Not film, but quite beautiful and nothing at all like 'video'.
Those initial scenes have changed very little in the 2 and 1/2 years of post. Their placement within the film has changed and a couple of POV shots I was able to shoot of Rob as he's getting grabbed and beaten were added, and of course, extensive sound and foley work, but otherwise, intact.
This first short screening brought us nearly a hundred people, some who watched 2 and even 3 times, and so was both a huge encouragement and testament of the Atlanta film scene in their support for one of their own. This screening was done in part to allow a very good friend, who was both a supporter and mentor, to enjoy the the groups reaction. This friend, without who's help and encouragement, much of my career would not be happening, passed away just 2 months later. This movie is dedicated to James A. Tucker.
We have had the good fortune to see those same ten minutes projected with an unknown but very powerful projector on a 60 foot screen. We were warned by the projectionist and the theater manager about how bad it would look, but were commended for trying. And then the mouths fell open - ours included, though being actors, we were able to hide it better. The image, although degraded to be enlarged so much, was remarkably clear, free from glaring artifacts, and certainly 'watchable'. They too insisted on watching it a couple times, and then a third time as a small crowd formed seemingly from nowhere. Again, as opposed to 'hey look at us', it was more - 'let's keep pushing'.
Our other 2 screenings have been with a small Epson projector, only 600 lumens and about a 400:1 contrast ratio. Amazingly to me, the macro blocks and the pixels blend to the point that only the most trained eyes would pick them up. Not film be any imagination, but quite beautiful and nothing like 'video'. I have friends who shoot both film and video, and they are universally shocked at the final result and how close it comes to looking like film finished on video. (please check out the Tiff Gallery for critical analysis of the image - remember this is mini DV!) The extensive post processing works! Once, was projected on a ten foot DaLite screen, and the other, our full feature cast screening was done on a 14 foot paper screen!
"Our biggest complaints and criticisms early on, were the sound and that people couldn't follow the story. "
Sound scared me. More on that later. But story did not. At 10 minutes and then again at 43 minutes, I just had to laugh. If the entire story was clear, then why film then rest? The one thing that was clear was that I was out to save my brother. I have one friend who still greets me 2 years later with "Where's my brother?"
In the original story, Jack Davis would now be engaged. This woman would be killed on the same night Jack proposes to her. This is why Erik's first speech includes the line "Oh, yeah. That's right. Mr. Live and Die by the Sword. But you never die. But all the people around you... they die. It must be even more painful. It's just like dying over and over again, isn't it Jack?" I only had a the couple of scenes with Ananum Anawa, my Thai wife, but when edited, she was so endearing that I felt there was no way the audience would forgive me for now being with another.
The other big change came as a result of having no money. The ISF would be shown as a high tech organization who success depended on the GAT Track., a satellite technology which allowed spy ware to track humans based of 3D thermal images and brain scans.
This idea was actually developed quite far, consulting military intelligence and engineering advisors who became intrigued with its possibilities, while consulting medical universities for their real scans and imaging data.
The advantage of course, was that no disguise, no weight gain or surgery would alter the 'fingerprint' of the brain. In the original script, Jack had been their first test subject. An ideal candidate because he was an internationally traveling government agent. The scans were done as he recuperated from the attacks on him that resulted in the death of his wife.
I created logo's, animated scans and computer graphics, none of which made it into the film. Bummer.
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