with a slated release date of spring 2006. It contains comedic elements, dramatic elements, experimental film techniques that will require patience and accomodation on the part of performers, and a small but significant set of action sequences.
Audition Dates: November 19-21, November 26-28, December 3-5.
Location: Salem Center Community Center, Room 3B
Times: 12:00 PM - 4:00 PM. BY APPOINTMENT ONLY.
Callbacks will be the week of December 5.
Appointments: For appointments, please e-mail casting@cinemahelix.myspace.com
A monitor will NOT be provided. The producer will run all aspects of this audition.
Contract: Variable, equivalent to student film standard rate.
Seeking: All roles open. See breakdown. If you have auditioned for CinemaHelix in the last six months, I do not need to see you again, and please refrain from attending so I may get to know new people.
Preparation: Current picture with 1-page resume stapled to back. Please prepare two 2-3 minute contrasting monologues from published plays or movies. Many parts require physical audition, please see breakdown for specific preparation instructions.
( INITIAL BREAKDOWN )
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[30 Sep 2005|08:00am] |
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I got some great stills of some graffiti....hard to even call it graffiti. It's more public art than graffiti. It was done by a girl with snakes for hair and snakelike eyes. Her name was Nadia, and she wanted to know where the school was. After I talked to Ms. Blaire, she was brough to the school. I think she's doing okay. At least she is getting three square meals and a roof over her head.
Who the hell am I to feel sorry for myself? Sure, my family and friends didn't want me around anymore when they figured out I was a mutant, but I don't have hair that will bite people. I hear every city in the U.S. has its own Morlock den now. Its own literal underground of mutants whose appearances keep them from going around with "normal" people.
Whatever is inside Nadia that gives her the power to her make such dynamic and striking art, to design fonts and symbols, to make a tortured picture with a few lines of cheap paint on the rough surface of brick, whatever that is, the only way she can get anyone to see it is to wear a hooded sweatshirt, pulled up, all the time. Something about that makes my skin crawl more than having snakes for hair.
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[16 Sep 2005|11:11pm] |
TO: BLAIRA, CENTRALCOM
FROM: ALDRINH
RE: Edited Footage Of Mutant Liberation Front Attack
Ms. Blaire and associates -
As you assigned, I have edited up the footage of the MLF attack. As you may know, I was using a Sony HDW-F900 Cine Alta HD Minicam set for high-exposure compression for night-time shooting. This means that I was getting an enormous number of frames per second stored in the memory of the camera in order to establish the extremely low levels of light involved in nighttime shooting. This is good news for this editing project considering that when the web mutant attacked me, I dropped the camera and so it had to rely on limited autofocusing, and the single 100 watt beamlight that thankfully didn't turn off. The good news is that I got dozens of thousands of frames from the memory of the camera when I recovered it. The bad news is thousands of these frames were completely unusuable and had to be discarded before I could get the ones that you see in this attached product. When I found a usable frame, I had to color-correct, rotate, and sometimes edge detect and enhance the shapes, and then match it to the nearest usuable frame. THIS MEANS THAT THE NUMBER OF RESTORED FRAMES PER SECOND VARIES CONSIDERABLY. At times you will be watching digital footage on par with a super-8, at other times like an old 100-speed silent movie. Fortunately the computers here are very powerful and were able to handle this graphics load easily, even zooming in and enhancing parts of the data.
I WAS out there for a class - the photography class I'm taking at the adjunct community college. Yes, I know I broke curfew, but it was for an assignment! You can't just digitally sub in day for night and expect to get the hues and saturation right.
But this e-mail is not a justification, this is me turning in my assignment so I can get detention time knocked off like you said. I did NOT have a microphone with me and so I didn't get any voices. Thus, I have put in a soundtrack. This recording is used without permission and if you ever want to release it outside the school, I ask that you let me know so I can arrange for ASCAP permission and a cover of the song. It's Fountains of Wayne's "Bought For A Song". I will be happy to discuss my choice of music or other stylistic details with anyone who wants. There is a commentary track also recorded on the alternate track. The DVD data is not region encoded.
Thanks for the opportunity not to be stuck in detention for a month.
Very Sincerely,
Howard Aldrin
CinemaHelix Productions
( Behind The Cut: A Video Transcript )
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[07 Sep 2005|11:44pm] |
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I know, I know. I've only had the project in mind for a few hours and already I changed the title.
But I got a tagline at the same time!
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[07 Sep 2005|11:01pm] |
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Books...check.
Classes...check.
Met with advisor....check.
NEW PROJECT!!!!....CHECK!!!
Watch this space for news on the latest CinemaHelix brainstorm! Scratch title: "Waiting For Magneto".
The idea partly came from an image Andrea and a girl named Cessily described to me. I had an idea before that but no images. Andrea said a student had tried to teleport into the school during its destruction a year and a bit ago, and had gotten "stuck" in a ghostlike state. Like James Baldwin's invisible man, are not all mutants "stuck" like him? We all want to get somewhere, but we end up nowhere at all...
What a hell of a metaphor! Whoever this dude is I hope he doesn't mind having an analogue of him in a movie!
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[07 Sep 2005|07:28am] |
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I was waiting in line to get my books when a fight broke out between a girl with feathers in her psychotically colorful mane of hair and a girl who could stretch out her body over a cigarette. The girl with feathers wanted to smoke it and the girl who stretched did not want her to. I was just trying to talk to a couple of girls in line to get my books. Then an oak tree suddenly grew up over the front gate. I have to admit, I was pretty excited about it. I remembered one of my first films. Hell, it's one of everyone's first films. You take pictures every few hours of a plant growing. Then put the frames together and it's like it explodes up out of the soil. I ran out to take some pictures of it. Here's one:
I like how the lighting came out, very saffron...
Anyway, it turns out a bootlicker named Derrek was responsible for the tree. He also wrapped up Cat with a vine (feather-hair girl) and she had some kind of horrible-sounding power that was cutting her out of it when Ms. Pryde said...uh... to cut it out. But he was basically sort of wandering around lost (yeah right) and so I bought him a soda and yacked about his background a little. Him and Andrea (girl who can stretch out her body).
I guess there's some rule about using your abilities to settle disputes, not that mine is useful enough to ever do that with.
Andrea said something that I thought was very sad and very striking (as striking as the frankenstein stitches in Catastrophe's clothes, in its way). She said that she never tried to stretch as far as she could because she worried that she wouldn't be able to get back to normal. As if she could get back to normal if she never stretched her body again in her whole life. As if there was some "normal" for her waiting out there, just waiting, if she would only not reach too far or bounce too high. What an interesting way of looking at things! What a fascinating illusion...
It's not one I share, maybe to my detriment.
I eventually did get my books. And I think Cat did eventually get to smoke her cigarette, alone like she wanted to be in the first place. She said she lived in a dumpster in New York City and if she wasn't telling the truth at the very least she was telling something like the truth. She started playing with me later in the conversation, trading quips about "Get Smart"...an interesting woman.
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| OOC Update: John Flansburgh Movies |
[06 Sep 2005|10:47pm] |
OOC Post
I picked John Flansburgh as the fellow to play Howard.
Want to see him in action?
The trailer for "Gigantic: A Tale Of Two Johns":
http://movies.yahoo.com/shop?d=hv&cf=trailer&id=1808465390
The video for "Birdhouse In Your Soul": (wearing a tie, bouncing around like a dope, playing guitar, doing some welding, smoking a pipe, riding a bike)
http://www.tmbg.com/VIDEO/proVid.cgi?song=BIRDHOUSE%20IN%20YOUR%20SOUL&album=VIDEO&vid=9
Performing "Clap Your Hands" at "Bluestock" for Blue's Clues: (singing, dancing, wearing a bad windbreaker)
http://www.nickjr.com/home/shows/blue/bluestock_giants.jhtml
Improvving about the drummer and his contest with a robot drummer from MIT: (especially notable for bad sunglasses on Flans)
http://www.tmbg.com/VIDEO/proVid.cgi?song=(BRAVE%20N.W.)%20ROBOT&album=VIDEO&vid=4
"Doctor Worm" video: spinning around with a guitar and a solemn look, then spazzing out
http://www.tmbg.com/VIDEO/proVid.cgi?song=DR.%20WORM&album=VIDEO&vid=11
Singing about how humans are "King Weed". In a suit, wearing a 1940s journalist outfit.
http://www.tmbg.com/VIDEO/proVid.cgi?song=(BRAVE%20N.W.)%20KING%20WEED&album=VIDEO&vid=2
Lines Upon A Tranquil Brow, singing, with horrible glasses, to an accordion. Good closeup (but very small). Yelling "Break out the cigars"...
http://www.tmbg.com/QCAM/proQcm.cgi?song=A%20TRANQUILBROW&album=QUICK+CAM&qcam=3
A song about growing older from the same science show as the others. Yelling about how time is marching on. Great suit, bad quality video.
http://www.tmbg.com/VIDEO/proVid.cgi?song=(BRAVE%20N.W.)%20OLDER&album=VIDEO&vid=3
"The Guitar" video. Running up stairs, looking around like a spaz, repeatedly.
http://www.tmbg.com/VIDEO/proVid.cgi?song=THE%20GUITAR&album=VIDEO&vid=10
"The Statue Got Me High" video. Driving a convertible with a cup of coffee. Singing and yelling in 60s-lookin' windbreaker and sunglasses. Laughing madly.
http://www.tmbg.com/VIDEO/proVid.cgi?song=THE%20STATUE%20GOT%20ME%20HIGH&album=VIDEO&vid=13
"They'll Need A Crane" video. Mainly playing a guitar and spazzing, although there's a fun 'rowing a boat' sequence at the bridge...
http://www.tmbg.com/VIDEO/proVid.cgi?song=THEYLL%20NEED%20A%20CRANE&album=VIDEO&vid=14
"Working Undercover For The Man". Lipsyncing while in a knit winter cap. Unbelievably hilarious.
http://www.tmbg.com/QCAM/proQcm.cgi?song=WORKINGUNDERCOVER&album=QUICK+CAM&qcam=8
Enjoy!
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| CinemaHelix catalog part 1 |
[05 Sep 2005|11:23pm] |
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For budgetary reasons, I haven't been able to do a lot of films that aren't shorts. It gets very expensive to do a full 90 minute film. Here's a piece of the CinemaHelix Catalog, expect a second part later.
"Questions" (:58) An FBI agent must get information from a white supremacist about the location of an explosive that will kill a civil rights leader on Martin Luther King Day. An eerie denouement occurs when the memories triggered by the agent's skillful interrogation replay themselves in the tiny room. Digital camera.
"Rust And Eclairs" (:19) and "Magnetic North" (:39), two films set in the same junkyard in the same imaginary land, where people live in cemeteries and shop in landfills, and when they have restored the newness to the items, dispose of them in shops and stores before taking them apart and putting the raw materials back in nature. In this reverse world, love is arranged by divorce lawyers and thieves give the best gifts of all. Two whimsical looks at this odd world as wealthy people search the best junkyard in Country City for the very finest of garbage, and find there love, loss, and a delicious cup of coffee. "Rust And Eclairs" is on film. "Magnetic North" is digital.
"No Exit" (:80). An adaptation of the existential play by Jean-Paul Sartre starring the Milwaukee Central High School Drama Club. Unique in that it is the only filmed version of No Exit that takes place entirely outdoors, heightening the insane nature of the characters instead of the physicalness of the trap they're in. Digital.
As I mentioned before, there's more to come.
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| Logo... |
[05 Sep 2005|03:10pm] |
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The current logo for CinemaHelix Productions:
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