Zachary & the Laws of Gravity

We're Done, Son!

2008-04-16T03:27:00.002-04:00

As Wayne Campbell once said, "we have crossed all of the t's and dotted all of the......lowercase j's?"
Because as of this moment, with the assistance of my lovely, gifted and loyal editor, Anne, Zachary and the Laws of Gravity is, at last, complete. It's been a wild ride, and I am elated to say that I am extremely proud of the final product. Up next, is the screening! The event will take place next Friday night, April 25th at 7Pm in the UCF Visual Arts Main Auditorium, Please be prompt as our film will be OPENING the showcase! I hope to see you all there!

It's been some journey...

"Crickets and Snaggles to all!"

--Phil Atlas
Director, ZATLOG

Weekend Update with Amy Poehler and Phil Atlas?...

2008-04-13T12:54:00.004-04:00

So it's been an extremely productive weekend. (As it sort of had to be since everything is due Wednesday!) :) The minor color correction was completed, the score was completed and finalized (and will be added to the mix tomorrow), and the sound effects were at last materialized (by Mr. Briz).

Working with Nick this past week has been great. We seem to be pretty in-sync when it comes to the sounds that should be used (and how to go about using them). It's been quite a challenge to create a sound scape representing Zachary's "wheel-turning thought process" which segues into the fantasy sequence(s). The danger is not making it sound cartoon-ish, but the problem is, when dealing with scientific sounds like Bunsen burners, bubbles, electricity and fire, most of the sounds simply have that cartoon-ish "womp-womp-womp" quality about them . So it has proven to be quite a challenge indeed for Nick and myself. Nick did a template version and we found that it came off as rather frightening and isolated and possibly too dark for the film, so Nick is re-working some things to make it sound more innocent, child-like and whimsical. Nick has expertly ventured into more consistent sounds that aren't necessarily scientific per-se, but can be (subconsciously) associated with science, like turning bicycle wheels, and other unexpected sounds that create a cacophonous soundtrack. It's actually been an huge learning experience and a major challenge to complete.

The sound mix is close to complete and there are some things that unfortunately cannot be rectified. Mostly, there are certain steadicam shots that are rather noisy because of the camera movement. The sounds of the camera creaking are audible in both the boom version and the field recorder version of the captured production sound, but it's nothing too distracting. C'est la vie!

We're getting close to the end, so we got's 'ta step it up!

For weekend update, I'm Phil Atlas. <-- No? Too soon?

it's almost THAT Wednesday already?!

2008-04-11T09:32:00.007-04:00

I will have to completely agree with Kristen (K-Bake) in asking, where, in fact has the semester gone?! Seriously though. Can the films really be due on Wednesday? Wow.

But in any case, after numerous test screenings and several cuts, the movie is on its way to completion. Some minor color correction is being done today (namely to brighten all of the darker (nighttime) portions which look very dark when projected). I am meeting with Hannah (the composer) tomorrow to finalize the score, and will be meeting several times throughout the weekend with Nick B. to finalize the sound effects and will then be working to finish up the sound.

After that, we'll be pretty much done. I am very proud of this film and am so proud of this year's batch of films from the D3 class, there are some fantastic shorts, and it feels great to be apart of it all.

Once again to my fantastic crew, I say thank you, and I hope you all can make it on the 25th, to see all of your hard work up on the screen in-front of an audience. More specifically I want to re-express my gratitude to the 3 people who helped Zachary soar: (wow, that was sorta corny but still) Michelle (Cracky/Mabel), Georginia (George-e/Gin-e) and Brandon (BLT/B-Rand), you guys made this happen right along side of me every step of the way and our movie is just about "Done, Son!" :)

I will be updating throughout the weekend (and up through Wednesday: the due date) with the progress of everything.

Final stretch people. It's time to run like E.T. and snaggle along! ;)

It's been a while (Quick Update)

2008-03-30T15:51:00.003-04:00

Hey All,

It's been a super long time since the last (Thank-You) Post. I guess we all needed to recuperate (as much as we possibly could!). Since the last post, a great deal has happened, namely the welcoming of our genius editor, Anne Seabright.

Anne graciously accepted the proposal to chop ZATLOG, and the film, I am delighted to say, is coming along wonderfully. I screened the first 4.5 minutes or so in D3 class before Spring Break and received excellent feedback (both good and bad) that I needed to hear. It really helped me put my finger on certain elements that were not working. So thanks (to those who were there) for the awesome comments, it REALLY helped!

Additionally, the animator and compositor now have all of the scenes they needed in order for them to make their respective magic happen. So I am really excited to see their finished products.

Lastly, the composer, is working full speed and should have the final track completed within the next week. So holler!

Tomorrow, I will be screening my final rough cut for Film Production Management class, and then, based on the feedback and comments we receive from the students in that class, we will begin restructuring and entering the final stages.

So here goes nothin'....

New title: "Zachary and the Amazing Crew"

2008-02-26T16:37:00.002-05:00

To the Incredible ZATLOG crew,

I have re-written this posting several times already. I truly believe that the reason I am having such difficulty writing it is because I cannot find the right words to describe how grateful I am for everyone who helped out during pre-production and production of "Zachary and the Laws of Gravity".

Re-examining my crew list, I was pretty overwhelmed to find that over 40 people were involved in some aspect of this production. I have never before been around a more talented and dedicated group of people.

This was my first time working with many of you and I am thrilled to have had the opportunity to have met you all and to have collaborated with you all in some way.

Some people had their doubts about this endeavor and to them I simply say…crickets. :)

This project was by far the biggest production I had ever undertaken, and I can genuinely say that it would not have been as successful a shoot if it wasn’t for all of you guys.

This short truly has been such a labor of love, and I thank you all wholeheartedly for being a part of it. Thank You!

Sincerely,
Philip Atlas
Director, ZATLOG

Stick a fork in it... we're done!

2008-02-23T21:08:00.002-05:00

Here it is team... the final call sheet! It has been more than amazing working with each of you. Enjoy the last call sheet and we shall see you campers in the morning!

Call sheet day #7, Sunday, February 24, 2008

Please, hold your tears back.

2008-02-22T19:05:00.002-05:00

As each and everyone of you know, we are close to the end of our ZATLOG production. In case you didn't get the call sheet, here is another copy right here! Enjoy the slide show below posted by Michelle!

Call Sheet Day #6, Saturday, February 23, 2008

Set Photos from Day 3 of 7

2008-02-21T15:03:00.002-05:00

A little sample!

What's that...?

2008-02-17T00:25:00.002-05:00

Is that a bird?

Is that a plane?

No, it's a Boxley!

Come on. That was awesome.

Tomorrow is our time to shine and our time to fly!

Call Sheets for day 5

Second Chances and Exciting Endeavours!

2008-02-17T00:18:00.006-05:00

Good, er... morning?

I sit here with one of my incredible co-producers, Ms. Hurge, as we finish up our preparations for our big day tomorrow. Yes tomorrow is the day we will be flying our lead actor after much preparation, blood, sweat and persistence. With the incredible support of some fantastic faculty members, this dream has been able to come to fruition and we are all terribly excited to take part in it.

Today was our "pick-up" day at the location with the bunk-beds. Last week was just way too jam-packed and rushed, and unfortunately, a good portion of the footage reflected this. So, thankfully, we were given the go-ahead to return to the scene of the crime and do some re-shooting and I am elated to report that today went as smoothly as can be, and was well worth the fight, as the footage looks terrific. Thanks to today's fantastic crew that made it such a success! You all have been invaluable throughout this entire process.

Okay...it's off to bed. I cannot wait to report in about how tomorrow went (goes), hopefully it'll be written in a positive light! ;)

Extra! Extra!

2008-02-16T01:18:00.005-05:00

Call sheets are here!
Please, get excited and get to printing!

Call Sheet Day #4 Saturday, February 16th, 2008

Crickets, it's time for green screen.

2008-02-10T02:02:00.000-05:00

We shoot in 5 hours. Phil is asleep and we're (Brandon, Georgie and myself) all green with envy.

Here is the Call Sheet for Day 3, Sunday February 10th, 2008.

.... crickets. again.

Bbbbbbbeeee Ggoooood

2008-02-07T21:17:00.000-05:00

Well It's 9:45PM and my incredible co-producers, brilliant Writer, and "Luke"rific Production Designer and I all just got back from designing/decorating the elementary school classroom in anticipation for the first day of shooting tomorrow.

A great many things have arisen in these past few days as is typical in the last few days before production. Some good some....not so good. But the biggest development in these past few days by far was the second rehearsal I had the other night. It was the first time the entire Sale family was able to rehearse together (our "Eve" couldn't make last week's rehearsal). I was a little nervous that Angel (the actress playing Eve) wouldn't be able to squeeze into the bond that the other three actors developed so well during our first rehearsal, but to my surprise, within minutes of an introduction, the four of them were all laughing together. I thought it imperative for Angel and Harrison (the actor playing Zachary) to have some time to form a bond alone without their "parents". So I did some different exercises and activities with them. By the end of the night they were laughing and nudging (or "wedging" as I like to call it) each other. Once again, I was absolutely thrilled by the rehearsal. I cannot wait to start working with these 4 wonderful people on-set.

I am excited and anxious about tomorrow, but I have complete faith in my incredible crew. And as I conclude this last post before I venture in to ZATLOG land, let me just stress how much i love and value my 3 immediate crew members/collaborators who, in the past month, have become my support system, my confidants, my siblings. We fight, we cry, we poke fun, we laugh, and occasionally, we reenact scenes from E.T. (hence the Post title) and they're just the greatest. I want to thank them for everything they've done thus far.

To all those who are working on the ZATLOG crew beginning tomorrow, I welcome you to the family and hope you enjoy this experience. (Hope that doesn't sound too hokie, but I really do mean it).

In any case it's go time! Z to the ATLOG! Hallllllloooooo! :)

Call Sheets

2008-02-07T13:07:00.000-05:00

The Call Sheets for our shoot will be posted to the site, so be sure to check back frequently!

Call Sheet Day #1 (February 8th, 2008)

Call Sheet Day #2 (February 9th, 2008)

Physical copies will be provided in Phil Atlas' mailbox in the Film Hallway if you want to pick one up and save yourself the printing.

2 Days and Counting

2008-02-06T00:16:00.002-05:00

It's crunch time.

Today we have our last rehearsal with the actors, and we begin principal photography on Friday at Union Park Elementary School. Getting clearance to shoot in a classroom was a bit of a challenge, but we have finally received the "Okay." It looks like everything is ready to go.

Rich Grula has offered to show us around the Expo Soundstage next week. Grady Bishop, our Stunt Coordinator, will attend the meeting down town to get a feel for the space and figure out where to build the fly rig. Grady invited us out to his place to show us how he plans on building the rig, and even hooked up his daughter Danielle as an example:

Aside from the lack of sleep we've all been receiving, things are falling into place quite effortlessly. We have an amazing (accountable) crew lined up, and everyone seems really eager to help out on the project. Our production meeting this past Monday had an impressive turn out, with all but 2 crew members present! Kyle Fasanella has recently decided to allow Reid (our D.P.) to use his Steadicam equipment which we tremendously appreciate. This appeases Georginia and I because it means less dolly set-ups, and Phil is happy with the professional look of nice steadicam shots. It ends up being a win-win for everyone.

In other news, Randy and Lisa have been very helpful in breaking down all of the nitty gritty fine print buried in the entertainment insurance issue. Thankfully we have such a supportive faculty that doesn't mind excessive e-mailing.

Stay tuned!

Re-Writes, First Rehearsals and approvals!

2008-02-02T23:38:00.000-05:00

So it's been quite a busy past week. First, after much hard work of sleepless nights, blood, sweat and alligator pillows (see photo of Michelle), the pre-production book was finally completed, submitted and approved. Yay! So we happily moved on from there... After getting a great deal of helpful feedback from several people, work on a re-write continued full speed ahead. Brandon moved swiftly and deftly and ended up taking the script to, ahem, "soaring" new heights.
Armed with a sharp 'n savvy brand spankin' new script, pre-prod moved full speed ahead. Today, I conducted my very first rehearsal. The young actress playing the character of "Eve" was unable to attend which was unfortunate. If I had any doubts in my mind about any of the (cast) actors, they were put to rest and then some by the time this first rehearsal let out. WOW!
It was a thrill hearing this wonderful group of actors deliver these lines. Moreover, everyone got along swimmingly and seemed to have wonderful chemistry from the get-go. I'm more excited than ever about this project and cannot wait to begin shooting next weekend. And to my ingenious co-producers and writer I say "Bbbbbbbbbbbbbbb" :)

Pre-Production 101

2008-02-02T16:11:00.001-05:00

The evening began like this....

(9:00pm)

Phil Atlas - Director

Michelle Roca - Co-Producer

Georginia Hurge - Co-Producer

Some time later....

Phil was the only one who was able to make it without napping.

The Pitch!

2008-01-23T13:08:00.000-05:00

An Animatic of Zachary Jumping in the last scene of the film:

I almost entitled this post "The pitch (spectacular, spectacular)" for any of you fellow Luhrmann fans. Anyway, today was my pitch for class, and despite a very intense hour of debate and scrutiny (I'm not sure if the latter is the right word to use, but it seems to fit), I think it went very well. It reassured how well I know these characters and I feel that I really was never at a loss for words and was respectful to all (I hope) even at times when I did feel a little ganged-up on.

In any case, I really did appreciate all the feedback (both the good AND the bad), because, honestly, I'd much rather face it within the "safe" confines of the classroom amongst my peers than be going into this situation without having any feedback at all.

I'm going to reexamine some of the more subtle moments in the script and heighten them in order to "raise the stakes" of the piece. Among some of the great feedback I received, one that comes to mind is the advice I received from Jon R, who provided me with some great in-depth feedback about the father character which I really appreciated and am definitely going to take to heart. I do feel the "religion vs. science" debate went on for way too long, considering that is but an element of my story, but I knew it was bound to happen.

I need to reemphasize that ultimately, I am making a film about a young boy's journey and growth and advancement into "manhood," but I realize that since religion and science both play a role in the story, the piece is subject to these sorts of disagreements. Which I don't mind at all. It's actually the first time a piece I made (am making) has sparked such an occurrence. So I guess....it's a good thing? :/

Once again, thanks everyone for the awesome Q&A session. And thank you to my wonderful co-produccers for being there t "get my back" :)

Children Galore!

2008-01-19T19:59:00.000-05:00

So today was the first in a series of casting sessions organized by the wonderful Kristen Baker (K-Bake), who, despite having a cold, was a pro and managed to get a hold of a plethora of kids (ranging from 3 to about 13?) as well as a few adults.
Kristen and I had previously conducted casting sessions together and found that we work really well together, so we decided to co-conduct once again. Accordingly, we were both casting for our individual films and were also scouting talent for Carla as well.
I have a family of four to cast (A Mother, A Father, Their 13-year old daughter and of course, Zachary my 7-year-old protagonist) I also have to cast Zachary's school teacher. Understandably, my main focus today was casting Zachary, as he is the most crucial element in the film. I will "build" the family based on who is cast as Zachary.
There was a fair amount of young boys to choose from, but I will probably have to cast someone who is closer to 9 or 10, as boys who are in the 5-6-7 range tend to look and seem much younger than they are (it seems strange, i know). Kristen and I spent a good amount of our free time attempting to rationalize this situation. :/
In any case I found one kid who was fantastic. I think he really exemplified the character of Zachary as he was written. There are another set of auditions next week, and afterwards, I'd love to have a callback once I have found a potential sister. Not sure of time will allow this to happen. But hey, i can always dream.
In any case, I am very optimistic after today. Additionally, with Michelle's help, I have been able to obtain a bunk bed which is great (and is a crucial part of my story). I guess that's about it for now! Holler for long weekends! ;)

Welcome!

2008-01-19T19:48:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone. I am extremely proud to be bringing you all this blog for my directing 3 short entitled; Zachary and the Laws of Gravity, or, for the purpose of saving time, ZATLOG! :) One of my main goals for this semester (and more specifically for directing 3) was really to get out of my comfort zone and create a short that incorporated elements of filmmaking that I was heretofore unfamiliar with. And I like to think I have found the perfect project to help me achieve this goal. This project requires the usage of green screen, animation and the recreation/duplication of a location (on a soundstage). All of which are new to me. So while I am quite excited to explore all of these elements, I am also rather anxious about everything coming together smoothly. But I truly feel that i have surrounded myself with wonderful people who will aid me in making this a success. So it is now time to take a hint from my protagonist, Zachary, and float off into the unknown. It promises to be a truly exciting adventure!