Two5Eight Pictures Presents...

Chemically Unbalanced: First Weekend

2009-02-09T09:00:00.002-05:00

Well, we've just finished the first weekend of shooting for the web series. It took some long hours but we got pretty much most of the shots that we wanted. Half of the series pilot is complete and just about all of the second episode is complete.

Next weekend - completing shots from the pilot and second episode and moving on to the third and fourth!

Production Meetings For Summer Series

2009-01-15T22:11:00.002-05:00

Yes, alliteration is one of my strong points.

After a long day in real life, it's nice to look back and reflect on what's to come. Of course, I want to finish Spelling Bee and it should (hopefully) be finished by the summer, but this is something completely different.

A friend and fellow creator, Sly, approached me not too long ago about possibly taking both our skills (his writing and bringing people together, mine directing and putting the pieces together) and making a web series. I'll admit I was a little skeptical toward the beginning, but the more he told me about it and the more I saw how adamant he was about it, I knew this would be something really interesting and fun to get into. So, now, 2-3 months later - we just had our first production meeting(s). Added the 's' because it was essentially two meetings to meet the requirements of all the cast, but it was all the same material. Pretty much everyone had the chance to meet each other, talk about the production and get ready for the next four months. That's right, over the next four months, we'll be filming this web series and should start posting them (hopefully) around mid-June into early September.

Whew! Long story short - we're making a web series! And with a bunch of help this should be a really cool, really rewarding, and really helpful experience. I'm really looking forward to it.

T5E is expanding it's borders. More on the series and where we're taking it later on. Stay tuned!

It's Been A While...

2009-01-13T21:28:00.002-05:00

A new year, a new Two5Eight, a lot of work to do...

So, updates. Yes, I know I haven't posted on this blog in a long time, but recent events have brought me back to it and I hope to use it a whole lot more often now. I know, I know. Past promises being repeated and they probably will be repeated again, but isn't it always fun to be able to start fresh? ...Yeah, I thought not. Moving on...

Two5Eight Pictures has had a major overhaul in the past year. No, Watched was not created and, no, Spelling Bee: Episode 3 has not been completed, but there's a caveat to both of these. Watched, a horror film trying to make horror scary again may just move toward being a real film. And by "real" I don't mean more of a film than it would have been if made with the Movies (game). I mean with real people, real sets, and a real opening. I know, I know. It's a lofty goal, but it's something I hope to achieve soon. And by soon, I don't mean "soon" as in a few months, but I'm not rushing myself. Two5Eight Pictures goes far beyond the present day. T5E can look into the future. Didn't you know?

Concerning Spelling Bee, it will be finished. Spelling Bee: Episode 3 would have been completed and posted if not for myself taking the easy way out and using copyrighted music. YouTube obviously knew that I had better potential for this series than using copywrighted music, so I won't. Just like I wanted to do from the beginning, Spelling Bee will continue to be a great series and be able to stay up on YouTube. Episode 3 will be up soon and when it does, I'll let you guys here know. Episode 4 is filming. Episode 5 is in the writer's room (which isn't much different from the set or the editing room, but hey let me have my fantasy). The series will continue and you'll get a full season of Spelling Bee within the next six months. Count on it!

Now, for new arrivals.

Recently, T5E completed a Christmas film (tis the season) and it will be posted on the right (or left if I've changed it). Named We'll Be Together For Christmas, it is hopefully the start of my move into film in the real world and not just machinima. In it, Bruce Austin has a little trouble with relationships. His troubles get worse when his friend bets him that he can't keep a girlfriend until Christmas. As Christmas gets closer, though, will Bruce go for winning the bet or keeping the girl? Check it out and find out. You might want to get a snack though because it's about half-an-hour long. Enjoy!

Also, while playing around with the newfound ("newfound" meaning my first venture into it) technology of greenscreen, T5E has started working a short series called One Strange Night. In it, a man is faced by... himself - but what or why this version of himself is doing is still to be determined.

And that's about all that's new. Strange Night will be slow to coming but it will come. Spelling Bee should be a diligent continuing. More film projects are in the works and I'll keep you updated as they come. There may even be something to look forward to this summer. You never know.

Until then, keep it cool.

Watched Teaser and an Almost Full Cast

2007-04-14T16:51:00.000-04:00

Two5Eight Pictures is proud to announce that the teaser trailer for Watched has been released! So far the reviews have been pouring in and all been positive. Looks like we'll have a lot of informing to do when the film is finally released.

You can watch the teaser here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LW2mcV3MgZw

Be sure to leave a comment to tell us how we did! Also, expect a theatrical trailer in May before the release of the film.

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In other news, the cast for Watched is certainly filling up. Only a few parts are left to be cast and it's looking more than ever now like a who's who of The Movies Online. Here is the listing:

Luisa d'Vos as Sonya Blair
qtigger as Hector Rowland
Kingpengvin as Glenn
SailorKnightWing as Jamie
Murpheykid as Eric
Rposhard as Mr. Smith
Kwistufa as Officer Dutton
Skarsten as the Patrol Officer
Babar23 as the Receptionist
mimouch as the Emergency Operator
Kuroken as the Bartender
Mustachio26 as Officer 1
judyann88 as Officer 2
and jackalbane as Michael

Whew! A lot of stars and a lot of paychecks to write, but it will be worth it when the movie is finally finished. Production should begin soon and sets are being constructed as we speak. More news to come. Stay tuned.

A Month's Worth of Updates

2007-04-06T09:27:00.000-04:00

I apologize for not keeping the blog up to date. It must be my time caving in on me. Anyway, there are a lot of things to be caught up on and I'll start from one month ago and work forward.

Very close to one month ago, Jackalbane and Two5Eight Pictures entered the Ultimate TMO'er competition. It featured such well known moviemakers as andyinc, dulci, kwistufa, kingpengvin, and more! The basic set up was that each weekend I would commit to creating a film in 48 hours and release it for the general public. To make it even more complicated, restrictions were given every 12 hours to limit what you can use in your film. It was a tough competition and every fought bravely.

Sadly, while the competition still rolls on, Jackalbane was eliminated in Week 2. On the other hand, he released a top notch film that weekend, Midnight Marathon. You should definitely check it out.

Moving forward a bit, we are back to Spelling Bee. Now, Spelling Bee: Episode 3, which started filming over a month ago, is still filming. Half the the feature has already been filmed and it only will take some time and effort to finish it off. The trouble is, considering the next update, it may or may not be released soon.

Now I must warn you, the next update is such exciting news and it happened so quickly that no one could have imagined it. You will be excited!

Remember that old script for the movie Watched that just took so long to be written? The one about the woman being harassed over the phone by a stalker that's watching her? Well... the script for Watched is DONE!

In fact, Watched has gone through some major updates since you last heard about it. The script was finished, a cast has been assigned, it has been announced to the public that we are looking for a late May/early June release, and a teaser is being worked on as we speak! Funny what a month can do to you, eh?

So, out of nowhere, Watched has taken a front seat and is looking better than ever! Spelling Bee is not forgotten though. The scripts for Episode 4 and Episode 5 have been written and the entire season has been fully planned (about 12 - 15 episodes). Whew! That would be enough to take a studio through a loop wouldn't it?

Well, I'm not done yet. Recent news from Two5Eight Pictures sounds like they'll be adding something special to the PR of Watched! Nothing has been announced concretely, but rumors have been floating around that it will be a profitable endeavor for those involved!

After all that updating, I think you can see where this studio is looking - towards the stars (real and figuratively). More updates will come about Watched in the coming weeks (cast, production info, etc.) so stay tuned!

Updates Around The World

2007-02-11T09:03:00.000-05:00

So maybe I don't know much about what's happening around the world, but I do know about what's happening around the world of Spelling Bee. A lot has happened since the last update (about a week and a half ago) and here's a short look into some pre-conceived updates that should have been posted a while ago.

Episode 2 - "An Invitation" Releases
That's right! The next episode in the Spelling Bee series has been released and is ready for viewing at YouTube and Blip.tv. A link should be provided in the navigation bar to the right.

Episode 3 - Scripted, Named, and Begun Production
Episode 3 has gone through some major work since Episode 2 released. It's been scripted already and looks to be going about the same length as the previous episode. This episode will be named "The Party Before The Storm". This should make a lot more sense if you've seen Episode 2. Also, production has begun and new StarMaker faces have already been made. Filming is slow at the moment, but should pick up over the next week. If everything goes as planned, Episode 3 should be ready for release by the end of February.

General Plot Outline Finished!
There's also been a general plot outline created all the way until the finale of the season. Whether or not a season two will be picked up depends on viewership and time constraints. This also means that most details about what will happen in future episodes have already been decided. Be ready for a hell of a season!

Other than that, there's not much more updates or news to speak of. I'll be posting the links to the new episode later today and updates of the progress on the episode will, of course, be added here as soon as I can. Stay tuned!

Production Has Finished! Episode 2 Ready For Release!

2007-02-01T11:17:00.000-05:00

Yes, that's right. Just yesterday, Episode 2 was finished, polished, and now is ready for release. Running at 20 minutes 37 seconds, this episode is a doozy to watch, but it is well-worth the time. Here is a description...

Episode 2: An Invitation
Continuing right where the last episode left off, Jacob reveals the reason that he just doesn't care anymore while he continues to be watched by the mysterious stalker. Martin catches up with an old friend (Perry McLauglin) and Diana has doubts about Jacob's intentions for being in the Bee. Also, we meet an important new face in the series -- Bobby -- who has an interesting offer for Jacob.

The episode will be released this Friday around 5pm EST. Information on Episode 3 will also be released around that time as it continues in the pre-production phase. Also, for those who haven't yet seen the first episode, links can be found in a previous post or on the sidebar to the right of this update. Until tomorrow, friends, stay tuned.

Editing Updates on SB#2

2007-01-25T09:29:00.000-05:00

Yes, it's been a little while and, no, it hasn't been very productive. I'd even go as far to say as I took a few impromptu days off to collect my thoughts before really starting the editing process. The good news about all of this, though, is I finally got off my lazy butt and did some major work last night. Let's just say one of the earlier and longer scenes is finally near finalized editing. I'm really excited about what is going to be revealed in this episode. Really excited.

Moving on, I hope to do the same tonight and get a good start on finishing editing the enitre episode. No, music hasn't yet been selected. No, I'm not sure when this episode will be released. But it will be sometime in the next few days to week. I'm hoping that if I work hard, I can get this episode released by Sunday. Wish me luck and stay tuned!

Filming is Complete! Plus YouTube is Hosting Now!

2007-01-21T10:07:00.000-05:00

Updates galore in this latest release, people. The biggest one first --

Filming has completed for Episode 2 of Spelling Bee. Shots are all where I want them to be and I can't wait to release it. I think you'll be really pleased with what transpires in this episode. Now comes the relentless yet "make-or-break" time of editing. Wish us luck as we piece together the various scenes and edits into something (hopefully) watchable.

Also on the news front, after a long initial wait, YouTube has finally agreed to give us a Director's Account where we can host full episodes instead of ones that are fragmented or split in half to fit their time requirements. The full episode pilot episode will be posted just before the second episode airs on YouTube, blip.tv, and Rapidshare. When that will be... well that depends once again on the editing process. Wish me luck!

More SB #2 Updates

2007-01-15T17:21:00.000-05:00

Spelling Bee, Episode 2 is going strong. I've filmed half the episode and the last half will only have a big bump to go over in the last scene. Filming would have already finished, but I've been having a little too much fun at the expense of paying as much attention as I could to Spelling Bee. At any length though, from what I've seen filmed thus far, you'll be very pleased with the time it took to get this episode released. Until the next update, stay tuned.

Episode 2 of SB Written!

2007-01-09T07:33:00.000-05:00

Yes, much quicker than ever imagined, Episode 2 of the series has been written and is ready for filming. Filming will probably begin midday today and finish fairly quickly over the next few days. If not, it will still go at a brisk pace. REMEMBER: These episodes are expected to take 2 - 3 weeks to come out after the previous episode. There may be some flux of time in between where I have a little free time or have to be extremely busy, so please be patient. I won't keep you in suspense for too long.

In Episode 2 (though I won't talk about it at length), a little more of the mystery surrounding the spelling bee is added and mixed in. There are two new characters introduced and a special event coming up that will prove to be more of an "action" turning point in the series. That all I can say about it for now. You'll have to wait and watch the episode when it comes out to really know what happens!

As for me, I shall be whipping the director into shape about what shots I think should definitely be done. He's very malleable although a bit hot under the collar about not having his perfect 'vision' being seen by the public. Eh, he just needs a bit more coaxing.

Well, that's all the updates for now. This is Jackal from Two5Eight Pictures signing off!

A New Series, A New Hope - Spelling Bee

2007-01-08T10:46:00.000-05:00

Two5Eight Pictures has just recently set their sights on developing an ongoing series where a new episode will be released every 2 - 3 weeks. This show has been called Spelling Bee.

An action-drama series, Spelling Bee focuses on the fierceness of competition and what some people will do to win. Following Jacob Rhett, we find him entered into a regional spelling bee for adults. Yes, the concept may be silly, but so is the fact that many people in the USA don't know who the Vice President of USA is. Anyway, the quest towards the on-coming spelling bee is covered with obstacles and envious competitors that Jacob must get past. Will he make it to the Bee in one piece? And when he gets there will he win? How badly would you want to win?

Well, the first episode of Spelling Bee has been released and can be found here:

Online Viewing: http://blip.tv/file/125765

Download (higher quality): http://rapidshare.com/files/10383216/spelling_bee_episode1final.wmv

As for the second episode, it is still in pre-production at the moment, but should be shooting within the next few days. It may be out sooner than two weeks, but I wouldn't get hopes up that soon. Stay tuned!

Watched Updates #2 + VOs All Around

2006-07-28T13:09:00.000-04:00

Notes From 07/28/06:
IT'S FRIDAY!!! ... And that has nothing to do with the movie! Moving on...

Finally had a great night of scripting bliss - Bliss, I tell you! - and about 3/4ths of the first draft of the script is done. I know I'm probably going to cry heavy man-tears of pain when I dissect it for the final draft, but I'll enjoy the greatly characterized people in my head while I can. To give you a hint: If I had to break the movie into sections, I'd have about 4 prominent ones - introduction, creepy tension, creepier tension, and action-horror tension release! So, yeah, I'm having fun to say the least.

Voice-acting is taking a backseat for the moment. I may have 1 or 2 VAs from TMO, but I'm thinking about making this movie mostly full of outside VOs. I'll be scouting around for auditions wherever I can find them and, hopefully, I'll be better for it. ALSO, in a related matter, I may be doing the male lead VOs for the movie. It's not definite yet, but it is looking like a good option. I'll keep you guys posted.

On the modding front, I'll probably have a few retextures to do - nothing huge. There is one special mod I'm hoping to have, but I'm not guarenteeing it will be in the film. Also, overlays are coming along slowly, but surely. The worst of it all will be the opening/ending sequences of credits plus a few for special shots I'll be making in the film.

Filming of 'Watched' hasn't started yet, but will over the weekend - finalized script or not. Today when I have nothing to do (a lot of the time) I'll be storyboarding specific shots I think I'll need in preparation for filming. You probably don't want to see those - bad drawings and scribbles of stickmen (and women) - horrible, horrible stuff.What may interest you, though, are...

- Screenshots of set-dressed locations
- StarMaker heads with information on who they are
- Filming In Progress screenshots
- A script excerpt or two
- New promotional posters
- PLOT DETAILS - Coming sooner than you think
- Maybe even a teaser and/or trailer release

But that's all ideas off the top of my head. I just want to make a great film and see what people think of it. Thanks for all the support so far, and I hope the movie lives up to expectations at release.

In other news... after auditioning for the movie "We Come In Peace", I didn't really expect much. To my great surprise and all-around flabberghasted-ness (yes, it is a word - cause I said so!), I found out that I got the main part in the film, Alien 1!! Mysterious, eh? After reading through the script, I'm happy I applied. It's a funny little alien landing movie, of course, and I hope I do my best with teh voice-acting. Heh.

So, that's all the news for Two5Eight at the moment. Look forward to a lot more updates on Watched as it comes!

Watched Updates #1

2006-07-25T16:13:00.000-04:00

Well, scripting is taking longer than planned due to trying to get the right pacing of the story. It's weird - I've got everything planned out in a fully-written and descriptive outline (a good 6-7 pages in Arial, 10 pt, bulleted) and yet it's taking forever to get the dialogue out. Still, I'm very happy with how it's going so far.

Pre-shooting is going well, though I'm hitting a few bumps as I plan out the overlays I need for certain parts. Yes, I know, overlays take even less time than backgrounds to make, but I'm a little lazy. Sue me. ...Really, please, sue me so I can add some urgency to making this film.

The plot is still a bit under wraps as I'm still trying to get VAs as well as the script written. The VAs I've contacted thus far seem pretty busy, so it looks like I might try to get some outside VAs for this movie. (Non-TMO VAs?!? Madness or genious? You decide!)Other than that (which is basically everything) things are looking up, I'll be working up a storm tonight finally getting some overlays finished and getting more of the script done. I'll still be contacting VAs slowly and, thankfully, this movie does not require a lot of modding. I will be taking a dip (more of a plunge) into the art of set-dressing though, so look out for that. So, even though production looks like it's being pushed BACK, I'll still venture on fighting the good thriller-movie-fight. Wish me well!

That's Show Business

2006-07-20T16:06:00.000-04:00

Hello everyone! Welcome to the first of many updates on the up-and-coming movie studio - Two5Eight Pictures. The movies that I make are all close to me in different ways and I hope the audience can appreciate them as well. Have no idea what I'm talking about? You might want to head over to http://movies.lionhead.com. Great site, great game, and especially a great community.

The main reason I came up with making a blog for my production updates is to keep me focused on what I have done and what I have left to do for my studio. If I don't have some incentive and thoughts of where I've been, there's no way I'll be moving forward, right? Cool.

Over the next few days I'll be re-vamping this blog to my liking and adding more updates about Two5Eight Pictures past, present and future. Well, we don't have much of a past, but we have a hell of a future ahead of us.

Currently, I have released only one serious film thus far, Room 247. It was an experiment in many things - PR, creepy shots and sound effects, the horror genre in general - but, to me, it was a rousing success of what one can do if they really work at this terror of a game. Lord knows I deserved it at the time. While it may not have gotten a lot of reviews, I consider it the first tier of what is to come for Two5Eight Pictures. So, yeah... cool.

The next major film for me will be Watched, a thriller about a woman being stalked by a mystery person where she works. More details about the feature to come. Currently, I am working on the script for it and it should be done by week's end. Hopefully, if filming and editing go well, I should have this done by the last week of July, but that's a dream I may not make.

I also may be making a few smaller films to get my feet in the door Stunts & Effects wise. No real plan yet, but they're brewing in my head.

That's about it for now. Stay tuned for more production info, release dates, and updates for T5E.