Whoa it’s been awhile. You thought we were gone again, didn’t you! It’s okay to admit; for a moment I thought we were gone too. Then I realized “we” is “me”, so I decided to write a post and fix the problem.

On the tech side, not a lot has happened since the last update. Most exciting is the new development of a new internet app I’m working on to help me organize a cast and assemble a crew for the production. I’m learning Django (thanks Jacob!), a powerful framework for developing web applications. With this new application I’m working on, people will be able to log in and upload their resumés, headshots, and all sorts of details about themselves so I can easily organize auditions, contact potential crew members, and more. I’ll also be able to post a schedule and the latest news from within this application, allowing it to serve as a sort of virtual production headquarters. Developing this is also useful for expanding the scope of my freelance web development work (aka, the financing department of this film!).

On the story side: Joel has finished another tremendous draft of the script (number five!) and I think we’re on track to make either draft six (or 6.5, after draft six revisions), our final. I’m assessing the script and the original short story this week, going line by line to ensure that the emotional integrity of the original story line is still maintained in the script; five drafts later it’s easy to lose sight of the original goals. Once the script is locked, I’ll start making the preparations and we’ll ideally audition in mid-late November. Because we aren’t shooting until at least February (possibly March, it depends on when we can get all the locations) this will give us plenty of time for rehearsals, which we’ll definitely take advantage of.

Hopefully that’s a sufficient update. If you have any more questions, email or post them in the comments and we’ll answer them straightaway.

Thanks for following us through the production process, and we’ll keep updating as we move futher along.

We’ve posted plenty about how much we love Celtx (did we mention yet that 1.0 is available?). It’s a great tool for collaborating on scripts online and organizing projects.

Sometimes though, Celtx has its problems. One such problem is the easy ability to overwrite a project while you and your screenwriter are working on the script and decide to upload at the same time. When you’ve just written up a slew of notes on the latest draft of your script, it can be a pain to have to type them all in again. As you might expect, Joel and I ran into this issue while working on our script. We needed another alternative for sharing notes on drafts of the script.

The solution came from Preview, the PDF and image viewer that’s built into Mac OS X. Apple has built annotation features right into Preview, so you can easily write and draw basic shapes on your PDF. With a PDF generated from Celtx’s TypeSet tool, I easily was able to start adding in my notes. When done, I just sent it off as an email to Joel.

PDF Annotations in Preview (click to enlarge)

It’s very clear and readable what my notes are, and additional features like highlighting. strike-thru and underline (not shown) make it even easier to communicate about the script. You’re even able to change what colors and icons you want by opening the Inspector (Command+I).

Hopefully this can help you get an idea of one way collaboration is possible. It’s easy, fast, efficient, and there’s no risk of overwriting someone else’s material! Best of all, it’s still cross platform, meaning you don’t have to worry who’s on the other end. Any platform using Adobe Reader (and other third-party PDF reader) can easily access the annotations.

Are you a Windows or Linux user? We’ve shown how Mac users can easily annotate PDFs, share how you do it on your platform! Are you making use of PDF annotations? Show us how and where. We’re always curious to hear the cool ways that collaborative technology is being used in media production.

The script featured in the screenshot is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.5 Canada license.

Hey everyone, Chris here. Steve said it best; but we’re saying it again: even though we’ve had light posting over the past few months (network efforts have shifted to FOSSwire, which is a smash hit; check it out!) we’re not dead yet! There are still a lot of folks hanging out here, so we brainstormed and came up with a cool way to keep the site alive and kicking.

Over the next few months, I’m going to be entering into production for a new film with Joel. The film, entitled “Dead Space”, is a look at a relationship, and the changes it undergoes over time and when affected by loss.

We thought it’d be cool to chronicle the production, and give reviews of and guides for the tools we are using. We’re launching into pre-production now, so expect lots of posts about screenwriting apps, scheduling tools, how to conduct auditions, and that sort of thing. In a few months, look for some details about the production process, as well as some details about making the most out of that consumer camcorder, how to shoot some basic test shots, a basic guide to directing, and other important production tips. When we enter post, we’ll share our tips on how to create a fast and efficient capture workflow, Final Cut Pro basics, a quick guide to color correction, and more.

Of course, we won’t always be so linear; if an interesting post crops up about the editing process while we’re shooting, I’ll be sure to post it. If I get a chance to try out a cool camera while we’re still working on the script, I’ll share my experience. Just be aware that we’re making a movie, and as such we’ll probably be posting about what we’re working on.

This is my first time directing a production of this scale (a true multi-camera, multi-set shoot with an established script) so we’re learning too. Take advantage of the comments to give us tips, share your stories, and suggest alternatives to our directions. YMM is about educating folks in new media, and one of new media’s basic tenets is strength in community. We’re nothing with out you, so take advantage of this unique forum.

Thanks again for being a devoted follower of YouMakeMedia; now let’s make a movie!