Erasing the Monster

This days I'm using an special software to erase the Monster from the original video, at this moment look like is going to be done well, but, my time this days is limited, now I'm working full time in my new day job. Well, I need money to continue, the only way is working, my movie budget is gone.

But I'm not stopping, I'll finish this no matter what....

This is almost the final, just some changes and Hi resolution render and will be ready... finally.

Test-03 "Exterminator's Van"

Here the latest work we are doing to the movie.

Final Credits Test

I believe we find the look, now to design the stories.

Test-02 "Exterminator's Van"

Here the test number 2 from Cesar, I request to him more options...

Monster's Eyes

Are here!!  The monster's eyes are here, cost me some money but, I thing this will create a good effect, now, will test them, because those are very special & for us are the first time, we need to do it with a lot of care, the image in the top is just a representation of the aye form, as soon as I have a good picture I'll post it here.

Firts Monster's Test

Today Cesar & I film some tests, Cesar acting as a Monster & I acting as a Director!!! "LOL", I Block 3 scenes, it was very interesting, I took a lot of notes, I thinking in bringing Guillermo to film some new and old scenes, but, it's a low provability for this, I'll do some test first to be sure.

Final Credits Test

Here are more basic samples from Cesar for the "Special Final Credits", this ones are not finals, I request to him more samples, I'll post all the samples.

Test-01 "Exterminator's Van"

I'm changing the cockroach for a "Rat", stay tune for more tests.

The Maltese Falcon

I was invited by Jonathon (The Exterminator) to his New Play, I recommend it, it's excellent, I hope every body can go, here is the link to the web  page for more information:

http://www.lbshakespeare.org/

Video Composite of the hand

Here is the final composite video, this clip is 4:3 but in the movie will be 16:9(WIDE), also, will need more color correction & frame rate conversion, but, this will be done at the final step when the movie is finishing.

This effect have to be make because is not a real entrance here, no hole exist on this part of the house, the real entrance is in the other side & did not work on the movie for wide shots.

Meat Composites

The Goal is to insert the monster's hand taking the meat just outside the entrance.

Here is how looks the originals Images to be composite, in the green screen is me with part of the custom taking a piece of meat I just bought in the supermarket.

This shot is how looks all the layers to get the final composite.



After correcting the color, mate extraction and hide details here almost the final composite.

This is the final composite, is not the good one because are missing some shadows but this give you an idea what I'm doing.

New monster parts

Well, some parts of the New Monster are here, top image are the FANGS that Cesar will use.
The Mask is a professional Foam Latex, just need to be paint it and GLUE it to Cesar's FACE.
We are waiting for other parts to arrive, probably will take a couple weeks, but, this week will rehearsal all the scenes for the monster, some are easy because the actor is not present, but the ones that the plates with the actor was recorded we need to film the monster like it was acting with the actor, this ones are the complicated ones, but, I'm confident because every thing will be recorded in front of the camera and the majority of the scenes will need little or nothing of post production just to edit them in the movie.

Creating the New Blog

Well, this new blog we'll let me post images & video and of course up to date of the movie, I hope every body enjoy it.

Final Credits Test

Here is one sample for the "Special Final Credits" I did not like it, Cesar & I looking for an other style.

Did not bounce the check

Tomorrow I'll start buying all the things, I hope we can film in 3 weeks max. Some thing for the monster are so specific need to be customize. I start taking a part the underground set I need the space for some videos that go in the monitors. This week Cesar is working with the final Drawings for the movie titles and the Exterminator bug van This cold don't let me go, but I'm better.

Good news

I have the money to finish the monster, a money some one owes me long time a go just arrive, now let see if no bounce. I am very ill with a cold....

I have decided

The monster is not going to be in 3D, is going to be an actor in this case Cesar with prosthetics, I did some research and with the time problem factor this is my best option, the only problem is the cost, as soon as I have more details I will let you know. This is going to get me more options to add
the scenes I cut because the limitation of the 3D, men, If I knew when I begging the movie what I'm know now... Well, this is a good experience.

Editing News

I edit every thing we shoot last Wednesday and fit perfectly, I getting a Cold & I feel sick, This is going to slow me more .

We film the last shots

We film the last shots in the "Back Lot" we did POVs of Guillermo and special plates for the monster
also extra shots for the beginning, now I can begging taking a part that set.

We begin again

We begin again with the monster 3D, next 2 weeks is all I'll spend with the monster 3D if this not work I have to change gears in the monster, the big problem is in the acting of the monster, one freeze frame look great but when I want it to move is not good.

Scene under the house

Well, 2 weeks and the scene under the house in 3D I did not like the final quality, yes if we spent more time may be, no I'm sure we'll get it but I do not have more time. Well as today I finish 8 composites this week. Next Tuesday I'll record the traveling with the camera instead of 3D visual efx.

Scene under the house in 3D

Look like yes we are going to do the scene under the house in 3D, look real, I hope we can star the master render by Monday, and, I finish 2 composites 1 where Julia is kick and the other where Julia is hit in the head .

We did not shoot the test

Well, we did not shoot the test, we are doing the under ground scene in 3D, in the meantime I doing some composite.

I believe I got it

I believe I got it, thank you God, is complicated to explain but this Tuesday we'll shoot my idea for the monster. The heat here in San Fernando Valley is too much.

I composite the shots

I composite the shots for the scene of the traveling RC car, look great with final composite, for the composite I use a software call fusion. I have problems with the monster, I hope this long weekend I can focus and figure it out what I'm going to do.

RC car in the back-lot

We shoot the traveling of the RC car in the back-lot.

The tracking system

We shoot the first plate to see how the tracking system of the digital Creature will work.

Sound efx

I finish all the sound efx, next week we'll do all the re-shoots.

Cesar & I meet today

Cesar & I meet today and watch the draft # 04 and we lock the editing, we change some edits but loock much better now with some sound efx, the next Draft will have all sound efx and re-shoots, at the same time we are finishing how the monster will be render; total 3D or a combination of video plates with match moving and 3D, this will be decide the Wednesday 23.

I'm going to lock the editing

I finish the Draft part and next week I'm going to lock the editing and the numbers are as follow, the movie have and need 106 visual effects, from those 73 are 2D and 33 are 3D, and also need 48 re-shoots without actors, to give an idea the difference between 2D and 3D are as follow, 2D are
composite effects like the image in the monitors, and the 3D are the monster in 3D and some virtual set in 3D, the re-shoots are mostly POV(Point of View) of the actors. The audio sweetening, music & color correction need to be done, this will be the last thing to do.

8.5 from 10 was the rate

8.5 from 10 was the rate that Cesar give at the draft #2, remember that at this level the audio is not mix, have no music, no audio effects and well no visual effects, we agree that the monster is going to be full body no only the head, I'll talk about this next week.. 

Cesar & I meet today

Cesar & I meet today to talk about the next movie, is not "UNCOMBUSTION", we talk about it and we have one, Cesar had this idea from last year, this time cero digital effects, let me just work more in the idea and I'll post it here..

Finish, the draft #2

Finish, the draft #2 is finish, the movie is in 101 minutes, Cesar & I will seat and whatch it this weekend, need Color & audio corrections and visual & Audio effects.

I'm in 73 minutes

I'm in 73 minutes, I'll try to finish this week, but, this part is the most difficult, left only 23 minutes, the most difficult of the movie, looks great, I always knew that will look good but when I see the scenes together, the story is show up, is like every thing is confirm, I'm happy, the only thing I'm not happy is the time is taking us to finish every thing, right now is like quality vs. Time, well, today Cesar show me the new monster and let me tell you, looks very good, looks like this monster it's going to scare a lot of people, looks scary.

The Digital efx

We have a meeting Cesar & I about the Digital efx, we talk about the new monster & how is going to move, I give him the first shoot to be finish, just 40 frames, at the end of next week I'll know how many Digital shoots I need.

I'm in the 56th minute

I'm in the 56th minutes, In the editing The Exterminator is next, looks like I'll finish this second draft next week..

I'm in the 26th minute

I'm in the 26th minute of the second draft, every pass look more and more like a real movie, I hope to finish this draft next week, well, I hope.

Finish the first draft

Finish the first draft sooner that I imagine it, the movie is 140 Minutes, in this draft just the master scenes are together, rigth now the movie is too loose, my goal a 90+ minutes movie, look like the time is not going to be a problem..

I start movie editing

I start movie editing, first draft. My goal is to finish this first draft before the end of July.

More E-mails

More E-mails were send to friends & people I know just to let them know about the trailer.

I going to Phoenix

I going to Phoenix to work, no related to the movie & I'll return next Monday

New Web-page

New Web-page is ready to be released into the internet; I hope everybody likes it. E-mail was send to Cast & crew to notify them about the Trailer

Web-page completed

New web-page has been completed; I like it.

Compression of the trailer

Compression of the trailer is done, it will be in standard definition and high Definition only.

Trailer compression has began

Trailer compression has began...getting ready to upload it to the new web-page.

The trailer has been re-edited

The trailer has been re-edited in order to pull out the digital monster, the monster will be shown in the movie and no in the trailer, like this we'll have more time to work on the monster.

The new monster

The new monster did'n work well... I have decide to combine the old monster with the new one...  I believe this is the best option.

Trailer Color correction

Color correction of the trailer is done, finally!!!

Visit a friend

I went to visit a friend who is directing a $250,000 budget movie, Very interesting.

Change the monster's face

I decided to change the monster's face... Next week I will see if this works or not.

Animation - digital monster

Finally the animation of the digital monster is here but I think we need to work harder, in order to find what I'm looking for.

I need more CPU

I realized that I need more CPU power in my computer to finish the color correction.

Editing has been stop

First trailer draft version is finished, the only missing part is the digital monster..for now. The Movie editing has been stop until I finish the trailer.

Some extra money

The next couple of days we are going to work in some projects in order to get some extra money to continue the movie and pay the bills.

First test animation

Digital monster first test animation.  I like it but I need to see more, something is missing.

More hardware & software

More hardware & software has been added to the production pipeline (color correction and compression for the movie) ....more necessary expenses.

Second and final draft

Second and final draft version of the trailer editing (Avid composer) has began.

Web-page design

New trailer-Web-page design has begun.

Test of the monster

A digital test of the monster has been review this days.

95% of the digitization

95% of the digitization of the movie.

Last day of special shooting

Last day of special production with Guillermo. We finished shooting with all the main actors.

Acquiring some hardware

Acquiring some hardware and software for the movie.

Some problems

Some problems with digital monster.

First day of re-shoots

First day of the special production with Guillermo.

Begins the digitization

Begins the digitization of the movie in Avid.

This Third week

This Third week of production didn't go as I expected, we finished with all actors but Guillermo because he is sick and we need to return in 2 weeks for extra shooting.

The Exterminator

The Exterminator (Jonathon) begins shooting.

I canceled production

I canceled production again because Guillermo is sick.

I canceled production today

I canceled production today because Guillermo is sick

We finished early

Today we finished early because Guillermo and I felt sick. Chloe production Schedule has been finished successfully.

Second week

Second week of production begins.

Finished the first week

We finished the first week... It was “perfect”.

Filming in the Kitchen

Filming in the Kitchen with Chloe and Guillermo.

First week of production

First week of production begins with Guillermo and the Monster.

Meeting with the main actors

I had a meeting with the main actors before the production began.

FilmLA

I got the FilmLA permit at last.

The Film Insurance

Problems regarding the Film Insurance... But everything was fine after all.

Meeting with Guillermo

Meeting with Guillermo regarding the movie clothing issue.

Roles profiles

I send the roles profile to the actors (by e-mail).

Final details

Final details for permits and Insurance.

Meeting with actors

Meeting with actors (Contracts & releases signing).

Shooting without actors

Today begins the shooting without actors (Beauty shots, etc)

The underground

Construction of the underground set starts this weekend, Interiors of the House set are 90% done.

The scripts

I have sent the scripts to the actors.

Cast has been selected

The Cast has been selected and I have notified them.

The casting

The casting has been a total success.