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Bluegrass WHO DUN IT  Director's BLOG
This page is a sproradic update on movie production progress by the director        

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DIRECTOR's  BLOG

Updated 5/02/05
Took a hiatus from Movie making and produced a Beta Version of the Ron Doris Series for Aikido master Ron Boyd.  Hope to finalize it Tues 5/3.  Now i know why i thunk i could do the movie.  Produced the whole 51 minute DVD in 2 and a half weeks.  Of course, it's the Beta version with probable revisions, but the 86 minute movie too over 2 years. ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!  

Talking to people about a SLEEPY HOLLOW extravaganza for fall - details click attached.

Acted in the Rose Barn Theatre production of Music Man.  Character?  Mayor Shinn the only non singing role.

April 12  Lexington movie  premiere at Kentucky Theatre to small audience.  Reason - just couldn't get any free publicity and too cheap at this point to pour more money into the project.

April 2
   Checked out the DVD running on equipment at Kentucky Theatre. 
   Contacted Lexington Herald Leader critique and gave DVD.  Sent email to ACE.  Took notice to WEKU-FM for in Arts calendar.  Listened to the archived version of Marie Mitchel's readio feature - nice!  Marie did a nice job.  Not so sure about my "quotes," but they were realistic.

April 12  is planned Lexington Premiere - Wrote to ACE to see if they will carry it.  Delivered copy to Lexington Herald Leader in February - hoping for a review before April 12

March 21   Director Taking a hiatus from movie work (except the web site) and doing the DVD in May - playing mayor Shinn in RAT's Rose Barn Theatre production of Music Man.  New project "Sleep Hollow"  check for the web site coming soon as www.drbobbert.com/SleepyHollow.htm.  and a DVD on Ron Boyd's Ron Dori series of AIKIDO self defense moves.

March 12,13, 18 & 19   Movie played in EKU's Hummel planetarium. Small but appreciative audiences with many compliments on the writing and production of the movie.

March 5 - Premiere - over 200 attended - nice review in the Register by Mason Smith (click here to read it) 

March 1  - think i have burned the final version of the movie
Catastrophe yesterday - on of my main 250 gig externals died.
Got to Office Max about 20 minutes before they closed then the new one didn't want to go on my editor .....ahhhhhhhhhhhh.

Feb 26
Cancelled DVD production - will take orders at Premiere and contract an "on demand" publisher after the premiere.  Will purchase enough to cover the orders taken at the premiere and on line. 

Feb 25
 Music still too loud - finding original footage and re-editing the first 1/3 of movie - praying it burns successfully.  Gave away all my Final 3 and 4 burns - duh!

February 24
Took  Demo of Final 2 to Lex Herald Leader, Richard Corey, and Bryan Marshal at the Register 

February 22
WKYT aired a short feature on the "Director's Dream."  Reporter Bobby Harrison interviewed Dr. Alice Jones, Tom Jones and the Larry Bobbert for the excellently produced piece.  He included excerpts from parts of the movie. It aired Tuesday evening about 5:50PM.
Piece produced by  "Bobby Harrison" <Bobby.Harrison@WKYT.com>

Kentucky Theatre
The director met with Fred Mills, Manager of the Kentucky Theatre.  Mr. Mills is trying to find a date in April to show the movie.

February 12
                        PREMIERE  MARCH   5, 2005 moved to
new Student Services building which has a better projector and
easy access parking in Alumni Coliseum  or the Weaver/combs lot.  Cast members will get in free - all others will pay $10  with Student and Seniors paying $5.00.
At the end of the movie showing--audience members will be invite to greet the cast members who will be invited to the front of the stage.

Jan31-2/10 took a leave to solve a Texas family crisis.  Staying away has given new incite and i will cut more from the movie.

Jan 18, 2005  Successfully burned a DVD with all action shots including
                          surprise ending

Jan 06,2005       PREMIERE scheduled MARCH   5, 2005
                    Brock Auditorium at EASTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY 

January ? cancelled Premiere activities -- a seminar at EKU conducted in association with Eastern Kentucky University Department of Mass Communications but we missed the deadline for  successfully advertising and scheduling the event.  Director too busy with technological glitches and editing.

December 23, 04
All Scenes  Edited/RoughCut  and successfully burned to DVD
     Now believe it is possible to do it

December 10, 11, 12
Director played John Miller, founder of the City of Richmond, KY, in a play at Pond Christian Church.  The play was written by Rev Rusty Rechenbach and most performers were church members.  The church has lumber from and is on the site of the Milford Settlement House where the county seat used to reside.

December 09, 2004
   GOSSiP Scenes   burned to DVD
      Movie  -  86 minutes long to date

Gossip scenes include  Greg Stotlemeyer Reporter at White Hall,
Hairline Barbershop,    Woody's Restaurant  and  Bar Song 
Galaxy Bowling  2 Scenes,   Library-Computers.  Battlefield scene    

Bell Brezing Page and links added to Movie Web site.  Click here to check it out
                                                               (Feed back on this inclusion will be appreciated)

11/26       Library-Computer Scene in process  
11/24/04  Galaxy Bowling  2 Scenes edited  exported as AVi.  
11/19/04   Woody's Bar Song scene edited  exported as AVi.   
             Woody's Restaurant scene edited  exported as AVi.
 11/10       Reporter scene at White Hall edited  exported as AVi
 11/04     Hairline Barbershop scene edited exported as AVi.   
           

10-21  Batch captured and began editing the Barbershop scene.

10-22  Greg Stotlemyer agreed to do a cameo scene at White Hall to tie the first part of the movie to the Gossip around Richmond and Berea in the last series of scenes.

October 12, 04

First 68 minutes were shown to test group of 42 adults - ages 45 - 83 on a bus traveling from Utah to Las Vegas, Nev.   The group gave many nice comments.  How did this happen?  While on vacation the director mentioned the movie and was requested to show it.  He just happened to have a copy with him.
  Some comments were a bit confusing.  One man said "delete all the kids scenes ... irrelevant" while another said "the kids scenes were the best part"--??

Only two of the 42 guessed "Who dun it."

September  04

68 minutes successfully burned to DVD

February Premier looks possible now.  It took from February 2003 until July 13, 2004 to get the first 46 minutes in Beta on DVD  and a "sweetened" copy  in August. 

Today, September 9 2004,  I burned the First Hour successfully. 

Shot the Kitchen scene at my house and showed the principals the early DVD version.  They seemed reservedly acceptant of the product. 

AUGUST 12, 2004  Success finally

Scenes 1-85 on DVD in Final form --(well 95%)
On August 12, 2004, we successfully burned a DVD with scenes 1 through 85 with music rebalanced and audio enhanced.  It may be the final version of those scenes.
Director's been teaching Computer classes to adults at EKU Community and Workforce Develop to continue paying movie expenses and acquiring more hard drives.  Now have 3  80 gig,  2  250gig and new computer with 165gig.

July 28

Director has been working with the Mayor, RAT and the Battle of Richmond "folks," and things are happening for theatre in Richmond.  Due to the enthusiastic support of Richmond Mayor Connie Lawson, the City of Richmond and the Madison County beginning renovations on the Barn Theatre at the Battle of Richmond site located on HWY 25 between Berea and Richmond.
The "ROSE BARN THEATRE  will become the Richmond Area’s Theatre permanent space.  "This is an exciting point in the history of Richmond theatre which will be getting a home."  Sara Evans, Pres. RAT

July 27

Cast met at the director's house to shoot the "kitchen/cook" scene.  Once character came with shorter and darker hair.  Another came with a goatee that he didn't have when shooting the rest of the show and another put her pretty long hair over the "other" shoulder.  Well, one character read his lines off camera, the other stayed in shadow where we couldn't see the goatee and we missed the hair and shoulder deal all together so it will probably be on the wrong side in the final edit....unless...
After the shoot the cast present saw the Scenes 1-85 as cut at that point.  Some suggestions were noted and incorporated in the "final" cut.

July 4th 

Another 10 minutes sans music successfully exported to AVI.
Scenes 1-85c edited -- total movie about 45 minutes.  Maid and Rascal murdered and hunt for brief case continues.

May 31st burned first successful DVD of the first 34 minutes  --  Scenes 1-62 which include the kids opening fight, the funeral and 2 songs in the chapel and arrival and blackmail of principals at White Hall.  Rascal the blackmailer just rushed out the door to escape before being murdered.
Video is 95 % finished and the audio still must be adjusted.

So am feeling like this can be done with my small crew and budget, but it will just take longer.  The people at EKU and around town keep encouraging me and acting like i can really pull this off which helps a lot.

PREMIERE target date now Fall  04

I spend more time fooling with ADOBE and trying to get stuff to DVD than i do editing.  The Producer/Director/Editor  stuff I can handle, but Adobe Premiere Pro and Encore are not very user friendly when one wants to dump his project to DVD.

To over come some problems - bought a new computer and added 3 external drives - 80gig and 2 250 gig drives.

Have scenes 1-62 (34 minutes) 95% completed. but having one awful time trying to get them on a DVD.

Since fall I've lost almost 2 months just fighting the "computer Errors."   So I get depressed then something good happens i press on .

The scenes show the funeral, kids outside, all principals entering White Hall - the blackmail scene - Rascal's first escape and inserts of cast members commenting on other characters

All these technical problems were not in my plan.  So right now i just can't set a date for the premiere.  Really planned for April 04, but ...  Nobody will care how much time it took the will judge it on how entertaining it is.

There's no more  email address at  moviedirector@drbobbert.com -- too much spam to clean out, so i dropped the address you may contact me at lbobbert@yahoo.com

-------- Letter from the director in April -----

  (Apologies for those who receive duplicate copies--no secretary and it shows)

The more i work on this project - the more fun i have seeing all of you working so hard for me, and I appreciate it.  Also, now i get to hear many of the side comments you made while shooting.  Even get to use some as cutaways of your side comments.  i.e.  Perkins laughs when i say "it was great - just
one more time."   Works great!  (can't use the nose picking one)

Just received a very nice message form the EKU Mass Com chair that precipitate 3 decisions
   1. Am taking my wife on a vacation in February
   2. Buying a new computer
   3. New Target date for the MOVIE will be June or July

Realize that i could not do the quality production I want in one year.
Shoot--the guys with big crew and budgets take a year.  We didn't actually
start production until May.  Also, I want the DVDs ready on opening
night--the Premiere.  When done- no one will care how much time i put  in--they will just look at it and say "enjoyable" or not.

Another thing is that I am working with RAT and the mayor on a theatre project that could be very good for Richmond Area Theatre.  RAT people have been very encouraging in my pursuit of dreams, so this (if /when) will be some "pay back" if we can get us a permanent home for 3 years or so.  Went to the barn with a master renovator and saw it with new eyes.  It could easily be a good home for RAT for some time to come.

Principals - this means we can pick up some scenes i'd cut if we need to and maybe redo some audio
                  most Hollywood stuff has studio audio

               - I'm still trying to save the audio from the locations, but
there are many problems. I can  get rid of most local sounds like air conditioners etc   but then the sound is hollow.  am sure you remember the mike cord  "hum"  etc.
The stuff in front of the black curtain i did by myself -- was great - I've
used it to change the face of the movie but - some really hummed 
 i.e. Bells stuff always takes me an hour to fix each time i use parts
-- the wire must have been shorted????  

When people were absent and we did them on a different day -- the sound differs and the pic color quality I can fix - takes time

Well, that is the short version
Thanks for understanding

PS
Help me look for a long red carpet for out front of the building on the Premiere Incidentally, for the premiere - we will present all the stars in attendance at the end and have you come up front to meet any in the audience who want to meet you.  Also, am planning a private showing  for before the premiere -
on the other hand some of you will see parts when / if we have to actually "redo" the audio in a studio.


Dr. Larry C. Bobbert
Independent Movie Producer
larry@drbobbert.com

www.drbobbert.com/movie.htm

An historic record of the project can be accessed on the home page under "report" should you have more interest than is satisfied by the Blog started much later in the project/

Click here for "report"