March 2012
2 posts
24 tags
More Reflections (Frog Baby / "January" / Film...
It’s been a few days since the rejection of our film.
I’ve calmed down, since; had my conniptions about the ridiculousness of the judging criteria, and the mediocrity of some of the films that made it in. Some of this scathing incredulousness will probably still make it into this post, because I see many flaws in the way that this “festival” has been conducted. To be...
14 tags
"January" Reflections
It is finished. It is online.
I am monumentally proud of everybody’s hard work and contributions to this film. Now comes the exciting part: submitting it to film festivals and sharing it with friends, family, and strangers online.
Unfortunately, our first foray into the film festival world did not end positively. Just minutes ago, I received this email:
Dear Mr. Eickhoff,
Unfortunately...
February 2012
4 posts
21 tags
"January" Production Diary #10
22 minutes and 29 seconds.
The final running-time for “January.”
It is finished.
It’s been written, rehearsed, acted, storyboarded, reworked, filmed, edited, synced with audio, color corrected.
As I think about how far we’ve come in the past few months, I am astonished. Even more so, I am humbled. It has been such an incredible privilege to work with every single...
15 tags
"January" Production Diary #9
We have been hard at work the past few days, and the film is really coming along. Not much to really report, as they’ve all been minuscule polishing sorts of things, but the film is almost ready to be graded.
We have confirmed that a high school class of juniors studying American Film will have “January” screened to them in its current iteration, so that we can get feedback from...
14 tags
"January" Production Diary #8
It’s been a while. I’ve been busy. Hello, again!
Production on “January” (which I can never decide if I should italicize or put in quotation marks) is coming along quite nicely. Several days ago, we looked at a rough-cut of the film, to see how we needed to proceed forward in order to meet our deadline, February 29th.
When I looked at the rough-cut, I was not happy with...
15 tags
"January" Production Diary #7
January Teaser/Trailer from Brent Eickhoff on Vimeo.
The teaser for “January” is up. We have finished 99% of the filming—all we need to do is get one final, aerial shot on a highway, and we will be done. It is in the process of being edited, currently; it looks like we’ll meet our deadline.
The teaser/trailer went online last night relatively late, but already...
January 2012
11 posts
10 tags
““I like it better when it’s snowing. When it’s just the snow...”
– an elevator ride with a stranger
18 tags
Regarding Motives in Creative Endeavors
It’s my hope that this doesn’t come across as a pretentious I’m-better-than-you sort of thing. It certainly isn’t a personal attack either. I’ve just had growing, strong, feelings about a “project” (I think I’ve decided that this is the best name for it) that I’ve continued hearing about and so this is my response to the issues that it has...
19 tags
"January" Production Diary #6
This is literally the first time I’ve opened my laptop since Friday night.
We were scheduled to begin filming Saturday, the 14th, but when the snow hit Muncie, and rain was in the forecast for today, we were concerned about continuity. After all, Indiana hasn’t looked very Winter-like for pretty much all of Winter. Seeing as our film is set in the month of January, we decided...
14 tags
"January" Production Diary #5
Jubilation.
This is happening.
After the read-through, in a circle in the cold outside the library, Zach asks me: “This is happening, right? Because I’ve been on board for a lot of films, but they haven’t come together.”
The answer is an incredible, “YES!” But I’m getting ahead of myself. Let’s go back to Monday night.
Sunday had been a bust....
15 tags
"January" Production Diary #4
19 days.
$350, or more.
Is this all going to come together?
That’s like, $20 a day.
Doubt. Fear. Anxiety…Excitement.
This can happen.
This film can happen.
19 days.
Today, I received an email letting me know that Kickstarter.com had approved our project, “January.”
The fundraiser is officially up and running. You can visit this link to make a donation.
You can...
13 tags
"January" Production Diary #3
My meeting with Jack (AKA Kaptain Kewl, now known as “Drivel Kid”) went phenomenally. When I arrived, he greeted me, asked how I’d been, and then lead me to the back of his house. We climbed into a closet—his recording studio—and he opened up his MacBook. The small “room” was fitted with headphones, his laptop, an expensive-looking microphone, and some...
14 tags
"January" Production Diary #2
This is real. I—we—are making a film.
I’m not sure when it hit me the most, but today has been a triple-whammy as far as reminders go.
Before I become too far entrenched in my story-of-the-triple-whammy, let me first offer you with a short summary of “January,” because I realize I haven’t yet provided one. “January” is a short film about David, a...
16 tags
"January" Production Diary #1
In just a few days, I embark on my biggest project to date as a filmmaker. I am simultaneously ecstatic and terrified at the prospect of taking this film to multiple area film festivals, but know that this piece will be one of the biggest learning experiences for me yet. I know that my cast and crew will pour their own passion into this film, and I cannot wait to get started. Hopefully the next...
9 tags
“an·am·ne·sis [an-am-nee-sis]
noun, plural -ses [-seez]
1. the recollection...”
– The title of my newest screenplay. Will be working on it in the free time between production of “January.”
14 tags
Regarding Various Filmmaking Manifestos
I think that, in regards to filmmaking, manifestos can be quite useful. I feel like with each year, films become more and more style, and less and less substance. And when I say “style,” I don’t really mean stylistic editing or narrative techniques, I mean visual effects, 3D animation, computer generation. I own a book—which, I confess, I haven’t yet...
8 tags
December 2011
12 posts
15 tags
Rants With Friends
I love Scrabble. Love it. Love words, love being competitive, am working on memorizing all 101 two letter words. I have an iPhone, and have a game called Words With Friends on it, which I’m sure many of you have, if not played, at least heard of.
I’ve had Words With Friends since I first got my iPhone, about a year and a half, and, at first, things were great. Awesome, even. I could...
12 tags
PSA from a Nog
An animation. A public service announcement from a common nog. An important message for this holiday season. For more information about eggnog, click here.
LOVE,
BRENT
8 tags
Short Story--He Sat in the Barn
He sat in the barn. He didn’t particularly like it there, or anywhere for that matter, but it was something to do, somewhere to be. He contemplated things. Nothing important, he was just fifty-three years old, nothing important to think about at that age, still hadn’t reached his ‘ripeness’ as his mother called it. His mother. She always said things to him. Not that he listened. “If it’s...
8 tags
10 tags
9 tags
A Scene of Great Genius: The Man and the Soda...
Imagine this: A little boy, 6-ish, walks into a deli with his mother. His mother orders sandwiches for them and also orders two medium drinks: a combo that saves them $2.58. As the mother goes to pick a table, she hands both cups to her son, so that he may go and get their drinks. The little lad approaches the soda machine, where an elderly man with a long beard is standing with a cane. The little...
9 tags
Attached for your enjoyment is the instant hit, I...
7 tags
6 tags
The Usual...
So, the usual thing that happens to me when I start something new happened.
It sat.
For a while. A several-days-is-an-understatement while. But, but, BUT, I was working on another project.
I have just finished my first screenplay, (!!!) entitled “January.” It feels awesome to be done. I’ve also been getting lots of good feedback on it, and I’m excited to get working...
6 tags
A Post Script (Or Rather, Two)
Post Script #1— If you want to “get to know me” better, you can hop over to my blog and check it out.
Post Script #2— I always enjoy multiple post scripts, because when you read “P.P.S.” it’s like you read “pee pee” and that’s like pee pee in your head.
LOVE,
BRENT
P.S. I like post scripts.
P.P.S. Pee pee in your head. ;-)
10 tags
Empty
It’s so weird looking at this completely blank canvas.
Like, it’s not just the minimalist theme (which you must admit is quite “crisp,” almost “elegant.”)
It’s also that it’s completely new. Which is I guess why I wanted a new one (one referring to website, as I’ve had several over the years).
Unfortunately I don’t have much to...