Weekly Review (June 20-26)

WEEKLY REVIEW:
-Finished the first pass of color-correcting the NICHOLAS trailer and sent it off to be scored by a local musician.
-Worked on getting the NICHOLAS script ready for publishing.
-Choreographed 60% of the fight scenes in DOTH.
-Worked on props/costumes/casting/call sheets/shot lists for DOTH (focussed on the first 4 of the 11 shooting days).

COMING UP NEXT WEEK:
-Finishing the fight scene choreography for DOTH.
-Continuing to make final preparations for DOTH, which begins shooting July 7.
-Most of July/August is expected to be “all DOTH all the time”.

QUESTION FROM A FAN:
“Has anyone ever been hurt on any of your movies?”
Physically? There have been a few cuts (mostly from a bunny) and bruises but *knock on wood* nothing serious. Emotionally I can’t begin to calculate the damage we have done.

Hayley Westphal holds the deadly rabbit on the set of NUTSHELLS (2002).

Weekly Review (June 13-19)

WEEKLY REVIEW:
-Acquired new costume pieces for several characters in DAY OF THE HEDGES.
-Pulled some props for DAY OF THE HEDGES.
-Continued to develop the fight sequences for DOTH.
-Booked locations and actors for DOTH.
-Completed the 3rd draft of the DOTH screenplay.
-Wrote a trailer for DOTH.
-Completed the cut, color and sound balances for the NICHOLAS ACT 1 Trailer. All it needs now is special effects and music.
-Wrote the NICHOLAS ACT 2 Trailer.
-Created a rough calendar for our 2016 projects.

This shirt arrived this week and will appear on a  certain jolly Christmas spirit in DAY OF THE HEDGES.

COMING UP NEXT WEEK:
-Completion of the NICHOLAS ACT 1 Trailer.
-Editing of the 2015 HP Demo Reel.
-Continued work on props/costumes for DOTH.
-Rehearsals for DOTH.

QUESTION FROM A FAN:
“How do you find the time to do all this?”
We plan things far in advance. We divide large tasks into small chunks. We make a calendar and stick to it like the Bible. Filmmaking DOES take commitment. If you really want to do it, you find the time.

Unanswered Questions in the HP Movies

Sometimes movies leave an audience with a few unanswered questions. Sometimes this is due to making the screenplay more efficient (“trimming the narrative fat”, as it were), sometimes it’s done to intentionally make things more mysterious, and sometimes it’s just an oversight. Today we look at some of the biggest unanswered questions from the Hedges Pictures Cinematic Universe….Some of which, I’m here to tell you, will be touched on or totally answered in DAY OF THE HEDGES.

[WARNING: Possible SPOILERS ahead if you haven’t seen all the HP movies.]

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08. What happened to Taylor? (No Mutual Friends)

After causing havoc at a birthday party, Taylor takes off suddenly only to be heard as a distant voice on an answering machine. Is he gone for good or are house parties still in danger? What is he really after, anyway? Watch NMF for clues: https://vimeo.com/13950157

Stephen Kernion as "Taylor" in NO MUTUAL FRIENDS.

07. What does Travis mean “Death is only the beginning”? (Ballet for Children-Unauthorized 3)

After being framed for multiple murders, Elliot turns the tables on his former co-star and hits Travis over the head with a shoe. Before his final passing, Travis utters “Death is only the beginning.”… This question actually has a partial answer. We know from things talked about in DANCE WORLD REVELATIONS that somewhere between BFCU3 and DWR Travis sold his soul to the evil fairy Carabosse in exchange for magical powers. He pops up at the end of DWR only to be seemingly defeated once again. Watch BFCU3 for the original cryptic message: https://vimeo.com/8624879

Travis H. Williams as "Travis" in DANCE WORLD REVELATIONS

06. Where did the Mistress/Scientist/Carpenter come from - and where did they go? (The Incident with The Magician)

We know that Patrick’s city has a lot of masked heroes and villains running around, but the only origin story we know of is Patrick’s. We know how things turned around for him in the end too (a new origin story). But since we only see the others in brief glances, their origins and ultimate fates are unknown. Watch the movie again to form your own theories: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJTG0cFuk9Q&feature=youtu.be

Jason Dowies as "The Scientist" in THE INCIDENT WITH THE MAGICIAN

05. Who is that priest dude and what’s his deal? (Requiems)

He appears in an instant and vanishes like a stain of breath upon a mirror. His motives are ambiguous and, depending on how you view REQUIEMS, he may not even exist at all. Assuming that he does, what could be his purpose? Assuming that he doesn’t, who can see him and why? Re-watch the whole series and see if you can piece his motives together: http://www.hedgespictures.com/requiems.html

Bill Martin as "The Priest" in REQUIEMS

04. How does Charles have “relations” with Coppelia? (The Lady is a Doll)

Charles finally finds a girl that he can talk to - but, as a doll, she doesn’t have much to say in return. As the movie draws to a close, we know that the two have spent some “quality time” together. What we don’t know is exactly how…well…that works, since it raises a number of questions. Form your own opinions after watching the movie: https://vimeo.com/12216006

Sam Bryan and Brooklyn Frost as "Charles" & "Coppelia" in THE LADY IS A DOLL

03. Did Lauren and Austin stay together and are they trapped? (Dance World Revelations)

Billy made a tremendous sacrifice when he sealed the doorway to the Dance World - exiling himself in our dimension and leaving Lauren and Austin together in the Dance World. We see what happens to Billy after this, but the fate of Lauren and Austin’s troubled relationship in a dimension that is completely alien to them is left a mystery. Are they trapped? It certainly seems like it - but the Dance World is a place full of magic and adventure, so who can ever say for sure? Relieve that adventure here: https://vimeo.com/31165050

"Lauren", "Billy", and "Austin" in DANCE WORLD REVELATIONS

02. Who is Dani’s roommate (Requiems)

REQUIEMS left a number of unanswered questions each episode, but one of the more puzzling is the identity of Dani’s roommate. Only a few hints are given in the course of the series and in the final episode it is revealed that he was discharged sometime before Dani’s final meeting with Dr. Jameson. Re-watch the hospital scenes of the series to mine them for clues: http://www.hedgespictures.com/requiems.html

Jenny Ballard & Devin Williams as "Angela" and "Dani" in REQUIEMS

01. What’s in Marty’s red bag? (The Taylor Swift Stalker)

Marty endures an arduous journey across 4 states to bring Taylor Swift the gift of a red bag - the contents of which are never revealed, not even when Marty is directly asked by his brother, Erwin. In that scene he responds only with, “Hope.” The bag is left discarded in Nashville after a fight with Erwin and is only briefly mentioned in the sequel. See if you can figure it out by re-watching the original: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQmyZ1ZpwsQ

Kurt Hauschild and Travis H. Williams in THE TAYLOR SWIFT STALKER

Be sure to check out DAY OF THE HEDGES in October, where some of these questions will be answered, some will be given new clues, and others will continue to be a mystery...

Weekly Update (June 6-12)

WEEKLY REVIEW:
-Continued to work on booking cast and locations for DAY OF THE HEDGES.
-Discussed costumes for DOTH with our wardrobe supervisor and began purchasing some items.
-Worked on the first draft of the NICHOLAS manuscript that will be sent to the publisher.
-Met with Seidule Films to discuss DOTH.
-Discussed design ideas for the 15th anniversary poster with a designer.
-Began blocking out the fight scenes for DOTH.
-Finished the rough cut of the NICHOLAS trailer.

COMING UP NEXT WEEK:
-Continued pre-production for DOTH, including: booking rehearsals, working on the fights scenes, and gathering props.
-Sound balancing, color-correcting, and adding titles to the NICHOLAS trailer.
-Hopefully starting work on the HP Demo Reel.

QUESTION FROM A FAN:
“Do you make those questions up?”
No, only the answers.

A new behind-the-scenes pic from the NICHOLAS trailer shoot is posted every Wednesday on our Facebook page. 

Travis's Favorite Movies

by HP founder, writer/director Travis H. Williams

I am often asked about my favorite movies. Journalists in particular seem to love this question, but when I start rattling off titles I can tell that I’ve disappointed them. I think they are waiting for me to say something like Citizen Kane, or a Wes Anderson film, or an obscure French film and, as you can see from the list below, that simply isn’t the case. Now I can’t say that everything on this list should be included in any “best movies of all time” lists, but these are films that personally resonate with me and inspire me to make movies of my own. For filmmakers, in the end, I think that matters far more than having a mainstream answer for interviews (besides, they almost never run the answer to that question if you give them something that doesn't fit with what they think makes a good story - which means more print space for, ya know, the movie you are promoting).

Here are my Top 10 favorite movies of all time:

10. THE MIDNIGHT HOUR
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0089593/?ref_=fn_al_tt_4
This movie is 80s amazingness. One could make a case that it falls into the “it’s so bad, it’s good” category. Levar Burton is in it, vampire/zombie/witch cliches intermingle, and there’s a "Thriller" rip-off musical number in the middle of it for no particular reason. And it works. It totally works. Most of my favorite movies balance comedy and drama well and this movie accomplishes that. There are genuinely scary moments and, in the midst of it, a truly touching romance. Very hard to find on DVD, but well worth the effort.

"Get Dead" from The Midnight Hour: 

09. HOOK
The entire cast is amazing. The score is great. The story works. So many attempts have been made at capturing the magic of the original Peter Pan and, in my opinion, most fail. Hook manages to do it. It’s a damn fun film.

08. THE GIRL NEXT DOOR
The first in my “nerdy guy gets the girl in some really amazing and bizarre way” trilogy on this list… A very funny film that can’t help but draw you in (and scare you to death in places). Clever characters and an original story - wonderfully acted and filmed. It also gives us a line I quote often, “Always know if the juice is worth the squeeze.”

Trailer:

07. THE PHANTOM TOLLBOOTH
I stumbled on this movie late one night while still in elementary school and became fascinated with it. The wordplay (most of which is taken from the novel) is incredible, as is the fantastical world that is explored is truly one of a kind. The film does a nice job of capturing the spirit of the book and Chuck Jones's animation is at the top of its game. 

Another movie that’s hard to track down on TV or DVD, but someone was nice enough to rip it and put it on YouTube:

06. EIGHT DAYS A WEEK
Second in my “nerdy guy gets the girl” trilogy - a quirky little indie film starring one of the most beautiful women ever to grace a screen, Keri Russell. I love how indie this movie is and how much you can tell in the finished product that it was a labor of love. There are several great quotes to live by in this movie, lots of great gags, and some moments that tug on the heart strings. Another one that is hard to track down, but well worth the effort.

Trailer:

05. THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS
A true testament to original stories, animation, and music. What more can one say?

04. HOCUS POCUS
Melodrama. Ambiance. Adventure. Perfect comedic timing. Ya-bos. 

03. THE BACK TO THE FUTURE TRILOGY
Yet another movie on the list that blends several genres - scifi, comedy, coming of age, action, adventure. A wonderfully solid series of films that is still fun to watch. 

02. SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE
Clever, inspiring, heartbreaking - a wonderful movie about art and artists. An extremely well crafted film. 

The (very 90s) trailer:

01. ANGUS
Concluding my “nerdy guy gets the girl” trilogy… I could (and one day will) do an entire blog about all the things I love about this film. You WILL laugh (out loud), you WILL cry (for a good 5-10 minutes), and you WILL want to hug your best friend/family members/significant other after a viewing. The best coming of age movie I’ve ever seen. The film is wonderfully directed, has a great soundtrack, and a perfect cast. I would argue that this is one of the most under-appreciated films of all time. I am never not entertained and inspired by this movie. Watch it.

Trailer:

Weekly Update (May 30-June 5)

WEEKLY UPDATE:
-Started editing the NICHOLAS Trailer. Most of the time was spent seeing where all of the features are in Final Cut Pro X. We are off to a good start!
-Booked a few locations for DAY OF THE HEDGES. Several to go.
-Met with Seidule Films to discuss the 2016 project.
-Put the revisions suggested by the proofreader into the NICHOLAS screenplay and started looking at the requirements for self-publishing the document via Lulu.com. 

This week marked the first practical use of Final Cut Pro X for Hedges Pictures.

COMING UP NEXT WEEK:
-Very busy week for DAY OF THE HEDGES preproduction - as the time has come to get down to the nitty gritty of gathering props, costumes, actors, and locations.
-Editing will likely conclude on the NICHOLAS Trailer. 

QUESTION FROM A FAN:
“Has the Muffin Joke ever appeared in a Hedges Picture?”
To date, no, however it does exist in a draft of a screenplay we are looking to produce next year. 

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).