'SNARK' P. J. ENTRY #5 (WEEK NINE)

Doing this weekly is impractical when there's nothing to update. Things are going slower than I'd thought they would be, but that might be for the best as it gives the time to build awareness.

Update time! 

July 3rd the Facebook page launched. As of this writing, we're at 91 Likes. There was a spike with the release of a teaser clip but I'm happy with the progress so far. People have been responding positively to date.

You can check it out at www.facebook.com/SNARKdocumentary

This last weekend, I interviewed another two people bringing the total up to five. Four of whom are reviewers. Some challenges with the first interview in the afternoon, but there was some great stuff when the camera did get rolling.

That's it for today!

'SNARK' P. J. WEEK #4

I've started putting together the IndieGoGo campaign. I expect it go up in the next two weeks. Doing a lot of reading. The biggest thing I need to figure out is the shipping. Shipping will make or break this endeavor. A friend successfully raised funds for a comic, but ended up breaking even on the endeavor because of the shipping. Should talk with him about this, actually...

Anyway...

More photos!

Another discarded poster version. I like how it turned out, but it doesn't say anything.
Getting closer to Adam better gave communicated the feeling I was going for.

I love Sean in this.

A test angle for Petar's interview. Decided against it for practical reasons.
The traffic sound was being amplified to unworkable levels.

 

 That's all for now.

'SNARK' PRODUCTION JOURNAL WEEK #3

This week was spent on conceptualization of the end film. I love this point in a project, where there things start coming together. A documentary of this kind is modular with a near infinite number of ways it could fit together. It can and will be changed dramatically over the course of production depending on the footage; that process can be exhilarating!

But that does process does mean very little to show.

So here's an unused poster variation for the CineMassochist.

I've also started contacted people to be a part of this project. No interest yet, but I'm still at the early stages.

See you next week!

'SNARK' PRODUCTION JOURNAL WEEK #2

And that's a wrap! As of Sunday May 19th, the first phase of Snark is finished.

2ND WEEK TIMELINE
MAY 18th, 2013 - Third day of filming. Filming Adam from YMS. I met Adam at a party. Cool cat. Solid show. Wicked musician.

Severe insomnia going in to today's shooting; maybe 3 hours. I've operated at worse, but I was sluggish all day. Eight hours of filming. The footage I got is solid and the interview itself felt really good, but I know there were missed opportunities. Less b-roll than any other participant.

Not going to think about reshoots until I know for sure I need it.

Easy to forget that at this stage this is a 5 minute project. What I'm doing is the very definition of over-shooting.

Adam offers to do some score work for the project. His stuff is pro. This will happen.

MAY 19th, 2013 - Fourth and to date final day of filming. Petar Gagic from Cine-Masochist is on today's slate.

We started at the room in his house where Cine-Masochist is shot. A bit cramped, and with posters covering every surface. A lot of fun to shoot here. Nearly got stuck in a laundry hamper while backing up to get a shot. Blocked the door with the futon at another point so I had room to get the tripod in the right position.

As a complete side note, I love the problem solving that happens in this style of videomaking; having no tripod for his show, Petar balances his camera on top of a stack consisting of a yogurt container, two speakers and a chair. His camera is restricted to 9 minutes of recording at a time. I love hearing these kind of stories because they highlight the ingenuity and the sheer filmmaker chutzpa work to just make it work with whatever's available.

After this, we move to the area where the Cine-Masochist intro was shot. A bit loud with the traffic, but workable. Petar is a natural on screen and the interview ends up being the shortest of the three.

As a thank you, I took photos of his friend's band 'Just Off The Grid'.

A background in graphic design, I asked Petar to have a go at taking a couple photos from the shoot so far and turn them into proper posters.

MAY 20th, 2013 - Petar sent me the preliminary poster layout for this first phase of filming. Minor changes made.

I have 3 hours of interview footage and close to 200 b-roll shots.

I'm aiming to get a trailer out for this by the end of the month. This should be fun.
MAY 21st, 2013 - And the finalized versions of the poster layouts. I like them. They act both as promotion for the doc and of each individual show. Remove the name of the show and any one could act as a stand alone poster.

This project is starting to feel legitimate to me.

'SNARK' PRODUCTION JOURNAL WEEK #1

I've started making a documentary project about the internet reviewing community. How ambitious it's going to end up being or the shape of it I don't really know at this stage, but it's coming together well. The progress has been good enough to do some chronicling of it.

Snark will explore the what, the who, and the why of internet reviewing.

The first phase is interviewing and talking to local reviewers. That's what I'm doing right now.

1ST WEEK TIMELINE
MAY 9, 2013 - First day of filming. Local metal reviewer Happy Viking is first up.

Driving estimated to take an hour. Traffic makes it 90 minutes. It means I'm late. Sean is gracious about it. Has provided pizza and diet coke. Impeccable host.

Relaxed shoot from 5:30pm through 10pm. While light cools, talked about some of the problems in the community as well as potential solutions. Theoretical, of course, but it spurs me on to the next article idea...

Capture footage when I get home. Dust spot on all footage shot with one of the lenses. Fuck.

MAY 11, 2013 - Hear the song 'Bottomfeeder' by Amanda Palmer. Resonates so perfectly with the project that I contact her management about getting use of the song. Cut a 90 second promo piece to the song to help sway opinion.

E-mail takes me 6 hours to write.

Long and kind of rambling, but admittedly the process of writing it helps me articulate what this project is.

MAY 14, 2013 - Response back from manager about the song.

He wants clarification about the project. It only takes me an hour to write this one.

MAY 15, 2013 - Second day of filming with Happy Viking. Concentrate on b-roll. It's impressive just how much this style sucks up that kind of coverage; I always under estimate how much I need to shoot.

Two hours in traffic this time. Shoot from 6pm to 12am. No dust on lenses this time. Also shoot some stills this time. Most don't really work, but a concept Sean came up with is just so evocative of this project and his online identity that I'm seriously considering a series of posters.

Hear back from Palmer's manager. Song is under Creative Commons license for non-commercial work. Feel a bit silly for the 6 hour email, but it means I can use the song.


So yeah, that's it from me for now. Stay tuned for more updates and spread the word!