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. 

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).

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.

Weekly Update (April 11-17)

WEEKLY UPDATE:
-Helped out on set for Seidule Films’ COVER ME production days 9-11.
-Cast two of the leads for DAY OF THE HEDGES (announcement coming soon).
-Worked on casting for the NICHOLAS ACT I Trailer.
-Efforts this week were largely focussed on logistical aspects of the NICHOLAS ACT I Trailer, such as figuring out what to shoot when, what locations/props/costumes are needed, and casting.

COMING UP NEXT WEEK:
-Saturday is the final day of principal photograph for Seidule Films’ COVER ME.
-Continued tests of Final Cut Pro X.
-Meeting with graphic designer to discuss the 15th Anniversary poster.
-Efforts are likely to remain focussed on getting the NICHOLAS ACT I Trailer ready for production in May.

QUESTION FROM A FAN:
“What is DAY OF THE HEDGES?”
DOTH will be to the Hedges Pictures universe what THE AVENGERS is to the Marvel Universe. We are taking characters from many of our past films and teaming them up to take down one super villain. It will be a little “wacky” in the same way that BFCU3 or DANCE WORLD REVELATIONS (and other pieces of our early work) are.

Watch the teaser-trailer here:

Weekly Update (April 4-10)

WEEKLY UPDATE:
-Seidule Films COVER ME had production days 6-8, bringing them to the “2/3 Completed” mark.
-Reconfigured the wiring for the 7 external hard drives HP uses in the editing suite.
-Did the first official tests of our new editing software, Final Cut Pro X.
-Research for the 2016 project.
-Major work on setting dates for the NICHOLAS ACT I trailer shoots and DAY OF THE HEDGES shoots (and other early logistical work on both).
-Finalized the “script” for the NICHOLAS ACT I trailer.
-Finished the first proofread/revisions of the NICHOLAS ACT I screenplay for publishing later this year.

Look for this HP cameo in COVER ME from Seidule Films this fall.

ON THE AGENDA FOR NEXT WEEK:
-The final production days for Seidule Films’ COVER ME.
-The NICHOLAS ACT I trailer takes priority - with major issues like booking locations, actors, costumes and props being addressed.
-Continued tests of Final Cut Pro X.

QUESTION FROM A FAN:
“Can I have your autograph?”
It depends.

Weekly Update (March 29-April 3)

WEEKLY UPDATE:

-Created/revised call sheets for all the remaining production days of Seidule Films’ COVER ME.

-Booked a date for the HP 15th Anniversary Gala: October 16 at Theatre Baton Rouge.

-Revised 10 more pages of the NICHOLAS: ACT I screenplay.

-Made a first pass at figuring out how many shooting days it will take to film a book trailer for NICHOLAS: ACT I.

-Purchased an external hard drive for archival purposes (back up your digital content, folks!).

-Purchased a USB hub that will work with all the external drives that hold the HP movies.

-COVER ME had production days 4-5, bringing them to the “1/3 Completed” mark.

-Watched a few tutorials on how to use our new editing program, Final Cut Pro X.

ON THE AGENDA FOR NEXT WEEK:

-Production days 6-8 for Seidule Films’ COVER ME.

-First experiments in editing with FCPX.

-More NICHOLAS ACT I revisions and book trailer planning.

-First attempts at locking a cast and schedule for DAY OF THE HEDGES.

QUESTION FROM A FAN:

“Is LOST ISLAND OF LAVEAU an episode of REQUIEMS?”

Well, technically, “no” - but they are related. The REQUIEMS screenplays had a first draft written in 2004, though the series wasn’t shot until 2014. In 2007 we took one of the episodes as they were at the time and expanded it to be a stand alone short film - that became LOST ISLAND OF LAVEAU. When we began a new set of drafts in 2013, I liked the idea of doing a follow up vooderre story, so Ep 2 of REQUIEMS is a direct sequel to LOST ISLAND. Therefore, LIOL is a stand alone movie, and a prequel to REQUIEMS Ep 2. The various episodes of REQUIEMS changed many times throughout the decade-long revision process, though Dani’s plotline remained largely the same.

The discovery of the vooderres on THE LOST ISLAND OF LAVEAU (2007).

Weekly Update (March 14-20)

WEEKLY UPDATE:
-Purchased and setup a new, faster, better iMac to use for editing movies (made possible thanks to our generous IndieGoGo contributors)!
-Worked on call sheets for days 4-7 of Seidule Films’ feature film, COVER ME.
-Revised 10 pages of NICHOLAS ACT I screenplay.
-Downloaded Final Cut Pro X, the program that will be used to edit movies from now on.
-Working on booking date for HP 15th anniversary gala.
-Setup this new blog!

ON THE AGENDA FOR NEXT WEEK:
-Production days 1-3 for Seidule Films’ feature, COVER ME (we will be on set logging shots, taking photos, and generally helping out).
-Sorting archived files on the HP editing iMac.
-More revisions for NICHOLAS.

QUESTION FROM A FAN:
“Just how many projects do you have going on this year?”
A lot! We are helping out Seidule Films with COVER ME, later this year we will produce the short DAY OF THE HEDGES (which will debut at our 15th anniversary gala in October), we are getting the NICHOLAS ACT I screenplay ready to be printed, we will be shooting a “book trailer” for NICHOLAS ACT I, and we are also prepping for a big feature film of our own in 2016.