Principle shooting was completed Sunday the 23rd of November!  There was screaming, running around and picture taking.  The basement of Bison was completely struck and if anyone went down there Monday, they would never even know we were there.

The week prepping for the final shoot was spent at Jared's again getting some of the set polished up.  Shooting both Saturday and Sunday took place in the basement of Bison Welding where the set was completely dressed with cob webs and metal scraping everywhere.  The whole set was wonderfully done.  Lights were out the entire time and the murky basement helped create an atmosphere suitable for the acting.

Chad mentioned a slight nervousness for the final shooting, but everything went very smoothly.  Sunday utilized the newly acquired green screen suits.  Yours truly was one selected to wear such an absurd costume.  Dillon, Joel and I had a great time in the suits and, after seeing some pictures, agree it turned out great.

So I have spent about the last three months blogging for Wake the Witch.  I often stood near the sidelines taking things in, watching relationships form and documenting an independent film through production, the job of a blogger.  Inevitably, I have been pulled deeper into this project than I originally anticipated.  I have met some wonderful people and I hope assisted in the minor ways that I was able to.  I have had so much fun and challenge anyone to work on a project like this with people like this and do otherwise.  This was a wonderful experience and I wish everyone luck with future filmmaking endeavors!

I cannot wait to see this film!

The witch and the witch wall were completed during the week over in Jared's garage.  We spent Saturday hauling everything over to the basement of Bison Welding where the final scenes are to be filmed.  The haul required three trucks and plenty of planning to make sure nothing was left behind.  Of course we were able to have some fun as the witch rode shotgun in Greg's car to the horrified stares of passer-byers.

The rest of the day was spent in the basement building and dressing the set.  The objective was to get everything set up Saturday afternoon so filming could take place Sunday morning.  We only catch a glimpse of the witch and wall in Sunday shooting so details of set decoration are going to be finished this week.

Sunday we filmed two scenes through the basement with Stefanie.  A horror film is just being asked to be filmed down here the crew joked.  Giant steel bars and contraptions with old crumbling brick walls and stone floors made up the basement.

With Sunday completed, there is only one weekend left before production is finished.  Planning special effects were the object of much of the conversations as Chad made an executive decision that he is more than thrilled about.  The anticipation and excitement for next weekend runs thick through the cast and crew.

It's the weekend after Halloween and we got Saturday off to rest, recuperate and relax.  Chad was able to review some footage and found the first tape glitch of production.  Luckily, only one scene was affected and can be easily reshot this next weekend.

Sunday, we started in the evening and began by sharing all our Halloween stories and describing some of the costumes we saw and/or wore.  Since this is a horror film, one can only assume Halloween is a shared interest among the cast and crew.  You may assume correctly.

We were almost exclusively in Deb's bedroom at Dorothy's house trying to cram as many bodies, cameras, cranes and dolly tracks into a room that only allows for a few of these things.  After the long weekend, though, frustration was far from the set and the mood was light, and filled with jokes.

Production is nearly done and there are only a small fraction of scenes left utilizing the talented make-up artist, Rose, and some craftily made special effect sets.  The final witch wall is in the works and will be completed in a few weeks.  Keep a look out for the closing weeks.

Hell weekend is over and “we are a good three fourths through shooting,” said Chad this weekend.  “If it wasn’t for nicotine and energy drinks, I couldn’t do this,” he said about the 17 hour Saturday, 14 hour Sunday and 8 hour Monday.  Weekends get shorter from here on out which is a relief for everyone.

Saturday was a unique day in that the entire day was spent in a small, semi-cleaned apartment rented for the weekend.  Keep your eye out for the secret Dalí poster.  It was certainly deliberate.  Caffeine and energy drinks were dispersed early in the morning in preparation.  Jeremy Gillmore spent most of the weekend in Lincoln playing Brent, Mark’s roommate and Deb’s new interest.  Jeremy (Happy) has ample experience in theatre and was eager for filming. 

Sunday was another long day spent at several different places.  And of course, the infamous make-out scene was completed Sunday night.  Monday was a return to Dorothy’s house.  Special effects are slowly taking priority in production as things begin to come to a close.

If you haven’t checked it out yet, listen to the podcast.  About two weeks ago, some of the cast and crew were invited to be interviewed in Omaha to discuss the filmmaking process with the people at Worlds of Wayne.  The podcast can be listened to here…

                                                              http://worldsofwayne.com/ - episode number 70.