Activation Synthesis Theory

The first shooting date is approaching us at warp speed!

Fir3storm Industries are in talks with some very influential individuals which means some very interesting and exciting developments... watch this space! Not confirming, but we might get some form of sponsorship.... not confirmed, but it's out there. Here's hoping!

This is a very ambitious project... let's just hope it doesn't tank! I've thrown my entire friggin' and life into this so it's got to be a success. It has to be. Judging by the fanbase this film is gaining, it just might be.

Anyway, will post more info soon!

Developments

Well, we only have about three weeks left until we actually start shooting. Got a few things to do before actually shoot, but things are getting tight and more and more exciting as we're finally going to start shooting.

We had a rehearsal the other day and realized that we have some of the greatest talent in this film. Ok, they aren't well known actors in South Africa, but they are going to do their characters justice.

Will post pics of our cast soon!

Happy Bunny

I'm a happy bunny! Main characters have been cast and our group on facebook is growing at a rather quick pace. We're in the process of compiling a catalogue containing the merchandise that will be on offer. There will be shirts for men and ladies as well as caps and other miscellaneous items.

Next up, soundtrack! ;)

>.<

WHY THE HELL DOES CASTING HAVE TO BE SUCH BITCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just when I thought i got the casting issue sorted out, then ANOTHER decides to up and leave. Seriously, this is getting silly. I'm still stuck with four assassins and I'm one short of a full five-pack. I think I shouldn't worry. If I just relax and forget about it, then someone will come my way.... or so I'm told.....

Yeah, fat chance of that EVER happening. Rehearsals and the inevitable shooting date is looming (+- two months goes by VERY quickly when you don't want them to), so I'm going to have perform some wondrous magic trick and pull something outta my ass!

Well, no one said it was going to be easy. >.<

The Daloxyn Conundrum

Man, things are getting more and more hectic.

Rehearsals started last week, and things have been crazy ever since. We've been actively busy organizing all of the pre-production odds and ends, prepping everything for our eleven-day shooting schedule.

Good news is that our cast has been finalized and we're going to start doing some promotional photography within the next two - three weeks.

Since we've started rehearsing and designing this film, a buzz has been steadily building up that is, simply, electric. But the good kind, not the bad kind that can shock and consequently kill you :P

We're looking forward to start shooting this film as it's seriously going to be one of the coolest movies that we're going to do... and please bare in mind that this is our second film.

Channelling Kubrick

I was watching 2001: A Space Odyssey the other day and it struck me. That's what we've been missing this whole time: we're missing Kubrick.

Now, if you take a second and think about this, it makes perfect sense. Since Kubrick death there's been a void in the entertainment industry. Okay granted, there has been a handful of pretty good and pretty surprising films out there, but I'm not talking about those types of films -- for the record, the types I'm referring to is the indie movie types that's layered with simplicity yet blows you away with their complexity.

Mr. Stanley Kubrick created films that was primarily based off of literary works. Within each piece he found some profound element which he explored in depth. This resulted in films that were well of two hours long. Now, he was famed for created films with serious subject matter that sparked off serious controversy, resulting in a few of his works being banned for a period of time.

Now, while I'm musing over the current state of the entertainment industry (you know, the one where there's always some cheap remake of some old horror movie floating like a smelly turd on the horizon) and it dawns on me that what this film-going generation lack is the vision and story telling prowess as displayed by Mr. Kubrick. Even though we live in an age where we're pretty open minded towards anything, I doubt that the same types of films that was made way back in the day would do anything to create an earth shattering rift in what can only be classified as appropriate entertainment in today's standards.

However, there's a way around this. It might just be some wishful thinking on my part but I think that there's not enough risks being made in the entertainment industry these days. Aside from the fact that making a film is a risk in itself, there aren't any peopl who want to stake their careers and reputations on the line to create a film that dares the conventions that "guides" what we see and hear in film today. Television has pretty much destroyed the conventions that defined it.

I think that it's about time someone started a revolution in filmmaking where the artist who has a groundbreakingly controversial story, he or she can tell it without being constrained to showing only this or saying only that.

Or, I might just be going crazy and I might be taking this Kubrick thing a little too far.

Maybe.

Procrastination is a bitch

No seriously. It really is.

I've been telling myself the last four days that I need to write this blog, and for the love of mike, I just cannot seem to muster the willpower to actually write the bloody thing. Now, I can't decide whether or not I'm just being or if I have too much work to do. Well, I don't really feel lazy nor do I feel overworked...

Well, enough of that.... We had our first rehearsal the 28th. It was something of a "semi-success." Here's how it went down.

Two weeks ago, I started making arrangements to have a read-through for the script with everyone involved. Now, three quarters of the people starring in the movie said that they'd attend. After letting them all know that once the list of attendees have been finalized, you'll have to attend. Lo and behold, we only ended up having A QUARTER of the original attendees how made it.

This, unfortunately, leaves me with yet another incomplete cast. Now, I've started rehearsals so the film is now officially in pre-production. This means that by the end of June I need to have a full set of actors who know their lines. The other parts (costumes, concept design, etc) are all being taken care of, thank goodness for that. However, casting still remains an issue for this project. To tell you the truth, it's actually a good thing because now we have something to talk about in the DVD's special features.

Talk about seeing the glass as half full.

The funny thing about Saturday's rehearsal was the fact that we were supposed to have pictures of the event. Now, the lady who usually does our photography had her camera at the event... but forgot to bring batteries. Kinda funny. However, we did manage to get some video footage of the event so I'm going to have to pull a late night and do some screen grabs.

6 Days Remain

Well, things are now on the roll. As they say, there's no turning back now. And, quite frankly, I don't want to. The truth is, things have been rough the past couple of months here at Fir3storm. It's nothing earth shattering, but the series of events that saw themselves play out have had a rather profound, if not life changing effect on a bunch of us.

Nevertheless, these changes normally bring about a renewed vigor in spirit and vitality, and man are we feeling renewed and re-vigored (is that actually a word, or did I make it up? Notify the editors of the Oxford dictionary...).

Anyway..... as I was saying....

We're on a roll now. This film's production is actually picking up pace, and by the looks of things, it's picking up at a rather tremendous rate, one which seems as though won't stop for anything. Kinda unsettling, but it's actually like riding a roller coaster. Now for the record, I hate roller coasters. You won't get near those damn things. I've got acrophobia, or as they call it in laymans terms "vertigo." I've been scared pissless of heights all my life. Now, because of this phobia, I've never been on a roller coaster.

However, when you're not in the hot seat of one of those roller coasters, have you ever watched them? Here's a little "homework" assignment: the next time you go to a theme-park that has any type of wild roller coaster, sit one round out and just watch it. Now, don't just look at it. You have to actually watch it. Try and slow it down, stare at it in every possible detail you can. Imagine the cars in the roller coasted is your life or whatever significant event applies here. The structure that keeps our roller coaster in the air is the above mentioned significant event in place and on track. Any deviations or alterations to this track causes serious damage to the cars of our roller coaster.

You guys still following me? Good.

My point with this whole overly exaggerated explanation is that everything in life is like a roller coaster. You get your ups, downs, bends, and twists. And like a real roller coaster track on any amusement park needs constant attention and reparations, such is everything in life as well. If all goes well, our happy little roller coaster and its passengers will be on a steady course that's on it's course to an end. I'm not talking about "the end" as in death itself. I'm talking about "the end" as in towards a final goal. A goal can manifest itself in many things, but this goal is more of a material one.

How does this fit into The 5? Simple.

We are on a steady course towards an end: the release of this film. Our current course: the actual production and assembly of this film. Potential hindrances: anything that one can expect to happen on a film set.

We've had a bunch of problems concerning casting, but for the time being it seems to have been resolved now. If something should happen (just jinxed it!), then it's too late to do anything about it as it's full steam ahead from this point forward.

We've got six days left until we have our first big rehearsal. It's nothing to be nervous about, it's actually something I'm looking forward to. It's the casting I'm worried about. Without a cast, there's no movie. People might say that I'm worrying too much etc. The thing is, The 5 has been a rather tough film to cast.

Maybe I am worrying too much....

The 5 - The First Post

I’ve never been able to do this. Writing blogs has never been my strong suit. Sure, I’ve written small news updates for my movies on the various social networking sites I happen to be promoting the movie in question and I've written scripts. Being able to muster up the necessary writing prowess to actually type up something to the likes of a blog, has always been my proverbial Achilles heel. Saying it's a skill to write a blog would be a very bad way of putting it, but the skill has been eluding me for a long time.

Now, I know that some people might argue that writing a script is similar to writing a blog. In a sense, that is true. Writing a script is almost similar to writing a blog. There are fundamental differences however, the biggest being that a script has a solid form that one must follow (to a T, I might add), where a blog is simply a much more detailed, much more prose-rich collection of thoughts on a subject.

Writing is no fine art. Anyone can slap a couple of sentences together and proudly say that they wrote something, and I say that with no disrespect at all. I believe that everybody can write. The ability lies within all of us.

What does this have to do with this blog, you may ask? Well, nothing really. It works better for an opening statement than your garden variety grouping of phrases “Hi, I’m Emile. I make movies. Support my newest project!” Doesn't read as great, now does it?

Now, in the past whenever I tried to write a blog, I could never prevent it from sounding like a very cheap marketing pitch. I guess, it might be because I wasn’t trying hard enough. Now, seeing as this is my second film I’m putting together, it’s as good a place as any to start doing this.

Okay, so I'll start this off in phases.

Phase one: The Introduction.

The heading kinda says it all. Hi. Welcome. So far so good.

Phase two: The What.

This is the official blog for a new film called The 5. In a nutshell, it's about five female assassins who share their unique outlook on certain aspects of life, this being the reality of life itself, religion, humanity, sentimentality, and Fate.

Phase three: The Who.

Who am I? Emile, an indie filmmaker from South Africa. Yes, that little country on the ass-end of Africa. And yes, we do make movies over here as well. I'm the co-writer, director, and producer of this picture. For the record, it has to be said that the full writing honor goes to William Meikle, a BRILLIANT horror novelist.

Phase four: The Motivation.

The motivation? Well, other than the fact that I'm inviting any and all who want to follow our day-to-day journey in making this film, I can't really think of any other reason. Sharing what we do is motivation enough.

With that covered, I guess I can declare this bazaar now open!

Welcome to the world of The 5.

So, this movie's currently in pre-production. For those of you who don't know, this means that we're busy designing the film (drawing concepts for costumes, sets, characters, all manner of props etc), rehearsing the script with our cast, hiring crew members, and making last minute decisions that puts the whole production crew in a flat spin. We're planning on starting principal photography (when we actually shoot this thing) at the end of June

My aim with it is to go to Cannes. Some people might say that I'm aiming too high, but I've always believed that no matter how high you aim, you'll always land somewhere. See, it's not about how famous or popular you can become, but about the passion and effort you put into anything you do. A wise man once told me that if you're expecting fame and fortune in the film industry, then you're in the wrong profession.

But anyway, back to the blog...

In this blog, I'll post artwork, photos, clips, bits of news, and the odd moment of randomness on occassion. All this to give you guys a closer, more intimate look at what we're doing with this movie. So, invite friends to join in. Take up your front row seat and follow us as we make The 5.

You can also follow the movie's progress on Facebook and Twitter.

Well, I've said all that I've needed to say for now. Until the next post.

Cya!

Emile