Star Wars: Tremors of the Force

Menu

• About Us
• Biographies
• Behind the scenes
• Designs
• On Set
• Interviews
• FAQ's
• Forums
• Cast and Crew list
• Contact Us

More info:

Star Wars: Tremors of the Force is a not for profit fan film, written, directed and produced by John Bardy of Queens, New York. TOTF is filming in the NYC area.

Links:

Links page

 

 

Past Monthly Messages

"Horizontal boosters...Alluvial dampers...Ow! That's not it, bring me the Hydrospanner!"
~ Han Solo, "Star Wars - Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back"

Spot on, troops!

Our set construction period continues this month and the design team has come up with a radical idea in regards to the filming of the cockpit sequences...and only those who participate in the actual construction of the set will be given the information!

Granted, we haven't made any announcements as to when we're gonna commence building...and it looks highly likely that we're gonna put it all together in the backyard of my folks' place in the Richmond Hill section of Queens, NY(J Train to 111th Street, going towards Jamaica Center)...but we're still ironing out the details as to the logistics and construction of this set and the fact that we all have day jobs don't help much!

As of this writing, though, we expect to commence building on Saturday, May 6th, weather permitting.

However, if a rain spell is even a possibility, I will likely get an early start on the general framework during the week...as in when I get home from work...so that we can refrain from any further delay.

Once again, I must stress that I aim to make the set construction period as painless and as lively as our shoots have been. Nice, relaxed atmosphere, plenty of food, conversations about Hayden's mullet in Episode III compared to his buzz-cut in Episode II, and so forth. As enforced by our current schedule, we will maintain accordance with the scheduled fight practices as we go.

But man, do we have a stunt to pull once the set is done! All players involved in our Set shoots in June should look forward to a pretty unique shooting scheme providing all the pieces fall into place as we all believe they will!

My young Padawan...and your webmistress, currently awaiting the occurrence and the passing of that dreaded event known only as "finals"...will be a year older as of May 3rd! Happy Birthday in advance, Samantha! One of our costumers, Sadie De Thorn, is also celebrating a birthday that day, so let's all send the best of birthday wishes to her as well!

So just as another reminder...and this owes to the fact that the current climate is now making outdoor activities feasible...when we commence building the set, I may just be working on this puppy whenever I can spare time, and not just on Saturdays. I will be making a sticky out of the related Set Construction posting so you can all use it to let me know which days you can make it down to my backyard to help out. Even if it can only be for an hour or two, any assistance would be very much appreciated!

Keep your eye on that aforementioned thread for any changes and/or updates to the Set Construction scheme. We have until the end of May to get this sucker together, so get yer Hydrospanners out and start pounding!

May The Force Be With Us!

- Johnny
 

Message from the webmaster

Hello everyone! *Peaks out from a book she's opened for the first time all semester*

While I am hunkering down for finals over the next 2 weeks (And they sent me a jury summons, why do they always pick the WORST times to call me?!) and also I just wanted to take a minute to throw some attention to one of our cast members.

I want everyone to know, what a wonderful selfless person our Darth Venge, Played by Julian Landau, who is 19, is. In Mid May, he is heading down to New Orleans to help with the hurricane rebuilding process. It takes an incredible amount of dedication and niceness to take time out of ones busy life and head to a hurricane ravaged area and help out. Well done Julian, we all are proud of you!

I'll be back this June everyone, and time pending, I should be around more this fall as well! Now, I need to go battle 5 final exams! I expect nothing but good news from the front lines!

--Samantha

 

April Message

"I am a Jedi! Like my father before me!"
~ Luke Skywalker, Star Wars - Episode VI: Return of the Jedi

Spot on, troops!

Why bring up this month's quote, noted above?

Well...might have something to do with how well the lightsaber hilts of last month's fight sequence came out after months of trying to find the right parts. Truth be told, the saber designs were taken from the Yellow Box Lightsabers site(at http://bigyellowbox.tripod.com...CAUTION: it's a cookie-laden site)...specifically, Saber styles six and eight...but I don't think, canonically speaking, that a Jedi needs to design his or her saber...he/she just needs to build the darn thing.

And hey...I built two! Hee hee! 

OK...rather than follow up with a cruel April Fools joke, I'm going to stick the Producers' Cap on my noggin to bring up a little reminder, moreso for the sake of the new people among us...

Now while I'm pulling the reins of having written the script, plus holding the responsibilities of producing and directing it(and working the camera), just because we are currently in-production doesn't mean we can't add to our steadily-growing family of talented faces! If you know someone who could help lighten the load(particularly mine) in the cultivation of what could be among the largest non-profit undertakings in NYC independent film history, feel free to suggest that person! For one thing, it wouldn't hurt to have a second 3CCD-class camcorder...and a talented cameraman to work it, if not just to have a talented cameraman for me to bounce ideas off of...on the set during any given shooting day!

There is one other fairly important matter that I would like to bring up...but before I do, I need to first stress that we are in no danger whatsoever of losing the Scene Interactive studio within which we are doing our greenscreen filming and fight practicing.

I would, however, like to appeal to the cast and crew against the notion of finding a cheaper, if not free, space within which we can work. At the moment, we are working in a studio within which we're shelling out $25 per hour spent...and as you know, the studio ceiling isn't very high and there's always the danger that we might hit and break something with a flying dowel during fight practice. Obviously not a good thing.

The dimensions of the studio are 40' x 20'. If we can get 40' x 40', that would be ideal. The space desired doesn't need to be a conventional studio within the NYC area, either...warehouse space. Someone's basement. Someplace that we can tape up our greenscreen material, move our filming and lighting equipment in, and do our 9 am to 6 pm shoots. I was lucky to find the Scene Interactive space via www.mandy.com , but all the other studios offered on that site are insanely expensive.

Remember, too...if we can use an adequate studio space without having to pay a rental fee(above what we're paying at the moment), that frees up our budget in a MAJOR way and I can reduce my level of insanity in trying to finance the needs of our project while keeping up with cell phone and regular phone bills at the same time.

Whoever you approach, make them aware of the uniqueness of this project. It's so big it's scary...and that tends to get noticed in indie film circles. What better way to get exposure than to get involved in a project that dares to go where no one has...um, well, you get the idea. 

Be my promoters. Just don't go posting all over the place about our project. If you can snag people who show a glimmer of interest(and you can throw in the notion of joining an extras shoot as an extra, of course), go ahead and give them my e-mail address(synfacst@mindspring.com) and/or my home phone #(718-849-3744) and ask for Johnny if the voicemail picks up.

Oh...and when it comes to finding studio space, remember that this is a NY-based fanfilm production. We want to be able to reach it without having to cross borders into Maryland or something!

Remember...it's not just a me and Rod thing, it's an us thing!

May The Force Be With Us!

- Dat wild an' crazy guy who sez "Action" in his sleep :)

 

"Adventure. Heh! Excitement. Heh! A Jedi craves not these things."
~Yoda

Well, a quick update from me. I am glad to see things are back on track and moving slowly. Aria Corona is a bit injured right now (She craved adventure and excitement by thinking she could carry a bookshelf and dresser from her car to her upstairs bedroom in her parents house all by herself and tore her levetor scapula or something.) but she should be back in full swing in June when she is scheduled for filming!

Keep up the wonderful work my wonderfuls! I love hearing good news :)

--Samantha

 

March Message

"I can feel the conflict within you, let go of your hate!"
~ Luke Skywalker, Star Wars - Episode VI: Return of the Jedi

Spot on, troops...

OK, so our second attempt to bring our Cantina shoots to life were scuttled not only by unfortunate but necessary recastings, but also by a pretty big shot of snow. Getting there through all that white stuff may not have been all that fun, but it would have been digging ourselves back out and back home that would have been a nightmare.

Of our third attempt in August, I can assure you of one thing: we will not only set these Cantina sequences in stone once and for all(to kick off a preplanned period of location shoots, to boot...with a few more studio shoots thrown in here and there), but we will remain steadfastly in NYC for them as well. I am already working on possible inroads to a NYC-based nightclub for our purposes and I hope to iron out the details well in advance of the August shoot dates.

Getting back to the recasting issue, it would seem we've gone from setback to bounceback, as our new performers...Kristin Rath as Dalena, Flynn as Darth Avryss/Voldo Dracian, and Bernadette Bisogno as Darth Valkyra...have come in strong right out of the gate, as our last fight practice has shown. We've filled in a couple of other vacated spaces, too, so we're more or less back on track and ready to continue as ordained in the schedule.

Of the departures? I will wish Tammy Dalton-Brown all luck and good fortune as she begins another chapter of her performance life, I will hope James Winstanley can get his domestic situation stable enough to consider accepting my offer to play Ambassador Sieg, and of the Padgetts? Well, I'll just leave them to their own opinions and wish them well, but I also stand in agreement with Samantha and Rod regarding their feelings on the matter.

We certainly classify as an independent film, folks...and indies aren't always perfect! Particularly fanfilms! "Revelations" director Shane Felux has remarked to me that there have been many, many times where he felt his 47-minute opus would not work out and he was ready to dump it all. In the end, he stuck it out...and in the end? He produced a visually dazzling piece of work. Now I can and will assure you that we're going all the way here, because I know the end result will turn heads...and attempt the formula of bringing those old-school Saturday Afternoon matinees(which "Star Wars" was based on as a whole) to the internet, cliffhangers and all.

I'd also like to take a moment to thank Flynn for allowing me to share the stage with his NYJedi people at last weekend's NY Comic-Con at the Javits Center. His lightsaber duellists put on a great and wildly physical display of their combat prowess and I'm looking forward to seeing Flynn deliver the greedy goods as our new Avryss!

Now let's put all these silly doubts behind us and press on, troops...

May The Force Be With Us!

- Johnny

 

"I HATE YOU!"
~Star Wars Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith

Hello again my lovelies :) Sorry for the delay this month -- School is as usual -- kicking my butt.

We have had some hardships, but we are well past them.

We are ready to press on with our new talent. And we are grateful they are involved in our project.

This is where I must be frank and get a little nasty. If you think your going to get treated like an actual A list celebrity diva on this set, you are mistaken. You will get treated fairly, nicely, be welcomed with open arms and respected for your talent. You will be fed, given a place to sit and relax when not filming.  We have no room for divas on the set. If you can not deal with setbacks and issues and reshootings --tell us now and save us the money and headaches and just leave.  That is all I have to say about that.

We wish Tammy Dalton-Brown well with her performances on the road, and we wish James and his family well with there current hardships.

The summer is creeping up on us fast, and that means location shoots will begin soon. Please check the schedule and make sure any summer vacation plans you have are planned AROUND your shooting. Let us know as soon as possible when you will be away/not available.

I shall see you all in June my lovelies!

--Samantha

 

 

February Message

Message from the director:

"You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. We must be cautious."
~ Obi-Wan Kenobi, "Star Wars - Episode IV: A New Hope"

Spot on, troops!

OK...I'm hoping that EVERYONE gets a gander at this month's message, as it's the only place where you're gonna get the skinny on the Cantina shoots we have planned for this month, which most definitely WILL happen!

There's a catch, though: it involves a trek out to Long Island. Specifically, to the area near the LIRR's Port Jefferson train station.

The name of the place is the Tangarine Chinese Cuisine, which is located at 4747 Nesconset Hwy Ste 13, which is within the vicinity of the Long Island Railroad station noted above.

There are other factors you should all be aware of...

- It's an evening shoot. Both cast and crew should arrive at the site at around 8:00 p.m., and we will be shooting up until around 5:00 a.m. Of course, this being a Chinese Restaurant, the establishment itself will be providing our craft services for our meal breaks midway through both Cantina shoots.

- Rod Barnes is attempting to secure a mode of separate transportation (a van, most likely) for prominent cast and crew members only that are required for the scene who must travel in from New York (like myself). You'll be sent to and from the shooting site. We are also arranging to stop over at a Hotel room (likely near the shooting site) where makeup man Eric Negron will stand ready to body-paint our Twi'lek characters prior to leaving for the site. I want to cut down on some of the prep time so that we can get in all the material we need to shoot, so our Twi'lek actresses (Ami Colon, Tammy Dalton-Brown and Tammy Smith) must take note of when they will be picked up once the info comes in!

- On the extras issue, I'm setting the policy in stone: we will take on no more than 20 people to serve as extras for the Cantina scene in addition to the actors and actresses (and the two Gran bodyguards, both being played by stuntmen) required for the scene. We do not want to mob the place up so much that we can't maneuver the camera or arrange lighting, nor do we want anyone to get hit by stray swings of the dowels during the fight sequence! Eric is already telling me that he can bring down a LOT of extras, BUT...I'm including a caveat in the interest of diversity. Since the Cantina sequences involve separate groups of crowds, I'm not going to use the same set of extras for all the Cantina shoots. So if you want to be an extra, but you find that we've already gotten the necessary 20, put in an early notice to be included in the second set of Cantina shoots. Unfortunately, we cannot provide transportation for those wishing to serve as extras, so I need to defer you to the LIRR.

As noted in the schedule (the PDF version), the Cantina shoots are scheduled for February 11th and February 25th. The times will be the same for both shoots...8:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. Those who will be transported from NY should be aware that we will likely be picking you up a few hours earlier to account for the Hotel pit-stop and the pre-preparation of our Twi'lek characters.

The readings we'll include in our two Fight Practices will also be exclusive to the Cantina sequence, along with refreshers on the choreography of the fight sequence. Full rehearsals of the sequence should be expected as well.

ALL BTS PEOPLE SHOULD CONTRIBUTE IN SOME WAY TO THE SUCCESS OF THESE SHOOTS. If you want to offer some manner of help, or know someone who might be of some help in whatever capacity, please contact me by cell phone (at 646-361-5751). If I don't answer, leave a message. I always check my voice mail!

Those who have yet to submit the new release forms Sam conjured up, and you are among the central characters of the Cantina sequence, are advised to bring down signed copies before we place you in front of the camera. This is VERY important!

One other thing about the shoot: Eric has informed me that he put together a wardrobe of sorts of clothing pieces for the extras to wear, so extras costuming should not be much of an issue!

If there's anything more that needs to be said regarding this month, well...in the words of a certain gold-plated protocol droid, "it can wait." 

May The Force Be With Us!

- "Nae Johnny No Boddah"

 

January Message

"Stretch out with your feelings!"
~ Obi-Wan Kenobi, Star Wars - Episode IV: A New Hope

Spot on, folks...

...and a Happy New Year to one and all!

No time-a-wastin', troops...it's time to get back to work and concentrate on what we have scheduled for '06, which is still technically our first year of Principal Photography (as we began it in July of last year). We get things rolling with a Fight Choreography (which may not be at Scene Interactive...check for info on a possible one-time practice locale very soon) and then revisit the Valkyra-Dalena match up before proceeding to those sequences we have left to film.

As was the case with our December shoot, we're going to start bringing in not only extras, but Stormtroopers and Scout Troopers straight out of the 501st Garrisons. We expect to nail our Cantina sequences in February, take a break from principal photography in the Spring to start building the cockpit set for the Patriot vessel, and move from the confining interior of the Scene Interactive studio to the open-air spaciousness of our location shoots before the summer's end.

We also expect to slow down our costuming effort significantly, which should give our budgetary demands some breathing room.

Always keep checking back here for Announcements and/or announcement updates. You've been sent a copy of the 2006 schedule which actually contains ALL Choreography and shooting dates right into '07 and our final rounds of location shoots...and unlike those scheduling snafus in '05, our first round of dates for the first half of '06 have been ironed out and set in stone. Certain dates have been noted as tentative, but only in terms of attempts to find a larger space to meet the demands of the scene we intend to shoot for those dates deemed "tentative" (although we will, indeed, do a shoot on those days).

We'll start getting the CGI guys rolling, too, as we have committed all our footage thus far to Dave Atlas's FTP server. Before the year is out, we hope to be showcasing some WIP (Work In Progress) footage in which those dull greenscreens will be replaced with full digital backdrops, so you all know that our CGI boys never wear kid gloves when they finagle their cinematic resources!

I've already heard them conspiring over the sequences when Vaus I goes to geological hell right before the final bang...and I'm already salivating over the end result...

One last thing: RELEASE FORMS. We have new versions up that cover some important issues left out of the old versions that you all signed. Some performers have already signed copies of the new versions and we need everyone else to download the new version (which I believe is already up where the script page is located) and bring a signed copy to either a fight practice or a shooting day. This is mandatory, peeps...and I thank all those who have submitted their signed copies early.

So let's go into '06 on a fresh, positive and productive note...and I'll see you all at Fight Practice and/or your next scheduled shooting day!

May The Force Be With Us!

- Johnny-Wan "Use The Force, PUNK!" Kenobi
 

A word from Aria Corona:

Happy 2006!

Happy 2006 everyone! I am SO glad 2005 is over. It was definitely NOT my year. With the departure of my old car, the acquisition of a new one, and the destroying of the new car and injuring myself all within 1 month, to the death of my cousin -- it just was NOT a good year. I am so glad it is a new year, and I can put all that stuff behind me now. Phew. Maybe 2006 will be a better year for me. (Although, a speeding ticket in PA by my boyfriend isn't a great start)

I spent the New Year ringing in a happy 6 month anniversary in Michigan with my boyfriend. It was cold to say the least, but nice to get away from Long Island for a few days. I saw Buffalo and wild Turkeys. Uh huh.

The December shoot was SO productive. WOW! Thanks to ALL of our extras who came out for us!

I wish I could give you guys good news and say I'll be around a bit more this go around, but if I am not shooting, I won't be on set. I still live in the boonies until April 16th, I am taking 20 credits this semester (Insane, I know) which basically means school rules my life 20 hours per week. That does not include studying or seeing my boyfriend or breathing for that matter. But, I am determined to get my degree! It shall be done my lord. I shall be around at my shoots -- otherwise -- you all know how to complain... erm... talk to me!

On the side though, I have agreed to be in a new Star Wars Fan Film that Shane Faleux (Revelations director) is producing/directing this coming February. I have worked with him before on Jedi House, so I can't wait to work with him again!

I hope you all enjoy the new web layout I have going here. I enjoy it  a lot actually. It was my first time working with a css layout, and i am pretty happy with it.

Happy 2006 and stick with those resolutions!

 

December Messages

"Come on...let's keep a little optimism here!"
- Han Solo, Star Wars - Episode VI: Return of the Jedi

Spot on, troops!

Hope you've all fully digested your Thanksgiving meals, because it's time to close out our first year of shooting on a positive note! Two Fight Practices and one shooting day are all we need to worry about before we retire to our respective holiday revelries!

For the record, our last shoot turned out less than perfect...although we did, in fact, get some usable footage...but one cannot expect ALL of our shoots to be completely perfect! Remember...even the most professional of shoots experience problems as well!

Do NOT let that dishearten any of you. It is my absolute determination to get everything we need in terms of shots before the principal photography period is over...and when I say that we have plenty of time, I mean just that. It's no idle excuse. Whatever problems we face, it is my determination to conquer them no matter WHAT they may be. Part of our strength is in the time we've established for ourselves.

So that we may prove our collective resolve, I'm formally alerting the CGI peeps to the fact that I'll be putting some footage on Dave Atlas's FTP server so that they may begin some preliminary work towards bringing a green screen sequence or two to life. Expect, however, that they will need some time to put the images together. Once we have a raw form of the scene, I'll post it in the same area in which the exclusive stuff...like our scripts...has been posted.

Those of you involved in the Dec. 10th shoot should check in on the Announcements section to find out where we will be shooting what's planned for that day. We cannot use the Scene Interactive studios on that date (and we openly blame the studio for that), but we are already looking into alternate studio options with enough affordable space to accommodate us on Dec. 10th. If you would like to propose any options in advance of our shoot date towards finding an alternate studio space (or open indoor space in general), PM me with your info. Remember...we're all in this together!

Past the Dec. 10th shoot, we've only one last fight practice...and we're done for our first year of shooting. Before I close out fan film concerns for the December holidays, however, I will be zapping everyone a copy of the Microsoft Word file that is our new version of the overall shooting schedule. This will contain everything from the beginning of '06 to the expected end of our principal photography scheme in August of '07, fight choreography and all. Note that we're also beginning the practice of having scene readings starting next year as well. Notations will be made on the schedules owing to this new practice.

A note of thanks to all those who attended the BTS meeting at Chumley's. While we couldn't get around to ALL of the subjects, the most important ones were covered. Note that I will want to have another BTS meeting at around the same time as this year's first meet (in fact, I'll even be alarmingly specific...Nov. 18, 2006) so we can mull over our progress as we did this year.

I also want to reinforce that we all agreed that we are making good progress with this project. I mentioned, too, that our unofficial motto for the coming year can be generalized in two words: look ahead. And I mean that in the most optimistic manner possible!

On another side note, we've dropped a line to a new saber-dueling group that formed in NYC...collectively known as "NY Jedi" www.nyjedi.com ...in hopes of establishing some additional BTS help, if not overall support. If you're curious, feel free to pay their website a visit and find out more about them!

Past what we've planned for this month, I want to thank each and every one of you for all of your hard and determined work in our first year of principal photography, and wish you all a very Merry Christmas, a very Happy Hanukah, and an equally Happy...and safe...New Year!

May The Force Be With Us!

- Johnny Claus
 

"Are you an Angel?"-Anakin Skywalker
Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace

Happy almost winter time ladies and gents!

One of my favorite times of year is here...

Christmas and Chanukah! (I celebrate both!)

With the holidays near, we are winding down for 2005 and what a progress filled 2005 we have had. I can't wait to see how well we will do in 2006!

Be sure to come on down December 10th, whenever it is we are to come and see me. I will FINALLY be re-emerging!

Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah, and Happy New Year!

November Messages

A WORD FROM THE DIRECTOR...

"You were right about one thing, Master...the negotiations WERE short!"
- Obi-Wan Kenobi, Star Wars - Episode I: The Phantom Menace

Spot on, folks!

And what manner of negotiations am I alluding to?

Well, those who have been to our fight practices as of late noticed a new face in the crowd. That would be Will Santiago, who has taken the reins for Garrick Solace in the wake of the unfortunate departure of actor Noshir Dalal, who has signed on for multiple paying acting gigs that will have him traveling so extensively that he could not balance out his time with us.

For the talent he has shown in his time with us, it comes as no surprise to see that his status as an actor is beginning to rise substantially and I wish him nothing but the best of luck and good fortune. He has asked me to keep him informed as to the status of the film (or at least, its completion) and I'm sure we'll be seeing Noshir at some point in the near future in some way.

I'm already missing Halloween. The Greenwich Village Parade march was just as exhilarating and as entertaining as previous years. The "Bingo Brothers" float was the most entertaining float-bound attraction I've ever seen! Five guys...one in a gray suit, the other four in black...all clad in the same top-head pompadour mask & shades, singing a loop of a song called "I Walked With A Zombie". Curious? http://www.bingobrothers.com .

Getting back to business, though...it's at this point that we start slowing down for the holidays, folks. One shoot per month during November and December. This will remain so for next year's shoots as well. This month, we commit the first real saber fight...Valkyra vs. Dalena...to DV. While we won't be able to actually use the hallway as we originally planned, the hall will serve as the template for the CGI backdrop while the actual fight will be filmed in the studio with the usual green screen accoutrements. The floor, in the absence of more stable material, will be kept bare save for shots in which footwork would be filmed (IF such shots are needed).

Following the shoot (which I will be spending all possible time prior to its arrival doggedly preparing for), we defer to one more scheduled fight practice, after which we defer to our respective families and all the juicy turkey dinners that go with the Thanksgiving holiday.

HOWEVER...and I plan on repeating this next year...the Saturday of the week before Thanksgiving (as we have arranged this year), all Behind-The-Scenes people (and ONLY BTS people) will be expected to gather at a certain locale (in this year's case, the former Speakeasy called "Chumley's"...see the related thread for details) so that we can go over all we have done in the year, and all we will be planning to do in the coming year. It is EXTREMELY VITAL that everyone involved in BTS activities (CGI, costuming, makeup, etc.) attend this meeting! We will of course be arranging for a meal and there should be plenty of drinks to go around. I would also advise that notepads and pens/pencils (or if you want to get radical, a laptop computer) be taken with you so you can jot down whatever notes you feel you need to take regarding the meeting. We will be going over a LOT of issues, chiefly along the lines of suggestions pertaining to actual locales to be considered in the filming of our location shoots, which begins in mid-2006.

Before then, however, we're gonna start bringing in extras. We're gonna start getting the word out to the SW fan groups and 501st groups to get our resistance forces, Vaus Constables and Stormtroopers...if not citizens cloned or otherwise...beginning in January (technically December, but we're only gonna need a few extras next month compared to later shoots).

As you might have noticed, this month we have brought up a Paypal-based widget by which you may donate whatever little bit of funding you can anonymously offer to our funding effort. I must emphatically stress that while said monetary donations would be very much appreciated, it is NOT mandatory!

CGI/lighting pro David Atlas and my ever-helpful young Padawan, Samantha , will be returning to active on-set duty this month, and I'd like to take this early opportunity to welcome them both back! Spat has also recommended a makeup FX pro who will hopefully be joining us for this month's shoot providing our initial negotiations are successful.

Heck, they could be as short as they were with Will! 

May The Force Be With Us!

- Walks-With-Zombies(and Vampires)

“If you’ve got warriors, now’s the time”-Obi-Wan Kenobi
Star Wars Episode 3, Revenge of the Sith

Gobble, Gobble and Happy November ladies and gentleman!

 I know my face and presence has been few and far between lately and let me just take a few quick seconds to explain.

I am graduating in May (Hooray! You all are invited!). In order to do so, I have to get a 3.0 this semester and a 3.0 next semester. (Or else I get suspended from school) I am taking 5 classes this semester, 1 in the winter intersession and 7 next semester, so all my energy is focused on school. As well as I am currently not working, therefore I am not making money, therefore I have no extra money to spend 30 dollars round trip to always come down in NYC.

But!! You will be seeing me DEFINITELY in November AND December! After that, you will see me in January, maybe in March and then probably not again until May. I will always be at my shooting days :-)

My health problems are currently being resolved – thank you for your well wishes. For those who were wondering what was going on, I was having some problems with my blood sugar levels which is something that has never happened before. I woke up one morning passed out on the living room floor not knowing how I got there really. I was also having some issues with my neck and back from my car accident 6 months ago. I am feeling much better now though, thank you :-)

We are coming into the holiday season and as such, we will be winding down on production for the year. We are slowing the pace down a bit for the holidays so we can all rest. Use this time wisely to make sure that you are able to continue in this project. We do not want to have to recast any more roles! Keep up the good work though people! I am hearing wonderful things!

Episode 3 is on DVD on the 1^st! As well as Star Wars Battlefront 2 is out! I have been beta testing Star Wars Galaxies: Trials of Obi-Wan and Mustafar is VERY cool! I have already beat Battlefront 2 and I highly recommend it!

With that being said, happy thanksgiving, and have an awesome November my very young padawans!

~*Samantha*~

 

October Announcements

 

A word from the director...

"Careful you must be when sensing the future, Anakin. The fear of loss is a path to the dark side."
~ Yoda, Star Wars - Episode III: Revenge of the Sith

Spot on, troops!

OK, so we couldn't pay a visit to the Shore Leave Cantina as previously planned. However, our intentions have been communicated and we expect to put up a more fortified effort to not only secure the nightclub we're aiming to use...a place called Club Rare near 14th & Washington...but to sharpen up the wild and woolly fight sequences that we're aiming to commit to film.

We are therefore going to be committing this month to not only catching up to what we missed due to unavailable actors in September, but also to FINALLY putting our most intimidating Sith...Darth Moloch...on camera at long last and with our very own fight choreographer, Omar Holmes, wearing that really cool mask Eric Negron and Spat crafted for us.

As you can see by the posts Samantha has made as of late, we're starting to get a little more serious about getting this puppy together. The new costuming plan is bolstered by the fact that our Costume Designer (Kris Krajewski) has been armed with a sewing machine in addition to one or two added faces in terms of volunteer help. We're also benefiting from the availability of an all-important airbrush machine that we thankfully do not have to pay rent for!

As was mentioned in the Announcements...and this is for the sake of those who have doubted the claim...once we have ordained our studio time (and ALL DATES posted, including those of our fight choreography, for the remainder of 2005 have been submitted and cleared), we cannot alter or shorten it! The only thing we will be altering is precisely what we will be doing during the time we're there. That is why it is imperative that you give us confirmations that you'll be available when we need you.

Let's not forget, too, that this just so happens to be the month of my favorite holiday!

Nooo, not Columbus Day, dummy...

Now I do realize that this special day happens to fall on a Monday this year. Will that stop me from attending the Greenwich Village Halloween Parade as I do every year? HELL, NO! If anyone is interested in marching in the event(which is a FREE experience that requires an almost Jedi sense of patience prior to the start of the march...they never start on time), drop me a PM and I will feed you all the details you will need. It's a LOT of fun and it's a great way to meet new friends...and, if you're wearing a really cool costume, stir the crowds along the route into a frenzy!

Additionally, in the interest of drumming up support from the SW fan community, I'm gonna ease up a little on our veil of secrecy. It should be noted, however, that we need to have ALL our shots for the Oct. 8th shooting date accomplished before we can do this. One thing I wanted to do was to get a promotional shot to replace our start page and promote our Sith characters at the same time (I'm also gonna think about getting a little teaser together as well). That's gonna constitute a portion of our time on Oct. 8th as well...getting promo shots of the Sith actors. I need the faces for the planned image.

It should also be noted that I want to arrange a meeting with David Atlas of the CGI Team ASAP. We need to talk about things.

Finally, I need everyone to be aware that in getting all the shots we need on a shooting day, no one leaves from now on until we can get you seated in front of the green screens so we can interview you for the BTS material that Rod Barnes is currently putting together. He'll be wandering around the studio as we shoot and/or do fight choreography from now on with a camcorder in his hand. The footage he takes will not only benefit our BTS material, but it will also likely be used to capture Gag Reel-worthy moments.

Samantha has sworn that she will be back among us very soon. She's currently getting to the bottom of issues relating to her health. I know she's a fighter in this regard and she'll likely beat this ailment, but anyone who hasn't done so already should transmit their well-wishings. She's the most entertaining and resourceful Girl-In-The-Conan-O'Brien-Skit I've ever met.

May The Force Be With Us!

- "Big Sexy"
 

Samantha's 2.5 cents for this month. (Yes..2.5 cents... why? Cause she can do that!)

"Get him Dad! Yeah!"
Boba Fett, Star Wars Episode 2: Attack of the Clones

*Waves* Hello everyone out there! I hope you are still with us, you should be. Like most productions, we are have a slight difficulty, but you know we are already coming through it just fine! Hopefully by January we'll have things really on the ball! The first half of the 2006 schedule is up. You are now REQUIRED to give at least 72 hours notice if you can not make a shooting day. Failure to do so, can result in your dismissal from this project. (This is unless there is some emergency like a death in the family, funeral, you get really ill. Saying your car died, you forgot or you couldn't find a sitter for your kids is not a valid excuse. There is mass transportation, as well as you have had PLENTY of time to get a sitter. Sorry it has to be that way, but this is a serious project and we need serious people! In the famous words of Watto, No funny business!

Starting soon, you all will be required to sign new contracts. There have been a few addendums to it (mainly to include the production name we are now working under, and law requires the contracts be updated anytime there is a change). The new contract can be found under the cast only section, which can be accessed through our message boards. You will be required to sign this at least once a year to keep our records updated. This helps to make sure you remember the rules, and that those of us on crew are protected. I love court, but I don't want to be the defendant. I rather be the prosecutor.

So the dragon con report: OH.MY.GOSH. Dragon Con was better then I could have ever imagined. Yes, I got to see Daniel Logan. I even got to drool! Even better, I spent 75% of the convention hanging out with him! He is such a cool friend to have now. I still get all giddy and giggly when I see he's calling me to say hi. (Yes, he calls me now! He'll be in NY in November and we'll be hanging out of course!) We all really had an awesome time at Dragon Con. The con itself was productive. Lots of partying was done with Revelations directors Dawn and Shane Felux. Much partying was also done with the infamous Spat (Who got to keep his name. Phew. Would be strange to have to call him Errol) It was better then I could have ever expected and it made my summer end really really well.

2005 is quickly coming to an end. The end of 2005 will start to slow down for the holidays, but once 2006 gets here, be prepared to work! Costumes will be done, props will be done, we will have extras and all the help we need. I am currently working on promoting for help from people ALL over from Maine to Florida. Long Island to Ohio. Having friends in high places will really help us out here. If you have any friends who want to help out, send them my way! We can use any and all types of help. There is no such thing as too much help.

I also wanted to add, that I have decided also to make this website a bit fun. I have given our own Ed Bergtold his own little section. If you read the message boards frequently, he does a segment called Kell's Corner in which he reviews different movies. I have decided to post his movie reviews in an area for him, titled - Kell's Corner! You can all thank him (or beat him up) for his reviews of some movies. Consider him our own personal Ebert and Roper.

Lastly for this month, You may have noticed I am not at fight practice and my face has been rare at shooting lately. This will be a regular thing unless I am absolutely needed. The train is expensive. I am not working this semester. I have no real extra money. I will be on set when I can be. My role for the next few months is purely administrative, so I can make sure I don't get kicked out of college. Hopefully come 2006, I can resume my regular every week schedule!

Happy Halloween my friends!

(Anyone else notice that every year, stores skip Halloween and Thanksgiving and go straight to Christmas? What's with the Christmas lights already?!)

 

 

September Announcements

"He's got to follow his own path. No one can choose it for him."
~ Princess Leia, "Star Wars - Episode IV: A New Hope"

Happy thoughts and pixiedust, peeps!

Well, we're two months into principal photography and despite all the shortcomings, we are on schedule and based on my careful scrutiny of the dailies, we're looking pretty good so far.

We do have, however, a little news to share in regards to our CGI personnel...Jay Sarabia, aka "Darth Venom", has left our project largely due to his perceived dissatisfaction with our organizational scheme. Frankly, I find his overall reasons for leaving a little suspect, but he has clearly demonstrated a very practiced sense of visual effects skill...at least insofar as CGI is concerned...and on behalf of the cast and crew of this project, I wish him the best of luck and good fortune in his future endeavors.

It should be noted, too, that my quote for this month was chosen in deference to Jay.

That being said, we move onward.

For the record, it is my determination to get a decent amount of principal photography...60 minutes worth of material, at least...done before I start handing off scenes to our CGI boys so they can start their work. I have mentioned, on more than one occasion, that I will give them all the time they need...even past principal photography...to make sure their work is as good as they can get it.

Other manifesting concerns are for costuming and, as of late, makeup FX. This is not to say that I plan on releasing anyone in these areas as it stands, though...Eric Negron is still our man when it comes to makeup and prosthetics and Sadie DeThorn has shown that she has the skills when it comes to bringing our costumes to life.

However, I can't expect either one of them to shoulder the burden of these very important facets of our production alone, which is why I have been making attempts at finding additional help...and speaking of additional help, I'll be bringing a new face to the forums in the wake of his great work on our last shoot. His name is Melvin Reed, and he will be serving as our Sound Mixer/Boom Operator for this project. Omar, you have earned yourself a Shaolin-style bow, courtesy of yours truly, for bringing him on. He is an excellent addition to our fold.

I will be observing his progress with great interest. 

Two individuals will also be contacted against involvement with this project owing to recommendations from Traci Redmond (Bane Razak), Dave Atlas has told me that he can bring people involved with the PixelCorps CGI association in to help us out when needed, and I am contacting a very good friend from among my Goth buddies against possibilities to have someone on hand to help us out on the set with makeup...perhaps even to the extent of providing a few extra latex masks for next month's Cantina shoots.

Speaking of which, I expect said shoots to be our most challenging for the fact that it's our first real location shoot. We want to take advantage of the brief resurgence of Star Wars mania generated by the release of both the Revenge of the Sith DVD and the LucasArts game Battlefront II (which yours truly pre-ordered prior to leaving Celebration III). Keep your eye on the Announcements forum for the forthcoming announcement as to where we'll be shooting these sequences. The announcement will obviously be coming very soon.

Additionally, I want to let it be known that insofar as our September Fight Choreography dates go, I'd like to spend all the studio-based time of that month on the two fight sequences we need to film for the remainder of this year, even going so far as to make the appearances of everyone else who attends fight practice strictly voluntary. Therefore, I will be wanting the following people to make their appearances at September's Fight Practices a Priority One responsibility:

- Noshir Dalal and James Winstanley (Garrick Solace vs. Voldo Dracian)
- Lisa Padgett and Tammy Dalton-Brown (Darth Valkyra vs. Dalena)

It should also be noted that there will be no further occurrences of the "scheduling snafu" that killed two of our fight practices in the past. Unless otherwise noted in the Announcements section, expect that there will be a fight practice on a week when we are not doing shooting on the Saturday of that week.

Getting back to the business of getting us extra help in the areas of costuming and makeup FX, I encourage you all to ask around and give me a hand in the business of getting more assistance in the development of this project in the noted areas...and please do not forget to mention that while we're a non-profit endeavor (meaning no pay, of course), they will receive onscreen credit...and a DVD of the completed project...for the work they have done for us.

Insofar as any notes pertaining to our last shoot is concerned, it should be noted that inescapable flaws in the Imperial Officer outfits forced us to make safety shots of the characters as opposed to the shots I was planning to cover. That's still progress, but of the supplemental kind. Our next shot at nailing my intended shots is when we do ISD shooting in December. If necessary, extra shooting time will be added to our new 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. shooting scheme when we convene for principal photography for that month, which will incidentally constitute the beginning of the shoots in which we will be calling in extras!

Finally, I should note that this month's "Word From The Director" was composed in advance of the first week in September to account for the fact that Samantha and I will be en route to Atlanta, Georgia to take part in the festivities and debaucheries of this year's Dragon*Con mega-convention. While we are away, I expect you all to remain productive! Practice your fight sequences, set up whatever pre-design work you need to do for the costumes for this month's shoots, whatever needs to be done. If you need to confer with someone, I encourage you to contact Rod Barnes. I will try to establish an online presence while I'm at the 'Con, but since money is going to be tight (damn credit card bill ), I may have difficulties establishing such. Dragon*Con is a seriously overwhelming convention affair, though, so I may not be logging in very often anyway! 

Ray Park (Darth Maul of The Phantom Menace) and Daniel Logan (Boba Fett of Attack of the Clones) are among the guests this year, too. I've already gotten snapshots with them last year, although I'm sure Samantha is looking forward to spending some more quality time with Danny... 

I said it before and I'll say it again...Ah LUUUVZ me some Dragon*Con!

May The Force Be With Us!

- Cecil B. DeJohnny
 

Announcement from the web mistress

"Dad.. Taun We is here"
Boba Fett, Star Wars Episode 2: Attack of the Clones

 

Well, as usual I don't have all that much to say this month -- Johnny does a good job of covering all the bases for me!

So, as Johnny stated, we'll be at Dragon Con for a couple days, and I'll be drooling, erm...stalking...eh hem... hanging out with my Danny Logan (Boba Fett, Episode 2) He and I have been friends for the last 2+ years and exchange e-mails here and there. He did just turn 18 of which makes me VERY happy *giggles* (Quality time ehh Johnny? He IS 18 now... hehe) So yes, look for more pictures of Dan and I (As if i didn't have enough already.. hehe)

We have 2 days of shooting in September! Look for me to be at the 24th shooting (Unfortunately, cutting out early AGAIN as its my brothers 31st birthday.. Johnny man you got to stop scheduling these things on my families Birthdays!) and I will NOT be at the shooting on the 10th due to my soon-to-be sister in laws bridal shower is taking place that day, and I have to go to my bridesmaid gown fitting. As an early October announcement, I'll be showing up a tad late to the 22nd shooting as my Brother is getting married the night before, and I am SURE to be hung over a bit.

I am also going to be working on some costumes before our October shoots for out Twi-leks I believe. If I e-mail you with a request, please comply (It'll be simple measurement request, measure around you're head, how far from the top of your head to the middle of your back, etc). Johnny probably is saying "ehh", But I decided if I can make these Lekkus good enough with a friends tutorial, I might as well make the other Lekkus we need too.

Happy Fall!

---Samantha

 

URGENT NEWS.

On August 9th, 2005 at 05:20pm, Katie Johnson beat her battle with cancer. She has become one with the force. She passed away, with her family by her side.

From all of us here at Tremors of the Force, We give the Johnson family our condolences and sympathy.

August Announcement

Older messages can be found at: Older news

"Wonderful! We are now a part of the tribe."
~ C-3PO, Star Wars - Episode IV: Return of the Jedi

Well, we've finally gone and done it. Our first month's shoots are now in the can...with a minimal need for pickups...and our project is now officially underway.

I'll start using this space to emphasize notes regarding the shoots of the month to alert you all as to the pickup shots and corrections we need...

- When we shoot the Imperial Landing Bay sequence in September with Darth Moloch and Darth Salacius, we will need to make a corrected shot of the Salacius line "A Twi'lek? How disgusting!" For some reason, the dailies showed that the recording of that scene was interrupted by the filming of the scene that we shot next, so we only got half of her line. Oops!

- That Imperial Landing Bay shoot will also serve as another opportunity to get our needed pickups for the Darth Moloch character. We may factor extra time into this shooting day to account for the catchup work that needs to be done. Bear in mind, too, that we MAY ask for Branan Whitehead, James Winstanley and Lisa Padgett to join us for this shoot as well, even though they are not scheduled to be with us that day.

All in all, our first month's shoots went very well...and both shoots were finished with time to spare, which leads me to my next little observation which should ease those who feel I deserve a glowstick up the bunghole for getting everyone up so early and releasing you at such a late hour...

We will be cutting down a bit on our shooting time. By how much will of course be dependent on how much work needs to be done in terms of what we plan to shoot that day. As our schedule proves, we shoot at least two or more episodes worth of material every time we gather for principal photography. This month, however, will be a bit of a special case...

Money will be tight this month, owing to monetary preparations for a much-anticipated journey on my part(and on the part of a couple of others within the cast and crew) to Atlanta, Georgia to participate in the annual convention-based Labor Day weekend festival of costume-based debauchery known as Dragon*Con. It is for that reason that we are planning to cram all necessary shots for this month into August 20th. Thus, August 20th will be the only day that we will be doing principal photography. What of August 6th, you might ask?

The early plan is that we make it a big, big day in terms of fight choreography...but instead of renting out the studio as we always do, we're gonna take our practice work to a park within NYC(perhaps even Central Park, if at all possible) and make a day of doing fight practice with Omar. Of course, I plan to keep a steely eye on weather patterns as we get closer to this date...and if it happens to bear the threat of rain? Well...perhaps we can raincheck this manner of gathering for a later date.

On a fight choreography note, however, I should once again encourage you to keep practicing your moves! Particularly James, Noshir, Tammy Dalton-Brown and Lisa, who have filmed fight sequences to contend with before the year is out! Omar would like to work individually with certain performers outside of our fight practices and I encourage you to volunteer some time so that Omar can give you a little extra training!

On another significant note, we've mind-tric...uh, convinced Mr. Holmes to join our cast! We plan to have him occupy the role of Darth Moloch(physical version), making whatever modifications are necessary to costume and makeup, so we can finally get his scenes in the can. He's tall enough, he's built enough, and he's certainly athletic enough to fill the mask, folks!

Getting back to how we're shaving our time excess, Rod and I will be assessing what needs to be shot prior to the occurrence of a forthcoming shoot and configure the time accordingly. We've both agreed that unless we have a LOT of material to commit to DV, shooting days should by-and-large go from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., give or take an hour. Your prompt arrival at the necessary call times(9 a.m. for BTS people, 11 a.m. for talent) will go a long way in the long run at getting us going as quickly as possible!

This new default time may be increased or decreased, however...which is why, in deference to the cramming on August 20th(our next shooting day), we're gonna go from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Expect news very soon as to where we will be going to get our Cantina shots in October. Expect it to be somewhere in NYC, of course, possibly a locale in the Meatpacking district(14th Street, near the Hudson River).

Now I know there is one other fairly significant day in my own life on the 27th of this month(*cough*my birthday*cough*), but hey...I'm not gonna pressure anyone into making me a SuperMoist-brand Devil's Food Cake with Creamy Deluxe-brand Vanilla frosting(any other cake is crap by comparison, sorry to say) for the occasion. I mean, you all have busy schedules and all, never mind our humble little corner of the "Star Wars" universe...

...although gift certificates to B&H Photo & Video would be greatly appreciated.

ANYWAY...this month, our shoots take us aboard the Imperial Star Destroyer Vendetta, within which the stench of intrigue is just as thick as the stink of death from all the officers who have had some form of disagreement or difficulty responding to the whims of one Admiral Saras Vachss...

...and brother, I can't wait to see Kevin Pfeiffer strut his stuff!

We're also going to be getting our Concept Art group going so that we can finally have some material to hand off to our CGI peeps towards the notion of turning our greenscreens into locales that could only come from that galaxy far, far away...

...because believe me, if you had to go by my drawings? We'd be playing against crude pencil shapes w/notations, just like Dave Atlas observed on the set of our first shoot.

Gotta quadruple his CGI work for making that remark. (kidding, Dave! Honest! Heheheheheeee.... )

May The Force Be With Us!

- Dr. Johnny
(former morning drive-time DJ on WHIL, Richmond Hill High School Radio...no joke!)

 

July Announcement

"Chancellor Palpatine, Sithlords are our specialty!"
~ Obi-Wan Kenobi, Star Wars - Episode III: Revenge of the Sith

Shall we try this again? 

Seriously, though...you were all forewarned, in fairness, that delays, setbacks and the like would happen. As mentioned in the revised statement of last month, it was unforeseen and we wanted to be on the safe side.

I am very thankful that you're all still with us.

Rather than dwell on the delays, though, I'd rather look ahead. The greenscreen shoots ahead of us. The location(Cantina) shoot in October. The one-day shoots in November and December and our first couple of filmed fight sequences.

Which, to wit, will be Garrick Solace vs. Voldo Dracian during October's Cantina shoots.

And then, Darth Valkyra vs. Dalena in November.

And then, Kurt Angle vs. The Undert...

Uh, right. 

On a meaty day's worth of Saturday shooting, all actors should be advised that a full day of shooting will see all needed actors arriving at 11:00 a.m. Costumes will be donned and makeup applied. Once all actors are ready, we surround you with greenscreens, call quiet, and get the cameras rolling...and continue until around 11:00 p.m. at the latest. Those of you who attended the Fight practice two weeks ago will recall that we were visited by a freelance photographer who expressed interest in becoming a cinematographer for our project. I will be opening up a dialogue with him shortly and will more than likely be accepting his desire to take part in this project.

There will be days in which our shooting time will not be as extensive depending on the length of the scenes we'll be working on. Others will require less makeup time than on a shoot like the Cantina material that will be loaded with makeup jobs(although we WILL have hairdressers and makeup people on ALL shoots), but in all instances of a shoot, expect that we will want ALL needed talent on the set and ready to hit the makeup tables at 11:00 a.m. sharp.

And ONLY in the event of any spare time do we entertain the notion of doing intentionally goofball material for the sake of a gag reel. I know we've joked about it thus far, but I was partially serious. So long as everyone realizes that the serious work must come first, I'm not going to rule out sharing a scene from "Tremors" with someone like Tatiana, who plays Darth Salacius in all seriousness while your embattled director seizes a moment to channel Carl, the intellectually-challenged ex-con from the movie "Sling Blade". 

And remember...it's projects like this that serve as the remedy for PSWSD(Post-Star-Wars-Stress-Disorder)!

BTW...little administrative note: to account for the fact that Branan Whitehead...aka the inimitable Darth Szaal...will be away on vacation on the 23rd and the following Saturday, we will be doing shoots for Episodes 1 and 5 on the 16th, while the smaller bits in Episodes 2 and 6(that do not require Szaal) will be covered on the 23rd.

As always, May The Force Be With Us!

- Johnny(aka Darth Nod)
 

Message from the webmaster, Ms. lazy B!

"Hello there!"
Obi-Wan Kenobi, Star Wars Episode 3, Revenge of the Sith

Lucky for me, and you guys I don't have a whole lot to say this month! The website is doing good, the fight practices are amazing and we start shooting on the 16th, and the oh so wonderful production assistant (me) won't be there because I'll be in sunny San Diego attending San Diego's Comic Con, while flirting with Danny Logan (Episode 2 Boba Fett.. Yea he's legal now) Not too much in the way of excitement is going on this month (haha right..) Just learn your lines, and make sure you are good to go!

On a bit of a sad note, Katie Johnson's tumor has spread all over the place. She is in terrible shape. She will be placed into a hospice where she will be managed for pain, but be able to live out the rest of her time with her family and those who are about her by her side. She already go to go to Disney world from Make-a-wish, which she most definitely had fun at. We wish you all the best Katie, and the Johnson Family, and May the force be with you all.

I wish everyone good luck on the 16th! And I shall see you all the 23rd!

 

~Samantha

 

June Messages

UPDATED MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR:

Hello again, peeps...

As you all more or less know by now, this month's shoots had to be postponed to next month due to a manifesting conundrum regarding our costuming situation, which has become priority one on our list of concerns.

And, of course, the recasting of Darth Valkyra. Given the volume of response to the auditions for this project back in January, however, the recasting of that character should not prove difficult.

We are working as we speak on alternative inroads in the costuming department. This is not to say that there hasn't been any progress made, as we only need to concern ourselves with four costumes to which we have acquired all the fabrics necessary.

Current work on the fight choreography and the CGI work has been proceeding very well, however, and I'm thankful that you're all continuing to show an eagerness to get started. Heck, I'm eager to get started...but I certainly can't have you all do your scenes with bathrobes and flashlights, can I?

Most indie films of the fanfilm stripe have met with difficulties and delays, though. In the end, however, they often manage to get their projects off the ground. Even with the postponement, however, we aren't adding any additional production time since we have factored what is now a three-month shooting hiatus into our plans for 2007. It was originally going to be four months, and it was instituted to account for the fact that we're doing location shoots by that time in outdoor locales, and I want to insure that we can shoot under good weather conditions.

So despite our postponement, please do not lose faith in this project! A revised schedule will be going up in addition to all the script fixes, the full version of which will be made available to you through this very website via .pdf file. If you just want to download particular chapters, I'm making them available individually as well.

As always, May The Force Be With Us!

- Johnny
 

UPDATED MESSAGE FROM THE WEBMASTER

Hooray! Our first little set back! They are to be expected and hopefully we won't have very many more. This minor set back helps us in finishing costumes and other things though and finalizing last minute details -- all which are important.

The CGI boys are keeping themselves busy in the CGI department. They are doing some great work over there! (Not that I know anything about CGI, but from what I have seen -- they are doing an AWESOME job!)

Fight practice has been going extremely well too! Noshir, Ed, Tammy, Julian and Tatiana have been doing some AMAZING things down at practice. If you get a chance you should stop by and check out their work!

The website has been updated with some new goodies -- Feel free to hunt them down :-)

Talk to you all again in 16 days :-)

 

--Samantha

 

"Do! Or do not. There is no try!"
~ Yoda, Star Wars - Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back

OK, all you Sith rotters...it's time to get it all together because this is the month in which we commence principal photography and collect the first of many takes that we will need towards turning my crazy little script into a full-on movie.

Additionally, this is the month in which everyone gets alerted to our grand schedule, which will keep us in the heat of principal photography for the space of two Saturdays per month right up until...brace yourselves...August, 2007.

Now of course, some of you may be wrapped early (case in point: Galvan Seraph and Dorelei Echelon, who reports for principal photography AND completes their required sequence on August 20th of this year (unless their own schedules conflict).

If the schedule stands (and changes are to be expected, folks), we will actually have a bit of a hiatus from principal photography for a stretch of four whole months to allow for winter and spring to come and go (although this, too, might change depending on the weather patterns). The schedule will also allow us the grace of two months to put together the Patriot Cockpit set that we will need for the Cockpit sequences that are expected to be shot in June of next year.

We are aiming to have the schedule posted sometime before principal photography begins. When it gets posted, start marking your calendars!

Given the tentative time set that has been established, I must tell you all again to realize what you're getting yourselves into. It's a big undertaking for a non-profit project, although it's something that should certainly be a rather significant perk on your respective resumes!  We'll need to take shots of you when you've had your costumes and makeup applied so as to insure that continuity of appearance won't be compromised by a brand new hairstyle that completely contradicts your requirements for a scene or your overall character appearance. A couple of you will be practically bathed in water-based body paint. Of course, when the schedule is, as the Canadians say, "oot and aboot", you'll likely want to assess when your first and last call will be in terms of your shots, but be aware that even after your shots are finished, we MAY need to call you back in if any possible reshoots of certain scenes are needed.

I'm hoping to nail down all our sequences and get good takes right out of the gate, obviously, so if you know you're gonna be in a forthcoming sequence, be sure to get your lines down in advance!

Having said all this, I'd like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who came down to the May 27th screening of Revenge of the Sith at the Empire 25. It was a fairly small group, but it still constituted cast and crew, so I'm pleased that we all had a good time (right? RIGHT?  ).

Incidentally, I rather liked RotS. A bittersweet finale to the cinematic genesis of that galaxy far, far away (although current rumors are brewing that Lucas is talking about doing prequels of the prequels, but I won't buy that until confirmable news of its actual development manifest). Some things could have been done differently (for one thing, the one-time podracin' rugrat everybody enshrined as the Chosen One actually set a speed record in his surrender to the Sith ways, don'cha think? ), but hey...if ol' Georgie (Lucas) were a Sith, he'd be Darth Getz. Why? Well, because what Darth Getz wants...

(Do I HAVE to finish this? )

In closing, I'd like to send my deepest condolences and sympathies to our own Webmaster and trusted Padawan secretary, Samantha B, on the loss of her beloved cousin and her cousin's friend in a horrible auto accident last weekend, and I thank all within the cast and crew for extending similar sympathies.

May their spirits empower us to get past all obstacles in the creation of this monster...

...and, as always, May The Force Be With Us!

- Johnny

 

"Death is a natural part of life. Rejoice for those around you who transform into The Force. Mourn them do not, miss them do not."

--Yoda, Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith

In starting, I just want to say that my performance in Tremors of the Force is now being dedicated to my beloved cousin John J. Karl and his best friend Bryan E. Fontana. John tragically passed away on May 31st 2005 after being involved in a deadly automobile accident on May 28th 2005. He had a passenger in his car, his best friend, Bryan E. Fontana, who died on May 28th 2005. John and I we're extremely close. I was there the day he was born, up until the day he died. My cousin truly is a hero to so many. He had chosen to donate his organs by checking the little box on the back of his license. He has saved many lives today. Please, if your last wishes are not known to your loved ones, at least check the box on the back of your drivers license that says "Organ Donor". This will give your loved ones some idea of your wishes. Also, there is no need to speed. You will get there when you get there. Speeding only puts your life and other lives at risk. Also, buckle up. Seat belts save lives. (Saved my life when I was in my car accident 2 weeks ago that totaled my car)

In other news, fight choreography has been going amazingly! Everyone is putting in 110% effort! I am very proud of everyone!

As you can see, the website went under its 3.0 construction. I am happy with it.. for now.

The 2005 Shooting Schedule is up and ready for review. The 2006 schedule will be up before June is over, and 2007 sometime soon thereafter. If you can not make a shooting day, please alert us immediately so we can move things around.

There are 2 new art concepts up for view. They we're done by our awesome CGI guy Jay Sarabia.

June is the start of principal photography! I will be on set both days in June! So if you forget your line, I'll be there to hand it to you! Well... tell it to you... hand it.. tell it.. yeah you get it.

That is all for this month my wonderful cast and crew. Please, keep up the great work and be safe.

~ Samantha

John J. Karl 9/24/86 - 5/31/05

 

 

May Message

May 2005

"Everything is going as planned."
~ Darth Sidious, Star Wars - Episode II: Attack of the Clones

Greetings, fellow Padawans...

Well, we've come out of what was a BIG month for fans of that galaxy far, far away, and I felt it deserves mentioning here for reasons I'll go into in a moment. But first...

We're one month before we start committing the many portions of this script to MiniDV, and only one obstacle potentially impedes our progress: the release of a film that brings 30 years of the Force to a cinematic end.

Thank goodness, however, that the premiere will not get in the way of our work. Thanks for that, Georgie!

The big areas of concentration for May are...

- Costuming/Makeup/Props for June's shoots
- Commencement of Fight Choreography sessions

We might also be adding some new elements to the concept art wing of our production, so keep checking the Announcements area of the forums.

So, about April's big events? There were two, and one was fairly significant.

If you guessed Celebration III, however, you thought wrong.

Not that it was a bad event, but the lines to get in to some of the 'con events were rather large...and at times, undisciplined. I did, however, get a lot of pictures taken with my pathetic disposable digicam and once I get them developed, I'll throw a link up to my Imageevent site so you can observe the pics and my witty captions. I can truthfully say, however, that if it wasn't for the "Spat Con" event on the evening of the last day of CIII, I would not have scored the pics with bona-fide Star Wars celebrities that I aimed to get in attending the 'con! Spat, you are the MAN!

The more significant event, however, was the premiere of a fanfilm out of Maryland that has officially raised the bar in terms of visual effects in a Star Wars fanfilm: "Revelations"...a 47-minute tour-de-force in that galaxy far, far away which proved, in the end, that cutting-edge visuals are very much possible for a no-budget movie. Even as I write this, I am looking at the other portions of the Behind-The-Scenes disc packaged with the official "Revelations" DVD and I'm very much in awe of what director Shane Felux and his Panic Struck Productions team has accomplished.

As we progress through the shooting of our own forthcoming epic, I will provide the option of being able to see this incredible fanfilm during on-set breaks during the greenscreen shoots, since I will be using my laptop as a kind of monitor for my Associate Director to look upon as we get our shots captured.

I attended the premiere...and the gala that followed...in Maryland at the beautiful Senator Theater. At the gala, in chatting with Dion Rupa...a fine gentleman and the Executive Officer of the 501st Stormtrooper Legion Garrison known as the NorthEast Remnant...about the success of Shane's completed film, he knew I was getting ready to start making my own, so he slipped a statement in that has etched into my subconscious mind since he spoke it...

"It's your turn now, eh?"

Yes it is, Dion...or rather...

It's OUR turn.

I should also let you all know that the CGI team has officially commenced work on this project and are producing some great results right out of the gate. I am keeping that progress, however, confined to the knowledge of myself, the CG artists and our lively webmaster. They are working splendidly together and I encourage them to keep up the great work!

Oh...and it is my intention to free up May 27th...a Friday night, which means a break from fight practice...to see Revenge of the Sith at the AMC Empire 25 Theater. It's not possible to reserve your tickets for that date yet(through movietickets.com), but be sure to keep checking until it becomes possible for you to do so. If there's any alteration of this plan, I will keep you all updated.

Until then, May The Force Be With Us!

- Johnny (The Emper...um, Director :-) )

 

A rather LONG message from the webmaster

"Always two there are. No more. No less. A master, and an apprentice" (Ha not in this movie!)
~Yoda, Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace

*COUGH* I’ll be 22 on Tuesday, May 3^rd, send me birthday wishes *COUGH*

Wow! What an amazing month April has been for TOTF and for me personally! I became a grandmother (haha) to two BEAUTIFUL kittens on April 9^th. I named them Boba and Leia. They have currently learned how to walk and it is SO adorable. 

I attended Celebration 3 in Indianapolis and I had the time of my life! It was well worth missing school and work for 6 days. I unfortunately got pneumonia when It was all over – but wow. Spat – You are the man! Spat-Con 2 was amazing. I got to see my favorite actor – Daniel Logan (Young Boba Fett) and yeah it was the best 5 days of my life. 

Star Wars Revenge of the Sith comes out in 18 days! How awesome is that?! I’ll be seeing it at Midnight in NYC with my NYC Fan Force. We are raising money for Katie Johnson. 

Speaking of Katie, we got WONDERFUL news from Kathy Johnson, Katie’s step-mom at Celebration 3. 

Katie’s tumor has shrunk by 50%! She is defying all the odds with her type of cancer. Way to go Katie! We are all very happy and very proud of Katie for fighting her cancer. We ALL are helping her fight her cancer. The Johnson family still needs our help though! The medical bills and other bills continue to pill up. Please donate just a few dollars to help them out. 

Now, onto our regularly scheduled movie… 

As for TOTF, We have had many exciting developments in the CGI department. Those boys got right on task and started working! They we’re like – Hey give us something to do! So Johnny did, and the stuff they are doing is absolutely amazing. GREAT work boys! Keep up the good work! 

At Celebration 3 -- Johnny, Lance, Kris, Eric, myself and Dan had a meeting. We discussed lightsabers and costumes. I believe that lightsabers are currently beginning the early stages of construction which is wonderful. The designs are amazing. There are a few changes to some of the costumes and they still look amazing. Very soon this month, myself, Kris and Johnny will be going out in NYC to go fabric shopping. Our main priorities are those sith costumes! Our first shooting is creeping up on us very fast! Once those sith costumes are done, other costumes will be made according to what scenes are getting shot next. 

I got to view the fan film “Revelations” and WOW! That has really set the bar high for us, but we have an amazing cast and crew and I am sure we can hit their mark and possibly even top it. I want to congratulate Shane Felux, Director and the rest of his cast, crew and those at Panic Struck Productions. GREAT work guys! I also want to say thank you to Shane for giving me some acting advice during Celebration 3. I will definitely put it to good use and I’ll shoot you a message if I have any more problems! 

So it is IMPERATIVE that if you are in the FIRST chapter (SITH SCENE) that you MEMORIZE YOUR LINES. The TOTF forums are there to help you and your cast mates coordinate rehearsals together if you wish. You have about 6 weeks to learn those lines! If your not sure if your in the first chapter, you should look. 

*Insert shameless self plug here* The Fan Film I was recently in called “Jedi House” is going to be hosted on Theforce.net soon. Please, stayed tuned for announcements *end shameless self plug* 

Now, Onto the website! 

As you can see, I have done some playing around with the site again. It is because I am a perfectionist and I am never happy with my work for more then a month at a time. Although I think I have FINALLY found something I am happy with.  

Every now and then, the website is going to be down. Unfortunately, there is nothing I can do about it. Our web hosts are either having troubles with the server, or they are doing maintenance on it. If the site is down for more then 6 hours, then contact me. Otherwise, I promise – Our website isn’t attacked by tuskin raiders! 

Bios and pictures! If you have YET to send me a bio and picture – PLEASE do so soon! It looks naked over there without anything under your name! If you have no signed up for the message board, PLEASE do so. Get some conversations going on over there! 

CREW: If you would like your biography and picture up on the website, please send me it. It is NOT mandatory for the crew.

 As always, if you see a mistake, please let me know about it!

 --Samantha (Everyone’s favorite webmaster and Johnny’s personal Padawan assistant)

April Message.

Message from the Director:

"You've taken your first step into a larger world."
~ Ben Kenobi, Star Wars - Episode IV: A New Hope

Greetings, my young Padawans...

You were informed of the caveats during the four days of auditions. Ten chapters...nine of them 15 minutes, the last 20, all of it shot as if it were a full-on feature film. And all of it a non-profit endeavor.

Yet here you all are. Ready and eager to begin.

Welcome.

My observation echoes that of ol' Ben, deliberately quoted above. All things considered, this is our pocket of George's playground, like all those other pockets crafted by those who came before us...Nick Hallam (who spearheaded Broken Allegiance), the "Crew of Two" (Duality), Kevin Rubio (Troops)...all of them exercising the right to put their own little spin on that galaxy far, far away. All of them exploiting the technicalities and/or loopholes left unanswered by the otherwise thorough metaplot of the Star Wars saga.

And now it's our turn.

Always remember as we go that this is a team effort. We all work with each other to make this happen. Just remember that if you want to introduce an idea that might contradict the master plan, you've gotta clear it with me first.

Remember, too, that this project will require a LOT of work. I'll be straight with you. I expect delays, I expect setbacks, I expect miscalculations. Right off the bat, I can assure you that in our starting this project prior to the release of "Revenge of the Sith", there will be a bit of a delay in production time so some of us...myself included...can attend to this crazy little thing called Celebration III in Indianapolis next month, never mind the ten-spot being set aside to fund my place at the Ziegfeld Theater to watch Lucas bring 30 years of developing the Emperor, the Skywalkers and the Force to a grim but gap-filling conclusion. With the circle completed, all else is Expanded Universe.

And fan films.

This site shall inform you of our plans, keep you updated on any news and post progress we've made thus far. You should also be informed that once we're finished with principal photography, it should be expected that a LOT of additional time may pass before our CGI team finishes the process of turning our chroma-key sequences into full-blown digital sets, transforming our aluminum rods into lethal lightsabers through the ultra-tedious rotoscoping process, and creating the pure CGI sequences where they are necessary.

For the moment, however, I hope you're all ready for the fun that goes into putting some serious work towards the creation of what should be an incredible little fan film experience!

Just remember, as we go, that the same rule in dealing with a Wookiee applies to your friendly neighborhood director as well...

It's not wise to upset him.

May The Force Be With Us!

- Johnny (The Director)
 

Message from the Webmaster:

"Everything's perfectly all right now. We're fine. We're all fine here...now...thank you. How are you?"
Han Solo, Star Wars: Episode 4: A New Hope

 I spent many hours that I should have been in class or studying, working on the site so it could look great and contain a ton of information for the cast, crew and future fans. (And everyone wonders why its taking me 5.5 years to graduate college..) Most everything is complete on the website end, I even dished out some of my own dwindling half existent funds to get this site going 2 MONTHS ahead of schedule. (If anything, this might just be the only project that ever gets finished ahead of schedule.. hehe) I've worked on this site so much, that I literally started having dreams about TOTF, with some of you all in it. (It was a very strange dream, It was even more strange for me, because some of you I haven't even met yet, but you were in the dream!)

 The above quote is one of my favorite quotes from the Star Wars movies in case you are wondering  :-)

 I'd like to announce that I will of course have some help with this website. I will be the only person adding content to the site, as the sole webmaster. One of our newest cast members, Joe who will be playing Lt. Strand, will be our head web graphic design artist. (I have many talents. Art is not one of them.. Although I did make the main  banner you are seeing now.) We also have enlisted another guy -- Dan Russo to assist with graphics and other behind the scenes work. Please also welcome to our behind the scenes team (Who happens to be my best friend) John Garzillo. Be sure to welcome all of them to our team :-)

 The current main banner represents the Vaus system based on the description Johnny gave me. You can find all this information and more under the "About Tremors of the Force" section of this website.

 The message boards will be a place for cast & crew members to talk, get to know each other better, coordinate private rehearsals with one another if you choose, discuss good days for shooting for everyone, etc. It will also be a place for potential extra's to learn about the film and ask questions. (Or for people like me to discuss their strange and odd dreams about this film..) It is also a great middle ground for you guys to come to read announcements instead of thumbing through your e-mail for hours to find that what was sent 3 weeks ago is in your junk mail box. I have high hopes for the message boards, and would hope that everyone sign up and get to know your fellow cast members more personally now that you will be working with them for quite some time. If you ever have any questions, you all know my e-mail(s) by now!

The banner at the top of your screen, is for a little girl named Katie Johnson. Her father, Albin Johnson, is the founder of the group: The 501st Legion of Stormtroopers. (They do all the "bad guy" Star Wars costumes.) Albin, and his wife Kathy, are both friends of mine, as well as friends of some of the cast and crew. Katie was stricken with an inoperable brain tumor back in late November 2004. Her family is struggling with the staggering medical bills to try and help Katie. If you can just take a few seconds, and donate some money to her family -- that would be an amazing kind hearted action. You can click on the banner above to read more about little Katie, and how you can help her, and what we have done so far to help her.

 May the force be with us on this endeavor into the wonderful world of Star Wars Fan films!

--Samantha (Aria Corona)

 

 

 

 

Copyright © 2005 (Samantha J.)