Favorite Films of the Decade 2000-2009

I'm a little surprised more indies didn't make my list, but when you think about it  -- most of my picks are independent in style and spirit.  And while digital filmmaking brought down budgets and sped up schedules this decade, I'm still drawn to visual, cinematic storytelling that is carefully planned out and well executed.  I don't think it's a coincidence that most of these were shot in 35mm. And if they shot digitally (28 Days Later, Dancer in the Dark) none used their preferred format as a license to follow actors around and improvise dialogue.

After Gus Van Sant made the predictable Finding Forester, he was driven back to his indie roots.  First came the Palme d'Or winner Elephant followed by Gerry, Last Days and Paranoid Park.  All four were filmed this decade and each belong to a similar aesthetic.  Van Sant shows what a master can do when budget challenged.  These "small" movies remain cinematic and powerful even while unabashedly playing with time and structure.  And with the exception of Gerry, all were made without movie stars.

And as far as movie stars go, they are a little overrated when evaluating why a film might stand the test of time.  Who would call Adapation a Nicholas Cage movie?  (even though he's brilliant here) And don't tell me Eternal Sunshine is a Jim Carey movie.  I'm not star bashing -- actors become movie stars because they are insanely talented/beautiful/unique/lucky.  But as far as these films go, the movie star "image" isn't expected to carry them.  The films, in fact, can carry themselves just fine.

While being a famous director or having a respectable budget makes the filmmaking process easier, I guarantee these filmmakers (famous or not) fought every step of the way to preserve their visions and make their work as good as possible.   Think about what Peter Jackson went through on Lord of the Rings?!  His journey is arguably the decade's biggest example of "independent spirit".

The inclusion of HBO shows was hard to resist.  Many of the best filmmakers are moving to cable television for the stability and the chance to tell sprawling, uncensored stories with instant distribution. The Office BBC and Deadwood both struck me as the most exceptional and stood out as two of my favorite TV shows since the cruel dismantling of Twin Peaks in 1991.

I would've liked to include more Pixar films.  In particular, Monsters Inc. and Up.  But The Incredibles is the one I love most so here it represents everything I love about Pixar.  Year after year they continue making hugely popular, four quadrant movies that don't feel produced by committee.  Somehow each film contains a voice, unique (bizarre/cool!) creative choices and lasting emotional power.  The very things that are routinely developed out of stories by other studios.

Sure, many of these filmmakers have clout, but they still had to quarrel and collaborate with producers, financiers, movie stars, agents, studios, distributors, and even audiences.  Somehow these films overcame the hundreds (thousands?) of obstacle to get from script to set to screen.  Then, out of the 25,000 or so films distributed this decade, they ended up near the top.

1. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
2. Mulholland Drive
3. The Royal Tenenbaums
4. Adaptation
5. Sideways
6. The New World
7. Punch Drunk Love
8. No Country For Old Men
9. Sexy Beast
10. There Will Be Blood
11. High Fidelity
12. A History of Violence
13. Dancer in the Dark
14. Requiem for a Dream
15. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
16. 28 Days Later
17. Deadwood / The Office BBC
18. The Incredibles
19. Lord of the Rings (trilogy)
20. Elephant / Gerry / Last Days / Paranoid Park

Wow and Flutter

Here's my little Christmas present to anyone out there who reads this blog.  A hi-res QuickTime download of our 2004 short film WOW AND FLUTTER.  (195 MB)

This 17 minute calling card was instrumental in helping get Calvin Marshall made.  It was shot with a tiny crew in a few days on 35mm short ends.  We used an old ARRI BL-2 -- the same kind of camera Kubrick used on the Shining.

It's been five years since finishing Wow and Flutter and I feel somewhat removed from the experience of making it.  I can now watch the film objectively and enjoy it for what it is, almost as if someone else wrote and directed.  Over all, I love the tone and subtext in this movie and I'm a sucker for any film about infatuation expressed through a mix tape.

Like Calvin Marshall, this short has a soundtrack I still love.  The use of The Orchids was a dream for me -- not to mention Red Red Groovy, Damien Jurado and of course The Go-Betweens.  (I passed a copy to Robert Forster and Grant McLennan at their Troubador gig in 2005.  Less than a year later Grant tragically died of a heart attack)

Also on the soundtrack are quite a few indies.  It's so cool to think Tracker, Petracovich, Buellton, Manta Ray and Brown ended up on David's mix tape.  This fourteen year-old kid had a preternatural taste in music.

Favorite Albums of 2009

It's been a good year for music and these are the records I played the most.  They lived with me through the ups and downs of writing screenplays and finishing the film.  (Our Calvin Marshall soundtrack should be #1 but it's a 2010 release!)

1. The Antlers - Hospice

2. Justin Townes Earle - Midnight at the Movies

3. Dark Was The Night (Red Hot Compilation)

4. The Flaming Lips - Embryonic

5. Fever Ray - Fever Ray

6. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz

7. XX - XX

8. Jason Lytle - Yours Truly, the Commuter

9. Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca

10. The Veils - Sun Gangs

11. The Mountain Goats - The Life of the World to Come

12. The Avett Brothers - I and Love and You

13. Bill Callahan - Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle

14. Petracovich - Crepusculo

15. Moby - Wait For Me

16. Danger Mouse & Sparklehorse - Dark Night of the Soul

17. Eels - Hombre Lobo

18. Grand Duchy - Petits Four

19. Loney Dear - Dear John

20. AC Newman - Get Guilty

21. The Church - Untitled #23

22. Where the Wild Things Are OST

23. Steve Earle - Townes

24. (Reissue) The Beatles: Remastered

25. (Reissue) Big Star - Keep an Eye On the Sky

Hospice is a mesmerizing, emotional record. While you could call it conceptual, the story-line is personal and subtle enough so the listening experience stays magnetic and fresh. There is a cast of characters, a cancer ward. There are ghosts and haunting grief.  Here's the video for "Two":

The Fantastic Mr. Fox

While sitting down at the multiplex over Thanksgiving I wasn't prepared for the most emotionally satisfying Wes Anderson film since The Royal Tenenbaums.  Mr. Fox is also the most dynamic lead since Royal so I shouldn't be that surprised.  Lajos Egri made a fairly convincing case that character is plot back in 1942. Here is further evidence that he may have been on to something.

I'm confident TFMF is a film that will continue to get richer and more satisfying over time so go see it in theaters while you can.  The Fox family is resilient and special.  The script is sharp, sincere and well-written.  The animation is beautiful.  I hope this does big business but the quirkier aspects will probably narrow its appeal.

But even when you strip away the more polarizing aspects of this film (which I really do love), you're still left with a story that's ultimately about survival and fighting for what you want in life.  And so I still have to believe (hope) that this movie will be irresistible to a wider audience, even if it doesn't do Pixar-type box office.

Interview

Reposting this because its been archived and the link changed.  It was done in correlation with Cucalorus a few weeks back.

ENCORE INTERVIEW

Thanks Cucalorus

The first three days in Wilmington were a little glum and drizzly but it didn't hold Cuclaorus back.  The festival was well attended and run by some really cool, enthusiastic people.  I made new friends -- the days were full and the nights were long.  (Sleep deprivation established early!)

I saw many great films over five days including the House of the Devil which gloriously lived up to all my expectations.  Masterfully directed with a strong cast and shot in only 18 days.  (Would love to cast Tom Noonan someday)

Being a long time Mekons fan, I was excited to hear Joe Langford play a surprise set at the opening night party.  He started with Millionaire from "I (heart) Mekons" and even broke a string on a ferocious acoustic version of "Never Been In a Riot".  He also played a track from Fear and Whiskey which was pretty unbelievable being I was only five feet from him.  Langford's appearance was connected with New York based filmmaker Joe Angio's excellent new Mekons doc which was screening as a work in progress.

Our two Calvin Marshall screenings went well with Alex Frost attending both.  Even though the film seems to be playing well, the screenings in general aren't comfortable yet for me. There usually comes a time with a movie where you feel (almost) completely separated from the film and it takes on a life of its own. When this happens, screenings are much easier to sit back and engage.  Anyway - not quite there yet.

The sun finally came out for the weekend and it was fun to see Cape Fear and the ocean.  Very cool to walk around downtown Wilmington.  It reminded me a little of Ashland, Oregon where we shot Calvin.  Quaint downtown with culture, nice people and memorable restaurants like Deluxe.

I found myself whistling the Lumberton theme as I walked by the Dorothy Vallens Deep River apartment building.  Within walking distance is the Beaumont Hardware Store and also the big, beautiful church that Jeffrey and Sandy once upon a time parked beside.  I looked up at the stained glass and wondered when the Robins would come.  I wanted to venture down to Lincoln but decided against it.

Friends in Florida?

Over the next week, Calvin Marshall will screen three times for the Sarasota Film Society.  If you have friends in the area, thanks for passing on the details!

CINE-WORLD IN SARASOTA

Friday, November 6 at 1:00 p.m - Burns Court Cinemas.

Wednesday, November 11 at 7:30 p.m. - Burns Court Cinemas

Thursday, November 12 at 7:45 p.m. - Lakewood Ranch Cinemas

Sports Analogies

There's a new REVIEW out of Austin today.

Sometimes I tap into the mindset of an athlete and imagine filmmaking as a sport.  When obstacles come up, it's helpful for me to imagine them as meek defenders trying to guard me.  It's up to me to shake them off and take the ball hard to the rim.  If it's all just a game (and it really is) than the occasional strikeout or disappointment is quickly put in perspective because we have four more at bats tomorrow and another twenty-five next week.

Ups and Downs

While this blog is a transparent place to deal with all aspects of filmmaking, it's also a place to promote Calvin Marshall. I'm walking a fine line here. Sometimes I'm tempted to post the ugly side of this business, which isn't always the best way to promote. No one likes a 'sour grapes' attitude. On the flip side, I don't want to spin things to appear rosier than they are.

The world keeps getting smaller. In these days of social networking and RSS feeds, it's almost impossible to hide or pull the wool over people's eyes. So you won't find me trying to snuff out Calvin detractors. I love this movie too much for that. I will, however, keep doing my part to promote the film in positive ways until it has a fan base.

Anne and I from our Austin party. Eyes wide open!

Things To Do With Your Reviews

1. Push delete. 2. Start a fire. 3. Make confetti. 4. Line your rabbit cage.

Do you save them? Frame them on the wall? Do you learn from them or use them for target practice? Should you ignore them? Scorsese claims to remember every bad review and the name of each critic.

Or don't you even read them? I'm not inclined to believe you.

What do you get four years after you win best short film at the Paste Rock 'N Reel Fest? A negative review in Paste Magazine. Disappointing? Yes. Should I care? Probably not.

"Don't read your reviews. Don't believe them when they tell you you're great; don't worry if they tell you you're no good. Just shut up and make your movies and that really works fine." WOODY ALLEN

News Clips

Check out some CALVIN MARSHALL Q&A footage after our World Premiere in Austin.

Diedrich Bader answers a question about the movie.

Josh Fadem answers a key question at our Q&A.

World Premiere Last Friday!

Many have asked me how Austin was. In short, our premiere went about as well as one could expect. Our screening was packed and the audience reaction was electric and palpable. The comedy played bigger than I anticipated for what is ultimately a bittersweet story. Fans told us Calvin Marshall made them laugh and cry. They said the 35mm print looked and sounded gorgeous. Many told us they loved the soundtrack/score. Over and over people said the movie has strong performances and that Steve Zahn has never been better.

Seeing this kind of reaction up close was our biggest reward. Ultimately it's what matters most, right? Word of mouth will help carry a movie like this and we all seem to believe (hope) that people will discover it over time.

However, unless I blog about it, these kinds of unmeasurable rewards are hard to publicize. Local press was fantastic but AFF was virtually ignored by Hollywood and indie film press in general. (cough, cough Variety, HW, Indiewire, Filmmaker magazine, Important Film Blogs/Websites, cough) Now, the last thing I want to do is sound bitter here, so bear with me. I also want to be honest. I realize it's a difficult time for everyone and certain festivals will be ignored. But AFF? Is there just one too many festivals in Austin? Is that the problem? Perhaps thorough coverage will hit after Up In The Air closes AFF tonight. I'm not counting on it but if there is fair coverage, I will gladly take all this back.

It's hard to deny fear and a herd mentality still runs this business even as it struggles to survive. Everyone's chasing the money, and not just young filmmakers -- but the evolving press and even the pros at the top of the heap. Are those elitist circles forming again as "Industry Leaders" pick up all the pieces? Like Kenny Powers says..."You're f*ing out and I'm f*ing in!"

On the positive side, AFF was well-attended and there was an enthusiastic atmosphere wherever we went. The panels were vulnerable and informative. I participated in a few and attended some -- and the overriding theme was this: There's blood in the streets. "Worst time ever for filmmakers", declared one of my favorite directors. In the same breath, there was silver lining, "At the same time, never has there been more opportunity".

We are living this paradox everyday and probably for the next few years.

Calvin Marshall Original Soundtrack Teaser EP

I mentioned this in the previous post, but a few people missed it...We are giving away a FREE ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK TEASER EP! It is 100% free, no strings attached. All you audiophiles out there can even choose your desired bit rate.

John Askew composed and helped supervise so much music for CALVIN MARSHALL that we have an epic double CD soundtrack planned that BADMAN RECORDING CO. will release in the spring.

In the meantime, please enjoy this free teaser EP (9 Tracks in all) and get to know some of my favorite cues from the film.

Contest

Broken Sky is giving away a 2010 Spring Training weekend. Drawing is December 1st. Details are HERE

If you don't know the answers, you can find them on the teaser soundtrack EP we're giving away as a free download.

GET A DOWNLOAD LINK HERE

Wild Things

A beautiful film that's as simple and alluring as the 1963 children's book. CGI is shunned to the point where it's difficult to tell where in-camera FX begin and end. The narrative is buoyed by a terrific score that stands on it's own. The boy is perfectly cast but it's the Wild Things themselves who steal the movie with funny banter and complex personalities. The tone is inspiring and melancholy in equal doses making this the fantastic children's adaptation we hoped for.

The film does not pander and addresses real conflicts head on -- those bitter, jealous kinds of wounds that exist in most families. Congrats to Spike Jonze who fought the studio for years against making a dumbed down Cat in the Hat-like adaptation.

It's hard to say what younger children will think of this movie, but my first inclination is to encourage parents to not underestimate their kids. I can't imagine anyone who loves the book (big or small) not finding something emotionally satisfying and meaningful in this movie. Something that is often lacking in children's programming.

First Review

I don't want to follow these too closely but it still feels good, especially since we need the support and this is the very first one. "The Austinist" link is posted at the top of our FACEBOOK FAN PAGE

Newsletter and More

See all the latest NEWS

You can sign up at our WEBSITE

Thanks for all the support.

Calvin Marshall Inside Look EP 02

A new Behind the Scenes quicktime has been posted on YouTube.
Please check it out, vote and spread the word. Thanks!

YouTube hosts in both HD and standard def so click the HD button if your computer can support it.

Calvin Marshall Inside Look EP 02I

Must See Movies

I never went to the movies as a kid but was raised on television; everything from sports to the A-Team, to Bugs Bunny, Monty Python to the Dick Cavett show. I was eight in 1977 and didn't see STAR WARS until it was re-released in 1997. Perhaps my taste would be a little different if I had seen it as a kid, but the first movie I flipped over (aside from Tobe Hooper's TV version of SALEM'S LOT) was RACE WITH THE DEVIL starring Warren Oates and Peter Fonda. The second? HANNAH AND HER SISTERS.

I won't use the word eclectic, but if you called my taste random you would be right.

There are a handful of upcoming movies that I'm excited to see in the theater and two in particular have really got me in a fog of anticipation. The first is the throwback horror film THE HOUSE OF THE DEVIL.

This movie seems anachronistic in every way - in all the best ways. It's hard not to think ROSEMARY'S BABY or great 70's horror in general when you watch the trailer. The movie just gets it right - the look, the feel, just enough creepiness in tone, the score, excellent casting, deliberate pacing.

Full disclosure, I've only seen the trailer and a few clips. I've also read some things - but I'm pretty certain this is a slam dunk. THE HOUSE OF THE DEVIL is playing Cucalrous along with CALVIN MARSHALL this November so I'm excited I'll be able to skip Amazon VOD and see it in a packed theater.

The second film is WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE. I know I'm hardly alone on this one but the thought of seeing it is making me giddy. Spike Jonze walks the tonal tightrope perhaps better than anyone, moving effortlessly from the bizarre to the profound to the hilarious and always manages to keep things human and emotionally satisfying. I'm expecting this movie to be wildly successful (no pun intended - both critically and financially) and be loved for years to come. We'll have a better idea after it opens this weekend.

Coming Soon

Evolving Website

A few new bells and whistles added. There's a newsletter you can sign up for.

Follow Calvin on Twitter - he's tweeting from the east coast.

Also, the current poster has been unveiled. Check it all out here at calvinmarshall.com

Behind the Scenes

Here's the first Quicktime in a series designed to build interest in our movie.

These were created from over twenty hours of HD produced and shot by Rocky Garrotto and Anita Gomez.

Their work will be the gift that keeps on giving as it's our primary source for building Calvin Marshall related content to help promote our premiere and eventual release.

YouTube hosts in both HD and standard def so click the HD button if your computer can support it.

Feedback and questions are welcome as the series is still being completed.

Calvin Marshall Inside Look EP 01

Austin Schedule Posted

Come on out for our CALVIN MARSHALL world premiere. The Paramount Theater holds 1300 so there's plenty of room.

It's on Friday night, October 23rd at 9:50 p.m.

Confirmed to attend (so far): All four of our producers, myself, Alex Frost, Michelle Lombardo, Andrew Wilson, Diedrich Bader, Jeremy Sumpter, Josh Fadem and the fantastic Rosie Thomas. (And we're very excited for Rosie to play a set of music at our after party!)

AFF has an interesting line-up this year and annually hosts the best screenwriting conference in the world.

Check out all the details and the entire schedule HERE

1000 True Fans

Apparently that's all it takes. As we move towards our Calvin Marshall world premiere, Malcolm Gladwell, Facebook and all the DIY tools have practically forced their way into our game plan. We never even asked for it.

It's easy for me to be cynical about this. At what point will there be backlash for this kind of self-promotion? Look at how fast myspace jumped the shark? At what point will people abandon Facebook because they don't want to be bothered with another movie or cause that's fighting for their attention?

I have to admit, though, it's unbelievably cool to do some of these things, so we're embracing it. At least most of it. And, over the next year we'll be looking for even more innovative ways to stand out and make people aware of our movie.

A lot of things are in the works, but for now, if you'd like to support our cause and stay up to date, please become a Calvin fan on Facebook by clicking the link on the upper right.

You can also spread the word about the initial teaser we just posted and rate it on Youtube

One of things I wanted to do in this blog was demystify the filmmaking process. I hoped it would be a place where both fans of Calvin and aspiring filmmakers could peak behind the curtain. With that goal in mind, we'll be posting some cool behind the scenes footage in the coming weeks.

Thanks for the support everyone.

Calvin Teaser

Calvin Marshall Teaser from Broken Sky Films on Vimeo.

Teaser

People always complain about movie trailers giving away too much of the story. On the flip side, distributors argue that if you don't give away the entire movie, people are less likely to go see it.

Both perspectives make sense to me in a way, but ideally a trailer gets people on the hook without giving too much story away or misrepresenting the movie.

We have a traditional trailer cut for Calvin Marshall that we're liking, but we're not yet ready to show it -- at least not until we have a firmer handle on our release plan. Our thought is if a trailer is online too long before someone can go see the movie or put the dvd in their netflix queue, then it has a way of wearing out its welcome.

So, we've decided (in lieu of the trailer) to release a teaser leading up to the premiere.

Our teaser gives the "feel" of the movie away with little exposition revealed. The montage is 1:18 and set to a piece of score by our composer John Askew.

The teaser accomplishes two things; first and foremost, it gives people a little glimpse into Calvin's world and the characters that populate it. Secondly, it gives people a taste of the overall tone, which is at times ironic and funny, but more often melancholic and sincere.

In addition to the teaser introducing our trifecta - Calvin, Little and Tori - we also call attention to some supporting cast. This device allows us to show shots of actors in a montage without having to give away too much story information. We couldn't fit in everyone and it's an unorthodox move perhaps, but this was an idea we liked so we're trying it out.

Hope you enjoy it. You can check it out at our website where new information and other surprises will appear leading up to our initial screenings.

World Premiere - Austin Film Festival 2009

Austin's a great city to premiere Calvin Marshall because, at least from an outsider's perspective, it seems to unabashedly embrace both sports and independent film. You don't find this everywhere.

http://www.brokenskyfilms.com/

It's Official!

CALVIN MARSHALL will have it's world premiere in October.

It's been over 19 months since we wrapped shooting. It would've been nice to premiere earlier this year, but something about this fall feels right.

We could've moved faster if we had the resources and hired a few more people. An accountant and a post production supervisor would have been great. But sometimes you only move as fast as the creative process and the budget allows. It was probably good for us to go through each step carefully, even if it took longer in the end.

Down the home stretch we were lucky to have a few pros in our corner -- Cece Hall and Mark Goldblatt. They were generous with their time and weighed in on editorial and helped us make some difficult decisions before locking picture.

After locking, we started from scratch on the sound mix. John Askew's rich score continued to evolve and our needle drop choices got better. Our post sound team (led by David Raines) created a complex layered mix that added unexpected depths and subtleties. We are all thrilled with the results.

More information around our October screening coming soon. We might screen at a few additional festivals before the movie is distributed in March of 2010. There will also be some special word of mouth screenings leading up to the release.

The distribution details are coming together but it will all depend on how much P&A we have. I'm expecting a strategic theatrical release and then VOD, DVD and DIGITAL following quickly after. This release plan could change a little, but for right now this is what we expect.

Everything Takes Longer Than You Expect Part 2

Hurry up and wait. It's been a reality every step of the way.

Lately we've had some good momentum and see light at the end of the tunnel. We will have an announcement soon.

In the mean time here's an interview I did with the Austin Film Festival last week.

http://tinyurl.com/garyAFF

Everything Takes Longer Than You Expect

We discovered this when our original 2005 start date pushed indefinitely. (Filming didn't begin until late 2007)

We learned this in post-production when locking picture took more than a year. (Not 6 months)

And now we're learning these lessons again in the ever-changing landscape of distribution.

We were anticipating premiering and releasing "Calvin Marshall" in 2009 during spring-training. (now)

The reason we're not is because we've been focussed on two critical goals since the very beginning.

1. Maximum exposure for the finished film.

2. Profit to our investors.

Every decision we make is executed with these two things in mind.

We want our world premiere to occur no more than two months before our theatrical release. This way, publicity dollars spent on the premiere will have an impact on our theatrical campaign.

Using the same logic, when the film is pulled from theaters, the DVD, VOD, CABLE and DIGITAL releases will follow quickly and with some momentum.

Keep in mind, all of this must be orchestrated months and months ahead of time.

With all that said, we will have some firm things to announce in the near future. We're looking forward to releasing the trailer and announcing the details around our world premiere.

New Blog

This one will retire soon. The new one will be incorporated into the Calvin Marshall website which is under construction.

From a distance, blogging felt like a presumptuous exercise to me. But like it or not, this kind of self-promotion is becoming a critical part of filmmaking -- especially when a film is nearly finished.

Many people have asked about the title of this blog and I wanted to take a moment to clarify before it's gone.

Falling on your face is something you get used to in this business, and you're often kicked to the ground. There is so much rejection across the board. That goes for most everyone above the line carving out a career.

When people say persistence is a crucial aspect of filmmaking, what they're saying is that you must learn how to get back up and dust yourself off all the time.

The next blog will hopefully be as transparent as this one but will be more connected to the release of Calvin.

More Pics from Calvin Marshall

Michelle Lombardo and Steve Zahn



Andrew Wilson



Abe Benrubi and Jeremy Sumpter



Diedrich Bader

Print Complete

Coach Little (Steve Zahn) and Calvin (Alex Frost)


A 35mm print of CALVIN MARSHALL unspooled in 5.1 at Deluxe on Friday.

With the exception of 7 opticals, image color and density were corrected photochemically over five days. The blacks are black and the whites are white. Specific shots were corrected warmer or cooler. Colors are bold. All without a Digital Intermediate.

While this way of making films is dying, our experience demonstrates that a DI isn't always necessary. The evidence is in how gorgeous our print looks. Shooting 35mm and cutting the negative is still an effective/viable work flow for filmmakers.

We are now in the final stages. The next month we'll be completing our HD master. This is the copy that will live on -- TV, dvd, blu-ray, VOD, etc.

Lots of news to report soon on marketing, publicity, our premiere, and distribution.

Sound is Finished

Yesterday we listened to the final sound mix of Calvin four times. It was especially exciting because there are no more changes left to be made.

A Dolby Rep was there at our approved dubb stage to create an MO of our work. Only Dolby can do this with their hardware. The whole process feels dated in a way but it's quite effective. The MO is basically a cartridge that holds about 2 GB.

On the cartridge is both our 5.1 mix and a 2.0 mix. These will be striped directly onto our prints so that when our prints play in theaters they will be in Dolby SR and sound great.

More news to report soon.

Still in Post

Our theatrical sound mix will be completed this week.

Print mastering with Dolby is scheduled for Wednesday, January 14th.

Color timing at Deluxe for our prints will be completed the last week of January.

Shortly after, EFILM will give us our HD master so DVD screeners will finally look and sound like they are supposed to.

Also in the works...

1. New website, blogs.

2. Trailer, teasers, marketing materials.

3. Details on our premiere and release schedule.