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Just wanted to wish everyone a happy Halloween
I bet you can’t guess what Death is going as this year…. That’s right, it’s Dwight from “The Office.” Spooky.
So, Death has quite a backstory. He really was one of those hard-luck kids just growing up on the street, dedicating his life to find his father only to be disappointed when he met Dad and he wasn’t president, but rather a janitor at a local middle school. It took some time, but Death came to terms with his humble beginnings and learned to accept his father’s noble craft.
Ok, ok… lame jokes on film cliches aside, Death does have an interesting history in his various incarnations. In popular culture he’s been portrayed as everything from a wise-cracking slacker in Family Guy (no, I didn’t rip them off… my Death is snarkier) to a rather naked skeleton reaping souls like wheat in medieval illustrations. There’s an interesting article on Wikipedia that summarizes the history of our charming antagonist (or protagonist?).
One of my favorite incarnations, of course, is Neil Gaiman’s female Death, the spunky, Goth sister of the title character in The Sandman series. She’s surprisingly gentle for what is normal a role portrayed as horrific, or at least edgy.
I’ll be putting up some conceptual sketches of Dr. Hedd’s Death soon… He’s a little less dainty than Mr. Gaiman’s.
While my production team as already seen this picture, I thought it would be cute to post the hastily-drawn logo for our official Facebook group for the public to see… Right now the Facebook group is private as it’s being used to communicate amongst the crew. Still, I couldn’t let my wacom-happy doodle go to waste (or this blog lie dormant).
I might bug a few of my artistically-inclined friends to draw something a little snazzier, but for now this will have to suffice. I think he’s cute anyway.
P.S. Check out the sweatshirt.
As any cardiologist or close friend of mine will tell you, I do in fact have a heart… in spite of my occasional snarkiness as a screenwriter. In fact, I try to alternate films between the sentimental and the cynical – I believe both are important in art.
That said, I suppose I should start backing all of my big words with examples from past projects I have shot. Granted, all of these projects have been shot on a MUCH smaller budget than “Dr. Hedd and the Grim Reaper” will have (we’re looking at $5,000 for “Dr. Hedd,” while all of these were made for under $100), so the visual quality isn’t always the best… Still, I like to tell a story or show an emotion, both attributes that will be important to “Dr. Hedd.”
To start off what will probably be several posts containing old projects of mine, here is a film I shot this summer for my “Experimental Non-Fiction Video” class in Paris, France. There is no strong narrative (it’s experimental!), but I tried to convey a sense of loneliness about the protagonist.
I recently found out about the Environmental Media Association (EMA) and their checklist for keeping productions green. While I often make tongue-in-cheek remarks about hating the environment to clipboard-wielding, commission-earning “fundraisers” on the street, the truth is I have a bit of a soft spot for the big blue-and-green.
I’ll be trying to implement as many of the suggested actions as possible in our production activities. While we’re limited by our small budget, I think it’s good for student productions to at least start thinking green. After all, we may be the ones running the studios in a few years, where our on and off-set practices can make a visible impact on the Earth.
If you have any advice on other ways for this production to stay green, or stories about your own production… feel free to leave it in the comments area. I’m very new to this whole “caring” thing, so anecdotes and advice can be helpful!
This is one of my favorite exchanges from the script. I’m hoping this one doesn’t get cut in subsequent drafts:
DEATH
Remember Carl? Aw, what a guy.
DR. HEDD
His wife knit me a sweater.
DEATH
Yeah, a real Huxtable number. Oh
man, but that Carl… Good guy,
good guy. Too bad you screwed up
that operation.
DR. HEDD
I didn’t screw up. You pushed my
hand.
DEATH
Right, right. Always blame me. I’m
the reaper, not the sewer, buddy.
This blog will be used to chronicle the making of the short film “Dr. Hedd and the Grim Reaper.” Check back here frequently for news bits, production designs, and behind-the-scenes video and stills.
