14 Aug The In Between Blog
So right now, I’m kind of in between projects. It’s a little frustrating. Last year, I just kept on making stuff and was pretty busy almost the whole year. I guess part of the reason I’m in between stuff is that I’ve been working on my reel/website and trying to get a good script ready to shoot on 35mm. In the meantime I’ve been going to shows, meeting bands, researching production companies, and trying to keep the fires stoked.
One thing I’ve been working on is a series of “lost films.” My Dad shot some super 8 in 1978, one of the projects he cut another he didn’t. I remember seeing these in the pantry a few years ago, and when I asked he just said it was something from a community college class he took in the 70’s.
Then a couple months ago, he decided he wanted to make a DVD of one of the films and send it to his actor. The actor was probably 10-12 years old in 1978, so there is a good chance that he now has a kid as old as he was then. My Pops asked me if I could help, of course I said yes. Actually I was pretty thrilled to be working on them. He got the super 8 reels transferred to .avi’s and then mailed me the data dvd. I remember I watched them as soon as it arrived.
I took the edited short and did a few minor fixes. I cleaned up edits & splice bumps, color-timed it, added music. The film had “aged” pretty significantly and had taped splices…so a little bit of work improved the image quality immensely.
Here’s a still from it before / after.
So far, I’d only worked on 1 or the reels, so I started going thru the other ones. Mid-way I realized this was an unfinished film. These were the raw film reels, the “dailies” from a shoot in 1978, that my Dad shot! I was pretty excited. I cut a version of the film, not telling him I was going to do so.
I’ve always been fascinated by the idea of “lost films.” Films that are uncompleted, misplaced, or abandoned be it by chance or circumstance…so getting to finish one is pretty cool…all the more cool that it is something my Dad shot when he was a little younger than me (he would have been 26 in ’78). I posted it on my website and emailed him the link.
After he watched the video we talked about it…midway thru the conversation he mentioned that he had 1 more reel of undeveloped film. And he was pretty sure it was part of this project! That would be great…because right now I don’t really have an ending…
Here’s a still from this project.
While I’m working on this for him, I’m also trying to work with someone on one of my own projects. I think it’s important that I start delegating more tasks to other people. I want to work on more complicated jobs…and more jobs period, and in order to do so, I’m going to need help. So my friend Jeremy is helping me editing “The Real Luke” Season 2. Back when I was home I filmed 3 new episodes….The Real Luke goes mushroom hunting and then ends up hunting and being hunted by something entirely different.
Here’s a still from Episode 201.
Expect those to start dropping in a couple weeks…
-Luke
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