Congratulations!

Thank you everyone for your hard work and dedication to the production of this film. We just finished principal photography and have our weekend 1 footage back. Once weekend 2 arrives in our digital delivery system at school we will start our first edit!

I am so excited to finish this and make something truly spectacular!

Build Progress 10/22/08 11:59 PM

Katy's Woes

Build Begins

John

Welcome actor Michael Pierce to the team, he will be playing John.

Mission Statement

It is SS: Humanity’s mission to follow the guidelines set up be the Environmental Media Association (EMA) and Green Set to make an eco-friendly film from pre-production to post.

Panagrant

Wonderful news! SS: Humanity was offered the Panagrant through Panavision. This is a prestigious honor! Thanks to every one's hard work. Our D.P. Kyle did a wonderful job putting the pitch together! On another note, we pitched our idea to Kodak and are receiving some free film!

Only 2 weeks away!

Cosmologist

Welcome Clyde J. Bruff to the SS: Humanity Team. He will be playing our Cosmologist.

Lake Tahoe Retreat Photos

Here's a bit of a taste of the Lake Tahoe Retreat, for all of you who couldn't be there. Fun time test shooting, and prepro-ing.

Format Decision

So, after way too much hemming and hawing, the decision of what format to shoot in has been resolved. Primarily due to financial concerns, we have decided to move away from the option of shooting Red, and have opted to shoot on Super 16mm.

It is my hope that no one feels disappointed by this choice, but if anyone is feeling that they have been shorted, in that they signed on when we had hoped to shoot Red, or 35mm, you are welcome to contact me privately and be excused from any crew calls, no strings attached.

I am very excited for the weeks ahead, and I hope that everyone else is ready for a great experience.

-Kyle

Zero Carbon Emissions

Here's a great site on how I think we should obtain carbon credits for our vehicles and flights.

www.terrapass.com/

Alta

Congratulations to Mary Mackey for the role of Alta!

Peter

Congratulations! Connor & Garret Sullivan are playing the role of Peter.

Draft 14

Fingers crossed for a green light, and for a script that everyone likes!

Almost a month away till shooting!

1st Casting session went great in LA! More to come.

Cool

I love this video for the hand shot at the end. I really think it shows raw humanity!

Earth Watch

This is a really neat commercial that is similar to some of my ideas about Peter's room, and the examination room.

storyboard ideas

here are some ideas I have. please keep your fingers crossed that we can get some sound stages for our first weekend! please, please, please!

matty

Script Approval

One week away! AH!!!!!!!!!  I am on draft 12.  lets hope everyone likes it, or my fingers are going to fall off!!!

I had to let go the extractors. Tear. But I really hope that the story focuses on Peter's POV, and his emotional journey.  

A Cool Visual Reference

Blog 5

On the way to Jill & George's House.

INT. SPACEPORT

engineer building location

b 3

Our first casting decision?

Photos From AZ Locations

Coming at ya all quick like, here's the pics from our day of location scouting in the greater Phoenix area, hot off the memory card.

Check out our new video blog!

Humanity goes Green, and now RED!

2 new exciting things came our way today.  

1st $6,000 from the film school for funding! THAT IS INSANE! Our budget is looking like it will be around $15,000. woot woot.  Thanks to the film school we can get all the equipment we need.

2nd. --always the best-- We are going to be shooting the project on the RED camera! How awesome is that?

Thesis class is amazing, and I can't believe that it is already senior year!

well here is to an AWESOME movie!

Cine Pro. Meeting

Matt & Kyle

• Spending almost no money on the camera! Would like to shoot on the VeriCam -- so all digital production.
• Locations- split the last day at ASU from the pursuit.
• Looking at getting and enhancer filter.
• Green screen all the windows?
• Underexpose everything and rent 12 k HMIs or 6Ks
• Change script: create and ending where John saves Alta.
• Searching for a Post Supervisor who is involved the whole process
• Storyboard artist, how is he coming along?

Shooting Dates

Shooting Dates for SS: HUMANITY

October 24-26 (In Arizona)

Oct/Nov 31-2 (Orange)

Approval

We have film school approval now! YAY!

visual development

EMA standards.

My dream is to follow the Environmental Meda Awards Green Seal.

these are the guidlines the film will follow.

“EMA Green Seal” Award Checklist for Productions

• Use paints, sealants and lacquers that are low-emission (low VOC) and less toxic.
  
  
• Lease Hybrid and/or Electric vehicles for the production when possible. Request that traditional transport vehicles not idle.
  
  
• Use nontoxic cleaning products and buy unbleached, high recycled content items for production offices (paper towels, plates, cups; office paper, pencils; t-shirts).
  
  
• Reuse when possible and donate unwanted production materials and supplies. (sets, paints, props, office products, etc.).
  
  
• Recycle production office materials. (paper, plastics, glass, cans, cardboard, wood; VHS, Digital Betacams, DVDs, etc.).
  
  
• Make sure food/beverage suppliers & caterers provide reusable, recyclable and/or biodegradable serving products, instead of Styrofoam.
  
  
• Other (ie: use digital dailies, email script revisions; offset film’s carbon dioxide emissions, improve filming sites, etc.).

~~I imagined the extractors wearing gas masks. When doing some research on stock footage, I came across the Getty Museum images. One that scared me was of this man wearing a gas mask. Plus, this might reiterate the fact that they cannot really survive normally on Earth anymore. Another thing, I imagine the sucking devices to be like compact backpack vacuums.~~

~~The image of the doors closing is a shot I imagine at the end. I would like to see the doors close on Peter and John into blackness. Then from the black, stars slowly appear, we pan down and left to reveal the dying Earth. Then the SS: Humanity flies across the screen!~~

~~I imagine the examination room to be open white space; very minimalistic!~~

~~The last image is when Peter is being pursued in the ally. He hides in this storm drain and this is where he watches his mother die. ~~

Some changes and ideas for the script. I watched Journey to the Center of the Earth (3D). I know... sounds cheesy, I know. However, I was really touched with how they communicated the human experience through objects that the dead father had left his son. It was a very touching moment when they read from the father' s journal. This inspired me to go back and change some dialogue in the script. Goal: finish this Friday!

Peter's World

This is what I would like the city to look like. Burning building, a huge mess of remaining houses. There is a fantastic panoramic window located in the house where I would like to shoot the film. This would be an amazing shot to reveal Peter's world.

script changes

Some things are changing in draft 5 of SS: Humanity. I am dropping all of the scenes with sci-fi cars, making Alta stay on Earth because of a disease (she still dies at the end though), and tightening the FX shots up. The wonderful Marcus Kaye has reviewed the script and we decided on some new things for the script and costumes at Starbucks.

Tonight is a date with the lovely producer Stephanie, to get things kick started and start thinking about pre-production.

first drawings...

Concepts for hologram kitchen, the extractor's blood-sucking backpack, Peter's bedroom hologram wall, and Peter's stuffed animal.

Humanity

this blog is dedicated to the senior thesis SS: Humanity. The story is about a boy who is forced to face the harsh realities of leaving planet Earth because it has been destroyed by war, global warming, and natural disasters. Key Crew~ Producer: Stephanie Altishion; Director: Matthew Ladensack; DP: Kyle Bjordahl; Production Designer: Katy Echols; Costumes: Marcus Kaye Editor: Anthony Berk; Assistant Director: Elaine Ackley; Camera Crew: Rachael Loftis. The goal of this production is to make an amazing narrative while completing the project being environmentally conscious in every aspect possible. Check Out: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=22037170215&ref=ts