Human Trace 2007 Blog

December 5 , 2007- "Character Building"

Once again, quite a bit has happened since the posting of the last blog. As you may or may not know, my wife and I made the staggering move to Spokane, WA. We have lived in Nashville, TN for 13 years and the time for us to move finally came. The Guinness Book of World Records listed it as the most difficult move known to man. Just before Thanksgiving we made the grand attempt to load the truck with all our useless belongings, and were subsequently hit with every weather pattern possible.

It all started with stifling humidity and heat. (Yes, hot and humid does happen in the south in November.)
After several hours of it, we were both dripping wet. By the afternoon the sky couldn't hold any more moisture and decided to vomit out 100 swimming pools worth of rain, ruining our mattress and a couple of boxes that weren't sheltered. Once we thought we couldn't take anymore, the lighting started.
It's hard to describe how disconcerting it is to be standing on a metal ramp, holding a piece of metal furniture while lighting is ripping holes in the sky.
Fortunately, once we got inside the truck the hail started. The hail was the size and shape of ice cubes, and the wind was blowing so hard that I thought a tornado was on its way.
(It turns out that there were tornadoes on the ground somewhere in our county.)

After several days of this, we finally got on the road. We made it as far as Montana where we were smacked with a massive blizzard and ended up stranded in Bozeman, Montana. I was going to try to brave the ice until I watched an 18 wheeler slide across the road. It was just as well. There was so much snow that our windshield wipers couldn't keep up and just smeared martini ice across the glass.

In the end, the only thing we didn't experince was a hurricane.

Now that we've arrived, things are much better. The scenery is beautiful, the people are great, and this town is ripe for video and film production. We hit the ground running with setting up office space, and by getting rejections from two major film festivals:

RE: Film ID#2173 - The Human Trace

Dear Jason,

On behalf of our programming staff, I would like to thank you for submitting your film to the 2008 Sundance Film Festival. Unfortunately, we are not able to include it in our program this year. We received nearly one thousand more submissions this year (over 8,500 in total) than we did for the 2007 Festival, so many tough decisions had to be made in order to narrow the field down to under 200 films. Please rest assured that your work was carefully considered by our programming team, and the decision was incredibly difficult to say the least.

My sincere hope is that this decision does not discourage you in any way. I would like to wish you the best of luck with your film, and we look forward to having the opportunity to view your work in the future.

Sincerely,

Geoffrey Gilmore
Director, Sundance Film Festival

AND

Dear Filmmaker,
We am so sorry to tell you we were unable to include your feature into the 2008 Slamdance program. Thank you so much for submitting. Slamdance is limited by space constraints in Park City to program 15 narrative features, though the quality of submissions would allow us to program many more than that.

Please keep in mind that Slamdance is just one festival out of hundreds of others. Our film program is based on the subjective decisions of our programming committees. Please don’t take this rejection as any indication of the quality of your film, or its potential for a successful, well-regarded future.

We wish the best for you and your film.

Warm regards,
Slamdance Programming Department

Needless to say it was a little disappointing, but not all that surprising. I decided not to let it get me down (too far) and was planning on entering two more festivals. The first is the Hollywood Digital Video & High Definition Festival. www.digitalvideofestival.com I decided to unashamedly follow in the footsteps of Memphis film maker, Craig Brewer. His first film, "The Poor and the Hungry" did well at that festival.
In his own words, "I did that film with a Hi-8 Camera and two Home Depot clip on lights."
Craig went on to direct a couple of other films you may have heard of, "Hustle and Flow," and "Black Snake Moan."

I mean, hey, we were both on the same panel discussion together with our short films at the Nashville Film Festival. If he can do well at that fest, why can't I? So, here's me sending it off.

The other festival I was planning on entering was the Longbaugh Film Festival in Portland, OR. www.longbaugh.com. I have been looking for a good opportunity to play this film at a festival in my home town, and I had a music video do quite well in that festival earlier this year.It seemed like a good place to start. However, once I got to their home page, I read this:

"For the time being, the future of Longbaugh is in a state of limbo. David Walker, the driving force behind the festival from the very begining has moved on to other projects. Willamette Week, the alt-weekly newspaper that operated Longbaugh, is taking time to consider what direction to take the festival, or if it will continue with maintaining the event. WW hopes to make a decision some time in late 2007 about what future plans it has for Longbaugh."

No one said that this road would be easy, but us kooky film makers follow it none the less.

October 29, 2007- "Don't Get Your Hopes Up"

If you haven't been keeping up on what's been happening, allow me to fill you in.
In my last blog I mentioned that there was an industry insider that wanted to pitch me and the film to a certain production company. This company buys foreign films and remakes them for American audiences. They have done quite a few big films over the last few years and they like stories in "The Human Trace's" genre. I don't want to mention any people or names for fear of jinxing things, but let's just say that several of the films they have reproduced were Japanese horror films.

The original conversation with this producer went something like this:
"I have a friend who owns this company. I want to pitch a remake of the film with you as the director, because otherwise, what's the point? This film has a good story and it blends the horror and mystery genre extremely well, and that is not easy to do. Let me make the pitch and see what happens."

Now, I am crapping you negative when I say that the date I set for when I would actually hear anything was March.

My phone rang a week ago.
Here's how the conversation went:

"Don't get your hopes up. I don't want to make more of this than it is.
But, they are interested, and they want a copy of the film."

Yeah, okay. So, this is me trying not to get my hopes up.

I sent them a copy of the film, and have set a new date for when I'll actually hear anything.
April 10, 2008

October 8, 2007- "The Wheel in the Sky"

It's been several weeks since my last blog, and there is a good reason for that.
It all started with the sudden death of my wife's grandfather. We were visiting in Iowa when he suffered a massive stroke and died two days later. It was a sad affair because Grandpa Lyle was well loved by everyone.

When we finally returned home to Nashville, my wife went in to work and was rudely informed that she had been replaced during her absense. (What a way to offer condolances, huh?) So, September 5 became her last day.

Then the scrambling began. We called everyone we knew to see if anyone was hiring. Since we have always wanted to move back to the Northwest, we made a lot of calls to the Spokane area. One of the people I called was an old family friend who owned a printing company in the area. When I informed him of my wife's dilemma, he replied with, "Let me read you the job ad we're about to place. When can she come in for an interview?"

One week later we were on a plane to Spokane.

Being people with a bit of a spritual bent, we earnestly prayed for a sign to see if this was a good course of action. "Ask and ye shall receive" the good book says, and within an hour of landing in Washington, my cell phone rang. It was someone from the biggest production house in town. This company shoots multiple commercials every year and several feature films. They were calling because they knew who I was, had been to my website, seen my work, and were looking for a Director/DP.

Woah.

A few days later my wife got the job with a start date of October 15.
Today, we begin the long trek across the country with her, her clothes, and the cats.

None of this really has anything to do with "The Human Trace" other than the fact that doing this film has increased my awareness in the industry. I believe that it helped in getting me a fantastic job opportunity with a nice sized production house, in a town that is close to my family.

However, in the weeks that have passed I entered another festival.

The Seattle International Festival, which is a good sized second tier festival. Since I'll be living in the area it would be nice to have a premier there.

I also received another rejection. The AFI Festival apparently didn't think we were good enough, so we are moving on to greener pastures.

Finally, the biggest and best news of all is I was pitched the idea of actually re-shooting "The Human Trace."
Yes, you read that right. Re-shooting.
I have contact with very nice industry insider, who watched the film, loved it, and understood that with a couple of bucks the film could be great. He is currently pitching the idea of re-shooting it with me as the director, a good sized budget, and stars in the leading roles.

Woah.

September 12 , 2007- "At least it ain't a Cleveland Steamer"

I opened my email the other day and as I glanced at the title, my heart jumped a bit.

"The Human Trace-32nd CIFF"

It's getting to the point now that I'm starting to forget what festivals I've entered. Every day I'm eagerly checking the P.O. box looking for that next rejection letter so this email came as a surprise. I double clicked as fast as my fingers would allow and read this:

"This email is to let you know that we have received your submission of The Human Trace for the 32nd Cleveland International Film Festival. Everything looks to be in order, but if any problems/issues arrive, we will let you know."

Oh yeah, that's right. I sent this off last week.

This is my entry to the Cleveland International Film Festival. (CIFF).

I know what you're thinking. "Cleveland!? Why did he enter Cleveland!?"
I know that this festival doesn't run in the same sentence as Sundance or Cannes, but this is a viable festival and considered one of the larger second tier fests. I've also heard that they give away some killer awards and they also pay for travel and hotel.

At least if I get in I can check out the Baseball Hall of Fame Museum.
Maybe I'll finally learn something about the sport.

September 4 , 2007- "Rejection Junction, what's your Function?"

Labor Day came and went in a whirlwind. My wife and I went out of town to visit family, and during the visit Michaele's grandfather had a massive stroke and passed away two days later. He was a great man and will be sorely missed. I took this picture two days before the stroke.

He was watching traffic and reminiscing about the good ole' days. If I had known that it was the last photo ever taken of him, I would've been a lot more nervous as I clicked the shutter. As coincidence would have it, as I was sitting by his bedside, I received a call from a producer that I've been itching to hear back from. So far, it had been so difficult to get in touch with him that I assumed he was blowing me off. Then once he called, I had to blow him off to attend to my family. That's how the ball bounces, I guess.
Since that time we have been playing phone tag.

After the funeral and emotional aftermath, I was greeted with this when I got home.

It's not to surprising they didn't want a music video in the festival. I knew it was a long shot so I'm not all that disappointed. My rejection file is looking great!

Really, it's a lot bigger than it looks.

August 10, 2007- "My Week So Far"

It has truly been one of those weeks. Ever since the advanced screening of the film, things have been a little slow as I wait for the festival run. I knew that this was coming, but has really tested my patience. This week, however, has been a little different.

It started with me entering the Slamdance Film Festival. Nothing newsworthy except for the fact that I have and extraordinarily good feeling about it. Last year when I entered Sundance I didn't get in, but I DID get a call from a distributor located in Park City, Utah. I found it highly suspect that I would get a call from a distributor located in the same town as one of the biggest festivals in the world. What I continue to believe is that "The Human Trace" made it through several tiers of the screening process and although wasn't selected for the festival, it did make a little buzz around the office.

All this is to say that once I poked around on the Slamdance website www.slamdance.com I started to fall in love with their festival and found that they would be an excellent fit for this film. The festival is targeted towards new directors and is a bit edgy in its approach. I mean, they even have a war story section on their application form! (Naturally I listed out the items that were broken during the course of the film.)
I figure that if this film were to make a small buzz at Sundance, then we have a legitimate shot at Slamdance. Time will tell.

So, Tuesday rolls around and I went to my monthly Brentwood Camera Club meeting. Each month at the BCC they invite a guest who is accomplished in their field and have them speak about their craft. So, who stands up front? The one and only Byron Jorjorian.

Mr. Jorjorian, or Allah as I like to call him, has been my biggest inspiration in the world of photography. His website, www.byronjorjorian.com is in my favorites section and I frequently browse through when I'm looking for a bit of "Spiritos." I have been wanting to meet him for a very long time, and there he was! What's more is his topic was about running your own photography business and selling stock photos.
(Ironically, this is what my wife and I have been building for the last year as a bit of extra income.)

So, I bought both of his training DVD's and shook his hand. It was awesome!!
THEN I won the photo competition of the night with this picture!

Not only that, but they will be publishing it in the Williamson AM section of the newspaper! www.tennessean.com
The picture, by the way, is of the stylish Amanda Steen carving it up in Sandpoint, ID.
Had enough? But wait, there's more!
The next day, one of my clients called and told me that a commercial I D.P'd won a Telly! Here's the listing: www.tellyawards.com It doesn't say much on the website, but there it is none the less. Unbelievable!

August 6, 2007- "Telluride Shmelluride"

Well, it was inevitable that once I started submitting to festivals I was bound to get a few of these.

If you can't read the fine print, this is a rejection letter from the Telluride Film Festival. In the course of pursuing a film career, you just have to expect these kinds of things. I do, however, wish they would get a little more creative in their rejection letters. Maybe something like, "We are sorry, but since you are not Wes Anderson and your film doesn't star Steve Buschemi, we cannot accept your entry."

But, for every yin there is a yang, and my yang is this:

What you can't see in this picture (since my cat decided to sit on the package) is my subscription to Slamdance. The Slamdance Film Festival is the edgy alternative to Sundace that was started by a group of film makers, for film makers. It happens right after Sundance in the same town in Utah, and has become one of the larger festivals in the country.
Once I read through their website I decided that their fest would be an excellent fit for "The Human Trace." I mean, they even have a "war story" section on the application form. I couldn't resist putting down all of the items that were damaged during the course of the film: Six lights, a bent C-stand, a hardwood floor, two plant hangers, a wrecked car, an entire room full of florescent bulbs, a lamp, a severed thumb, two scratched corneas, and two of us ended up in the hospital.

If that doesn't get us a morbid curiosity viewing from the screening staff, I don't know what will.

July 22, 2007- "Doin' The Dance"

Okay, so I lied. Today I ACTUALLY sent off my Sundance entry packet. I filled out the online form over a week ago, but am just now sending off my packet.

The reason for the delay is because I wanted to update my press kit with this latest article from "The Rage."

So, it's off and let's all cross our fingers and hope it doesn't turn out like last year.
(Click here to see last year's Sundance results)
I also sent off a packet to an agent in L.A.

As my grandfather used to say, it's a friend of a man who knows a man who knows another man. He is graciously going to take a look at the film, and encouraged me by saying, "Just so you know, we only represent established directors."

It's just like playing the lottery. . . You can't win if you don't play.

July 22, 2007- "The Calm Before the Storm"

In the last few months, since the advanced screening of the film, there has been a significant lull in the news about the film. I fully expected this because now that the film is done I am sending it to producers, agents, and film festivals. However, since the showing I have been barraged with questions about the film's progress and unfortunately I don't have any major news as of yet.

But take heart beloved "Human Trace" fans because news is coming! I have just entered three of the top ten festivals: Telluride (www.telluridefilmfestival.org), AFI (www.afi.com), and Sundance (www.sundance.org.) These are all tough festivals to get into, but we have put together a slick press kit and a professional looking DVD, so I know that we have put our best foot forward. Sadly, I won't hear any news about our entry status for at least three months, so you will have to be patient right along with me.

I have also sent screeners to three or four film producers who are interested in the film, and possibly developing some kind of future endeavor. This, of course, was the whole reason for doing "The Human Trace." I now have a nice two hour demo reel.

In the meantime, I am preparing for the next step in the process: Being ready for my window.
I have just completed another script and now I have something in my back pocket for when that agent/producer/big-shot executive asks what else I've got. It's getting to the point that every time my phone rings, my heart rate speeds up a bit because the call could come any day. . .

June 8, 2007- "Press Pass"

It's been an interesting week and I've gotten a real dose of what it's like to be hit with questions from the press. Some of them like, "What is the film about?" I'm more than prepared for. Others like, "Why should people go see this film?" leave me speechless. I stammer, mutter and fumble into an idiotic daze only be slapped back to reality when a thin strand of drool drains from my lips.

Why should people see this film? Uh, I don't know. Because it's good?
Nice answer.

So far I think I'm doing okay, but the only interviews I've had have been for little side bars in a few local papers. The "West End/Vandy" paper, the "Tennessean" (see below)

and the "Nashville Scene" (Click here to read the article) have all put out articles in recent weeks. Before that my biggest interview was for my alma mater magazine, and with that they let me type out my answers so I had plenty of time to sound intelligent. (somewhat) (Click here to read the Q&A) "The Rage" was the latest, and the interview is supposed to be out this month. Fortunately, he is letting me see what the Q&A is going to look like before it's printed. (I'll be sure to edit out any drool.)

Hopefully before I start the festival tour, I'll get the hang of this Q&A thing and learn to think on my feet. I must admit, though, it sure is a lot of fun.

May 27, 2007- "The Show Did Go On"

One week ago, today, I watched the first showing of "The Human Trace" to a live audience.

Me and my wife before the show. She is holding me up in this picture.

After the viewing I have to say that I feel like the film was a major success. There was a standing ovation at the end, and all of the actors were surrounded by throngs of fans. Even though most of the people in the audience were friends and family, and this being the friendliest showing I'll ever have, I have a new found confidence in the film.

(Jeff Wilson, Jeff Hime, Jason Satterlund, Josh Sumner)
After the showing. When the actors came down front, everyone screamed!
I'm really not that much taller than all of them. My hair just makes it look that way.

My goal all along was to have people forget that they were watching a film that I made, and get pulled in to the story. According to the comments I heard, this is exactly what happened.

Look how terrified the audience is. My brother and his wife are rivited.
(All those empty seats eventually filled up.)

I can't wait to release this to the world!

My wife is scoping out the talent.

This is me with my brother, Jeremy.
You can tell how tired I am here with that perfectly slouched posture and my ever present baggy eyes.

All of us who were involved with the film are still buzzing - one week after the event. It was certainly a stressful day and I was nothing but a bundle of nerves, but afterwards I felt relieved. I have spent the last three years of my life on this film and have thrown everything I have into it.

Jerry Buxbaum and Amanda Steen.
The film probably wouldn't have been completed had it not been for these two.

It is the scariest thing you can imagine to put that much into a project and present it to the world. If everyone hates it, you have just wasted a giant chunk of your life. Of course you have the experience under your belt, but if everyone hated it I might not get another chance to make another one. It's essential to knock it out of the park on the first swing.

No pressure. . .

May 20, 2007- "Let the Games Begin"

Today is the day that I have been working towards for the last three years. I am finally going to screen the film in front of a large audience in a movie theater. It isn't the official premier, rather, it is a special screening for cast, crew and friends. I could hardly sleep last night since I was wondering how the day was going to go. I'm not sure why I'm so nervous, though. Really, the only thing I have to do is push play on the DV deck.

This is so exciting!! The entire town is buzzing in anticipation, and almost everyone I know is planning on attending. I have no doubt that it will sell out.

May 5, 2007- "Mix Down"

Steve Kisling and I visited Nick Pallidino at his studio and listened to the 5.1 surround sound mix he is working on. He was 17 minutes into the film and it was very strange to hear the sounds in the correct speakers. I've been listening to everything front and center for the last year and a half and at first I thought something was wrong when I was hearing sounds coming from behind me.

Once I adjusted myself to the "correct" mix, I fell in love. Nick is truly a master at his craft and I am so thankful he has agreed to help with this project.

In two weeks everyone will get to hear the full mix on a big screen!!

April 31, 2007- "We Won!"

The music video I directed for rap artist JRemy titled, "You Don't Know Me," just won best music video from a Nashville Director - at the Nashville Film Festival!
This is very exciting especially since we were up against several big name artists, including Big and Rich. I'm also extremely excited because this is the first award I have won.

If you are interested in seeing the video visit the website at
www.bigpuddlefilms.com/jremy

April 8, 2007- "It Is Finished"

Probably the greatest words ever spoken, and I heard them last Friday. They came from the one and only Geoff Koch, the composer for "The Human Trace." After several months of waiting, writing, and proofing, Geoff completed the score. I cannot tell you what a relief it was.

So, now that that's completed, that means is I can set a date for the advanced screening!
And the date is. . . drum roll please. . .

Sunday, May 20.

It's the perfect day. Most people involved will be in town. Once a venue is located and a time can be picked, I will be posting it so that everyone can attend. For now, clear the day in your calendars. The three year wait is almost over. . .

March 26, 2007- 10 Minutes and Counting

I have just been informed that my composer, Geoff Koch has only ten minutes of the film left to score. Of course, this is going to be the most difficult and intricate part of the film to complete, but we are so close. So, so close.

March 12, 2007- Natural Selection

As I have been anxiously waiting the completion of this film, an unexpected gem of mirth dropped in to my lap. I just found out that the music video I directed for JRemy last summer bested almost 1,600 other submissions and made it in to the Nashville Independent Film Festival. In recent years The Nashville Festival (NIFF) opened up a music video category to showcase the talents of music and film directors. It's a fitting contest for music city.

Since "The Human Trace" wasn't completed in time for festival entry, the music video screening will be a great excuse to attend and brush up on festival politics. If you haven't had a chance to watch the video, you can view it online at www.bigpuddlefilms.com/jremy

I hadn't thought much about the music video once it was completed and entered into the festival, so this came as a great surprise.

I knew this was going to be a great year. : )

February 20, 2007- Noteworthy

Many of you have been calling and emailing asking about the progress of the film, and I know that it seems that my response is always the same.
"We are just waiting on the score."

Although this is true, I wanted to assure all of you that progress is, in fact, being made. I just spent several hours with Geoff Koch yesterday and things are progressing quite nicely. In fact, now that I am able to watch this with custom music, it now feels like a real film. However, I know that writing this won't appease most of your appetites, so I thought I'd include a few samples of what Geoff is actually creating!

The first cue is what we are calling "The Solace Theme." Since the entire film takes place in the quirky small town of Solace, Geoff created a piece that would reflect what the town is like.
He was going for a "Twin Peaks" kind of vibe.

The next one we are calling, "The Gordy Theme." It is based around the supporting character, Gordy Fellowes, played by Jeff Hime. Gordy is a lonely, quirky character who befriends the hero of the film, and ends up joining him in solving the mystery.

Finally, this mystery/suspense film wouldn't be complete without the scary music. This cue is played the first time our hero meets the villain.

I'm am very proud of this music and what Geoff is doing. Even though it has taken longer than expected, I feel that Geoff isn't just trying to "get through it." He is truly putting his heart into this and making something that he is proud of.

February 4, 2007- Sir Mix-A-Lot

I spent the day with Nick Paladino on Friday, and it was a fantastic experience. Not only is he as addicted to coffee as I am, but he is one of the premier sound designers in Music City. He has been in business since 1983 and has worked on almost every notable film made in the area. Just like the rest of us, he makes his bread and butter in the corporate world, but his true passion is film. He got wind of "The Human Trace" through Geoff Koch (the composer) and after watching the film, decided he wanted to jump on board. What a great honor.

I delivered the audio elements to him and while they were copying to his system, we were able to chat about the film while sipping some killer home-made espressos. Apparently, there are a few Nashville movers and shakers that have heard of THT and are itching to see a copy. He has kindly put in a good word for me and I'm sure will be key in helping this film be a success.
We are supposed to get together this week to start the final phase of the film. . . the mix down.

Oh yeah, and he is mixing it in 5.1. Woohoo!

January 22, 2007- Nashville Sounds

Once again, I have found overwhelming support from the music and film-making community. Ashley Cleveland has just given me permission to use one of her songs in the film. The songwriter, Tom Waits, graciously gave permission as well. Now, I can play the film in the festivals with some nicely produced, professional songs.

I am forever indebted to these people because the have allowed me to take one more step up to a higher quality film.

January 21, 2007- Q&A

Finally, a year and a half after we finish shooting the film, we were all able to get together and shoot interviews about what the experience was like.

Josh Sumner flew in from Chicago,

Jeff Hime and Dave Chattam paid a visit

And miraculously Jeff Wilson had an open day in his schedule to work us in.

That's probably why he looks so mad in this picture.
Just kidding, everyone here is in character for the shoot.

Except for this guy.

He just wandered in asking for money.

Cynthia Ganote drove down from Lousiville, KY to conduct the interviews (thank you Cynthia), and we all had a great time reliving the memories.

Each of the actors, including myself, had a one on one chat about the joys, the antics, the difficulties, and the surprises that happend when the cameras weren't rolling. It was very educational for me to hear everyone's thoughts and how each of them approached their rolls in the film. We also took head shots for all the press releases and promotional materials.

This is either a picture of a Queen tribute band or a commercial for Hair Club for Men.

Be sure to keep checking back in to the site. The edited interviews will be posted soon. . .

January 15, 2007- And Solace Had a Song. . .

Geoff Koch is rockin' and rollin' on the score for the film and today, I heard the theme song for the town of Solace. Geoff and I never talked about what the town would feel or sound like, but when I heard it, I felt right at home. He decided that since the town is a little quirky and nothing is as it seems, the town should sound a bit like Twin Peaks.

It was a perfect choice. Now all we need is to get David Lynch to watch it.

January 10, 2007- Picture Lock

It is so fitting that a year after the first focus group viewing, I lock picture! What that means is, there is no more editing to be done. I handed the final QuickTime movie off to Geoff Koch today, and will be handing another to Nick Palladino, who will be jumping in to give me a final 5.1 surround mix.

The only thing left for me to do on the film is to add a credit roll and drop in some visual effects. I use the term "visuall effects" losely. They are really mistakes in the film such as boom mics in the shot or stunt/safety guys in the background.

Of course there is some legal paperwork to deal with, but that isn't as interesting to write about.

January 1, 2007- Happy New Year

location=no,directories=no,status=no,menubar=no,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,width=230,height=200,left=150,top=150'); return false;">I woke up with a smile on my face this morning because I know that this is the year that everything happens. Over the last year, many people have thought that the progress of the film was going slow, but looking back I'd have to disagree. Yes, in the world of big movie making, things are rushed along and armies of people are at the ready to fight the fight if needed. Sometimes the big movies are put out with such breath taking speed and accuracy that the greatest skeptics stand agape.

On "The Human Trace," however, there is only a rag-tag crew to pull the film forward.
And what a motley crew it is. : )

This time last year I had just completed a full cut of the film and was about to have my first focus group watch the film. Since that time, I've had three separate focus groups, each one better than the last.
From the first to the last, I cut out over 23 minutes from the film.

This time last year I also had a sound designer. Unfortunately, money is something that everyone needs to live, and HT was forced to the back burner. Since I was having trouble raising the extra money, I picked up the torch and recorded the sounds myself. Steve Kisling and Jimmy Self jumped on the wagon and helped tremendously. (Well, it wasn't a wagon as much as a Walmart skateboard.)
This turned out to be a big blessing in disguise because I was able to add some nice touches to the film that I feel would otherwise have been overlooked. It also helped to create set ups and pay offs, add character depth, and even add some nice seat jumper moments.

In the late winter I actually broke the camera back out and shot MORE footage. I needed some flashback shots to cover some lengthy exposition, and those shots really saved my bacon. I also shot several stills over the course of the summer and added it all to help pump up the mystery.

I flirted with several investors and distributors along the way, and ultimately never found that perfect mate. It was tough at the time, but true love waits, right?

I submitted to Sundance.

I got a rejection letter from Sundance.

I decided I never liked Robert Redford anyway.

Tom Waits gave me the rights to use one of his songs in the film.

(My lawyer said this would never happen unless I had money.)
(He also can't believe no one died during the making of the film.)

And finally started hearing the first bits of the custom score. It was a nice way to round out the year. Now, not only do I see light at the end of the tunnel, I am seeing the end of the tunnel.

To read up on all the happenings of 2006, click below.