Picture lock in sight

So thanks to some hard work by our editor Jim Brennan, we are getting very close to our 'picture lock.' A few more tweaks here and there and we'll be ready to call it 'locked,' which basically means we're done cutting and splicing the movie together. After that, we'll be handing it over to composers, sound designers and colorists.

We still have a lot of work to do but I can say I'm very happy with the movie. I'm confident that everyone who worked on the project will be proud of it.

It's hard to believe that we started shooting Jimmy Said a year ago May 15th (my birthday, btw!).

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Third time's the charm, er, wrap.

Jimmy said third time's the charm, er, wrap. And this time, we mean it. We're really, really wrapped! Yes, we thought we were wrapped back in July of 2009, but then as we put the movie together we realized we needed some pick ups. So we shot two more nights in October of 2009 and wrapped the movie once again. These additional scenes turned out great and really enhanced the movie. By the end of the year, we put together a great cut of the movie, but...well, something felt like it was still needed and unfortunately that something was a new opening sequence.

Now the 'old' opening was 'good enough' and we certainly could have 'gotten' away with it and called it done, but we want better than good enough. MaryLee Herrmann (one of our producers) worked her magic and got everybody back for one more night of shooting. Thanks to the great talent and generosity of many of our key people (and some new people to our set), we had a great night of shooting. Ken Hendricks and his mighty RED camera got some amazing shots. Jim Brennan, our other producer and the AD on set, took on the additional role of gaffer and he and the crew did some amazing work lighting all of our scenes.

Big thanks, too, to Jack Wefso, Steven J. Burge and Peter Lugo for dusting off their characters and making it all happen on screen for us. Double big thanks to Haylar Garcia for all his help, too.

Triple big thanks to Mother Nature. Last year, whenever we took out Ken's camera to shoot an exterior, it rained. We considered hiring ourselves out to drought-stricken areas because wherever the crew of "Jimmy Said" went, the rain was sure to follow. And wouldn't you know it? Our scheduled shoot night was the only night in about two weeks where rain was predicted. Somehow it stayed away from our little part of the world just long enough for us to finish shooting around midnight.

We've already been able to see a rough cut of the new opening because Jim, who is also our editor (and all around go-to guy), quickly assembled it and it looks fantastic. I can say with as much certainty as I possibly can that it's a wrap. If we shoot anything more to do with Jimmy and his gang, it will be for the sequel!

JIMMY SAID watch the tube.

Tomorrow night, Sunday, April 11, on KBDI, catch the next episode of In Focus, where Eden Lane sat down and chatted with several local filmmakers, including Patrick, at a recent Emerging Filmmakers Project event to talk about their projects and their individual filmmaking processes. Be sure to let us know if you have the opportunity to watch it.

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=116201845059255&ref=ss

Batteries officially recharged!

After months and months of editing (with Jim Brennan doing most of the heavy lifting), we finally see a light at the end of the proverbial tunnel. While there is still much to do, we at least are nearing the completion of our 'picture' cut. It's been very interesting to see how much the story has changed for the better during the editing process. Our primary goal with "Jimmy Said' has always been to make a movie that we considered an artistic success. We're finally starting to think that it might actually happen!

Along with that, the reviews from the screening of the teaser have really re-energized us. The truth is, when you spend so much time looking the same footage over and over, it's easy to lose a little interest in it. Now we're excited to be working on "Jimmy Said" again and working hard to get it out so people can actual go watch the whole movie.

JIMMY SAID Teaser

This past Thursday night was the premiere of the trailer for JIMMY SAID during the Emerging Filmmakers Project at the Bug Theater in Denver. We were proud to have our teaser as part of a diverse lineup of films created by some fantastic local filmmakers.

It was a nice-sized crowd who came out to support an entertaining variety of film projects produced by friends, family and peers. For what I can tell, the JS teaser was well-received and numerous people in attendance expressed being even more excited now to see JIMMY SAID when it is completed.

I loved seeing several of our fantastic cast members and some of the crew who were all so invaluable in production.

Jim and Patrick are making some great headway in the editing suite and we are seeing a a really good picture come to fruition (one of my favorite words).

Principal Photography Completed

Last night filming for Jimmy Said was completed. Although there was rain and some snow in the forecast originally, the skies stayed clear and the past two nights we were able to shoot a number of items which will really enhance the movie we already have. We almost didn't know how to handle ourselves without the rain we were so encumbered with in May.

Patrick, Jim and I really are so grateful to our awesome crew and cast for bringing their dedication and skills to the set of Jimmy Said, making this all possible. There is still much to be done in post so feel free to send me care packages for Jim who will no doubt be spending endless hours in his editing suite and I will see that he gets them! He likes Pepsi and his favorite food is, well,...food.

We will let you know how things are going!

Rain, rain go away, Jimmy Said wants to play!

After our fair share of setbacks, not the least being what has to have been record-setting rainfall, we are proud to announce we are very close to finishing principal photography for JIMMY SAID. Although we still have quite a bit ahead of us in post production, it is really exciting to see all of the various elements of pre-production and filming start to come together in the editing suite.

Although our casting process had taken a bit longer than we had planned, it proved to be beneficial in many ways. We learned quite a bit about what you want from an actor (hint: talent isn’t everything!) and were able to gain a strong sense of finding the right actor for individual roles, a skill that will benefit us in future productions. JIMMY SAID boasts one of the best casts assembled in Colorado independent filmmaking. Not only are they incredibly talented, but also their dedication and professionalism have been invaluable. I might continue sending them emails in the middle of the night, just for ‘old times sake.’ ;-)

Another exhilarating part of this production has been the people behind the scenes who have put forth much-appreciated time and effort even though we are a low-budget production. From Paul Trantow who not only brought his mad photography skills but also became invaluable on set, to Ken Jones and Jake Newsom whose contributions have considerably enhanced the authenticity and quality in the look and feel of our film, to the dedicated crew who withstood many a rainy night and many a claustrophobic day in a tight space, to the city of Louisville (including a variety of residents, businesses, and the fantastic police department), we are incredibly grateful. This by no means is all encompassing, there are countless others to whom we are very thankful and we look forward to seeing you all when we are able to bring JIMMY SAID to the big screen.

In the meantime, check back for updates on the progress of production (we have just about 2-3 more days of shooting remaining) and to keep up on how things go in post. We hope to have a trailer soon that we can screen in various venues including EFP at the Bug.