It's truly a "GO!"
After successfully landing Sally Kirkland (an Oscar-nominee and Golden Globe winner for Best Actress for 1987's "Anna"), as the absentee mom, "The Curse of the Sunset Starlet" took wing today! Woohoo!
Lori Precious, the director and co-writer of the script, wrote this update for me (as well as her other 73 kickstarter backers) yesterday:
We'll be on set!
Lots of last minute details to tend to-- but we will be ready by our call time Monday at 7am!
Production designer Tana is working with her team to transform our house into a set. (My kids and Steve have been totally displaced which has made the kids grouchy); Miles is drawing zombies for the character of Ryder; Sally changed her wardrobe; I'm altering the scene breakdown after rehearsals; Will, my neighbor, let us use him super clean garage for hair and make up because my house is too small; my mother-in-law Jo Erickson has not only allowed me to use her glamorous headshots from her days as a bona fide starlet (Hurrell-like photographs by Steve's dad) to be the mummified starlet but she has taken on the epic task of catering the whole shoot. No small feat feeding 30 people 2x times per day for 4 days. She has a battalion of her buddies (thank you Adrienne!) helping her and since they are all terrific cooks, the crew will be well fed.
Say a prayer to the Film Gods that all goes smoothly. You are all on this adventure with me! I'll try to update each night if I can (I wish Kickstarter didn't make it so hard to post photos---I'll post them on my website for sure after the shoot)
With gratitude,
Lori
As I do my best to keep up with her and lend support, I responded:
Wow!!! I am SOOO excited for you and everyone involved!! What a marvelous adventure you are on together, making memories AND a movie!
Faustina "Fliss" Smith
I am so excited! I really wish I could be there - though I would probably be star-stuck and in the way!
3 comments:
Update #28
Jun 22 2012
IT'S A WRAP!
We did it! We finished 4 intense days of filming this morning at 12:40 am! The whole crew is exhausted but happy. Every single scene has excellent performances and many many "magic moments" all bring to life the story of Curse of the Sunset Starlet. I will post photos shortly on the Curse of the Sunset Starlet Facebook page so you can get a sneak preview.
There is absolutely no way that we could have gotten this film shot without your help. I will now start working on the next phase of Kickstarter incentives.
Now...on to editing!
With gratitude,
Lori
5:36 pm, August 10, 2012:
Project Update #32: update
Posted by Lori Precious
Hi all
We are making good progress on the edit of COTSS. The few people who have seen it so far think the performances are terrific (they are!) and the story compelling and full of surprises. A setback...as of today our editor had to return unexpectedly to the Robert Zemekis film [Flight with Denzel Washington] he was on earlier this summer. He is asking another editor to take over and I hope that happens so we don't have a lot of downtime.
Do Make Say Think, the Toronto band that is scoring the film has created 2 stunning tracks and are at work on more. The CGI is well underway but lots more to be done.
I've decided to create the opening credits--photos of Sunset Blvd--- with a Soviet Union Cold War era 35mm camera, the Sprocket Rocket. It has a romantic, grainy, vintage feel with the sprockets showing. Ive taken some photos already and they look gorgeous.
Lance Thingmaker, well known designer of vintage looking horror film posters in Seattle (IDK if that's his real last name but then again no one thinks Precious is my real last name and it is) has enthusiastically agreed to design the poster for COTSS. I can't wait to see what he comes up with! (Film posters go to the $100 and up contributors)
To be honest, some days are discouraging because I wish progress was happening faster. As with most things in life, if you have money you can get things done quickly. If you don't have money, you have to have time. All of our funds were used to cover production costs--just barely. All of the post production costs have been covered personally so far. But my piggy bank is getting very empty. With only $4500. more to finish up completely, the light at the end of the tunnel is tantalizingly close. Many if not most of the deadlines for short film submissions are in the fall, so time is tight.
If you or anyone you know would like to contribute to post production funds please email me loriprecious@gmail.com You would receive the Kickstarter incentive equivelent to your contribution. Or, if you have already contributed, you would receive the incentive equivelent to both your contributions. In lieu of that, I may have to launch a mini Kickstarter campaign to be able to finish.
Update on Incentives
$100 + contributors: next week Sally & the rest of the cast is signing the final version of the script which has been evolving up til now.
$500+ You will receive Steve's favorite movie DVD in about 2 weeks. The photo book of the shoot will take more time. Rich Marchewka took the photographs and they are terrific. Rich shoots many celebs and shot that stunning (and controversial) photograph of Angelina Jolie at the Academy Awards with the dress slit up to THERE.
$1000 The award I am behind schedule on is the word STARLET in Sunset Moths. Those will take quite a bit of time to create but you will get them and they will be beautiful.
Thank you again for all your support.
Lori Precious
5:50 PM, October 16, 2012:
Project Update #37: technology black hole and moving forward
Posted by Lori Precious Like
HI All
Sorry it's been awhile since my last update but I have been working diligently each and every day on Curse of the Sunset Starlet. The edit is now complete. When we went to color correction (with the online editor) we fell into a technology black hole that took 3 weeks (and my sanity) to resolve. Basically, the offline editor had sent a file of the film to the online editor that was corrupted but no one knew why. Both editors worked on many theories trying to fix it, to no avail. Since Im not a post production supervisor (although I feel like I could be now!) I didnt even know who to ask for advise. Each editor thought the problem was on the other editors side. We were at a stand still.
Finally, after my head exploded with more technology jargon than any creative person should ever have to hear, the problem was identified and resolved. (It boiled down to a 15 frame cross dissolve that was corrupted and that threw everything afterwards out of sync by 15 frames.)
I then spent a week with a 3rd editor who is also a motion graphic designer Ive worked with for years, Rhonda Peacock, creating the opening sequence and the end titles. For all of you with an onscreen credit I think you will be very pleased. (I wake up at night, in fear that Ive forgotten a credit! If I did, I can still add it!)
The sound mix, by Outpost Sound, is nearly done. (Thankfully Richard Marlis stepped up to pay for this pricey process--thankyou) It has been fun going through the process of watching the sound editor Tony come up with ideas on how to record the sounds of butterflies flying, recording a 70 yr old womans footsteps on concrete, deciding what the sound of "our" wind should be (there is an infinate variety to choose from as you can imagine)---the myriad of details that you never realize go into every dimension of film making.
Most of the CGI scenes are now complete and are stunning. I was very worried about this aspect----there are scenes with 50 moths flying that are all animated but have to look realistic. I worried up til just the other day that they would look cartoony-y. But Wild Canary is very talented and created realistic (yet artistic) moths that would fool their moth mother.
There is STILL about 1-2 weeks to go. But we're getting there! Im hoping to cut a trailer to share with all of you.
Incentives: This week is my week to focus now on getting incentives out. Be looking for them...
Thank you everyone for staying with me during this arduous but fun process. Couldnt be here without you!
All best,
Lori Precious
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