Editing of the Argos

(click the image to enlarge for an exciting episode of Editing of the Argos, with Quandary!)

So! With our shiny new footage, we have been clocking some serious hours, trying to get a rough cut done by Tuesday of next week. I know, sounds super exciting and like we are getting close to being done right? Sorry, wrong. This is the first rough draft of the film, used only as an example of the direction we are going to help ourselves, and our post production crew get started on the next leg of our epic journey. It will be agonized over for the next few months in meticulous detail (I'll probably be heading up the agonizing department, and Spenser will harrumph when something's not right)

If you are interested in joining the crew, please email producer Andrew Richards at Andrew@DistantThunderFilms.com
We are mainly looking for people located in the Bay Area (or possibly LA) to do: compositing, matte painting, particle FX, and digital retouching. Or if you have any brilliant ideas on funding, or have millions of dollars you don't really want, we'd love to hear from you! Email us at Quandary@QuandaryFilms.com

Q out!

Winterly Greetings From Space!

Quandary is officially stoked to announce… that we did it! We got our film from Heart of the Argos transferred! For the past few months we have been sitting around wracking out brains, twiddling our fingers, (and recovering from the shoot) trying to scrape together the funds to get our 6,000 feet of processed film negative transferred into a usable computer format. This process is called telecine, and is a very important step in the editing process.

It all happened rather fast to tell you the truth. This past Monday I took the plunge and called up a company in LA called Fotokem, who does telecine. Between bouts of the usual “hold please” music and various receptionists, I was connected with our friendly sales rep, Ray. Before I knew it, I was talking with the scheduling department, and we were suddenly set for a supervised eight-hour telecine session that Thursday. “Eeep! We’re going to see the footage!” was the mantra for the rest of the week.

It was crazy. We drove down Wednesday, partied at Claremont College, got up at 5:00 am and drove to Fotokem. It was great, they really treat you right at these professional production houses (especially when you’re paying them). We walked in to the sleek entry hall, and when I gave my name to the receptionist she asked, “Oh, are you here for Austin Powers or Heart of the Argos?” Heheh.

For the rest of the day we hung out in Telecine Suite #3 with our colorist, Frank, as he transferred our glorious negatives. This was the first time that we were actually able to watch our film, and for most of the time I think I was watching with my mouth open. Spenser regained his cool first, and was soon asking Frank to tweak colors and adjust brightness and such. It is amazing how much control a veteran colorist like Frank has over raw film. Unlike digital, the film color and brightness is adjusted with light, and this keeps the image crisp and rich. Frank was an expert technician and knew what every button on his sci-fi looking control station did. (except one, but he said no one uses it anyway).

Basically, our Christmas wish has come true, and even now as I write this we are working on syncing sound files, cataloging clips, and getting ready to jump headfirst into editing next week. Thanks Santa.

In celebration of the transfer, Quandary will be releasing nine screen captures over the course of the next few weeks. Be sure to visit (and tell your friends!). There will be a new capture released every other day, only at www.HeartoftheArgos.com

Also be sure to sign up for our newsletter, and be kept updated about events and other exciting news.

Until next time, happy holidays!

Sold Your Stuff for Our Space Adventure!

Well it's been a little quiet around, but that doesn't mean we haven't been busy!

This past weekend featured a sale / publicity event in Alameda, continuing the effort to raise funds for post production. Thanks to our dedicated team, the many generous donations for the sale, and the help of our ever supportive family and friends the event was a success.

A special thanks to Patrick Newman for organizing the event, the Matarrase family for the press release, Sam Messe for help with publicity, and especially to Victor and his family for the use of their gorgeous front yard and help with the sale.

The proceeds from the event are going to the next step for Heart of the Argos, which is the transfer of the raw film negative to a digital format which we will use to begin the process of editing.

More events are on the horizon, along with updates on our progress: work has begun on a physical model of the Argos spacecraft, music is being scored, concept art is being... conceptualized, and much much more.

If you haven't, remember to stop by the donations page (and tell your friends too!) Every little bit brings us one step closer to completion!

The Enigma

The Engima. What is it? What is it about? When will it be finished? How long has it been in production? Why is that guy wearing a cape? Who are you people? Why are you looking at me like that?

These questions, and many more like them are going to be answered.

In the mean time, check out these unprecedented photographs for an exclusive look behind the scenes of Quandary's mysterious project, The Enigma.

Winner: Best Action Short

Men in suits wins it's first award! It was chosen as 'best action short' in the New York International Independent Film and Video Festival. Check it out on their website, along with the other winning selections. 2 Men in Suits screened in October in LA, on what was dubbed "the comedy night" paired with "best comedy feature" winner Ryan Duff and An Adventure of Captain Slam!

We are working on a quicktime export of the film so it will be viewable online at higher quality. For now it can be seen on our youtube account here.

Argos Teaser

Now available online, the Argos Teaser!

I give you fair warning, it's very short, it's only footage recorded off the video tap (not the actual film quality or colors), but it makes us stoked to see it anyway. Hope you enjoy, we will try to keep more videos and other content coming as post continues!




Be sure to visit www.HeartoftheArgos.com to learn more.

Updates, Postproduction, and Ninjas

Quandary website has been updated! Check out Spenser’s sweet new home page painting, as well as the new and improved Projects section.

Again if you are in the LA area be sure to check the New York Independent Film and Video Festival all this week! Tuesday, October 2nd at 6:00pm, 2 Men in Suits will be playing at the LAEMMLE SUNSET 5 theaters in West Hollywood (8000 Sunset Blvd. 90046) tickets are available. Producer Sam Messe and key grip Joe Matarrese are already there attending the festival, along with some of the Argos team, producer Andrew Richards and gaffer Phillip Matarrese. Be sure to stop by the booth and say hello!

In Argos news, post production on can really begin! We picked up the film negatives, six glorious thousand foot rolls neatly packed in personal pizza sized boxes. It’s a little nerve-wracking having the only copy of so much work just sitting in ones house. So I will be investing in a large fire-proof safe that will hopefully foil Shredder and the foot clan ninjas. Next step is to get a telecine and begin editing a rough cut.

Also check out some side-by-sides of the concept art and set pictures. More post production artwork and pictures to come!

And check back soon for the Argos teaser, which recently screened at the Coppela Theater before Patrick Newman’s film, “Phase” (thanks for the time slot and congrats on the movie buddy!)

2 Men in Suits Screens in Hollywood

Tuesday, October 2nd at 6:00pm, 2 Men in Suits will be playing at the LAEMMLE SUNSET 5 theaters in West Hollywood (8000 Sunset Blvd. 90046) as part of the New York Independent Film and Video Festival.

If you are in the area, come on down, see the film and hang out with the production team! Tickets are now available online, and be sure to represent us by picking up VIP passes for 2 Men in Suits at the front desk. Spread the word!

Also, to celebrate the event, enjoy some 2 Men in Suits wallpapers! (right click and save image to download)

[X]press

The Golden Gate [X]press features your friendly neighborhood Cinema Collective of San Francisco State University, and the Argos production! Many of the fine crew from Heart of the Argos are active members of the production-based film club on campus. Much love to Allison Baca for the article!

Read the article here.

Production Pictures

Production pictures are up! Click here to view

I managed to max out our Flickr account (200, uhg) More will be added I’m as they are discovered or posted online by the rest of the crew (send me links guys!) and some point I'll get some of the little camera phone videos people took up as well, they are pretty awesome.

Also here’s some pictures from crew member Hans Grini (2^nd Assistant Camera)

…and straight from the gaffer of the Argos, pictures, videos, and random thoughts

In other news, Production Journal V is now online, enjoy!

Argos is in the Can!

Yes it’s true; Heart of the Argos principal photography has been completed! Our precious film is in the can. Yesterday morning we waltzed into Monaco with our blue cooler filled to the brim with sixteen rolls of film, fresh from Spenser's fridge. Soon we can begin the next stage of the adventure, post-production.

First I would like to thank and congratulate our wonderful cast and crew for stepping up to the enormous challenges of this production (which were many) and performing with unrestrained dedication and skill. Also, many thanks to the family and friends who kept us all going with love and support, and most importantly, delicious home cooked meals! We could not have done it without you.

In the flurry leading up to production I gave up on keeping track of news on the site entirely, I didn’t even have time to get a hair cut, let alone process and chronicle the epic events that lead up to and carried through our nine day production. I don’t expect I will be able to capture such life changing experience through ramblings on a web blog, but I will do my best to at least state a few important or interesting things that occur to me in the next few days, for those of you that are interested. I encourage anyone from the cast or crew to write their impressions, stories and experiences, I will be happy to post them here. Keep an eye out for pictures and videos as well, here's a sneak peak:

Also, Patrick Newman, our behind the scenes videographer has been, and will continue working on web featurettes and special features for the DVD release which will give an inside look at the making of Heart of the Argos. Check out his latest entry to the production journals:

Hey Look, We're Famous!

Check it out! Quandary was featured in the Oakland Tribune, full page too! Special thanks to Kari Hulac of the Tribune, and to Allison Baca for writing the article about our antics.

Online version of the article can also be found here at the Oakland Tribune: Bay Area Living Section

I’ll See YOU at the Oscars

Great news! 2 Men in Suits has been officially accepted to the Independent Film and Video Festival New York. http://www.nyfilmvideo.com/2007/ny-july/schedule/ny-july-2007-schedule.html. It is playing at 6:00pm on Friday July 20^th, if you are in the area be sure to check it out. The film will also be playing in Los Angeles in September, hope to see you there!

More set pictures in the pictures section http://quandaryfilms.com/projects.html, and another production journal has been launched!

Donate Your Heart Out

Yes it’s true, Quandary needs your help. Visit www.HeartoftheArgos.com and click the donate button to help invest in the future of young filmmakers. You might even learn a little about what it takes to make a movie.

Spread the word, tell your friends!

Quick! Lots to Report!

Yes! We have been mighty busy around here at Quandary. There’s lots to report, and not much time to do it because I have to get back to working on the set. Here goes!

Production Journal II has launched. It focuses on our trip down to LA where we visited camera houses, equipment rentals, Mole Richardson, the ASC clubhouse, and Denny’s (for breakfast because we were in a hurry). Check back soon for the part III where we talk about why we’re shooting on film not digital, and get to see our interview with ASC cinematographer Isidore Mankofsky (who did lighting for the muppet movie! Awesome!)

More information added at www.HeartoftheArgos.com about the project, as well as a new Donate section.

New set pictures are up! I’ll take more soon, promise. The set is progressing by leaps and bounds with the aid of the crew. It already looks different than these latest pictures. I’m especially excited about getting to paint stuff because it’s beginning to look less silly and more space-age-ee. Next week our special effects supervisor will begin rigging effects lights and some mechanical marvels, more on that to come.

The casting department has just concluded two days of auditions for the three primary roles for Heart of the Argos. Spenser and I weren’t there personally, but we are looking forward to seeing the audition tapes and meeting potential actors at callbacks. Another round of auditions is set to take place next weekend in San Francisco.

Our producers up here in the Bay and down in LA are working hard nailing down logistics, drawing up budget lists, setting up our LLC, getting insurance, and much more. It will be quite an operation organizing and transporting the equipment we rent in LA up here, but these guys are defiantly up to the task.

On the horizon, costuming, script revisions, a film test on the set (pictures to come), lighting, props, special FX, and much more. Stay tuned!

I’ll conclude with an enormous thank you to everyone who has helped and become a part of this production, your skill and dedication is what is going to make this film happen.

Down With the Tubes

Well it is a sad day. I hadn’t had the heart to tear down the thousands of tubes we had taped to the wall of my garage for the “Charlie” video. The set had been holding up quite nicely until the other day when I walked in to find that the tape just couldn’t take it any more, and our epic tube-rolled masterpiece had collapsed. Man, that was a lot of tubes. Don’t worry, they all got recycled.

Speaking of tubes, aren’t these awesome?! These are some TV tubes we’ve collected for the set. We’ve stepped up the pace on the art department end on the sci-fi in order to meet our filming deadline. Bianca Davies has joined the team and has been helping with texturing and development on some of the prop devices. Personally I’ve been trying to spend at least a few hours a day working out there. Mostly I’m spreading a messy a paste I concocted, made from sheetrock joint compound and paint, in order to get rid of the wood texture (urhg). The pros just buy nice wood and sand the crap out of it when doing fake metal surfaces, but we don’t have that kind of budget or patience so I’m working with what I have. (thanks Phill for the sheetrock joint compound!) Anyway, be sure to check out the sweet new set pictures.

Also, our “Charlie” video, along with a number of other really great films, was shown at the Coppela Theater in San Francisco, in a festival coordinated by the SFSU Cinema Collective. 2 Men in Suits has also been accepted to a couple of larger festivals, details at eleven (or whenever I find out more).

Launching the Odyssey

We are proud to announce the first installment of the Heart of the Argos productions journals! Thanks to fellow filmmaker Patrick Newman, who has taken on documentation of the project, we will be posting a series of videos chronicling the making of our film over the next few months. These short broadcasts will feature our talented crew and the progress we make, giving an in-depth look of the work behind the scenes as we embark on this crazy adventure.

Also, be sure to check out the Project Page for set pictures and concept art as construction continues.

Quandary Screens at the Metreon

Wow, what a night! April 18^th, 11:30pm, on a chilly Wednesday night, our action short 2 Men in Suits was shown on the big screen, leading off the premiere of our good friend’s film, actor/director Brett Sorem’s, Loaded. The night was a resounding success, and the movies were received with the enthusiasm of a lively audience. There is nothing quite like the theater experience. The lights dim dramatically, and amidst the crackle of popcorn and the slurping of overpriced soft drinks, suddenly you see your hard work blown up on a screen the size of a small building. Pretty sweet.

A huge thanks to Brett, Chris Snyder, and the rest of the Metron crew for the amazing opportunity, and to everyone who came out to support Brett and his awesome film. Show him some love at: www.myspace.com/loaded_film

Red Hot Music Video!

Alright! We are proud to announce Quandary’s submission to the Red Hot Chili Peppers ‘Direct a Video’ contest for their song Charlie is now up on youtube! Hooray for exporting! We’re both a little delirious from sitting around in the office for days on end tinkering with export options in Avid (if any of you guys know some awesome high quality settings for youtube using Avid let us know!) Spenser has been spearheading the exporting operation, and I’ve been providing the moral support by humming along with the incessant guitar riffs coming through the wall from the recording studio, and coming up with awesome bad puns. I know, we make a great team. But my tedious work was done a few days ago, there are over 600 frames of animation in this video, and because I am technologically ignorant (and it just looks better), I drew them all by hand into Photoshop (flash animation is for n00bs anyway).

I found out about the contest about three weeks ago. At the time Spenser and I were up to our eyeballs in pre-production for our sci-fi movie, and as much as we love the Chili Peppers we decided we shouldn’t spend time on such a frivolous endeavor. One night over a couple glasses of Rootbeer we indulged in some creative brainstorming, and came up with some cool ideas. We decided that since we didn’t have the awesome band to film the only way it would work, would be to animate the performance half of the video. My thought was animation would take too long, Spenser mentioned something about stick figures, I scoffed, and we finished off the Rootbeer deciding that only morons try to make movies anyway.

A few days later for some reason I thought, “Hmm, what if I did try stick figures…” So I animated Flea, dressed in his Lakers outfit head banging with his bass. It came out looking perfectly absurd (which is what we wanted) I showed it to Spenser and all discussion was over. We had to make this video.

It was already late in the game as far as the contest was concerned so we had to act fast. A few more hours of brainstorming and a couple cans of Barq’s later we had our idea. Finding a location where we could fling paint around was near to impossible. So we decided on my garage. The problem was our spaceship set is taking up most of the room, so we had to work in the small alcove in the back.

After clearing out the stuff we took stock of our newfound location. It looked like the dingy back wall of my garage, not good. The walls needed texture, and we could cover everything else with plastic. We thought about putting rows of egg cartons on the walls which would have been cool, but we didn’t know where one would one get 500 egg cartons on short notice without raising suspicion. We had a big box of old drafts from scripts we had written, and somehow got it into our heads that if we rolled pages from the scripts into tubes and taped them to wall, it would look awesome. After eight hours, nine rolls of tape, and 1,892 paper tubes later, we defiantly were beginning to question our sanity. But the wall now had the “over the top” surreal quality we were looking for, so no complaints. But that was a lot of tube rolling.

Check out the video! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0SY8JXb98Y