Hey all,
I was a memeber of the old boards, but have been MIA due to my moving to N. C. from Florida, and then having to go back to work on our Hi-Def feature. Anyway, things are starting to settle down and I have something cool to show you.

First, a bit of backstory. I wrote and directed a short film titled "Intersection" while a film student. It wen ton to win some festivals (still is competing actually) but the big deal was one of my professors approached me, and wanted to develop a feature film version. We did, and went out seeking funding. We wanted to shoot it on Hi-Definition so we need some cash. We gotr a little scrapped togthere and shot a teaser trailer in HD that we could show investors. Well, I am happy to report we did do that, got investors and just wrapped production on the feature. In addition, we posted the initial teaser trailer online for all to view.

So, if you ever wanted to see what Hi-Def on the indie scale looked like, now is your chance. Just click the below link (you need quicktime) and be sure to let me know your thoughts. The finished film should be avaliable for rent in Blockbuster and so on later next year. Thanks, and I look forward to contributing here more.
http://www.zomp.nl/film/data/detail.php?id=24
Enjoy
R. Michael

Is this film going to be direct to video in wide distribution? I work at Blockbuster and we get a lot of direct to video "crappolla" but every so often there are little gems that happen to pop through. Here's wishing you good luck that your film is one of those gems.

Thanks for the interest. It is supposed to get wide distribution, but ofcourse until it happens nothing is for sure.

As for "crappolla" I agree. I think this film is pretty good though. Im not involved with all of it (my short script went in intact as a short story within. I starred in, and co-directed my script but didnt really work on the rest. The story is pretty good though, and we got some great actors so we'll see. Be on the lookout for "Redemption" BTW, what did you think of the trailer?
R. Michael

Thats it? No one else watched it? Need the feedback folks. We want to amke a good film here, and the barometer of what works or not is the audience. Besides, your supporting a Christian film maker who is trying to make good, entertaining films. If you watched it, toss a thought. Thanks.
R. Michael

When will it be out? I would rather see the whole thing before saying something like: that's good or that's not.

Well, the release is supposed to be sometime early next year, but these things very often get pushed back. They are mixed, and re mixed, and so on.

As for "if its good" I dont even know yet. I havent seen even a rough cut. I think my portion is good, but Im not able to edit it (normally i would) I dont know that I will agree with the choices made. Oh well. Really, i just wanted to see what people thought of the look. Hi-Def (or another video based medium) is being slated to replace film within the next 10 to 15 years. This is the beginning. I mean to purchase one hour of ciolor 35mm film, shoot it, process it and transfer it to edit will cost several thousand dollars. A 1 hour HD tape costs less than $100. Compriable quality at a fraction of the cost. I wont get into other little things about it that make it such a great tool for Independent film makers, but it saves time as well. There have been a few "films" released that were shot on HD. (The last Star Wars, Spy Kids 2, and 3, and the upcoming Once Upon A Time In Mexico.) but as of yet there have been no Indie hit HD features. I just thought people might want to see a Christian film maker at the forefront of cinema technology, and what can be produced. As for how good the movie is, i wouldnt want people to venture a guess until after they see it.
R. Michael

Interesting. I am a fan of HD and look forward to seeing its use, especially in Once Upon A Time in Mexico. So just for the technical aspects I would be interested in seeing more than a trailer. Do your camera costs increase even though your processing costs decrease if you go this route?

No, infact we cut a deal and it was alot less then if we had shot 35mm. For the trailer you viewed, Panasonic actually gave us the use of it for a week for FREE. They are using some of the footage for their HD demo reel.

The camera rental costs are similar, but they are a bit harder to come by. There are only a few in the state of Florida, and I havent come across any in North Carolina yet. Both Sony and Panasonic have cams. I like the Pani because it shoots slo mo, but they are both good. We ended up striking a deal with the guy who owned the cam though.. Hope that answered some questions.
R. Michael

It did, thanks. It is very interesting stuff actually.