Thursday, March 18, 2010

Journey's End... And Beyond.














Today I finished outputting the final digital .mov file of "Continue". A sobering moment to say the least. For the past seven years, nearly every day, I have thought about or worked on this little labor of love. In that time, children have been born, learned to walk and talk and have even graduated from college. It's been a long journey.

The goal of this project was and is to show newly-injured patients (with spinal cord injuries) the world of adaptive recreation and sport. Imagine being active and then suddenly, in the blink of an eye, losing the ability to move your legs or arms. How would you handle the situation? I often encounter people who tell me: "If it had been me, I don't think I could have done it." They're referring to my own injury and subsequent recovery. But I always respond with the same words: "You never know until you're faced with that situation."

For some, the thought of being paralyzed is a death sentence. An unthinkable end. The truth is, paralysis is not a death sentence. In many ways, it's an opportunity. A chance to take a different path and experience things that no one else can. Here's a little secret that I've discovered: Having a disability affords the opportunity to engage in more activities than most able-bodied people will ever experience in a lifetime. Their are endless resources available to anyone with a disability. Including any recreational or sporting activity you can think of.

This film shows just a few. Jeff Rosenbluth uploaded the film to www.vimeo.com on March 20th. It is now available for viewing at: www.vimeo.com/10309216

We are also prepping the DVDs for rehab facilities and other select groups.

"Continue" has easily been the most difficult and most rewarding project I have ever worked on. I've enjoyed meeting new people and seeing their passion for sport and recreation. Their zest for life is contagious.

So, to all of those who helped make this journey possible... thank you.

Now, get out there and do. But first... please take a moment and watch "Continue".

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Let There Be Sound!


Steve Floyd stopped by this evening to put the finishing touches on the sound mix. Whenever you prep audio for a film, it's important to listen through speakers and not headphones. The reasoning behind this is simple: An audience isn't going to be watching your film and listening through a headset. Sound is just as important as vision. Most filmmakers focus all of their efforts on the visual and not the auditory. This is a huge mistake. Audio is the finishing touch that produces that thump and vibration throughout the viewer's body. It's essential to any good production.

Now that color correction and audio is complete, our film is essentially finished. Ready to "go to press".

To Be Continued...

Sunday, March 14, 2010

Color Correction Ends!


Monday morning at 12:25 AM, Jeff Rosenbluth and I made the final color and contrast adjustments to "Continue". Yes, the end is almost near. The goal is to finish the sound mix early this week and make the final HD compression before Friday. If all goes according to plan "Continue" will be online by the weekend.


Jeff reminded me that this project has taken up almost 1/5 of my life. I started pre-production in 2003 and I'll be turning 34 on Saturday. Hopefully my next project will take less time. Hopefully I'll be able to turn my next project into a paying job.

So, for all those who've been patiently waiting... we are almost done. No, seriously, I mean it.

One final note: This week, Jeff and I had the rare and fortunate opportunity to spend the day with Kurt Miller. Kurt Miller is the son of famed extreme skiing filmmaker Warren Miller. Kurt saw our film and wanted to discuss the world of physical disability. For Jeff and I, the experience was surreal. After all, "Continue" is very much inspired by the Warren Miller ski movies we both grew up watching and admiring.

Up next... Sound and Vision.