Our third newsletter installment is out! We've added an interview segment this time. It's with our camera guy, Denver Risley. The newsletter's a great way to keep informed on details of our process that aren't covered anywhere else. (hawk that paper!)
We've also released two scenes done in graphic novel style in our Media section. Coming soon to that will be key effects frames therein hot-linked to schematic style images of how said effects will be pulled off.
Location scouting is well underway with our Locations Manager, Eric. And Rachel's tracked down a possible swamp location herself at Fern Ridge Reservoir that She, I and Eric will be checking out Friday.
We have several new people showing up Sunday to assist Serina, Mari and myself with our effects studio. We'll be pouring plaster over the Pit Parts this week.
We still seek a director, but I'm going forward now with casting, scheduling auditions in a couple of weeks so we can go ahead with our one scene, trailer shoot in mid-May. More on that as we get closer, and auditions will be posted as well once we get fully cast (again)...

A quick, un-Unbirthend post right before the on topic post to get this off my chest... I just saw David Lynch's most recent film. It's a bleak, brutal and disjointed existentialist nightmare in the form of all of his past films (minus Dune, plus Twin Peaks) getting together and beating the holy shit out of each other, utilizing nothing more than 172 minutes (US) of Laura Dern looking more confused than I was. BRAVO!

Labels: Inland Empire, Laura Dern, Lynch

I've just finished an email to "the Mystery Director" that's been considering coming on as our 'helmsman', letting him know that we've decided it wouldn't work out. He has a small national 'fanbase' of conspiracy theory buffs, and wished to remain anonymous if he were to direct our Horror project, per his image... Recognizing the thick nightmare that that would lead to, we find ourselves still seeking a director, but there's a bundle of leads we're pursuing (including friends with contacts in the industry, LCC, UofO, and the Art Institute of Portland), so this vital position should be filled soon and we can get on with that end of things. Besides that, everything else is still rocketing forward.
Serina and I have been monkeying around with a couple effects, now that effects studio has opened officially. We've made a great amount of progress on the Gug mouth/face piece and the Ocupus' moving tentacles. I think we can get some tip movement therein, if we incorporate a bicycle brake with it's cable running inside. We'll be trying that today. Picks coming soon.
The plans for our 'Masquerave', all night dance party are coming along swimmingly. We're shooting for the last weekend of April. We have a few locations we're looking at, DJ's, firedancers, costumed patronage requested and a HUGE raffle with sum ding-a-ling booty to win, including a tattoo and a tanning package. MUCH more on this as plans proceed. Rachel's got this well under control.
Amy's placed some new media in our Media portion of our page (<- to the left) in the Manga'd scenes section therein. Two scenes from the film depicted by two of our graphic artists, Shanesaw and Raul Villalobos, are now there available (in progress, for that fresh, 'as we go along' feel), and to accompany them, each of the artists has written an article for our newsletter about their experiences and approaches to their respective scenes' graphic novelized interpretation. Also this issue, our intrepid production assistant, Gwyn Marlow has our first featured interview. She sat down our camera operator, Denver Risley and got his opinion on life, his XLH1 and everything. I hear it's a hoot. If you haven't subscribed to our Newsletter yet, email your request to 'info@mindswing.com' by April 1st, and we'll send you a copy... it's FREE!
90% of our locations have been scouted for a good while now, but three in particular continue to elude us; A Swampy area amongst trees, a Dilapidated Cabin and the interior of an old mansion style Library. Our Locations Manager, Eric Brackett is in Portland as I type this, to scout a mansion for said Library, and I spoke just last night at Rachel's Birthday part at Sam Bond's Garage (HAPPY BIRTHDAY WILDSTAR!) to a gentlman about a property he shares ownership of that has a rich history and plenty of creepy areas. There was an antonymous town set up there in the 70's by a group of ... 'left leaning free thinkers', that was eventually burned to the ground, as well as boot-leggers, historical figures and paranormal bits too! The one building of that town that survived was the school, that we're considering to use for the cabin. Garren, Eric and I will be taking a look in the next couple Sundays and pictures will soon follow! 00-ee-oo...

In my Blog on 01/13/07, I mentioned that our Locations Manager, Eric Brackett had to take time away for personal reasons. I thought that he was going to be unable to continue with our project. I'm elated to report that I was wrong! He's back "110%" and already lining up an alternative 'Old Library' location to the already scouted archives room at the Knight Library located on the University of Oregon campus here in Eugene. WELCOME BACK, ERIC! We've decided to have another unofficial public chill gathering. This time it's at the club, Taboo here in town. DJ Layla is spinning. Amy says she throws down a mean mix of floating, serene tunes, focusing on the world flavour. Sounds shibby, no? The effects workshop has now wound back up and every week, Serina and crew will be turning out various and sundry creatures. We should have a completed Ocupus by the end of the month. We're just trying to find a type of hosing to use as the interior of the tentacles that will render them as floppy and flaccid as possible. (How else could they be?) Black rubber tubing from vehicle engines are our next experiment. We'll post picks per, soon.

BTW... Check out our MySpace page... two of the most recent of our ever shifting media offerings (from other people) are a couple short films from Mediocre Films off of YouTube under our 'Movies' and 'Television' sections. My God, they're hysterical!