Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Episode 4 Pre-production Day 1

Day 1... and our only day to find, purchase, and build all the props needed for Episode 4. Episode 3's snow days (snow week?) had us running $400 in the red with the extra shooting days filled up with permits and gasoline so two past producers stepped up and funded all the props; our amazing thanks to Rebecca and Anne. Episode 4 pushes the envelope like never before with back to back original music, an elaborate, fully choreographed dance routine, and a new split screen technique that'll rock your socks :)

Speaking of our hectic all-day prop hunt, there was a wonderful high point. We stopped by and met with Kara Morkert, the co-owner of the Gallery School of Music and Dance and one of our two Episode 4 choreographers with her sister, Erin Brinkerhoff. Kara took time out of her incredibly busy schedule (seriously, I didn't know anyone else as busy as I am until I met Kara and Erin) to introduce us to our remarkable teen dancers -- MacKenzie Boom, Anika M. Crosta, Aundrea McKinsey and Karin Pittman. All four dancers got to meet Faith, who was very shy that day, and were all above and beyond kind and gentle with her, setting her at ease instantly. Kara and Erin chose well and I had that to be so thankful for as well.

Monday, January 30, 2012

Episode 4 Shooting Day 1

The show goes on and we hit Episode 4 at top speed, our first episode with a full troupe of dancers and a lot of super fun surprises. Just a week after our open call audition we welcome the first of our new actors to our digital HD stage; the "Ghost Sniffers" team welcomes the naturally talented Kristie Gronberg as... oops! That's a surprise! But you will absolutely love Kristie and the twist she brings to the show.

We actually shot with Kristie today and another friend who wasn't quite brand new to our production. Remember Episode 1 when Maxo randomly turned into a beautiful dog? Vida returns... this time with speaking lines ;)

We secured four pages of the 40 page script which I was very pleased with. Now let's do better!

Sunday, January 29, 2012

Episode 3 Shooting Day 10: The Final Day

One hundred shots. No exaggeration. No boasting. Just the truth. And what a wonderful truth that is. Episode 3 is finally a wrap -- or as we say on the "Ghost Sniffers" team: The shots for Episode 3 are secured.

Today finished Episode 3 after all its freezing weather, rain storms, insane wind and sleet. After the hikes in, the hikes around, the hikes out. After the four hours of travel round trip. After twice the length of an average shoot -- what seems like a lifetime spent shooting Episode 3.

We had 99 shots scheduled for today. One of them had to be cancelled when the bloody hand print prop stuck to a plaster wall and crumbled into an unusable mass. Then two more shots were added to the script to tie sequences together that we decided to shoot at different locations for variety, better natural lighting, and shelter of the wind :) Wait, actually, the final count was 102 shots because we (opportunistically) took two extra shots for Episode 12 (yep, we schedule that far ahead!).

There were five hours shooting in total. And today? Eighty percent of the shots were captured in a single take. When you all see Episode 3, pay close attention to Sergeant Adalwulf -- David S. Hogan did the vast majority of his shots with one take; Faith and Brianne must have picked up his mojo because they were better than ever. As a matter of fact, we all nicknamed David our good luck charm -- even when the sky opened up with a persistent drizzle in the last thirty minutes. The script pages wound up wet and limp fabric sheets, highlighter marks bleeding like watercolors across the lines of black text. It was kinda beautiful, really.

Or maybe, watching my family stand out there (David is my brother-in-law), on that old gun battery overlooking the slate blue waves, delivering the last lines that I wrote, acting out the last scene which is funny and touching all rolled into one, maybe that's what was truly beautiful. Yeah, we're just a little homegrown production, but geez to we have our hearts in it.

It Just Seems Right

Kristie G., one of the new teen actors cast for Season 1, mentioned she'd watched our first two episodes at least five times each. Then she added gently: "I'm just surprised more people aren't watching!"

Well, to be honest, I'm not surprised; though I understand the compliment inherent in Kristie's comment. I think we have a heart and I think every episode is getting better. I think we're witty and real and honest and, yeah, funny, too. But here's the problem: I make stuff. I write novels and scripts. I paint. I carve harps. I craft operating systems for games. But I don't chase fame very well and I chase money with even less success.

"Ghost Sniffers" is funded for two more weeks thanks to an exhaustive and exhausting KickStarter campaign. That's it. Do I drop everything and... what? We've tried a bank loan and we don't own credit cards. When talking to actors and owners of locations, one of the first things I hear (and the first thing all four banks said) is: What have you done so far?

In other words, show me the episodes.

Am I hopeful? Yes. Every episode (even huge sprawling ones) costs only $2000. The cast and crew work for free. The money goes for gas, permits, props, equipment and rentals, sack lunches, some costumes, stock footage, etc. We've raised the money three and a half times so far and I have faith (pun intended) that we can do it again.

Right now, this very instant, on the front page of our website is a fund raising widget. I skip a latte and donate to the campaign myself. Actually, I can't remember the last time I bought a latte because it gives me more of a rush to donate those $3 to "Ghost Sniffers." Go ahead. Click over the website (www.ghostsniffers.com) and click the D button on the widget on the left hand side. It will show you who has donated so far. That 'Jennifer' listed is me :)

Of course, donating to the show can also get folks cool rewards (www.ghostsniffers.com/rewards.htm) but I just want to keep doing it for my kids... and for all the kids cast in Season 1, all the kids watching the show... and maybe even more for all the kids not watching yet because they haven't found us.

Here's a toast to miracles. To my little Forge and Maxo and all their friends that are about to join them. Instead of lifting a latte to toast with you, I'm going go donate through the campaign widget again. Because... it just seems right.

Episode 3 Shooting Day 9

Sixty-eight beautiful shots in three hours. Cast and crew (two actors, one puppeteer, one grip and me) hiked thirty minutes in up hill then another thirty flat and down to reach our four locations. The part I loved the most wasn't the absence of rain or snow or 20 degree weather (though all those things were blessings) but rather the way the team is really gelling. Everyone is starting to offer ideas for shots; everyone understands the need to hustle to use our light; everyone tries to help with the continuity of props and costumes. It's only episode three but we're really getting our sea legs. It's a nice feeling. Better than nice actually; it's a dream come true.

Saturday, January 28, 2012

Episode 3 Shooting Day 8

The snow really threw an icy monkey wrench into Episode 3 but we're recovering nicely. Today was Day 8 of what will be ten full days of shooting; we normally shoot an episode in half that time. Today involved thirty shots with only a handful outside and the rest located at the Sk8Town roller rink in Port Orchard. The amazing owner, Debbie, allowed "Ghost Sniffers" shoot a scene in the incredible Sk8Town facility before it opened to the public today -- imagine the vast staking rink all empty and the arcade and glow-in-the-dark air hockey table just beckoning to little Forge. It was an awesome experience. We were in and out in under an hour and Sk8Town will get amazing exposure both in the middle of Episode 3 and in the credits at the end. What a blessing for a "no budget" production like us that's just trying so hard to do a better and better show for all kiddos!

Well, it's 1:30 in the morning and I'm just putting the final touches on the shooting schedule for Season 1 (which had to be so dramatically adjusted because of the snow) then I'll send call sheets and contracts to all our new actors. Whew! And to think... we start shooting Episode 4 (FOUR! Wow!) on Monday morning.

I love my job.

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Shortest. Blog. Ever.

Episode 4 script is done. Best script yet.

Written in 48 hours.

That's the way it's done ;)

Words, Words, Words

Today was a talking, typing and writing day.

Cris spent the day juggling phone calls from the Gallery of Dance, the academy where we found our troupe of Skeleton Dancers; the amazing owner, Debbie, at the Sk8Park who is allowing us to come shoot for an entire hour before she opens, and the two actors we're still trying to schedule who the snow so horribly derailed. I'm not sure I ever heard the phone ring or dial because she seemed to be clicking from line to line without any breaks!

Brianne was the one typing today and a ton of it. Taking careful notations of every one of the 49 minutes in the final cut of Episode 2 -- which is now up on the website (www.ghostsniffers.com) and on YouTube. Brianne made several passes of the episode, nipping, tucking, and tweaking and we hope that everyone will be as happy with the improvement as we are. Our goal? Get better with every episode. I think we're on track so far.

I was the one writing. Yes, even with Episode 3 still shooting, I can't hold up the entire Season 1 schedule. So today I started writing Episode 4, "Skin & Bones," and guess what? It's now 7:30am and I'm half way done... and *really* pleased with the results. I began laying in all the music and sound cues as I went but it was slowly me down too much so I'll take another pass when the script is done and do that. After a very music-heavy Episode 3, I may go lighter with music in Episode 4 just to see if I like it.

Contracts will go out to the newly cast actors at the end of this week and that should be exciting to see head shots come in and go up on the website in the Actors Gallery. Our last days of shooting Episode 3 are Friday, Saturday and Sunday, with the weekend days being the long four hour drives. I usually don't like us to "work" on Sunday, even though the whole family is there and no one is being paid, but the snow just made a shambles of the schedule. The nice thing is, we're together. And isn't that the best part of "Ghost Sniffers"?

Oh. Look at that. The sky is growing lighter. Birds started singing while it was still inky black outside the windows. Maybe they were calling directions to the sun?

Jennifer

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Open Auditions Are Now... Closed :)

Our first open auditions. We did them our way. I spoke to everyone. I had more conversations than sides. No appointment times. Humor. Kindness. We cast everyone needed for Season 1. No one waited for more than an hour and much of that was talking about the show together and asking questions; most actors waited only ten minutes. Huge variety and range of actors. I honestly couldn't have asked for anything more.

Oh wait. I could. I could ask for more sleep :}

It is now 6:51am. I am finally done writing back to all the actors who auditioned and giving them my final decisions. Some got the role they auditioned for. Some got two roles they didn't audition for. Others had roles written for them. Several were asked to please audition for Season 2. And a few were gently told they weren't a good fit for a project like "Ghost Sniffers" that requires everyone to share the spotlight, even -- as the series progresses -- little Forge :)

I'm very proud of my choice to contact everyone tonight. I don't think, especially kiddos or teens, should have to wake up and go to school still wondering whether or not they got a role. That seems mean spirited. And those aren't the kinds of spirits we work with on "Ghost Sniffers."

Auditions? Success! Sleep? Epic Fail.

I remember my little sister (who has been a professional actor almost since she was born) waiting to hear the results of auditions. The idea that, in theatre and film, if you *don't* get the role, the casting director simply won't call you has always seemed callus, harsh and just rude. And today (or is it still yesterday?), I still feel that way. Even after seven hours on my feet and six thousand words written (so far!) in responses to actors, and it being 4am -- well over 24 hours since I've slept.

I would love to tell all of you that I am simply this dedicated to "Ghost Sniffers." And, I suppose, looking back over these blogs, I am this dedicated -- as this isn't the first time (nor will it be the last) that I've sacrificed sleep for the sniff. But tonight this is more about my sister. Because just because she's taller than me now (she was always skinnier and prettier but the taller took some time!) she will always be my little sister, my only sister, and I *hated* watching her wait for a yes... or not hearing any thing for a no.

Twenty-nine actors came and auditioned for Season 1 of "Ghost Sniffers." Fifteen of them were also singers and they sang a range of songs from Joni Mitchell to "Popular" from Wicked. The roles of Bianca and Eve were incredibly popular with fierce competition but almost every role had multiple actors vying for the spot. Every hour or so, I gave this speech:

"Thank you for coming out to audition for 'Ghost Sniffers.' Everyone will hear from me personally before midnight tonight -- yes or no. And I'll tell you why either way. A little about us: We're a comedy and a drama all squished into one. We post on the web for free, then on DVD, and will be in theaters in March then every three months after that. Our show is inclusive. The show's secret little heart is that, just like if someone loses their hearing, their sight gets better to compensate, these kiddos with medical conditions like Type 1 or autism, maybe those conditions snap on something inside them, giving them a super power like morphing into animals or being able to sniff out ghosts. We work with SAG actors with forty years of acting experience. We work with people who have never acted before 'Ghost Sniffers.' You'll work with actors who play characters with conditions they might have in real life. There is no staring on my set. They is no whispering, pointing or laughing. You will be treated with utmost respect by all the other actors -- no matter their age or experience level. There are only three things you can do right now that will guarantee I won't cast you: Be mean. Be arrogant. Be a diva. If you can't hit a note, or don't know your lines, I can work with you. If you think bullying and teasing and pointing and laughing at someone are okay, even a little bit, then I can't work with you. If you seem to think that I owe you something because you have a big resume, I can't work with you. I work with people. Not resumes. For your audition, you'll step behind the blue curtain and we'll have a conversation. Pretty much that's it. There are some sides for you to read, but mostly, I just want to talk to you about yourself, your character choices, and why you're here today."

And, as a result of honesty -- from all of the "Ghost Sniffers" team and from all of the actors -- we had an amazing day. Every role in Season 1 is cast and I wound up creating four roles specifically for actors who auditioned and inspired me. But guess what?

Do you remember when I said it was 4am? It's now 4:30am and I'm still contacting actors. I sent everything a very quick message just before midnight. I was still reviewing the audition recordings after we'd lost power (wind and rain have replaced the snow) off and on over the evening. But I promised everyone the same thing (just slightly altered). I will not sleep until everyone has an answer. And that's a promise I can keep.

Jennifer

Monday, January 23, 2012

Ken Kills Camera: News at 11:00

The morning started out overcast but turned beautiful about 9am. The clouds broke up and robin egg blue sky lay behind them. What a promise for the new week!

Off Cris, Faith and I went while Maxwell and Brianne held down the fort, so to speak. Though there were only we three humans in the car, there was a total of five actors -- Faith, Ken, GI Red, GI Green, and GI Harvey. Plus their black and gold repurposed Jeep. And an assortment of accessories.

The staging of a scene in the great out-of-doors that involves a scooter, a Barbie VW, a repurposed Barbie Jeep, a nine-year-old, three GI Joes and a Ken doll seems like it would be as easy as pie. But that was until the moment that Ken took a fateful six foot tumble... right onto my wide angle lens. I've never been much a fan or Ken, personally, and I find the new style Ken dolls with their real hair flowing all over the place somewhat disconcerting. But, as a director, I sometimes have to work with people I find disconcerting... okay, I've never had to do that until Ken, but you get the idea ;)

Over all, it was a successful day with all 19 shots in the scene secured. Then we jetted over to my parents' house for quick hugs and thanks so we could pick up the wonderful yellow foam core and laminated copies of the "Ghost Sniffers" article by Erin Jennings that ran in the Kitsap Weekly Arts & Entertainment section. Faith has been prancing around singing, "Forgey is in the neeeewwwssspaper!"

Gracious, I love that kiddo!

Jennifer

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Episode 3 Shooting Day 7

Help us continue. $2000 per episode is all we ever need. Skip a latte... support a ghost *hug*

Zachary and Lizzie joined us five crazy DiMarcos for the long drive out to the wilds of the coast for a day of shooting. There was a wild burst of snow about half way through the two hour drive but then nothing at all... hm. Well... there was no *snow* ;)

I know that some directors push their actors. I know they push their actors whether they're children, teens, or adults. They want the best performance. They want the best shot. They want the emotion *real.*

Well, I want the emotions *real,* too. I want my children, and every single adult actor I work with -- friend, family member, professional, first-timer -- to *really* enjoy creating "Ghost Sniffers." I don't want anyone to "sacrifice for art." I don't need anyone to cry, sweat, or bleed for me or for this cause. I want to encourage, empower, and delight. I want to have something that fills my days while it fills my heart. I want others to walk away with that burning in their chest and keeping them warm through the 30 degree days.

So far, I have had the honor to work with Faith, Maxwell, Brianne and Cris, of course. But now, also William, Christopher, Zachary and Lizzie. William and Christopher have written since their shooting day to share how much "Ghost Sniffers" meant and means to them. How much Faith touched them. And working with both these amazing professionals was an experience I will never forget because their absolute responsiveness and complete focus and dedication.

Today, working with Zachary and Lizzie was the flip side of the coin, in some ways. Zachary and Lizzie don't hold SAG cards. They hold "friend" cards :) But they both braved wind that (literally) almost blew me off a roof and rain that soaked all of us in five minutes. They both hiked in. Then hiked out. Then hiked back again for one piece of forgotten equipment. They waited hours of incidental shooting for one line each, an action, and a close up. They drove four hours. They played press up. They stayed calm and gentle and caring even when we had to call the day short because the cold had rendered Faith's blood sugar meter useless. We cannot shoot if I cannot get a glucose check on my daughter and the rain and cold overwhelmed the little meter that helps me, that *allows* me to keep her with me, healthy and strong.

When I stop and think about it, getting the perfect shot isn't even on my radar compared to the smile on Lizzie's face as she tried to cheer Faith up, or the easy camaraderie between Zachary and I as we hightailed it back for that wayward prop pole that I just couldn't live without :) When I stop and think about it, the perfect shot isn't even on my list. The *story* is on my list -- telling the perfect story -- but that only comes after creating the perfect day -- for my daughter, my son, my family and friends... and that ever-widening circle of friends as I work with professional actors who still remember to put fun and feelings first.

Saturday, January 21, 2012

Episode 3 Shooting Day 6

I promised I'd have big news to share today but, as it turns out, I have some funny stories and *two* pieces of *great* news. Let's jump right in!

OUR NEW CAMPAIGN IS EVEN BETTER. We've launched our new campaign for Episode 5. The awesome part is, we're not going to work through any type of fund-raising website -- we're going to do it all ourselves. Pop over to our website and you'll see, on the left hand side, a widget with a rainbow frame. Everything is right there -- safe, easy, secure and instant. There's no waiting; donations literally appear instantly and we keep shooting, editing, writing. And, maybe even better, is there are still rewards (which you get faster!) -- and new rewards at that :) Of course, we're funded all the way through Episode 3 and more than half way through Episode 4, so we have time... until February 15th! Yikes! That's right, even with snow, we're moving at the speed of lightning to make "Ghost Sniffers" a steady, fabulous success.

SHOOTING RESUMED TODAY. Yes! Not shooting that works around the snow. Not inside shooting with snowy windows covered. Real. Honest. Shooting! We secured 25 shots of freeway and travel footage and organized two of our actors who have yet to finish their scenes for even more shooting (actually our biggest day yet) tomorrow. We're so thrilled to be moving toward completion so we can throw ourselves into the editing process. Yes, the episode will still post a week later, but we'll have more time in the editing room.

That second piece of great news leads into our first funny story:

While shooting on the freeway today, Cris drove while I shot out the passenger side window. Brianne and Faith rode in the other lane and posed appropriately (and, of course, safely) while I filmed. At one point, we apparently won't traveling at speed (read: over the limit) that the gentleman behind us wanted us to travel at. Cris quickly sped up and changed lanes out of his way. He decided to motion very animatedly and give her a piece of his mind which ended with, "What are you doing?" Her instant response was, "Shooting a film for kids, you !@#$%!" Since there were no children in the car with us or within hearing range so I admit I laughed. Very hard. All the way home.

And rolling right into the second story... To celebrate our first full day back to shooting, Brianne baked cookies. When they all strangely burned and stuck to the pan, she sighed and shrugged. "I have the cookie curse," she admitted in complete seriousness. Later, Faith took me aside and whispered, "Brianne usually makes really good cookies. Is there any way to break this curse?" I may have popped a button either from laughing again so hard or because I love to eat overdone cookies.

Tomorrow we'll shoot with Zach and Lizzie Green and I'll get their head shots so we can add them to our Actors Gallery. Many of you already know Zach and Lizzie's voice work -- Zach was the Recorder Ghost in Episode 1 and Lizzie was the GPS Guru :)

Friday, January 20, 2012

Extra! Extra!

With all this snow there comes time to think. Hmm... what shall we think about? New characters? Sure! New ways to promote and support the show? Yep! New genres to expand "Ghost Sniffers" into? Of course! But also we had the time to make small (and not so small) tweaks to the website to make it more user friendly and easier for you to get the information you need, how and when you need it :)

Changes We're Proud Of:

Right at the top of the official website, you can now share about us on your Facebook or Like us (if you like). You can subscribe to our Tweets. You can subscribe to our YouTube channel. You can even subscribe to this blog and have every new entry sent directly to your email.

We also added a cute, teeny, tiny little favicon -- you know, that icon that shows on the various tabs and in front of the URL when you visit a website? (Like the orange, stylized B when you're on a Blogger page.) Our favicon for "Ghost Sniffers" is a rainbow SNIFF! (We like using rainbow colors for Forge because every episode has a color theme that shows in her clothes and in many of her props.)

Perhaps the biggest change though... we'll announce tomorrow ;)

Episode 3 Production Day 2

The rain has come! I've always loved rain -- cold rain, warm rain, hard or soft falling rain -- but this rain means the snow is melting in huge planes, sliding off the trees and roofs. Yes, the roads are a slushy mesh, and yes, we're stuck on the property in terms of shooting, but this is an amazing step forward. We shall prevail!

For Day 2 of production on Episode 3, I'll be reviewing the two hours (wow!) of music submitted by independent musicians for the episode -- yikes! So much of it is very, very good just not quite right for "Grandmother's House" so we'll keep it on file. The reason we considered other musicians for Episode 3 (instead of having Cris, once more, compose everything) is because Cris has to shift her focus to Episode 4 to compose the lengthy and detailed original dance music needed for that pivotal episode. The nice twist of fate is that the snow will push back air dates and so Cris can still do some of the composing for Episode 3. This makes me feel a little more settled since, obviously, Cris is right here snowed in with me so I can ask for a very specific atmosphere for a piece of music and she can tweak it until it's just right.

Back to the music I go! Later today, I have some news to share about some changes at the website :) Ooo, a double blog day :)

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Episode 3 Production Day 1

The storm has won. Well, we're not waving a white flag, but we were truly snowed onto the property today with now plowed roads in sight and the ruler stuck in the snow showing a foot of accumulation. So, instead of shooting, today we recorded 137 voice over lines! LOL! A little out of order (since we normally finish all shooting before production days begin) but making the most of every moment.

If you're familiar with "Ghost Sniffers," you know how much I love voice overs (or over voices, depending on what I feel like calling them that day). I suppose this comes from the fact that my first love (and my first medium) was the novel, then theatre -- both before film. I *know* that film is all about the visual, the image, the action. *shrug* But I like the *words.* And so, voice overs get high billing.

I did have to break down and contact our actors waiting to shoot their roles for Episode 3. There's simply no way we can all safely get to our locations with this weather. I'm trying to push shooting the final day with the actors (the actors who live outside the house, that is) to Sunday the 28th because Sunday is usually the only day people have free. We have two more days shooting with Faith and Brianne, but they're mine weekdays, too :) We'll get those days done as soon as the snow isn't over Faith's boots!

What does it all mean? It means we'll have to push back our air dates and the theatrical screening. *sigh* But guess what? Snow happens to all of us :)

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Episode 3 Shooting Day 5

Haunted houses! Haunted bus stops! Haunted hills! Haunted... Barbie dolls?! That's right. Today, snow thick on the ground and twice as much snow on the horizon (literally!), we headed back to one of the locations where we shot Crazy Cat Lady's house in Episode 1 and crafted an all-new location from some expertly placed pieces of furniture and some moving boxes :)

It was cold and bright and the air smelled like ice -- pure and thin. It was actually a beautiful day! Of course, we were all in forty layers of clothes so only the haunted Ken doll was really feeling the nip ;)

We're continuing to push ahead but two of our locations that just can't be avoided, are in the thick of this freakishly strong winter storm and so we know that delaying our air date (and so our theatrical screening as well) is a possibility. But we're staying positive and the footage we're getting is meeting our ultimate goal -- even better than the last episode!

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Episode 3 Shooting Day 4

Thirty excellent, secured shots doesn't sound like a day when, once again, the snow foiled our original plans, but that indeed was today. Not only did we refuse to roll over and freeze in panic (though, it certainly was cold enough to freeze!) we shot IN THE SNOW -- why not right? Because we had entire scenes we could shoot (so there would be no problems with continuity) we jumped in with both feet and braved the newly falling and accumulated snow. Was it fun? Oh yes! Was it cold, blustery, and a little scary to feel like the weather is holding us back from the bulk of our location shots? You betcha! But you know what? We ghost sniffers just never give up :)

As promised, the new gallery of production stills (one album for every episode) has been updated. Find the new Episode 3 photos at http://www.photobucket.com/GSepisode3.

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Episode 3 Shooting Day 3

Snow. No, unfortunately, there's no joke today. Due to three inches at home and more along the two hours to the shooting location, we had to cancel shooting today. While we hustled for several hours to track down someone we could talk to live about which weather service was valid for the shooting location (most aren't), we admittedly experienced a bit of panic while we tried to reschedule the nine people we had lined up for today. David, Zach, Lizz, and Sammie (plus the five of us DiMarcos) were amazingly supportive and understanding but the truth remains: We're going to have to work twice as hard to secure all the shots in time. As it stands, now approaching midnight, we still haven't been able to set dates for all the actors and the weather, of course, is the real wild card.

Because when it rains it pours (or rather, when it snows, it blizzards, I suppose), the brand new PC that Brianne has been using to edit produced an interesting error message out of the blue: "Hardware Malfunction: Call Your Hardware Vender for Support; NMI Parity Check, Memory Parity Error; The System Has Halted." We were able to clean the machine, cool it down, then get it to boot up long enough to back up all data but... the error came again.

In the spirit of staying positive, the kids loved the snow and we did wind up shooting several scenes here at the house consisting of about a dozen shots with one elaborate prop and a fickle cat :) And, we have the new galleries of photos up:

http://photobucket.com/GSepisode1
http://photobucket.com/GSepisode2
http://photobucket.com/GSepisode3

The power of staying positive :)

"Ghost Sniffers" in the Newspaper

In case you haven't had a chance to pick up one of the *millions* (okay, dozens!) of Washington newspapers that ran this wonderful article on "Ghost Sniffers" as the cover story of the Kitsap Weekly Arts & Entertainment segment, here's a link: http://www.bainbridgereview.com/entertainment/137291078.html

The cool thing is, that if you search "Kitsap Weekly Ghost Sniffers" on Google, you'll receive more than eight complete pages of valid links to the article and people talking about the article!

Yay, Forge!

Jennifer

Episode 3 Shooting Day 2

At 9am I met actor Christopher Harris at the Southworth ferry and drove him to our house for his fitting. Christopher went through our huge bag of camo selections and was soon dressed and off to shoot a scene with Faith. Little did they know what awaited them!

No sooner did we step from the truck that the wind -- an arctic wind, no doubt -- tried to pick Faith up and blow her tiny little superhero body into the wild skies! Luckily, the beautiful heavy artillery she was shooting next to provided an anchor and some shelter.

Christopher and Faith nailed their scene in the icy rain with sputters of drops that weren't enough to bust out umbrellas but were enough for me to realize that my camera's raincoat doesn't accommodate my mic :( Hm. Brianne was with us today (not as an actor but as my production manager) so she called out the shots to me which always makes the process smoother.

We bombed Christopher back to the ferry (we were sorry to see him go but we know we get him back for two larger roles in future episodes this season!) only to beat actor William Michael Paul and his wife, Katie (who used to teach horse back riding lessons, which we think is so super cool!), by only five or ten minutes. William and Katie brought the cast and crew water and nifty hand warmers -- both of which saved the day...

...because it snowed.

That's right. Snow.

Okay, so it didn't snow on set (actually, we were shooting a scene with William inside an ancient building) but it snowed on the way there. Yikes! The cold, however, was absolutely on set and by dusk, we all felt like ghost-sicles.

William, Faith and Brianne worked together in a three-segment scene that was shot 1/4 yesterday and the rest today. The lighting was very limited but in a slanting-through-the-forest way that was interesting. Shooting the trees dancing (as William and Katie say, which I loved) was a spontaneously captured shot that will be added into the episode for sure.

William and Katie left at about 3:00 -- but they'll be back! Episode 11 will have William back in a funny, light-hearted role. We look forward to working with William again.

We have light until 4:30 and then have to hike back to the truck so we got in a transition segment and an entire scene set at one location. In total we secured 48 new shots and I was very happy with the footage.

Tomorrow? David, Faith, Brianne, Zach, Lizz, Cris... and Sammie?! More tomorrow about new, actors-to-the-rescue and finding the funny in the serious.

Friday, January 13, 2012

Episode 3 Shooting Day 1

Working with children, animals, and... robots? Oh, the challenges and joys of making a show that empowers kids and revels in the ridiculous!

Today we began shooting Episode 3, "Grandmother's House," our pro-soldier haunt fest that showcases our serious side while still refusing to pull any punches in terms of sight gags, silly word play and all-around fun. Threatened with forecasts of snow, sleet, rain, and possibly falling cats and dogs, we braved the weather, the chill-factor, and all-new terrain to meet our first and second goal for every episode -- have fun and make it better than the last one!

Episode 3 sees us also working with actors for the first time who don't have the last name DiMarco and we're pretty nervous, excited, and delighted that we don't have to dress Maxwell (or Faith!) up to look like a 30 year old soldier or a career Major built like a... well, like bear!

But new actors is Saturday and I'm getting ahead of myself. Today was all about the robot. And hiking. And hiking with the robot. Yes, there's a robot in Episode 3 and it floats, spins, lights up, beeps, bleeps, zips, and does several other nifty things such as turn its back on the camera right after I call, "Action!" :D

We actually started the day with the incredible discovery that Erin Jennings' featured piece (front page and everything -- thank you, Erin and editors!) had run in the Kitsap Weekly -- the Arts & Entertainment insert in pretty much all the peninsula papers. Wanting to read the article online, Maxwell typed "Kitsap Weekly Ghost Sniffers" into Google and was rewarded with eight pages of *relevant* links of reprints of the article, people talking about the article, and webmasters tying the article to their topic. Wow! And what showed up at the top of all these pages? Our AdSense ad for the open auditions on January 24 :)

With four hours of commuting time and only three hours of shooting light today (plus it being our first day back) we only secured 27 of the 400+ shots. However, we stayed positive and we're ready to start again tomorrow at the crack of dawn.

Tons of photos forthcoming! We're going to setup an online album!

Jennifer

By the Numbers

For those of you who were wondering: The script for Episode 3, "Grandmother's House," our pro-military, pro-history walk on the seriously foreboding and seriously silly wild side, finalized at 65 pages long containing 66 scenes and an amazing 438 shots. It will involve the cooperation and combined talents of a puppeteer and our first boom operator (heck, our first boom!), not to mention *nine* actors, our make up artist, five special effects shots, and a 50% chance of snow.

We shoot from Friday (today!) until Thursday -- seven days at a break-neck speed -- pushing our creative energy to the stars and beyond! Wow... I think I need to ease off the Coke Zero and get back to spray painting the hovering robot with highlight ;D

3... 2... 1... Action!

It's 1:00 in the morning and the countdown is in full swing. Tomorrow... err... *today* we start full-fledged shooting for Episode 3. Yeah, we warmed up yesterday with some reshoots for the final cut of Episode 2, then we purchased the costumes, make up, new cables, additional light panels, and a load of batteries... not to mention used gear backpacks to haul everything the mile through the woods to the set. We've also packed our sack lunches and squeezed the last pennies from our bank accounts to fill up the gas tank on the 4Runner. We're ready!

Our goals for Episode 3:
Make it even better than Episode 2.
Show our serious side.
Show are foreboding side.
Have fun!

Great news came even as we sorted and packed props. The anvil arrived! Shipping the DVD of Episode 1 was delayed when our central prop for the interview bonus feature was tied up in transit. It was so exciting to lift the 55 lb anvil into the house and laugh at the outrageous and delightful sight gag that it is. With a name like Blue Forge Productions, we had to name our interview series "On the Anvil"... and so an anvil was mandatory to break the ice ;) Our thanks to an anonymous supporter for the *heavy* investment!

I'll post pictures of the shoot every day... let's all pray it doesn't snow! The weather report says the chances are only 50% and the temperature will be a whopping 45 degrees. Hm... I guess we really do love "Ghost Sniffers" :)

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Welcome, David! (And Angela and Meg!)

"Ghost Sniffers" welcome actor David S. Hogan for Episode 3. David, who is my beloved brother-in-law, has been an professional actor as long as I've known him and even met my baby sister when rehearsing for a theatre production!

Speaking of my baby sister! Also a professional actor from a very young age, my sister, Angela DiMarco, has agreed to appear with her BFF, talented actor Meg McLynn, in Episode 9. Just one hint: They will make you laugh. Hard! We're overflowing with talent here :)


But back to David and Episode 3. I knew that David could play the first solely dramatic role in "Ghost Sniffers." That's right. Episode 3 takes a twist (and a risk!) to show that we can deal with serious topics while staying true to the silly wonder that is "Ghost Sniffers." Episode 3 marks a flip in the series when we first foreshadow the incredible, epic adventure -- the overall story arch for Season 1-- that is to come.

We promise to always have fun investigations... but there is more lurking in the world of the paranormal that little Forge is going to face head-on.

Join us to usher in this new era. Watch Episode 3 on January 27 and stay tuned here for updates on shooting.

Jennifer

Episode 3 Script -- Complete!

The celebration this morning was balloons, streamers, and lemon bars :) The script for Episode 3, "Grandmother's House," is complete as is the mini pro-soldier PSA that ends the episode. Now for prop securing and then off to shoot!

Every episode of "Ghost Sniffers" costs only $1500 to shoot -- which is pretty darn amazing for transportation, the majority of the props, costumes, makeup, food and drink, shooting permits and location fees, plus stock footage and the bit of licensed music we usually do wind up paying for. The KickStarter campaign raised enough for *two* episodes. KickStarter (through Amazon.com) collects all the pledges and then processes them for 14 days before turning the funds over to us (we haven't been paid yet but have been told that everything is working smoothly and is moving right along). With the KickStarter campaign we raised enough to finish Episode 2, shoot and finish Episode 3, and start on Episode 4 -- isn't that amazing? Before KickStarter we had raised enough to shoot and finish Episode 1, shoot and finish the Type 1 Diabetes public service announcement, revise Episode 1 into its final form, and shoot Episode 2. Whew!

It's a lot of balls to keep juggling and keep up in the air, but we're really proud to have met our goal -- that we get better with every episode.

Episode 3 will show our serious side (without abandoning humor) and allow "Ghost Sniffers" to show a depth of drama we've never been able to before.

Jennifer

Monday, January 9, 2012

Welcome, William and Christopher!

We have confirmation from two of our five actors for Episode 3! Fresh off the Saturday auditions, Christoper Harris and William Michael Paul have confirmed and accepted their roles in Season 1. We are so thrilled to be working with such amazing professionals who believe in our little-show-that-could. You can see pictures and read a tiny bit (just a teaser!) about these two incredible men in our new Actors Gallery at "Ghost Sniffers."

We'll be hearing from two other actors tomorrow *fingers crossed* and our last actor for Episode 3 on Wednesday *fingers and toes crossed*

The "Ghost Sniffers" family is growing fast :)

Sunday, January 8, 2012

Saturday Auditions: Success?

The open call audition is January 24 where we'll be seeing actors 9 to 70 for a variety of roles both small and large (more than twenty roles in all!). But we realized that Episode 3, "Grandmother's House," could not hold shooting until after auditions because we'd lose the availability of one of our primary locations. So, the call was sent out that the three Episode 3 roles would have to be cast Saturday, January 7. And, boy oh boy, did the actors hear that call.

Eight actors responded to the call and though all of them wanted to read for the same role (the insanely popular Major Smoggy), most of the actors were willing to read for other roles in and out of Episode 3.

I learned a lot. This was only the second time I've been involved in open auditions and the first time I was in the role as the writer only, watching as a director guided the process. I learned quickly that "slate" is a fancy word for "introduction on camera" and that you absolutely *must* have your principle (in this case, Faith) at the auditions to establish rapport. Just because someone is nice to you (the director) doesn't always mean they can carry on an easy conversation with a reserved, almost shy, and very suspicious little nine year old :)

So, I was blessed in many ways yesterday. That Faith was willing to sit with me from 1 to 8pm and watch every audition and pre- and post-conversation. That seasoned, established actors with full resumes are excited about "Ghost Sniffers" because of our heart and dedication. And that I was able to make it through the day, review the tapes, then contact everyone.

Yes, that was one of the other things I learned. "Ghost Sniffers" does things differently. We picked up our Seattle-side actors from the ferry and reimbursed for ferry fees. We served a French Press of fresh coffee with every audition. We served toasted turkey sandwiches with homemade hot pepper jelly. There were jelly beans and tamari almonds. There was conversation. There was brevity. And at the end of the day, just before I started writing for the night, *everyone* heard from me. Because at "Ghost Sniffers," that's just how we roll ;)

I don't expect to hear from actors today about whether or not they have accepted our offers. It is Sunday and I respect that many of us choose not to work on Sundays. But I'll keep everyone posted and I'm sure I'll hear back by the end of Monday.

Keep your fingers crossed with me? :)

Jennifer

Friday, January 6, 2012

Episode 2 is Uploading!

As I type this update, Episode 2, "Forge Gone Wild," is uploading to YouTube in gorgeous HD. The last of the editing, dubbing, music and sound effects found Brianne pulling two all-nighters. I tried my best to stay up with her so I wound up crashing and sleeping for three hours in the middle of the day today, one hand lingering near the mouse button just in case the compiling of the final file needed a nudge :)

The surprise of the hour? Episode 2 is *fifty* minutes long!! When we shifted over into a new script format that greatly eased production, the pesky writer didn't realize how much over the standard *thirty* minutes the new episode would be... oh wait... the pesky writer is me :D

So we all get almost double the fun with Episode 2 ;) And trust me, fellow ghost sniffing fans, it is a *lot* of fun.

A little side note, for those of you who watch with Closed Captions, the CC track will be completed and uploaded tomorrow -- we simply have to get some sleep around here! But they *will* be added. The sound is better than in Episode 1, but we'll still be adding a new type of poled mic to Episode 3. We just keep getting better and better!

Also coming tomorrow will be the extensive update to the official website that will add in the Episode 2 characters, sniff, and other fun stuff :)

Oh! And guess what? There are still five big hours left to donate to the KickStarter campaign. Any funds made at this point will help fund Episode 4. Or, go checked out our Prop Wishlist at Amazon.com and use up that annoying gift card you got from your Uncle Albert ;D

Thursday, January 5, 2012

Scoping Out the Terrain

Today, braving the wild and blustery weather, we did a last minute check of the open call audition space -- the Kitsap County Regional Library in Port Orchard. I suppose it isn't really the last minute. The audition is January 24 but we completed our professional postings online and in newspapers so responses are starting to roll (pun intended) in for the 29 various roles :) Actually, the rolling in is more of a charging in and we've been thrilled and a bit startled with the powerful response.

The interesting thing is, we haven't yet gone into the local high schools or drama clubs to talk about the auditions. We really thought we'd have to work like puppy dogs to get even a decent turn out so it has been a delight to see all the interest from actors all over Washington.

The other stop on today's wintery adventure was a meeting with the owner of the dance academy where Faith (DiMarco, not Faith Forge) attends real-life ballet classes with her brother on- and off-screen, Maxwell. We wanted to talk with Faith's academy about two dance-centric episodes in Season 1 before we approached other academies to avoid any hard feelings. Though Faith's academy graciously offered to allow us to shoot in their space, they did have to pass on taking any of the dancing roles because of their existing performance schedule just didn't mesh with a show like "Ghost Sniffers" that shoots so furiously!

What does this mean? It means that our fabulous EP and composer, Cris, will be contacting academies first thing tomorrow with the goal to secure a troupe for the all-important Episode 4, "Skin & Bones," before the end of the week. Can she do it? Of course she can!

*cheering erupts*

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Glow Bracelets for Auditioning Kiddos

My inbox has been stuffed with excited moms, kiddos, and even adult actors all looking forward to the January 24th open call auditions for Season 1 of "Ghost Sniffers." At the advice of my little sister (who is taller than me) who just happens to be a professional stage and screen actor, we've decided to have a friendly thank you treat for all the kids who audition.

My mock up isn't as cool as the real thing, of course, but these ghostly white silicone bracelets will glow in the dark and are debossed with the words GHOST SNIFFERS. Of course, we'll have water bottles and some light food at the audition to help calm nerves but we think our awesome bracelets will be a super take-away reminder :)

Jennifer

We Made It, Fellow Ghost Sniffers!

As of five minutes ago, the "Ghost Sniffers" KickStarter campaign met its goal.

As of two minutes ago, our independent matcher, matched the $1600 bringing our total to $3200.
Episode 3 and Episode 4 are now fully funded.

WE DID IT!

This has not been an easy journey and I owe all of you not just the fun perks you signed up for in the KickStarter campaign but my sincere and amazed gratitude. "Ghost Sniffers" is trying to make people laugh, of course, but beyond that I want to empower kids whose health effects their every day life. I want them to see little super heroes just like them... while their parents are belly-laughing at the geeky in-jokes ;)

You've helped fund "the little show that could." And you've proven to me that the heart of "Ghost Sniffers" beats for a very good reason.

Thank you all.

Jennifer

Is It Magic?

Is it slight of hand? A flip of the wrist? A trick with mirrors? No. It's the reality of good people doing good things.

The entire "Ghost Sniffers" cast and crew, and every single one of our supporters are about to turn $61 into $3200.

$61 more and we'll meet our KickStarter goal. Once that goal is met, we're beaten the challenge and the entire KickStarter amount will be doubled to $3200. Episode 3 and Episode 4 will be fully funded carrying the "Ghost Sniffers" production team through the middle of February.

Three days. Three whole days to raise just $61. Every $1 or $5 donation counts! The anticipation is tangible -- like a mighty kraken sitting on my shoulders!! (What??)

Monday, January 2, 2012

It's a Throw Down

There are only four days to go on the "Ghost Sniffers" KickStarter campaign. We have two supporters willing to double any new pledge or increased existing pledge. That means we only need $240 more to reach our goal and have Episode 3 completely funded! How close we are!!

But what about *after* Episode 3? Will we launch another KickStarter? No way! This was the incredible message waiting in my inbox this morning:

"Jennifer, I have a challenge for you and your supporters. If you meet the KickStarter goal, I will match the total and fund Episode 4. Ready? Go, ghost sniffers!"

I was shocked. Amazed. Pleased... no, thrilled! Can we do this? Of course we can! So, all you ghost sniffers, let's make it happen. Making a new pledge or increasing an existing pledge by even $5 will bring us that much closer to the tiny $240 we need to raise to make TWO MORE episodes a reality.

Sunday, January 1, 2012

24 Hrs to Double the Fun... Then What?

Twenty-four more hours remain when all increased existing pledges or new pledges will be matched, dollar for dollar. We're less than $600 away from our KickStarter goal which means we only need $300 more in new or increased existing pledges. Episode 3 will then be fully funded.

But what happens if we raise *more* than our goal?

If you are familiar with KickStarter you'll see that many funded campaigns actually raise about 25% more than their goal. Where do these "extra" funds go? Though it changes project to project, of course, usually additional funds go to making the stated milestones easier, faster, and higher quality. But what about "Ghost Sniffers"?

Though we considered adding locations, props and even length to Episode 3, we finally decided that should the campaign raise more than $1600, all the extra will be held for Episode 4. By doing this, we hope to keep the series going smoothly instead of putting all our eggs into one episode's basket :)

The Silver Sky of 2012

The sky is silver and low with clouds today and my cast of kiddos are standing out on the porch trying to convince me to shoot the final scene in Episode 2. However, the temperature is hovering in the 30s and despite the fact that there's no rain and the scene *could* be shot, the mother in me wins and I hustle Faith and Maxwell back inside to sit by the fire and run lines for Episode 3 instead.

That's right. Episode 3. We are less than $600 away from our KickStarter goal and then Episode 3 will swing into full production. What an amazing way to start the new year.

Jennifer (aka Director Mama)