Bridget and Dee Kick Butt with Cris and Faith

Bridget and Dee? You're the sniff!

Supporting "Ghost Sniffers" and empowering kiddos all over Kitsap County, Bridget (famous mom of Sirius Spark) and Dee (famous mom of Potro of the Four and Wiz) spent the last two days with Cris and little Faith bringing stacks of Forge It Workshop flyers into Kitsap businesses, cafes and other community spaces. They all wore their shoes down and they'll check back with everyone in a week to refill flyers and talk about response to the program.

Working together as a team, these four ladies have taken a huge step for the workshop -- one that brings us that much closer to this incredible idea being a reality.

I'll be there every single day -- both the Monday through Thursday session and the Saturday and Sunday session. Would you like to join me?

(Yes, I'll be there because I'm the instructor. And I don't think there's a person reading this blog who wouldn't not only benefit but be truly inspired and, yes, empowered by Forge It.)

Everyone always asks me, "How do you find the time to do everything you do?" I think they expect me to say: "I skip sleep and most meals." But you know what the truth is? I owe it to my kids. I owe it to them to work this hard. I owe it to them to be an interesting person who amazes them and makes the impossible possible. This summer, maybe take a workshop with your kiddo? I know I'm bringing mine :)

Shh! You Can Whisper :)

As of now, the "Ghost Sniffers" team is equipped with a gorgeous pro boom mic that allows our actors to never, ever have to speak up again. As a matter of fact, you could whisper, across the room, with your back to the camera and I'd still hear you nice and clear :)

We shot some final scenes with Maximilian and Kraken for Episode 10 and they quality was simply fantastic. The mic attaches to a twelve foot, collapsible boom pole with a gold tipped (oooh, fancy) cable running the long length. Brianne stepped in as boom operator for two of the scenes and I was able to balance the pole (that's how amazingly light it is) for the third.

Can't wait to shoot all of Episode 11 with this new, incredible sound system!

Service for Hire

You asked for it... and we delivered :) For all the independent spirits, all the blossoming filmmakers who have worked on "Ghost Sniffers" over the past six months, Blue Forge Productions now offers a wide variety of film making services for hire -- from cinematographers who bring all their own equipment, boom mic operators, directors, music composers, post production editors and more. Download an interactive budget form (Excel or Open Office required) and a rate sheet here.

Drum Roll, Please!

Many of you have already explored the "Ghost Sniffers" website and found the link to Blue Forge Productions, the company that officially supports the show. I just finished an update to the BFP website that added some pretty awesome information about the day camp I've been telling you all about -- the Forge It Workshop Series.

Forge It is a series of workshops geared to empower YOU to make your own art. Whether you're writing a novel, a film, a stage play or even a web series like "Ghost Sniffers," you can learn all the skills you need to begin your journey.

Our first workshop will focus on the web series genre and will run twice in July -- once every Monday through Thursday (except the 4th, 30th and 31st), and once every Saturday and Sunday. It will feature four comprehensive parts that walk you through your series from idea to production. You can download an awesome course manual right here that explains all the amazing details or you can call us at (360) 550-2071 and get the details live :)

One of the cool things about Forge It is that it's risk free -- if you ever miss a class, we'll send it to you as a video and you can email your questions to the instructor. I love that option.

But you know what I love more? The fact that our tuition is half the cost of similar workshops. As a nonprofit, I'm glad we can reach out and make quality education a possibilities for EVERYONE.

Film Day Camp: Update!

By popular demand, we're opening up the July day camp to ages 10 to adult! You heard it here first :) Adults are now welcome to come and spend two weeks warming up their writing, acting and production skills on "Ghost Sniffers" and then another two weeks crafting their very own web series. Sign up by yourself and tuition is an incredibly reasonable $400 for the entire course -- or sign up with a friend or family member and BOTH of you pay only $350 each.

Some new details:

There will be no classes on July 4 because so many folks are away this day.

Camp will take place at our place in Port Orchard in the beautiful office space on the property. The bathroom is right across the courtyard and is wheelchair accessible.

We recommend that you bring your own snacks and drinks but catered meals will be available and can be preordered (menu forthcoming).

Tuition can be paid by credit card, check, cash, money order, or PayPal and does not need to be paid until June 14.

Parents of minors are still welcome to attend for free but if parents would like to actually participant in conversations and activities, then please take advantage of the family discount and purchase two tuition packages.

In other news...

We just finished shooting papercraft world for Episode 10, "Once Upon an Ever After." I feel like I just spent the day with Meg, Angela, Tressa, Sierra, Emma and Emerson! But it was only cartoon versions of them all :)

Blue Forge Announces: Summer Stock!

Blue Forge Productions

Empowering Students Through the Arts

More details will be revealed early next week... but here's a sneak preview of our exciting news!

In July, Blue Forge Productions (the production company behind "Ghost Sniffers") will be holding a month-long summer program for students 10 to 17. It's a day camp for the arts! The first two weeks will focus on five beginning level classes -- Building Ideas, Writing, Imagery, Acting, and Production -- then the next two weeks will take those classes to the next level.

Students will start by working on an established web series (guess which one -- *wink*) and then go on to create their own series! By the end of the month, students will be well-versed in every aspect of crafting a project from idea through production and have their first original episode in their own series to show for it -- in addition to name credit on a "Ghost Sniffers" Season 2 episode. Every student will get hands-on experience with various standard and HD cameras, recording equipment, digital and standard slates, iPads, video editing software, working with actors, directing, story boarding, scripting and much, much more!

Parents may attend for free and students outside the age range can attend with special permission. Classes run Monday through Friday from 10AM to 4PM. Tuition is $400 for the whole month, or $350 per student if they sign up with a friend or family member. Checks and credit cards are accepted. Transportation to and from the Southworth ferry will be provided free of charge.

More information about each class will be shared soon but keep in mind: Only twelve students will be accepted into the program. To reserve a place today, call or text Cris at 360-550-2071. Spread the word, friends -- all tuition will benefit "Ghost Sniffers" and keep our amazing little show "on the air."

3:33AM and Episode 11 is Complete

Just finished writing Episode 11, "Midsummer Knight's Dream," where Maxo finds himself in a full suit of armor and lost in an unknown forest inhabited by projections of the Four, mysterious fey, the Lord and Lady of Light and one fabulous Stitch-and-Go Steed. Whew!

The episode, with 90% of the dialogue written in rhyming verse, was a delight to compose and it moves the series forward in some great new ways. I also wound up writing Spark, Bianca, Ryan and Ryan, Moonlight, Terminator, Snakes, Skully and Gogo into one of the final scenes for a powerful image that I hope will become iconic for the series.

For actors waiting for the script, there are some complicated directions for this one (namely, that dialogue *must* be memorized this time) so I'm going to have Cris email out the script PDFs tomorrow. If you don't hear from her, please call her at 360-550-2071.

Off to sleep I go! (Okay, actually, that's not true. I have to go answer mail on Facebook then I have another film project that needs my attention. LOL! Hey, who needs sleep?! *wink*)

Episode 11 Update

As I write Episode 11 (which will be emailed to actors within the next 48 hours), I have come to realize something important. Kids aren't stupid.

Now, personally, this isn't a revelation to me. The last thing I would think of Maxwell or Faith as is stupid. And by that word (which isn't a pretty word but I'm using it on purpose) I mean, "unable to grasp big ideas, unable to feel big emotions, unable to appreciate epic stories." Maybe what I really mean is that the "kids" I know -- whether they're nine or nineteen -- don't want to be talked down to. They want to be respected. They want to be valued. They want to engage in actual conversations about things like, "What is the Occupy movement?" and "Why did the store manager steal from the store?" or "When *can* grandma and grandma get married?" No, kids don't always want all the nitty-gritty details and every single nuance of a situation. But they want to have a basic understanding of the big, wide world around them. Maybe then, growing up won't seem so scary.

This was all tumbling around in my head as I made my way through the script for "Midsummer Knight's Dream." I suppose I was thinking these things because I'm considering adding a rating system to our episodes. No, I'm not adding in any swear words or gore or kissing LOL! It's just that, as Season 1 nears its end, we're tackling some big issues, some grand themes. Our bad guy is a bunny, sure, but it's one BAD bunny. Ryan, a ghost hunter in Episode 9 (played by Breanne Johnson), says, "I hate complex villains." But the truth is, I love complex villains. And I especially love complex villains, when little children are STILL able to defeat them.

Because you know what, friends? Autism and Type 1 and Osteogenesis Imperfecta are great, big, complex things. If we expect our kids to deal with those, than the least I can do, is show them enough respect to create a great, big, complex Monster Bunny for them to bring down.

Maxwell? Faith? Kristie? You make me proud to be a writer. And proud to be your friend *big hugs*

Episode 9 is a Wrap!

Can it be true? Yes, it is :) All the filming for Episode 9 is secured. Even when our two-day shoot stretched over this crazy-weather weekend and we had to write the rain into the script, all the actors were positive and worked incredibly hard. Enough pizza was consumed to keep the pizza industry running for years and good will was abound.

 Ralph, who plays the ghost hunter named Terminator, shared a cool story about how, after he was cast to fight to Monster Bunny, he had a evening of strange occurrences -- bizarre phone calls, objects falling over. He called it the curse of the Monster Bunny. But once Ralph accepted the role, the strange events stopped :)

Keeli, who plays Bianca Ice, brought a beautiful handmade gift for a new cast member named Cupcake ;) If you've read Issue 9.5 of the "Ghost Sniffers" comic, you know who Cupcake is and that she loved her bandana with a bedazzled cupcake.

Marcee stayed in good spirits even when she had to stand and scream up into a sky dumping rain on her -- that's a skill, folks!

Breanne stayed smiling even when a split screen shot required her to balance on a porch edge and squat four inches to make her twin ghost hunters the same height! (And when she had to change clothes about a dozen times to keep switching between characters.)

Kristie never once complained when wonderful Spark was paired up with the twit Maximilian (but that's probably because Kristie loves the Maximilian character!), and Ryan, the tricky Purple Imp, was very gentle when he attacked Maximilian!

As always, Faith found the shoot long, cold and boring (LOL!) but she loved socializing with all her acting friends. And, also as always, Maxwell blew everyone away with his memorization abilities, his 100% dedicated acting, and his quick-change skills :D

Onward to Episode 10!

A Request for Support

Our primary focus right now is on completing all our shooting so we have every episode ready to produce. But as we focus on that singular goal (which we're succeeding beautifully at, by the way, with help from all of you) we are running into a few hurtles with equipment wishes.

If you're in a position to donate to the series, we're hoping to raise $150 to purchase (used) an additional lighting tree, a wheelchair (for rolling shots), and a new mic for better sound quality. Donations can be sent from the donation button here -- no need to specify a specific episode.

If donating isn't your thing, what about browsing the store? There are toys, shirts, posters, autographed scripts, and DVDs with episodes, bloopers, and interviews. Check out the shop by category:

Episode DVDs
Autographed Scripts
Comics
Posters
Shirts & Gear (Toys!)

Thank you, everyone for your support. Season 1 is shaping up to be an incredible body of work.

Ghost Hunters Everywhere

Today we shot the second third of Episode 9, "Dime a Dozen," and I got to work with three actors I've haven't seen since the open auditions. It's always a little nerve-wracking to go into a day with actors I've never worked with before, who aren't used to my sense of humor, and who I don't know whether or not they'll mesh with my "regular" actors -- Faith, Maxwell, and Kristie. I felt very blessed that Keeli, Marcee and Ralph blended easily with the cast and crew. All three of them came dressed perfectly in character -- from the tips of their shoes to their top of their heads. It was incredible to see actors put so much effort and attention into their characters -- to feel like they each understood their characters and even loved them as much as I do as the writer. Everyone mentioned their favorite lines and I felt like my ego would swell too big for my 5'2" to contain!

The fourth "new" actor today wasn't really new. I cast Breanne (Johnston not DiMarco) at the open call as one half of a ghost hunting pair of twins. But after a string of other actors and contacts fell through to play the other twin, I suggested that  Breanne play both twins (like Maxo and Maximilian).  Breanne was cool with this idea and a few days went by. Then she emailed with the idea that one of the twins could be deaf and speak in ASL --  Breanne was willing to learn whatever lines I gave her in ASL (and I gave her quite a few crazy lines) and I adored the idea. It was amazing to see this idea realized today. (Also,  Breanne proved that not just Maxwell can change costumes with super speed! Playing characters in split screen is a work out!!)

Thank you -- all of you -- for your dedication and hard work today.

See you all tomorrow. Let's wrap this episode :)

Oh! I Almost Forgot!

I almost forgot to let everyone know the change that will be happening at the website before the end of this month. Go to the main page (http://www.ghostsniffers.com/index.htm) and look at the top. You see the four images that are button links to other sections -- Forge, Assistants, Clients, and Sniffs? Those will be going away! Instead, we'll have new rotating images that show the faces of several assistants, clients and sniffs! This is just a hint of the HUGE addition to come -- THE WIKI!

Before the end of June, we'll wrap Season 1 but that doesn't mean the show is over or that the work will even slow down. Of course, we'll still be fundraising like crazy to meet our goals and actually get the episodes to post, but there's more, too. We'll be adding to the brand with comics, a role-playing game, and an incredible wiki that shares tons and tons and TONS of back stories and other vital information on all the characters and episodes. There will even be fan fiction and a social network messaging system for fans and team members to keep in touch!

Would you like to help build the wiki? Do you know the episodes backwards and forwards? Kristie (Spark) has already emailed and let us know that she's on board to help build the most informative "Ghost Sniffers" wiki possible. Want to join Team Wiki? We'll need all the writers we can find :) Most of the work on the project will occur the last two weeks of June so email or text us now and we'll start organizing the "assignments" ;)

Welcome, Peterson & Jake!

While cast and crew started filming Episode 9 today, Cris drove away into town on a mission most vital. Before noon, she called and delivered the news to everyone via speaker phone: The amazing folks at Peterson & Jake have joined the "Ghost Sniffers" family. To support our efforts, Dawn Jake suggested that the firm sponsor our transition to a legal nonprofit! Not only will they pay the fees but file the paperwork and help us at every step of the way. Isn't that incredible?! I couldn't be more thrilled... and the cheer that the cast and crew sent up when they heard the news could probably be heard throughout the county :) Welcome to the team, Peterson & Jake. And Cris? Thank you for your effort... and for your results... every single day.

Episode 8 is a Wrap

The last scenes of Episode 8 ("Wild Things Waking") have now been secured and another episode has wrapped! Our thanks to Marie Best, mother of Sarah Best who co-starred in the episode, for becoming a producer with her donation -- and bringing our goal of posting the episode online that much closer.

When we gathered at the Gronberg's house to shoot Kristie (Spark) and Ryan (Imp) Gronberg in one of the final scenes, Bridget (Kristie and Ryan's mom) and I had a great laugh about the Mother's Day adventure/performance at CSTOCK. Our four dancers -- the talented Sarah B., Sarah C., Abbie P., and Jonah K. -- arrived two hours before the audience and we walked through the haunting dance performance, filming various takes. It was everything I had ever wanted from a dance sequence! But by the time the audience members arrived and we'd shot the acting scenes and the audience reaction scenes, the poor dancers (and probably all the audience members as well) were silly with exhaustion and thoroughly broiled in the heat of the theatre. So though the audience didn't get to see the wonderful, serious, haunting performance live, they'll all still be listed in the cast of the episode and at IMDb :) And, of course, they'll get to see the final result -- with amazing dance and special effects -- when Episode 8 posts online.

Thank you, everyone, for helping to make another episode a reality.

IMDb Wants to Know...

...what you think of "Ghost Sniffers." Out of ten stars, what would you rate the series? Head on over to our IMDb profile (found here) and rate the show right at the top of the page. Remember, you'll need to register for your vote to count, but registration is free :)

Brianne, who manages the "Ghost Sniffers" IMDb account, has recently update our profile and we're waiting for the changes to be approved by the IMDb system. Our rule is, as soon as an episode moves into production, it gets added to IMDb. So that means information (like the complete cast list) for the series through Episode 8 has now been submitted.

And check the blog tomorrow for a cool new announcement about our official website!

Four Dozen Cupcakes, Five Gallons of Coffee

Today is the day. In just a few hours we're going to attempt the seemingly impossible: To shoot five dense pages of script in just two hours. Sound easy? Wait a second a listen to the details ;)

These five pages include a dance segment with four professional young dancers. Each of them is dancing to showcase their skills and tell a story of unforgettable characters -- the Mythos. One of the original dancers actually sprained his ankle earlier in the week (not on set) and Cris, our Executive Producer, had to secure his replacement in less than twelve hours. This means that the new dancer has had less than a full day with the script. Another of the dancers had never worked with us before until yesterday.

But does this slow us down? No way.

One of the many incredible things about working with dancers is that they're used to pushing themselves to their limits and beyond. They understand that sometimes you have to completely transform yourself for a performance. In some ways, I think, they know better than any of us, how to be something just a little bit more than human.

If you've ever watched a dancer closely during an intense performance, you may have found it hard to see the person as opposed to the character they are portraying through movement and poise. As a writer (and a wordy writer, at that!), the idea that someone can tell a story with their body -- in silence! -- is nothing sort of transcendent. Now, I understand (and trust me, as a musician -- a harpist -- I do get it) that most dance is accompanied by music. But music evokes emotion. Music sets the stage, builds atmosphere. It is the dancer who tells the story. Everything else is decoration.

As we bake cupcakes and organize rides to and from CSTOCK, the beautiful community theater space at the Silverdale Community Center, I know that many of you are preparing your formal black and whites to join us as audience members. It will be a unique Mother's Day, to say the least. It will be a celebration, really, of a project that began, after all, as a daughter's request of her mother: "Mama Jenn, would you write me a ghost hunting show?"

For you, Faith? Anything.

Crawling on the Ceiling

The hours are counting down to the huge shoot tonight at the Academy of Dance. These scenes are our first "scary" scenes with Forge being tested by the powerful Mythos to see if she's worthy of being named their champion against the Monster Bunny. The four Mythos will try to encase Forge in a thick ectoplastic; whisper to her that she should abandon Maxo, and call her faith into question. One Mythos even crawls, dragon-like, across the ceiling to try to scare her off. But, of course, in the end, Forge stands strong and proves she's one little girl who never retreats :)

Episode 8, "Wild Things Waking," and Episode 9, "Dime a Dozen," really push the envelope of what we can do with special effects. We're going to be using not only filters and split screens (though there's lots of thse) but also layered items and metamorphic effects which allow us to place characters and props in scenes in otherwise impossible ways.

We're doing amazing things in Season 1! Just imagine what Season 2 will bring ;)

FAQ

We have a new set of questions that are repeating themselves as they come in via Facebook, YouTube and email. Though the questions are from viewers (not actors, parents or crew working with us directly), to help clarify for everyone, we decided a public blog post would be a good idea:

Q. "Are you paid or are you just rich?"
A. Um, the answer is "no" to both. No crew member is paid. All funds earned pay for transportation to and from the locations where we shoot,  food for the actors for shoots four hours or longer, props and some costumes, equipment and software, shooting permits and fees, stock footage fees and stock music fees. As for being rich, we assume the real question is: how can we do this show and not have jobs. All three of the adult crew members have other jobs. They work on days we don't film or they work night shifts.

Q. "What's with the rainbow colors? Is 'Ghost Sniffers' some kind of gay pride thing?"
A. The rainbow we use (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple) is actually a spectrum rainbow and it represents how Forge is an all-inclusive person -- she helps all kinds of silly clients and gives all sniffs (ghosts) a chance to show they're good creatures, even if they're a little creepy. Also, every episode has a color theme so the designers can have fun coordinating outfits and props. Over all, color is a big part of our show. Our main bad guy is an all-white bunny, after all.

Q. "What's with the the ghosts in your show? Is 'Ghost Sniffers' some type of paranormal worshiping thing?"
A. If you check out the interview with Director, Jennifer DiMarco, on the Episode 1 DVD, you'll see that the director/writer/cinematographer herself doesn't believe in anything paranormal at all. The ghost hunting part of the show is the genre -- the style of the show -- but the show itself is about children with disabilities who find their senses have compensated and they have cool abilities. Some of these abilities, like Maxo's photographic memory, are real "side-effects" to the children's real conditions.

Q. "What's with the episode named 'Apple & Eve'? Is your show some type of anti-Christian thing?"
A. Actually, the ENTIRE crew of "Ghost Sniffers" is Christian -- including one staff member who taught Sunday School for three years. The show often deals with issues of ethics and morals and has drawn directly from both scripture and Biblical stories. Our series mythology builds on Biblical ideas and symbols and we even have a Christian ghost hunter in Episode 9!

All of these things being said, we should also add that none of us crewing "Ghost Sniffers" are close-minded. We are not racist, sexist, homophobic, ageist or, well, ignorant. We believe and live like Forge does -- inclusively. We have characters of all types and our characters occasionally poke fun at narrow-minded ideas that try to separate us by the color of our skin, our gender, who we love, or how old we are. We believe in reading nonpartisan newspapers, reading the Bible ourselves, and reading the smiles on the faces of the children we're empowering... because they deserve every hour of hard work we give them and so much more.

Episode 7 is a Wrap

It's official. All the footage has been secured, inventoried and confirmed; Episode 7, "Apple & Eve," wrapped today and we wasted no time, moving right into filming Episode 8, "Wild Things Waking." We'll shoot EP8 scenes for the next four days -- including the free gala Mother's Day filming event open to all! -- and then wrap EP8 with a flourish before moving (you guessed it) right into Episode 9, "Dime a Dozen." For the very first time, we're filming back to back to back all month and into June so the entirety of Season 1 will be shot before July sneaks up on us :)

But back to Episode 7...

So, we've secured the footage. But when will the episode post online? That all depends on you ;) The widget on the first page of the website shows (as of today) that we're still $229 short for our funding goal for "Apple & Eve." Once this funding goal is met, we'll move the episode into post production and -- tada! -- seven days later (or sooner) the episode will post online for everyone to enjoy. That's the way it works; very simple really :)

Spread the word on Facebook, through your own blog, or even write to a local paper! Email, text or call Cris and ask, "Hey, Cris, how can I help that awesome 'Ghost Sniffers' raise money?" We're all working together as a team to make the show; let's work as a team to fund the show.

Back to School

We're on a roll! After an amazing day shooting scenes for Episodes 7 and 10 on Sunday, the crew charged ahead into the five hour shoot at South Kitsap High School. What a mind-blowing day! I even got to film an entire day in selective color (awesome!) and I got to stage my first rolling shot (incredible!) with the help of a wheelchair fro Carol (Captian Snakes, my mom), one fleet-footed slate operator (Cris), and some muscle (Brianne)! There wasn't a cast or crew member present who had attended a high school so massive and it took everyone about an hour to adjust to the enormity of the space and the huge variety of options we had for scenes, angles, and methods. We were so thankful to SKHS for donating such unlimited space for so long! I also felt so blessed to have one big sister (or sisu as m family always says) and two mamas who stayed the whole time -- it's so great to have the help and have other people around who understand the unique position of trying to juggle a professional project, a huge group of creative young people, and trying to be a good mom/caretaker. Working primarily with an extended classroom sequence that took place in room 305, we welcomed Chrsitopher, Kyra, Sarah B., Sarah C. and Hannah back to the set and enjoyed working with Caitlyn for the first time. Interestingly, our returning actors were all playing different roles than they had before so, in some ways, I was meeting most of the actors for the first time, really getting to see their acting range. Wow was that inspiring! One of the things I learning quickly is that open call auditions tell a director very, very little. Though I haven't regretted 98% of my casting auditions (which were based on open call auditions), you never really know how darn good an actor is until you really give them a actor they can run with. When the intense five hours were over, the cast had said goodbye, and the crew were loading the gear into the truck, all I could think of was: I have got to work with them again. They need a film. A film written just them. Now!! How inspiring to be so inspired :)

Filming on the Water

It's strange and wonderful how life happens. When Maxwell was a toddler and Faith was in my belly, I wrote a short film that was very grown up. It involved a young woman (college age) who has made herself very unhappy and she makes a wish that she comes very quickly to regret. The entire film takes place on one night as this young woman rides home from an arts college where she is a student. The film was never made even though it won a cool contest primarily because I lacked the equipment and my life was about to become very complicated with Faith's birth. I was okay with that because, as most of you know, I think of myself as a writer first. This past Sunday, I found myself riding the same ferry where that film was set, filming Maxwell and Faith for Episode 7 AND Episode 10 of "Ghost Sniffers." What a strange and wonderful full circle. How interesting the way life changes us. The first film was dark, and sad, and cautionary. Forge and Maxo are bright lights in a cast of bright, joyous lights. It was hectic to shoot scenes for two episodes during a single ferry ride and surprisingly expensive ($30 for a skeleton crew) but as we were waiting for the right wind change or the spume to be just perfect, I will admit that I found myself looking around, framing shots for a much more grown up film -- that little film that never happened. And you know what? I think I owe Maxwell an Faith a huge thank you -- no, wait. I owe ALL of you a huge thank you. Because by making "Ghost Sniffers" with me, you have all allowed me to dream these dreams again, to see the world in terms of good story, well told :) Thank you, cast and crew. You're the best.

Website Update -- Wow!

A visit to the "Ghost Sniffers" website will reveal some wonderful changes.

--At the very top of the main page, a "news flash" has been added for breaking news.

--The store has been divided into new sections: Event Tickets; DVDs; Scripts; Comics; Posters, and Shirts & Gear. The Shirts & Gear section is especially dramatic with four unique items and brand new shirts and more featuring Forge, Maxo, Spark and Maximilian.

--You'll also notice throughout the website that the link to the Wiki has been made more prominent. That's because we're finally ready to welcome everyone to the Wiki and accept volunteers to help us build the pages. A complete tutorial for how to join the official Wiki can be found here.

The First "Ghost Sniffers" Comic!

Comics! Comics! Comics!

Ready... set... read! The first in a series of twelve comics that provide origin and back stories for your favorite characters has posted to the website with instant download. There will be twelve comic issues that take place between the normal episodes in the series. The comic issues will be called "episodes" and the first one available is "Episode 9.5: Finding Cupcake." As the 9.5 indicates, "Finding Cupcake" takes place between Episode 9, "Dime a Dozen," and Episode 10, "Once Upon an Ever After."

You may be wondering why Episode 9.5 is being released first -- even before Episode 9 airs! The comic issues promise NO spoilers whatsoever. What they do offer is sneak peeks in what's to come and great stories. Episode 9.5 actually includes mentions (and panels) of the Ryan and Ryan Twins, Bianca Ice, Moonlight Mitchell, Spark, Gogo, Skully, and Terminator, not to mention Forge, Maxo, Maximilian... and Cupcake ;)

Another cool fact about this first series of twelve comics is that though 9.5 was written and illustrated by Jennifer DiMarco, other episode issues will be written and illustrated by other members of the "Ghost Sniffers" cast and crew. This means you'll see different styles of artwork and story telling -- though everything will be approved by Jennifer before publication, of course!

Last but not least, the comics will be made available first in ebook bundles for Kindle, Nook, PC and iPad, then in print copy. That's something for everyone!

Join the Sniffer Wiki!

Did you know that the "Ghost Sniffers" wiki has finally opened to the public? Yay! Though information has yet to be added to the wiki (though it has been scheduled), you can join now and use the wiki's messaging system to talk to cast, crew and other fans of the series. To join, follow these steps carefully:

1. Go to http://www.wikispaces.com/
2. Click "Sign In" in the upper righthand corner of the webpage.
3. A pop up window will open. Click the "Create a new Wikispaces account" link.
4. Choose and type in an username and a password. Then type in your email address. Under "Make a Wiki?" select "No." Click the Join button.
5. Go to your email. You will see an email message from Wikispaces asking you to confirm your email address. Click the link in the email and confirm your email.
6. After your email is confirmed, go to https://ghostsniffers.wikispaces.com/
7. In the upper lefthand corner of the page, click "Join now" and a pop-up window will appear. You may be asked to sign in with your username and password. Next, click "Request Membership."
8. A Ghost Sniffers staff member will approve your membership within 24 hours and you'll receive an email welcoming you :)

CSTOCK

Had the pleasure of seeing the CSTOCK theatre space today. Cris (who works almost full-time now as our executive producer) allowed me and Faith to accompany her and we were all blown away by the beautiful space and everything CSTOCK has done it. This will be the space we'll use for the Mother's Day filming of the Mythos dance sequence (Join us for FREE!) and I can't imagine a more dreamlike space -- from the warm comfort of the house to the proscenium archwork. I knelt down where I'll be to shoot the dancers and could see the whole scene in my head.

Thank you, CSTOCK, for allowing this little-series-that-could come into your home. Your support of our message and our mission means the world to us.

Fancy Shmancy Filming

Today begins a new era for "Ghost Sniffers" -- the era of fancy shmancy filming :) With the help of Angels of Anarchy (a production company that specializes in film projects by women and has nothing to do with anarchy, actually), we began our first day back filming with a real life digital slate, added lenses, a more organized crew, and brand new lights.

What does all of this mean? It means Brianne and Cris were like two swarming creatures filling each of the sets with activity -- running extension cords, balancing light trees over stair wells, popping in with complicated slate information, checking props and costumes for continuity, herding actors hither and yon. What did I do? I had the complicated task of barking things like, "Lights! Slate! Go! Action!" It was quite exhausting ;)

Actually, it all made for a very smooth day. Though the first day back filming after a break is always stressful for me, this was an incredible experience. Four scenes went by quickly and we had more than enough time for me to get creative and fit in a few dozen reshoots just for the joy of trying new things.

The new lenses, coupled with new manual settings, allowed us to increase the details of our images to really make colors pop even more. We always shot our first scenes with selective color and had a blast with that. Episode 7 (the second half -- the first half was shot at ArtsWest in Seattle) is going to be a fun episode to watch :)