Hello all! I’ve been so busy, so I’ll be making quick updates in the next few days. First off that at the end of summer, I’ve decided that I needed to narrow down the focus of my projects strictly to game development. So there should be more of that and less videos in the next coming weeks. I’ve made a lot of progress already and will share my ideas soon.

   The Ninja Gaiden short film has now turned into a three part Youtube series! While I’m officially done with the project, there are still a few more weekends of shooting to gather the final shots. It is already looking amazing, and I hope that the first episode is out soon! If you think this will be an awesome series, please share! We put a lot of hard work in over a very hot and grueling summer. In the end, we will have an awesome series that really captures the Ninja Gaiden feel.

   The only reason this teaser would not pump you up for the project is because there is a ninja behind you that has killed you, and you did not even realize it.

   Hello all! I have almost finished doing a ton of video work over the summer. One project is still pretty much under wraps until it’s finished or a trailer is released. So before I can talk about that one, take a look at this fan film that director Gabe Miller and I have been shooting.

   We planned for the end result to be a live-action trailer about the story from the original game Ninja Gaiden. While filming the necessary scenes and fights, Gabe decided early on to go ahead and film those scenes in their entirety. So the expected end result now is to have a short film that we may release onto the masses if the actual trailer gains some popularity.

   We have one more day of shooting with a few pick-up shots needed. After that, all the hard work is left to Gabe to create the visual effects, edit, color grade, and release it! I’m excited about the short, and I’m not just saying that because I shot 90% of the video :) I think it looks great and captures the feel of Ninja Gaiden!

   Hopefully fans of the original game will appreciate our hard work (shot mostly in 100+ degree heat!). Once the trailer is finished, I will post it here! Thanks for checking it out!

So late in the fall (after Noodling), I decided to help out Gabe Miller who was developing a short web series titled “Ghost Car.” We shot over two weekends. It started in late September and wrapped the first week in October. It was a great project, and I’m glad that Gabe decided to work on this short series then dive head first into a feature film that he was writing. A smaller, condensed project such as this allows one to gain more technical know-how without being overwhelmed by the stress of larger productions. I’m hoping to gear up a few small projects like this next year.

For the span of the shoot, I had several roles. I started off more like a PA, operating the boom and handling the gear. Soon that changed to script supervisor. I had to keep track of continuity, decide which scenes to cut, and condense multiple shots into one. I even got the opportunity to be in the film as an extra! I make a little cameo as a druggie in the disgusting mobile home. During the final day of the shoot, Gabe was getting ready for his acting part in the film, so I was basically assistant director. I helped speed through the scene and compose some of the shots. That is probably my favorite part of assisting with films. I guess the technical term would be cinematographer. When someone tells me the action of a scene, I’m already assembling the shot in the form of a film in my head. It is sort of the same when I’m reading a book. As I absorb the story that is written, I’m switching shots and panning in and out of the action. This is going on in my head even if the book makes no indication that the point of view has changed at all.

I hope to get more work behind the camera in upcoming productions. I want to practice and see my work on the screen. If I cannot get any practice as a cinematographer, then I’ll have to wait until early next year when I upgrade my camera. Maybe I’ll start thinking of small productions that I could create and assemble a crew. Who knows!

Gabe is going to be working on post-production during the month of October. I’ll probably post the new trailer once it is finished and provide an update on the project. Until then, enjoy the current trailer!