Where did I put my notes…?
December 30, 2003
Is it Tuesday already? These weekends seem to be getting shorter and shorter…
Time waits for no man, (or woman) so I guess we’ve only got three days to throw something together for y’all that we can call “the next episode”… perhaps something that will answer the all important question: “Who is that guy on the new characters page that has yet to appear in the series? Are we seeing into the future? Is it a horrible mistake? Only time (and next Friday) will reveal all.
To tide you over, it is my very great pleasure to try to introduce you to Matthew Hoos, the latest (but by no means least) member of our happy gang. Not just the pretty face behind the character of Sam, Matt is the directorial vision behind many things of great importance… like… the show itself. I say “try to introduce” because as my oldest and dearest friend, I know more about Matthew than you can possibly imagine, and trying to summarize his myriad accomplishments in anything less than an epic poem would be futile (this is also my clever way of covering my ass when Matt no doubt accuses me that I left out all the “good stuff”).
As an actor (in theatre, film, and television), Matt’s roles have been far to many to list, he’s performed in various capacities for notable companies such as Decidedly Jazz Danceworks, The University of Calgary, Five E Productions, Storybook Theatre, Stage West, Amalgam Film and Video, Young Canadians Dinner Theatre, Shadow Productions, VFS Productions, Rogers Communications, Evergreen Theatre, Pleiades Theatre and Laughing Day Productions (with whom he was also a founder, artistic director, and director of several of their most popular shows).
He has also been a peerless creative contributor with your humble narrator for the past two decades on such projects as “that science project we did on Gila Monsters”, and “that version of Macbeth we made using Star Trek action figures.”
Matt has a pleasing smell and a calming voice which helps offset his disconcerting unquenchable lust for buffalo-style chicken wings and (alternately) extra lemon wedges for ceaser salads.
He has seen more films than you.
A talented musician in his own right, Matt recieved a special award in 1996 for his stellar work “playing the bells.”
I cannot imagine a better partner or friend, (especially because he’s going to be really peeved about that whole “bells” thing when he reads this tomorrow) and it is my absolute pleasure to introduce him to the front page.
2004 - The year of the magic 8-ball!
December 30, 2003
Alright, rather than launch into another lengthy recount of how making Dead End Days is new and exciting, as my extremely talented counter-parts Shane and Jay have already done, I have decided to use my space on the news page and my limited writing ability for things that are interesting to me and in an immodest way I would assume to be interesting to our reading public. So with that said, this begins a long string of rants and essays on the world from the directors point of view.
In order to keep with the spirit of the holidays, I thought my first essay should reflect the changing of the times. As we head into the new year, Dead End Days heads into it’s sixth month since the first day of pre-production. In the time that it took for the zombies to leap from our brains to the page and then shuffle one foot dragging onto your screens, we at Rocket Ace have put together a crack team of the finest cast and crew we fledgling film-makers could hope for. I am so proud of the people we’ve amassed, I want the world to know them as well as I do, with that in mind I polled the cast and crew for their New Years resolutions and I will now present a few of them to you complete with my psychic prediction (using my trusty magic 8 ball) as to whether or not they will stick to them.
Jason, writer
Resolves to not only ‘write better’, but also to put the focus of the story on Sam, developing him into an adventurous, muscular one man army with a heart of gold; Hell bent on saving the world and all the lovely ladies in it.
8 Ball says:Looks Good
Erin, actress (Ashley)
Resolves to no longer refer to the director as ‘Poo’ and to never bring up any of the things he was rumoured to have done during his time in film school that may ultimately break down many interpersonal relationships, destroy his domestic home life and bring an end to Dead End Days as we know it.
8 Ball says: the outlook is positive (phew)
Chad, actor (Bruce)
Resolves to do everything in his power to look less like Matt. He suggests that Bruce grow a beard or shave his head.
8 Ball says: Follow your heart (what the hell does that mean?)
Lindsay, Make-up artist
Resolves to make everyone in the cast but Sam look a little more “real” by adding or emphasizing existing zits, moles or blemishes.
8 Ball says: Unable to foresee (sounds like a sound creative choice to me)
Rob, accountant/forum moderator/key grip
Resolves to no longer lie in wait, secretly plotting to take over our company and therefore any success we may have, allowing him to become the most powerful media mogul of our time while forcing the rest of us to live forever in obscurity while he makes billions of dollars and LIVES THE LIFE THAT IS RIGHTFULLY OURS…!
8 Ball says: Definitely not (Damn it!)
Shane, Actor (Eric)/ Assistant director
Resolves to make a concerted effort to use his rugged good looks to attract more female viewers by appearing partially nude whenever possible.
8 Ball says: Absolutely, in fact he’s going to start as early as next week! (Wow, what a thorough prediction 8 Ball!)
And finally,
Matt, Director/actor (Sam, not Bruce Damn it)
I resolve to continue writing self serving essays for the public to enjoy. Look for my next segment entitled: Movies you Ought to Like, coming soon.
8 Ball says: Whether you like it or not.
Should auld aquaintance, something, something…
December 26, 2003
As the link suggests episode 04 is both here, and full of festive cheer.
By the time the tiny e-gnomes who manage our webserver see fit to actually post this update, I fully plan to have ingested the better part of some form of roasted bird. At least that’s what my detailed gameplan suggests, and it hasn’t steered me wrong yet, so who am I to argue? I hope you and yours are similarly eating yourselves silly in your respective winter holidays whenever they may be.
By the time Episode 05 rolls around, we will be a year into the future, and no doubt astounded by the sprinting robots, flying cars, and laser guns that would have seemed fanciful to our primitive 2004 minds. As a soon-to-be citizen of the future, I have just one question: “Where is my personal Jetpack?” Popular Science promised we would have them all by now nearly 50 years ago? Did I forget to update my forwarding address?
I guess there’s no point in looking too far ahead, there’s still lots of great stuff to look forward to in 2004… such as next Tuesday when director/actor/swell guy Matt Hoos breaks his front page cone of silence to share his very first production journal with us. I’m sure it’s fantastic… and that he just hasn’t forwarded it to me because he’s just putting on the finishing polish. Heaven knows he wouldn’t put off writing it until the last minute or anything… or would he?
Hopefully we’ll see you all back safe and sound for the thrilling answer to that question on next Tuesday… by which point the gameplan tells me I’ll almost have recovered from tonights dinner. Cool.
It’s Tuesday I’m in love.
December 23, 2003
Since my handy calendar informs me that yesterday was Monday and tomorrow is Wednesday, it must be time for another production journal entry from the brilliant folks behind the scenes. As I (poorly) alluded to in Friday’s post, muchof the unique spark and tone of the piece can be squarely attributed to the twisted genius of it’s writer - one Jason Patrick Rothery. I personally knew Jason as a guy in neon pajamas and a Boy George straw hat long before I knew him as a brilliant writer. But along with many others, I quickly learned to look past his (many) eccentrities and discovered a guy with a rapier wit, a keen ear for dialogue, and an uncompromising ability to strain the humdrum and everyday through a sieve made out of Alice’s looking-glass. The end result seems unfailingly to be an entertainment cocktail that is both socially profound and hillarious.
(Note to the speaking circut: yes, I am available for introductions and book jacket blurbs at low, low, rates.)
His theatrical work, has been staged from coast to coast, garnering rave reviews and a slew of awards. Most recently his play “Menace” became the first English language play win Montreal’s Centaur Theatre Showcase Award, and Jay’s newest play “Wedgie” has been mounted several times to critical and audience praise. Jason is also one of the founders of Vancouver’s “Walking Fish Festival” for emerging Theatre talents. Somehow inbetween his theatrical writing, “Days” scripting, and work as a much in-demand dramaturge, he manages to craft short stories, novellas, and grocery lists… and still gets a full 8 hours of sleep every night. For this, I hate him with a firey passion.
Enter… the writer.
December 23, 2003
As the odd man out on this ship, I wanted to offer something of an outside perspective – a Dead End Days: On the Periphery commentary. The boys and girls in Toronto (where the iron is smelted and wrought) are doing all the grunt work. They’re in the trenches with their digital cameras and their such and such lenses and this and that microphones and makeup people and extras and actors and twenty-four hour weekend shoots. Insanity? Yes! And my hat goes off to them – the whole lot of those brave souls. I am duly humbled by this expedition, being, as I am, on a tin can at the end of a very long string. I may be lazy, an avowed procrastinator; I may turn tail and run at the first sign of trouble, but the only pertinent reason I’m next to no help is because I just happen to live too far away. Not entirely out of the loop, but enough to save myself any heavy lifting.
I am, as they say, sitting pretty.
In my defense, everyone knew this would happen when they signed me up, and no one, to my knowledge, holds this against me. (Yet.) As The Writer, it doesn’t much matter where I am so long as what I write makes it…Out There. I sit out here in the Garden of Eden (Vancouver – Spring/Summer, not so much right now, bathed in endless swathes of grey and drizzle) and write. Eastward, electronically, it all goes. And then the rest of whatever needs doing done in the pits of hell (Toronto).
Truth be told, I’m kind of jealous. I believe at this point we will have had the pleasure of reading the first of Shane’s first-hand accounts of the action. Shane and I are writing from opposite ends of a spectrum, though our prism is the same. To me, his stories are exciting, flattering (if not overly-generous), and inspiring. The product may very well be crap to you, but I’m inspired by the people and the process. (And let’s take a brief moment for all those struggling/emerging/dedicated artists out there to give themselves a firm pat on the back. Go on, y’all – you deserve it. Mad props all around.) And whereas I do not have the luxury of folding myself into the back of a hatchback in sub-zero Ontario chill clasping a boom mic for dear life – I would like to offer a perspective on this project as a whole. Why it was embarked upon (boredom), why the themes and issues are important to us (who aren’t zombies important to?), how I single-handedly coined the term “Weekly Live-Action Internet Serial” (a brief, boring story I’ll find ways to spruce up) and so on and so on. If all this sounds like self-congratulatory wank, be assured: It will be.
So that’s my intro. Thanks for reading, staying up late, and keeping the internet free from the forces of evil. And always remember: if you’re under the blanket, they can’t hurt you. But just to be safe, hold your head tight.
Episodelicious!
December 19, 2003
Well, well, what have we here? Why if it isn’t another episode from us to you, with love. Today we present a cautionary tale about the importance of proper cell phone etiquette. Who exactly it is meant to caution, we’re not exactly sure - but I’m sure there are many fine morals to be learned so I want everyone to pay close attention. There may be a test.
As we’re heading into the holidays, everyone here at Dead End Days central wanted to remind you that a link to Dead End Days is an economical gift! Give your loved ones a year’s worth of so-called entertainment for absolutely no money down and reasonable monthly payments of a few minutes of your time. Just think, with the money you save you can buy that nice toaster you’ve had your eye on for yourself!
Finally, we did have some festive cheer cooked up exclusively for members of our mailing list but didn’t quite pull it off in time this week… if you’re into that kind of thing though, sign up in the handy box on the right because you never know what the next week might hold in store! Well, one thing you do know is in store is another excellent “production journal” entry next Tuesday: this time by the mysterious “Jason” whose fevered brain is the fertile soil from which our glorious plant 0f entertainment erupts. So that should be good for a laugh, unlike these tortured metaphors at which I am not so good.
Our first guest needs no introduction…
December 16, 2003
Welcome back all… as promised we’re kicking off our new Tuesday written feature with a behind the scenes production journal, ripped hot off the press (”the press” in this case being Shane’s laptop). From his stylin’ id photo below, anyone who has seen Episode 1 will instantly recognize Shane Arbuthnott as the chiseled features and rugged good-looks behind the character of Eric. What’s not so readily apparent is the lions share of unseen work Shane does outside of the 16:9 aspect ratio, as the First Assistant Director of the project, lending his considerable talents to keeping us on time, on topic, and sane. Not necessarily in that order.
There really isn’t the space here to devote to Shane’s considerable performance credits, so instead I’ll point out that his excellent short story “Of Wings” was recently published in “Open Space” a trade paperback anthology of fantasy, horror, and SF edited by Claude Lalumi
Advent of an Independant Filmmaker
December 16, 2003
I’ve been trying, for the better part of three weeks, to write a journal on the experience of Dead End Days. I wrote a page, sent it off to the rest of the team for reactions, and realized ten seconds later that I hated it. It was forced, clumsy, and pointless, not to mention sentimental in all the wrong ways. The kind of stuff it makes my blood curdle to read.
So I let it fester on my computer for two weeks, and every once in a while took another few minutes to open it up, stare at it, and then give up again.
I couldn’t figure out why it was so hard to write. This wasn’t an opus, it was just a few words on my feelings about this project. And feelings I had plenty of, but somehow they wouldn’t translate themselves into words.
It just occurred to me tonight that it’s because I don’t understand what I’m doing.
Not that I haven’t prepared for this. Technically and creatively, this is where my entire life has been heading. But I feel a bit like I’ve just gone out and bought myself a few brushes and a palette, and now I’ve been asked to paint the Sistine ceiling.
When I’m inside the project, shooting, performing, planning, it always feels natural. So natural it hurts when I have to stop. But once I’ve had a few moments to comprehend what we’re attempting, then everything seems so gargantuan that I’m not sure where I fall into it, or what good I can do.
It doesn’t help, of course, that we’re working in a medium I don’t really understand. Film I can grasp, but when it comes to the web, I’m out of my depth. I just know that Brad disappears for a while, and when he comes out of seclusion, our website is cooler, and anyone in the world can tune in to see what we’ve made. And again, I don’t really understand what contribution I’ve made to that.
But then it starts up again, and I’m holding a boom pole, or setting up lighting, or staring into the lens of the camera, and that feeling vanishes. It’s hard, and tiring, but we’re doing it, and I know I’m part of the reason why. I still don’t know what I’m doing, but that doesn’t change the fact that I’m doing it, and doing it well.
In those moments, I can’t help but think we’re on to something here. Working with a small group, no heirarchy, no egos, just roles to fill and willing people to fill them. Actors working on set decoration, directors and producers performing, wardrobe filling in continuity gaps… It’s like this is the primal concept of film, without all the meaningless rules. It’s how movies are meant to be made.
It’s changed the way I look at the people around me, too. Matt and I have been friends for years, so I knew a long time ago that he was a rare thing. But watching him work, the way his creativity forms this project out of the air and turns it into something tangible, is truly incredible. My respect for him has increased a thousand-fold since we began.
Brad I haven’t known as long, but I’m struck speechless by his energy. Whenever I’m feeling strained, spread a little too thin, I just look at him, the way he attacks this thing, running the technical side almost single-handedly while still putting more than his fair share into the creative side, and I find I’ve got enough energy to get me a little further, even if it’s just to keep up with him.
Jay, the writer, I’ve always known was brilliant. His scripts unfailingly make me grin. His characters are so sharp I can hear them speaking to me. I’m awed and envious at the same time.
And these people are just the beginning. It’s like we’ve become a magnet for talented, unique individuals. It’s quite an experience, watching them work.
It’s humbling, but at the same time it’s empowering. I still don’t entirely understand how I got here, surrounded by people who bleed potential. Part of me thinks I’m the black sheep here. But there’s another part of me that thinks that maybe this is where I actually fit in.
Right back atcha!
December 12, 2003
Has it already been seven days since episode 1’s triumphant debut? That didn’t hurt too much did it? And now here we are with a facinating tale involving a hallway and some pamphlets! I can barely contain myself with excitement. So get downloading like crazed monkeys. And if you’re looking for something to do while you’re waiting to see this weeks wacky hi-jinx, why not stop by our forums? We’ll try not to infect you with our stupidity.
I know you haven’t heard from me all week, but that’s because I’ve been lining up super-amazing things for the rest of the month… and beyond! Things so secret I dare not talk about them yet, or shadowy men in dark suits will break down my door and beat me with a garden hose. But, I will tell you to be here next TUESDAY, as we debut a new feature - Tuesday essays by the cast and crew of “Dead End Days” on all sorts of things… starting with a fascinating piece about… the show itself, penned by a very talented individual who is (as far as I know) the only published author in the cast. So you won’t want to miss that!
Also (and you didn’t hear this from me) if you haven’t yet signed up for our mailing list (via the little box on the right), now might be a good time. Not for any particular reason… I’m just saying… perhaps there might be a good reason to be “all up ons” that list in the next couple of days… but you didn’t hear that from me right?
You also didn’t hear me use the phrase “all up ons”.
Well that’s it for now, do come back in 72 hours on TUESDAY for some text-based goodness… we’ll hold you a seat until then!
Showtime!
December 5, 2003
Like the link says.
For your viewing pleasure, you’ll also note that we now support both Windows Media 9 as well as Quicktime 6. Now why are you wasting time reading this drivel? Download the episode, find yourself seven free minutes when you won’t be bothered and enjoy some entertainment on our dime! Then get on over to the forums and discuss.
Step 3 - Get all your friends and family to come. Wash. Rinse. Repeat.
And don’t forget to be here in 7 short days for a fresh and tasty episode 2… I don’t want to give away too many secrets… but it has… a zombie in it.
