Wednesday I'm back in "The Lab"

After a nice little trip to Boston, I've resumed my pre-production tasks in high gear.

While I was away, I took the opportunity to memorize the lines for my character in Tuning In, Tuning Out. I also wound up composing some additional music for the musical score I'm recording. How do I do this while on vacation with no instruments? I wake up in the middle of the night with a vision of a certain melody playing over a particular scene and I sing it into my voice note recorder.

Oh, I might as well mention that while I was on "vacation," I was also invited to contribute some more writing for the British Horror Magazine Diabolique. For those of you who don't know, this is a pretty prestigious magazine that is available at your local bookstores; the last article of mine that they published was about the making of Outtake Reel. Anyway, I am about halfway through writing my third article for them (the second is about nudity in horror films and is scheduled for publication in 2013); this article will concern children and horror movies.

Back in the lab, I've made a mold of my teeth (I was successful after two attempts) upon which I will sculpt creature teeth. Additionally, having received the postal scale that I ordered through Amazon, I was able to measure out the delicate balance of components to successfully mix up a batch of Silicone. As mentioned on the Tuning In, Tuning Out Facebook Page, the cracked plaster cast of my face needs duplication; so instead of casting my face all over again, I'm casting the cast of my face. And to do that, I needed to take safety precautions (goggles, mask) to avoid the harmful effects of the chemicals.

I've also been generally rounding up some of the miscellaneous props and supplies necessary for shooting - which starts next week!

Anyway, there's still plenty to do, so I'm gonna get back to my things before reporting to one of my "real" jobs at the tutoring center. If you haven't already done so, now would be a good time to help me out with ANY amount of donation to the project, which you can do here: DONATE

Tuesday I inserted Foreign Objects into my Body

Yes, it was a wondrous day! It was a day of joy and sorrow, but at least I got the sorrow out of the way early on. After traveling to, calling, and e-mailing four different eye-exam offices, I finally wound up going to Target's Vision Center to get sized-up for contacts.

I need a contact lens prescription in order to receive the Theatrical Contact Lenses that ExtremeSFX is donating to the production of TITO. I had never worn contacts before, and both putting them in and taking them out was very difficult. Finally, to get them out, I just thought, "Hell, if every man, woman, and child I know can do this, then so can I!" I wound up grasping onto my eyeballs and squeezing and shaking them to get the lenses off.

I also made a mold of my teeth. This is achieved by shoving a plastic tray of alginate (a goop-like substance) into one's mouth for about four minutes. I had to do the top and bottom separately; fortunately, the stuff has no taste. Right now, the dental stone, which will yield replicas of my teeth, is setting (hardening) in the kitchen.

So, first my eyes and then my mouth - two sensitive openings - were invaded by foreign objects and substances today. It's all part of the continuing adventures in making Tuning In, Tuning Out.

Coming Soon: My Fiberglass Adventure

Tuesday, it's May...

I've been burning the midnight oil lately...mostly working on Tuning In, Tuning Out.

After finalizing a shoot date, I am pleased to announce that principal photography for my new experimental, horror, short film will take place on the first two weekends in June.

Make-Up artists Alondra Excene Shields and D'nelle Almanza came by and took a life cast of my face last week; I have just finished making the positive mold of my face, upon which I will sculpt the various appliances that will eventually wind up transforming my character into a frightening creature.

Images of this process, as well as the headshots of several cast members have been added to the Facebook Page that I started for this project.

I have also been working on creating a video to generate interest and donations for the production. It is a very unique presentation, insofar as such things go, and I hope that it allows me to raise the modest sum that I will require to make this project possible.

It should be done in a few days, so stay tuned!