Brothers day - last push

So as those that follow us in Twitter probably know already, Brothers day is nearly finished now. As ever, we depend on the time people can dedicate us in between paid projects, so we cannot give a date yet, but we hope we'll be able to show the film in some way this year.

Making a film is a lot of work on a lot of different fronts, here's a brief summary of the progress at the moment:

Done since the last update:
- Edit: we locked the edit soon after that. Done and dusted, yes!
- Digital corrections: reframing some shots, stabilizing others, duplicating extras (what!? :), making day into night and a bit of everything else. The magic and time-consuming joys of digital post-production. It took a lot of work, but sure makes the film a lot better.
- Music tracks: such as this recently released track. Remi has now finished the last one of his many contributions to the film. Well done, Remi!
- Titles: we have a fantastic design, can't wait for you guys to see them. We also have a cool poster matching the titles that we'll be sharing publicly shortly.

Working on now:
- Grading: I've been working hard with Luca, the DOP on making the film look as cool as possible. Here's the proof:

- Sound post: Foley, atmospheres and the rest of sound design (those sounds that have to be created or improved) are well under way thanks to the wonderful guys at SSR. So is dialogue editing (making them sound as good as possible!).

- Additional score: all the incidental music for all the other parts of the film that need it.

Left to do:
- ADR: we have some ADR to schedule. This is those bits of sounds that have to be re-recorded because -for whatever reason- they weren't clear enough.
- Final mix (putting all the sounds, music and dialogues together!)

So that's it for now, you know exactly where we are now. You can follow the more frequent updates in Twitter and Facebook, if you so wish!

Where should I put the camera? I'll decide in Post!

The next amazing technology leap in film-making is upon us: placing our cameras in Post-production, or at least being able to tweak its position. Great option to have, although -as usual in these cases- also means more potential fiddling time in front of the computer.

And it looks incredibly cool too, like a 3D application or a game. Only, it's real. Too exciting.



It's obviously not going to happen tomorrow, especially for indie film, but how amazing it is that it is now being used at all!?

Remote touch. A step closer.

Imagine having a skype call. Only, you can now shake hands with the person at the other end of the word after your interview. Or pinch your friend back in your native country. Kiss your girlfriend when she is away. I have always thought that would change relationships in a way we can't possibly understand right now, plus it would make distances effectively disappear. Simply too large a thought to handle.

Well, we're not quite there. Yet, with MIT now having reached this stage, we are now a step closer. Watch and marvel.

Looking forward to the next step. So exciting to be living all this technology!

Surviving Alba promo!

These last few months, we've been busy building a set for our 'Surviving Alba' promotional teaser. Finally, we got to film some amazing-looking footage last week, through a very long yet exciting weekend. Thanks so much to cast and crew for such a fantastic work!!!

Building stuff

Busy times! And another interesting day today transforming industrial waste into sci-fi epicness.

Nothing else to say right now, except the madness is linked to our next feature. More info to come...

2011 balance

I thought it was time to recap on what went on over the year 2011 in terms of films and other -video or otherwise- exciting projects. Yes, there's a few days left to the end of the year, but I intend not to do much until Christmas, to be honest.

In January and February, I pretty much worked on Brothers day, my first feature film as a director, 24 7. Getting the cast, securing the locations, re-working the script, preparing the shots. Constantly buzzing production office. I slept once too. Great times.

In March, while I was still filming Brothers day, I did the first and last videoblog of the project, for the only reason that I was waiting for the actors and had nothing better to do. I did some VFX work for an American promo with a great pitch. And a time traveller.

In May, I went to the Cannes film festival. Walked around a lot, went to a few parties, watched a few films and saw Hugh Jackman in sunglasses. Got a new phone unsuitable for dirty fingers.

In June, I did a few more shots of Brothers day and I saw myself in the trailer for Captain America, featuring my first ever blockbuster extra role.

In July, I finally and officially wrapped Brothers day, to the surprise of everyone, especially me. Captain america was released. Enjoyed it and I THINK I MAY HAVE SEEN myself. My mother claimed to have seen me more times than I was ever there. Google released Google+ and I got absurdly excited about it. I'm feeling better now.

In August, I watched Rise of the planet of the apes. Got excited again. Longest title and best film I have seen this year in the cinema to date.

In September, I loved my new phone. And immediately started to hate it after that. Filmed some incredible bluescreen.

In October, I filmed in a warehouse and nearly got run over by a forklift, which was mildly entertaining. Filmed some stuff in the woods too.

In November, I forgot I had shown my short film Reaction to practically no one and shared it with the world. Calachurras reached its most exciting issue so far and we tried to explain a few things with a cute annex. As a reward, we finally got a fan we don't know personally. Win.

In December, decorated dozens of Christmas trees in a fake NYC and was involved in a attempt to burn down a hotel. Never toast bread if you are not completely awake.

More stuff this year ends with:  

Newfound Planet, our very own production company, is now born and the next feature film project is on the making, a very exciting Sci-fi. Which is like a Science fiction film, but with less letters. Possible the most amazing news this year.

Calachurras has reached the middle of its story, and still most people haven't got a clue what we mean.

After months of on and off work. The Brothers day trailer is nearly ready to go out. This obviously mean it will be the greatest trailer of all times. Either that or simply the most slowly done one.

Look forward to 2012.

The latest joys of technology

Last month I scheduled a text that I needed sent earlier than I was gonna wake up. I uploaded a comic book onto "the cloud" so that I could read it on my mobile on the bus. Sent an online album with pictures of the summer to the family (pics that I had been automatically uploaded from my phone minutes after I took them). And I created a series of formulas on a spreadsheet that now allow my brother and me to manage our work on Calachurras more efficiently. Also, as usual, my texts were regularly backed up onto the internet automatically.

Almost as amazingly, I was able to find the below drawing -picturing a donkey showing surprise quite convincingly- in nearly no time.

Oh, and through an interesting phone app, I can now know where the ISS is at any time. Probably not as useful as to know where that damn satellite is going to fall, but still good to me :)

It's exciting to be living this age of technology.

Google+: The opportunity

Google+, for those who haven't had the chance to give it a try yet, is Google's alternative to Facebook.

Yes, it does look like Facebook, which on the internet seems to have become ammunition to criticize G+.

Personally, doesn't bother me. People are familiar with that visual way of receiving and creating information. Also, the changes that social media needs are fundamentally conceptual, not visual. And most importantly, it's Google, so as with everything else they create, there will soon be a way of personalize it to your liking.

And that's the key to what Google+ means. Its power is not in what it is now, but in what it can become.

Part of the privacy issue on social networks, only us ourselves can solve it. Whether we like it or not, communications happen increasingly online, and we are still trying to keep up with the system! To build a new platform to do that on, I for one think there's no one better than Google.

Unlike Facebook creators, Google listens to users. They actually have an ongoing list of pending changes on their official feedback platform Google moderator. Where, incidentally, you too can go and draw attention to something that you think is not working particularly well on any Google product. Here is the one for Google+.

Also unlike Facebook, Google cares about privacy. And already has in place some basic tools towards this end that I'm sure won't be the only ones.

So live it, contribute to the moderator. Let's create the social experience as WE want it. As it should have always been, with control over what we do.

What's been happening

So I thought I'd take the time to give a bit of an update on what I've been doing in the last few months (that feel like years!!).

End of last year, I was lucky enough to have a job as an extra (background artist :) in the Captain America movie (!!!!!!). If you want to try and see me :P (I'm one of the blurry dockers in the background) I'm in the official trailer, min 1:36 :) Although it may sound very unimpressive to some, for me it was an incredible experience that felt much too-short, and it leaves me out of breath simply to talk about it. Only Google :) can be more exciting than working in a Hollywood movie + seeing one of the characters I've been reading comics about all my life (Captain America in this case) in the flesh + getting paid for it. Incredible.

Then somehow I ended up directing my first feature film, a drama set in Manchester titled BROTHERS DAY. I'd like to blame my insistence in getting in as much trouble as possible for it, but maybe it was just sheer luck. In any case, it was a lot of fun and hard work. Luckily a strong cast and crew came together in the end and we managed to both pull it off and live through the experience! I did have to put other projects on hold, but it was all worth it. I especially enjoyed working on a feature script which wasn't my own, and working with 2 fantastic writers to make the necessary changes to the story to be able to film it with the given constraints. I just finished filming it, still need to edit it all together and such, but the footage is all in the can (well, all but a couple of days). Sadly, there is very little I can show -well, other than pictures of the shoots-, but I'm working on a trailer and I can't wait to show everybody once it's finished! :)

As if it wasn't enough, I got involved in a movie-to-be called TRAVELER ZERO, a time-travel story... based on real events! :) I only got to do some visual effects and grading for it, but it was particularly thrilling to me because the project is America-based. It's currently been pitched in L.A. to producers with important-sounding names :) and hopefully the whole movie will get to be filmed. You can see the full short film promo below.

At the comic-book side of things, my brother and I have recently re-launched the webseries CALACHURRAS. We are excited to get back to work on this after a bit of a break to give the whole thing all the color that rightfully deserved, and can't wait for you people to read the whole story and tell us what you think.

Last but hardly least, I also went to CANNES this year, for the first time. Cannes is not only a film festival, but a way of seeing the film industry from a more practical angle, and an opportunity to meet a lot of like-minded people and move projects forward. It was a fantastic and necessary experience that I recommend to all my filmmaking friends. It is both fun and a lot of work, and absolutely worth it.

And this is all for now in what's been the most exciting months of my life. A lot of exciting things seems to be happening in the near future too, but I shall talk about them in some other post.

Thanks for reading!

Deadtime full trailer

Again, I am delighted to bring some news on Deadtime, the slasher horror feature film I worked in last year as a Production Manager. Along with a bunch of wonderful -if a little crazy- people.

The complete TRAILER -nearly four minutes of footage packed with love, kindness and feel-good music*- was released last Sunday. And there has been much rejoicing since among the people involved in it. Which of course doesn't mean much, since we can't help being kind of biased.

But then something else happened: people with no involvement in the project whatsoever started saying that it did look good, and actually texted/called/sent carrier pigeons to say so. In short, I couldn't be happier about it and really do hope YOU like it too and feel somehow compelled to go watch it when it hits the theatres! (next year, in principle).

Website here. And an up-to-date full picture of what is happening with it in its Facebook home.

* Very little love in it, actually, but loads of heads "rock'n' roll"-ing, which in a way is much better! (don't let your children see it until they can grow a moustache though, or they may hate you for the rest of your life).

Eskimo Effect is here!

For several thousand years now, my brother and myself have been meaning to get our web ready.

Excuses such as "Forget it, the current technology is not advanced enough" or "NO, that is not the perfect blue either!" would come one after the other endlessly until one day, for no apparent reason, there it was. Bizarre.

You can see the result here. Or HERE, if you hate lower case.

If you like it, rejoice silently/scream it to the world. Check out the films and the comics, play with the little eskimo (not in a bad way). If bored, visit every now and then too, we will be publishing new online comics every month, except those months in which we don't. Needless to say, it is also your chance to learn about eskimos: those fantastic, not quite human, nearly legendary creatures.

If you do not like it, don't panic. Just move on to something else that makes you happy.

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Weirdo.

Lately

These days, I feel like I'm closer to find my long-sought place in the universe.

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That's it. That's the best line I have. The rest of the entry is pretty much padding.




Either that or I'm getting seriously affected by my lack of sleep. Seriously, it's all too exciting these days.


Months ago I decided I wanted to get in as much production trouble as I could possibly find, after quite a while off it. This irrational, inexplicable initiative has somehow taken me to be working hard on a couple of two independent feature films now. One of them, we start shooting in just a few days for about 2 weeks So you if you have been wondering what the $·%"& is going on with The Entity!! , you can blame Deadtime (in a nice way though, don't be mean) for generating so much work.

Needless to say, this leaves me very little time to keep up with all the necessary research needed for the feature film script I feel like I've been working on forever now. And of course for...


The Entity!! (yes, again!). Despite everything, I managed to apply for some funding recently. If the project got through the selection process, it would be a great opportunity to get the short film made earlier than I thought next year. If not...well, tough.

Also, I want to thank everybody for bringing more and more people to the Facebook group and spread the word (I'm glad that someone is doing something about the project, shame on me). Especially considering how increasingly hard it is to find your way around in Facebook these days. In any case, the community of fans of The Entity!! keeps growing (307 members now!), which in turn brings hope for the future of humankind. All the names of those who have invited other people or thrown some help at the project are being added to the "Collaborate" section of the website, and of course will be given a credit in the end roll of the film. They will also be loved immensely everywhere they go, for their hearts are pure.


So all good, apart from my lack of sleep, which makes me "go funny" and is meant to get even worse over the next few days.

Oh, and I'm thinking of kidnapping a celebrity. But that's not sure yet, will keep you posted.