The end of the first serious week of ramp up is over and it's hard not to feel a little dizzy. So much has happened so fast. Since my last post we met with the Redbull team and were told what resources they were bringing to the party. It's pretty amazing to see it all. Beyond the support they are giving to the contest they are allowing us unbelievable access to their facilities and relationships to kick this whole thing into the stratosphere. If everything is not amazing I know that it will have nothing to do with the support I have received. I really couldn't have asked for more.

Beyond that, we submitted our treatments for each episode and the series arc on Friday, saw the production schedule and are ramping up for the casting and crewing of the film. This is where it starts to feel like a roller coaster because I am sure the ride is getting faster and is about to have unexpected turns. Now I have to make sure that I don't fall out of my seat on a loop... I did that once in a dream... I remember it being... unpleasant. ;)

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Well, hello! Steve here with a little post about what's been happening today...

Today we met with Stun Creative for the first time... well, in person anyway. No matter what changes happen with the way films get made I still think that this is a people business and it's always great to put a face to a name.

Everyone we met today was really great and seeing how excited they were about the project ramped me up into a crazy, nearly vibrating out of my chair overdrive. Of course there were a few concerns with what Stu and I thought we might be able to do but this is an indie production and apparently asking for all digital sets and Jar-Jar Binks in every episode was just a little out of our reach. Oh well, maybe next time. ;)

The resources that Mark and Brad from Stun are bringing to the table is a little awe inspiring for someone who is used to having to beg borrow and steal for every production. Plus, they gave us muffins! It's amazing how easy it is to win a place in my heart with baked goods.

The meeting was taped for the behind the scenes video as well, I guess that is something that I am going to have to get used to... so I should just out myself now and let you know that I bite my nails. Not only that, I do it and I'm not ashamed. Much to the horror of my mother. Best I just own up to it now. With all the cameras around me, I keep thinking I'm going to be on a reality show where I have to complete a bunch of physical challenges to make the film. If that happens, the whole production is in trouble because my goal is to be like Orson Welles... not that I think I'm anywhere in the league of Welles as a filmmaker, I mean that I am a very lazy man and I hope to one day be ferried around in a wheelchair on set.

You gotta dream big! ;)

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Hi everyone! This is Steve and today I get to relate one of the most surreal experiences in my life... being on the business side of the camera.

I tried acting in college and I quickly found out that I really should be on the OTHER side of the camera.

Unless you like really bad acting... in which case, I am the actor you have been looking for!

IFC arranged for a camera crew to come over to my apartment and film a few promo and end tag sound bites to help promote the series. This sounds pretty simple, right? It was when I only had to say things like "Only on IFC, always uncut" but apparently I can't string more than two sentences together at a time and it took forever to get four complete sentences out of me. I think I'm going to have to start being a LOT nicer to my actors... well... maybe not. ;)

After that I was interviewed about winning the contest, what my hopes for the series are and some thoughts about indie film. It's a trip to think that someone out there is going to listen to all this.

Now, here is the moment where I knew I had arrived... after the interview I started wrapping the gear and doing the load out with the crew. Yep... I'm a star.

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Hi everyone! I'm Steve Sprinkles and over the next few months Stu and I will be checking in to write about our experiences as the winners in the Red Bull After Hours Web Series Contest. Say that three times fast. ;)

I guess the place to start is the day I got the phone call from IFC...

No... wait... I should start farther back... back when the earth's crust was starting to cool. No, that's too far.

A little over a year ago I had finished a film called "The Last Woman on Earth" and I had uploaded it to IFC's Media Lab. I was fortunate enough to get enough votes to have it play on IFC. It's amazing what threatening people to vote will get them to do. ;)

After the film had played on the channel, there were a few phone conversations that I had with IFC. They were thinking that they might want to use me for another project. Unfortunately, it was not to be and I went on my way, continuing to make films.

Fast forward to present day and Stu and I have made a film for IFC's new contest, the one you are, hopefully, watching now... you're not watching it? Go watch it and then come back. I'll wait.

So... right after we found out we were a finalist, I got hit with a little pit in my stomach fear that I had been in a place like this before. So I made peace with the fact that with four other films in competition we only have a 20% chance of winning and that if I didn't enjoy the process of making the film enough then I should probably be looking into some other line of work anyway.

Then the phone rang... (see, I worked that title in!)

I was at work and I looked down at my phone... it was a 212 number. Someone from New York was calling and since I know none of my family in New York would be calling me at that time I ran for a quiet place where I could take the call. The conversation went a little something like this:

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