Archives: Virtual Crew

Hey loyal film nerds!

Anyone who takes time to watch behind the scenes stuff is considered a film nerd in my book.

“And I dig that about you!” (movie quote – email me if you know)

We’re full steam into pre-production. As discussed in the last email, this includes things like story boards and shot lists.

Pre-production also includes location and tech scouts.

Location Scouts

Finding the right place to shoot a movie is paramount.

On studio films, there are people dedicated to the task. For low-budget indie films like RECKONING, it’s all on me.

How do I find locations? Google, ask around and drive until the right place is discovered.

Once you find a place, the next trick is tracking down the owner.

For RECKONING I need cabins. While searching I stumbled across the Cashiers Historical Society, and the incredible Colonel John’s Cabin. It’s a legit cabin from the 1800’s.

For real???

I reached out to the organization. Told them about RECKONING, and asked if they’d allow me to shoot outside the cabin.

Guess what?

Not only did they say yes, but said I could shoot inside too.

I drove out to meet the manager of the property only to jaw drop at a fully stocked interior with 1800’s decor that would make the art department on a major studio film drool with delight.

Check out the cabin interior pictured below. This will be the home of our movie’s hero: Rose Lawson.

Colonel John’s Cabin will be used for another scene in the film.

And you’re the first ones to know this stuff!

I might share photos on social media, but some details are reserved only for you.

Tech Scouts

After locations are discovered, a tech scout involves bringing out department heads to check things in detail. Why?

Because there are a lot of variables that can affect a shooting location. Are there noisy neighbors? Traffic noise? Copperheads?

Yes, I kid you not. Copperheads.

On ROSE AND THE OUTLAW the owner of one location (the old house) told me to wrap shooting before warm weather hit, because the area is loaded with copperheads. His neighbor confirmed, showing me the size of one he’d killed the previous year.

Lovely.

So that’s the latest with RECKONING.

I’ll send more behind the scenes info soon, containing details reserved only for you – the film nerds.

Man… maybe nerd isn’t the right term.

Allies? Sounds like combat. Supporters? Kind of overused.

Send me some ideas. What should you be called?

Thank you for doing this with me!

Kyler

Dear loyal film supporters,

Happy late Labor Day! I hope it was relaxing. Unless of course you worked, and then it really was a labor day.

Bad joke.

Here’s the deal: I want each of you to not only enjoy these updates, but also obtain a better understanding of filmmaking.

So with that, here’s a behind the scenes question:

After the script is finished, who do you think sees the movie first?

The Director.

Before a single day of shooting happens, the director pictures the entire movie. And by this, I don’t mean some dreamlike experience while they sit by a fire sipping coffee.

It’s a meticulous scene by scene, shot by shot visualization.

I dare you to watch the first three minutes of your favorite movie and count every time they cut to a different shot. Directors see all of this ahead of time, and create two very important things:

1) A Shot List

2) Story Boards

I’ve begun the shot list for Reckoning.

Here’s what it looks like:

Pro Tip: A single page of script is roughly one minute of screen time. Reckoning is 23 pages long, so the movie will hit around 25 minutes.

The shot list above covers ONE PAGE of the script.

22 pages to go.

Story boards are also happening now.

They’re drawings of each shot and used to quickly show department heads like the DP (head of camera & lighting) and Art Department (set design and props) what the director is visualizing.

For me, the best time to story board is while creating the shot list. You can see a few of the opening shots for Reckoning below:

(Yes! We’re gonna have horses.)

As you can see, this all takes time.

It’s one of the many things that happen during Pre-Production. But shot lists and story boards help directors be efficient on set. And that allows us to be more creative.

If there are other things you’d like to hear about, let me know.

Otherwise, the next topic will most likely be costuming!

Now it’s back to work…

Kyler Boudreau

Hey! You’re receiving this email because you asked to be included in updates on the sequel to Rose and the Outlaw, entitled RECKONING.

I so appreciate your interest in the film!

Getting any type of production off the ground is tough, and supporters like you make the best home team fan base any filmmaker could ask for.

In case you’d like to know, film productions happen in 4 phases:

Development

Pre-Production

Production

Post Production.

Right now we’re in development. Development is all about story. And it’s difficult to write a good story. In fact, there’s a term in Hollywood called “development hell” where many scripts go to die.

No amount of acting, gorgeous cinematography or sizzling visual FX will fix a bad story. It’d be like having a beautiful car with no engine.

And here’s something you might not know about a movie script:

It can only contain what is seen or heard.

Did that sink in?

A novel can dive into the innermost thoughts of a person.

Filmmakers don’t have this luxury. We can’t talk about what someone is thinking. We have to show it. It’s similar to composing music for a pipe organ vs a flute. Each instrument has advantages and restrictions.

(This is why movies based on books can struggle. They’re adapting something written for “another instrument”)

The good news?

We’re almost done with the development phase for Reckoning!

However, part of development is feedback.

And something hit me the other night — Why not ask my home team fans if they’d like to read the script and give me feedback?

Hey, great idea!

Did you know that even major Hollywood studios do test screenings of films to get feedback before release?

So I’m extending an exclusive invitation: If you’d like to read the script for Reckoning, email me and tell me you’re on board with giving your honest opinion on what works and what doesn’t.

I can’t promise to send it to everyone, but some of you who respond first will get a copy.

So that’s the latest on our film! Thanks again for your support.

Stay tuned as soon we’ll launch into pre-production!

Hey everyone!

Summer twilights and our lives are all a bit complicated in some ways, to say the least.

Hopefully, talking about a movie is a pleasant, temporary distraction from tougher things happening right now.

I’m happy to say we are officially in pre-production. BOOYAH!

Louis Pasteur, a famous French chemist, says “Fortune favors the prepared mind.” This is what pre-production is all about.

It’s like in Gladiator when Maximus sat on his horse and said that killer line, “The things we do now echo into eternity.”

Bingo. The things I do now echo into my completed film.

I’m not gonna bore you with the entire pre-production list. It bores me!

But some of the fun parts of pre-production are creating a shot list of the entire movie, drawing story boards, costuming and location scouting.

The big note today was finalizing an order for Ghost Face’s new coat.

Whups… that was a spoiler!

Our composer also officially started discussing a new theme we want in the sequel. I’m already excited!

As we progress over the next two months, I’ll keep you in the loop.

Thanks for going on this journey with me. It’s so appreciated!

Next I’ll probably show you stuff about shot listing and story boarding.

See you then…

Kyler Boudreau