Three masks were created for The Pendulum Heart -a film about a mask maker with an identity crisis. It has been several years since I've worked with papier-mâché and this was more of a challenge than I thought -two masks not coming out at all and one being eaten by Peter Bones the dog. These are the survivors: "Fox", "Rabbit", & "Owl

...followed up by a voice performance by the lead actor of the same film, Christine Bonansea, recorded by Stoo Odom. It was an effortless session. Not to take away from her acting abilities but everything sounds good in French!

Also, work on the boat for Star of Tyche comes nearer to climax. Below, Mr. Comparini adds what he calls 70's cabinet shellac.   I'm deadly excited to see this thing realized...

Madame Stanly held a dinner/script reading session to get the flow going for upcoming films.  We read for Still Life a gothic style horror involving one woman with very mixed feelings about love and the Devil.  Emi read for the role, which was a departure from her joyfully dubious character in Neurotique No.4.  There was a lot of “OK, I want you to get in touch with your most caustic and hateful side – and no funny accents!” which is admittedly not as fun but I think more interesting. 

We followed up with a little costume experiment: below Kristen Freeland gussies up for her roll in Painted Wife - a film about a woman in competition with her own image...

Ms. Momo plays the Blue Fairy in Dogmatique, liberating a desperate soul who wants to live as a “real man!”  Here’s some test shots, will be incorporating bits of selective color in this one…

After several months of grant writing angst, I suddenly found myself free to get back into it and tackle the most involved piece of prop work in the series: the boat for “Star of Tyche”. - theater style.  Mr. Comparini joined me through the process and I was happy to rediscover that we shared the same gleeful focus - bounced ideas around while building the thing and the theme of the boat morphed into this introspective swan, inner child, dream boat, which I think, will mirror the main character’s naïve optimism.   Much more work to do but it turned out quite well within a day of labor…

An animated treatment of "The Pendulum Heart", first film in the series, later to be narrated, choreographed & performed by Christine Bonansea (dancer), who is very French and our communication is choppy, so I concocted this with the intention of explaining without so many words and inspiring some good dancing too.

OK, now I'm sold on HD.  Here's a test composite of the goddess Tyche, featured in "Star of Tyche", last film of the series.  Beautiful! 

I'm a big Mucha head so these images make me ecstatic. 

Margaret Belton performs vocals for the last of the series "Star of Tyche" and also appears as Madame Tyche herself, goddess of fate.  Oliver has acquired a new HD camera so we took some test shots...

Ms. Momo performs vocals for the last scene and ending song of "Dogmatique" at Beast of Baden Studios.  The song is entitled: "A Seat On Eternity" written and produced by Stoo Odom.  I'm looking forward to posting a sample of this song. -super lovely...

Usually, music would come after the film is made but for this occasion Ms. Momo also appears as the "Blue Fairy" from the moon and will need to lip-sync to a pre-recorded version.

I'd been going back and forth with Mz. Nataraj on the concept of the short story "Narcissist", which will be the first part in "House of Limbo"  -originally to be shot in January but while visiting friends I discovered this alternate realm, known as San Gregorio, far from the city.  The character came alive to me there in all of her emptiness and tragedy, so I had to follow her.

We shot half of it in a beautiful, old, sinking farm house.  It was the stage coach hotel in the 1900's.  There is, in fact, a ghost of a little girl said to inhabit the place and this, I thought, would add to the atmosphere.  I was looking forward to her presence spooking my comrades but unfortunately, I was the only one spooked. 

My only regret is we were not able to stay longer.  There were so many more things I would have liked to have captured.

Pictured here are the players:  Daniel Roberts and Nirmala Nataraj -performing a "flashback" on the cliffs of San Gregorio.

"A lovers' quarrel":

"A gentleman 'falls' from a cliff":

Jane Orr performs spoken word for the piece and has also provided us with these great stills.

*LINK to Excerpt of the cliff scene

I had a dream I was on the outskirts of New Orleans.  I went into this art store gallery in a run-down strip mall and found these fascinating stick puppets in shadow boxes.  One was of an alligator inside which was a fox -inside which was a crow and deep within the mouth of the crow slept a girl child image, nestled underneath her blankets like some Christian inspired postcard. 

I'm sure this piece is the result of all the Aesop fables I've been pouring over -mostly having to do with power struggles in the world -with my two cents thrown in: the innocent being the ultimate victims.  I will use it as a key element in the carnival nightmare sequence of "Dogmatique".  This will be one of many firsts in this project as it is the first time I animate a miniature using stop motion...

It's called: "Alligator Eats Fox Eats Crow"

Our final shoot with Peter Bones.  Here I've composited him into a beautiful old car I found at the mechanic's garage.

He's supposed to appear drunk and out of control in this shot, luckily the set makes him sleepy -all the hot lights -lends well to his "character". view shot:

NEW ORLEANS:

Visiting for a week I was able to acquire a boat and shoot scenery footage on Lake Borgne for "North Star" a film to be shot much later this year.  One must take opportunities as they come.  Here's a nice visual of the "Moon's" reflection (actually the Sun on a cold, winter day):

 "DOGMATIQUE"

bus drivers are ornery, especially when they're trying to eat.  certainly i don't blame them, but one finally let me on so I could photograph while no one was there....

i heard this frightening violin music going down to bart.  not because it was intended to be.  i asked him if i could record him.  he was kindly and then started to tune his violin -which was frightening, as both his violin and bow strings were hopelessly busted.

We spaced this out over the past few days as Peter has a limited attention span and i am tired in general.  Although admittedly, I've taken a guilty pleasure in dressing him up and making him wear funny hats...

here's a composite test I did last night, looks to be promising...."floating dogs"

so shooting on "Dogmatique" begins.  Will Franken plays the lead in this tale of existential horror.  he's very tall and keeping him within the confines of a green screen was a challenge.  but he is one of those who was made for this kind of thing and always reatained a degree of levity, along with the five hour energy uppers i forced everyone to drink, the shoot went along happily. 

 only once did i have to veer him away from his political views as i did not want the entire shoot to become an all night debate.