On the first day of arriving in Shreveport to film A Bird’s Nest the crew went out into a wooded area where we would be filming a good portion of the film. We started by checking out the more accessible areas, then moved on to an area that we had to walk a good distance to the actual area we shot at. This sequence of photos was taken during that walk.
Ah the dual nature of stop motion animation… The first side: all the planning, and prepping: It can be anything from sand, to Legos, G.I. Joes, to drawings, to the classic “Claymation”. You spend hours plotting out the story, making the background, each individual frame (if required), and then you finally shoot it. Which, if anyone is wondering, takes several more hours. The second side: you’ve accomplished all this work!!! Then you play the footage……..it lasts 8 seconds. Literally. 8 seconds le sigh That’s it. You might be able to stretch it to 10-12 seconds, 15 if you’re really good….
This was almost the Holiday Special that was never uploaded, but thanks to the awesome Kellie Penna she got it all done and uploaded. Now here it is for you to view and enjoy. Tomorrow Kellie herself will give you a rundown of all the hard work that went into producing this video.
Director of A Bird’s Nest talks about life On Set… I often tell people that filmmakers are crazy. Only filmmakers will spend hours in the rain and mud, brave poison ivy and spiders, and completely rearrange an entire house in order to get one perfect shot. I am one of those people. For me, the final product is just the icing on the cake. The best part about filmmaking is the process. The time leading up to the final finished product of “A Bird’s Nest” yielded some of my most vivid memories. I can still remember the moment my co-producer,…
A Bird’s Nest producer, Adam Duncan talks about life on set… When I think about “A Bird’s Nest” I feel like a proud parent. Perhaps the proud weird uncle is a better term. I’ve been fortunate enough to see “A Bird’s Nest” grow from the tiniest speck of an idea, and to see it through to a full blown adult sized award winning film. The process was memorable, rewarding and grueling. Christine Chen and I had long discussed our desire to make a festival quality film with gravity, with emotional depth and a strong emphasis on cinematic value. After writing…
Crew Member – Nick Longoria talks about Composing I was very lucky to be chosen to score A Bird’s Nest. My music tends to be dark, so after reading the script, I was ecstatic to begin crafting the dark undertones for David’s very dark tale. The foundation of the score is built upon a purgatorial felt piano to mimic the wandering-soul of David. I kept it super simple. From there, violins and violas slither in and out as the celli and basses build to the climax of the story. Aside from the horror moments of the film, I see its…
Our team needs your support more than ever. We are in the top 20 films selected for the Louisiana Film Prize. This means that we are in the running for a $50,000 grand prize. 50% of the votes are determined by attendees to the event. We hope that by spreading the word and creating enough buzz, people will want to attend the event and vote for our film!
The idea to reality of A Bird’s Nest has been a whirlwind. It took one short story, by Eric Hwang, written almost a decade ago and the right lead, Deke Garner, to spark the inspiration for this short film. The screenplay, adapted by Christine Chen, will be shot in Shreveport, Louisiana, May 28-30, 2014. More updates to come. Here is our first official poster designed by Alicia Marshall.
Hoping to pay for her baby boy’s life-saving surgery, Chelsea White wins a spot on American Roulette, the #1 online reality show of the near future, hosted by the driven, narcissistic Jeffrey Chambers. Will Chelsea earn her “shot at happiness”? Alex Murphy (Writer/Director/Editor) Chad Treanor (Cinematographer) Christine Chen (Producer/Assistant Director) Shannon Deane (Sound Mixer – Location & Post) Brittany Ladolcetta (Makeup) Gregg Lee (Composer) CAST: Michelle Faraone (Chelsea White) Thomas Faustin Huisking (Jeffrey Chambers) Matteson Claus (Diane White) Samuel Davis (Bryan) Christa Haxthausin (Janet) Produced as an independent project through UT Austin’s Radio-TV-Film (RTF) program. Check out the behind the…
The kitchen can be a scary place. Release Date: January 10, 2010