Friends,
It is a few weeks overdue, but Happy New Year from the "Humboldt County" team.
After a self-imposed two week time-out over the holidays, we jumped back into the editing process with gusto a couple of weeks ago. Our fresh perspective has inspired numerous changes, both subtle and substantial. As a result, the film is tighter and more compelling than it has ever been, as evidenced by the progressively favorable test screenings we have been conducting recently.
In addition, over the past four days we reassembled a scaled down cast & crew and filmed several pick-ups (shots we missed) and new scenes that we feel will further enhance the end product. We will incorporate this new footage tomorrow, and in a little over a week we plan to "lock picture," meaning we will have completed the visual edit of the film. From there we will start to edit the various sound elements, which -- largely due to the musical score, which will need to be composed -- may take another few months.
We are nearing the finish line, and optimism is relatively high. Despite the fact that we are painfully stretched on the financial side, we continue to make forward progress. One indication was the call we received last week from the South By Southwest Film Festival in Austin, one of the top five such events in North America. They have invited us to premier "Humboldt County" at their festival this March. Though we may decline the invitation (because the film may not be ready in time), being selected for this festival is not only an enormous honor, but also a strong testament to the quality of our project; over 3,000 films were submitted for around 100 spots.
Now for the less optimistic news: as I have discussed via email or live with many of you, we continue to be painfully stretched on the financial side. Unless we are able to raise the remainder of the funding we need to complete the film in the next several weeks, our forward progress will stall. If you know anyone who might be interested in participating in the project -- or if you are intrigued by the idea of increasing your involvement -- please contact me as soon as possible. Keep in mind that the investment is tax deductible...
One fact is for sure: the closer this film comes to completion, the more excited we are to show it to you.
Regards,
Jason
January 15, 2007
November 15, 2006
HC Newsletter - November 15, 2006
Friends,
It is hard to believe, but it has been close to a month since we completed principal photography on "Humboldt County." After a brief decompression period, we dove head first into post-production, and now find ourselves once again all consumed.
Danny and Darren have been working with our editor, Ed Marx, 10-16 hours a day, scrutinizing the footage and piecing together our first cut. It will be several more weeks before this primary pass is complete, but all parties agree the result will be as promising as we had hoped.
Simultaneously, we are in the initial stages of selecting the vendors and individuals who will help transform this film into a full-blown motion picture. Critical elements such as sound design and mixing, digital effects, titles, and an original music soundtrack will be added to the project over the next several months. If all goes well, we will have a finished product by the end of February, at which point we will focus all our energies on selling it.
We remain extremely tight on the financing side and are reticent to cut corners (due to financial limitations) in this all-important phase of the project. If you know of anyone who you believe may be interested in participating in this opportunity, please don't hesitate to contact me with details. For those of you already involved, if you have not already done so, I ask you to consider increasing your investment.
I will continue to update you with our progress as we reach notable milestones. In the meantime, treat yourself to some turkey with all the fixin's.
Best,
Jason
It is hard to believe, but it has been close to a month since we completed principal photography on "Humboldt County." After a brief decompression period, we dove head first into post-production, and now find ourselves once again all consumed.
Danny and Darren have been working with our editor, Ed Marx, 10-16 hours a day, scrutinizing the footage and piecing together our first cut. It will be several more weeks before this primary pass is complete, but all parties agree the result will be as promising as we had hoped.
Simultaneously, we are in the initial stages of selecting the vendors and individuals who will help transform this film into a full-blown motion picture. Critical elements such as sound design and mixing, digital effects, titles, and an original music soundtrack will be added to the project over the next several months. If all goes well, we will have a finished product by the end of February, at which point we will focus all our energies on selling it.
We remain extremely tight on the financing side and are reticent to cut corners (due to financial limitations) in this all-important phase of the project. If you know of anyone who you believe may be interested in participating in this opportunity, please don't hesitate to contact me with details. For those of you already involved, if you have not already done so, I ask you to consider increasing your investment.
I will continue to update you with our progress as we reach notable milestones. In the meantime, treat yourself to some turkey with all the fixin's.
Best,
Jason
October 22, 2006
HC Newsletter - October 22, 2006
Friends,
I am pleased to announce that yesterday we completed principal photography on "Humboldt County." We each have a multitude of tales from the experience; so many, in fact, that it would be too difficult to chose one in particular to detail here. I will, however, share two photos: one of (most of) the primary cast and another of (most of) the crew.
I am pleased to announce that yesterday we completed principal photography on "Humboldt County." We each have a multitude of tales from the experience; so many, in fact, that it would be too difficult to chose one in particular to detail here. I will, however, share two photos: one of (most of) the primary cast and another of (most of) the crew.
Editing of the film has already begun, and we plan to have "picture lock" by early next year. During and following this process, we also will be editing and enhancing the film's sound -- including adding music -- as well as incorporating a couple computer generated effects. Once the film is complete, we will be exploring a number of paths to securing distribution.There is a great deal of work to be done, but the results of the production phase have put us in a cautiously optimistic frame of mind.
Best,
Jason
October 12, 2006
HC Newsletter - October 12, 2006
Friends,
Late last night we completed the 15th day of our 20-day production, and all aspects continue to go remarkably well. The weather has held up -- only one day of light rain -- and the "dailies" we have been watching of the film we have already shot consistently astound even us.
Below are a few stills from the past week, including one of our directors in costume. (They are playing supporting roles as well.) If all goes according to plan, we'll be finished on Tuesday, and then it's on to the editing process.
Best,
Jason
Jeremy Strong (PETER) & Peter Bogdanovich (PROFESSOR HADLEY)
Late last night we completed the 15th day of our 20-day production, and all aspects continue to go remarkably well. The weather has held up -- only one day of light rain -- and the "dailies" we have been watching of the film we have already shot consistently astound even us.
Below are a few stills from the past week, including one of our directors in costume. (They are playing supporting roles as well.) If all goes according to plan, we'll be finished on Tuesday, and then it's on to the editing process.
Best,
Jason
Chris Messina (MAX) and Jeremy Strong (PETER)
Jeremy Strong (PETER) & Peter Bogdanovich (PROFESSOR HADLEY)
Jeremy Strong (PETER) & Fairuza Balk (BOGART)
Frances Conroy (ROSIE)
Brad Dourif (JACK)
Jeremy Strong (PETER), Danny Jacobs (STEVE), Darren Grodsky (BOB)
October 3, 2006
HC Newsletter - October 3, 2006
Friends,
A quick note from Danny, Darren and I to announce that we have completed 8 of our 20 shooting days, and the production is going unbelievably well. While there have been plenty of bumps in the road, we've had far more good fortune than we could ever have anticipated. (For instance, when you budget several thousand dollars for a shot of a helicopter, and then the coast guard decides to do a demonstration of their new whirlybird at one of your primary shooting locations two days before you start production, and they allow you to film it, Lady Luck is clearly on your side.)
The performances have been outstanding, the locations stunning, and the crew remarkably efficient. On top of all that, we are currently on schedule and within our budget.
We are moving through the production schedule very quickly but are managing to keep on top of it all. From what we have seen thus far -- and I'm sure those of you who have visited set can attest -- we appear to be well on our way to making an entertaining and thought-provoking film.
More to come...
Jason
A quick note from Danny, Darren and I to announce that we have completed 8 of our 20 shooting days, and the production is going unbelievably well. While there have been plenty of bumps in the road, we've had far more good fortune than we could ever have anticipated. (For instance, when you budget several thousand dollars for a shot of a helicopter, and then the coast guard decides to do a demonstration of their new whirlybird at one of your primary shooting locations two days before you start production, and they allow you to film it, Lady Luck is clearly on your side.)
The performances have been outstanding, the locations stunning, and the crew remarkably efficient. On top of all that, we are currently on schedule and within our budget.
We are moving through the production schedule very quickly but are managing to keep on top of it all. From what we have seen thus far -- and I'm sure those of you who have visited set can attest -- we appear to be well on our way to making an entertaining and thought-provoking film.
More to come...
Jason
September 24, 2006
HC Newsletter - September 24, 2006
Friends,
It is hard to believe, but after several years of effort on the part of countless individuals, "Humboldt County" will finally start production tomorrow, September 25th.*
It would be impossible for me to express the excitement Danny, Darren, and I are experiencing. In the past month, the project has undergone momentous changes, not the least of which is the assembly of over 40 crew members, each of whom will spend at least the next four weeks bringing this film to life. We have also managed to wrangle quite an impressive cast. Since the last newsletter, we have added the last few actors needed to round out our cast, including two highly-regarded veteran actors:
- Brad Dourif, who is attached to play JACK, first made his mark as Billy Bibbit in "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest," a role for which he received an Oscar nomination and won a Golden Globe. Since then, he has been in over 100 films, including "The Lord of the Rings" movies. His recent role on HBO's "Deadwood" recently earned him an Emmy nomination.
- Frances Conroy, attached to play ROSIE, was also the star of an HBO series, "Six Feet Under." Her role on that highly acclaimed show garnered her four Emmy nominations and a Golden Globe award. She has also been featured in dozens of films, including "Crimes & Misdemeanors," "Scent of a Woman," "Sleepless in Seattle," "The Aviator," and "Shopgirl."
Those of you who have been with us for some time will recall that Jeremy Davies has been slated to play the part of MAX. As our production dates approached, it became clear that he and the directors had mounting creative differences, so we elected to recast that role. We were very lucky to find a brilliant actor named Chris Messina to replace him. Chris, who has become renowned in the New York theater over the past couple of years, also had a recurring role on "Six Feet Under." He has appeared in a number of feature films, and he recently played the lead role in "Ira and Abby," and independent film that in July won The Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature at the Los Angeles Film festival.
Since several (or all) of the actors' names in our cast may be unfamiliar to you, I have attached a visual reference since their faces are likely more recognizable. It is notable that we have four actors who have worked on critically acclaimed HBO original series, namely "The Sopranos," "Six Feet Under," and "Deadwood," which underscores the strength of our material, cast, and potential in the marketplace.
Needless to say, there is a lot more to share. At the moment, though, I have to get back to work on our preparation. I plan to send more frequent updates over the next several weeks, so keep your eyes out and your fingers crossed.
Cheers,
Jason
*The fact that our shooting schedule coincides with my wedding, which is next weekend, is definitive proof of Murphy's Law.
It is hard to believe, but after several years of effort on the part of countless individuals, "Humboldt County" will finally start production tomorrow, September 25th.*
It would be impossible for me to express the excitement Danny, Darren, and I are experiencing. In the past month, the project has undergone momentous changes, not the least of which is the assembly of over 40 crew members, each of whom will spend at least the next four weeks bringing this film to life. We have also managed to wrangle quite an impressive cast. Since the last newsletter, we have added the last few actors needed to round out our cast, including two highly-regarded veteran actors:
- Brad Dourif, who is attached to play JACK, first made his mark as Billy Bibbit in "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest," a role for which he received an Oscar nomination and won a Golden Globe. Since then, he has been in over 100 films, including "The Lord of the Rings" movies. His recent role on HBO's "Deadwood" recently earned him an Emmy nomination.
- Frances Conroy, attached to play ROSIE, was also the star of an HBO series, "Six Feet Under." Her role on that highly acclaimed show garnered her four Emmy nominations and a Golden Globe award. She has also been featured in dozens of films, including "Crimes & Misdemeanors," "Scent of a Woman," "Sleepless in Seattle," "The Aviator," and "Shopgirl."
Those of you who have been with us for some time will recall that Jeremy Davies has been slated to play the part of MAX. As our production dates approached, it became clear that he and the directors had mounting creative differences, so we elected to recast that role. We were very lucky to find a brilliant actor named Chris Messina to replace him. Chris, who has become renowned in the New York theater over the past couple of years, also had a recurring role on "Six Feet Under." He has appeared in a number of feature films, and he recently played the lead role in "Ira and Abby," and independent film that in July won The Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature at the Los Angeles Film festival.
Since several (or all) of the actors' names in our cast may be unfamiliar to you, I have attached a visual reference since their faces are likely more recognizable. It is notable that we have four actors who have worked on critically acclaimed HBO original series, namely "The Sopranos," "Six Feet Under," and "Deadwood," which underscores the strength of our material, cast, and potential in the marketplace.
Needless to say, there is a lot more to share. At the moment, though, I have to get back to work on our preparation. I plan to send more frequent updates over the next several weeks, so keep your eyes out and your fingers crossed.Cheers,
Jason
*The fact that our shooting schedule coincides with my wedding, which is next weekend, is definitive proof of Murphy's Law.
September 1, 2006
HC Newsletter - September 1, 2006
Friends,
It is hard to convey how much has happened in the month since our last update. I probably should have sent out an edition of this newsletter a week or two ago, but we have all been so overwhelmed that time got away from us.
The most important news is this: We are officially in pre-production and plan to start filming "Humboldt County" on September 25th. We reached our minimum capitalization several weeks ago and have spent all of our time since then assembling our crew, scouting locations, negotiating equipment/material deals, casting our remaining actors, raising additional financing, and preparing ourselves for the forthcoming production. We have a little over three weeks until we start shooting, and our rapidly growing team has been a tremendous help in managing the myriad tasks we have in front of us.
We will be filming for four weeks, six days a week, and the vast majority will be shot in Humboldt County itself (Arcata, Eureka, and the surrounding areas). Our crew size will average 40 people, but there will be "heavy" days when the number of cast members and extras will put us close to 70. All of the department heads we have hired -- and plan to hire -- have a wealth of experience with feature films and will be invaluable in ensuring the film is delivered on time and within budget.
There have been many additions to the project in the last four weeks, but one of the most notable is Fairuza Balk, who has been cast in the role of "Bogart." Fairuza is an alluring and accomplished actress who is recognized as both an independent film stalwart (American History X, Personal Velocity) and a bankable star of studio films (The Craft, Almost Famous, The Waterboy). She, like the others we have cast, is remarkably passionate about this film and has already spent many hours of her personal time with Danny, Darren, and the other actors rehearsing. In addition to being a stellar actress, she has a phenomenal voice, and next week we will be recording the song she will be singing in the film. Full credits, photos and a biography for Fairuza can be found at: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000103/
There is much more to share with all of you, but right now I'm afraid my time is better spent focusing on the project. We hope to have a rudimentary website up soon that will provide more frequent updates, but you can count on these newsletters appearing in your mailbox as often as we can manage.
Best,
Jason
It is hard to convey how much has happened in the month since our last update. I probably should have sent out an edition of this newsletter a week or two ago, but we have all been so overwhelmed that time got away from us.
The most important news is this: We are officially in pre-production and plan to start filming "Humboldt County" on September 25th. We reached our minimum capitalization several weeks ago and have spent all of our time since then assembling our crew, scouting locations, negotiating equipment/material deals, casting our remaining actors, raising additional financing, and preparing ourselves for the forthcoming production. We have a little over three weeks until we start shooting, and our rapidly growing team has been a tremendous help in managing the myriad tasks we have in front of us.
We will be filming for four weeks, six days a week, and the vast majority will be shot in Humboldt County itself (Arcata, Eureka, and the surrounding areas). Our crew size will average 40 people, but there will be "heavy" days when the number of cast members and extras will put us close to 70. All of the department heads we have hired -- and plan to hire -- have a wealth of experience with feature films and will be invaluable in ensuring the film is delivered on time and within budget.
There have been many additions to the project in the last four weeks, but one of the most notable is Fairuza Balk, who has been cast in the role of "Bogart." Fairuza is an alluring and accomplished actress who is recognized as both an independent film stalwart (American History X, Personal Velocity) and a bankable star of studio films (The Craft, Almost Famous, The Waterboy). She, like the others we have cast, is remarkably passionate about this film and has already spent many hours of her personal time with Danny, Darren, and the other actors rehearsing. In addition to being a stellar actress, she has a phenomenal voice, and next week we will be recording the song she will be singing in the film. Full credits, photos and a biography for Fairuza can be found at: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000103/
There is much more to share with all of you, but right now I'm afraid my time is better spent focusing on the project. We hope to have a rudimentary website up soon that will provide more frequent updates, but you can count on these newsletters appearing in your mailbox as often as we can manage.
Best,
Jason
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