Production at Oskar Films this summer was marked by a lot of hard work in the hot Florida sun, a two-week, east coast road trip, a few accomplishments that were worthy of note, and, more recently, an endless amount of rain.
For starters, global viewership for "Blacksmith" spiked from 17 countries and territories in January to more than 70 by early July. This was due primarily to the fact that the film had been picked up by GuideDoc, Filmzie and Flexnet TV for online and smartTV streaming. Our July 7 press release announcing the news was picked by several newspapers, including The Quincy Sun, The Beaumont Enterprise, the San Antonio Express-News, and The San Francisco Chronicle. Not bad for a 15-minute debut film.
This summer also saw the completion of “Gardens of Life’s” first 15 reels. A rough estimate puts the film’s principal photography to about 20 percent completed. Shooting this summer was tough. June, July and August brought stifling heat and humidity, and, of course, Florida’s fickle rainy season. It seemed whenever we wanted it to rain, it didn’t. And when we needed a stretch of good weather, we were given a downpour. I often found myself looking out onto my lanai, thinking how much Mother Nature must love irony.
Nevertheless, my team and I soldiered on and got our work done.
Once reel 15 was in the can, my wife and I took a 1,500-mile road trip to my parent's home in Southeastern Massachusetts. Along the way we spent time in Charleston, S.C., Washington, D.C., and New York City. I didn't shoot much video, but I did take a lot of still pictures, digital and film. A few finished rolls are in my refrigerator awaiting development.
Now with autumn’s cooler weather on the horizon, “Gardens of Life” will resume production. Reels 11 through 15 will be sent to out for processing and scanning. Production on reels 16 through 20 will begin in October. Our goal is to complete 40 percent of principal photography by February.
Shooting a short, process documentary on Super 8 isn’t easy, but it’s a challenge we’ve enjoyed tackling. “Gardens’” rushes have been looking great. However, there’s a lot more work to do.
If you or your company sponsors films that have a strong potential for a global audience, visit Our Major Sponsors page for a look at the benefits of sponsoring “Gardens,” as well as future Oskar Films projects. If your company’s products are connected to gardening or home improvement, we’d love to talk to you about product placement opportunities in “Gardens of Life.”
As always, we thank you for your consideration. Stay tuned for more updates in the months ahead.
Best wishes,
Frank DiCesare
Comments