The Dreamcatcher

If you’re wondering why there haven’t been any recent updates, just take a look outside.  This is a time of preparation.  We’re waiting for warm weather and sunshine.  Spring Will Come.

I was hiking down (up, actually) the Appalachian Trail when I happened upon this little guy.  He scurried up a tree so we could get a better look at one another.  It was a special moment that needed commemoration.  This serves as a sign of new life and spring ahead.

That’s the word I’m looking for.  Two words actually…

Just lookin’ through some more of my shots, still playing with styles and colors.  I’m going for a combination of naturalism and romanticism or surrealism, which I’m seeing as a kind of a chiaroscuro (light/dark) or yin-yang idea.  One of the big ideas I’m exploring in this story is the grey area between reality and fantasy, where one ends and the other begins.  I guess I’m also deciding whether I want to keep a consistent style, or to fluctuate a bit, stylizing the dream sequences and keeping the rest pretty natural.  What I might do is start with a stark contrast between the two styles, building to a point of convergence.

Still lookin’ for that magic… it’ll come :)

This is a story about discovering magic… the everyday, extraordinary kind of magic.

Sometimes we use other words for such unexplained things… random, accident, illusion, luck, miracle, superstition, trickery, witchcraft, providence, karma, mystery, fate, fortune, serendipity, grace.  Each word carries its own underlying (and interesting) meaning.  Are these more than just words?

Personally, I like the word magic because it is something that can be accessed, acquired, or accidentally stumbled upon.  ’Magic’ does not inherently suggest itself to be positive or negative, but can easily be indicated in either fashion.  The context signifies everything or otherwise shrouds in mystery.  Most people hold onto some question about it’s meaning and existence - which makes it absolutely perfect.  I seek to challenge conventional thought, even my own, on this topic - and forge a new definition.

I’ll be somewhere between the real and the fantastical or supernatural.  Let’s be fully aware that this is a dangerous, uncertain place to tread.  I will be putting it all out there, as it is for the individual to decipher in what manner the physical realm gives way to the spiritual.  Frankly, I’m not quite sure (and likely never will be) about how it works yet… which is exactly why it’s being examined here.

Stories often delve into history, expose current events and, sometimes, look ahead.  So it is that past, present, and future collide in the life of the main character, Chloe.  Her curious, imaginative spirit leads her on an exploration of a world between, wherein she discovers awesome power, even within herself.  And as she journeys, so we follow.  As the hero (heroine) her experiences reflect those of every person, and her triumphs are also ours.  This is everyone’s adventure :)  Together, we move forward.

In this story, magic is the term I’ll use loosely for the fantastic and the ordinary, real and imagined.  Mostly, it will be the force that binds the seen and unseen… that binds us and everything together.  So, yes, sometimes it is spectacular.  More often it goes unnoticed by those unaccustomed to looking for it.  But for Chloe, it’s an everyday kind of thing.

This is a small glimpse into the underlying ideas and philosophies that drive this ambitious project.  I believe that people need stories, both to hear and to tell.  I believe that stories have been at the forefront of promoting positive growth in communities since the very beginning.  I believe that stories (in all their forms) are the most valuable tools we have for education and learning, and I fully intend to harness that power to cast light in a (sometimes) dark place.  The art of storytelling has progressed from oral tradition, to literature, to stage and screen, and now we’re seeing new ways to experience stories.  What’s amazing to me is that none of those forms have lost their power.  It’s not about the greatest advancements (which are great) or the newest formats.  The story is simply powerful, and cannot be contained.  As I’ve mentioned before, I believe in that one story - the story of us.  Not just about individuals, not just about us, but a greater, spiritual bond that connects everything in existence and urges us ever forward.  Towards our destiny, perhaps?  But that’s a discussion for another time…

I’d love to hear your thoughts and questions.  At the top of the page you’ll find a place to ask questions or submit your own findings.  I don’t just ramble about this stuff for my own benefit, I really want to start conversations and promote growth in my community.  Will you join me in that? :)

I’m not sure how we made it, but as I’ve begun to notice… things tend to work out.  One week of really intense, last-minute scheduling (oh, and finals… no biggie) found us shooting our first day in beautiful Roan Mountain, Tennessee.  My godparents Carol and Bedford Transou kindly lent us their amazing property, my regular parents helped facilitate everybody and made it all happen, my roommate Blake Feldman let me borrow his film equipment, my friend Zak Karamalegos let me borrow his camera kit, my other friend Zach Stein helped me set up equipment, my neighbors Dick and Betsy Beaver agreed to act, the Sheriff Chris Mathes of Carter County lined up a vehicle and agreed to perform, my friend and mentor Clay Johnson brought his entire family (Kayla, Ryah, and Silas) from Savannah for less than a 24 hour trip so that Ryah could take part… and the list goes on and on.  It’s really amazing and I am seriously so thankful to be surrounded by such wonderful people.

Now, here’s the whole catch… while these stars are all aligning, I’m still writing and re-writing the script.  As such, I’ve been forced into a non-linear workflow… I subjectively decided to shoot scenes that I’m feeling good about that aren’t going to change (by my best estimate) as the story continues to grow and develop.  It really is an amazing process.  Donatello (or one of those ninja turtles, anyways) used to talk about finding the sculpture in the rock… you just keep chipping away at it until you find it.  It’s as if the process of creation is also one of discovering or even remembering something that’s been there all along.

We got up there pretty early and I did the one man band as far as the cinematography was concerned. {oh, skip this paragraph if you don’t care about cameras or lenses or lighting}  I’ve been shooting so far on Canon DSLR’s, which may be challenging to cut together with the rest of the footage that will mostly be shot on RED (hopefully), but you gotta do what you gotta do.  This time I shot on a 5dmkII.  Most of the shooting was an interior kitchen scene in the morning.  I wanted the kitchen to feel warm and welcoming, and also very natural and homely.  I also needed my lighting setup to last throughout the day, without worrying about moving the stuff out of the way every time I switched my camera angle, and I maybe had an hour to get it all going.  A good bit of the light was from the sun itself, considering I wasn’t using anything more than 1K watts.  I had my biggest lights outside pretending to be the sun through the windows, I hung a china ball on the ceiling to bring the room up, and I had a few little lights here and there that I moved about right outside the frame.  Otherwise, I just let the light bounce around and do it’s thing… it didn’t mind to work with me so I never had any trouble.  While I do like using prime lenses, I didn’t really need the aperture speed, and for the speed I needed to be moving around I decided to shoot everything using the Canon 24-105 L-series zoom.  That was also good for my style, because I literally had to skip storyboarding (even in my head) for this day of shooting, so it was all run and gun.  I loved the lens, and shot most everything clean around an f4/5.6 split.  I want to keep things a little bit towards a deeper focus because it just feels more natural to me, which fits well with the story, and also partially because I’m extremely tired of seeing everything so blurry except maybe half a dude’s eyebrow.  I like to be able to see what I’m seeing, and I don’t think I’m alone in that.

Anyways, my actors did a really great job given the circumstances.  There were a lot of shots we had to get through, and a lot of lines with only a few days of familiarization.  Plus, I kept changing things every time I got the chance, just to keep it challenging.  Everybody did really great though, and I’m sure with more time for rehearsals next time we’ll do even better.  Course, I’m still getting better and learning how to direct as well.  My little leading lady Ryah is just such a natural, I don’t think she even needed me there to perform well.  I had so much fun working with her and the rest of the cast.  The most exciting and most challenging part of this whole thing has been developing the characters, and it’s just such a cool thing when the actors can get into a character, and even take it to a new level.  It forces me to examine the characters even more closely, which is awesome as I’m still in the process of developing them over the course of the narrative.

Huge thank you to all my friends and family, I wouldn’t be where I am without you.  I can’t wait to see what happens next… :)

Late this afternoon, after being mistaken for an expert pilot (I still wish I would have rolled with it, Catch Me If You Can style), Jeremy from Advanced Flight (who is actually certified to fly a real plane, not just good at Flight Simulator ‘98) flew us up in a little Cessna out of Tri-Cities Regional Airport.  I’d flown in some pretty small jets out of there, but it was my first experience with general aviation and a little bitty prop plane, and I have to say I prefer it to all the sterile airport security mumbo jumbo and it’s a lot more fun to be nimble and have a wide view of the landscape.  Extremely different experience from flying commercially… way more awesome.

It was also my first time to film out of a moving aircraft (well, except pointing my video camera out a commercial flight - not an approved electronic, mind you).  Honestly, it was a lot like shooting out of a car window (don’t try it at home, kids) except there was significantly more wind and, well, we were a few thousand feet in the air.  The whole flight was simply breathtaking with the fall colors in full bloom.  We took off a couple hours before sunset and passed over Boone Lake headed north towards Grandfather Mountain and the Roan, up around the borders of Tennessee, Virginia, and North Carolina.  There really is something magical about this area, and I hope to capture it in this story, and these shots.

The most exciting aspect of our journey came in the form of two F-16 Fighter Jets doing circles around us.  It’s hard to say what kind of big guns they had locked and loaded, but we got out of there pretty quick after we realized we had drifted into Restricted Air Space (the president was traveling around below) and I’m just glad we were flying in a high-wing so they probably didn’t catch me aiming a black cylindrical device towards the ground.  Now, for everyone still confused, my facebook post titled “Today, I got Engaged” was indeed a play on words, and as the post indicates, the engagement had to do with heavy ammunition.  I still can’t decide whether I want F-16’s involved the next time I get engaged…  Ideas, anyone?  So for the record, I am currently available.  Just sayin’.

Anyways, we were a little too high to see the president, but I did catch some amazing shots all through the hills of Tennessee.  As much fun as it was, I’m certainly glad to be safely grounded and sitting at home.

Here’s a couple shots from today’s flight:

Oh, did I mention this was a test flight?  Can’t wait for the next one ;)

Headin’ up into the mountains for some old-fashioned storytelling in Jonesborough, TN.  I’ll be hiking through the hills, capturing the beautiful colors and landscapes.  This time next year, I’ll have a story to tell.

RECAP: Storytelling is amazing.  That is all.  Be there next year… I will.

Here’s a few scenes from my journeys… Enjoy!

As you can see, I’m playing around with different “looks” which means I’m having a lot of fun! :)

I don’t know how this story ends, but I know how it starts.  Close your eyes and step into the forest.  What will you see when you open your eyes again?

That’s seriously about the extent of my knowledge at this point, so… it’s certainly going to be an interesting journey telling this story, and seeing it all unfold.  :) Love, enchantment, and death are all plotting together… There will be comedy, there will be tragedy, and somewhere in between… there will be life.

I can’t say whether this is the traditional method of approaching a story or not.  I honestly don’t know, and I’d be lying if I said I had a process or even a plan to develop it.  The most I can say is that somewhere inside or outside of me this story is waiting to be told, and far be it from me to step in its way.

Who can say where stories come from?  Not me.  Stories are like dreams (or… vice versa), and as in our dreams certain recurring patterns and elements develop - in every story, in every dream.

Think about some of your favorite stories.  An unlikely hero (or heroine) gets thrown into an even more unlikely situation, learns who they are meant to be, then battles insurmountable odds, even against death itself, towards victory.  Luke Skywalker meets Obi-Wan, Frodo Baggins takes the ring, Harry Potter must sacrifice himself to defeat evil, Jesus Christ rises on the third day.  Where is this spring of thoughts and ideas?  Are they all carbon copies of an old, original story?  Sometimes it might seem so.  Or maybe that story is all around us, living and evolving… the story of us, and perhaps a much greater force that connects everything together.