Danny Daneau
Director
I am proud to announce that the score for our film is complete! Our composer, Kristin Øhrn Dyrud, did such an amazing job creating a complex and wonderful soundtrack. I cannot tell you how proud I am. The following video was from our scoring session on May 17th, 2008 at Stewart Levin Productions.
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Writer Eric Ernst posted the following entry June 2nd, 2007 where he describes his writing process and dealing with conflict. Read the orginal post here.
Eric Ernst
Writer
Most books on screenwriting will tell you that the most important element in your script, above plot, above character, above everything is conflict. Which makes sense, as conflict is the most basic of elements, since it encompasses both character and plot. Most story conflicts can be boiled down to a simple “man vs.”. Man vs. man, man vs. nature, man vs. himself; there is a multitude of possibilities. The “man” almost always refers to the protagonist and whatever is on the other side of the vs. almost always refers to the antagonist. The word protagonist can usually be substituted for hero, and antagonist for villian, as these are basically newer terms used to replace older, more specific ones, much like Istanbul replaced Constantinople as the name of the capital of Turkey. Odd example, but you get the point.
Conflict is then derived from the battle, whether physical or not, between the hero and villian. The tension that comes from these two forces working against each other is the conflict, which usually culminates in a thrilling, combustible scene, known as the climax. There are a plethora of films in which these scenes occur, but many times, they do not. For example, the conflict in The Sixth Sense could be considered man vs. the supernatural, but there is never a confrontation between the two, instead just a chilling reveal. While some might see this as a detriment, there is also good that comes of it, for it helps to instill patience in the audience. Of course, there are things that can go awry, killing your chances for a satisfied audience. I’m not slamming M. Night Shyamalan, but Lady in the Water is a prime example of this.
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The following post was written May 28th, 2008 and chronicles our our pre production scouting of Kane County, Utah. Read the original with comments here.
Erica Harrell
Producer
Last weekend Danny, myself, Eric Ernst, and our Director of Photography, Scott Uhlfelder did a preliminary technical scout of all our interior and exterior locations. A Technical Scout or “Tech Scout” is when the director and usually several of his department heads go through the locations and note with great detail how each scene will be accomplished. Almost always the DP talks about what special equipment is needed on which days or how to light a particular scene given the location. For instance, the hallways and doorways in the Heritage House are almost too small for a classic dolly to fit in, but Scott was able to creatively suggest alternates ways of achieving the shots Danny desires.
Flexibility is key when shooting in a historical home like the Heritage House. When Danny and Eric scientifically measured each door, window, room and hallway they discovered none of the measurements were the same. The information they gathered in the home will then be handed over to our production designer Alex Eastwood so his team can construct flats and other materials we will need for the interiors of the Heritage House.
Our scout of Paria determined exactly where we will be constructing our exteriors. Danny and I alternated taking measurements of the distance from where we will build to determine what the camera will see from certain distances. We did not want to jeopardize our shoot by placing the structure in an inappropriate place. We also wanted to make sure we were maximizing every possible angel of the beautiful scenery.
Overall the Tech Scout was a huge success and now we know what we have to accomplish shooting our interiors as well as our exteriors.
