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12-03-01 "The Felonious Photographer!"

The play premiered this weekend and was finished today with a final showing for the high school. I was terribly worried that the performance would be a bit lacking but the cast managed to show me that they were actually listening to what myself and Mrs. Fuge had to offer. There were many additional things I wanted to do as far as the set was concerned but I had to just accept the fact that there is only so much time in the course of a day! Thank the heavens that's done now. Lori didn't come to see the show; I was a bit disappointed. Anyway, I'll still need to take a few nights to disassemble the set and put all the supplies away but as of now I'm not rushing into that. I have one priority now and that's to finish "The Hunt".

I've been spending many late nights at school editing like a madman. As of now I'm thinking it'll get finished in time, especially if I keep up the pace at which I'm going. For the most part I'm pretty excited about how the edits are all coming together. My kids are terribly anxious to see the final product as they've seen all kinds of little clips while I have been working.

12-06-01 "Many, Many Late Nights!!!"

Well, as the days continue onward I find myself spending far too many late nights at school editing! I usually end up leaving after the night janitor has gone home. Then it's up again the next day to do it all over again! Lori figured out the phone system so she can call me so that's a nice break from a long night of editing and rendering! That is my time right now... Movie, Lori, students, potty break! I'll need to start thinking about Christmas presents soon but not now!

Also got a check from the owner of the maze park and, while I knew the kids weren't going to get much, I was a little surprised at how little it actually was. The biggest disappointment for me was that there was absolutely no form of compensation for me at all! It was as if Odis the Gravedigger hadn't even been there! I kept being told that I was the one guy that they needed to get involved but I guess that was because my time wasn't worth anything?! I'm going to need to talk to Todd about this or I certainly will not be involved next year. Actually it's my own fault for spending so much time there in the first place. A night or two I can see donating to the cause but I was there almost half the nights. That's a lot of my personal free time given away!!

12-12-01 "A Run To Madville!!"

I got a chance to walk around on State Street in Madison this weekend with Lori and her son Dan. We had a blast and I could finally show Lori someplace she hadn't been before me. I'd bet she'd really flourish down there. I took them to all the hangouts and showed them (even if they didn't care) where my movie might be playing in April! Oh yes!! The film festival was in the air for me! Probably because that's about the only time I make it down to Madville anymore. It is a three to four hour drive after all!

It felt great to finally get away for a weekend as I've been all business these past few months it seems! From one thing to another... from Homecoming to Haunted Maze to Holder Posey and throughout the whole process I've been trying to finish my movie!! I've been going like a fool but I've been productive as all get out! I desperately need to take a breath of air.

I also needed to take this little journey as I've been telling Lori for the past few weeks that we'll take a trip soon. She was beginning to view me as a liar which I am not! Overall, a good time was had by all and now, with thoughts of Madison in my mind, I find myself hungry for noodles!!

12-17-01 "'The Making of' 'The Hunt'!!"

That's right. It's time to begin thinking about any additional footage to be included in the project. Believe me we have more bloopers than movie so we'll be sure to include a number of those. I'd also like to include a run down of the near disasters we encountered during the shoot. Heck, I've got footage of a shotgun actually blowing up in my lap! A few inches could have cost me my fingers! I've nearly got a near inferno as a halogen lamp burned a hole in two of my quilts. I've got stuck vehicles and police interference. I wish we'd have gotten some footage of the police the day we shot on the back roads over by Keller's Lake. It still blows me away that the cops would drive right by without a single question as a group of guys are standing over a broken bloody corpse on the side of the road. Only in Wisconsin... I hope!

I am getting closer and closer to completion every day. It's becoming difficult finding enough disc space on the computer for such a massive project! I find myself erasing things all the time and praying that I won't need that footage later for some unknown reason! I will probably need it for the trailer though, dad blast it!!

12-20-01 "The Hot Tub That Nearly Was!!"

Crud!! I missed out on a great deal!! While I was visiting Tom his neighbor, Doug, called. He asked (through Tom) if I wanted a hot tub as he was getting ready to get rid of his. I jokingly said 'yes', as I was almost certain he was kidding. Well, come to find out that that darn guy was serious!! He ended up selling the hot tub for a dollar to the first guy that could haul it away!! Heck, the fellas could have gotten a snowmobile trailer down there that day if I'd have known he was serious!! We looked into getting one a while ago but decided we couldn't afford it! For a dang dollar it would have been a godsend! Oh man, now Lori and all the chicks will have to lay out in the kiddy pool with the dog! Thanks Doug!! I'll remember your dastardly methods in the days to come!!

12-21-01 "Entries Due!!!!!"

Today was the absolute final day for entries for the Wisconsin Film Festival. I sent the movie out four days ago and I'll be sweating bullets until I get some kind of notification as to our initial acceptance. After that I'll be sweating to see if it'll make it into the festival or not! Man, will this sweating never end?

Things with the little lady (she hates it when I call her that but that's because she really is little - a wonderful size!) are going great. I'm getting to the point where I'm almost ready to open up to her completely. It feels pretty good!

Shot some initial footage of Tom introducing the project for the documentary. I'm not sure if it'll work or if I'd rather have him answering questions and Jason doing the initial introductory and closing?!

12-24-01 "The Test Audience?!!!"

I gave a mini premiere of "The Hunt" tonight at my Dad's place and I couldn't be more pleased! It was very well received by everyone present! The audience was pretty unbiased too as they pretty much didn't know any of the actors in my troupe. Right now my favorite part of the movie is the climactic point in the woods. I can't tell you what a kick I get out of watching people's reaction to that scene! The pacing is deliberately slow up to that point and it just seems to catch people off guard.

This was my first real test audience. If it does half as well in the festival I'll be one big happy camper. The night did wonders on my frazzled nerves. People might just like this movie after all!!

Lori went to her daughter Amber's house but that's probably for the best as she's starting to get sick of people. She can be quite the little Grinch when she wants to be!

12-26-01 "The Day After Christmas!!"

Lori was funny these last few days. I'm not exactly sure what's going on in her head. Maybe Seasonal Depression is a bigger deal than I had initially thought it was? Yesterday when we got back to her place she was so distant. I felt like leaving right then and there but I knew that wouldn't be the mature thing to do. It also wouldn't be very tasteful with it being Christmas and all. We tried to talk things out a bit but it only got worse.

Today she called me during her lunch break to have me take her to dinner. What fun that was... I got chewed out for taking the wrong turn toward the bank (the direction she told me to go by the way) and I got to buy dinner for someone who barely spoke to me.

The holidays have always been a time I've looked forward to but this year I'm hoping they'll be over soon so my loving girlfriend will return and this Scrooge disappears!

12-30-01 "Those Dang Hobbits!!"

Today I got a chance to see the film "The Lord Of The Rings". I had to talk Danny into going again as he'd seen it already in Indiana. Lori decided she couldn't sit that long (it's a three hour movie for crying out loud!) so she stayed home. That's a bit of a bummer as I had thought she wanted to see this movie?! She tells me that she doesn't like seeing movies in the theatre... bummer!

I was greatly impressed with the settings in "Rings". They were often breathtaking. I also liked the costuming and the characterization. The computer generated stuff was top notch for the most part but some of the monster effects looked a little less than convincing. I loved how the gave the characters their size and scale. I also loved how they gave a strong sense the ring's evil. I did feel that the movie was a bit slow at times.

I've been holed up for the past two days with a bit of the flu. Finally felt a little better today.

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