What I love about post, though, is that I have an opportunity to get lost in the project all over again. In an entirely different way. As the old adage goes, hindsight is 20/20. As I work my way through the timeline – cutting and moving clips, matching audio – I learn. I begin to see how I could have written or directed certain scenes differently. And I see how my background in literature and fiction writing comes through in my script writing. I love words. I write lots of them. I love scenes where nothing happens but where we just get to see people being. Then my internal editor/critic emerges, and I scold myself for not creating something that may have a more sure chance of making it into a few festivals. (Read: I fear it isn’t formulaic enough.) Part of me thinks this is where the art of editing comes in. I can transform it, reconfigure it, tighten it. Another part of me fears that subtle threads will be lost. Then I harken back to the days when I was getting my B.A. in fiction writing at Vermont College and I discovered Virginia Woolf.

What I loved then – and still do – about her writing was that it requires the reader to have faith. Faith that the effort put forth in reading the tangential, stream-of-consciousness narratives will bring a pay-off of some sort in the end. That there will have been a point to her artful and oh-so-lengthy digressions. Without fail, I found that there always was. I became so aligned with Virginia Woolf’s spirit during a six-month intensive study I undertook about her work and her life that my friends started calling me “Virginia.” I write this here as a disclaimer when I say I’m not sure whether it was she or I who said her work is like viewing an impressionist painting. Up close, point by point, it gives us nothing, but the whole of it, the standing back at a distance and taking it in, leaves the reader/viewer/participant, with an experience. A feeling. We’ve been given a glimpse into someone else’s soul. We’ve worn the skins of the characters, and in doing this, we’ve been changed. Transformed. Our identities have literally been made different.

And when I remember this, my faith persists. About the film. About the creative process. About my ability to render the story in a way that will leave viewers with something significant that will forever change them. Actually make their lives better. And then I think, surely, that the festivals I want to be in have different (higher?) standards than looking for films that are formulaic enough. And I breathe a sigh of relief and get back to the work. The work of file management, cutting, moving, copying, rendering, filtering, and transitioning. Staying focused on just getting through to the end of a first rough cut so I can start the whole quiet process all over again, as I work my way toward the final cut.

Thanks for reading, for following the process, and for supporting Found Objects.

I’ll be in touch again as things progress and as more thoughts bubble up and compel me to pass them on.

Johnnie

This past Sunday, I met Lance (Miller, my awesome sound recorder/mixer/engineer), Lynda Duffy (vocals), and Jim Bocci (guitar) at Lance’s studio where they recorded the opening song for Found Objects – an arrangement of Eileen Hemphill-Haley’s “Our House Burned Down.” They’ve changed the phrasing, slowed it down, blues-ed it up… Sound so good… I heard some really good soulful music come from them both. I can always tell when something’s working… I get goosebumps. Can’t wait for you to hear what they’ve done!

I’m enjoying this little lull after production so I can recharge and begin to devote my days and nights to editing. My goal: mid-Spring. Wish me luck!

I also plan to return to fund raising efforts, too. I’ll keep you posted!

Johnnie

One of our last shoots was that of a burning house, and it was pretty spectacular! Thanks to McKenzie Fire and Rescue for their help and cooperation.

Please click here to read a recent article that appeared in the Register Guard.

I’m proud to announce that the script for Found Objects made it to the semi-finals at the Moondance International Film Festival!

I’ll be taking a short (very short) break from it all before I head in to post production. I’ll be in touch from time to time with clips as I work my way through and with other news as it develops.

Thanks to everyone who has supported this project thus far!

So very grateful…

Johnnie

We did a really fun shoot at Macs at the Vets Club here in Eugene on Sunday night. Check out the “Music” link above to read about what we did and what’s to come… We did a small pick-up shoot today and another to come next week. What’s left, in addition to incidentals…? The final shoot (of the final scene) on Sunday, 10/22.

I’ll be busy making shadow boxes for props to be used in the final shoot.

I’ve so enjoyed the production process with this group of people. While it will feel a bit strange not to see them on a regular basis and to be in production mode, I’m looking forward to the next phase – ready to get going on editing.

We’re still in need of financial assistance, so please consider checking out the “Support the Project” link above. Even if you just do $5, it all adds up!

Thanks to those of you who’ve sponsored and donated so far!

In Gratitude,

Johnnie

The perfect help continues to come, and things are moving along as planned.

If you haven’t already, check out the Photo Gallery above, as well as The Creative Team and Cast. They. Are. Awesome.

More updates to come as time permits…

Thank you for following our progress. Keep checking back!

Things are truly coming together. All but a few locations have been secured, the shoot schedule is in place, and we’re pulling together costumes and props.

I and the actors and crew will be reconvening for a get-together soon at my house to talk biz, bond, and have some fun before the work begins. (Pics to follow.)

Feeling very fortunate and grateful for the energy and interest around the project thus far. It’s only going to get better!

We’re still working on raising funds, so if you haven’t already done so, click on the “Support the Project” link above, and help us out! Every little bit helps, so if you can, send $10 – even $5 – our way, it will make a difference. I know you’re busy. I know you’re probably over-saturated with links and requests and messages like the rest of us, BUT… stop for a moment, think about how good you’ll feel knowing you’ve helped a worthy indie project see the light of day. And one day, when it’s on the big screen, you’ll be able to say: “I helped make that happen.” You’re just a few clicks away from your good deed for the day.

The event takes place on the evening of another New Moon Eclipse.
(This one, a Lunar one.)
Another omen, without a doubt…

Images of the pieces on display will be posted very soon!

To read the write-up, click here.

Feeling so blessed with all the amazing talent and support that’s coming my way.
We clearly have momentum!

We did a read-through with the full cast on June 1, the day of the
New Moon Solar eclipse.
Surely, that’s a good omen!

This is going to be good!

Please support this project!

Click “Support the Project” above and back the film via PayPal.

Or, mail a check to:

Dark Moon Lilith, LLC
P.O. Box 5449
Eugene, OR 97405

Check out our marketing sponsorship packages link above!

Shadow Box Artist: Whitney Owen

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Shadow Box Artist: Johnnie Mazzocco

Detail #1

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