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*)