the end is near...

Hey people,

I know haven't updated for a while...well about 2 months, but I will now bring you back up to date with what has been going on with Chambers & other MAPS stuff...

First of all, Chambers is now complete. Only Lil' Jon can describe how I feel...YEAH!!! The film was completed on the 26th October, unfortunately passing the deadline, but I'm very pleased with the final product. The music composed by Daniel N fitted very well and the voice over by Jacob was great. Thankyou to Daniel & Jacob. I must also thank Dan V for the fantastic editing he did and Nick S for the post sound work.

We have almost finished DVD Production for MAPS Advanced 2007. Tom, Dan V, Dave G & I have been working on it for about 2 weeks (In between playing snes, sega and 64 Emulators). There will be some good bonus features which I think will be well received. The Chambers DVD will started next week.



The screening is still the 29th November at The Palace East End on Rundle Street, Adelaide at 6pm. It is free entry and there will be food and drinks served at the interval. I'm sure the screening will go well, and that we will get very drunk. Dave will probably do his infamous Conan O'Brien dance.



Until next time,

Danny Steel

you learn something new every few months...

Hello people,

Long time no post. Fortunately I'm not the only one. Anyway, so much has gone on that I don't know if I can fit it all into one post, but I am an optimist, so here it goes...

EDITING: The film has been edited into a fine cut. I am extremely happy with it and have also received some good feedback. My editor, Dan V, has done a fantastic job (but I knew he would anyway, that's why I chose him!) and there isn't really anything I would change about it right now.

TITLE: The film has gone through a name change. Just Killing Time is now Chambers. In my mind it's better and simpler.

POST PRODUCTION AUDIO: Nick S, the film's audio editor & mixer, has started the post audio. We have cleaned up some audio, and added sound effects and stereo panning, which will help immensely. Still a little bit of work to do.

MUSIC: I have made contact with a sound engineer, Daniel, who will compose some music & soundscape for Chambers. He has already sent me some of his work, which is great, but is still only rough and will need some adjustments. I sent some samples of what I am after, music from the Silent Hill Series, which is really haunting and at times disturbing music. Perfect for Chambers!



CREDITS: I have started creating the credits, which means I have to turn my house upside down to find the list of names of people and companies that helped on the film, and then make sure they are spelt correctly.

FUN: Throughout all this hard work I did manage to have some time to make a Grindhouse style trailer from the Chambers footage. I'm Watching You! is the title and I may put it on YouTube at some point. Keep watching, I may post the link soon...ish. Plus there was fun to be had with pegs and swivel chairs in the editing suite...

DATES: The date for the Advanced MAPS Screening has been finalised, the 29th November at the Palace Nova Cinema on Rundle Street (Hooray!). The Cert 4's Screening is the 28th November at the same location (hands up how many people wanted to know that...thought so). Can't wait...



MARKETING: A poster and proper trailer is still to be done. Marketing for the screening is still to be organised.

Well that's just about all the updating I can handle. Keep alert and I'll post more soon (plus a new salute).

I'm out,

Danny Steel

friday the 13th...

Hey people,

Last Friday I held a Friday The 13th get together at my house. We watched Friday The 13th: Part 3 and got pretty drunk while horror music and various horror theme songs were blaring in the background. Quite a few familiar faces showed, including a couple of cats we thought we knew but weren't sure of, take a look...

Also, Rowan has written a 'Just Killing Time' poem, that may or may not be turned into a song...

I sit inside my chambers

I stare at all the strangers

I want to kill them all

They'll all end up on my wall

The killers that I love

I feel that I'm above

For I kill for more

Than merely love of gore

The screams, the deaths, the whores

It's my job, my hobby and more

All of them deserved to die

Would I ever tell a lie?

Art and murder are the same

Within this crazy mind game

Their deaths are so beautiful

Oh...it almost makes me drool.

Danny Steel.

post-production begins...

Hello friends,

This post marks the end of the shooting of the Advanced MAPS 07 productions and the beginning of post-production for all projects. Last week was the last production week as I was on the set of Dave's horror film, 90 Mile Desert. It was a tough week up at Callington, but it got done and I'm sure it will turn out great. Here are some pics...

Later,

Danny Steel

just killing ourselves laughing...

G'day folks,

The Just Killing Time shoot is over. It was a susprisingly relaxing shoot with many laughs and good times. Thankyou to my wonderful crew who were very professional and focused, to the cast who were superb and also to our sponsors. I am looking forward to viewing and editing all the footage. I would like to acknowledge the cast and crew personally:

Dave, you are a great cinematographer. I admire your professionalism on set and your aim to not leave anything just satisfactory. I am excited about the prospect of working together again on our next big project.

Cassie, you take on your jobs and you nail them. You encourage and support all cast and crew and this film would not have existed without your help and commitment.

Phil, because of you there was not one dull moment on set. You are a hard worker and even though you were the last crewperson to join the project, I would have chosen you first anyday.

Rowan, you were just Rowan. Please, never change. Even though you were not needed every second on set, when you were needed you did a good job.

Vanessa, thankyou so much for your help and support on this project. You have a way with people that amazes me, I still cannot comprehend it. I admire the way you motivate people.

Saxon, you have added a certain quality to this film that many actors would not be able to bring. You researched and understood your character to the 'T'.

Kimberley, you are one of the most focused and dedicated people I have ever worked with. You executed each take perfectly and the effort you put in was outstanding.

Dragan, it was great having you on set. You worked hard and took some great pictres (below).

Fiona, having a professional from the industry was amazing, we were very priviledged to have you on board. Your work and contribution on this project is much appreciated.

Thankyou again,

Danny Steel.

traces of bad luck...

Hey guys,

This is my first post for a while. I have been busy, last week I was on Phil's shoot, Traces Of Life. It was a great shoot despite the bad luck on the first day: One of the main actors decided not to show up, the owners of the location told us we had to get out three hours early, we hadn't even started and Peter walked in (no offence Peter) and the cops confiscated our police uniforms. The rest of the shoot was fun, and I can't wait to see a finished product. Good on ya Phil!

Danny Steel

we salute John Carpenter...

JOHN CARPENTER: PRINCE OF DARKNESS

Born: 16 January, 1948, USA

Masterpieces: Halloween (1978), The Thing (1982)

Other notable films: Dark Star (1974), Assault On Precinct 13 (1976), The Fog (1980), Escape From New York (1981), Christine (1983), Starman (1984), Big Trouble In Little China (1986), Prince Of Darkness (1987), In The Mouth Of Madness (1995), Escape From L.A. (1996), Vampires (1998)

Mini Bio:

American director John Carpenter was captivated by movies at a young age, especially the westerns by Howard Hawks and John Ford and low budget sci-fi and horror films of the 1950's. Naturally, Carpenter began making his own 8mm films, mostly short horror films. After high school he briefly attented Western Kentucky University which was where his father, Howard Carpenter, was head of the music department, but later transferred to the University Of Southern California's School Of Cinematic Art in 1968. Even though he dropped out before finishing his degree, his student film, The Resurrection Of Bronco Billy, won an Academy Award in 1970 for Best Live Action Short Film.

Carpenter's first feature film, Dark Star (1974), was a parody of sci-fi films that he co-wrote with Dan O'Bannon, who would later go on to write Alien (1979). Carpenter and O'Bannon found it difficult to make as it was extremely low-budget, but completed it by multi-tasking (Carpenter also did the musical score while O'Bannon acted and did special effects). The influence of westerns, particularly Howard Hawks' Rio Bravo (1959), was apparent in Carpenter's next film, Assault On Precinct 13 (1976), a low-budget thriller about a police station being raided. It marked the first collaboration between Carpenter and Debra Hill, who would work on some of Carpenter's most important films and become his partner.

Halloween (1978) was a smash hit and helped establish the 'slasher film' genre. Orginally titled 'The Babysitter Murders', Halloween is about the small town of Haddonfield being terrorised by Michael Myers, a madman in a mask, on Halloween night. Halloween had a small budget of US$325,000, but grossed over $65 million making it one of the most successful independent films of all time. The musical score, performed by Carpenter himself, is one of the most recognisable scores in film history.

After directing Elvis (1979), a tele-movie starring Kurt Russell, Carpenter followed up his success with The Fog (1980), a ghostly revenge tale, inspired by the horror comics such as Tales From The Crypt. The Fog was another commercial success for Carpenter and is considered a "minor horror classic". His next film, Escape From New York (1981), picked up a large cult following and would later spawn a sequel.

The Thing (1982), a remake of the Howard Hawks film, The Thing From Another World (1951), was Carpenter's biggest project thus far. However, Carpenter strayed away from the Hawks' version, and was more faithful to the original material, John W. Campbell Jr's short story Who Goes There? which had a more pessimistic tone and a bleak ending. This did not apppeal to the audiences in 1982, the same time E.T. The Extra Terrestrial was released, and did not do well commercially. Although, the film did find a home after it was released on video and DVD and is now considered one of the best horror films ever made.

Warning: Don't stay out in the sun too long

Carpenter spent the rest of the 80's on smaller projects, the film adaptation of Stephen King's novel, Christine (1983), sci-fi/romantic comedy Starman (1984), action/comedy Big Trouble In Little China (1986) and horror film, Prince Of Darkness (1987).

His 90's career is known for its misfires: Memoirs Of An Invisible Man (1992), Village Of The Damned (1995) and Escape From L.A. (1996). However, Carpenter fans regard In The Mouth Of Madness (1995) and Vampires (1998) as his last truly great features.

Carpenter's reputation remains strong and his films have been subject to remakes recently: The Fog (2005) and Assault On Precinct 13 (2005) with Halloween also being remade for a release date of Halloween 2007. Carpenter returned to directing with two episodes, Cigarette Burns and Pro-Life, on Showtime's Masters Of Horror series (2005-Present). Carpenter has attained a reputation as a respected independent film maker with a career spanning thirty years. Although not all of Carpenter's films were commercially successful he has developed a large cult following and has influenced many directors with his style and passion for film making and film's effect on audiences.

official ogre week...

Greetings,

In the wake of one "Ogre" film being released to cinemas, I had to get myself on set of another, Jen's film, The Ogre. Anstey Hill and Outer Harbour were the settings for this dark, post-apocolyptic fairy tale. Here are some pictures of the action from day three:

In other news, rehearsals for Just Killing Time were held today, which consisted of blocking and discussing the characters. Costumes and props are the next priorities.

Until next time,

Danny Steel

zombie love...

Hey all,

I have been busy this week shooting Dan V's zombie flick, Back To The Dead. As DOP I was there for every second and I was pleased with the respect shared by the cast and crew, we all knew we were doing something special. Here is just a taste of what is to come:

In between shooting I have managed to complete some more artwork for Just Killing Time. Here is some sort of skull/zombie/thing...?

Later,

Danny Steel

we salute Dario Argento...

DARIO ARGENTO: MASTER OF HORROR

Born: September 7, 1940, Italy

Masterpieces: Deep Red (1975), Suspiria (1977)

Other notable films: The Bird With The Crystal Plumage (1970), The Cat O' Nine Tails (1971), Four Flies On Grey Velvet (1971), Inferno (1980), Tenebrae (1982), Phenomena (1985), Opera (1987), Two Evil Eyes (1990), Trauma (1993), Phantom Of The Opera (1998), Sleepless (2001)

Mini Bio:

Italian director Dario Argento, son of producer Salvatore Argento and father of actress Asia Argento, began his career as a film critic. By the age of twenty he was a professional screenwriter and joined Bernado Bertolucci in writing the screenplay for Sergio Leone's western Once Upon A Time In The West (1967). After many more screenplays, Argento was signed to Italian film company Titanus, and made his directing debut in with The Bird With The Crystal Plumage (1970), which became an international hit. Argento followed up with two more 'Giallo' films (Italian thrillers), The Cat O' Nine Tails (1971) and Four Flies On Grey Velvet (1971), both were produced by his father.

After directing for TV, Argento went back to directing 'Giallo' films, beginning with Deep Red (1975), the first Argento film to show signs of his brilliance: fantastic set pieces, roving camera, flourishing style and haunting melodies by Italian band Goblin. It made Argento internationally famous and inspired a number of other directors in the horror genre, including John Carpenter. Argento's next film, Suspiria (1977, pictured below), a supernatural thriller about a coven of witches disguised a a ballet school, is considered by many as his best work. Suspiria is a surreal piece of art, and the first part in a incomplete trilogy called 'The Three Mothers Trilogy', which is to be completed in 2007 with The Mother Of Tears.

Argento then collaborated with George A. Romero on Dawn Of The Dead (1978), helping with script development and producing for the film. Next was the second installment of 'The Three Mothers Trilogy', Inferno (1980). Argento then returned to the 'Giallo' genre with Tenebrae (1982). He then attempted to combine 'Giallo' with the supernatural in Phenomena (1985), starring Jennifer Connelly in one of her first movie roles.

Argento decided to take a break from directing and wrote and produced the first two films in the Demons series (1985-1986) with Lamberto Bava (Mario Bava's son) directing. When Argento did finally return to directing, his first project was Opera (1987, pictured below), a production that proved to be a 'very unpleasant experience'. Argento's father died during production, actress Vanessa Redgrave pulled out before filming began, his marriage to actress Daria Nicolodi fell to bits and various other accidents happened on set.

It is true that his career in the 1990's and onwards has not proved successful, however Argento recently directed two short episodes, Jenifer and Pelts, on Showtime's Masters Of Horror TV series (2005-Present). Argento's work has always come under scrutiny for being sexist, overly violent and for having a lack of plot. However, Argento reinvented the horror genre and influenced many other directors with his style, imagination and visually impressive films. He is not only considered an excellent film maker but also an artist.

taking the good with the bad...

Hey friends,

The deadline for all paperwork and contracts to be finalised was today and I am happy to announce that Just Killing Time has got the green light (also known as 'The Red Star') to go ahead. After some hard work from Producer, Cassie, and Unit Manager, Vanessa, we managed to sign off our last location, the underground car park at Warradale and have all paperwork completed, so thankyou ladies. Also, casting is completed and is as follows:

Saxon Cordeaux - Benjamin Chambers
Kimberley Hart - Businesswoman


I will be busy for the next five weeks. I am Cinematographer on Dan V's zombie film, Back To The Dead, which will commence production this Sunday. I am looking forward to this and the other productions that follow. I will be working on Jen's film The Ogre as a Production Assistant in week two. Week three, I am the First Assistant Director on Phil's film Traces Of Life. In the last week is Dave's horror film 90 Mile Desert, in which I am also First Assistant Director.

Lastly, unfortunately my beloved Liverpool Football Club were defeated by the Italians, AC Milan, in the Champions League Final in Athens this morning. They went down 2-1. I cried (like a man).


Adios,

Danny Steel

time is of the essence...

To my loyal followers,

The production is still going strong, despite there being a few problems. I still do not not have my main actor and my last location needs to be locked off. However, I have my catering organised with KFC, McDonalds and Pizza Hut all on board as proud sponsors (hows that for vanity publishing). I have also completed the storyboards, with the help of the talented Nick S. With Tuesday May 22nd looming as a deadline, I will need to work quickly and efficiently.

I am starting to think I will be the one in the straight jacket come the end of the year.

Cheers,

Danny Steel

we salute David Cronenberg...

DAVID CRONENBERG: BARON OF BLOOD

Born: 15 March 1943, Canada

Masterpieces: Scanners (1981), The Fly (1986)

Other notable films: Shivers (1975), Rabid (1977), The Brood (1979), Videodrome (1983), The Dead Zone (1983), Dead Ringers (1988), Naked Lunch (1991), Crash (1996), eXistenZ (1999), A History Of Violence (2005)

Mini Bio:

Canadian director David Cronenberg isn't your average film maker. Cronenberg explores themes in his films that other directors dare not touch. As a child he grew up surrounded by books and art, his father was an occasional columnist for the Toronto Telegram and a freelance writer and his mother was a professional pianist. Cronenberg's early interests included science and fiction and went on study science at the University of Toronto. However he later dropped science in favour of English.

After a friend made an ambitious student feature, Cronenberg instantly fell in love with film making. After directing two short films, Transfer (1966) and From The Drain (1967), Cronenberg would go on to form the Canadian Filmmakers Distribution Centre with three other filmmakers. His next project, the 62 minute film Stereo (1969), used funds from a grant he obtained. His follow up, Crimes Of The Future (1970), earned him attention in art film circles.

In the 1970's Cronenberg started his horror film career with Shivers (1975), which launched him as a writer and a director. Next came Rabid (1977) and The Brood (1979), both of which some critics believed were distasteful, but many considered them to be artistic visions.



The 1980's were huge for Cronenberg, whose titles from this era include Scanners (1981, a personal favourite of mine), which is about a certain race of humans who have the ability to take control of peoples minds (even explode them, pictured), and Videodrome (1983), a film about a TV station that gradually turns its viewer's reality into video hallucination. Cronenberg also directed the film adaptation of Stephen King's novel The Dead Zone (1983), remade The Fly (1986) and directed Dead Ringers (1988). Cronenberg was able to deliver a quality of film making and storytelling not often seen in the horror genre, this raised him to international status.

This is kinda how I feel after a day at the production office.

He later went on to direct Naked Lunch (1991), Crash (1996), which won a Special Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival, and eXistenZ (1999). His more recent effort A History Of Violence (2005) opened with excellent reviews, confirming that he still has it.

Cronenberg has achieved what other directors only dream of: an international reputation, constant high quality films, and a massive world-wide fan base that await his next film.

doomsday nears...

Hello there,

I have now finalised a location for shooting as we have been given the green light to use the Dungeon Cells at the Glenside Campus. Camera and lighting tests will be arranged as soon as possible.


There is still much work to be done! I am hoping to audition actors very soon (maybe this week if all goes to plan). Catering is being organised as we speak and I am still doing the artwork for the film. Also, storyboards will start this week. All must be done by May 22nd. Here is a sketch of a laughing skull for the film...


Lastly, the weekly saluting of famous directors will continue (until someone tells me it sucks or I get bored of it).

Hope you had as much fun as I did,

Danny Steel

we salute Mario Bava...

MARIO BAVA: MASTER OF THE MACABRE

Born: 31 July, 1914, Italy

Died: 27 April, 1980

Masterpieces: Black Sunday (1960), Black Sabbath (1963)

Other notabe films: Planet Of The Vampires (1965), Kill Baby...Kill! (1966), Danger: Diabolik (1968), A Bay Of Blood (1971), Baron Blood (1972), Lisa And The Devil (1973)

Mini Bio:

Italian director Mario Bava is best known for his horror films and giallo thrillers (a genre later perfected by Dario Argento). Bava was trained as a painter but followed in his father's footsteps and became a cinematographer. He developed a reputation as a special effects genius, using optical trickery and creating amazing photography effects on shoe-string budgets. Bava was always considered to be "before his time".

Bava's best known film is in fact his first, Black Sunday (1960), in which a vengeful witch returns from the dead to begin a campaign to possess the body of the witch's look-alike descendant. It is a wonderful piece of dark imagination and expressionism.


His second film, Black Sabbath (1963), is made up of three episodes, one of which stars Boris Karloff. It is laced with his strong visual style and eerie atmosphere. It is Bava's (and my own) personal favourite of all his work.

Bava is admired among many of the modern directors and his work has proved very influential: Planet Of The Vampires (1965) strongly influenced the look of Ridley Scott's sci-fi film, Alien (1979). Danger: Diabolik (1968) was one of the world's first comic book adaptations, while A Bay of Blood (1971) is considered one of the first slasher films. Among his admirers are Martin Scorsese, Quentin Tarantino, Tim Burton, Dario Argento, Lucio Fulci and John Carpenter.

damnation, damnation, damnation...

Hey folks,

Unfortunately auditions were cancelled this week so location scouting continued yesterday as Cassie, Dan, Dave and myself visited the Glenside Campus to have a look at the dungeon cells. The dungeon, with its white brick walls and lonely corridors are the perfect look for the film. There are adequate electricity outlets and the cells are underground, closed off to the rest of the hospital, so no interruptions. Hopefully everything goes to plan and we can shoot there.

Great news, recently I discovered that Evil Dead: The Musical opened in the US last year! Hopefully it will come to Australia...hell, I'd go see it.

Until next time,

Danny Steel