Alan Wake Fan Film Shoot

Alright, before I really get going I probably should apologize for nothing anything for almost a month… nope, Chuck Testa. I don’t feel bad at all. I was on vacation in Mexico. Then I was going crazy finding new work, and building my portfolio… this blog just fell to the way side.

But Alan Wake is why I’m writing to you now. It’s the first in a series of projects I’m working on. It was a very ambitious fan film for a videogame by Remedy Studios. After my accident (which I’m recovering from quite nicely) I played the game for the first time. Finished it that day. Bought all of the Downloadable Content. And played it until I had 100% completion for it, the DLC and it’s little sister sequel American Nightmare. I knew I had to make a fan film.

Plus, the game’s stellar use of noir style lighting was going to give me a chance to try out all these lighting ideas I had.

I wrote the script, tracked down props, had a nightmarishly stressful prep week (considering this is a fan film, and the general idea is supposed to be FUN) as people bailed and equipment wasn’t available. But I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and said “I’ve done all I can. The prep work is finished. If this fails, it’s not because I wasn’t ready.”

Then the phone rang the guy who was letting us use the property said he couldn’t be there. And also the light kit I was borrowing, was no longer available. And more people bailed. And the cable for the monitor was broken.

It’s ok… you still have this.

And we did. Despite a plethora of on set SNAFU’s, we pulled it off, only going over time by 45 minutes. Things like failed lights, unable to use green screen, bad mosquito bites, and other small issues didn’t stop us from getting decent quality footage. All that prep work allowed me to change and salvage the project. Some crew didn’t even notice things were falling apart. They said all in all, it was a very smooth shoot.

This was also my first time really using the Canon 5D. And let me tell you, that girl can sing. Reviewing the footage… so many shots are useable because of it’s low light capabilities. And the lack of noise at high ISO (relative to the 7D, which is what I own and normally use.) is incredible.

This prop Bourbon was aptly named "Apple Sauce" By Tim Lundy because we used Apple juice and Soy Sauce to get the coloring. 

I’m very excited to release this project in October. Until then, thank you for all the love and support.

James

Abandoned America

**All of these pictures are unedited. **

I love finding places the world has forgotten. I get wrapped up in other people’s memories. Seeing something touched, and manipulated by humans only to be left to waste away is so fascinating.

I'm really curious as to Joel's take on this. He was visiting from Canada. He didn't say much during the excursion. He just seemed to be taking it in.

But it feels weird when it’s my memories being tampered with. Treating them like they’re not worth keeping. 

I found an old neighborhood I played in as a child. It’s less than a mile from my house. One of my best friends lived there. I played in a tree there. We talked to the cute girls in our class there. I had no idea it was gone.

Or going.

It was eerie to see the vacant lots where Jared’s house stood. Or see Brandon’s yards replaced by loads of refuse. Finding house after house boarded up and abandoned with apparent haste, overrun by weeds and untended gardens and yards, no longer separated by fences.

This really stuck out to me. just the way the light hit it. I'm not sure what i'll do with this one... but something is going to happen with it.

I need to go back to explore it more in depth. Even if just to capture what remains for my own interest.

Climbing Again

Day 1:

Monday July 2^nd, marked 3 months since my accident.

In physical therapy, I worked really hard to push myself, hoping to be allowed back on the wall. Monday was the day they checked to see where my improvement was.

They cleared me. And after an exhausting PT session, dinner and some rest, I booted up, chalked up and very gently checked out my arm.

It was hard. I felt so weak. Not just in my bad arm, but my baby soft fingertips, and every muscle in my back.

I felt sweat drip down everything. I was overcompensating to protect my fragile bicep.

My friend Joel from Canada was with me and we climbed until he was torn to pieces (I was done much earlier than he was.). And I was sore. 2 days later, I could feel aches in my back. And the pangs of abuse in the bellies of my forearms.

But it felt good. Not “lusty” like it used to. But just good to move. I’m still months away from seeing the true use of that muscle again. And maybe even longer before I trust it again.

But that’s ok. Baby steps.

Day 2:

I climbed again on Friday. This time with ropes. This went much smoother. The long balancy low end problems were much less stressful. I worked through several grades (stopping at 5.7) and I’m pretty certain I could go up some more…

Day 3:

I slacklined today. I’m terrible at it. I have good balance. So it must be the slackline that made me fall constantly. It was good work and fun and the friends there were awesome and patient.

However, when it came time to climb I felt a weird anxiety creep into my stomach. There were so many people there. The top rope walls were littered with people and I couldn’t help but shy away from climbing… as if somehow, they all might watch me on these low end problems and judge me. That maybe they would get frustrated because I would need to do laps instead of hop on, do my route, hop off.

Where’d this come from? I don’t know. But I got so nervous wearing my harness. I kept thinking “I’ll use the autobelay in the corner. Then I won’t bother anytone.” Like some how I was lame, or somehow this awesome community might shun me like a leper.

So I went to the boulder wall. At least here, my friends were climbing. I wasted time, stalling, talking to people about their workouts. I was justifying it by “helping” them prep for comps later this year. And then I climbed.

I think I did all of the v0’s again. Definitely had more energy this time, so I did a few of the v1’s. This was supposed to be my warm up. But every time I looked to the wall I began to panic and climb another boulder problem.

I repeated this until I was tapped. Until I was pushing that line of “too much.” The line I used to love because I wanted to know my limits. However “knowing” my limits know could mean irrepairable damage to my bicep. I choked on routes. I over thought v1’s… I felt my blood boiling. I heard someone say “V2. Cake warm up.” And I wanted to growl at him. My head got foggy and the demon inside me started to show his ugly face.

I was in pain. Not physically, my arm was fine. Fatigued, but solid otherwise. My pride was hurting. It was heavy and it weighed me down like a bear hanging on my back. The struggle was knowing what I am capable of, and simply not being able to do it.

I’m not a coward. But the constant hesitiation I felt whenever I went to use my arm, was maddening. Moves that aren’t in my playbook right now, simply because I don’t have faith in my arm.

I packed up my shoes, said goodbye and left. Bouldering days are going to be difficult. And I’m sure I’ll have more days like this. Days that make me not want to go back at all. Days that make me find safety in my desk chair, letting dust collect on my weights and my rings and my pull up bar.

I’m not a coward. But having even a moment of weakness like that makes me sick to my stomach and angry with myself.

The real test is in doing what I have to do today, so that later, I can do what I want to do.

          

"shichi ten hakki"

A Canadian 4th of July

The last several days, I’ve had my good friend, Joël visit me in my humble hometown. Joël and I met in Australia when people thought I was Canadian (I’m from Vancouver Washington). And he happened to be passing through and wanted to see Portland, and catch up. I was more than happy to have him as my guest.

Learning what an American "Large" popcorn looks like During Spiderman, "It comes with a refill?! I could bathe in this thing!"

He picked the perfect time too. Independence day, the 4^th of July was fast approaching and he hadn’t ever experienced it before.

So we BBQ’d, met friends, hung out and introduced him to real fireworks… which I guess I mean “fireworks you could purchase and blow up from the comfort of your own home.

My favorite part of it was probably when he swore to tell his friends back home that all the Americans ran around firing guns in the air all day.

That. Or showing him Prune Hill, where you can see all of Vancouver and Portland lighting their Mortars off.

All in all, introducing someone who’s not from the U.S. to our Independence Day was pretty awesome.

Take care on the rest of your travels Joël.

This video has nothing to do with this post... I just thought it was funny/clever. 

Adding a Little Flare

Normally this would go into my blog over at IEFilms. But it’s resting in a state of Limbo, while I decide it’s fate. So, for now, here it is…

A "Submarine" that i hit toys in and slept in.

I used to make a lot of my toys. I could make just about anything out of cardboard and shipping tape (I have my parents to thank for supporting that creativity). Over the years that grew into prototypes for items I thought people could use. Objects for games like Paintball and airsoft.

I started collecting my own tools and building my own kit in college, coming up with increasingly difficult and time consuming projecting. And then I all but stopped. Maybe graduation gave me the sense that I have to spend money to be “legitimate.” That I can’t, or shouldn’t build props if I want to be taken seriously.

That’s a very expensive mentality.

I’ve been scrounging for props for a new video;

An old fashioned typewriter. Luckily, we had one in the garage.

A tweed jacket for my actor, Timmy… Done, $6 at Goodwill.

And finally, a flare gun. $68-75 on the internet. This was killer. I wanted to so bad. But I wasn’t going to be able to afford spending that kind of money.

I begged people whom I thought would have one. Nothing. I was searching online… Nil, at least without spending loads of money I don’t have. I was ready to rewrite the script.

And then FreddieW (A youtube group made up of Freddie Wong and Brandon Laatsch posted a video commentary on their video “Real Life Portal Gun” where they say “We didn’t have the real thing. So, we made do.” That might be me paraphrasing. :)

And I’m trying to reapply that mentality where I can. My girlfriend might shake her head at that, as she’s been saying that for months. Other friends have said it as well.

So there I am, grubbin’ on a burger at Red Robin’s when BAM! It hits me. I have a plastic toy revolver that I found from when I was little, Gorilla Glue, a PVC pipe that happens to be the size I need, and one can of obnoxious Safety Orange Spray Paint. This is what I need it to look like.

Real                                                                       

1.5 hours later, I’m holding a prop that I’m pretty satisfied with (keep in mind, a lot of that time was spent waiting for paint to dry.). Oh, and I saved $75. Booya.

Finished Piece

 

Would John Woo accept that in a close up? No. No, he would not.

Am I John Woo, or have a John Woo budget? No. A resounding no to both of those.

But I think this will do great. I’ll keep you informed as I can. Next post like this will be lighting (Inspired by Ryan Connolly of Triune Films and Film Riot.)

For now, Good Night. :)

3 Pull Ups, 2.5 months

What’s that you say? 3 whole pulls ups?

Well… it’s 2.5 months since I tore my bicep, and a week ago I couldn’t even start 1 pull up. So yeah. It’s a big deal to me.

I’ve also done 30 push ups with no rest, and 18 unassisted dips. (the last two exercises had been hard because they stretched the muscle, not because they directly used the muscle.)

The physical therapy is going well. It’s about an hour and a half now. 30 minutes Ultrasound and massage. Then 50 minutes of Endurance weightlifting. Then ice. Followed by a nap.

It feels more like my body is working through rust than it is anything else. The time spent waiting made me atrophy and each day my body feels more and more like it did.

My doctor says that based on the progress, it’ll be about 6 more weeks of PT before I’m at 90% what I was (I’m a little skeptical, but cool. I’ll keep trucking along then.). I’ll eventually get back to full use again. And I’m allowed to start top-roping at the gym in July.

So, here’s to continued progress, listening to my doctors, and learning everything I can during the process. Thanks for reading. :)

Muscle Carrs

I saw this guy (as he was in the process of cutting me off) pull a trailer with an old 60’s Mustang on it. It was covered in mold and moss and was in serious need of some Lovin’. The expired tags said 1995 on them, so we can assume it’s been unkept or abandoned for at least 17 years.

I’m not a car guy. It’s rare that I see a car and go, “Man, I want to cruise around in THAT.” But something I have wanted to do, maybe as a project with my father, was to restore a classic. Give it hours and hours of time. Sand blast the rust off, Degunk the engine. Do what needs to be done to make it purr.

I don’t know a lot about cars… so it would be a huge undertaking. But I think it would be fun to do that. Give it to my dad when it’s finished. Then start another.

Anyways, random thought.