Major News: First Meeting Held, New Cast Member Added, New Teaser Poster Revealed, Blog Site Revamped!!

Hey there. Again it's been a while since my last update here. But as I said before, I want the updates to mean something. And I gotta tell you, this update is jam-packed.

Where to begin...

--December 9 became an important day in the history of MOTW. This was the day that we conducted our first-ever meeting on the film.

I would call it a pre-production meeting officially, but basically it was the first time I was able to chat in person with other members of the cast about the movie and what I have in mind for the movie.

Amidst the hustle of holiday shoppers at a mall not far from my home, I got a chance to sit down and talk with my friend Jason (who'll be playing one of the roles and helping out behind the scenes) and his friend Dave, who's officially has been added to the cast. More about him in a second. I also invited my friend Josh to the meeting as well, but an unfortunate accident involving a friend of his caused him at the last minute not to go. (His friend, by the way, is doing better, so that's good news).

After lunch, the three of us got to sit down and talk for over an hour about the movie and what I had in mind not just for the movie, but for each of the characters as well. It was a good meeting, as it gave us a chance not only to meet in person for the first time, but also to break the ice and go over things for what lies ahead when we start filming next year.

Overall, I consider this meeting a total success and we're already planning to have another get together soon.

--Now, a quick word about the newest addition to the cast. Back in June, when this project was going to be a mini-series and I was desperately looking for help, Jason not only offered his services but mentioned that he knew some others who'll be interested as well. Dave was one of those who were interested. Not only is he one of Jason's best friends, but he's also done some acting as well. After meeting him for the first time and talking things over, I found him to be a perfect fit for one of the key roles in the movie. So let me officially welcome Dave to the MOTW crew. I'll post a picture of him soon.

--Next up: to the right is something that my friend Bobby over at Waveride Entertainment put together for me. This is the first official teaser poster for MOTW. Very, very cool looking. I hope to add a few more posters like this in the months ahead.

-- And finally, if you've noticed, this blog site has undergone quite a few changes. The headline's a lot bigger, I've added the logo to the film to the far right, included some links to current (and future) werewolf movie links and some other touches. Sometime in the coming months, this very site will be changing to more of a production diary page, for I'll be planning an official website devoted to MOTW, complete with videos, photos, and everything else devoted to this independent picture. Stay tuned, I'll keep you posted.

Before I conclude this post, I want to give a shout out to someone who came across this very blog site looking for werewolf films: Mike Hickey. We've exchanged emails several times and he's become quite a good online friend. He tells me that one day, he wants to do a werewolf film of his own, although it's still a pipe dream right now, collecting dust atop his computer desk. I hope, however, that he goes through with his plan. This project of mine has been something I've been involved with for over a decade, and even though it's gone through countless changes and rewrites, I've never given up on it. So I hope that he doesn't give up on his as well. Also, if this blog site, documenting all the good (and bad) things of putting this project of mine together, helps him in any way, then I'm honored to help.

That's it for now. Told you it was a jam-packed update. I hope to have another update for you soon.

Major News: Lead Role Officially Recast!!

Hey there, it's been a while since my last update. But I wanted to make this update to mean something, especially with the setback from awhile ago. So let's start with some good news:

I have found a replacement for the lead role.

Here he is, on the photo posted to the right. His name is Josh and he's going to be taking over as the main character role for MOTW.

Now how did this all came about?

Well it all started in March with a visit to the Low Budget Horror Film Society forum page where, on a hunch, I looked around for possible actors who lived in my home state of Michigan. I knew I would have some friends helping out, but I also wanted to try my luck seeing if there were any who lived here who was also interested in working on a werewolf film. I only saw one ad that fit the bill, and it was Josh's. After looking it over, I e-mailed him, telling him who I was, what I was planning and would he be interested in taking part.

He was very much interested. Even though he was currently attending classes in Florida, he was planning to return to Michigan over the summer to help out with the film.

As I was putting together the script, I was starting to see Josh playing the part of one of the main character's best friends. At that time, the movie was going to be a four part miniseries and after sending him the first part, he was definitely interested, but still couldn't commit to a set date due to school. So at the time, I saw him as a backup. But I still kept him informed of what was going on with the movie.

Then in July, came the news about my friend (who was going to play the lead) not being able to make the shoot and the downward spiral which led to me deciding to delay production. When I emailed Josh about this, he was very understanding about it, even though he couldn't make it to the original August shooting date. He did tell me if things got pushed back, (because at the time I was looking at a late September/early October date as a last minute plan) and if things worked out, he would still be up for playing one of the roles. That email meant a lot. I mean, here's a guy who was still living out of state, but was still interested in the film and was willing to help if things got pushed back.

In fact, that's when I brought up the idea of offering the lead part to him. He said even though he couldn't give a firm commitment, he would be up for it.

In the meantime, as things got to a point where I decided to take a step back, changing the focus from a miniseries back to a movie, reworking the script and the like, I still kept him informed and all the time, he not once, said no to it. That meant a great deal. Still, in light of what went down over the summer, I wanted to make sure everything was smoothed out and his schedule was free enough for him to take on the lead role before I made it official to announce that he was on board. I also needed a current photo of him as well, which he gladly provided.

As I continue to fine tune the script, making some changes to accomendate him as the lead, I think he's going to work out. Why? Well not only is he an actor, he's also done some directing as part of his class projects that he's done for school. That's a good tool to have when you're putting together something like this. He's also a fan of horror films and wants to be involved in film directing in the future. Both pluses in my book. I also firmly believe that he'll be up for the tasks that I have planned for him when we do start production.

We still haven't confirmed when we'll start on this. But I did give him a copy of the ever elusive teaser trailer script, and he did tell me that he'll try and work on it, so that's a promising sign. Keep your fingers crossed on whether this means I'll have an actual teaser for you guys to show. Also, sometime either this month or next, I'm going to get Josh together with the others who are aboard and hammer out a schedule of when we'll get started. That's the next huge step.

So, let me officially welcome Josh on board for MOTW. I believe that he'll be a good fit for what I have in mind. And if things work out, I think he will do great.

That's the news for now. I'll have another announcement coming up by the end of the week.

Encouraging Words and News

First of all, I want to say thanks to all of those who've given me encouraging words on MOTW after my announcement about delaying production due to casting issues. They were very supportive. Many of them said that this was a blessing and that things will work out. I recently got an email from my online friend Tony who told me that he had the same kind of hold ups with his werewolf film "Dense Fear" as I did with MOTW. His actor couldn't make the shoots so he had no choice but to drop him from the movie and wound up playing the lead role himself.
He told me in an email, it took him 3 years to complete his movie and "I have to say it did get to one point where I thought 'ah to hell with it' but I had so much passion to finish this like yourself and in the end we did it, so just want to tell you to keep your chin up bud everything will turn out great and I know you will end up with a master piece of a film."
I appreciate that bit of advice, not just from Tony, but from the others as well. Trust me, this is something that has taken me almost a decade to become a reality, so I won't let this setback bring me down. So thanks again to all my friends for the kind words of encouragement, including Tony, who's hard at work on his sequel "Dense Fear 2: Bloodline".
I do have some encouraging news. I may have found someone to take over for the lead role. I use the word "may" because even though he is interested, a commitment is still a ways away. So for that reason, as well as the fact that I don't want to get burned yet again with having to deal with yet another setback, I'm going to hold off on making an official announcement until I talk with him further. But once I get everything confirmed, I'll definitely let you know.
Once again, I appreciate everyone's kind words of encouragement through all of this. I ask you all to remain patient for a little while longer. This project is far from being over.

Major News: Production Delayed, Lead Role to be Recast!

Well, this is something that I didn't think I would be talking about.

This was supposed to be the post where I'd be sharing with you stories about the first part of shooting as production began on MOTW.

Instead, I'm sad to report that production is going to be delayed. Again.

Two reasons behind the delay. Locations and casting.

And with the casting, it looks like the lead role will have to be recast.

Here's the story. With about ten days or so to go before shooting was to begin, I got a message from my friend Adam, who was supposed to play the lead. He told me he couldn't make it out for the shoot because his job wouldn't give him the time off. Now, that's understandable, things like this happen. But, when I asked him whether he could reschedule to come up here, he couldn't commit to a specific date. Needless to say, I was quite ticked off with that turn of events.

With so much happening and a lot on the line, I couldn't deal with him having to make a last minute change yet again. So, in spite of the fact that he was my original choice for the role and that he had been interested in it through several changes and delays, I had no choice but to let him go.

This was very disappointing for me to do. Especially with someone who had been involved with it from the beginning. But in the long run, I had to do what is best for the project. And Adam was OK with the decision, albeit disappointed. And, our friendship is still intact, in spite of my decision.

If Adam had told me this say, two or three months ago, things would've been fine. It would've been fine even if this happened a month ago. But with the short notice, there was just no way I could get someone to take over, rush them the script, and have them ready to go.

Then came the matter of location. I had one location set to go, but two other places I thought would be good fell through. Then we couldn't find a third place that I thought would work for the movie as well. When that happened, along with the casting issue. I had no choice but to officially delay production.

So, pretty much things are back to square one. And even though this is a setback (and believe me, this is pretty major), I chalk it up as a lesson learned. And I go back to what I first wrote in this blog long ago: If for any reason things fall through, then I have no problem pulling the plug and holding things off for another time. I rather do it right then not at all.

Now that production has been delayed, when will things ramp up again for MOTW? Pretty hard to say, but I can say that things are happening behind the scenes and there will be some kind of report pretty soon.

But no matter what happens, I believe things will all work out in the end. And I have no doubt that MOTW will be ready to go in 2007.

Count on it.

Status Update: Script Work Resumes

Hey there.

As I type this, we are now two weeks away from beginning production.

Wow, two weeks away. Can you believe it?!

As things draw closer to the shooting date, I'm at work on the next part of the movie script. This is the second stage of what the entire MOTW film will be. I've pretty much got the outline down and have broken the overall script into four parts. I've already completed the first part (and thanks to all of you who have read it so far and have given me comments and favorable response to it) and right now, I'm hard at work on the second. If things go well, I should have that done by the end of the weekend.

What does this mean overall? Well I hope that with the first stage of filming next month, we'll complete the first and second parts. Then we'll do the rest next summer.

In other news, I think I've found a lead for someone to do the music for MOTW. I'm still looking over options and my friend Jason has given me a lead for another possible backup. I'll keep you posted.

And I've still haven't gotten a confirmation about locations for the shoot. I should get the definitive word though by this time next week.

That's it for now. I'll have another update very soon.

In the meantime, here's an entry I posted in my M1F blog about a fellow filmmaker I met who's doing a werewolf film of his own. Check it out here.

New MOTW Logo Unveiled!!!

Here it is: The "official" logo to Mark of the Wolf".

I LOVE this logo.

It captures everything I wanted to see for this movie project. And best of all, it looks awesome.

Again, special thanks go out to my friend Bobby from Waveride for taking my sketch idea from long ago and making it look very very cool. He also did the logo for MarkOne Films as well.

So now, as we are about three weeks away from beginning production, you're going to see this logo everywhere, starting with the blog and then to the eventual website and hopefully the teaser trailer which I hope will be revealed by August.

That's it for now. I'll have another update tomorrow.

Oh by the way, here's how the MOTW logo looks in white. Which looks best to you?

Shooting Dates Confirmed!!!!!!!!!

I've got big news to share. We have confirmed shooting dates for the first part of MOTW.

After talking it over with the main people involved, in particular Adam and Jason, who are part of the cast, I can officially say that on the weekend of August 4-6, filming will begin on Mark of the Wolf.

Let me repeat that, cause even though I've known it for a few days now, it's still sinking in.

Filming will begin on the weekend of August 4-6!!

Now the plan is to get the cast together on the 4th, practice the script and start shooting. Then we'll get into a full day of shooting on the 5th, and then do pick-up shots and possibly other stuff on the 6th.

To say I'm excited about this is an understatement. This is something I've envisioned in my mind for over a decade. And now, we're a month away from actually seeing this become a reality. This is a dream come true.

What's next is to confirm locations for the shoot, which should happen this week. I also want to start with storyboards and planning when and where we're going to shoot. But the main task is drawing near. Production will start on August 4th.

I cannot wait.

Status Update: Casting News, Possible Locations, Major Announcement Coming!!

Hey there. Here's the latest on MOTW:

First of all, want to introduce you to Jason, the newest member to the crew, as seen is this photo to the right. Last week, after talking over the project with him and getting somewhat frustrated about not hearing anything from people about playing the roles in the movie. Jason volunteered his services, which was great and lifted a huge burden off me. So not only will he be part of the cast, but he'll be helping me out with some of the behind the scenes stuff as well.

So thanks again Jason for the help. He also tells me that he may know some others that'll be willing to help out as well. So things are starting to come together.

I also think we've pinned down a set date for when we'll begin shooting. I'll let you know soon.

On tap this week will be me scouting locations for the shoot and hopefully confirming that we can use these locations for that time. I should find out later on this week.

With everything coming together, I think sometime in early July, I'll have a major announcement to make about this project. So stay tuned for that.

That's the latest for now. I'll have another update later on this week.

Status Update: Script is Done!! Major News Coming!!

Hey there, I know it's been over a month and a half since my last update, but that doesn't mean things have been at a standstill.

In fact, I can start the update with four words:

The Script Is... DONE!!!!!

That's right, the basic script for the first episode of the mini-series has been completed. I finished the last part of it late Monday night (June 12). I've sent it out to several people, including the lead actors, guys that could be part of the crew and a few other friends that know about the project. So far the response has been good. I'll let you know in a future post.

Some other things have been happening as well with the project. Some very cool stuff in fact. So cool that as much as I would like to share it with you right now, I can't. At least not yet.

Sometime in early July though, once I get all the key pieces together, it will all be revealed. And I can't wait to share it with everyone.

Oh and one more thing, we're about one step closer from finally coming up with the teaser trailer. My friend David was able to show me a bit of a test sample and if the rest of it is anything like that test, you guys will be impressed. So stay tuned, it won't be long now.

That's it for now. Next update will be soon. And if things work out, it'll be a big one.

Status Update: Work on the Teaser and Scripts Continues

Hey there, thought I'd give a quick status report on where things stand right now.

-- Work is still being done on the long anticipated --and long-delayed-- teaser trailer. My friend David is still working on the effects part of the trailer, which is requiring a program he's testing out from what he tells me. So until he gets that worked out, again the teaser's on standby. I'd like to say I should have it ready to premiere sometime in May, but you never know with these things.

--I'm still working on the scripts, hopefully I'll have them all done in May. I'm still debating whether this will be a four-or-five part series. When I have everything written out and converted into a script, I should be able to know. I do want every episode to end with a cliff-hanger or a shocking moment, so we'll see.

--An official logo for the series should be revealed shortly. My newest online friend Bobby has agreed to help craft up a logo based on my ideas and once I see the finished product, I'll post it here.

--And lastly, we're still deliberating on the actual shooting dates, but it's looking more like the last week of July/first week of August will be the safe bet to shoot all of the first episode and perhaps some parts of the other episodes as well. I figure we'll meet up next summer to complete the other episodes of the series.

That's it for now. I'll have another update when there's more news to report.

Status Update: Teaser Trailer Footage is Done!!!

Here's the latest news on the MOTW project:

--On Monday (April 3), I was finally able to get the last bit of footage needed for the teaser trailer. My friend Adam, who's playing the lead role, was able to complete the pick-up shots for the trailer and after a long downloading process, I was able to get the last bit of footage.

What's next? Well even though I have all the footage, it still needs some special effects work and some music and editing. I've sent the raw footage off to my friend David to put the effects work together. And once he's done with that, then I'll be able to edit the teaser.

I also believe I found what could be some perfect music to use for the teaser. I still have to test it out first after I get everything together, but if it works out, I think it'll work. There's also a chance that the person behind this music could be the one who'll be doing the music for the short films as well. I'll keep you posted whether this is a done deal or not.

--May have found another person to help out. Not just with this mini-series, but the other possible projects that I may be doing over the summer. I won't say any more until I hear from him and see if it works with his schedule. But he definitely sounds interested.

--Still hammering out the script, which I hope to have done by the end of the month.

--We may have a time frame to start shooting. I'm looking at a 3-to-4 day window in the last week of July/early part of August to begin. It'll still be a one or two day shoot (for at least the first episode, but possibly some of the second), but with this window, we'll be able to accomendate any possible pick up shots or make up for bad footage. Plus, those days will also help with any future M1F projects. I'll let you know if and when those dates are confirmed.

-- What's a film (or a film series, in this case) without a logo? Or a slick poster for that matter?
Well, I'm not an artist, but after doing some doodling on a sheet of paper, I think I've come up with a cool looking logo for the movie. I've shown it to a couple of friends and they both agree that it's quite good. I won't show it to you guys just yet, but when I get it looking perfect, you'll see it right here.

As for the poster, well I've talked with someone online, who's done some poster work for a fan film I've seen recently, and he's definitely up for it. Stay tuned.

--And lastly, some possible news on the werewolf suit, the all important piece to the series. I got an email from my friend Brandon, who'll be doing the suit and the effects for the movie, and he tells me that he has some ideas and even some designs done. From what he tells me, he'll love to work on it, but it depends on time and cost. So we'll see what happens. (BTW, he's been dealing with a recent back injury, so get better soon bud!)

And that's it. A lot of news there. Again things are moving along quite well. I'll have another update later on this month.

Status Update: News on the Teaser, Casting, and a Website Plug.

Hey there.

Here's the latest news on the series:

--Teaser: Big news here. I got in touch with one of my online friends and he's totally on board to help with the most important part of the teaser trailer: the special effects. Thanks David for the help, especially considering he's busy putting together his latest project, which I can't wait to see. Still awaiting getting some pickup shots from Adam and hopefully I can get some outside footage done. But due to all of this, I'm going to delay releasing the teaser until April, but at least now things are moving along.

--Casting: Got in contact with my friend Lance, who I hadn't heard from in a while. When I originally came up with the film version of MOTW, he was up for one of the roles. But since I last talked with him, the status of the film had changed to a mini-series. When I talked with him a few days ago, I brought him up to speed on what had happened and was curious to know if he was still up for playing the part, which has radically changed from what I had originally planned. His response was yes. So now that makes two roles cast for the series. There's still one more person who was up for playing a key role in the original movie concept who, like Lance, I hadn't heard from in a while. Hopefully, I'll hear from him soon and see if he's still up for the part.

--Shameless Plug: While I was checking out my usual sites, I clicked on a link to another site and got a pleasant surprise: MOTW was mentioned in another site. Werewolf Movies.com, a site devoted to movies and TV shows on werewolves, added us to the list of upcoming projects in their March 18th update. You can click here for the page they've created just for the series. I also want to thank Noel, the webmaster for Werewolf Movies. com for the mention and the plug. I guess this means there's no going back now.

That's it for now. Good news all around and the buzz, albeit small, continues to build. Hopefully things will continue on this positive track. I'll have an update on the all important teaser trailer next time.

MOTW Status Update

Here's the latest on the MOTW mini-series.

-- I've got another friend signed up to help out with the project. My online friend Matt is expecting to help with anything, either behind the scenes or in front, or both. Thanks bud!!

-- Adam just sent out the next piece to the teaser trailer, the dialogue for the two-minute or so teaser. Still got a ways to go though before it's ready. Adam's going to do some pick up shots this week. I hope to add some extra footage this week as well. But the essential piece to the teaser: adding some special effects is up in the air. I've got a few leads, so we'll see if they play out for the teaser. If not, I have a back up plan in mind. But I really hope it doesn't come to that, cause I really want to use the special effects.

-- We're looking at two possible windows to shoot the first episode: either the last week of July or the last week of September. It could be one or the other, or it could be both. If both of those periods work out, then we can start on the other episodes of the series.

-- And lastly, sometime in the next week or two, I should be completing work on the next draft of the first episode. I've got some ideas on what I want to do, even have a title in mind. So once I get some free time set aside, I'll get around to finishing it up.

That's it for now. I'll have another update soon.

Early Buzz

First off, the trailer's nowhere close to being done.

The script's in early early development, going thru a major rewrite.

And aside from my bud Adam, no one else is cast in the mini-series.

But not soon after I announced my plans for the MOTW film series, I've been getting early buzz from my friends about it. They're eager about the concept. They're psyched about the teaser trailer and want to see what I have planned. In fact, I did a very, very rough cut of the teaser a few days ago. The reason behind it was twofold: to try out my movie editing program and to see what I can and can't do with the footage that I've received so far.

Will you get to see the rough cut? Maybe someday, but right now, not a chance.

But I did get to show it to a select few, And through that, I was able to get some feedback and some help.

One of my friends referred me to his friend, who may help out with some of the effects. And another online friend of mine may look into adding some more effects to the teaser as well. So we'll see what happens.

In the meantime, I wanted to put this poster up. It's from that first friend I mentioned earlier. It's not bad, but as he told me in an IM, i't's crappy (haha). He did tell me that he'll come up with a better one later. I might even come up with some ideas of my own.

But, for right now, as I look at it. it's not too bad. Might use it for something down the road, at least until we get real footage and real stuff that I'll be able to post.

In any event, that's the update for now. I'll have another update in March, where hopefully I can tell you how the teaser trailer is progressing so far.

Major News: MOTW, The MiniSeries is On!

Man, a lot has happened since my last post.

First thing you noticed is the name of the blog has changed again. I'll get into that in a moment.

Now, let me go back to what prompted the changes:

Between November and December, the plan was the same as before: to craft a twenty-minute or so short film based on my full-length feature film idea. The short film was based, in part, on the teaser trailer idea I'd came up a while back. Now, originally, I was going to use this short film to be like a "prequel" or a "lost scene" that would play into the full-length film that I was going to film in 2007. I was even playing around with what to call it. "MOTW: Prelude" or "MOTW: Revelations", as one friend suggested.

But the more I thought about it, the more that I saw that it wasn't working. I couldn't come up with how best to set the story up. I had ideas here and there, but each time it led to a dead end. It was getting frustrating.

Then, something came to me that I hadn't thought about in a long, long time.

I went back to where it all began.

If you go all the way back to my first post on this very blog, I even mentioned how it all began, how I originally came up with this when I was in college. This is what I wrote in that blog: "I continued working on it on my free time, until I had written out an entire script outline, one that I envisioned being a five-part epic designed for TV or video."

And that's when it dawned on me, why should I waste more time trying to cram a movie script together or even a short film, when I could do what I originally had in mind long ago: A mini-series.

So, after I talked it over with my friend who's involved in this, I made the decision to go ahead with this.

So, here's how the mini-series plan will break down:

-- It will be a five (or six) part-series of short films or episodes. It won't be sequels, just a continuation of the main story.

--Each episode will run somewhere between 20 to 30 minutes, with each episode (except for the last) ending in a cliff-hanger.

-- The first episode will be shot during the summer, probably in August, and should be ready for release in the fall.

-- The remaining episodes will be filmed in 2007, and should be released throughout the year, but right now that's tenatively set.

-- Once I get all of the episodes done, I plan to craft all of them into one long movie as well.

-- Each episode will have its own name, or subtitle. I'll fill you in on those once they are done.

And that's it. I think it's going to be an exciting venture. And a chance to finally show my vision of a werewolf story with everyone.

But if you think I'm done with all the news. Think again.


You see this guy to the left?

This is my friend Adam.

And you're going to get to know him a lot over the next several months or so, because this is the guy that'll be playing the lead role in the mini-series of films. We've met almost two years ago online and after he sent me a photo of what he looked like, something clicked. He struck me as the perfect guy to play the main character. When I mentioned that to him, he was all for it. And he's been there through all the changes and delays. He is more than up for it now then he was when I first proposed it to him. So, as I said, you're going to see him a lot as the project moves ahead.

And I'm still not done with all the news:

Remember my teaser trailer idea? The one I had planned back in the summer, but got delayed and derailed.

Well this time, it's going to happen.

Last Saturday, Adam completed the first part of what will be part of the teaser trailer for the newly-minted film series, based on a new script that I've written. The footage he sent me looks great.

Now, this is only the first step. I still need a few more elements before I can put it all together, but if everything works out, the teaser trailer will debut by the end of March. And this time, I can say that without a doubt.

So that's it. As I said, a lot has happened. And it's all good. So get ready, the mini-series is coming.

And I can't wait for it to get started.