November's Hope/MIT Media Lab

Even though November has been over for sometime i felt that i could not pass over such a vital month of production due to it's rich content, innocence and experience. My Cousin Jay Masonek who plays the lead in 'Glitch in the Grid' came to Hastings, England for my wedding on Halloween and thankfully stayed for most of the month of November at our generous next door neighbors. This was vital for the film as many re shoots had to be completed and new scenes fleshed out. We also shared plenty of time together gaining spiritual insights into the film, clarifying the vision, going on strange adventures and listening to His guidance. The month was also a challenge in that i have been working steadily on the live action, animation, editing for Glitch during the day and my project proposal for the MIT Media Lab specifically the Object Based Media Lab and Center for Future Storytelling at night. I have had a fruitful previous correspondence regarding my holography and interest in developing Holographic Cinema at MIT while their holo video display develops. I recently visited MIT in September and met with Michael Bove Jr. Head of the Object Based Media Lab and Co-Director of the Center for Future Storytelling. The environment on campus is electric, i feel that i need to be at MIT in order to help create the cinema of the future with forward thinking people and grow out of my comfort zone artistically/technically. Anyways back to Glitch the outdoor animation had increased in difficulty due to November's stormy weather and gail force winds in Hastings and the greater UK. The new techniques i have been experimenting with also add to an already labor intensive struggle but i am very pleased with the results and visual/symbolic power of the images. I managed only 2 minutes of stop motion animation in November. This being mid December the tally is now 3 minutes and i am creating a short film called 'Regeneration' that i will be sending to festivals starting in January 2010 Lord willing. I did this with my short animated film 'Forest' before 'Imagination' came out. i also hope to cut a trailer before the new year. Enjoy these new production photos and be sure to check out Jay's facebook for the amazing pictures he took during his stay!

October's End

Well now that it is Dia de los Muertos i felt it's time to recap October's rich soil.

Animation is continuing strong although due to the nature of the outdoor animation technique it can only transpire from noon to 4pm so that the warm orange light stays consistent within the sequences among other factors. Animating outdoors is both sublime and tedious with factors of wind, earth, light, moisture, and animals all adding and often hindering the work. Still even though it is moving at a snails pace i am very happy with the results. More elaborate outdoor setups and camera moves are creating new techniques which push me further into the unknown. I have been animating the dove (Holy Spirit) puppet lately and have completed 1 of 7 sequences. i have been watching the dailies on HD 1920X1080 quicktimes and putting together whole sequences in final cut pro. I look forward to the day that i can put out my work at 4k resolution not 2k. The landscape animation ideas keeps challenging me with how far i can take it without losing all sense of sanity. I really ramble on this blog, anyway back to work where i belong! Praise God for all his blessings!

Jay and Jeff made the trip over to Hastings, UK for my wedding (yes i got married!) and the final section of the live action which went smoothly. I hope i can safely say live action is now wrapped and a rough rough cut of the film is firmly in place. Another memorable month heading toward toward the finish line.

memorable september

Hello to you, World Wide Web readerss of this international blogosphere,

I am J. Masonek and I have something to say.

Glitch in the Grid has survived 9-9-2009 with no battle wounds, i'm happy to say. We have been in the midst of a September Wrap-up, gathering vital bits and pieces needed to make this picture speak, speak to you. Our days are long and influenced by offbeat humor and blessings from on high. Thanks go out to those who've participated in front of Eric's sturdy Canon lens.

Welcome to the Glitch in the Grid Blog!

I thought it would be wise to start a blog charting the progress of my next feature film "Glitch in the Grid". Some of you may be familiar with my last feature film "Imagination" which has/is playing in festivals worldwide, had a 8 city theatrical run, has critical acclaim from over 80 critics, came out on DVD internationally through Vanguard Cinema on February of 2008 and is in the Modern Museum of Art, the BFI, the V&A Museum, etc. www.albinofawn.com is my website with supporting info.

To catch you up we began principle live action photography in February 2009 after our feature film "Finding Infinity" had it's funding delayed since Iceland went bankrupt. More on that film later.

Anyway, the live action for GG shoot was a duration of 7 weeks between Northern California and Los Angeles, New York City and England. Even though there are extensive pick up shots and reshoots on the way. The shoot went relatively smooth and we all bonded over the film. I am currently animating for the film which may take until December while the live action footage is almost at a rough cut. The film was shot on the Sony EX3 HD camera for the live action and the Canon 5D with L Series Lenses for the Animation. The film when finished will be shot in Sebastopol, CA, Bodega Bay, CA, Santa Rosa, Ca, Los Angeles Ca, Grand Canyon, AZ, NYC, NY, London, UK, Hastings, UK and Rome, Italy. The film is slated to be released in mid 2010.

here is a small synopsis:

"Glitch In The Grid" [2010] is a story about young artists dealing with life, love, work and weariness during the new American recession.