Weekly Update (May 23-29)

Weekly Update:
-Completed revisions on the 2nd draft of the DAY OF THE HEDGES screenplay.
-Booked composers for DOTH and the NICHOLAS trailer.
-Downloaded Color Finale (color-correction software) to use henceforth.
-Started breaking down the location needs of DAY OF THE HEDGES.
-Recorded a voice over for the 2015 edition of the HP demo reel.
-Worked on October 16 event logistics.
-Finished getting all of the HP movies on IMDB.
-Worked on costumes for "Billy" and "Christmas Present" in DOTH.

Coming Up Next Week:
-Saturday we will be getting a few final shots for the NICHOLAS trailer.
-Preproduction on DAY OF THE HEDGES kicks into high gear as we are 1 month away from shooting.
-Much of June will be spent editing (demo reel, NICHOLAS trailer, and other things).

Question from a Fan:
“How many drafts of a screenplay do you write before it’s done?”
That answer varies widely from project to project. REQUIEMS was on about its 20th draft, DAY OF THE HEDGES will probably be the 3rd draft. I would say the average is that the 3rd or 4th draft is the one considered “final” (but there’s always things “discovered” on set and things cut in editing, so often that “final” draft is still not a completely analogous piece to the final movie.

Travis with a copy of the screenplay on the set of DANCE WORLD REVELATIONS (2008).

Weekly Update (May 16-22)

Weekly Update:
-Spent all weekend shooting for the NICHOLAS trailer. 
-Travis took some great new headshots with http://www.greenpotatomedia.com/ [Thanks, guys!]
-Sorted the behind-the-scenes photos from the NICHOLAS trailer shoots (look for a new one to be posted on Facebook every Wednesday from now until the October premiere).
-The search for a composer for DAY OF THE HEDGES began.
-2nd draft revisions on DAY OF THE HEDGES continued.
-The HP photos from the last 15 years are taking up too much hard drive space, so backup/migration efforts have been planned.

One of Travis's new headshots, thanks to http://www.greenpotatomedia.com/

Coming Up Next Week:
-Completing 2nd draft revisions of DAY OF THE HEDGES.
-Tackling preproduction for DAY OF THE HEDGES.
-Recording a voice over for the 2015 HP Demo Reel.

Question from a Fan:
“Are you going to see Taylor Swift in Baton Rouge this weekend?"
Well, no. “TSwift Stalker 3” is in roughly the same place as GHOSTBUSTERS 3 - not gonna happen (at least not in a way you’d want it to). However, if Taylor wants to get in touch, we’d love to grab coffee. Well, Kurt wouldn’t, but Travis would. And Jeff would tag along.

Weekly Update (May 9-15)

Weekly Update:
-We shot in 2 locations in Pensacola, FL for the NICHOLAS trailer.
-Travis and Jesse had a NICHOLAS/DAY OF THE HEDGES/2016 Project production meeting.
-The 2nd draft revisions of the DAY OF THE HEDGES screenplay began.
-Final preparations for the big NICHOLAS trailer shoot this weekend.

Haley Schroeck and Travis Williams shooting on location for the NICHOLAS trailer.

Coming Up Next Week:
-The main 2 days of shooting for the NICHOLAS trailer are this weekend, after that the project will have 1 short day of shooting left.
-Focus next week will be on completed the 2nd draft of DAY OF THE HEDGES.

Question from a Fan:
“If all the HP movies are set in the same universe, how early did you introduce that concept?”
Though you could argue it was earlier, I’d say NUTSHELLS (2002) was the first real hint of that, as there are allusions to the Dance World and Travis’s character from BFCU3. In the “expanded universe” the characters and places introduced in NUTSHELLS are considered Dance World cannon.  

Weekly Update (May 2-8)

Weekly Update:
-Worked on call sheets/shooting schedules for the NICHOLAS Trailer.
-Picked up costumes for the NICHOLAS trailer.
-Discussed music needs for DAY OF THE HEDGES with a composer.
-Finished loading an archival copy of each movie to a single external hard drive.
-Continued to update the HP movies on IMDB.
-Determined the release dates of trailers/posters/behind-the-scenes photos for all upcoming projects.

Coming Up Next Week:
-This weekend we are doing some light shooting in Florida for the NICHOLAS Trailer.
-Will continue final preparations for the big NICHOLAS trailer shoot next weekend.
-Will begin working on the second draft of the DAY OF THE HEDGES screenplay.

Question from a Fan:
“How many different states have you shot in?”
This weekend Florida will make 6. Almost all the movies have done some shooting in Louisiana. The others are as follows:
Texas - Return of the Taylor Swift Stalker
Alabama/Tennessee - Taylor Swift Stalker
Mississippi - Lost Island of Laveau, TSwift Stalker

The cast and crew of HP's first out-of-state shoot (in MS), for  LOST ISLAND OF LAVEAU (2007).

Weekly Update (April 25-May 1)

Weekly Update:
-Wrote the script for the updated HP demo/highlight reel (which will debut at the 15th anniversary gala in October).
-Continued to copy old HP movies to a backup “legacy” drive.
-Completed working with Davis Creative on the 15th anniversary logo. Efforts on the 15th anniversary poster will begin soon.
-Met with a photographer about doing 15th anniversary promo headshots.
-Completed booking locations for the NICHOLAS ACT I trailer.
-Continued to work with the costumer on the NICHOLAS ACT I trailer.
-Continued casting the NICHOLAS ACT I trailer (nearly done with that).
-Made adjustments to the NICHOLAS ACT I trailer script.
-Met with Seidule Films about the NICHOLAS ACT I trailer and DAY OF THE HEDGES.
-Continued to update the HP movies on IMDB.

The 15th Anniversary Edition of the HP Logo (courtesy of Davis Creative)

Coming Up Next Week:
-Efforts will remain largely focussed on the NICHOLAS ACT I trailer, with DAY OF THE HEDGES tasks also starting to become a higher priority. The “busy season” has officially begun.
-The first shots of the NICHOLAS ACT I trailer will be shot next weekend on the beaches of Pensacola. 

Question from a Fan:
“What awards did THE LADY IS A DOLL win?”
Our 3rd feature, THE LADY IS A DOLL, won two awards at the LSU Outhouse Film Festival in 2005 - they were the Golden Outhouse for “Best of the Fest” and “Best Supporting Actress for Amanda Davis’s role as “Carol”. LIAD also won an honorable mention at the Spindletop Film Festival, which was held at Lamar University at the time. It has screened at several other festivals, most recently at the Third Street Film Fest.