Win the Lottery

Got my Mega Millions ticket so I hope I win the lottery tonight, got two one for me and one for my girl. Wish me luck everyone and I hope the best for everyone else too because we could all use the money.

Thanks for the support,
Daniel Hess

So...

As an update to yesterday's post once I got to school things got even better. In my Fiction since WW2 class our first big paper got pushed back to April 10th from April 5th. Then after that I had my Film and Literature class but our teacher was over 20 minutes late to class so everyone made a collective f*ck it and we all wrote our names on the board to say we came then we left. So it was quite the easy start to coming back to school after break. It was a nice and fortunate day for me. I hope this streak continues for me.

Onto other news my DP and Sound Guy just got back from their trip in Europe so I will be talking to them shortly either today or tomorrow to get all the dates officially marked down for film Voicebox. From that point I hope I can still rent some nice lenses to pair with the 5d Mark III we are going to be using for filming. Lets hope all goes well though.

Final bit of information here I am going to be making my next experimental film today so on Friday I will hopefully be posting that to Vimeo for everyone to check out. It is going to be a little while until my next short narrative piece comes out or at least until I finally get off my butt and finish Love is Undead which I have to do soon, I just can't bring myself to do it for some reason.

Thanks for the support,
Daniel Hess

Fortunate Day

So today has turned into quite the fortunate day for me. It is my first day back to school since spring break and I getting to ease into really easy for sure. Last night I got an email from my math teacher saying class was cancelled which was my 8am class so no waking up at 5:15 to get ready for me. I then realized I had a meeting at ten about my film but I managed to get that pushed back until Thursday. After all that I realized I had a midterm in my Film and Literature class but then got an email saying that was postponed until next week. So today has been an easy transition to get back into the swing of things for sure. I am having a pretty lucky day.

As far as plans for the film I am going to try to use Towson for my high school looking scene and then I am thinking of having a big yard sale on April 7th in order to save up more for my film. I mean I think I will have a good chunk of money from work and then taxes came back right in the nick of time but I could use that little bit more for things like food and drinks. I don't know for sure but I will see. If I do decide on that then I will post more details soon.

Also I think my DP and Sound guy get back from Europe today and I can't wait to talk to them to get everything straight for filming. I hope it all works out as far as their schedule because I can't do it without them. Finally the registration for the 48 hour film festival starts today this year and I am going to see if they want to have a group for it or not. I know I do for sure but that is just me.

Thanks for the support,
Daniel Hess

Selling Everything

Today turned into a huge sell sell sell day. I went through all of my stuff and made a huge pile of things I want to sell to get rid of. It is almost all old video game stuff that I just don't want anymore and at this point it is looking like I couldn't give this stuff away. A few years ago I did the flea market once and made out like a bandit but that was before the economy got "bad." Now it seems like no one is buying but everyone is selling. When I wasn't selling junk it seemed like the exact opposite and it is funny how that works. Otherwise it was a day to get ready to go back to school tomorrow...after an extended spring break (since I didn't go to school on the Thursday before) I am not ready to go back. I want to just keep having way more free time then I know what to do with and being able to work insane hours (even though it kills me). This break wasn't fun really it was more like a time to face the issues I don't tackle during school because it would drive me insane if I did. So unfortunately I did a lot of working, fighting, getting ready for my film, and not enough basketball playing.

Once this semester is over it is a year off of school for me and then going back to get my masters...then the plan is to become a professor and then at the same time make films.

P.S. I am selling a lot of Sega stuff (Sega Saturn, Genesis, 32X, Game Gear, Nomad, Dreamcast and a whole ton of games). If there are any items you would like to see if I have or just wanna talk about film feel free to email me at mind_confided@yahoo.com

Thanks for the support,
Daniel Hess

What we like about...

Daniel Hess

Everyday I see this old piece of paper that my 11th grade teacher Ms. Brown printed out and laminated for everyone in the class. It is something that I have kept all these years and it makes me smile even on a bad day. She made everyone in the class write one nice thing about every other person in the class. It was a corny thing we had to do for homework that turned into something pretty cool. I just wanted to share the comments I got on the paper.

"I like how you put a lot of energy into everything. Your hard work is noticed."

"He's smart and has pretty eyes (dun-dun-dun)."

"Dan is helpful and will explain things to me."

"Dan is very smart."

"He's very smart and won't think twice about helping out."

"Dan has a future in rapping. He makes awesome raps."

"Dan is very funny and can handle criticism well."

"Dan is very hard-working."

"Dan explains things to me when I am confused."

"He talks to everyone!"

"Dan always does more than he has to."

"He's good at being involved in school."

"The fact that Dan sits next to Marina and her laugh shows he's a strong individual."

After all that my teacher added a comment to the bottom.

"Dan - I truly appreciate your diligence, your positive attitude, and your playfulness (except the orange incident). You are my philosopher, and you will go far in life."  -Miss Brown.

This takes me back to a simpler time when school seemed hard and every day was a new adventure. Now a days it is all work and little play. I loved high school and will always miss it, I guess I can be an overly nostalgic guy but that was a time when I felt like the whole world was in my backyard. A time when I had so many friends...a time where nothing could get me down. 

Thanks for the support,

Daniel Hess

So Happy

So happy to finally have the cast all picked out and on board for this film. I now officially have everyone down and set to go. Now all I have left to do is to finalize all the locations and make a schedule for shooting. After that I have to get on my director grind and then storyboard all the shots out. Making that leap is going to be hard...from producer to director. If I screw up then that is going to make the film disastrous, which I don't think is going to happen but I have to stay confident and calm in my abilities. Otherwise it looks like another long weekend for me at work 12 hour shift tomorrow then 8 to 3 Sunday, I might try to stay a little bit later to get some more money but who knows. I hate working so much but I have to do it in order to be ready for the heavy financial burden of this film. It is crazy how all these hours at work will be washed away in a manner of two weekends of filming. But it is going to worth it when I am all done...you will see. Sorry if I have not been putting up the greatest of content on here, I will have an experimental film and a ton of pictures once my Canon 5D Mark III comes in, just a matter of days.

Thanks for the support,
Daniel Hess

Watch These Videos

Do me a favor tonight and watch these three videos. You will not be disappointed.


Russ Chimes - MIDNIGHT CLUB EP (Part 1: Never Look Back) from Saman Keshavarz on Vimeo.



Russ Chimes - MIDNIGHT CLUB EP (Part 2: Tertre Rouge) from Saman Keshavarz on Vimeo.



Russ Chimes - MIDNIGHT CLUB EP (Part 3: Targa) from Saman Keshavarz on Vimeo.


Sending out support for a great director.

Thanks for the support,
Daniel Hess

Meetings Underway

So today was the third day of meeting with actors for my upcoming short film Voicebox and while the meetings were not all that long I know have officially cast my lead male, lead female, the females father, and the teacher. None of the characters really have names but I will give them some eventually. I am excited that things are moving forward so quickly and with the first day of filming officially a month away today I am making great progress. After meeting with all the actors I am hoping to have a day for everyone to meet and talk and then get wardrobe all settled out. It is an awesome time right now though.

In other news I am working a lot more than I need to work so that I can fund attempting to rent zeiss lenses which would make this film even more amazing. I have got to talk to my DP again to see what he thinks but hey why not as far as I am concerned. I also have the ending scene finally all figured out and the system I have worked out should make for a beautiful end scene to the film. Now that I have that done I hope the beginning scene can be just as beautiful because I want to start the audience with an awe inspiring intro and a beautiful outtro, it is the least I can do.

Thanks for the support,
Daniel Hess

Dear Michael Bay

Please do not change the TMNT franchise in a way that will ruin my childhood memories. I understand that you did not do the best job on the Transformers films, but the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were my childhood. I was going to be a lot nastier and say don't ruin this but I just read an article where you explained that you were trying to make this universe more rich for the fans. If this is the case then yes changes can happen and I am for a retelling of the turtles from a new perspective but just make it work. Don't half ass this one, don't just say it is good enough...make it awesome, for me and the fans of the original comics/cartoon. I enjoyed the last film and the past live action turtle films but this franchise is sacred. We deserve to be treated as a contributor in the way that all the producers are for this film. I just hope the director you have slated for this film can do a much better job than Battle: Los Angeles that film was a total turd.

You can read the full article where Michael Bay tells everyone to calm down here.

Thanks for the support,
Daniel Hess

21 Jump Street Review

On Friday it was me and my girlfriend Ashley's 4 year anniversary and out of the blue we decided to go see 21 Jump Street starring Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum. In the film the two went to high school together and Hill was a nerd while Tatum was a jock. After high school both decide to join the police force and become friends because Tatum can't pass the mental exam and Hill can't pass the physical exam. After getting on the force the two are stuck doing day shift duty at a local park which is the exact opposite of what they wanted to do. One day they come accross a gang of bikers getting high at the park and think this is their big break to get on as a full time cop. After arresting one of the bikers in a hilarious chase scene Tatum and Hill forget to read the Miranda rights. Instead of being fired they are transferred to an undercover operation at a high school on Jump Street. From there they start unraveling a drug operation that threatens to get worse unless they find the supplier.

The film is directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller who have worked together on a lot of animated projects but this is the first feature length live action film for the two. I think the technical aspects are all solid in this film which is something I spend some time on if I feel as though it is less than good but in this case nothing really to complain about. The biggest issue of the film is the pace which can be a tad jumpy at times to the point where I literally jumped out of my seat a bit from the sheer unexpected nature of edits. Some of the gags were funny at first but wore thin by the end of there stints. Finally the most annoying character was Ice Cube who at first was hilarious but in some points just got downright annoying with the crazy captain schtick. However he was sprinkled around enough for me to forgive him.

Overall the film is funny and tries to stay away from any cliches of the comedies, maybe at times a little too much which sacrifices story at times. The pacing is hit or miss but overall works very well. The cameo by Johnny Depp is nice and unexpected even if you are expecting it. Finally the acting is solid if you are looking for a good comedy to go to this week, this is the one for you for sure. Go check it out!

Thanks for the support,
Daniel Hess

Sorry for the Wait

So the past few days have just turned into a blur so my apologies for not posting up any new updates on the things going on over here. Well I am meeting with the facility supervisor on March 27th to talk about using the Center for the Arts building at Towson University so with a mix of good luck I will be able to use the lockers there to have it look like a high school. If all goes amazing then I will be able to use that building for the hallway shots, classroom, and perhaps even the cafeteria scenes in my film. I am very excited and the lady I am talking to sounds pretty optimistic about making it happen.

Also I have been working a ton all weekend again, Saturday I worked a 12 hour shift and today I worked from 8 to 3 so back to back early morning days which is tough especially working such a physical job (Not complaining...just saying). Also it was me and my girlfriends 4 year anniversary on Friday so we were out and about all day. It has been four long years but years I would never trade for the world. I love her so much and wouldn't trade her for the world.

Thanks for the support,
Daniel Hess

Biggest Location Secure

So after about a week and a half of ups and downs when it comes to finding locations today I was able to secure my first one at the Edgemere Fire Hall on April 22nd. This location is going to be used for the prom scene which is the last scene in the film, it is also the biggest one. I am hoping to have at least one hundred extras for the scene and anything less or more than would still be great but 100 is the number I am going for. Now that I have gotten that location down I am going to move onto how to dress the set as well as what supplies I need for the scene. It was 460 to rent the hall so I am hoping this will not turn into a bust as this is the most amount of money I have ever spent at one time on a film set. Wish me luck with this.

Anyone interested in being an extra on April 22nd at the Edgemere Volunteer Fire Hall should email me at mind_confided@yahoo.com. There will be free food and drinks as well as free parking.

Thanks for the support,
Daniel Hess

Moving Moving Moving Along

So the cast is even closer to being set at this point. I am planning out my meetings with the two leads I think I have picked out and should be doing that next week. I am excited to meet with them and hope that their looks in the pictures match up with them in person.

I was supposed to meet with the people for the rental hall today but when I arrived no one was there and then when I called I didn't get an answer. I haven't heard back yet and if I don't hear back by the end of the day I will call them tomorrow to see what is up.

I am also shopping around for decor for the prom scene and after I get that all settled out I will start to pick out wardrobe for the actors. That is of course once I get all the actors nailed down completely. A lot of work to go still.

Totally skipping school tomorrow.

Thanks for the support,
Daniel Hess

In My Head

Today has turned into another day for figuring out my film. I believe I have the cast and crew 80% nailed down at this point which is getting rid of a lot of stress that I had at one time, and now that the stress from that situation is coaxed I am focusing in my shots. I have been toying with the possibility of making the prom scene a long take or not and after seeing Silent House I really don't want to do it handheld, so I am thinking of doing a tracking shot. Yes...a tracking shot close to the end of the film, I know it is going to be a huge pain but worth it if the footage is beautiful. I am just having trouble with it because I am trying to think of how to keep it one long action or trying to sneak in a cut somewhere along the way. I am just going to keep trying to visualize it in my head and see where I can take things. Other than that once I get my actors I will have to buy wardrobe for all of them and also find a few extras to sit in the squatter house.

In other news I have an experimental short film to get done by March 29th and I finally found inspiration from an unlikely source yesterday. I downloaded the album Want by 3OH!3 just to get all nostagilic. As I was listening I heard a pair of lyrics that really stuck to me for some reason, those lyrics are here:

Kill the lights,  
These children learn from cigarette burns, fast cars, fast women, and cheap drinks, 
It feels right,  
All these asphyxiated, self-medicated; take the white pill, you'll feel alright, 
Kill the lights,  
These children learn from cigarette burns, fast cars, fast women, and cheap drinks, 
It feels right, 
All these asphyxiated, self-medicated

For some reason I love this statement and I want to make a whole experimental video based around it. I think I am going to use a combination of film scratching, metric editing, and tint mixing to make this video pretty cool. I just want to see a visual to go along with this statement.


I totally failed my math test today...that is all.


Thanks for the support,
Daniel Hess

Hesher Review

It has been a lot of movie watching lately and last night I viewed the film Hesher directed by Spencer Susser. This film is great I must say...so let me go into detail:

The story of this film revolves around a young boy named TJ who is just having a terrible life ever since his mom died in a car crash. From the start this is hinted at but not actually shown until almost the end of the film. The character of Hesher played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt comes into TJ's life after TJ breaks a window of a house Hesher is squatting in. From there Hesher just shows up in TJ's house and begins to life there along with TJ's Grandmother and Father who don't really care. The father played by Rainn Wilson is a wreck who just sleeps all day and takes pills and the Grandmother is an old matriarch who does what she can to keep things normal but throughout the film her health slowly declines. TJ meets strange characters and gets into a lot of trouble alongside of Hesher but in the end it is the worst things that happen in life that make people the best possible versions of themselves.

The technical aspects of this film are rock solid to say the least. Audio design is spot on with ambience where it needs to be and music in the perfect spots. The camera work while mainly handheld is still awesome and well placed. The cinematography is great with just subtle lighting throughout the film creating a nice effect. Also editing is just great and is used very effectively. Like I said before the technique of the film is great.

The acting again is amazing. Gordon-Levitt is amazing as Hesher, Devin Brochu as TJ is a strong young boy lead character, Rainn Wilson is on spot, and Natalie Portman adds a great soft touch to cap off an awesome cast.

My final point is the story which is poetic and destructive all leading up to an ending that will make you cry as much as it will make you laugh. It is a bittersweet movie that delivers on every cylinder. Look for the scene where the accident happens, it is the most brilliant point of the movie where amazing editing, acting, and the fact that you know what is going to happen make it so tense. That is the great thing about this movie it builds on every point made early on in the film, almost like a well built structure.

Go see it tonight!

Thanks for the support,
Daniel Hess

Worked Too Much

This weekend was too much work for me. No time to do anything since I worked a 12 hour shift Saturday and a 6 hour shift today. Then when I got home I ran like 3 miles just to get my aggression out from the weekend. It has been frustrating so far trying to get cast together for this Voicebox film. I seem to make headway and then things seem to backfire everytime. I mean slowly but surely things will get there I know it but the series of highs and lows sucks big time. I know it will work out.

In other news I watched Hesher today and it was totally sad, review for it coming up tomorrow or tuesday.

Thanks for the support,
Daniel Hess

Silent House Review

Yesterday I saw the film Silent House and it was one of those films that I am going to defend against all the negativity I am hearing from people. This film is 88 minutes of one long take that being said for a horror style film this is pretty remarkable especially considering the limitations of lighting for video. The story is seemingly simple but at the same time not at all, especially in the end which is something I will bring up in a second.

Anyway back to the main points first of all is lighting which as I said earlier I think was done fairly well in this movie although some of the points where there is pretty much no light was just a tad bit too dark and almost created a feeling of serenity for viewing which didn't help the tension build. The next point is score which to me was way too campy and kind of ruined the effect of the ambient sound. This film would have been way more engaging with just ambient sound, however I guess the filmmakers felt it would make the film boring for viewers or something. Next up is the acting which at times was good and bad, the worst point was the crying scenes for Elizabeth Olsen it almost seemed as though she was laughing which kind of makes sense if you take into consideration the ending but I feel is a small detail no one will really pick up on. The camera work of the film was a bit too handheld at times and instead of feeling engaging was a bit too jarring for me they could have used a preset in After Effects or something to help make the footage a little less shaky. Now time for the ending which is the most frustrating point of the film...not because it is bad but because so many people are not going to catch onto it. The ending is super duper pyschological and so much so that they average viewer is going to not understand it which will lead people to hate it. As I was walking out of the theater so many people were talking about how dumb the ending was...it is not dumb just as a heads up it is just something you will have to think about for a second, if you aren't willing to do that then don't go see it. Overall I don't think it is a must watch but is an enjoyable film with a good twist ending that to me makes the simple nature of the film even better. Check it out but be prepared to think about the ending.

Thanks for the support,
Daniel Hess

Making Moves

So yesterday I had my meeting with the principal from my old high school Sparrows Point. The meeting was fine, I was clean cut and dressed up, super professional. He was more than willing to help in any way that he could but as far as nailing down the school for the weekend things were completely out of his hands. As soon as I got into the fact that I would need extras and filming on the weekend it moves into a category that the county has to deal with. Apparently they would need to have custodians on duty to clean up any messes we make while filming even though I offered to clean up after all that stuff. He is going to contact the county and get back to me but things aren't looking too good as far as right now. That leads us to the past 24 hours...

Last night was total breakdown mode which happens with every production but this time especially because of the location trouble so far. Well I had to work and just was not in a good mood, because as a student filmmaker I hate the fact that I have to limit my visions because of not having money. I am a firm believer in making great work but the things trying to stop that are numerous. It is sad because if I had a million dollars to throw around the schools wouldn't hesitate to have me film there even if the project was shit. On the flip though if you have a great story but no cash to throw around no one wants to be around you.

So to the present day, I went crazy emailing every school I could think of and didn't hear back from anyone except Dundalk Elementary who told me to contact the communication department in the school, then when I did the second I said anything about filming they immediately transferred to the guy who runs the department. I left him a message and haven't heard back yet. I can see myself fighting this guy because whenever I say I want at least 50 extras for the film and want to do a little bit of decoration the conversation takes a left turn to nowhereville. Sorry I don't want to just settle anymore, and making a believable film takes some set decoration and extras. Lets see how it goes.

Thanks for the support,
Daniel Hess

HDR Test

The meeting about using my old high school didn't go as well as I had hoped today so I decided to do something I have been wanting to do to cheer me up. Without further ado here is my first HDR test, I call this photo The Trailer.

Thanks for the support,
Daniel Hess

Big Changes For Tomorrow

So today I have been running myself ragged in a day that should have been a lot more chill, mainly because my morning class got cancelled but I didn't realize it until after I got up to Towson which sucked. So after being up for all that time I went back home took a shower then got my hair cut, then came back for an audio interview, now I am going to class, then ditching my last class in favor of talking with a good friend about being DP for my next big film project.

Tomorrow is making me nervous because I have the all important meeting with the principal of my old high school. This is vital to the film because I need this location since the majority of the story takes place at the high school, if I get shot down it will be devastating. We will see how it goes but I shaved the beard and cut the hair and bought a nice outfit all for tomorrow. It is huge to me.

Other than that I can really start to see all the shots I want for the film and the vision is really starting to come to life which is exciting because the more concrete idea I have, the better it will be come filming time.

Thanks for the support,
Daniel Hess

Martha Marcy May Marlene Review

Martha Marcy May Marlene is an intriguing look at the life of a woman who has just escaped a pretty bizarre and dangerous commune of people. The very start of the film she decides to leave and from there we see her interactions with her sister and fiancee. The story is consistently switching back between Martha's life on the commune and life as it is now. This style of film making can get very confusing but the audience is very politely eased in to the past as well as the present from visual or audio cues and occasionally a slow fade out. It is a simple story and a very simple way of making a film but yet it is very effective and the 70s style tint over the film is a pretty cool touch. The acting is great, the story is shocking yet very believable, and the interactions between characters add to the alarm of the film. The ending many people feel leave you wanting more but to me it ends at a great point where you could decide to debate as to what would happen or accept the fact that this is where the film ends.

As great as the story and film itself are again I am going to harp on the sound design which is very lacking. At points during the film I would have to turn the volume up insanely high then instants later turn it back down because everything would get ear piercingly loud. Many of the shots are long takes but it seems like they didn't even boom because the things closer to the camera are really loud and the things further away are very quiet which hints at the fact that they may have used an on camera microphone. I pray this is not the case but the way everything sounds certainly suggests that. Other than that though everything else is a solid package. I say it is worth a watch if you can deal with a slow paced dramatic film. Otherwise it is not really for you.

Thanks for the support,
Daniel Hess

Preordered The Canon 5D Mark III

So last night I got home and made the leap to preorder the new Canon 5D Mark III. After seeing the test videos and pictures online I couldn't wait to get my hands on this awesome new camera. This will be the first camera I have ever had that is equipped with a full frame sensor meaning much better quality looking videos. In addition the fact that now you can film for 29 minutes is amazing, and makes it a much easier sell in the world of videography. It will not get me a job like last fall filming football games but it will be able to at least get me some small jobs here and there. However the main point of getting this camera is to improve the overall quality of my films which will look even better than they did using the Canon T3I (and this camera blew me away so imagine the 5D).

The internet is ablaze for this camera and I am too, I can't wait until the day it ships and I am able to film/photograph with it. I am so excited!

Thanks for the support,
Daniel Hess

Submarine and Bellflower

I have been putting off two movie reviews for some strange reason, but without further ado here are reviews for Submarine and Bellflower.

Submarine: This film can best be described as a coming of age story that is not exactly coming of age...if that makes any sense. The film centers around a young school boy who doesn't exactly have a great life (in essence he is a loser). His home life is boring but not bad, it is just school that sucks from being bullied to the butt of all jokes. He soon falls in love with a strange girl named Jordana and in order to impress her he picks on a heavyset girl. His strategy works and he gets to "date," Jordana. Throughout most of the film we follow their relationship and at the same time the relationship of Oliver's parents who seem nothing short of his mom cheating on his dad. So while in his relationship he is trying to watch over his parents. After Jordana's mom gets diagnosed with cancer she wants Oliver to visit her mom in the hospital and when he does not show up or answer her calls she breaks up with him. The story goes from there but I don't want to spoil the rest.

The visuals in the film are quite good short of a few unnecessary zoom in and outs which I almost want to feel good about but I just hate zooms (personal nitpick of mine). There are some cool effects done such as the frame staying still while the camera pans around the screen. Overall the cinematography is pretty spot on and quite beautiful (especially the beach scenes between Oliver and Jordana). The acting is well done across the board and the dialogue is great. This film captures the awkwardness of young love and of discovering sexuality for the first time amazingly; the fast talking dialogue only enhances the great effect. The story is really well put together and keeps pace throughout. I even wanted to mention the typography used which was very French New Wave, so I do love that. The ending to me though was very poetic but it left me wanting a little bit more but it is a fun watch that is not hilarious or laugh a minute but I think you will get something out of it. Rent it sometime.

Bellflower: This is a film that is both great and flawed at the same time. The story centers around a guy named Woodrow and his best bud Aiden who want nothing more than to live in a post apocalyptic wasteland much like the one envisioned in Mad Max. Woodrow ends up finding love at a bar during a cricket eating competition with a girl named Milly. Their first date Milly wants to go to the worst restaurant Woodrow knows of which he claims is out in Texas, so from California they go all the way to Texas to eat at this terrible place. On the way back they decide to trade in a car for a home built motorcycle and everything is great. Fast forward to months later things aren't as great as they were, Woodrow seems suspicious of Milly who is keeping her phone away from him. He lies and tells her that he is going to be away for a few days and then hours later comes back home to discover her having sex with another man. Things blow up and Woodrow speeds off where he is hit by a car on his motorcycle (which he is wearing no protection on). Now Woodrow has to deal with a terrible injury and the fact that Milly was cheating on him. From there comes some pretty shocking elements of the film which simmer down to a very almost silent style ending.

As far as the film goes the style and storytelling I both love! The story is great and is filled with the whole emotions of being a young adult, finding yourself in the world, and the downfalls of relationships. The way in which everything comes to a close is a very almost Fight Club kind of ending where you question all of what happened at the end, for me it was a great moment of realization that is a metaphor to me for the uncertainty of life as a young adult. The biggest issue and flaw of this film to me was sound design which I felt was really badly done, I don't know if it was a boom issue or microphone issue or even a post issue but the sound was like listening into a tin can at times. I had 150 dollar headphones in, the nice ones and it sounded bad which is a shame because the visuals and storytelling are awesome. The acting is good throughout except almost at the very end which felt like the actors didn't know what to do (maybe it was the first day of shooting). That being said it is still a great movie to watch especially if you are a young adult. Find it somewhere online and give it a look see.

Thanks for the support,
Daniel Hess

Canon 5D Mark III

So today it has been announced...the new Canon 5D Mark III! I looks amazing and it has a lot of great new features on it that should make video recording even better! This is exactly what I have been waiting for and the whole reason behind me selling my Sony HXR NX5U. I am going to talk more with a film friend of mine tonight and if he says it is worth all the money I am going to pre order it tonight...assuming it is not all sold out by then. This is going to be an awesome camera to have not only for my stills but also for shooting sweet video. The ultimate goal is to be able to shoot Voicebox using this camera if I can have it by then and if that all works out I will be one happy camper! I just hope everything goes well.

Find out more about the Canon 5D Mark III here!

Thanks for the support,
Daniel Hess

February is Over

So the month of February has finally come to a close and I think this past month held many ups and downs for To Tony Productions. It was a busy month from the beginning since I was focusing very heavily on the photography side of things and got to do two actors headshots and even semi booked a third one which I have to follow up on tomorrow to make sure it is still happening. In addition I made more headway in my zombie film Love is Undead which has been slow and steady for the most part (that is something that I would for sure like to have done by the end of March). Also I finished up my first script since the summer for my upcoming short film Voicebox which I am still in the pre production phases of it. My first ever music video was released this month to a lot of positive feedback and I must say I couldn't be happier about that. With that being said the music video lead to my first write up in The Towerlight since 2009 which was huge for me. Just yesterday I booked two more music videos in May which is very exciting.

All in all February was a good month to me and I hope in March to release my zombie short film and to be 100% ready for the production of Voicebox. Other than that I also hope to get more photography gigs and to work better on the technical side of the camera.

Thanks for the support,
Daniel Hess