Filmmakers Log

Miley Cyrus (Hannah Montana) Vanity Fair Photos

2008-05-21T20:12:00.000-07:00

All 15 year old girls want to grow up too fast, and it's up to the adults in their life to put on the brakes.

If similar photos had been taken of a non-celebrity 15 year old, charges would likely be laid against the supervising adults and the photographer. I am wondering why legal issues are not being explored in this case, including the publishing of such photos.

Before becoming a filmmaker, I worked as a photographer and turned down jobs of this nature several times. I am a relative unknown compared to Annie Leibovitz, but that still does not condone sexualized photos of a 15 year old girl.

If they had of waited until Miley Cyrus was 16 years of age, then the above issues would be gray, instead of black and white.

Allex Michael

ps: I am also opposed to sexualized photos of underage models, and using underage actors in sex scenes.

Net Neutrality Essential to Independent Films

2007-06-15T22:18:00.000-07:00

We Posted this about Internet Neutrality, and I thought it was poignant!

Net Neutrality Essential to Independent Films

Net Neutrality is essential to the success of independent films like

SEARCH DOG'S RAVEN.

Having an equal opportunity Internet has allowed almost a million web visitors to find the film and the rag to riches story of Ebbey the canine star.

Telling the eerie story of a handler and her wilderness search dog, the independent production and first time filmmaker Allex Michael have received a tremendous amount of attention via the Internet, including interest from several large theatrical distributors. The film will be completed in 2008.

Unsegregated Internet exposure has also led to incredible collaborations, such as

- Spectacular Film Locations in the National Parks,

- Extensive Product Placement Support,

- Involvement with The Humane Society of the United States Stop Puppy Mills Campaign and

- Technical advice from both Alzheimer's Specialist Kimberly Kelly Falconer and NASAR (National Association for Search and Rescue) Board of Director Ken Lesperance.

Of about 40,000 independent films currently in production, SEARCH DOG'S RAVEN is within the one percentile that will obtain theatrical distribution.

None of this would have been possible for a low budget production without Net Neutrality and toll free Internet exposure.

Please keep in mind how many starving artists and upcoming filmmakers depend on Net Neutrality.

End of the World and Paris Hilton's Album Release

2006-08-22T10:01:00.000-07:00

Though I try not to think about such things, thankfully the world didn't end on August 22 under nuclear attack by extreme muslims. This means I may actually get to finish my first film Search Dog's Raven.

With the release of Paris Hilton's debut album, also on August 22, I am now again feeling anxious. Why is my mind connecting these two events.

Hilton hired the best - including Dr. Luke who's produced a number of other big name artists like Kelly Clarkson. So I'm sure the album will have a great sound - though the single Stars are Blind is pretty generic.

This kind of financial clout and built in media attention, certainly gives Hilton a leg up in a very competitive market where about the only chance a struggling artist has nowadays is getting on American IDol.

Though I have a lot of work to get done today, I will be very happy when August 23 arrives in about 13 hours.

Snakes on a Plane Box Office

2006-08-22T09:46:00.000-07:00

As a filmmaker, I understand how important, perhaps essential it is to listen to your audience. However, Snakes on a Plane. went too far. (Great animated snake logo by the way). Though I must admit keeping an eye out for the film’s box office numbers this weekend. It turns out the opening 15 million dollars was only half of what was expected.

It’s easy to be an armchair quarterback, but the fact is that R rated films NEVER do as well as a PG. It’s unfortunate that including several F words, one too many gory deaths and some sex scenes limited the success of a potentially great popcorn movie like Snakes on a Plane (NY Times Review).

We have received some great advice for the upcoming film Search Dog’s Raven, however some suggestions have to be taken with a grain of salt. Afterall, YOU are making the film, and paying for it (either as producer or via your resume when the film doesn’t perform), not the people spewing out free internet advice.

Stars are Blind and Music Videos

2006-08-18T10:30:00.000-07:00

With tendencies to daydream, I often have the tv or other stimuli turned on in the background while I'm working on Search Dog's Raven.. Though it reduces my productivity, the daydreaming can be far more distracting. With the utter lack of new tv shows other than Blade the Series, I've been watching MTV.

Though Paris Hilton's song 'Stars are Blind' is predictably unforgettable, her video is sooo infuratingly watchable. This girl must practice in front of a mirror, with all her camera friendly poses.

This shows what an impact videos have had on music, as the song would likely not do very well without the memorable visuals. I would need to hear her unplugged to critique her voice, but to be honest cannot remember a single word from the song. Though a few notes from the slightly caribbean tune is in my brain somewhere. All I can remember is her in that white satin dress and the incredibly hunky guy with her on the sand.

Search Dog’s Raven Press Release

2005-12-12T03:34:00.000-08:00

As a first time indie filmmaker, I’m astounded at how many things that need to be done. Many of which seem to have nothing to do with film making. And no one tells you about all these things until you’re already in the trenches.

A film’s first press release is supposed to come out when the film wraps production. But with the thirty thousand or so films being made as we speak, how many media bureaus really care about yet another indie film. So I thought up a different strategy. Instead of a film wrap release, the first official press release for Search Dog’s Raven reveals the rags to riches story of Ebbey the canine actor who portrays the film’s search dog. I mean how many canines do you know who have their own web site and their own blog. Plus there’s only one Ebbey on the Internet Movie Database, and she is in our film. Thanks IMDB.com.

Now some may argue that sending a press release about the canine costar is a bit out there, but dog lovers make up a big part of our audience and there are some 50 million in the US alone. And who doesn’t love to see a dog wearing antlers and holding a candy cane toy bone?

I spent a couple days capturing some incredibly cute Christmas photos and video and we’ll see if Ebbey’s story gets the film any kind of media coverage. About the only way we’ll know is via an ongoing Google search and if the film’s web site hits suddenly surge.

For an independent film, Search Dog’s Raven has been exceptionally lucky about getting media attention thus far. Let’s hope our creativity continues to give us an edge in the incredibly competitive film market.

Humane Society

2005-12-11T04:52:00.000-08:00

Though I don't agree with every campaign, I've always supported the efforts of the Humane Society of the United States. Their heart is in the right place.

So we've arranged an interesting blurb for them in the film Search Dog's Raven, the eerie story of a young woman and her wilderness search dog. In the film, the search dog handler wears a t-shirt with stoppuppymills.com, which advertises HSUS efforts to stop puppy mills. On the official site of the Lost Raven Search Dog Team Site, it also mentions the handler's support for the HSUS. Hopefully it will help them out with this very important issue.

Internet Movie Database Poster

2005-12-10T03:33:00.000-08:00

Finally bit the bullet. The Internet Movie Data Base (IMDB.com) graciously listed Search Dog’s Raven before the film started production, which is very rare for an independent film. This was likely sparked by our “In Production” listing in the Hollywood Reporter. Thank you HR! This led to small blurbs in Variety and Playback (Canada’s film trade magazine).

As an independent film, we’ve been very, very lucky in getting attention. However, I’ve been debating about putting the poster on the IMDB. It’s not the 35$, which is cheap considering the potential exposure on such a widely used and popular database. It’s their terms and conditions that concern me. I’m no lawyer, but it appears that you pay the IMDB 35$ to post your film’s poster, which may also entitle them to print and sell them.

So, just in case that’s the case, we decided to post just part of the poster photo, which is also a production still from the film. Though I dislike most photos of myself, I must admit, it’s a pretty compelling image. And Ebbey the search dog also looks great.

Ebbey’s Blog

2005-12-06T03:39:00.000-08:00

I just noticed feedback on Ebbey the canine actors blog ebbey.blogspot.com. It’s from a dating site. Guess they figure if Ebbey’s owner has nothing better to do than write a blog for their dog, they also need a date. Luckily it doesn’t take too much time for me to write her blog. I regularly record Ebbey events and film making events in my calendar and just mark anything that might be suitable for Ebbey’s Blog or Filmmaker’s Log. Ebbey’s growing list of fans really like her blog and often visit from her web site. I’m amazed at the number of people who literally visit every single page on EBBEY.COM. It’s kind of addictive to read about her story and I’ve posted many great photos with captions.

Delegating the Books

2005-12-05T03:56:00.000-08:00

I’m supposed to delegate more, but as an independent filmmaker I no longer have upfront wages to pay people. The trick is to get people to help, but not alienate your friends and family. A relative graciously volunteered to organize my finances. I needed to see a telephone bill from two months ago, and she looked in her recipe file to find it. Should I be worried?

Promo Photo Put Off

2005-12-05T03:46:00.000-08:00

I need to get some promo photos taken, for the film and for my web site, but keep putting it off. There’s just so much to do. May try taking some of myself instead. I love taking photos, but am not as keen on going somewhere to have my photo taken.

First Autograph

2005-12-03T03:38:00.000-08:00

As a total shock, I was asked for my autograph today. A teenager recognized me from the web site. The film isn’t even done or the trailer, so it was a major surprise. The two girls petted Ebbey (who plays the search dog in Search Dog’s Raven and jokingly asked if they could get a paw print autograph.

Stress Buster

2005-12-01T03:38:00.000-08:00

Everyday, I have a piece of cheesecake for breakfast. On bad days I’ve also been having cheesecake for dessert. It’s healthy cheesecake, but still loaded with calories. However, I still haven’t gained any weight. I’m lucky I have a fast metabolism, but one of these days it’s going to catch up to me. It’s also strange as I’m mostly lying in front of the computer and working on the film. I guess worry and anxiety must burn off a lot of calories.

Last Minute Roles

2005-11-30T03:56:00.000-08:00

I have one role which was just a telephone voice over, but have now decided to get a real person to do this. Luckily I already had someone interested.

Unsteady Wardrobe Relations

2005-11-29T03:52:00.000-08:00

This post should have been posted in April, but I just couldn’t get to it.
I’m not very good at asking for help, but have been very lucky with support for my first film Search Dog’s Raven. However, I’m in an ethical quagmire. A relative has graciously offered to sew much of the wardrobe, for which she will be paid when we sell the film. However, getting the items on time has caused a lot of stress. Despite months and months of lead time, they often arrive at the very last minute covered in loose threads and pet fur. And they aren’t always as requested. Sometimes she lays new pieces on the carpet, further adding to the hair. This greatly increases my work load as I need to remove the fur before actors wear them. Fleece garments are especially bad, some taking several hours to clean. I cannot seem to get the point across. When I do, her response is that she agreed to sew them, not to clean them. This, I am finding, is the dilemma of the first time independent filmmaker. Getting free help, without alienating relationships with all your family and friends.

November 29 PS: Despite all the stress, and all the unnecessary work, the wardrobe for Search Dog’s Raven was quite extensive for an independent film. I now feel a bit guilty about complaining and should just be grateful that someone was helping me.

Living out of Boxes

2005-11-17T03:55:00.000-08:00

Most of my living space continues to be devoted to the film Search Dog’s Raven. I’ve been living out of boxes for over a year, with a blue screen type studio for photos and effects in the living room and an indoor set taking up most of the remaining space.

The Vacuum of Film Making

2005-11-15T03:48:00.000-08:00

There are still a number of photos and special effects that need to be done and my living spaces is currently a studio. I’m using a vacuum that sucks great on the thrust, but redeposits half the dirt on the backup. This parallels my first film making experience. I’m not making any more films until I can afford a new vacuum.

Indie Film making Side Effects

2005-11-15T03:32:00.000-08:00

I was looking for something in my calendar and was shocked at how many injuries and illnesses I’ve had over the last year or two. Guess the stress and exhaustion from making my first film is catching up to me.

Official Film Web Site

2005-11-11T03:35:00.000-08:00

Well it took a lot of work, but the first phase of the newly designed SEARCH DOG'S RAVEN Web Site is up and running. The site was fairly large, so I’ve extended it from SEARCHDOGSRAVEN.COM to SEARCHDOGSRAVEN.NET. I hand coded the html’s because I just couldn’t learn yet another software package. Not for this film any ways.
Though fairly simple, the pages are coded to be very search engine friendly. which I haven’t always found to be the case when examining software generated html code. And it’s really paid off, as Google and a number of other search engines are actively bringing up SEARCHDOGSRAVEN.COM pages for search queries. Search dog, dog’s, dog films, a search film and search and rescue are common hits, but some of the more interesting search terms include action thriller log lines, dog wardrobes, dog spirituality, photo de raven in Hollywood, snow dogs trailer and raven movie special effects.
We’re also getting a lot of image searches as there are a lot of photos on the site and many more to come. I really like web sites with lots of photos.
Our traffic has also increased dramatically since the new site was launched. Luckily we’re hosted by Dreamhost.com and they offer great packages with lots of bandwidth.

Thank God for Modern Technology

2005-11-09T03:50:00.000-08:00

Without a digital SLR camera, it would have taken even longer to make Search Dogs Raven. Without internet access, and yes I finally got high speed, few people would even know about the film. Thank goodness for the internet and also that high quality technology and software is now available to the masses.

Post Production Employment

2005-11-05T03:48:00.000-08:00

I was born in Canada and decided to complete post production in Alberta. With the province’s low unemployment rate, I’ve lost several more people to paying jobs. Can’t expect them to stay forever on a deferred salary. However, my increased work load has increased my level of anxiety.

Website Design

2005-10-29T03:46:00.000-07:00

Thought of using search dog terms as categories for the newly designed Search Dog’s Raven film web site. The film takes place seven years in the future and each main page showcases the team’s high tech search gear. Much of which is currently in development.
CALL-OUT is the Intro Page, SEARCHDOGSRAVEN.COM with an animated version of the poster.
FOOTAGE has upcoming Trailers, Featurettes, Clips, Music Videos and features the COMCATOR
EVIDENCE has Production Photos, Posters, Downloads and the MINI DIGITAL CAMERA
INCIDENT reveals the Synopsis, Background Story, Log Lines and the FIELD GOGGLES
ALERTS includes the Press Box, Press Kit, Latest Press about the film, Contact, Updates and team’s EAR PIECE
MAP is the Site Map and MEMORY CARD COIN on which the film’s logo is based
TEAM is the official web site of the Lost Raven Search Dog Team (LostRaven.net)
TV SHOW The Real Life Animated Adventures of a Search Dog Team (LostRaven.com)
ROSTER will include the Characters, plus there’s information about the SEARCH BACKUP LIAISON of the future
TRACKS will have some samples from the Soundtrack and shows the search dog team’s MINI LAPTOP
DEBRIEFING is Where All Secrets are Disclosed on SEARCHDOGSRAVEN.NET. Including information about the Director, Actors, Technical Consultant, Locations, Film Secrets, Credits, Title, Inspiration, Experts, Story Conception, Hook, Artwork and Logo, Props, Product Placements, Sponsors, Get Your Own Lost Raven Token Coin. There is also information about the DERMAL SENSOR
and finally
FRESH SCENT is a New and Updated File List for Return Visitors

Gypsy Lifestyle Woes

2005-10-19T03:51:00.000-07:00

I wonder if any other filmmakers are in this position. I finally got my stuff out of storage, only to box it back up. I am now using my living quarters as a warehouse for film wardrobe, props and promotional supplies. Until the film is done, and the effects are completed, I keep needing access to various items. So I’m shuffling boxes from one room to the other in order to make this work.

Sleep Deprivation

2005-10-11T03:45:00.000-07:00

Was out walking the dogs, very tired and turned my ankle again. This time I heard a loud snap so it was going to be a while before I’ll be out and about.

More Web Site Developments

2005-10-09T03:33:00.000-07:00

LostRaven.com is up on the web. This is the web site of the real life animated adventures of a search dog team called Lost Raven. Like a film within a film, LostRaven.com is in the film Search Dog’s Raven and now in preproduction for a real tv series.

Drowning in Resumes

2005-10-07T03:44:00.000-07:00

Though filming Search Dog’s Raven officially stopped in August, we’re still getting unsolicited resumes from actors and crew wanting a job. Of course composers are still contacting us to score the film.

Web Site Developments

2005-10-02T03:33:00.000-07:00

LostRaven.net is up. Search Dog’s Raven is the eerie story of a search dog team called Lost Raven. LostRaven.net is the official site for the search dog team.

Donations

2005-10-01T03:43:00.000-07:00

Donated a couple framed photos of wolves and the poster from the film to the NASDN several weeks ago. Each one also had two souvenir coins in the matting. I’ve donated several items to various organizations over the last few years, including a painting, but never receive any kind of donation form or letter. Will have to get some kind of letter up front from now on or some other method to assure I can write these things off.

eBay Business Cards

2005-09-22T03:44:00.000-07:00

The USA Postcards arrived today and look great. Unfortunately they shipped them via ground, despite me paying for express, and couriers charge outrageous brokerage fees for goods crossing into the Canadian border. No wonder the prices are higher in Canada.

Actor Helps Promote Film

2005-09-02T03:35:00.000-07:00

Actor Marcus Ross, KWADACTOR.COM does a lot of volunteer work, including weekly presentations to groups of high school kids about making smart choices. He was paralyzed after diving off a cliff into the ocean, so his story may prevent someone else from injury. So we started giving him coins to give out after his talk, along with a fleece jacket with the name of the film. I can always tell when he’s given a presentation as his web site traffic increases, with some exploring the Search Dog’s Raven web site. In addition to the half color Search Dog’s Raven business card that’s included with the token coin, there’s a small color folded page with him in the film and his web page.

Canine Babysitter

2005-08-19T03:42:00.000-07:00

Ended up baby sitting a friend’s dog. Have you ever tried to stop 240 pounds of canine when there’s a hare nearby? As each canine is competing to get the hare first, the actually pulling power is greater than one dog times three. You also need to walk the dogs more often when baby sitting as they seem to get into more trouble. I ended up taking both Ebbey and the friend’s dog on location. He turned out to be a very naughty boy and stole a bunch of food off the kraft table. Thank goodness I’m the Director, otherwise I surely would have been fired.

New Computer

2005-08-17T03:41:00.000-07:00

Worked through the night, and was unable to go to bed again. A local store was offering no fee and no money down for a year to buy a new computer and do I need a faster computer. Drove over first thing to make the arrangements and place my order.

Delegate, Sure

2005-08-12T03:40:00.000-07:00

I delegated the accounting to someone else, and nearly got into a lot of trouble. Canada has a national goods and service tax, and productions can get this money back. Well, I didn’t check our last quarterly return and turns out we claimed about 500 more dollars than we should have. Led to a bunch of phone calls and hassles, which is always scary when you’re dealing with the government. Luckily we sorted it out and I will also have to double check the accounting from now on.

Photographing Ravens

2005-08-06T03:40:00.000-07:00

Went to a Wildlife Rehabilitation Center today for several hours. They are raising an orphaned raven to be released, and are allowing me in to take some close up photos. After about ten minutes, the birds calmed down and merely watched me from the other side of the enclosure.
I ended up photographing for almost two hours. The main purpose was to get photos of their wing feathers and or them flying which didn’t work so well as they mostly just perched. However, I did get some good close ups and any raven footage will help. Ravens out in the wild are very wary and rather hard to photograph up close unless you encounter a roadside raven bumming food at a tourist stop.

Saga of the Coin

2005-07-05T03:31:00.000-07:00

My upcoming film Search Dog’s Raven is the eerie story about a search dog team named Lost Raven. It takes place seven years in the future. The film’s logo is an embossed memory coin card. This is a near future storage device like a compact flash card, only round and able to hold six hours of wide screen video. The artwork is basically a photo of Ebbey the search dog looking upwards and the words curving around her. In the film, the Lost Raven Search Dog Team uses the logo, which is also the logo for the real life animated adventures called Lost Raven. The same logo is being used for the film, by replacing LOSTRAVEN.COM with Search Dog’s Raven.
As a promotional item, we had these cool 1.5 inch token coins produced with the words LOSTRAVEN.COM. The coin company rep gave permission for the coin to appear in the film, and promised to send the signed permission form with the order. To make a long story short, we paid for the coins, received the coins, but never got signed permission. Every day they promised to send it, and didn’t. After seven weeks, I gave up. It turns out the person we dealt was no longer there and I still have no idea what happened.
So, it took me quite a while to digitally design and produce a metal coin. Perhaps it was destiny. Images don’t always translate the same in real metal, and I really prefer how my design turned out. Of course it also took me a lot longer. But what is new.

eBay Business Cards

2005-07-01T03:32:00.000-07:00

Got 10,000 full color business cards from USA Postcards for only 130 dollars on eBay. I also designed a business card that we will cut in half and include with each promotional 1.5 inch token coin card. It’s a risk, for such a low priced business card, but the company’s feedback is pretty good.

Delegating and Permission Forms

2005-07-01T03:31:00.000-07:00

I must delegate more, or at least that’s what everyone keeps telling me. Now if there just a few more people to delegate to.

As neither of the wardrobe people can figure out the embroidery software demo, I’ve decided to get the artwork digitized vs me learning yet another software program. Frankly I just don’t have the time. We chose Stitchitize.com, an internet site that came highly recommended and it turned out they did a great job. They also were fine signing a release that states we can show the embroidered logo in the film. Some people think it’s over kill to get them to sign a release, but technically, they digitized the image and possibly could pursue legal action without a release. I’m being extra careful to get permission for every item that appears in the film, just in case. An Alberta company named Mr. Goodbar, makes the security bars in the house where we filmed and the owner was surprised when we asked for permission. After considering every item that might appear in a film, he was astounded at the pile of permissions we must have had to get. It is a rather full binder, but I was also careful to use as many unidentifiable items as possible. No fabric patterns, no wallpaper, no copyrighted artwork. More than half of Search Dog’s Raven takes place out in the mountains, so you would think that significantly reduces the need for permission. Not so. Scenery has restrictions, and though we were lucky to get permission to film in Kananaskis Wilderness, Banff and Jasper National Parks, there were limitations. For example, we couldn’t film any buildings or signs. This includes road signs. We also couldn’t have any helicopters or trained wolves in the National Park areas. But luckily trees don’t have copyright or trademarks. At least not yet.

Film vs Digital

2005-06-21T03:29:00.000-07:00

One of my old 35mm canon A1 still cameras croaked. I bought it used when I was in my teens, so guess I’m lucky it survived this long. Likely just needs cleaning, but I’m holding off for now.
Recently bought a Canon Rebel 8MP digital SLR, which has certainly helped me out. It’s amazing how many photos you suddenly need when making a film. Weird things like adding an image of a chain to the poster and needing the photo at 3 am in the morning. Or taking photos of an actor who has a small part that you are filming after the fact. Though nothing will replace film, especially slide images, I certainly like the instant accessibility of digital. Plus taking ten rolls of film, only to discover your old camera malfunctioned into the second roll, makes digital that much more appealing. Plus no developing, scanning or waiting.
My upcoming film Search Dog’s Raven is a mixture of 35mm, HD and SD. I’m also starting to see the benefits of the digital realm in film making as well as still photography. Whenever I need an additional shot or need to add a small effect, I just shoot and digitize. Whereas additional 35mm shots are now out of our budget.

Major Stumbling Block, Types of People and Product Placements

2005-06-18T03:22:00.000-07:00

I have to be careful how I put this.

We hired a company to make something, that would be used for and appear in the film 'Search Dog's Raven'. There was some initial and unnecessary delays. Then despite a signed mutual OK on the design, they came back saying it would be more expensive and it was our fault. Any ways, they ended up sticking with the original quoted price (very competitive) and produced a good quality product and delivered it on time (with several check up phone calls but that's business these days).

A signed services release form was not with the delivery and we had to pay in full before the goods were received. I wanted to get a signed services release form to make sure everyone in the company knew we would be using the product in the film as a prop and to eliminate any misunderstandings down the road. The second person we dealt with at the company was great, apologized and promised to get the signed form to us. This went on for three weeks. Then we never heard from that person again. Turns out there was an upheaval at the company and that person was fired. The third new person again promised to get the form signed and fax it to us. This also went on for weeks. Every day a promise, but no form. Then our producer Lynn Wood phoned, the president wasn't there - of course - and no one ever returned her call.

A strange way to do business. And this company is not related to Hollywood or the film business - otherwise one may have expected such behavior. Kiss your face, then kick your butt once your back is turned.

There's something about being jerked around that's really infuriating. I have no tears left. Though a big stumbling block, this will certainly not be the last. Needless to say, I lost another couple nights of sleep making a substitute for this prop during filming.

However, this is no surprise. During the film making experience, we seem to meet three kinds of people.
The first are desperate to have any involvement with the film.
The second are attracted to the notion of being involved with a film, but suspicious. Then this group is further divided after hearing the term independent production. Some have visions of a sexed crazed chain saw killers on a road trip, all shot with a VHS camera. Gratuitous sex, drugs, booze, four letter words, limited production values, no legal sets and unnecessary violence. Search Dog's Raven is an eerie action thriller and has none of this. It's still really scary, just no chain saws.
Then the third type of person hears the word film and figures they should be paid thousands and thousands to have their product in the film, appear in the film or be involved with the film. Or they talk about their involvement, only to have their friends say 'Man are you getting ripped off!". This leads to problems, false promises and or they just don't show up. Search Dog's Raven is a multimillion dollar film made for just under two million. In order to do this, many of us - including myself, are not getting paid if and until the film sells. So we really can't deal with the third type of person.

Just another drama in the adventure of filmmaking.

This post almost sounds more like a rant than a blog, but now I suddenly feel better.

Homeless Director

2005-06-06T03:54:00.000-07:00

My place is now a wardrobe and prop storage area. Even the bed is covered and unusable.

Even Some Canine Actors Won’t Watch Themselves On Film

2005-06-05T02:56:00.000-07:00

Whenever there's a break, I try to sort through usable shots I’ve archived. And whenever you film animals, for a feature film and a potential television spin off, you take a lot of footage.

Ebbey the canine actor often hangs around when I’m editing. She’s captivated by the wolves, the raven, other dogs and even some of the cast she worked with. However, when it comes to watching herself on screen, she just can’t wrap her canine mind around the concept. Or maybe she’s like some other actors who just can’t stand watching themselves on film.

Resumes, Resumes

2005-06-05T02:44:00.000-07:00

Despite stating that no resumes will be accepted, and that cast and crew are already hired, and that we are now in production, Candle Films continues to receive resumes for cast, crew, editors and story board artists for the film Search Dog's Raven. WHERE WERE THESE PEOPLE WHEN WE NEEDED THEM?

Apparently our internet person stopped counting after the fifteenth composer sent a resume, from countries including Berlin and Brazil.

It must have been the mention in the Hollywood Reporter!

Distributor Contacts

2005-06-05T02:37:00.000-07:00

We’re still in production, and two distributors have already approached us to see if rights for Search Dog's Raven are still available.

Spent Weekend Building Set

2005-06-05T02:29:00.000-07:00

We finally found a large living room to convert into the set for character ‘Jesse’s (actor Marcus Ross) group home room. We had a lot of sound proofing to do, plus furniture moving and painting.

Hiring Wheelchair Bound Actor ‘Marcus Ross’

2005-06-03T04:34:00.000-07:00

In the original version of Search Dog’s Raven, the eerie story of a wilderness search dog team known as ‘Lost Raven’, the search backup liaison was a computer named ‘Jesse’. But as the production developed, it became apparent that a human character would be more compelling for the story. Many of my ideas come at night, and I awoke one morning with the desire of having a wheelchair bound backup liaison. This of course led to the casting of a wheelchair bound actor to play the wheelchair bound character.

‘Marcus Ross’ was our first choice. Suffering a spinal cord injury, from a diving accident, Marcus is a quadriplegic in real life. He had no previous acting experience, but is very empathetic and a pretty smart guy. Intuition told me he could pull it off, though you really never know until after the first day of filming. His enthusiasm also never wavered despite having to wait some time before being filmed, being bumped two days until the lights arrived from Prince George and enduring the difficulties we had securing a wheelchair friendly location.

With our dwindling production budget, such a location was never found. Fortunately, Marcus has his own ramp. So a nurse and myself managed to push him up a steep set of stairs while he gunned his powerful Quickie brand wheelchair.

Our first day of filming Marcus wasn’t perfect. Filming in a house, transformed into a group home, the set was less than ideal. There was little room for two large lights and even less to maneuver a two camera setup. Due to my hectic production schedule, and some unforeseen problems, I was functioning on about twenty minutes of sleep. Only part of the food had been prepared, plus one of the light stands had pulled out of the wall. (Never buy a cheap stud finder!) I was up until five am fixing those problems, when the headphones suddenly stopped working. I had to drive across town and back during rush hour traffic to rent or buy another pair before that day’s shooting began. Calgary’s Cine Audio loaned me what they still had available. The small Sony headset worked reasonably well for a consumer model. Caught in rush hour traffic, my car started making a sound that made me certain I would not make it back. My dog was also riding in the car. She was becoming alarmed at the drive shaft breaking sounds and started absorbing all my sleep deprived anxiety. (It turned out to be the drive shaft) Though stressed right out, the car brought us back.

For his first day on a set, Marcus did well. He knew all his lines and followed my directions.

I indulged his desire to wear a couple generic looking baseball caps, which turned out to be my mistake. Two of the caps must have had some pretty thick plastic in the brim as they significantly altered the sound quality. There was a lot of street traffic outside so we had to boom the microphones about two inches above Marc’s head. No matter how well you sound proof a set, the sound of street traffic is tough to mute. Thanks to Jay Rose, sound engineer and DV.com sound columnist our sound was excellent. He stressed that we should be using a hypercardioid shotgun mic and not just the cardioid model I’d been advised to buy. He also gave a thumbs up to the Earthwork SR30HC specs. So without Jay Rose’s advice and the Earthworks quality, traffic sounds would have ruined our sound.

After lunch, I was nearly shot and Marcus was having stomach discomfort. He did not get a good nights sleep and was likely absorbing his director’s declining energy. One of his first surgeries damaged some stomach nerves which sometimes leads to pain after eating.

I also had to monitor Marc’s voice during the last few hours. As he was the only actor on set, I was working him hard. He has a great voice, but had a tracheotomy for some time, so his voice can get a bit croaky. This usually isn’t an issue, however, something to consider when using the deadly accurate and non-flavored sound quality of the Earthworks microphones.

Scheduled a week later, Marc’s second day of shooting went extremely well. Backup liaison ‘Jesse’ lives in a sparsely furnished group home with white painted walls. Unlike our set, the character’s room overlooks downtown Calgary out one window and the mountains out another. So we were already using blue screen in some areas. This is when I changed strategies and shot Marcus on a well lit white screen. We will put his computer screens and background room shots in digitally.

We managed to shoot over thirty five script pages, 200 plus shots and on set promo shots, which is amazing for an actor’s second day of filming experience. Shots also include several lines for the ‘Lost Raven’ trailer. (This is the animated spin off of the film.) I’m reserving the right to bring him in for voice overs, but his shooting days are done.

Unlike other actors, Marcus needs a body stretch every hour or two and his voice sometimes gets a bit croaky, but overall directing him was one of my most pleasant experiences on this film. Also unlike a few of the other actors, he never complained, showed up when asked and was well prepared with his lines.

Two Biggest Filmmaking Mistakes

2005-06-03T02:28:00.000-07:00

I was asked to speak to a group of people studying filming. In summary, the two biggest mistakes a new filmmaker can make is including music and songs they don’t have licenses to use and showing props, food, clothing, locations or architecture they don’t without permission. Unless, that is, you have no intention on selling your film.

In making the upcoming film ‘Search Dog’s Raven’, we’ve taken extraordinary measures to insure every prop, wardrobe item and location is either created by the crew or shown with permission.

Allex

You Can Never Have Enough External Hard Drives

2005-06-01T01:18:00.000-07:00

Two years ago, I’d never have imagined actively using twelve external hard drives (nearly two terrabytes worth). What’s worse is I’m running out of space again!

Playback Magazine Mention

2005-05-27T04:19:00.000-07:00

Playback magazine About Production, Broadcasting and Interactive Media in Canada mentioned the film 'Search Dog's Raven', production dates, locations and 'Candle Films' in their May 23, 2005 Issue and their Internet 'In Production List'

Internet Movie Data Base Listing

2005-05-23T16:13:00.000-07:00

I am very pleased, but also surprised that the Internet Movie Data Base (IMDB.com) listed my first filmmaking effort 'Search Dog's Raven' SearchDogsRaven.com

But then I'm still amazed at the amount of support we’re receiving for the film, despite none of the cast or crew names being recognized in the IMDB. Ebbey may be the only exception. She's the canine actor who plays the lead wilderness search dog in the film, and seems to be building quite a fan base.

I think it's pretty rare for the IMDB to list an independent production before it's been in a film festival. Let alone while it’s still in production like Search Dog's Raven. And who can blame them. Now with digital video so accessible, upwards of 50,000 films go into production every year and maybe 20,000 are ever finished. Maybe seven to ten percent of those are shown in film festivals and just a few hundred are released theatrically. Those are incredibly high odds against any new film.

I’m also surprised at the IMDB listing because their registration processors didn't believe that this kind of film could be made with a budget under two million.

Left Over Film Stock Demand

2005-05-23T02:33:00.000-07:00

Three companies have now called to buy our left over film stock. I had no idea there was such a demand.

Improvising After Equipment Damaged

2005-05-22T02:30:00.000-07:00

While transporting our three big film lights and scaffolding, from Prince George to Calgary, a friend dodged a deer and ended up in the ditch. Our light scaffolding structure was badly damaged, but all three lights and their pricey glass lenses survived the accident and two day stay in the garage unscathed. With the scaffolding damaged, we bought articulating ladders which worked quite well to hang each light from. Each ladder was also secured to wall studs.

Kwad Actor uses a Camelbak

2005-05-20T02:29:00.000-07:00

Just a week before filming quadriplegic actor 'Marcus Ross', who plays search backup liaison 'Jesse' in the film 'Search Dog's Raven', I discovered Marcus uses a Camelbak 'Unbottle' for drinking water. Unbottles are common wheelchair accessories allowing easier access to drinking water and I wanted to include a Camelbak drinking system in the film.

Producer Lynn Wood contacted Camelbak's Global Marketing Manager Lea Morrison who graciously allowed Candle Films to show Marcus Ross drinking from the Unbottle in the film. Though there are only one to two shots where Marcus drinks water and under ten shots where the Unbottle is noticeable as a background prop on the back of his wheelchair, it's essential to have permission for every product placement.

I am incredibly grateful for all the support we've received for Search Dog's Raven. It's amazing that so many well known brands would be willing to give us a product placement. Everyone seems to love the film’s concept.

Other product placements in the film include: Columbia River Knives, Dickies Boots, Doggles Dog Sunglasses, Eurocopter, Hirobo Models, Quickie Wheelchairs, Kong Bonaiti Carabiners, Kong Company Dog Toys, Manfrotto Tripods, Mr. Goodbar, Neopaw Dog Booties, Silva Compasses, SnowClaw Shovels, Solarshield Sunglasses, Thermos, Vestas Wind Turbines, Winsor & Newton Art Supplies and Yule-Hyde Bird feeders.

Allex

Hollywood Reporter Attention

2005-05-19T13:04:00.000-07:00

Getting a small mention in the May 17, 2005 weekly issue of The Hollywood Reporter: Hollywood's Premier Trade Publication for the Film Industry, really made my day. I haven't got my copy yet, but apparently they talk about production dates, locations and the Producer 'Candle Films'.

Now every week seems to get busier and give me more hope that 'Search Dog's Raven will be a success!

Allex

Ebbey Revisits the Banff Gondola

2005-05-01T02:22:00.000-07:00

In order to reorient myself to the scenery, Ebbey (Ebbey.com) and I went to the Banff Gondola as tourists. The Banff Gondola summit and surrounding area is one of the locations in the upcoming film 'Search Dog's Raven'.

Ebbey was reluctant to get on the gondola car again, but allowed me to pull her inside. The other visitors went wild over Ebbey, asking to have their photo taken with the dog and petting her. It was wild considering none of them yet knows that Ebbey is in a film.