Comic-Con Week: Day #1- Moans & Groans...(So it begins)

Shot with iPhone, click to enlarge.

"..We need another effect for Fat Fart-Woman"

So I'm back in the edit, its 6pm and we're mouth-farting and Xombie-moaning into a digital recorder. Typical Sunday evening, right?

Matt the editor and I are racing to finish up the sound design for my sections of CHILLERAMA, and we're on the last night before we're dashing into the mix with Andy Garfield for a quick stereo mix, then check FX shots at LIT Post AND fit in 2 big interviews for KNIGHTS in the am..and thats just in the next 24 hours. The madness of the Comic-Con marathon has just begun!

The past week since we last spoke has itself been a blur of sorts; so much has happened in such little time. From doing a coloring pass of CHILLERAMA at LIT Post (AMAZING digital intermediate artistes!) to putting the finishing touches on the KoB teaser with AV SQUAD (whose work Im a BIG fan of...click their site to see ad agree!!) to sound spotting with CHILLER editor Matt (whose tireless dedication to this project is a sight to behold) to meetings with fellow directors on a secret project I'm working on right now (stay tuned for that one)...and this is all before Wednesday! I think I also ate a little and slept less.

Photo by Ryan Rotten

Wednesday was also a gas; IndieVest and the wonderful folks at ID PR set up a "Pre Comic-Con" interview day for myself, Mark & Matt where we got to show some media a select number of media some goodies from KNIGHTS OF BADASSDOM, including some of the props from the film (which was a stroke of genius, see above...funny how the ladies gravitated towards Kwanten's armor!). But it was really the first time anyone outside our "circle of trust" got to see some footage and from what I gathered from the feeling in the room...people were really digging it. We did two roundtables and it was a great primer for the week ahead being able to talk about the movie, even in repetition. Just strange how the last time I was in a "roundtable" was 11 years ago when I was part of a roundtable interviewing Vin Diesel for PITCH BLACK (where I was the only nerd who name-checked IRON GIANT, to which he was impressed. Thanks Brad Bird!) and I can see how these things can be a little strange, but everyone in both sessions seemed genuinely jazzed at what they saw, which was even more encouraging for the days ahead as we travel to the Hallowed Hall H. For more info (and even more pics) from the EW "First Look" check it out HERE!

BUT...we're not done yet!!! Right after I got home from the Roundtable sessions, the exclusive Comic-Con ONLY teaser poster for CHILLERAMA was unleashed onto the Internets courtesy of Image Entertainment, our fearless distributors, has sent it out along with info on the Comic-Con screening. Feast your eyes on this sexy sucker:

Poster art by Phil Roberts

The old-school concept (no photoshop baby!) was done by famed artist Phil Roberts, who I was a big fan of since his work on DETROIT ROCK CITY's poster. Now again, this is only for the con since the real poster will be even more epic, but since we needed something for the preview, Phil whipped this sucker up and damn if it aint a hoot. But get them quick, cause the MPAA supposedly was NOT pleased with it so it will likely become a collector's item (..or something you use for a dog paper when you get home from the con; at least use the white side!).
Great work Phil, thanks!!! For more info on the screening, click the link HERE!

So yeah...Wednesday...whew!

Thursday was equally interesting as the Entertainment Weekly article on KNIGHTS went online a day before press. Now, I had no clue what was going to come about from this; last week I got an email saying "We need you to talk to EW about the movie asap". Um, what!? OUR movie? Full disclosure: I like EW. I enjoy it and have for years. I've had a subscription since '91 and the fact that anything I say, let alone an image of a movie I directed?!?! Holy Schnikies! The interview was really cool; what was 15 minutes turned into 30, time flew by and the writer Anthony seemed happy with the results. CUT TO: The EW article comes out....



HOLY CRAP! This is the first time 3 of our heroes are shown "In game". Pretty killer huh?!?! Plus my dad's TRIK logo is on proud display, which is such a wonderfully bittersweet moment for me and the family (long story, check out my SHOT OF THE DAY #65 for a little more insight).

Now, I dunno if you read EW or not but a placement in "FIRST LOOK" is no small potatoes here folks. For an indie film? Its frikkin' RARE. But luckily enough we have some amazing actors who have been on the public consciousness as of late (especially with TRUE BLOOD starting again and The Dinklage getting an Emmy nom) so the pic landing in this spot in the mag for their annual Comic-Con Preview issue was just another moment of serendipity for this crazy flick. The image spread online like a zombie virus and suddenly, the awareness for KOB was hitting it's stride and only fueled everyone's excitement for the week(s) to come.

Shot with iPhone, click to enlarge.

But that wasn't all...I also spent Thursday doing ADR for the CHILLERAMA "Comic-Con Mix" so we had all the loose ends tied up before screening. It was a blast seeing many of the actors again, even recording Bri and Remy for a few moments, and I relished in directing each actor to "give me a take of Zombie Humping" for our splatteriffic soundscape. It was so much fun, just so strange to have to shift from one project to the next in the span of a car ride. Then it was off to Pasadena to meet for said "Secret" project and then finally make it home by Midnight, which has been my usual "cut off" point. 18 hour day? Pffft. That's bankers hours, baby. But its all worth it.

On Friday, Matt and I began the laborious but exciting task of doing all the sound design for my segments of CHILLERAMA, which was again, a lot of squishing, screaming, moaning, defecating...clearly this is a family film! But its truly stunning what a great sound effect can do for a moment (and how the wrong one can take you out of the movie). Its been an all weekend process but its been a hootenanny for sure, coming up with unique ways to get sound effects. I learned that Macaroni Salad is a WONDERFUL tool for many of these SFX needs...who knew?

Shot with iPhone, click to enlarge.

...and now here we are, on Sunday night before the mix, recording moans, groans and various other squishing SFX that would make DEAD ALIVE Peter Jackson proud. Nothing like the 11th hour, huh? Again, the version people are going to see on Friday is NOT going to be the completed cut. Image wanted to take advantage of the convention to get the good word out about the movie (which we're delivering right after the con is over) by showing a cut to the right fans...REAL fans! And while it wont be 100%, this seems to be the best crowd to get a hell of a first response, so we don't want to miss an opportunity like Comic-Con, right? Should be a lot of fun!

So....By this time next week, after the Marathon slows down and many a hangover is nursed, we'll be driving back from San Diego...and I have NO clue how its all gonna go. But I DO know we'll have given it our all, put our best sword forward and it will be an honor and thrill to have had the opportunity to go to Comic-Con with TWO movies, making this a dream within a dream come true. Hope to see you guys out there, please say hi and wish us luck!

Onward!!

Joe