Thoughts for Next Movie

Dear Readers,

Those of you who have been faithfully following the news on Crime and Counterpoint will now have a chance to give some input for our next film. It will probably be around the same time length as C&C, perhaps a bit longer.

Would you like to see more of:

a. Action
b. Comedy
c. Nostalgia
d. Other

As a heads up, if we do an action film, it will have doses of humor in it, with probably some sad moments sprinkled in. However the other two choices will most likely not have a lot of fast paced stuff going on. So it's not like it's an either or, but more of an emphasis.

Please respond in some detail with a comment.

Thanks!

Win a Free DVD!

Whoever gets the most votes as a favorite character wins a free copy of the Crime and Counterpoint DVD! 11 days remaining...

Movie still Available

Copies of Crime and Counterpoint are still available for sale!

New Numbers

The Crime and Counterpoint Blog has reached 1500 visits! Keep 'em coming...

In other news, please pray for us as we consider ideas for the next movie, especially Bethany. She has the main part of the work, as I am kept busy most of the time at ETSU. We have a good idea, but are really struggling to make it work. We want this to be a quality story.

Laus Deo Productions

So, you may be thinking woah, is Spoon Gap Media doing a merger or something? There go all your market shares folks....

:)

Actually, I wanted to make mention of another production company, Laus Deo Productions which is run by Matthew Presley. Matthew travelled over 1 1/2 hours to Emory, VA to help with Crime and Counterpoint, and we hope to see more of him during production of Spoon Gap Media's next film. Give his site a quick look sometime soon.

On that note, check back around Thanksgiving. We may be able to drop some hints about the next film at that time.

Paypal processing!

Anyone who wants to purchase a copy of Crime and Counterpoint can now order it online through Paypal! This takes only a few minutes and the DVD will be on it's way to you before you know it.

Order a copy today!
www.crimeandcounterpoint.com

Time for a prize

Ok, here goes! Whoever becomes the first person to get 10 people to buy the DVD, gets a free 12x18 Crime and Counterpoint Poster.

Here's the rules:

1. When the buyer sends their order email, they have to mention your name, No name, no count.
2. This has to be non-related individuals. You can be related to them, but they can't be related to each other.
3. All referred buyers must purchase a DVD before Christmas, in order to go toward your poster.

www.crimeandcounterpoint.com

One Day More

Be ready to hit the website tomorrow!

www.crimeandcounterpoint.com

DVDs coming soon!

The DVD will go on sale this Monday, September 6! Check the website then.

Official Crime and Counterpoint Website

Ordered...

The DVDs shipped today. I ordered 50 of them, and they'll be going fast! So if you or your family wants to order one, send me an email to reserve one before they go on sale.

Moving Right Along

The preview DVD should be arriving in the mail TODAY! I expect it will look fine. Provided it does, I will begin ordering...

DVDs coming soon!

I am just finishing up the process of sending DVD data to the duplicators. There will probably be one more hoop to jump through, and then the DVD should be available for sale.

There is only one special feature on the disc, besides the actual movie, but it is a director's commentary. Featuring the Assistant Director John, along with myself, you will learn some interesting pieces of trivia about the making of the movie, plus our overall comments on the film as it goes along.

The next film, for those of you who are wondering, will most likely be another 30-40 minute short, and Lord willing will be shot sometime in summer 2011. We are already in pre-pre-production (whatever that is). If you are interested in getting involved in the next production, send me a note. If you are an actor, I will put you down on the acting list. If you like cameras and lights and all that fun stuff, I'll put you down on the potential crew list. If you don't care for any of that stuff but you have an uncle who has a friend who's brother works for a guy who owns a Ferrari, I'll definitely put your name down somewhere as well. :)

Production video

Behind the Scenes in 3 1/2 minutes:

http://www.vimeo.com/13988798


Crime and Counterpoint Production video from Benjamin Dawson on Vimeo.

The Premiere

The Premiere went very well Tuesday morning. We had over 130 people turn out, which was a nice surprise!

Lord willing we will have a DVD and case artwork mailed to the duplicators sometime next week.

More Followers!

Let's try to make the number of followers of the blog reach 20 by the premiere!

Also, the trailer on Youtube has been viewed 487 times. Let's push that to 500 by tomorrow!

And lastly, I have a goal for a certain number of visitors to the blog, period...perhaps that will be fulfilled...

Crime and Counterpoint Premiere!

It's official now!

What: Crime and Counterpoint, 30 min. student film
Where: Abingdon Cinemall
When: August 3
Time: 10:30 am
Admission: Free

Tell all your friends, let's try to get a packed house!

Screenings...

Big news coming! We are working on getting Crime and Counterpoint premiered at a local theatre! This is very exciting, as we work at bringing our productions up the ladder one rung at a time.

If you want to recieve an update when the screening date & time is finalized, go to followers and click on my icon. Send me an email and I'll send you one when the info is nailed down.

And then, tell all your friends. I want to fill the place, and it can seat 140. I don't expect that many, but who knows, I could be suprised. I mean, where else in Abingdon can you see a student homeschool project - a movie - for free?

Film News

The film should be finished by the end of August, Lord willing. I had hoped to have it done by the end of July but I am crazily busy with summer school right now.

I am debating what to do about DVD distribution. If you would like to order a copy when the film is complete, email me through my google account. I need a tally to make the best decision.

Pass the word along! Run time 30 minutes. Price $10 max.

Video coming soon

So, the first Behind-the-Scenes video will be coming very soon, maybe as soon as tomorrow!

Check back then.

Another Film Still

Movie Poster

A New Trailer!

Here are some links to the first Crime and Counterpoint trailer! Who knows, it may be the only one but that's ok.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5qhJqoNnrM

http://vimeo.com/11773649

Rough Cut

We now have a rough cut of the movie! It needs quite a bit of work but it's nice to see all the gaps closed in the video.

Many of you are wondering when the final film will be coming out. As of right now I really can't say. At the latest, probably early fall 2010. I'll keep you posted though.

Stay tuned for posters, videos and later, a new website!

Visitors...

The blog has had 290 visitors since it's start on April 1! That is very exciting. It may sound funny because compared to some movie blogs that's a pitiful number, but for us it is huge. This is not a Sherwood Pictures movie, or a Cloud Ten film. This is a 30-minute short, being produced by a bunch of teen-age homeschoolers in Southwest Virginia. Every bit of public interest counts. :)

Keep on visiting!

Just Doing the Job

John Dawson (AD) and cousin Benjamin (Director) relax for a moment - sort of.

BTS Photos Day 3

Here are some behind the scenes pictures from Day 3:

Photo Credit: Jeffrey French

Production wrapped!

Today we wrapped production! With the exception of one sequence, we have the whole film in the can.

More info, such as status of the film, pictures, some promo posters, and (eventually!) some behind-the-scenes video is forthcoming.

And, if I get at least 15 [separate] request comments, I will release a clip from the film.

For now, here are a couple of stills:

Home Stretch

This weekend we make the final production push! We will film all the remaining scenes, with the exception of 3 or 4 that will be more convienent for pick-ups. After that it's on to post, and all of that fun stuff.

Unfortuntately my 3-year old computer is starting to die and Premiere Pro has stopped functioning. Thankfully we do have another computer to use so we'll pick up from there. Once I get that going we should have a BTS video.

Behind the Scenes Photos

Well thanks to our set photographer Jeffrey French, we now have some nice pictures to show!

Movie Stills

Here are a few frame grabs:

Filming, Day 2

Today was Day 2 of Crime and Counterpoint. Well technically it was Day 3, because we shot some stuff yesterday that there wasn't time for today, but I'm going to call it day 2.

We didn't shoot as much as the first day, but it turned out really well I think. Stay tuned for behind the scenes pictures, and a behind-the-scenes video!

Filming, Day 1

Today was day one of shooting. Overall it was a great first day. There were some lighting and sound instances that could have been better, but the color came out very nicely and the actors gave great performances. Once everyone finds their niche in the crew things will really start rolling.

Here are a few BTS pictures.

Blog Problems

I checked the blog this afternoon to find out that all of the photos are missing! I believe it is a server issue, we'll see.

Meeting with Actors

I met with three of the actors this week, with two more to go in the next couple of days. That went very well and the preparation should make things go more smoothly on set.

Josh O'Bryan, one of the actors

A Short Synopsis

Suspicion casts it's shadow over the Henry Conservatory of Music. The school is hosting a Chopin Festival to commemorate the composer Frederic Chopin's 200th birthday. The president of the school has acquired one of Chopin's original manuscripts to put on display. He hires a security agent to keep an eye on the manuscript, due to it's high monetary and historical value.

When the students arrive, the problems begin. Can the president identify the true culprit and preserve justice, all before the manuscript disappears forever?

I figured that this blog needed a synopsis, so that people who don't know what the film is about can find out!

Rescheduling Plans

Well we have not begun filming yet. The plan is to begin production in April. That sounds like a long way off but it is actually for the best, because that will allow more time to prepare the props, rehearse lines, and plan any last-minute details.

So really this doesn't tell you anything, except that we're still alive. Regardless, I figured that the blog could use another post.

Location Scouting

We went location scouting a few weeks back. We were supposed to begin filming this weekend, but it looks like we'll be getting a bad winter storm over the next couple of days. So while we wait, I thought I'd post a few pictures from the scouting trip. If you have trouble viewing the pictures at full size, try right-clicking on them and select "Save Picture As". Then save the picture to your computer, and you're all set!

A good day's work!

The Chapel

Tennis Courts

Getting the shot

Byars Hall, the music building