Shot List and Storyboard
Production days are inherently stressful. You’re directing and the cast and crew are asking dozens of questions. The production assistant forgot to put in the lunch order in time and stomachs are growling. Daylight is …
Kaishakunin Compositing the Opening Shot
If a feature length film is like a novel, then a short film is like a poem. Just as each word in a poem is deliberate and carries meaning, each shot in a short film …
Kaishakunin Table Read
Moving right along, we had a table read of KAISHAKUNIN. Hearing the dialogue you’ve been staring at for months is always an eye-opening experience. Do the lines sound natural? Does the conversation make sense once …
Where the Idea Begins, the Journey Begins
Someone recently asked me where I got the idea for KAISHAKUNIN. I stammered as I wrestled with a response. The asker assumed my struggle — my hesitation — to answer indicated that I wanted to avoid …
Kaishakunin In Production: Weekend One
Last September, KAISHAKUNIN was a script and only a script. Fittingly, nine months later it turns into a reality. After many hours spent storyboarding, location scouting, creating a shot-list, casting, revising the script, etc. we are …
Kaishakunin In Production: Weekend Two
On Friday, June 17, 2016, John and I finished loading out my Subaru Forester for the early morning trek back to York, PA for the second weekend of on-location shooting of Kaishakunin at Gessha House. …
Empty Your Cup
Sanj Surati and John Iwasz (the co-producers of KAISHAKUNIN, owners of this fine site, and the film’s sound man/editor and cinematographer, respectively) wisely suggested that we each keep copies of the footage we’ve shot. So …
Crowdfunding KAISHAKUNIN – Part I
The sun is beating down on my patio and the thermometer reports 102F. The humidity is a soupy reminder that I’m back in Philadelphia after a two week vacation in southern California. July has been …
Crowdfunding KAISHAKUNIN Part – II
While Part I covers the our preparation for the crowdfunding campaign, Part II covers the experience of running once it has gone live. Now that the campaign ended back in late June, I’ve reflected on the …
True Story Sort of
The woman paused on the path, her dog loyally stopping by her side. “What are you doing?” she asked. “We’re making a samurai film,” I answered. She looked past me, past our crew, past our …