CALL OF CTHULHU
DARK VISIONS
All available DV & TCG-related Files are usually
accessible at TCG and DV web file
server
+++++++++++++++++
Friday FEBRUARY 6th
2004
FILM:
I have been
working diligently on the agent characters (to make them more than cardboard
cut-outs): Zamir, Harley and Lansing have been my focus for the most part.
I have also been
organizing additional stills and props, hope to post them soon after getting
some input from my local mythos colleague, along with a few more storyboards… Stay
tuned to the TCG and DV web file server page above for developments…
One of these
revisions will likely see the departure of the original Francois character, and
replacing him with James Forte’, who would probably be a more reasonable fit…
An additional character may be added, Victor Landley, but will only appear in
scene 1. “The lure” character’s name will be changing from Amy to Elise…
I currently have
one audition in an MPEG (Laura Parish as Lavinia), and plan to get these captured
from the mini-DV and rendered into mini-videos so that those of you selected
for roles can review your own performances… After you’ve done that, you can get
in contact with me, and I’ll give you my feedback on what you’ve done well, and
also provide advice and additional data to help you portray your characters
more compellingly.
I will be
capturing these auditions in the order of who has maintained the most contact
with me – some people haven’t returned my emails, so you are likely to see some
roles open up. There is also strong potential that some thespians from Chicago
will become part of the cast, this will bruise a few egos (I’m sure), but
anyone bumped will still be afforded an opportunity to work as an PA on the
set. The goal is to improve the
marketability of the film, and that will only occur if I view this as a
professional venture. Keep in mind this is only the first in a trilogy, some of
the characters do reappear in the other films, there will be some new
characters appearing in those storylines too…
====================================
GAMING:
Well, it was quiet
at NetHeads on Tuesday, then I realized that Jarrod had issues with his car,
and then on top of that, realized that I had neglected to post the meeting date
and time on the DV main page, sorry… I wrote some background fiction that I
hope to tie into the second film’s storyline, it mostly deals with Harley and
Lansing’s background, and covers their first mythos experiences, as well as
explains how Thielgut is still alive after ALL these years…
I will offer a
game two weeks from this last Tuesday, it will be the last one I’m offering to
run for quite a while. If no one shows next time, I will interpret this as a
reflection that the DV group may have run it’s course – in which case, I owe
everyone who participated a debt of gratitude, since without you the writing of
the fiction and script would not have been possible. Everyone who played in “The
Realm of Shadows” (the “rare and exotic species of skinny bear” campaign)
should contact me.
Your characters appear
in the trilogy (to varying degrees) and I’m writing FULL character profiles. I
would welcome the opportunity to develop these in a collaborative mode with
those of you open to the idea… If you don’t want your character to appear,
contact me ASAP so I can write them out…
Otherwise, you
can just wait for the DVD! <G>
Gotta go for now….
MONDAY FEBRUARY 2nd
– BRIEFLY
Game night still on for
tomorrow, 2/3/04, 7’ish...
The file server will be
down for a few hours this evening, relocating it within my house for easier
access to my home theater setup. Will make for better gaming too.
J
Expect a teeny Morrowind
plug-in in next few weeks, containing Aedric armor and weapons, hope to do some
photoshop work of some of the better-looking types, Daedric is just too plain
ugly…
The creator of “Bratz and
The Great Old Ones” tells me that he has captured the video to disk finally,
and needs to do some audio editing and video tuning. The production quality is
really not where he thought it would be, well what can you expect, using
single-CCD consumer camcorders? When it’s finished, I’ll be hosting it here
until I get harassed, then he’s going to put the file up on emule/edonkey
networks….
Gotta go… See you at
NetHeads tomorrow. Plan on a short, linear, single-evening Call of Cthulhu
adventure. Bring your sense of humor,
as I’ll be running the game.
I also solemnly promise
not to turn any players into ghouls this time, or anything worse. Quick and
painless tomorrow night, I promise…
WEDNESDAY
1/21/2004 - QUICK UPDATE:
Feeling
moderately better today. The insomnia demon found someone else to torture instead
(for part of last night) or maybe IT got too tired! LOL)
I
renamed the stills and other files located on the file share, first: organizing
them into categories, and secondly:
making it clear what type of file you’re accessing. I’ve been unhappy with
it for a while, but just overwhelmed with other tasks (I still am, just got fed
up with it and fixed it while adding the ghoul scroll.)
(Some
files are still linked off pages on this site, however, so I made copies of
those with the new names, to avoid busting any links here or elsewhere.)
I plan
on allowing (confirmed) cast and crew to upload files sometime in the future:
Resumes, headshots, Bio’s, etc. I’ll organize them by character, position or
whatever category seems to make sense.
I
removed (ghoul) talon photo with the glove: One contact surmised I intended to
use the gloves that I cut slits into as a RAW prototype for filming. The large
claws will be applied professionally to the hands of the creature actors. I’m
also researching how to construct leg extensions that end in the various hoof forms we’ll need…
I
might try to put together a new photo showing them attached via flesh-colored
tape. When I did the first sample, I only had two claws, now I have EVERY claw
for every creature, including some additional claws that will appear on the
female congregation members later in the film.
I have
also put out some tendrils, seeking sculptors and artist willing to produce
PRIMITIVE 3D renderings of the Great Old Ones for display during the film. (Desired
entities: Azathoth, Cthulhu, Shub-Niggurath, Nyarlathotep, etc. – I’ll consider
others, but these three actually are in the story.)
I can
point you to samples, if someone wants to try. My sole attempt at a hunting
horror bust using fired clay (unfortunately) landed just on the south side of
marginally acceptable.
I have
decided to improve the flow near the end of the movie: Put our loathsome
leathery fiends into action one more time (in a disturbing and creative manner,
without adding ANY additional gore).
Finally,
I am realigning the prior use of one creature closer to the original master’s
writings.
Stronger,
tighter transitions are integrated with these changes to build the energy, tightly focus it, and then channel
it dramatically, increasing the impact of the final climactic scene…
Gotta
go, it’s a ridiculously busy day. My thanks to those who continue to support
the film, just keep in mind that it’s getting better every day.
TUESDAY
1/20/2004
URGENT!
RP MEETING 1/20/2004 CANCELLATION
Several
factors have created a need for me to cancel tonight’s scheduled meeting. I’ll
elaborate below…
Contributing
Factors:
1.
I agreed to look into a
problem with a small business’ IT environment. Multiple problems were
identified, some of a critical nature. Documenting the issues and locating
service providers to fulfill the client’s permanent needs has proven a daunting
task. Two required documents are completed, the third document stands at 60%
currently.
2.
I’ve suffered from
intermittent bouts of insomnia within the last year. Right now, I’m having THE
WORST bout within recent memory.
a.
The only plus is that I’ve
used the sleeplessness to write: fiction, a script, some stories and research
different aspects of the filmmaking process with which I am unfamiliar. Some of
this work, both the literary and video stuff, will eventually either reach
publication status or be developed into film.
b.
The REALLY, REALLY bad part is
that I am having EXTREME difficulty concentrating or remembering facts and
detail. Persistent and vicious migraines are making lengthy social interaction
unwise if I’m interested in retaining friends.
c.
This would make running
adventures INCREDIBLY frustrating for all the players, and nearly impossible
for me as well. Currently, I’m not even
sure I could operate effectively as a player.
d.
I prefer to fully prepare when
possible, and usually even go a bit beyond that for the players, creating
physical props. They aren’t masterpieces (I know), but even as a player, I
appreciate any level of effort a GM puts in on my behalf. Doubly so if they go
beyond the norm to create custom items themselves.
3.
I must postpone any of my own
involvement until two weeks from now.:
a.
Documentation responsibilities
for the small IT project will be finished. Entirely…
b.
The reviled spectre of
insomnia will have passed by then. Episodes have been less than 3 days in
duration.
c.
I will prepare a single
scenario for the players, and offer it on February 3rd at Netheads
for those interested. I will be unable to commit to running any complex or
lengthy campaigns for the short-term.
d.
I’ll be glad to act as a
player if anyone else wants to run a
game, or even teach other players within the group how to run the BRP system
(as I understand it). It can be learned quite quickly if you’ve used it, even a
little, as a player. Making adventures interesting , telling stories well,
portraying characters, etc. is an ENTIRELY different matter - You’ll have to
learn that on your own.
4.
I spent all last week
traveling throughout Wisconsin and Michigan,
interviewing for positions. 35+ hours of driving – I’m not kidding – in
snowy realms in my rear wheel drive car. Yeehaw! One of the positions will
likely result in an employment offer. I haven’t received anything in writing
yet, though, so…
5.
On more positive notes, I’ve
made additional progress on various aspects of the film, been in contact with
some new actors for the film, and have been organizing lists of relevant
information to aid me in preparing. I’ve also written one additional short story
that shows minor promise, although I’ll caution that it is highly gory,
violent, gruesome, with a hair or two of darkly comedic content added for good
measure. It is quite different than my other work, but no since not recording a
story when there are redeeming elements present, and there is a good storyline.
Wednesday January 7th, 2004
No important news on the film front today. Or at least
nothing I can publicly acknowledge yet…
On the RP front, looks like Bob might not be available on
January 20th, so I will run a short one-shot scenario. I haven’t
decided on an era yet. If it turns out that Bob can make it, he will be GM’ing
our January 20th session.
The Neverwinter Nights legit module has been removed from
the files section for upcoming revisions. I hope to re-release it soon with the
graveyard section opened for your enjoyment…
Tuesday
January 6, 2004
Files are accessible at http://24.208.200.145
I updated the soundtrack page of the film section. A Demo MP3 of
“Deterioration Furthers” from Stratos and Company will be available soon from
the file server.
Monday January 5, 2004
The first RP meeting of the new year is (tentatively)
scheduled for January 20th, 2004 at Netheads in Broad Ripple.
I’ll be traveling through Chicago mid-next week, I hope to
finally meet with Mark Besozzi - the 1st assistant Director, an
actor and an actress from the Chicago area who have expressed interest in the
film.
Oh, and last but not least, I will be updating the Call of
Cthulhu (Lovecraft-themed) Neverwinter Nights modules soon. I'm currently polling
folks for responses in a few different discussion groups (the official Bioware
forums & alt.games.neverwinter-nights) for input on which version (update)
they are running, which expansions they have installed (if any), and the ONE
thing that bothers them the most about user-community developed modules they've
played... Modules will be revised based on input and any common, majority
threads that I find during my analysis of the user input.
Thanks in advance if you elect to participate!
Thursday December 11, 2003
I apologize (profusely) for the lack of updates. That said,
I’ll elaborate briefly upon the circumstances contributing to the delays. I
have not forgotten about those of you interested in the film. Read on:
I’m finally able to get in and make changes to the web
pages… Previously, I couldn’t login and Roadrunner’s tech support was clueless
as to why. Who hires those people? Sheesh!
Second excuse – I’m pretty busy searching for a new
position to provide a primary income so I can fund the film. I am also studying
for a Cisco CCNP certification. Those of you who know what that is know that
it’s no small matter. Looks like I may have to renew my MCSE as well after the
CCNP. The current job market is brutal, to put it mildly…
I’ll separate updates into two pieces – one for the RP
group and another for film-related information.
DV RP:
Will update meeting page soon when we have settled on a
date that will best fit everyone’s schedule.
Sessions begin again in January.
Location: Netheads, Broad Ripple.
Evening of the week: TBA
Environment: CoC Dark Ages (tentative)
GM: Bob Geis or Stan Taylor
MOVIE
NEWS:
Storyboards finished. Thank you, Jarrod!
We hope to have them online sometime in the near future for
your review…
Score:
Fabrizio Castania!
You can find him online via search engines, or wait for me
to update pages. His scores are to die for, and I’m very pleased to have him
contributing to our humble project…
Musical contributions:
Stratos, Bill Cory, The Unwilling Subjects
Stratos has a website, he can be found online. Gimme a bit
of time, and I’ll update the pages with a direct link…
Crew addition:
Eric Hingst, Indiana University
Other highlights:
I have determined after much soul-searching (and subsequent
ego loss) that the script must undergo brutal editing, most of it comprised of
dialog changes. There will be significant changes to one of Harley’s combat
sequences.
Editorial suggestions regarding dialog improvement to be
provided by Kevin L. O’Brien, editor and publisher of Lindisfarne Press (who
will be publishing my mythos short story, “Ghoul Hand Duke” in an anthology
titled “The Charnel Feast. Other authors featured in the anthology include HP
Lovecraft, Clark Ashton Smith, and other prominent current and past mythos
authors).
In addition, I am opening discussion with a few other
prominent mythos authors. The intent is to have these other individuals provide
focused contributions in their specific domains of expertise. I will retain
overall creative control and authority, in the interests of keeping the film
true to it’s original “Dark Vision”.
“Brown-eyed Ghoul” (parody of “Brown-eyed Girl”) song is to be added to soundtrack. Current plan
is for song to be written and performed by The Unwilling Subjects, but I will
consider farming its creation out to local Indiana bands whose musical tone
fits the theme and mood of the film.
I will be bringing the trailer back online, and also
placing several of the choice stills online for your viewing enjoyment. Goal is
to offer those interested a taste of my personal visual style, and also provide
a bit more atmosphere, highlighting our EXCELLENT setting. Currently awaiting
feedback from my distinguished panel of mythos correspondents. You know who (or
what) you are! <G>
I will also be updating the film-related pages of the web
site with names of new people who have joined the project.
Currently struggling to find some usable video footage from
my session at the location to use in improving the trailer. There is only one
video sequence that I consider marginally usable.
It’s not looking good, might be forced to use the best of
the stills and do camera pans. Stay tuned…
Monday 11/10/03
On November 7th, I was laid off by the Evansville
employer, due to a company-wide restructuring. About 50 or more employees will
be affected by the layoffs. For those interested, I have some relevant news
articles… To cut it short, they are in hot water with regulatory agencies (FCC,
SEC, etc.) It won’t end pretty and I’m gonna enjoy watching. Popcorn, anyone?
Leave the negative stuff in the rear-view mirror, I always
say… The good news is that I have 2 good leads on local jobs (Indy vicinity)
and am working on more. The up side to this is that I’ll be back in this area,
and able to work on the movie, and ramp up DV meetings again if y’all have let
them slip.
The storyboards are finished, we just need to get them
scanned in now. Also, I should have the trailer and other files, etc. back
online within the week…
Saturday
10/4/03
I’ve
accepted a job in Evansville, IN - I started September 15th. Since
moving down there, I’ve had no personal internet access, and there are no
cybercafes in Evansville. I should have internet access within the week, though.
We
will still make “The Charnel Gospel” next spring (latter April, probably).
There have been no further changes to the script since I last shared it with
the cast frontrunners, and Jarrod and I have been working on the storyboards.
Last time I spoke with Jarrod, we were part way through scene 4 (the cabin),
and I had started working backward from the end scene…
The
Indy DV roleplay group is now being handled by Jarrod Blasius (and potentially
Stan Taylor). Drop by NetHeads in Broad Ripple on probably Tuesday or Wednesday
evenings to find a CoC game. Stan is listed in the Yog Sothoth CoC Players
directory. Ask the GOOD people working at NetHeads about the CoC group, they
know who we are…
I have
not started a group in Evansville, since I’m devoting my evening time to
writing new music for “The Charnel Gospel”, and also trying to strengthen my
hands to the point where I can actually play guitar long enough to get
something right. Good news is that the broken fingers are recuperating well.
Bad news is that my playing still stinks, LOL.
Tuesday 9/9/2003
The file-serving issue
has been fixed.
Continued apologies to
all who have emailed me about the film (mostly Bloomington folks), I start a
new position next Monday, and I’m currently swamped prepping for relocation.
I’ll email everyone back once I’m settled into my new apartment, most likely on
the evening of the 16th, unless I’m called in for a telecom support
emergency that night…
Happy tentacles to you!
Monday
9/8/2003
UPDATE:
It appears
Roadrunner has killed my ability to serve files from behind my firewall. May
1000 tendrils infest their every orifice! I’ll try to sort something out. Soon
I’ll be able to give those creeps the boot anyway…
If you
really need one of the files, email me. We’ll try to do something via FTP or
maybe do a NetMeeting file xfer, unless those bastards have blocked that too…
This
REALLY irks me. Its not like I was having Gigabytes of traffic flowing my way.
People using file-sharing software probably have more upstream traffic than me.
Shame on you, Roadrunner. You’ve just alienated one of your customers. I’ll get
DSL when I move.
EARLIER
THIS MORNING:
My
apologies to those trying to access the trailer and other downloads, Roadrunner
has begun changing my friggin’ IP address regularly. Previously, I’d get the
same one for 6 months at a time. Whatever… I’ve fixed all the links, until the
next time they change it, LOL! It’s probably about time I bought the web domain
for the film anyway, and set it up on a real web hosting service.
On a
more personal level, if you’ve emailed me about the film, and haven’t heard
back, it’s because I’ve accepted a job offer and will be starting work soon. I
have to relocate for the job (within the state), so I’m a bit busy planning to
move. I will get back to everyone who has contacted me. Seriously. Patience is
a virtue!
This
week’s DV RP night will be on Wednesday. I can’t meet any other night.
Wednesday
9/3/03
I’ve
got a better capture setup worked out, I’ve got video captured, now I’m trying
to figure out how to work with it effectively in my free editing software. This
might take a while, LOL!!
Good
news is I received a job offer, I’ve accepted verbally and am waiting on the
hard copies to arrive. This will mean changes for RP and the movie side of
things, but nothing earth-shattering. We do have draft storyboards for scenes
1-3 completed, thanks to Jarrod Blasius (and me)!
Don’t
worry, there won’t be any cataclysmic cosmic enemas! I’ll be at Netheads tonight. 7pm for those who can make it!
Tuesday 8/26/03
No suitable video
captured yet. Performance is too low through the Asus capture features, and
I’ve had WAY too little time to experiment with it. I want a higher-resolution capture,
and I’m not gonna settle for a crappy image. <G>
We need to move the DV RP
meeting to Thursday, I can’t make it tonight, and I’ve got something else going
on tomorrow night… I will have an adventure ready in the event Stan cannot
attend. I’ll send out an email this morning to the usual crew.
Saturday
8/23/03
I’m
working on setting up one of my two desktops to support video capture through
the Asus V7700 Deluxe in it (it has all sorts of capture capabilities). It’s
worth a try, if I don’t like it, I’ll use the firewire card I’ve got in the
other system. Maximum capture resolution is something like 708 x 420. I’m gonna
capture some stuff and see what it looks like…
The
primo portion of the captured footage will be used to improve the trailer. I cannot
specifically say when I’ll finish an updated version, but I’ll leave the
original teaser online under charnel.zip and probably call it trailer.zip for
simplicity’s sake. I’ve also got some stills I’ll be using.
Apologies
to those of you trying to download files today, with all the software installs
I’m doing on that server, it might be up and down a bit today. Should be back
online fully later today…
Next
week’s DV meeting will have to be on Wednesday…
Friday 8/22/03
Today I finished the 7th
edit of the script and finished editing the short story, “Ghoul-hand Duke”, in
preparation for it’s publication in “The Charnel Feast”, an anthology of tales
of Lovecraft’s ghouls. These anthologies feature the literary work of
professional and other talented, aspiring mythos authors and I’m very proud to
have my work even CONSIDERED for publication…
Feels good to have 2
small projects finished anyway. Time for a relaxing Friday evening…
Thursday
8/21/03
Not
much has changed, still very busy searching for work. I did not make any
progress on the script last night (had other things to do around the house).
Spent most of yesterday trying to fix the PC I wanted to use to edit the
footage for the trailer, it’s motherboard is bad. Oh well, that ought to take
about 3-4 weeks to get a replacement… LOL
I
updated portions of the film’s web page, with something a bit more encouraging
than the postponed bit. I also changed the trailer to reflect cast changes. Those
of you who I’ve been in contact with about roles will remain frontrunners for
the given roles. I’ll be auditioning folks for backups (for EVERY role), and
also holding some rehearsals soon. Some of the previous cast members will not
be in the film when we start next year.
Happy
tentacles to you! Don’t eat any R’lyehian sushi!
Wednesday 8/20/03
Many thanks to Jarrod for
attending last night’s gaming session. We wrapped the game up early and headed
back to watch Vanek’s excellent “Return
to Innsmouth”. Didn’t have enough time to catch “Dagon” and “Lurker in the
Lobby V1”, but we’ll get to it.
I got some work done on
editing the script last night. I’m very busy searching for jobs today, so not
much time to work on anything else. I’ll fix the cast and crew pages when time
permits. We’ll be holding more auditions and rehearsals soon. There will
probably be a round of them in Bloomington, as it will be much closer for
people from there to travel to our infamous site…
Thanks to everyone for
continuing to support the movie. Those of you who have been faithful will be
rewarded with a fresh edit of the script here in a few days. I’ll finish it as
soon as my crowded schedule will allow…
Oh yeah, HAPPY BIRTHDAY
HP LOVECRAFT!! May you not eternal lie, and rise like glorious Cthulhu When The
Stars are Right Again!
Tuesday
8/19/03
Honestly, I don’t have much time for updates… I’m busy job
searching.
TCG (movie): I’ve marked up a copy of the script, plan to
implement the edits soon. After the next edit, I will contact those who have
expressed continued interest in the movie. I’m still holding private auditions
(as my schedule permits) for all roles, to line up back-ups in case anyone
needs to back out. I’m also going through the stills and video footage I’ve taken
to date, to determine which, if any might be useful in making a longer trailer.
Anyone who is serious about working as a DP on the project should probably be
getting into contact with me now, or at least soon...
DV RP: I’ll be at Netheads tonight. If Stan can’t make it,
I’ll continue the scenario I ran last Tuesday for Jarrod. If Stan does come,
we’ll continue his adventure. I look forward to seeing those of you who can
make it…
Tuesday
8/12/03
I’ll be at Netheads tonight, question is, will anyone else?
I’ll find out. I’ll run something unprepared (single night) if Stan doesn’t
come. We can also talk about movie stuff if anyone’s interested.
I went down to the cabin today, the interior and exterior is
very rustic-and then some. Very beautiful. I’ve only had 2 people interested in
the rehearsal at the cabin, so… Scratch this Thursday’s rehearsal at the cabin.
And fyi, I will probably be holding auditions in Bloomington this fall for
those who have not contacted me back about their roles, and also to line up
back-ups...
Thursday
8/7/03
UPDATE:
In the tradition of the Dark
Visions crew making lemonade out of lemons, we are considering holding next
week’s game at the remote, isolated cabin. Game might be held via oil-lamp
light in a primitive, ancient cabin. This game will not be for the faint of
heart… Bring your OFF! Too, because the insects will be thick and vicious.
I am also offering up the site
to those who were tentatively cast in the film, as well as those who
volunteered to help with crewing, so you can see the quality of the sites we’re
using.
EARLIER TODAY:
We cannot proceed with filming next week. Filming of “The
Charnel Gospel” is postponed, until next spring.
My most sincere apologies to those who’ve traveled to the
auditions, and to those who’ve scheduled time off work. If there was any way we
could have proceeded, I would have.
Contact me at your convenience to discuss and vent. I’m not
happy either…
Wednesday
8/6/03
The
filming dates for the weekends shots are being moved to August 16th and 17th,
to accommodate schedule changes. Cabin filming dates are still the same.
Regarding
DV RPG meetings: Next planned meeting on the 19th, many of the group members
are busy with filming on the 12th.
Monday
8/04/03
I
decided to simplify the film’s web page with current tentative info about cast,
crew, etc. Check the film page of this site for
updates.
I hope
to hold a rehearsal later this week. Stay tuned…
Last
month’s news was moved to the archived news page. Sorry for the lack of
updates, I’ve been INCREDIBLY busy lining up antiques, sorting out other
details for the film.
+++++++++++++++++