Locations - Part 4

The location scout is proving to be the most valuable step in the whole process. Depending on where the location that is decided upon is located will be a huge chunk in the budget. Because of the amount of money that we currently have discussions are being brought up with Laser Pacific, Panavision and Kodak regarding equipment and processing and film along with the attempt to find a location that will not cost our entire budget. The largest cot, as of now, is the location - mostly due to its proximity to the cast and crew. If the location is a good distance from LA then lodging will have to be provided which could easily cost up to $10,000 or more for a three week shoot.

Generous contributors to lodging will be the first thing we seek out when our locations are narrowed down. There are currently three more places I am going to look at in California, which may end up being my final ones to pick from. The final determing factor will be the total cost including lodging and permit fees.

The following are my top three choices.

Bodie State Historic Park
Bodie, CA
Near Bridgeport, CA


Universal Studios
Denver Street
Universal City, CA





North Fork
Old Town Medera
Bass Lake, CA

Funding/Distribution - Part 1

The search for a funding and distribution has begun and is heading forward at full speed. Already, there is a building interest in the project from distribution companies and investors. Some prospective crew and cast for this film will also bring a lot more notice to the project. We are currently looking at actors such as Tom Selleck, William Lee Scott and Rachel McAdams while some crew members may consist of renowned cinematographer Row Wagner, A.S.C.

Script - Part 2 - Seeking Funding

The next revision of the script has been complete. After being given a lead to a possible distributer and funding I forced myself to buckle down and finish the draft. I spent six hours on Sunday doing revisions and then went to sleep, got up and spent another six hours on the script.

So I have submitted the script for consideration to one possible distributer/financier and am working on putting together a small script package to send off to another possible funder. While I wait on those projects I am working on putting together a killer pitch to start pitching to some bigger name talent. This next few weeks could include quite a few advancements for the film. Stay tuned for updates.

Locations - Part 3 - Calico

Today I made the 2 hour trek to the Calico Ghost Town to see if it was a possible location that could be used for the film. At first glance it looked like it had some possibilities but upon further scrutinization I found it to be a last resort. First off, not that this is bad, it was purchased from the mining company in the early 1950s by Mr. Knott himself of Knott's Berry Farm. What is cool is that he bought the town so that he could preserve our pioneering culture. Unfortunately, it does not fit our movie.


They have paved the streets, probably to keep things a little cleaner, so if we did shoot there then we would have to bring in truck loads of dirt to cover the paved road. This could cause a problem, mainly with the budget. I am not up to date on the price per truck load of dirt nor do I know how many truck loads we would need. Another problem is that we could really only shoot one direction. In the picture above you can see the entire town and the freeway. It may be small but for a western it is sometimes very important to be able to do a 360 shot without having to worry about modern architecture.

Because a lot of the story seems to revolve around the Saloon I find it very important that our location has a Saloon in it or at least an exterior of one. I was able to find a saloon at Calico it just seemed to missing half of it (as pictured below). There were other buildings that could have worked as saloons but it would be dificult to make it work with the script. Another thing to note is that most of the buildings are on one side of the street as well as the street goes uphill. With the layout of the town and the modernization of it, this location has been scratched off the list.




On a good note, if the weather keeps up the way it has been - Sunny in January, there's LA for you; can't wait to move to where there are real seasons - then I might be able to make a trip to Bodi without having to worry about getting stuck in or stuck out.

Bounty The Movie - The Webpage

At last, the Bounty webpage has been posted. You can find it at http://bounty.stgham.com. At this webpage you will be able to find information about the story, cast and crew, budget and finaces, as well as a link to the production journal. I am most proud of the Bounty Store, http://bounty.stgham.com/bountystore.html. At the Bounty store you will be able to purchase high quality photographs and other items with a western theme to help in the funding of the film Bounty. All profits from the Bounty Store goes directly to the budget of the film.

Locations - Part 2

I have found a few other posible locations but am still leaning towards Bodi, California for the deserty look to the landscape. A big issue with choosing locations is how it fits the story. A lot of the decision is being made on landscape and on town layout or structure.

Another big thing I am looking for is the structure of the buildings.
A typical hollywood backlot location would look too perfect. For this particular script, it is best if the buildings are a bit worn out to give the impression things have been unkept for a few years.

Starting in the next few weeks I will be making trips to many of the locations to see how it will work for the story. Another big issue with this particular production is the price of lodging. I have to take into account how far the closest town is, if I know someone that is close enough to donate lodging to the production and how much it will cost to get everyone there.

Things still seem to be leaning towards Bodi, CA. With the way the current rewrite is going it will fit the script the best because all the locations are right there in the town. Either way, it is going to take some creativity to get cast and the very few crew I will have there.

Camera tests will begin shortly as well as fundraising and attachments.

Locations - Part 1

I was reviewing some photographs for the locations I am deciding between and noticed a possible problem with the location I was leaning more towards. Looking at this picture that I was able to view from the California Film Commision website, http://www.film.ca.gov/state/film/film_homepage.jsp, and I noticed that there are telephone poles in the shot.
At first I figured that I could just frame them out of the shot but then I also realise that with the harsh sun that will most likely be there when we are shooting, the shadows will be on the ground like in the picture. I will also have to be careful with the telephone wires. This will cause me to need to be very creative about how I am going to get some of the shots. I am hoping to go back there and do a more thorough scout of the location very soon, but it will most likely be covered in snow if I go back soon. I am going to Montana in February to do some scouting, if I don't use Montana for this movie I can probably use it for the next western I do.

Script and Music

One thing that I am trying is to work on some music for the film while I write. As I have been working on revisions I have been deciding where musical themes and a score should be placed. I added in a new scene where the emotional and visual connection is very strong, I think that it will be the pivitol scene in the film.

In previous versions of the script I just had the characters talking about an event but got very bored with the lengthy dialogue scenes and wanted to the film to reflect more of the protagonists attitude and to show things instead of say it. I ended up removing most of the dialogue about the event and am choosing to show bits of it as the characters develope and are revealed. I think it is adding a scenes of mystery to the story and characters as well as shows the story rather than saying it. I once heard someone say that films are visual mediums and books are written mediums so if you are making a film, show it don't say it. I think there is a time and place to have lengthy dialogue scenes - Quinten Tarentino is a prime example - but there is also a time and place to let the picture say everything. As the saying goes a pictures tells a thousand words.

I am looking to have the next draft done by the end of this week.

Also, the Bounty Store will be open soon. It will have products that you can purchase which will help in the funding of the film.