Just wrapped Lt of Inishmore in Dallas. One of the best groups of artists I’ve met in a long time. The show they’ve put up is great and I’m very proud to have been a part of it. Lonesome West and fabrication for the Phipps sculpture is awaiting us on the other side of yet another 20 hour drive.
Just wrapped on The Sibling for now. We’ll be doing some pickups in February, but the work that we’ve done so far is looking pretty great. We’ve also signed on for another play with the Pittsburgh Playhouse in Jan/Feb called Lonesome West, by the same author of The Lt. of Inishmore. All of the FX are prepped for Dallas and we leave in the evening after Christmas, for a 20 hour drive.
We’re back from Chicago and I’d say that Motivational Growth was a smashing success, some of our best work. Of course, we’ve hit the ground running as soon as we returned. Pre-pro has started on The Sibling and also for Inishmore in Dallas. Chucky Hendersthot is doing a lot of work with us again along with the rest of the gang. This is going to be an insane month. Here we go…
We were scheduled to wrap on Motivational Growth today, but we will be staying for another two weeks to complete the shoot. Everything is looking great and I’m really proud of the work we are doing on the film. Midian Crosby and Jeff Waltrowski are two of the best artists that you could have working with you on a movie, I’m very fortunate to have them with me. We are signed onto another movie that starts as soon as we return to Pittsburgh called, “The Sibling”. It is a horror film being produced by Smithfield St. Productions, the same folks that produced Riddle.
We’re all settled into our routine on Motivational Growth in Chicago and we are taking a brief pause. This will give us some time to sculpt pumpkins and sharpen the saw. Back to sawing next week!
I’m all prepped and ready to leave for Chicago. We’re nearly wrapped on NY Heartbeat and it has been a huge success for us. Jeff Waltroski, Dave Hartman, James Hudak,, and Dale Capelano will finish up the last week while I’m already in Chicago. Jeff will join me the next week. We’re also now officially signed onto another Lt of Inishmore in Dallas in Dec/Jan.
All of the sculptures and fabrications for Motivational Growth are coming out really great. I’ve started working with Dave Hartman again, after not seeing each other for a long time, on some of the pieces for this movie. We began shooting NY Heartbeat and the bullet hits are looking great. The time spent practicing and improving the rigs is really paying off. Andy Hosmer dropped off the mechanisms for the puppet and they are amazing. Jeff Waltrowski and I have had a chance to do a little rehearsing and they are silky smooth:)
Jeff Waltrowski and I have been doing a ton of improvements and refinements to our non-explosive bullet hits, not to mention hours and hours of testing and practicing. They are looking great, better than ever. Motivational Growth designs are all finished and many of the fabrications are completed as well. Andy Hosmer has been working on mechanics for a puppet that is in the film and I can’t wait to see them finished. His work is always so awesome. Also, Jeff Waltrowski has agreed to join Midian Crosby and I in Chicago too to shoot in October.
A design has been chosen for the Phipps Spring Flower show and fabrication will begin in January for a March installation. Motivational Growth designs are nearly finished for all of the primary characters and creatures and some fabrication has begun. Also, Midian Crosby has signed on to join me in Chicago to shoot in October. Can’t wait to work with her again! We’ve also signed onto a mobster movie that shoots here in Pittsburgh called, “A New York Heartbeat”. We’re handling all of the non-explosive bullet hits, of which there are many.
I’m currently doing research and early design concept renderings for a film entitled “Motivational Growth”, which is slated to begin shooting mid October this year in Chicago. It is a very surreal dark comedy that to my elation contains many creatures and strange fabrications. Also, we’re signed on to create another sculpture for Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens for their 2011 Spring flower show. Design for the piece is under way.
6.18.10
I've finally had some time to breathe after the last few months of intense work. I've worked out much of the design for the piece that we're doing for Phipps next spring. Squid Man was an amazing experience and our part of principal photography is wrapped. The shoot went great. Riddle is finally wrapped. I ended up working a few extra days while Ralis was in town, and the final day of shooting was a 26 hour day! All of the renderings were completed for ICFY, and the final picture was finished yesterday. Maybe a few tweaks here and there while we wait on the sound FX, but I'd say we can call it finished on the visuals. The climax turned out great and was totally worth the extra effort. And I finally got to do some updates on the website. Primarily I've finally had a moment to add credits to all the work. I'll be adding some more pictures soon too, from Phipps, Squid Man, Riddle, and ICFY.
5.9.10
The Phipps exhibit turned out amazing. It was very suprising to me how great the foliage and flowers of a conservatory can make your pieces look. We are now discussing the possibility of us working on the Spring 2011 Flower Show. I think that this could be the beginning of a beautiful relationship. Nearly all of the costumes are finished for Squid Man and there are just a few last tweaks to go on a few. We start shooting on the 20th and we are very prepared. This is going to be a great show to work on. The Smithfield St. picture "Riddle" has begun and I am covering the first two weeks of the show and Ralis Kahn is coming from L.A. to finish up the second two weeks. Most of the work I am doing on the movie is burn make-ups as per Ralis' design suggestions and managing a few props that he fabricated in L.A. and had shipped here. I am looking forward to meeting Ralis face to face and working beside him while he is in town. Much of the rendering is finished for the new climax sequence for ICFY. Jeff W. has composited most of what I've sent him and it is looking amazing. I am so glad that we decided to rebuild this bit. It really feels much more climactic and looks like our hard work will pay off.
4.15.10
The sculptures, fabrications, and painting are all completed for "Gargs in the Garden", and they turned out great. There were a few moments when it was difficult to see the light at the end of the tunnel, but we ended up finishing early thanks to the dedicated effort of Chucky H., Jeff W., and of course the lovely Erica. Much of the CG pre-pro is finished for Squid Man, but there is still a lot of tweaking to go and of course the whole business is liable to change come post. Also, many of the fittings for the costumes for Squid Man have happened and they are turning out great. Paula Mindyzak is doing all of the stitching and is doing a bang up job. All of the animation is finished for the rebuild of the climax of ICFY. Now the rediculous amount of rendering. We are also on hold for a new Smithfield St. Productions movie starting in a couple weeks, starring Val Kilmer. Not sure if it's a go, but we're ready to start pre-pro as soon as we get a go ahead.
3.10.10
We have completed the first two gargolye sculpts for "Gargoyles in the Garden", and the painting of the buildings is well under way. Our deadline is tight and we will be working hard to finish this at the same time as pre-production on Squidman and continuing work on rebuilding the climax for ICFY.
2.3.10
Designs are finished for "Gargoyles in the Garden". This has been a great return to my roots with hand drawn mechanical drawings. Nearly all of Squid Man's costume designs are finished and early design work on some of the CG elements has begun. Aslo, Jeff W. and I plugged the climax of ICFY into the rest of the final picture and we have decided to completely rebuild it from the ground up. This should be interesting!
1.10.10
We are beginning the designs for our maiden venture with "Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens" here in Pittsburgh. We are working with them on their 2010 Summer Flower Show entitled "Gargoyles in the Garden". Also, pre-production is proceeding well on Squidman and many of the initial costume designs are finished.
12.8.09
The website has been revamped. Many new photos have been added and the site has a new and easier to navigate interface. A little more work needs to be done to call it complete, but it was definitely time to publish.
12.5.09
We are just beginning pre-production on a comic book style feature, Squidman. Shooting is scheduled to begin in May.
12.1.09
All of the CG elements are finished for, "It Came from Yesterday". It is now time to take a look at the whole picture and begin tweaking the final touches for the visuals. The soundtrack is well under way, and the SoundFX and Sound Mix are soon to come.
11.15.09
"The Chief" was a great success! All of the props have been returned and the edit is underway. Looking forward to seeing the outcome of everyone's hard work. This film is going to be awesome.
11.1.09
Prepping for feature filming of the popular Pittsburgh play, "The Chief". We will be handling all of the props that the Steelers and the Pittsburgh Public Theatre have so generously let us use to recreate this awesome one man show starring Pittsburgh's own Tom Atkins.
10.1.09
The first 60 scenes of visuals are completed for "It Came from Yesterday". We are definitely beginning to see light at the end of this long adventurous tunnel!