KG: Cast Photos

 Meet Hayley Alderete and Yui Pankeaw! Hayley is the lead and Yui plays a dynamic supporting role.

Hayley Alderete

Yui Pankeaw

KG Update

 I have received some generous donations! I'm still short of the estimated budget but I have enough to get started in earnest. Costume fitting and makeup tests for my lead actor before this month is out and will start shooting exterior stuff the first week of February. I've also obtained props. When I have some images to tease here, I'll post them.

KG: Production Continues

 The new year has arrived and so I proceed in earnest with getting this picture rolling. I'm presently scouting possibilities for the opening shot as it requires a special set piece which I will not be building. I will also be putting together the costumes as we go along. My objective is to shoot several exterior sequences in February, construct sets and shoot interiors during March and April, finish with exterior scenes and commence more miniature work and a special visual sequence in May. If all goes according to the basic plan, I should wrap photography by or during June. This will give me August and September to cut and polish the film, in plenty of time for a possible October theatrical screening. It's actually quite possible that I could do all this at a faster pace and finish with everything but editing before summer arrives. I could certainly wrap principal photography with my actors in two months of our start date, but experience has taught me to be prepared for it to take longer due to various cast schedules, weather, funds, etc. Rushing things wouldn't be good anyway.

Production Begins!

This past Monday night we commenced with shooting Kaleidoscope Grimoire. I completed the miniature that afternoon and we shot at night using a forced perspective setup and screen projection. Naturally, a last minute unexpected display on the screen made for a much better image than I had storyboarded so we went with it and I'm very pleased how the footage turned out. As visually satisfying as I imagined and hoped for, and yet better than I expected. It's an establishing shot in the film. Since I won't be working with the actors until after the New Year arrives, I am doing as many establishing shots as I can get done between now and then. We're off to a good start.

KG Update 17 Sep 21: Miniature Work Advancing

 A particular miniature is getting closer to being finished so I am commencing with building the set in which it is featured. I just finished the production sketch for this set. It will utilize both three-dimensional and two-dimensional features. Color tests will determine which shades I'll be using. It's a black and white film, so shading matters, but not so much the colors, per se. Naturally some colors serve B&W better and I learned some about that on Hell's Bells. My modeling skills are really coming into play here. For only two shots I'll be creating a particular landscape. I'll definitely take full advantage of the final product by getting multiple takes using a variety of lighting and angles and camera movement and such. I figure I can also capture some stock footage for other projects by taking out the miniature central to the shots for this film. Once the primary miniature is finished, I'll start on the three dimensional landscape features. When those are done, I'll create the two dimensional elements. The final stage will be actually setting up the backdrop and then building the setting from there. All this work for what will likely be one day of shooting as I'll easily be able to capture the variety of shot variations in one day. But it will be worth it visually, I'm certain of that.

More to follow...

KG Update: 7 Sep 21

Major production decision and for the best: I've decided to move principal photography with the actors to after Jan 1st so that I'm not fighting against the impending arrival of the holidays. I don't want to be rushed. However, this decision allows me to get a lot of preproduction accomplished and shoot some B roll and establishing shots, so I will be working on the film myself between now and then. I've also decided to do one particular shot in studio instead of on location -- but wait til you see it. How I'm doing this shot is gonna be really cool.

I have started on building one of the miniatures to be used in the film. This will be something that is seen 'from a distance' by the Protagonist.  I'm taking progress stills and will decide to what extent I will show these. I want to save certain things until after the film is completed and released. Showing a before and after photo set of the miniature would be best, so I'll likely do that.

More to follow...

KG Update August 19

 I made a production purchase tonight, thanks to a couple of donors. I don't want to say what that purchase is (though the donors know) because I want that particular segment of the film to be a surprise. Presently working my way back to the shot list. Real life got in the way for about ten days but I can start the storyboards this weekend. It's likely that I'll share some of the pre-production art here as I get deeper into it, but nothing that will give too much away, of course. Not much to show right now.