Again, I am a horrible filmmaker...mostly because I haven't made a film. But with the advent of my new job and my ability to borrow some of the equipment here, I'm thinking that I might get started back to working on this documentary.

Right now, I'm importing my old footage into my work computer, so that when I have down-time, I can work on the doc. The main purpose of this is to get a video put together to put on my Kickstarter project page. I've already gotten confirmation that my project was accepted, and now I just have to think of rewards for those that are willing to contribute financially to the film.

What do you think would be some good rewards?

One of the problems that I've run into while importing my footage is that it seems there's a lot of timecode breaks and that the tape is just plain messed up. Seven years of sitting in different storage areas will do that to you, I suppose. The worst part is that the Chip Thiel speech seems to be one of the parts that's messed up. Argh! So, I'm just importing the whole tape into the computer, hoping that there aren't any breaks while I'm doing it. It's important to get this stuff on tape, because unlike the interviews and First Cut footage, I can't go back and get the Memorial Dedication footage back.

10 years...it's been a decade since that night. Doesn't even seem like that much time has passed. But it has.

I've gotten older, and life has forced itself upon me. But the story is still there. As much as I'd like to think it isn't...it's always there.

Bonfire changed the course of my life. It did before it fell, introducing a group of people into my life who would be my life-long friends. Even though life sends us in different directions, we're always there for one another.

But it was the fall that taught me that I need to do something important with my life...I need to do SOMETHING with it, because your life can change in an instant.

I don't think about it every day, but I do think about it...weekly? monthly? In less than an hour, it'll be the 10 year anniversary of the collapse, and I don't even recognize the person I was then. Heck, I don't recognize the person I was FIVE years ago.

But it has made me realize that this is a story that needs to be told, and it needs to be told from OUR point of view, not some reporter or journalist looking for the next headline of the day.

Time to get back to work...

I just got a call from KPRC in Houston, and they want to use "See You When It Burns" for a story they're doing on the 10th anniversary of the collapse.

After talking with the reporter for a bit, I realized that I really need to get off my ass and work on this film. I've taken the last few years off as other things have gotten in the way, but I need to finish what I started.

I'm going to wait till all the..to coin a phrase...hullabaloo around the anniversary ends, and then I'm going to get started again.

When the story airs, they're going to send a link to me, and I'll put it up here.

BACK IN THE SADDLE

Currently, I'm sitting in my Documentary Pre-Production class, listening to my professor talk about getting started making our documentaries. I feel like I'm ahead of the curve, just because I've already got my idea, some footage, and lots of information about my documentary topic.

I'm ramping again for doing the documentary, after a long hiatus. I've got some more photos via Melissa and Mr. & Mrs. Adams (Miranda's parents) as well as more information from a book that I received. I don't know the title (I'm in class and the book is at home) but it kinda lit a fire under my ass, and made me realize that there are people out there who want to hear this story, the story about Bonfire.

NEW STUFF ON THIS BLOG

Holy cow, I've spent the last few hours reading posts on TexAgs.com, posting posts, and updating this blog. I've now got the short embedded here, and I have a links section to the right that has different bonfire links you can check out.

I'm ramping up to start work again on the documentary. After I finished the short, I showed it to some of the deads whose opinion I value. Most of them told me I was doing a good job and to keep on going, so now that I have my weekends free again and I'm not working 7 days a week (small victories), I can concentrate again on the doc.

I'm going to be down in College Station a number of times in the coming months, and hopefully I'll get some interviews and more research done while I'm there. I'm pretty much at where I need to be, equipment-wise, and I just need to start going in there and getting some stuff on tape. The editing will come later when I can get my computer up and running.

Wish me luck!

THE SHORT IS NOW ONLINE HERE!!!

Sorry the resolution is so crappy. I'm still learning how to export it.

THE SHORT IS DONE!!!

I just finished burning the final copy for my short version of the documentary a few minutes ago, and it is in the can! I'm turning it in today, but I've got a copy with me so that I can show people whenever I want to! I'm going to use this short version to try and raise money for the larger documentary, sorta like a trailer for a movie that hasn't been filmed yet; a teaser trailer.

I've got a myspace account set up, so hopefully I'll be able to post the film up there so that others can see it on the internet. Check it out here:

Double Bit Films on Myspace.com

This whole thing has been a lot harder than I thought it was going to be, but it's also put a fire in my belly to get this thing rolling. I've got all summer to shoot interviews, then I can go back to cut and stack in the fall, and then burn again in November, so I've got a bunch of footage that's just waiting to get filmed.

If you're interested in helping out with the film in any way (work, money, hugs and kisses) then shoot me an email at bonfiremovie@yahoo.com.

NEW NEWS!!!

Ok, so for my final project for my film production class, I am going to be doing a short version of my documentary. I'm hoping that this short documentary can be used as a trailer to show investors who might want to shell out some cash for a longer documentary. I have all the footage I need for this short film, but I need interviews. So I'll be doing those in the next few weeks, at least for the Dallas folks.

I've also contacted a Texas country singer/songwriter about doing music for the film. I'm waiting to hear back from him. If he doesn't do it, I'm just going to have to use canned music until I can get some real money behind this bad boy.

It's starting to come together. By May, I'll have the short done.