It's been a bit quiet around here lately.

Stu is off in Roswell, chasing aliens... John is in Phoenix... I feel like the guy who get left behind while everyone else went off to the big city.

Right now we are waiting on feedback for the first three episodes. John and I will complete our cut of episode 4 tomorrow and start episode 5 before the end of the week but we can't do the finishing for the first three episodes until we get sign off. Personally I want to get started on it as soon as possible but this is part of the hurry up and wait of film. I have to be in a constant cat like state of readiness so when an approval comes down I can snap into action and start to hammer away at the color correction and sound mixing.

In all honesty I just want to get Episode 1 done and behind me. I feel like I've been working on those same 7 minutes for the last four months and I just want to see it finished once and for all. It's not that I don't love it... I just don't want to keep looking at it. It's starting to feel like Groundhogs Day.

I guess I should continue to make fun of Stu... after all, that's how I roll. ;)

Stu wouldn't want anyone to know this but he is actually a robot sent from the future to destroy us all.

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I know that sounds strange considering we are far along in the post-production process (currently editing episode four) but there was a part of episode four that never got shot, we knew it needed to get shot and we, for various reasons, had to keep pushing it farther and farther off until we HAD to get it shot because... we'll we are editing episode four and needed the material.

So Jordan and Matt came down to my apartment and we shot some exterior and door play for the Paige and Luke episode (four). It was great to see the boys again and have Albert and Derek on set again. We were working so small, fast and collaborative again that Albert said it was just like working on the pilot again.

And with last night's shoot production on Pushing Twilight officially comes to and end. Officially.

Today is also the day the Lee Resolution got approved by the Continental Congress. I forget why we celebrate the 4th... I think that might have been the official public vote or final vote. Any history geeks in the house know an answer to that one?

Anyways, happy early Independence Day. Go celebrate by using fireworks to blow up little pieces of the country we love so dearly.

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I got approval on storyboards for the logo animation. It's going to be a simple and hopefully elegant thing that will play well with the music we have been using to score the meeting scenes. I'm just trying to find that line between beautiful simplicity and boring. It's amazing how quickly one can become the other.

Last night I saw a first cut of episode 3... this is the first one of the troublesome two.

Episodes 3 & 4 have a lot of series arc happening in them as well as very serious and dramatic stories. They need to hit hard emotionally in a short time. That's not too easy. I think we have the material, now we just have to find the right rhythm and levels for the scenes and we will get there.

That's about all for now...

Oh... on to mocking Stu... Did you know that Stu has a tattoo of Hello Kitty on his butt? These things are all true. ;)

That winky smiley face was just for you Lira!

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John and I dug into episode 2 today.

This one has a good comedy base so we were giggling all day. It's really interesting how different the first two episodes feel. I know that they were written that way and that I shot them to play different but you never really know until you start cutting. There are three moments in this one that I know should pop a laugh out of just about anyone... not bad for a 5 minute short.

We also sent off the promo material today, that is all the shots and moments that IFC will be using to cut together all the commercials and promotions for the show. I spent the weekend color correcting the material (along with writing some extra music for episode one) and it was really gratifying to see everyone very pleased with how the footage looks when it's been shaken down to the proper levels and color looks.

Tomorrow I have to shoot a small pickup for episode two and finish storyboards for a motion graphics into to the series... I started out in design and it never seems to fail that there is a moment in each project where I have to break out Photoshop again... and again. ;)

Finally I have to continue with my Stu-smearing campaign... did you know that Stu once killed a man, just to watch him die? It's true. Johnny Cash wrote a song about it. That's right, I'm outing Stu... he's 60 years old. ;)

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That's not 100% true.

We sent episode 1 to IFC and got some very positive feedback. Some minor notes but nothing ground shaking. I think we might be on the right track. Big ups to John, our editor, for really making the first episode a great one.

But beyond that I got nuttin... John is doing a first cut of episode 2 and I won't see that until Monday.

So from now until then I will just make fun of Stu.

Did you know that Stu has webbed feet and a third nipple?

Don't ask me how I know.

I just do.

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So we locked the internal cut of episode 1 and sent it off to IFC today.

Now we hold our collective breath. John and I are very proud of how this episode has taken shape but it's always a little nerve rattling to send it off for the first time. I guess it will either be accepted and we will have minor notes or we will get very bloody. Either way it goes we will find out what everyone's impression of the direction and tone we have built into the first episode.

I hope they like it. I really do.

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It's been a few days since I had an entry... mostly I was sleeping... and doing laundry... and cleaning.

Yes, after the shoot I am really in the Hollywood lifestyle. ;)

While I was taking a breather, John, our editor has been hard at work on the first cut of Episode 1. On Saturday he had Stu and myself come over to have a first look at all our months of hard work. So far I think it looks really good. I had pretty minimal notes for the episode, mostly to do with pace and flow... hopefully we are in good shape for the series if the first cuts of all the episodes are as good as this one.

I'm really excited about where we are at and I know that with sound design, color correction and a score it's only going to get better and better.

We also have pickups this coming week, just a few shots here and there to fill in a few gaps that we didn't get in principal photography. Should be a nice short day with only Paul, myself and Albert on crew. It's going to be fun to watch us go from the big crew down to me holding a boom and running a camera. I tell ya... it's all about glamor in this business!

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So, a few days ago, we wrapped up the principal shoot, and last night we had our wrap party, graciously hosted by Red Bull. It's been a long journey through the production process, but we're finally near the end.

I did a lot of theatre in college, and whenever we reached the end of a production, there was both a sense of accomplishment and sadness. I'm feeling some of that now - we came so far from our initial treatments, and then the shoot seemed to pass by in an instant.

I've said it so many times already, but we truly had an amazing cast and crew, who shot incredibly fast with impeccable skill, and all between the hours of 7 pm and 7 am - never an easy work-day. I think Steve performed above and beyond all expectations, and this just goes to show the future he has as a director.

I'm humbled and honored to have worked through this process with such a talented group - and I can't wait to see everything cut together.

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The shoot is over (almost). We have a little pickup day next week but that will only be a few hours, a few shots and just a couple people for cast and crew. We broke the main crew team last night. I tried to get in a couple extra jib shots before I lost Phil, our operator, his booms and sweeps with that arm are so great and I wanted to have as many as possible before the end.

On our last location we worked with a smaller unit doing a big hand held sequence. It was kind of funny. After all the big locations, cast and crew we ended with a very small team and one actor. I think we all started getting loopy in the last hour, I know Ryan and Albert did. It was funny seeing Ryan, who has been the most professional and focused AD I've ever seen, break down and get the giggles.

For the last scene Derek, our Gaffer, swapped in for Albert for a little DP time and he did a great job. I don't know if anyone will know which scene Derek filled in because the quality of work was excellent across the board.

I'm really sad to see everyone go. I really had the best time of my life directing this project. I may have said it before but I want to thank everyone in the crew and the cast. I will end up getting a lot of credit for the work they did in making the film so good but so much of the success of this shoot is on the team that I just want to thank them all again. There is no way I could have done it without all my people in front of and behind the camera.

You were all rock stars and I love you all.

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We hit the monster day. The day we had to film 11 pages of material in one day.

11 pages. 1 day. It feels like my body got beaten down. Hard.

What we did was total insanity but because we had such a fantastic crew and cast... we got it all done. Even better, we got it all done without going over for the day. I still can't believe it.

We really separated the men from the boys last night. We saw a lot of nerves on edge but we also saw who was really built for this kind of work. We had to constantly change, adapt and improvise to make the day and get all the material we needed for all the scenes... some people really showed who they were and why they are going to be superstars someday.

I gotta throw big, big thanks to Ryan, Albert, their team and DC. They were under the gun more then anyone else and they did it all like professionals.

Tonight will be the last night of principal photography... two big scenes and two locations. This will be the last time this team is all together. I know I'm getting ahead of myself but I will miss every single one of them.

Although I have to say for the sadness of ending the shoot I do see one bright sign on the horizon... I finally get to see Kingdom of the Crystal Skulls!

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