Training

Well, pre-production has begun, and I've come into it in full swing.. on my face!
Training with PCW legend Rebecca Bolton and the rest of us lucky trainees has been eventful, jaw dropping and terrifyingly exciting.
I have to admit seeing the PCW wrestling show the other night gave me a rude shock that my little forward breakfalls from my knees weren't quite at that extreme entertainment level yet but i'll get there!!! Can't wait :)

The read through with the cast was great, in particular the beginning of our character workshops, where the friendships began to get on new levels with the cast and crew and they are absolutely fantastic, funny people to be around!

Much much more to come so stay tuned.
Jenna (Charlie)

about 7 weeks out

So far we've done some interesting things. Number one we've entered an association with Professional Championship Wrestling Entertainment (PCWe) and this is one of the main reasons From Parts is going ahead in front of other projects such as The Disturbed or Die Mother-Trucker Die. PCWe have been kind enough to find us our tech advisor (Rebecca Bolton) and some talent for the screen (including Mr Big and Dark Lotus...and many others but we'll talk more about that some other time).

Our auditions were pretty interesting, with Rebecca there to try out auditionees skills at giving and taking headlocks, wrist locks and so forth (there was one head into a chair...but Rebecca did all of the work on that one of course...) and now that we have started rehearsals there's quite a few actresses wondering why they need to learn how to fall flat on their faces...haha. Weirdest auditions i've ever seen. Can only imagine what the talent were thinking...still, anything for a weird life.

We took almost all of our cast and crew out to a PCWe show last night for those uninitiated in the fine art of pro wrestling...I think the stand out moment was watching Jenna's face as wrestlers fell on their heads from a great height. It was very clear she was thinking OMG and I have to learn to do THAT! ha. The funny thing being, yes she does...mwha ha ha.

Anyways we're now about 7 weeks out from the shoot and the creative team are in full swing trying to pull together the design, wardrobe, spfx, locations, props, pro wrestling skills and everything else under the sun, and they're doing it on a savage budget - but hey, that's life in our industry. everyone is punching well above their weight - and standing their ground like seasoned pros.

The next 7 weeks are vital. Films are made in pre-production, the shoot is execution not development. So its heads down and bums up for everyone involved as we spend the next 7 weeks making the film, then the next 26 days after that executing it to film. Long days and late nights and plenty of cigarettes and caffeine to come.

The first rehearsals begin in a couple of hours so I really better go and prepare for that (which chiefly will involve tidying the house). Flip u on the catch.

chips

Films For Fans

With the press release out and a tentative shooting date of October 6 set, From Parts Unknown is well underway. Now, several weeks into pre production and most of the cast confirmed, work on the shape and look of F.P.U. begins.

When Daniel (writer/director), first brought me onboard as character concept artist, I immediately understood where he was going with the film and the characters. As the tag line for his production company Strongman Pictures states so simply... "Films For Fans", F.P.U. is precisely that. It's smart, it's visual, it's simple yet grand, but most importantly, it's fun. And it's going to be as much fun to create as it will be to watch.

We have put little boundaries in the creation of these characters. Each one of you could most likely relate to one or more of the characters, but within this world of F.P.U. each character will transform, with total manifestation, into the alter-ego that so many of us have inside.

So this is where Design comes in.

What will this movie look like?

What would you expect to see visually?

This isn't a $100M movie, very very very far from it, so I'm not promising The Matrix. But what I aim to deliver, is FUN. Rip out a colourful action packed page from a great comic book, enlarge it and stick it up on a screen and that is what you'll get.

Dante