2010 is Ruined.

This recent news might just be the saddest thing I've heard all year...

http://www.starrynightevents.com/index.php

If you're feeling too lazy to click that link, hey, that's okay, we've all been there. Just read the below sentence to see all you need to know.

"It is with great sadness that due to very low ticket sales we have to announce the cancellation of Whedon Fest."

That's right. There was once going to be a festival celebrating all things Joss Whedon, creator of Buffy, Angel, Dr. Horrible, Firefly and Dollhouse. And in this wondrous festival, there were going to be screenings, panels, something wonderful sounding called a "Geek-off Tournament", contests, a (sure-to-be relevant) dessert party and so much more. Nicholas Brendon (Xander) and Amy Acker (Fred from Angel) were going to be there (other famous people were going to be there as well, but those were the only two I cared about. And even Fred was pushing it a little bit.).

Here's the flyer for what could have been (this flyer has been hanging up in our house for about a month now):

...And now all of this magic is CANCELLED. Due to not even low ticket sales, but VERY low ticket sales. Just add some more salt in that wound and grind it up real nice. And then add some shame, as if all of this weren't embarrassing enough.

If there's ever a time that a group hug is needed, it's right now.

I had started writing this blog post a few weeks ago, when I first learned that a.)Whedon Fest existed and b.) it was coming to Toronto, and let me tell you, the mood of the original post was much different than this one. I hadn't written much, but it was exuberant. Excited. Nervous with anticipation and already planning the Buffy outfits I would wear. I was wondering how the whole "carrying a wooden stake in public" thing was going to pan out but figured it would work itself out. And I guess, in a way, it did. It is perfectly fine to carry a wooden stake anywhere in the confines of our home.

The part I was most excited about was just walking around the festival and being amongst fellow fans. I wanted to see the hardest-core of the hardcore ones, the fans who would make me feel ashamed for only have written one Buffy fanfiction script.

I wanted to see the type of people who have adorned their bodies like this:

And the type of people who spend their time making sick fan art pictures like these:

(This beautiful piece was made by Doc-PhantomShadow.)

Hard to beat sexy Buffy erotica, huh? This hot number was made by the talented hughzy11. I freaking love fan art and wish I was a better artist so I could contribute to this universe.

(PS--I bet the words "sexy Buffy erotica" are going to get me a record number of blog internet hits, maybe even more so than my multiple cat galleries. sexy Buffy erotica sexy Buffy erotica.)

I also really, REALLY wanted to see the Buffy-related costumes. Everyone knows the best part of any fan convention is checking out the costumes.

I wish these people were my friends. Kinda puts our own Buffy costumes to shame a little bit, huh?

Whatever, everyone knows that when you cut up a shirt and put on some fake blood, you're totally a Haklar demon. We don't need wigs and clothes all that fancy costume stuff. Just more money.

I also just wanted to be around the other Whedon fans, the ones who don't necessarily have permanent bodily declarations of their fandom or have named their first male child "Spike."(okay, I'll confess here that Velvet and I have had serious discussions about naming our next cats Spike and Drusilla. But we haven't done it yet, so we're still cool, right?) The fans who just really enjoy Buffy and the rest of the Whedon canon. I think it would be a really neat environment and would have made for an awesome blog post. A way cooler one than this one. PLUS I would have had a photo with Xander and Fred (hey graphic designer friends, looking for a fun project? Talk to me for details.).

I know, I know, this hurts.

Oh yeah, and I also wanted to try and give Nicholas Brendon a copy of my Buffy script. I know he's been busy lately with some extracurricular activities but I think he'd be happy to get back to his roots, especially since Anthony Stewart Head is on board.

But alas, I guess none of this was meant to be. So if anyone in the Toronto area would like to attend Whedon Fest, Velvet and I will be having our own version in our house. We will be screening every episode of Buffy in a row while wearing costumes and holding our own fan-art contest. We will have a geek-off tournament where we shall rapidly quiz each other on Buffy- (and possibly Angel) related questions. And as for celebrity guests, we will have our roommate Heather pose as different celebrities and talk to us (but quietly, as to not interrupt the non-stop Buffy watching.). Winners of the costume contest, fan-art contest and geek-off tournaments shall win walk-on roles in the Buffy fanfiction episode or a collage, winners choice.

Can the rest of 2010 recover from this devastatingly heart wrenching news? I don't really know. Probably not. So let's just forget about the remainder of the year and pre-order our tickets for Whedon Fest 2011! Out-of-town guests can speak to me about a discounted stay at our home.

We are going to get through this.

Buffy's on YouTube!

For those of you wondering what's going on with the Buffy project, it's been a pretty slow winter. We didn't film any scenes, mostly due to the cold weather and lack of wanting to be outside in California-esque clothes. Now that it's beginning to warm up we'll hopefully resume shooting soon and the blog will be updated accordingly!

I'd also like to share some potentially exciting news about Buffy. We've been discussing the idea of filming some of the behind-the-scenes footage and creating a making-of-Buffy documentary. Heather Trollope, our resident photographer, will be stepping up and using a video camera for the first time to capture all of this. It should bring you some pretty fun footage, which might include a lot of me and Velvet watching Buffy episodes at home (filmed in real time) and asking each other "Would Buffy wear this? What about this?" "Would you rather date Giles or Wesley Wyndam Price?" Lucky viewers!!!

The only recent Buffy news I have to share is that our opening credits are now on YouTube! The video went pretty viral overnight and has skyrocketed to 90 views and counting. Please give it a watch and tell your Buffy/Joss Whedon-loving friends.

My First Gif

Have you ever dreamed of seeing yourself clad in red crushed velour, driving a wooden stake (or two) into the hearts of your vampiric enemies? Have you ever wanted to watch this scene again and again, in an endless loop of destruction and dusting? Have you ever thought that you were more deserving of a gif than anyone else that you know?

I have. And now my dreams have come true.

Thanks to my editor and cinematographer, Zak Tatham, I have been immortalized in gif form (this now marks one of my life goals complete). Check it out!

I've always been very intrigued by gifs and I think I'd like to use more of them and their hypnotic powers. My favorite gif-master can be found here, Rich from fourfour who has an awesome blog. He makes gifs even more fun by combining them with the ridiculousness that is Tyra Banks and America's Next Top Model (a show often overlooked by the Emmys, though it could be [but is not] described as the critic's darling for its innovative and often unflinching look into the fashion industry and society).

Now I challenge YOU to make your own gifs, whether they be gifs of me or gifs of things that aren't me.

Special thanks to Zak T., who I hope will have a long future in the gif-industry.

Cut it out, Anthony Stewart Head

Well, well, well.

Mood: Absolutely Starstruck

I received a special package in the mail the other day, the postage marked all the way from England. Opening it I had no idea what was inside and thought perhaps it was an invitation to join a British collaging group (an offer I would most likely have declined--I don't really "get" the British style of collaging).

I opened the package and instead of a fawning letter, I found something WAY better--an autographed headshot of Anthony Stewart Head (aka Mr. Rupert Giles from Buffy, come on)!

The headshot is creased from its journey in the mail and is quite possibly the most unflattering picture I've ever seen of ASH. It's also a photo from when he apparently did a stint on the British show Dr. Who, instead of a Buffy photo that I would obviously have preferred. HOWEVER, the autograph looks fresh and authentic, and who cares, it's an autographed picture of Giles!! It made my week/year.

So this turn of events means that at least one Buffy cast member has received my package from months ago, with the personalized letters and script copies. The package from ASH came just with the signed headshot, no letter or mention of the script. However, I'm going to assume that his personalized present to me signifies his full consent in the project.

Welcome aboard, Anthony Stewart Head!

Anthony Stewart Head, rehearsals start in a week.

PS--You can also bet your bippy I'll be following up with ASH with more letters (and another request for a Buffy headshot. Can't get enough of this guy!).

It's finally here...

As promised, the wait is finally over. Click the link below to check out the rough cut of our Buffy opening credits!

(omg)

We still have a few minor things to tweak but overall, I'm very happy about this and how it's turned out. Our editor, Zak Tatham, has done an awesome job and I'm so grateful to him for working so hard on this. He's simply the best, as a song once said. A special thanks also goes to Velvet, Heather and all of the actors for all of their help.

Watch for Buffy, Xander, Willow, Giles, Cordelia, Spike and Drusilla all in action, as well as various demons, 2 feral cats and 1 woodland creature (hidden Easter egg).

Hope you enjoy it as much as we did making it. We'd love to hear your thoughts! Much more to come in 2010--this is just the beginning.

*note to Joss Whedon for when he reads my blog--again, I ask that you please do not sue us. :)

Buffy: Day 89/ MEGA BUFFY TEASERS!

Mood: Excited

Now, I hope you haven't thought we forgot about this project or tried to quietly sweep it under the kitchen rug. Let me reassure you, work has been progressing (slowly) and pretty soon you will all be presented with a big surprise. Want a hint? It MAY be our opening credits, what you've been watching the making-of the past 3 months.

But back to the present. We've been dealing with a few problems which have stalled production a bit. As some of you may know, our crew is based in Toronto. Toronto, where the weather is currently -5 Celsius, the ground is covered with snow, and breath is visible when you talk. Basically, we couldn't have an environment that resembles Sunnydale, California less. The visible snow and freezing weather have halted all outdoor filming (Let it be said, I offered my actors a bonus to try to do these scenes and was met with a flat-out refusal and frankly, some diva behavior. I don't wish to specify who the diva is, but I will tell you that it was Xander).

We've also ran into some trouble locating a suitable library where we can film. As all Buffy fans know, the Sunnydale library is a major part of almost all early Buffy episodes and also a really neat set, filled with dark wood, ancient texts and early 90's computers. Since a good chunk of our script takes place in the library, we would need a VIP, unlimited pass to this not-yet-found library. We're debating building our own library set in our kitchen so we can film whenever we want. And then our kitchen would be like the Buffy library, which would be awesome. I can't really see any negatives here, so our set department is currently searching for dark wood.

(Here's the goal)

(...totally attainable)

The most exciting recent news is that you'll finally receive your first looks at Spike, Drusilla and Cordelia! We filmed Spike and Drusilla at a very old theater which is actually a preserved heritage site. Let me tell you, strings were pulled to get this photo shoot. Hope you enjoy it!

Spike and Drusilla (also known as Bobby and Vanessa). Bobby was getting used to his vampire teeth here, while Vanessa surprised (and charmed) us all by bringing her own personal knife to use as a prop.

Zak films Drusilla playing with her porcelain dolls.

Zak likes to drape himself in props and wear his lucky Shriner's hat (price tag still attached) at each shoot. At first we called him a madman, but you can't argue with the results.

Our lighting department is currently on strike, so we've all had to pitch in and help with the lights. And you know what, they can stay on strike as long as they want to; I'm not providing a Party Pizza at the crafts service table at every shoot. It just sets the wrong atmosphere for shoots. So enjoy unemployment, lighters!

Hey--guess who this blood-covered gal is? That's right, it's Cordy (also known as Leslie)! I'd tell you who (or what) the green hand is, but that may reveal too much.

GUEST STAR (impersonation) ALERT!! We filmed a quick bit for the opening credits with Buffy and her favorite best-friend-bitter-rival-evil slayer, Faith! Eliza Dushku did not return a single one of my two letters/numerous texts so Velvet stepped in and quickly replaced her. We filmed the scene where Buffy & Faith dance with reckless abandon and sexiness at the Bronze. The single strand of Christmas lights and our Walmart fog machine set the scene pretty well.

So as you can see, we've been very busy lately. I have one more surprise for you though--ACTUAL SCREEN GRABS. Our cinematographer was nice enough to provide me with a few stills from our footage which will tease and entice you guys. (That's why I've coined the term "teasers" for them!) I don't want to reveal too much, just enough to excite you for the actual footage, which is coming at you at a truly rapid pace.

CHECK 'EM OUT!

That's all you get for now--but stayed tuned for our big reveal! I hope these grabs keep you up at night and make you wonder what the hell that zany Sunnydale gang is up to, why we use our cats in so many of our projects and why Spike's hair isn't blond. Feel free to ruminate below.

*(Special thanks and gratitude to Heather and Zak for the photos and footage. One love goes out to you two.)

PS--There may be a few fake-out teasers tossed in there, just to keep you on your toes. Don't trust everything you see.

Buffy: Day 16

Day 16 was a small shoot with just me, Rob and Amy (or Buffy, Xander and Willow), but it was particularly exciting because it was our first day of shooting actual DIALOGUE! We did a scene set outside of Sunnydale High (University of Toronto did a pretty nice job of subbing in).

Mood: Freezing

The day started with some location scouting and apparently a Chinese Lantern festival.

Ready for your first glance at Buffy, Xander and Willow? Dream Team!

We did some publicity photos and took a few shots to test the lighting before our rehearsals and filming.

Hey, look! We're having a perfectly normal conversation! Pretty good acting, huh?

Sunnydale High? Sure.

Rob's wardrobe as Xander consists almost entirely of polyester shirts. And strangely enough, Wardrobe found most of them in the women's section. You certainly can't tell.

It was a short scene that we shot, but it was so cold outside that I had goosebumps all over my skin. Note Zak's winter jacket, which probably kept him pretty warm against the wind. Note my bare arms, which did not. I'm sure people in California sometimes shiver and have chattering teeth while in the sunshine, right? This episode is going to be picked apart by the critics.

Nice socks, Amy!

All in all, once we got a few rehearsals out of the way, the scene went well. However, I'm slightly worried that I may be a horrible actor. I'm still surprised by how long it takes to film even the shortest scene--this one took at least 2 hours. Now we have 1 page of the script done--46 to go! We're still working on scheduling issues but hopefully the next update I have will include some Spike & Drusilla footage and some graveyard scenes. My current project is working on creating the 'Vampyr' book that's featured in all of the Buffy openings and making more tombstones (the invitation for fan-art tombstones still stands!).

So just a quick update from me; keep an eye in the media for us, I think word is starting to spread after some interviews. But don't worry, I promise that artistic integrity will remain our primary focus!

Buffy: Day 8

The documentation of the making of Buffy continues with Day 8 of work!

Mood: Excited, with a touch of nerves.

I met with the majority of the cast and we continued our work on the opening credits. It was a great day, though long and cold. It was the first time that the actors playing Xander and Willow and I were all together (I've decided to proceed with using actors instead of waiting for the original cast to reply; if needed, we will do re-shoots using original members). I'm happy to report that I think the three of us definitely have the chemistry needed to portray such close friends. Though I didn't manage to grab any pictures with my friend Amy (playing Willow) or the 3 of us together, I'll be sure to post some next time, along with some fun costume photos. Dressing for the 90s is an awesome task; Velvet has a SuperGirl baby-tee that I'm dying to wear.

We filmed quite a bit of action shots for the montage; including a sword-wielding scene in the park, Buffy swinging on a soccer goalpost and kicking a demon, Willow & Xander exploring an attic (ahem, crypt) and a graveyard candlelit demon-raising. You know, an entirely average day.

Let's check it out!

Here we are between shots. Velvet's inspecting my hair and makeup while Jordan and Zak set up for the next take.


Your first look at Giles: Andrew (standing in until we hear from Anthony Stewart-Head) and I begin to develop our Watcher/Slayer relationship. Here Andrew instructs me on a move while I learn. Andrew's wearing the "casual Giles" sweater.



Jordan was again our go-to demon for the shoot. Velvet made him into a gray-faced suit demon (as a loosely based homage to the demons in Buffy "Hush"). I then promptly kicked him in the chest and pushed him into the ground. Sorry Jordan; life of a demon. Here he is relaxing between takes.



Watcher/Slayer/Red Velour Pants



These are some shots from the night-time action scene, which included us huddled around a gravestone chanting and running through the thick smoke (fog machine) on our way to stake something (or someone...).



Xander, Giles and Buffy, just chilling before heading to the Bronze. (Fun fact: it was actually very cold this night, but you could never tell it by looking at us--that's called acting).



XANDER ACTION SHOT!



You should probably also know that we filmed these scenes (and last week's) in my backyard, which opens up to an entire row of condo windows. So far we've only witnessed two (strangely human-like) cats at a window watching us film, but I'm guessing that lots of neighbors are raising their eyebrows at us chanting Latin over a makeshift tombstone, holding a cat up to the heavens in sacrifice and running at full speed while clutching wooden stakes (see below).





Little does Velvet know the grave peril she's in. I like to routinely test my cast/crew by doing random stakings in order to weed out any vampire infiltrations. Velvet passed (this time).



This action sequence took about 20 minutes to film. It involved me throwing both Jordan and Zak into piles of leaves after fending off attacks from them. Don't worry, both of them ended up battered and bruised. This scene also marked Velvet's first time filming in the project. I think she did a great job--it was a hard scene with lots of angles and fast-paced action. Look for it in the opening! It's got her personal touches all over it.



So that's the latest batch of pictures (thanks again to Heather Trollope, our set photographer) chronicling the adventures of our Buffy episode. It's been great fun so far, but I'm realizing that scheduling is going to be an issue. As with any large cast, gathering people together for rehearsals/shootings is becoming quite difficult. I would love to film for a week straight and finish it before January, but I don't think it will be possible. Our "Sunnydale" may have to include lots of snow and winter coats. We still haven't had a full cast read-through, which worries me a bit. However, we're filming again this weekend and will hopefully see our first glimpses of Drusilla and Cordelia.

As always, stay tuned for more updates. Any thoughts or suggestions? I wanna know.

PS--My cameraman informed that the REAL Drusilla, Juliet Landeau (an apparent gothic princess), will actually be in town THIS SATURDAY, at the Silver Snail comic shop signing autographs. Hmm--is this the perfect opportunity to personally hand over her script and do a little PR magic? She's charging $25 for an autograph, so it seems like she means business. Perhaps I'll stop by if I can work up the nerve, and cash. She knows she'd be working pro-bono for me, but my offer of 2 stacks of magazines still stands. We'll see if she accepts.