First Review - Disaboom

Here is the first review of "Continue", written by Kerry Laird for Disaboom:

Though it may not be common knowledge among the masses, most of us who have been there know that a spinal cord injury does not mean “end of life.” Stan Clawson, the director of the adaptive sports film Continue, offers a window into the world of possibilities open to people with spinal cord injury, possibilities that include bone-crushing martial arts, head-bobbing river tours and enough self-fulfillment to last a lifetime.

Continue features nearly 30 team and individual adaptive sports and indoor and outdoor activities for wheelchair and non-wheelchair users. Not since Mark Wellman’s No Barriers has a post-spinal cord injury film promised to “rehabilitate” the mind like Continue. While its main audience will be those with spinal cord injuries and their supporters, Clawson’s Continue has the potential to alter nondisabled people’s preconceived notions of wheelchair users and their quality of life.

“This is the film I wish I’d seen during my post-injury rehabilitation,” says Clawson, who sustained his paralyzing spinal cord injury during a rock-climbing accident. “We are making this film available to everyone free of charge,” continues Clawson. “Anyone will be able to watch [Continue] and download this film from the internet… to show them that life can continue following a severe injury and that paralysis is not a life sentence.”

Sans dialogue, Continue allows viewers to focus on the experiences on the screen. Produced by Jeffrey Rosenbluth, the film showcases the latest equipment for the slopes, the seas and the mountains, just to name a few. While the equipment may be high-priced, the freedom of mobility and exhilaration experienced by the film’s athletes remain irresistibly free.

With locations in Belize, California, Utah and Idaho, superb shots and seamless editing make Continue a joy to experience. Its cinematic-quality production will conjure wafts of buttered popcorn and the fizz of overpriced sodas to the comforts of your own couch. However, sitting though Continue encourages even the most fervent of couch potatoes to explore the available opportunities presented in Clawson and Rosenbluth’s vision.

Whether its paras ocean dancing in the midst of a nurse shark feeding frenzy or quads pounding the boards in search of the next score, Continue does not focus primarily on cream-of-the-crop athletes like other SCI-related sports films. It also highlights sports enthusiasts with no other inclination than to enjoy fresh air and a blood-pumping jaunt.

Viewers learn what is possible right now with the right equipment… and a doctor’s clearance, of course. Activities for paraplegics and quadriplegics alike appear with the funkadelic reggae-rock soundtrack. If you can use a sip and puff, Clawson confirms you can race down a ski slope, via a computer-generated model.

While the music periodically borders on maudlin, the awe-inspiring landscape that drapes the background reflects the audacity of the anonymous characters that carve, crank and careen their way along snowy ledges, dirt trails and raging rivers.

Anonymity, in fact, aligns Clawson’s Continue with an egalitarian spirit. The people in the short film – Continue runs under 30 minutes – reflect reality by offering a cross-cultural representation of the spinal cord injury community. Though different in color, culture, faith and fundamentals, it is the experience of spinal cord injury that unites this disparate group, and Continue is what they do.

Continue

continue from Jeffrey Rosenbluth on Vimeo.

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".

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...

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.

Grading, NOT Correction

Tonight Jeff and I sat down and began grading the color and B/W levels of our film. It's taken a while to get to this point, but we're finally doing it. I say "grading" because apparently that's the correct term to use when referring to color correcting an image. The term "correcting" implies that something is wrong. Oh so terribly, terribly wrong.

When color grading, it's important to adjust the ambient room lighting. Too much glare on the monitor and you won't be able to accurately adjust the black, white and grey levels. These adjustments are made using a waveform monitor. First, grade or "crush" the blacks. No that's not supposed to be offensive, it simply means that you lower the black levels to the point where detail is lost. For example, shadows. This creates a contrasting look and is ideal for making the image pop. Once the black levels are set, it's time to further increase the image contrast by grading the white levels, or highlights. The goal is to push the white levels to the top line of the waveform monitor and drive the black levels to the bottom. Here's some video of Jeff doing just that:



Both Jeff and I shared the grading duties. He gets a Grade A+ for a job well done!

So, there you have it! Color correction 101. Jeff and I managed to finish 3:23 minutes of our film. Just 23-plus minutes to go and we'll be ready to compress for DVD and online viewing.

More to come...

Color Correction Commences

Now that our film is locked, it's time to make some final adjustments. Color Correction for film and video is not as easy as one might think. It takes a keen eye, patience and most of all a total lack of color blindness. The obvious solution to color correcting any film would be to hire a color corrector. But since we have limited funding, Jeff and I will have to perform all of the correction. Which isn't a bad thing. I come from a family of artists, so I feel as though I can claim to know what the hell I'm doing. Even if I really have no clue whatsoever.

Tonight we calibrated our HD Monitors. A task that took over an hour and a half. First, we threw color bars onto the screen. For most people, color bars are the annoying image that appears on network television just after the end of a broadcast day. Usually right after the Star Spangled Banner and just before the arrival of the Poltergeists. Several things must be adjusted in order to have a perfectly calibrated monitor: Hue, Gamma, Contrast, Brightness.

We first called upon Jeff's friend Nate to help us adjust our Sony monitor. Nate served as our projectionist for the premier of "Continue" and knows his stuff. Once our monitor was calibrated, we calibrated the color bars on that monitor. These two calibrations are critical to the color correction process. It is impossible to correctly adjust color (including whites, mids and black levels) without a perfectly calibrated monitor. We are also sending a true 720p signal to the monitor, which means that all pixels are mapped 1:1. There is no zooming or upscaling. What you see on the monitor is true 720p.


Our next step will be to calibrate for a Standard Definition (SD) monitor. We will be sending our video signal to both HD and SD monitors to color correct for both. Why? Because some people will see this film on an HD screen and others will watch it on a non-HD (Analog) television set. We want everyone to be happy with the final image.

Once the HD and SD monitors are calibrated, Jeff and I will begin the painstaking process of color correcting each shot in our film.

Next: More color correction.

The Premier

"When will the film be finished?" "You're STILL working on it?" "I'm still waiting for my DVD." Yes, I've heard these and many other similar comments in recent days. Everyone wants to know when the film will be ready for release. So... I thought I'd take a moment and answer these questions. Additionally, I thought I'd finally write a post about the premier.

Jeff Rosenbluth and I are meeting next week to finish all color correction on the project. The reason it's taken as long as it has is simple: Both of us are doing this project as a labor of love and must find time (away from our regular 8 to 5 jobs) to connect and work. We've also been researching the best methods for producing a quality DVD. Since our budget is small, we don't have the ability to hire a post-production company. Yes, that would be easy, but it also costs a crap load of dough. Instead, we are doing what we've done this entire project: working on the film ourselves.

So, yes... the film isn't dead. We are doing everything we can to ensure that the viewer gets unparalleled quality when viewing the film.

In addition to the DVD quality, we are also working on finalizing DVD packaging and finding a solution to hosting the film online and uncut. YouTube is great, but it would require breaking our film into several segments. That's just not an option. "Continue" should be viewed continuously without breaks or inturruptions.

Okay... the Premier.


On September 23rd at 8:15, "Continue" made it's local premier at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Guests arrived from 7:30 to 8:00. Refreshments were served and the turnout was unbelievable. Volunteers from the University Hospital spent hours decorating and making sure that everything went off without a hitch. An unbelievable effort. This included haning balloons, banners and laying out the red carpet.


While all of this was happening, Jeff and I were putting the finishing touches on our project. We literally finished color correcting for projection the morning of the premier. Everything went extremely well, however at one point Jeff found an editing glitch. He called me and I ran back to fix the mistake. After compressing a final QuickTme version of the film, we raced up to the stadium to do a test projection. Jeff's friend Nate, who works as a projection expert for Sony Pictures was on hand to calibrate and run the projector.

By the time people began to arrive, everything was calibrated and ready to go.






Jeff and I were nervous. Optimistic. Hoping and praying that the technology wouldn't betray us. Hoping that the 300 plus in attendance would enjoy our film. Especially those with spinal cord injuries.



At 7:55, David Entwistle, the CEO of University Hospitals and Clinics, made some opening remarks. Following David, Elie Elovic, M.D., the head of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, talked about the film.




At 8:05, Jeff and I took to the stage. Jeff talked about the film and our seven-year filmmaking journey. He also talked about why we made "Continue" and our plans for distribution. I said a few things, but was so nervous about the projection that I can't recolect what I said.


At 8:15, we dimmed the lights and rolled the film. Jeff and I watched from the side, nervous as hell and constantly monitoring the audience's reaction, which was very positive. It was exciting. It's always fun to see something you've created with an audience present. It changes the way you look at your own film. As if you're watching it for the very first time. I believe that once you show a film to an audience, that film is no longer your own.

When the film ended and the credits began to roll, the audience applauded for all of the film's talent. I was overwhelmed by what appeared to be a very positive response. Jeff and I returned to the stage following screening to thank everyone for coming. The audience applauded and I almost burst into tears. I felt that this night was big. Not so much for Jeff or myself, but for individuals with paralysis. The screening was a celebration of adaptive sports. A celebration of independence and recognition for those with disabilies.





Jeff and I were extremely happy with the overall outcome.

So... what now?

Now we finish color correcting the project for DVD and online viewing. The color correction should be finished by Mid-February. Ideally, we'd like to have the DVDs ready by the first of March.

So there's the update. I'll try to keep regular updates as we near completion.

Until then... I want to thank everyone for making our premier a success. It took a lot of work and I'm indeed grateful.

True Colors Shining Through

It's 3:55 a.m. Just two days away from the local premiere of "Continue". Jeff and I have just finished color correcting and adjusting the black and white levels. These corrections are being made specifically for projection. Another series of color and brightness/contrast corrections will need to be made for the DVD and online release.


We've set up a projector and screen at my pad to monitor the color correction. Since we're adjusting for projection, it makes sense that we'd monitor via projection.


Later this evening, we will be working on the final sound mix with Stevie Floyd. This is to ensure the most dynamic presentation of our film's soundtrack. All of these minor adjustments may seem like overkill. But I think they're critical to the overall success of our screening. Correct color balance and contrast is essential to any quality production. Using the waveform monitor, we are able to adjust the contrast (hi's and lows).

So, no sleep until Thursday.

Final Prep

After our premiere in Washington D.C., Jeff and I decided to take a couple weeks off. A little R and R before returning to "Continue". What? Returning? Isn't the film supposed to be finished? Well, yes. Sort of. There are just a few minor changes that still need to be made. First, the credits aren't complete. Second, there are a few shots that require color correction. Third, the audio needs to be balanced. And all of these things need to be finished by September 23rd, the night of our Utah premiere.

The University Hospital Foundation is helping fund a local premiere. Complete with red carpet and food. Jeff is bringing in a projectionist from Sony to ensure that the screening looks flawless. A bad projection can truly ruin a presentation.

This weekend, I'm focusing on finishing the titles. Originally, we had a graphics guy lined up to help, but that hasn't really turned out the way we'd hoped. So, I'm spending Saturday and Sunday putting together some graphics.

Next Wednesday, we will premiere "Continue" for over 200 people. It's a little nerve-racking, but I'm excited about finally showing this labor of love to family, friends and colleagues.

More to come...

SHOWTIME and Thank You!

On Friday morning, July 31st, 2009. At 10 AM, Jeff Rosenbluth and I screened "Continue" for the employees of the Paralyzed Veterans of America. Jeff and I were both nervous about making sure that everything ran smoothly. This included the projection. Just seeing "continue" on a small computer screen or television does a disservice to the material. The truth is, 50% of a project is how it's presented. Another truth is, I just made that last truth up. Still, it makes sense to give the audience the best presentation possible.

The 10 AM screening went very well. No electronic malfunctions. After the show, Jeff and I spoke with PVA staff about the film. What a great group of people.

We had two more screenings: One at 12:30 and a final showing at 2:00. Immediately following the last run, Jeff and I packed everything up and raced off to the airport. On the way, we took a wrong turn and wound up in the alleys of Georgetown. Racing against the clock, we finally made it back to the airport.

Thinking back, it's still hard to comprehend the entire experience. I've become so attached to the project and seen the film so many times, that it's difficult to view with fresh eyes. It's now up to the audience to decide whether or not they enjoy our project.

This entire experience has been very educational. There are still a few things to do before we release the film, but I feel very fortunate to have worked on this thing with so many wonderful people.

I would especially like to thank all of the individuals, especially the cast, who made this thing possible. Their unpaid efforts were truly a gift. I only hope that they enjoy what we've done with their footage.

So, to all of those who helped make this dream project a reality, Thank you!

More posts to come, including "Where do we go now? Where do we go-oh?"

Continue. Tomorrow.

It's 9:29 PM in Washington D.C. I'm sitting in the air conditioned, One Washington Circle Hotel, burning a backup DVD for tomorrow's presentation. Shirt and slacks are draped neatly over the furniture and I'm sipping Diet Mountain Dew in an attempt to stay awake and still maintain a slender figure. Jeff is taking a quick nap on the designer sofa. Both of us are digesting Thai and fighting off the effects caused by pre-celebration spirits.

It's strange, but somehow it's hard to really believe that our film is (for the most part) done. Jeff and I would certainly like to color correct a couple of shots before the official release. We also have to make sure that we aren't leaving anyone out of the credits. That said, tomorrow's cut is 99.5% the real deal. We've locked down the finished edit, which means... no uncorked edition. Other than the color and title corrected final version.

Jeff and I are nervous about tomorrow. We've come so far to have anything go wrong. Jeff is mostly worried about equipment malfunction. I'm concerned about the possibility that the project won't be well received. I say that knowing that what we have is really special.

No one has ever taken the time to film 28 activities that are accessible to individuals with spinal cord injury and disease; and then put that footage together in a comprehensive film that will showcase the opportunities available. There have been several well-produced, single activity productions. There have also been several "all types of disabilities" videos. But until now, there is no definitive sampling for newly-injured, spinal cord injury/disease specific patients. Even if the film bombs, we are still providing something that has never been been done.

I'm fearful, but I'm optimistic. Optimistic because this production contains a lot of heart. None of us are making any money on this production. None of us are planning on selling the video for profit. We simply want the production to be readily available to those who are curious about the next step in their recovery.

And so, tomorrow we publicly screen "Continue" for the first time ever. Following the screening, Jeff and I will discuss the film with members of the PVA. I'm looking forward to putting it out there. I'm looking forward to getting some sleep. I'm looking forward to the possibility of other adaptive-related productions. But mostly, I'm looking forward to offering this film as a resource to those who have experienced a life-changing injury.

"But enough of words. Actions speak louder than. Action now. Observe all."

End in Sight: Two Days to Go!

It's now 7:44 PM on July 29th, 2009. I've just finished cutting together the final 30 seconds of "continue". Wow. This production actually has a structure. Last night, Jeff and I finished reviewing and fine-tuning each sequence. The production now sits at 24 minutes, 49 seconds and six frames. Originally I wanted to bring this baby in under 22. But a flow is a flow and I think our production moves very naturally.


Today, Tyler Smith and I laid out the end credits. He's going to be working on the graphics tonight. We need to have something finished by 11:00 PM so that we can export the final HD project to a P2 card for Friday's. We are also planning on burning a DVD (Standard Definition) copy for back up, as well as having a copy on Jeff's laptop. Our flight leaves at 8:55 tomorrow morning, so we haven't much time to lose. Hell, we might actually pull this thing off.

My residence, a.k.a. T9-10 HQ is looking like a disaster area. I guess that's what happens when you get in the zone.


Jeff has secured a 7500 Lumens, HD projector and sound system for our presentation to the Paralyzed Veterans of America. We want to give them the best screening possible without completely blinding them.

As for me...Sleep deprivation is curbing any nervousness about the approaching deadline. Blood no longer pumps through my veins. Instead... Red Bull.

We are almost at journey's end. So now, I must prepare for Tyler's arrival. The cut must be finished within the next three to four hours!

More to come...

Principal Photography Completed! Five Days to Go!

We began principal photography for this production on Friday, May 18th, 2007. Yesterday morning at 8:15, over two years later, Jeff Rosenbluth and I filmed the very last shot of "continue". It's amazing to think that everything is coming to an end. That said there is still so much to do.

Jeff filmed from the back of my car and we managed to capture the footage in less than 20 minutes. It was a beautiful morning and we chose to shoot on Saltair Drive. The same secluded road that we shot handcycling test footage on back in 2003. What a fitting bookends.

Tyler spent the weekend assisting me with the "Call of the Wild" and "Team Sports" sequences. The team sports sequence, which consists of basketball, rugby and sledge hockey, took an entire day to complete. Not to mention the countless hours spent agonizing over how to assemble the two minute and 30 second sequence. Tyler is an asset because he's very good at recognizing shots and cuts that don't work. He can also assist in helping me break through walls once I hit them. And I've hit them often.

Filming team sports was difficult because there are so many factors at work. First, you have multiple players doing different things from shot to shot. Rarely is there any consistency in action. Second, there were many stand alone shots that looked amazing. However, connected to other shots, the stand alone shots just don't work. Finally, selecting the best of the best was extremely difficult.

Jeff and I spent the entire day trimming sequences, adding the adaptive gaming sequence and editing climbing and surfing. Today, we will finish polishing the edits and prepare the footage for color correction. All color and titles will be added over the next three days.


Now I'd like to talk about food. During marathon editing sessions (18 hours or more) it's important to maintain a good diet regimen. Early in my career I discovered that certain foods and food combinations could be detrimental to the editor's body. The following foods should never be consumed in conjunction with one another.




Sushi has always been a staple dietary supplement during editing. Back in college, my instructor and friend (now assistant editor) Tyler, used to make sushi for the long nights of cutting. I highly recommend nigiri. Basically anything that won't make you feel like crap.



Eat wise, eat healthy, edit well.