Wednesday, November 14

[Chris] The "2 Asians" link below has been fixed, for the curious. Wouldn't you know, I go and link to his page and ol' Franco updates it a day later, making my link obselete. That guy.

Though things sometime slow down as winter approaches, that doesn't seem to be the case this year. Steve and I have been tag-teaming new picture and sound updates to Last Breath, that horror film from KC that we've been working on so long. Every now and then Jeremy, who is working on a film in Omaha produced by local legend Dana Altman, will text me cool stuff like "The bounce I'm holding up is providing fill for Martin Landaeu." Perhaps this is an effort to make me jealous, but he overlooks the fact that long after his arms have gotten tired, I've drank his last soda from the office fridge.

I did sound for a project last week for a ubiquitous documentary company (speaking of tired arms), and look forward to another (different) on-set sound job in December. Steve, in addition to Last Breath duties is honing his Mac maintenance skills. Thanksgiving steadily approaches, and my appitite for pumpkin pie grows accordingly.

Monday, November 5

[Chris] Hope everyone had a Happy Halloween, eventful in all the right ways. Hope everyone has noticed that the Jayhawk football team is 9-0 and reached #4 in the polls. Hope everyone gets their vehicles winterized and their storm windows on before winter. That includes myself.

As far as TAG news goes, Jeremy is going to be up in Nebraska for a while on what sounds to be an exciting project - a little more on that later as it gets closer. And Steve is putting the finishing touches on an editing project.

Today I would like to spotlight a clip that I think should become an "internet phenomenon" (or, barring that, at least an internet meme). Through A Glass hosts a former one here: Jeremy's recut trailer for Fight Club, portraying it as a romantic comedy. But another video exists that I think should be spread around by those with access to computers, a skewed sense of humor, and some downtime. The video I speak of is titled "2 Asians + Mathematics = Success," created by Lawrence resident Franco Leng.

Franco (featured in the video) is a talented filmmaker in many areas and has done work for us in the past (and, we hope, the future). Here he cuts loose on a soundstage, mixes in some of his skills with post-production, and slaps on a title that makes the whole thing even more bizarre and (in my opinion) hilarious. Enjoy the video, and be sure to say where you saw it first once it joins the ranks of HamsterDance.com.

Monday, October 29

[Chris] Okay, okay. I'll put up Steve's update that I alluded to earlier... I should know better than to mess with a guy that keeps the kind of company described below:

[Steve] This weekend [Oct. 19-20] I had an opportunity to take part in a massive training scenario in Wichita sponsored in part by the KU school of medicine. The goal was to simulate a terrorist attack on Wichita and allow emergency response teams to practice rescue operations under those conditions.

The first part of the scenario involved an explosion in downtown
Wichita. To simulate the effects of an explosion, several uildings were partially torn down or collapsed. Damaged cars were brought in and placed randomly, some of which were set on fire. Actors with makeup representing injuries were brought in to play the role of screaming victims, while realistic dummies were placed underneath rubble to be rescued with equipment later.

The day started off with a large detonation to represent the initial explosion. Actors were then placed inside cars or buildings. As their screams filled the air the first responders arrived in an armada of ambulances and fire trucks. The firemen and EMTs quickly pulled the victims from their overturned vehicles and used ladders to reach those stuck on the upper floors of buildings. Those rescued were examined, tagged,
and taken to the waiting abulances.

Meanwhile, I and the other camera operators were shooting in the center of all of this, scrambling over rubble and broken glass with flames and smoke all around us. I frequently got too close to some danger and was told to move back, but somehow kept ending up in the middle of the fray.

After the first hour the actors had been rescued (and rushed off to the hospital for a mass casualty drill there) and things calmed down a bit. Now it was time to examine those trapped under rubble inside the structures. The going was often slow, but only because caution was very neccessary. The rescue teams used concrete saws to get through massive cement pipes and blow torches to cut through metal beams in order to reach victims. Massive supports had to be built in places where support
pillars or walls would need to be removed to get to a trapped person. Remote controlled robots were used to find victims in places it would be impossible to search in person. One vicitm was pulled up out of an elevator shaft to the roof and then lowered down to the ground in a sled accompanied by a rescue worker.

And just when I thought I had enough excitement, that's when the SWAT training began.

The SWAT scenario took place in a seven story building that had definiltey seen better days. Trainers playing the terrorists laid their plans and planeted simulated IEDs and traps all over the area. As the scenario began, local police entered the building to respond to an emergency call and immediatley came under fire. The trainers were firing blanks, but the police and SWAT were equipped with training weapons that fired chalk bullets ... not lethal, but certainly painful ... and a little scary for a cameraman standing in front of them.

After seeing how the local police responded to the crisis, the arrival of the SWAT team was kind of amazing. The difference in training is immediatley obvious. These guys know what they're doing. And they look seriously bad ass while they're doing it.

The SWAT team had to move very carefully. The trainers were damn good. They knew exactly how to engage the SWAT in hit-and-run strikes to keep them guessing. And the constant threat of IEDs was the main problem. Most of the devices were fake, some of them blatantly so ... but it took time to analyze each one, and every door had to be checked before entering. Silly String was used to detect trip wires, and when a device was found it was simply detonated rather than disarmed.

The best part was when the SWAT team discovered a hostage tied to a pillar in the middle of a room. He had a bomb strapped to him with a timer counting down. The SWAT team sent in a robot with a pair of scissors taped to it so the hostage could cut himself loose. Watching them quickly come up with a plan and implement it in real time was amazing. As well trained as these guys are, they are not the flawless automatons you see in movies. They can get scared and they can make mistakes.
That just made it all that much more exciting. The hostage got loose, but it was a close call, and they almost set off another trap while getting him out. I did not envy their position.

Unfortunatley I missed out on the rooftop gunbattle finale ... just in the wrong place when it happened. But I got plenty of amazing footage ... SWAT guys with gas masks running through smoke with their flashlights beaming was one highlight. But even better than the footage was the chance to see how a SWAT team really operates, and how their enemies might as well. That's not something you can learn from a book, and it really was a unique experience.

It's just one more reason this is the best job in the world.

Wednesday, October 24

[Chris] The trees are taking their own individual paces toward fall coloration. I'm updating from my dining room where I can see a couple of gung-ho trees have already rushed to bright yellow and red, and few old pros are still patiently green. The temperature is a good, autumn cold, meaning you can still go outside comfortably, and there's just enough chill in the air to make you happily aware of your own skin.

Now to drop the prose in favor of a more efficient laundry-list of recent accomplishments:

- After coming off The Only Good Indian shoot (where he gaffed and took over as DP for a few days), Jeremy went over to Fort Scott to gaff on a historical video for the National Parks Service.

- Steve finished work on the music video he directed for Deadwood Derby battle-of-the-bands winners "Dead Girls Ruin Everything." It showed at the Harvest of the Arts and, like everything else worth watching, is You Tubed.

- Steve and I got to hang out at the Space and Defense Conference in Omaha for a shoot, where we saw all sorts of top-secret gadgets that we swore never to divulge upon pain of death (not really, but there was some cool stuff - like HD surveillance equipment).

- Jeremy's considerable camerawork was recognized as he was nominated for an Emmy for his work on the Headquarters PSA.

- TAG finished shooting and editing four Internet commercials for Midwest attractions for Disney (through TurnHere Productions).

- I cleaned my e-mail inbox and organized some paperwork (I think even the less thrilling accomplishments deserve some mention).

- Steve went on an action-packed adventure (in Wichita, the nationally recognized home of action-packed adventure), which he will describe in more detail in tomorrow's update.

- We also successfully burned a client's project to an HD-DVD, our first foray into the new DVD technologies. Wish one format or the other would win out, but looks like we'll have to be patient. Nuts.

Tuesday, October 9

[Chris] Update: E-mail is working again (has been for a bit now), and the missing portions of the site should be repaired in the next day or two. I'm the resident uploader, and I'm in Omaha on a shoot for a couple of days, so trust me when I say that the pictures and sound we make are much prettier than our website.

The leaves are turning here. The sun is sleeping later and going to bed earlier. Fall has returned late, but return it has.

Monday, October 8

[Chris] Hello! The web site shuffle continues. Currently our e-mail is not working, and some portions of the web site (links, graphics, etc) are not available. Our apologies as we continue the updating process. Please feel free to call us if you are unable to reach us by e-mail with your needs, and I will let you know when we're back to full Internet capacity.

Tuesday, October 2

[Chris] With any luck you won't notice anything until the big change happens, but throughaglass.com and its associated e-mail addresses are going through some behind-the-scenes changes right now. If you're reading this, that's a good sign. If you're having some trouble with e-mails to us, my apologies and please be patient. Like I said, if everything goes smoothly, the only changes you will experience will be good ones.

Monday, September 24

[Jeremy] I'm now back after working as First Unit Gaffer and Second Unit Director of Photography for two solid months on Kevin Willmott's 35mm feature film, The Only Good Indian, a period western set in 1905, starring Wes Studi, Ken Campbell, and in his first film role the very talented Winter Fox Frank, who in the words of Wes Studi, will probably be a big damn movie star here in the next few years.

If you're looking for something to do for this evening's entertainment, The Empty Acre is having its Lawrence debut at Liberty Hall tonight at 7 p.m. Acre was produced by TAG's own Steve Deaver, Chris Blunk served as Gaffer, and I worked as Director of Photography. The film is currently available on DVD at Hastings, Borders, Best Buy, and Amazon.

To continue your week's planning of things to watch, tomorrow night, if you're staying at home, turn on The History Channel at 7 p.m. Central Time for the premiere of an episode of Modern Marvels that I shot this past summer. Here is the official description of the episode at Modern Marvels: Deep Freeze.

It's good to be back after being on the road since July / early August, but I feel a little culture shocked. We spent the last two weeks shooting in the middle of the Flints Hills with no signs of civilization for miles. Returning home on a Friday night with people dressed up and hitting the town as I stumbled up the stairs in my sweat-stained shirt ready to crash for the weekend, I felt a bit like the country boy fresh from the Flint Hills ranch, seeing the big city for the first time.

After a weekend of rest, I'm ready to throw myself into the next round of shoots coming up. We have an interesting array of projects booked through October, and I'm excited to jump right in.

Wednesday, September 19

[Chris] What's cooking at Through A Glass Productions? Glad I asked. Steve is finishing work on a music video for Lawrence Deadwood Derby Battle of the Bands winner Dead Girls Ruin Everything. We shot the video last week on a Panasonic HDX200 and it promises to be pretty funny. DGRE was a lot of fun to work with, and you'll be able to see their antics right here in the near future.

Speaking of music: recently we completed a travel guide video of sorts for Intercontinental Hotels (via Turn Here, Inc). You can see the final result here, and I want to acknowledge some music cues that we used from a very helpful, very friendly group at Lights, Camera, Music Publishing. Since we were unable to credit them properly in the video itself, I want to attribute some of the songs and their artists here:

"Coastly (aka Ocean's Apart)" by Randy Lee Corinthian

"Let's Get It" by Eric A. Linger

"Coffee Beans" by Dave Flavin

Monday, September 9

[Chris] Some upcoming film screenings in the Lawrence/Kansas City area we're anticipating:

Suspension (formerly called RestEZ) directed by Lawrencian Alec Joler and ex-Lawrencian Ethan Shaftel. Filmed in Lawrence and Topeka almost three years ago, this was the first feature that combined Jeremy, myself, grip extraordinaire Michael Stoecker, and ubiquitous script supervisor Robert Hubbard, a group that would later be referred to as "The Dream Team" by this web site. The special effects work is finally finished, and the film will have its first work-in-progress screening at the Kansas International Film Festival on September 19th. They've got a really good trailer up at their website.

Also at the KIFF is a documentary we've mentioned here before called Kansas versus Darwin, detailing the recent battle for the hearts and minds of Kansas students. It was edited by Air editor Mark von Schlemmer, and having heard it's been improved since the very good cut I saw a few months ago, it must be quite the film indeed. Supposedly there will be a group of protestors making an appearance at the screening, so you can hope to get a live preshow as a free bonus.

In case seeing good, solid fare from local talent isn't enough to get you to the KIFF (though it should be), special guests and the festival include Troma founder Lloyd Kaufman and the extremely unique Guy Maddin. The festival will even include Maddin's new film Brand Upon the Brain! and my personal favorite of his, The Saddest Music in the World. Kaufman is bringing his latest fare, Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead, of which I know nothing about save the title, which may very well tell me all I really need to know anyway.

Fellow filmmakers: if you're looking to get your short screened right here in Lawrence, get a copy to Mark von Schlemmer for his annual Harvest of the Arts festival by September 17th.

Wednesday, August 22

[Chris] Jeremy, I presume, continues his gaffing work on The Only Good Indian. I hear from him only in distant signals, like a radio station coming in through the fillings in your teeth. Could it be that he's passed into another world, a land between the living and the dead ala Poltergeist? Could it be that he's actually communicating with me loudly and clearly and I'm just not paying very close attention? We may never know.

In the meantime, I'm helping local artist and friend Louis Copt with a video project involving the annual burning of the prairie in the Flint Hills. Louis, you may remember, provided the exquisite mural that backs up the "Singin' in the Paint" scene in Air. He's talking to a certain local musician to provide the soundtrack, which is very exciting, and we hope to have the whole thing done to be a part of his Wichita show in early September.

Woman's Intuition, created by our local friends at SenoReality Pictures won Best Short and Best of the Fest awards late last week at Louisville, Kentucky's Fright Night Film Festival. The film was written and co-produced by TAG's own Steve Deaver. Between that and all the hardware that Sammy Applegate's Serenade is racking up around the world, I feel in pretty rich company these days.

Friday, August 10

[Chris] I've been trying to update more, but the heat has melted the words off my screen before I can upload them to cooler servers. That's not an exaggeration - it's just that hot in this city. I won't complain, though, knowing that brave men and women (including Jeremy) are out in the heat, hard at work, makin' movies.

A quick and belated comment on the recent death of legendary filmmaker Ingmar Bergman. A gentle passing to you, sir - you need look no further than our company's name to mark your influence on us.

Wednesday, August 1

[Jeremy] And now for your monthly update! Sorry so long for the delay, but we've been working on a lot of fun projects lately.

A couple weeks ago, I went out of town to shoot an episode of Modern Marvels for The History Channel. We ventured into the world's largest deep-freeze which is kept at a temperature of -20 degrees, and in some parts was as cold as 40 degrees below zero. Keeping the Varicam working was a fun task, and I wrapped it in a camera parka lined with handwarmers to keep the heads moving and the batteries from dying out.

Yesterday, we shot a commercial for an international hotel chain, that will feature many prominent Kansas City locations... including Arthur Bryant's, where we stopped for lunch.

Chris is down in Wichita for a feature-length documentary that we'll be working on in August and September.

Steve is shooting for another television show that's making a stop at a large Harley-Davidson convention for the next two days.

And in between, I've been scouting all of the locations for Kevin Willmott's next 35mm feature film, The Only Good Indian, and that production begins next week. We'll be shooting in Lawrence, Wichita, Topeka, and in the middle of the Flint Hills, where we'll battle rattlesnakes, tarantulas, and thorns that can pierce our boots. We'll be over an hour away from any form of civilization, but it truly is gorgeous out there. The fun begins next Tuesday!

Monday, July 23

[Chris] This weekend Jeremy and I were invited to attend a Lawrence tradition, the Victor Continental Show at Liberty Hall. The VC Show is an annual sketch comedy extravaganza that skewers local politics and pushes the envelope of decency, largely through its host, the worldly and bawdy Victor Continental (played by Jerry Mitchell). While I was aware of VC, this was my first time actually attending the show. I was delighted to spot many familiar faces in the cast, and enjoyed the uniquely American tradition/right of being able to say most anything you want without fear of persecution.

We're closing in on the start of working on Kevin Willmott's new feature in the area, but we'll still be around and can get the assistance you need for your film or video project. Hope to talk to you soon.

Friday, July 13

[Jeremy] I started the week off doing the lighting for a spot with the president of the Federal Reserve Bank in Kansas City, as well as Senior Economists at the Fed. It took Michael Stocker and I an hour and a half to go through security, have guards with shotguns survey our truck, unload lighting gear to be x-rayed, and to get our equipment inside the building. Any time we needed to go anywhere in the building, we had to have a security escort, and we needed secret codewords just to ride in the elevators. All-in-all, it made for the most security I've ever gone through while on a job, and it definitely made for an interesting experience.

We have numerous friends who have movies that seem to be falling into place at the same time and are looking to go into production over the next few months. We'll let you know more as soon as contracts are signed and we know that we can talk about it, but in the meantime, here's to wishing the best for our fellow filmmakers and their continued success!

Monday, July 2

[Jeremy] Welcome to Monday, and welcome to July. Due to our office's new location - adjacent to a warehouse with music stage - we sometimes have guest musicians in to practice next door. Today, blues songstress Kelly Hunt is jamming next door with a full band, and it's nice to take a break to take in a little mellow blues to complement the gray, relaxing days we've had lately.

I've been a fan of Kelly's music for years now and have seen her several times in concert. One of my most memorable concerts was seeing her wail the blues alongside pianist / organist Mike Finnigan at Liberty Hall.

My dad raised me on the blues, and I took in everything from Willie Dixon to Duke Robillard to everything in-between. Stan Herd is planning on having a monthly blues jam in his arts studio space, and I'm looking forward to seeing even more local blues musicians there!

Projects are lining up to fill our slate for the next four months, including feature films, documentaries, network television and commercials - but we're great at doing balancing acts, and if you have a project that you'd like to throw into the mix for either production or post-production, give us a call.

Thursday, June 28

[Chris] So every now and then when the wife is out of town I hold a "Man Night," wherein myself and a few other males get together and drink manly beverages, eat manly burgers (special exception made for vegetarians), and watch manly movies, i.e. movies with more action than plot and, typically, more ambition than budget.

Yesterday's main offering, however, was Transformers: The Movie. Not an advance copy of the upcoming Michael Bay spectacle, but the 80s feature-length cartoon inspired by the money made from Saturday morning cartoons and action figures. This was played at the insistence of the group at large when it was discovered that both Jeremy and I, while aware of Transformers, were completely ignorant concerning the details of the ongoing struggle between giant sentient robots that conveniently have adapted to take the form of various Earth vehicles and electronics.

"More than meets the eye" is apparently an appropriate mantra for the series because I, for one, had no clue what the appeal of the film was or even what was going on for most its duration. It felt like I had wondered into a child's closet and his heaviest and sharpest toys were falling on my head for a solid hour and a half. Meanwhile, the others waxed nostalgic about which Transformers action figures they owned as children and how disappointed they were when their favorite characters were killed off in the movie (it's perhaps the most brutal film adaptation of a Saturday Morning cartoon - a lead Scooby Doo should have followed).

Nostalgia cannot be transferred to newcomers. The Transformers ship sailed long ago without me, and now it feels like a bunch of inside jokes from a road trip I missed. I thank (or maybe blame?) my parents for not buying me enough toys to find robots dancing to Weird Al's "Dare to Be Stupid" an utter thrill ride.

Monday, June 25

[Chris] Happy Monday Morning to you all. I hope everyone is enjoying the summer movie season. I've had some fun experiences (Hot Fuzz comes to mind quickly), and I'm looking forward to this weekend because it features - dun-da-da-dun - Ratatouille, Pixar's latest offering. I've espoused my love for Pixar's work enough in this space, so I'll leave it at that. My ponderance for the day is, considering the animated features that have come out so far, and one left to come, will this year's Best Animated Feature Oscar nominations include The Simpson's Movie? Food for thought. Food for thought.

I'm working on the Pro Tools station again today, doing some sound editing and mixing, two tasks I enjoy very much. Everyone also give a big hello to our hard-working intern, Brock, who helped out tremendously during the move to the new building, and continues to help with soundwork and foley.

For others who sought internships with TAG this summer, please keep in touch with us. Perhaps if the demand becomes great enough we'll have a more formal application process. At this time, we just went with the most tenacious candidate.

Friday, June 22

[Jeremy] So there are times when the giant collective mind that is a production company thinks to itself, What makes me different? What makes me unique? Sure, we're proud of the work that we do here in the Midwest, in LA, and throughout the nation, but what is it that truly makes us special, makes us stand out from everyone else in the crowd? Is it the delicious candy in our candy bowls for clients when they come to visit the office? No, most every production company has candy bowls. We thought about putting stuffed animals on every wall of the office, but another company in Kansas City had already thought of that one (okay the Vegetarian third of our collective mind isn't so fond of the dead animals idea). So we ventured out and added a new member to our team. Someone who could truly make our company unique in a crowded market... And who is that special someone?

SLAM MAN!

That's right, SlamMan! He's there when you need him. Got a couple minutes while the computer is outputting a DVD for a client? Put on the gloves and see which one of you can get in the most punches before the timer hits an end. Leaving for the night? Strap on an AK47 and put him near the door. Wa-lah! Instant Robot security guard for the entire night! He makes you feel safe, even while you're punching him in the face!

Now what other production company can put that on their roster? Well, I guess I can think of one.

Thursday, June 21

[Jeremy] Here's to the longest day of summer! Clients are in the office today finishing up our week-long edit on our newest HD Editing Suite. This bad boy quad-core Intel G5 features 5 Gigabytes of RAM, 500 GB of internal memory added on to the terrabytes of storage we already have throughout the office, two high-end graphics video cards, an additional HD Video card with HD/SDI in/outs, and the ability to shoot fire from its cooling fan. Okay that last part's not true, and probably wouldn't be a good thing, but the rest of it does make it one smokin' machine! Got a project that needs editing? Come in and give it a test drive! You won't be disappointed.

Wednesday, June 20

[Jeremy] Today is IMDb Slap-Happy Day. As I'm sure you know, IMDb is the world's largest database of movies and movie professionals, but if you haven't yet spent hours looking up the finest details of some of your favorite movies, here are our IMDb pages as a starting off point:

Jeremy's IMDb Page can be found here.

Steve's IMDb Page can be found here.

And Chris' IMDb Page can be found here.

If you want to see some of the cast and crew who were a part of the first TAG-produced feature film, you can find the AIR IMDb Page here.

And to throw a curve ball at you, here's the link to one of the most prolific filmmakers alive today... who by the way, has nothing to do with Through A Glass Productions, other than the fact that we love this movie.

Monday, June 18

[Jeremy] I'm currently in Philadelphia but will be back tomorrow. Chris and Steve are back in Lawrence meeting with a band for one of several music videos we'll be doing in the near future. We have a big edit throughout the week, and we might even try out our newest HD Editing Suite that we installed late last week.

To be continued... right now I have a flight to catch.

Thursday, June 14

[Jeremy] The dolly in the picture from yesterday (mostly obscured by the operator) is a Fisher Model 10 Dolly, made by the J.L. Fisher Company. Fisher and Chapman Dollies are known as the best in the industry. Last time we were in LA I stopped by the J.L. Fisher company in Burbank and asked if they had a showroom. One of the gentleman who was working in the machine shop as we walked in pointed at the large open warehouse and said "You're looking at it!" He then, even though it was closing time, took us on a tour of the facility. He took out every model of Fisher Dolly (currently the dollies in use are the Model 9, 10 and 11) and went through all the possible configurations for each model. The 9 is the largest and is used mostly as a studio dolly - one that never has to leave its location. The 10 is lighter, but still a beast to take up stairs, and the 11 is the lightest of the bunch. It's compact and great for location work. The camera mounts on the end of a hydraulic boom arm that can be raised and lowered to very low mode or to a height of about five feet. You can place a jib arm on the end of the boom arm to add even more length and to create jib moves while dollying, if you want. And since Fisher Dollies are the top of the line, and so very specialized, you can't even buy one. They can only be rented out on a contract basis, and you have to pay by the month to have one available for in-house or rental.

Next time you're in Burbank, stop by the Fisher factory and ask for a tour. They're really great people, and tell 'em I sent you!

Wednesday, June 13

[Jeremy] We had a great corporate video shoot for the first part of this week, producing an image video for a 60' long meat slicing machine. Here are a couple of pictures from the shoot--

Here I am with Gaffer Bill Gilbert before the first shot of the day, specifically a 32-foot long dolly move showing a wide-shot of the machine in all its gigantic glory.

Here we see the machine operator reving up the product to move through the slicer as George, the Director, looks on. Pictured between them is a 1200w HMI Par.

We placed these lights all around the machine reflected into 8' x 4' pieces of white foamcore to reflect in the stainless steel. At the start of the day, we rigged one of our HMIs from the ceiling using a Genie lift to backlight the slicer for a large portion of our shots. When needed we accented reflectance in the machine with a Kino Flo Package.

Here's another view of the slicer (pictured is only about a fourth of the entire machine!):

Post-production on the video begins next week in our brand-new office.

Friday, June 8

[Jeremy] There's only two songs in me and I just wrote the third...

Don't know where I got the inspiration or how I wrote the words...

Spent my whole life just digging up my music's shallow grave...

For the two songs in me and the third one I just made...

I thought I'd start off today's update with the above lyrics from They Might Be Giants' 1986 song "Number Three" (link goes to iTunes preview). Why? Because it's an exciting time to be alive, that's why! We're constantly meeting new people with creative ideas, and we're constantly being pushed to dig deeper within ourselves to bring something fresh and new to each upcoming project. So, here's to never stopping at just two songs! Sappy metaphor? Probably...

We begin work this week on Tara Veneruso's feature-length documentary RISK: AT-RISK GIRLS BEHIND THE CAMERA, a co-production of Flaming Angel Films and the Red Echo Group. This project will last throughout the month of June and into part of July.

Early next week, we begin production on a corporate video for a major technology company, displaying one of their newest sleekest 60-foot-long slick and stainless steel products. Bill Gilbert is taking along his 5-ton Grip Truck full of toys, we're shooting on HD, we're working with a very talented producer who's started a new company in town, and it should be an all-around good time!

Back at the office, post-production continues on the feature film Last Breath, commercials, and some upcoming television work - and all will continue after we've finally moved into our brand new office within the week.

Plus, once we've finished the move, we're installing another brand-new Final Cut Pro 6 HD Editing Suite.

And once we're all moved in, we'll invite you all over for some party and cheese and rock and roll.

Tuesday, May 29

[Chris] Hope you all had a relaxing Memorial Day weekend. Happy Anniversary to my wife, an anniversary we spent the weekend celebrating amongst the vineyards of Missouri. I guess a wish of Happy Anniversary to her would to some degree include myself, but her putting up with me for another is greater accomplishment than mine.

It's a little surprising how many wineries there are in Missouri, until you learn a bit of the history of the region. I learned that before Prohibition, Missouri was second only to California for a time, and had the second largest winery (Stone Hill) in the nation, and third largest in the world! Prohibition, of course, took an axe to all of that. But a couple decades ago, the state started regrouping and now they're producing award-winning wines again. Just when you think you know a state.

Tuesday, May 22

[Chris] Happy Tuesday to you all.

Have you all seen the new guidelines for the MPAA rating guidelines that will give an 'R' rating to films with pervasive or glamorized smoking? There's an interesting little debate to be had here.

The reason for the policy, of course, is to protect impressionable children and tweens from starting smoking habits. This is a laudable goal on paper, but is it really a good idea to protect children from unwise decisions in a story? If someone is playing on the railroad tracks or driving too fast in a movie, shouldn't that also merit an R rating?

I'm using a slipperly slope here, of course, but these ratings guidelines reek of self-righteouness in many ways and furthur blur the distinctions between a PG-13 and an R rating. Guidelines to divide films into "family-friendly" and "adult" categories can be useful, but coddling 10-12-year-olds to point of protecting them from drama rubs me the wrong way. Maybe when I have kids someday I'll see differently.

I'll bring up something happy next time.

Monday, May 21

[Jeremy] And so we're back... from outer space...

I hope May has been a great month for all of you. It certainly has been for us. We're still plowing through the post-production work on Last Breath, and as of today, there is a complete rough cut of the film!

New projects in the works? We've got another feature documentay shoot that we might be a part of for the majority of June, plus another music video or two in the works, several corporate videos, and some pre-production that we're able to help out with on Patrick Rea's second feature film, Nailbiter, currently scheduled for an August shoot.

And we're still transitioning into our new offices. After we've moved in, we'll throw a big open-house, with music and cookies and mad games of pattycake pattycake baker's man!

We'll see you there...

Wednesday, May 2

[Jeremy] A lot of new developments in the near future for Through A Glass Productions. For one, we plan on moving into a new office over the next couple of months. A much larger space that will feature a sound recording room linked to our Protools system, editing rooms, a reception area and more! Like what? How about an adjacent warehouse space to be used as a dedicated studio for the nationally-acclaimed artist Stan Herd, room to build sets for upcoming productions, and a stage in the middle of it all so that we can throw the occasional concert on the weekends! Sound cool? We think so...

With so many projects coming up in the near future, it will be a slow move, but you'll all be invited to come by once we're finally in the new space!

Second new development at Through A Glass? How about a completely revamped web page. Those of you who have read our site since the beginning might remember the TAG Web Site Version 1.0. You're currently looking at 2.0, which has been around for quite some time. The new version will be designed from the ground up. Now we just need to figure out what to call it. Windows calls their new updates things like XP and Vista. Mac OS uses animals from the cat family. They're currently on "Tiger" and about to unleash "Leopard." What will we call TAG WEB 3.0? How about TAG WEB Oyster? Or TAG WEB Magenta? I don't know, but I'm sure we'll think of something.

And finally, we hopefully will have some news about our first feature film AIR in the next few days. What? Check back soon to find out...

Tuesday, May 1

[Jeremy] After driving a caravan of transpo, generator trucks, and crew vans across states for a commercial shoot last week, I've grown to appreciate internet radio more and more. Few - if any - ads and great music, especially if you know where to look.

Commercial radio stations are trying to fight the notion of alternative-means radio, be it satellite or internet, but there is such a wider variety of songs at your fingertips, and again - no ads! They created the term "HD Radio" to fill up the air waves with even more of the same, but I'm really looking elsewhere.

Obviously, our favorite podcast comes from The Yank Sizzler, the brainchild of Through A Glass regular Michael Stoecker. It hasn't been updated in the past few weeks, because he's been working constantly as an in-demand Gaffer and Grip. If you haven't checked out previous episodes... do so now!

Another favorite, is the online broadcaster at SomaFM. They've got a little bit of everything, and you're sure to find something you like. They also license their music from the big-timers, which is very costly for them, and they operate entirely on donations to keep things running. Great music, and I urge you to support them if you can!

I first heard about SomaFM from AIR composer Steve Unruh when they first put up their alternative Christmas-music station as a welcome mollification to the constant rotation of ten-year-old Mariah Carrey albums that dominate the commercial radio stations at that time. It was nice to hear something different last November/December, and they never cease to impress with their wide selection.

And speaking of Steve Unruh, he has an entire free album for 2007 up on his website for download, and as of last week, you can buy two of his albums online at iTunes!

Embrace music on the internet! Find something new, and if you like what you hear, support the artists and the DJs bringing you the tunes. Whether it's a donation, buying an album, sending an e-mail, or making them a pretty, little May Day basket, you'll feel better for it!

Happy May Day!

Tuesday, April 24

[Jeremy] This week we're balancing four different projects, multiple shoots, and even more editing jobs. Tomorrow, we head out of town for a national commercial shoot with a grip truck and a crew of at least twelve. We'll be back Friday night to gear up for another shoot in Kansas City this weekend.

And in the midst of all this, it's occurred to me how integral my cell phone has become to my daily routine. Most of our business calls come in to the land-line at the office, but if a client needs an answer right away and I'm on another shoot, they'll call my cell phone... and boom! Immediate gratification in a high-speed kind of brave new world. When I'm out and about, I even check my e-mail on my cell phone. But I wasn't always so dependant on satellite signals and voices decoded and beamed across the nation...

And I saw the evolution of the cell phone. Once a week, my mom would be on call and carry around the earliest incarnation of a mobile phone, as modeled by its creator below:

Shortly afterwards came the invention of the "car phone," a term that quickly became prevelant in pop culture and has now all but vanished. Here's one example of something that for kids of today ranks up there with turntables and eight-track players:

My grandmother bought a car phone with a $5 a month plan, with the previsions that you had to pay a lot more if you ever made a call, and as cool as I thought it was, I was never allowed to order a pizza with it.

High school came around and scattershot friends and acquaintances began picking up new, top of the line cell phones that looked more like the communicator from Star Trek than the receiver with a cord that hung from my parents wall.

I entered college, and for as long as I could held back on getting a cell phone. And then, while still in school, I started working professionally. All of a sudden people needed to get a hold of me right away, and what was once an option, a luxury, soon became a way of life.

I still haven't bought an expensive phone. I'm still holding out on that end. My phone doesn't play mp3s or have wireless receivers. That might all change, however, if Apple releases the iPhone and it decides to seduce me. I guess we'll have to wait until summer to see if I give in. But until then... I have to check my phone. I just missed a call.

Monday, April 22

[Chris] Trying to enjoy some Spring weather through the window while still getting things accomplished. After a long weekend on Last Breath, we prepare to work for a commercial shoot (this one's on 35mm - nifty as the digital realm is, it's nice to get back on celluloid for a bit) as well as the Lawrence Arts Center classes, some editing jobs, and ultimately the final weekend on Last Breath.

Todd Johnson of Trucker passed along thanks for all the support for the "Bucket Song" video (discussed in previous post). We're glad so many of you like it (and those who don't seem to be keeping quiet), and you know, if you're in a band and you're looking for a music video, give us a buzz. We like doing it.

Wednesday, April 18

[Jeremy] Our music video for the band Trucker is now making the rounds across the internet. The video is currently entered into an online competition at Music Nation, and if you have time to help out the band, go there now and vote!

You can also view the video online at the Trucker website. Or you can click the Gallery link to your right and view it in our new viewing gallery, currently in its embryonic phase. It's nothin' too purdy to look at now, but give it time, kids. We'll install brand new bells and whistles and glow-in-the-dark star stickers and lollipops, and then it will be a daily online destination. *

But for now, just enjoy the videos!

* While claiming to soon install bells, whilstles, glow-in-the-dark star stickers, and lollipops, Through A Glass Productions is under no contractual obligation to install bells, whilstles, glow-in-the-dark star stickers, or lollipops. Not available in all fifty states. Some restrictions may apply.

Monday, April 16

[Jeremy] We have officially wrapped principal photography on Last Breath, and only have four pick-up days to go before the film is fully in the can (or on one of our HD Video Drives, as is currently the case). This was the first feature film I've shot where there was no substantial medium onto which the visuals were captured. No film to load in a magazine. No tape to hold hold all those ones and zeros for all time!

The process itself was fairly pleasant. The second AC would change out P2 cards as soon as a card got close to running out and load the files onto an Apple Powerbook. He'd put in a more recent card into the camera and completely wipe all of our hard work away with the touch of a button, hoping that the files were fine, backed up on the on-set computer. We would load all of the day's files onto a 250 gig external harddrive (one of two "digital mags" for the project), take one to Steve at the Through A Glass office, and take the other harddrive back to set. At the office, Steve has been backing up the original files onto data DVDs and then bringing them in through Final Cut Pro 5.1, converting the Panasonic P2 Format in DVCPro HD 720p Quicktime files for native editing on our G5 Editing Workstation.

Sound complicated? It's actually pretty straight forward, and I look forward to using the process again on future projects. However, for upcoming projects, I'm looking forward to shooting 35mm again. What can I say? I like the smell of film!

In other news, we had a great screening of AIR on Friday night. It was officially an "unofficial work-in-progress" screening, so we were especially surprised when the KC Filmmakers Jubilee named it the best Feature of the Festival. Thanks to everyone who came to the screening and congratulations to everyone involved with the film! And again, big thanks to the KC Filmmakers Jubilee for being so wonderful and supportive of us, and of all filmmakers in general!

Monday, April 16

[Jeremy] We have officially wrapped principal photography on Last Breath, and only have four pick-up days to go before the film is fully in the can (or on one of our HD Video Drives, as is currently the case). This was the first feature film I've shot where there was no substantial medium onto which the visuals were captured. No film to load in a magazine. No tape to hold hold all those ones and zeros for all time!

The process itself was fairly pleasant. The second AC would change out P2 cards as soon as a card got close to running out and load the files onto an Apple Powerbook. He'd put in a more recent card into the camera and completely wipe all of our hard work away with the touch of a button, hoping that the files were fine, backed up on the on-set computer. We would load all of the day's files onto a 250 gig external harddrive (one of two "digital mags" for the project), take one to Steve at the Through A Glass office, and take the other harddrive back to set. At the office, Steve has been backing up the original files onto data DVDs and then bringing them in through Final Cut Pro 5.1, converting the Panasonic P2 Format in DVCPro HD 720p Quicktime files for native editing on our G5 Editing Workstation.

Sound complicated? It's actually pretty straight forward, and I look forward to using the process again on future projects. However, for upcoming projects, I'm looking forward to shooting 35mm again. What can I say? I like the smell of film!

In other news, we had a great screening of AIR on Friday night. It was officially an "unofficial work-in-progress" screening, so we were especially surprised when the KC Filmmakers Jubilee named it the best Feature of the Festival. Thanks to everyone who came to the screening and congratulations to everyone involved with the film! And again, big thanks to the KC Filmmakers Jubilee for being so wonderful and supportive of us, and of all filmmakers in general!

Wednesday, April 4

[Chris] Last Breath continues to dominate every last breath of Jeremy and I (like that? I came up with that on set today). We've had some interesting days. Jeremy mentioned the rats. April Fool's Day can also be very interesting with a stunt coordinator on set. I'll let your imaginations take you away on that one.

By the way, that little movie that we mention so often in this space - Air - will have a work-in-progress screening as part of the KC Jubilee a week from Friday. Come check it out! We're very excited to have a chance to give a peek to the Kansas City area. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, take a look at the trailer by clicking to the right. So bring a date, bring your family, bring your enemies. You won't regret it. Click the link above for more info.

Tuesday, April 3

[Jeremy] We're now half-way through our shoot for the feature film Last Breath. As a horror film, this project pits its characters against some of their worst fears. On Saturday, we shot a section where a woman wakes to find herself trapped in a room that is invaded by 500 rats. To shoot the scene, 500 rats were brought in by a rat breeder / wrangler, and the actress, director Ty Jones, my 1st AC Mark Yeazel and I were locked in a room with 500 living, breathing, biting rats. I can definitely say that this was a first, in many ways. For instance, after getting a low angle shot, I couldn't see anything through the lens. I checked the iris, and it wasn't closed down, the camera was on, and it wasn't until script supervisor Robert Hubbard pointed at the end of the camera that I discovered a rat was hanging on inside the mattebox and blocking light from hitting the lens. At one point, production designer Nate Truesdale came into the room to help us out, and the rats started climbing up his loose-fitting jeans. One rat in particular followed me around the room, he would ride on my foot where ever I went, and try to get as close to the camera as he could. I thought about taking him home with me, but decided my dog probably wouldn't like the idea too much.

I'm proud to say that after having 500 rats filling a room, after stunts and actors jumping, rats clinging onto everything in sight and making their way down ventilation shafts (chasing after the actress, after she escapes the room), not a single rat was harmed. They all went home, fully acounted for, happy, and well fed for the night!

We have one more week in the abandoned warehouse location, and then we can move onto locations where we can see the sun from time to time - just in time for Spring.

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