“A Depressed Whale”

QuickTime:
http://www.filmcow.com/adepressedwhale.html

YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_dEtaNx2Vc

I’m going to try to start having a more consistent release schedule from now on, even when I’m busy with larger projects.  Cartoons like this one only take me a couple of days to complete so I should be able to at least have something for you guys on a regular basis.

http://www.badideapictures.com/index.php?page=products/fracktaplots

It is glorious.

So here we are, seven months later, and Robert Benfer has made a feature-length sock puppet movie.  And it’s actually really good.

Super-low-budget movies are always hit or miss.  Often independent filmmakers will ignore the fact that they don’t have a professional lighting rig or trained actors and go on and film their movie as if they did.  The result is usually a boring, unwatchable mess.  I’m sorry, but your friend Ron isn’t a good enough actor to make us understand his inner torment through subtle glances and stares.  And no, those two work-lights you got at Home Depot are not going to make your basement scene “super creepy and awesome.”

Then there are the independent filmmakers who understand the limitations of their budget and use those limitations to make their movies better.  Robert has done this with “The Fracktaplots,” and to such a degree that I can honestly say the movie would probably be considerably less funny if he had somehow acquired a million dollars to film it with.

Take an early scene in the film where the main character, Mick, gets a call from his girlfriend.  His cell phone hovers up from below the screen, tied with rubber-bands to a large stick, and then stops near Mick’s head.  It’s so silly looking that you can’t help but laugh.  If Robert had a budget for this movie I guarantee you this shot would have been far less hilarious.

The entire movie is filled with similar visual gags.  In fact, “The Fracktaplots” is visually hilarious period.  Each and every sock puppet is funny to look at and funny to watch, and they stay funny for the entire length of the film.  Combine this with the fact that everything is actually well shot, and you have a movie that’s surprisingly entertaining just to watch.  Having read the script beforehand I knew that the dialogue was going to be great, but I really was surprised by how much the visuals added to the experience.  I expected the socks to essentially act as a blank slate to Robert’s writing, but they provide something new here, something that makes watching “The Fracktaplots” a completely unique and weird experience.

Beyond the insane sock puppet visuals is your standard “Robert Benfer Nonsense Story-line” driven by consistently funny dialogue and AMAZING VOICE ACTING (I do two voices in the movie.)  There really wasn’t a boring moment in the entire thing.  From start-to-finish I was entertained, and that’s far more than I can say about most movies I’ve seen lately.

“The Fracktaplots” comes out in March, and will be available for sale at:
http://www.badideapictures.com/

You can watch the trailer here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSG69jooQpM

And see a scene from the film (with me in it!) here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYeYh7bUd3M

http://roflcon.org/registration/

It’ll be a fun-filled and adventurous two days of internet people talking about the internet.

In THREEEEE DEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE.

Yeah so if you’ve got $65 bucks to blow ($45 for students) be sure to stop by.  I will be wearing a purple dress and holding a red rose with a ribbon tied around the stem.  Meet me in front of the old ice cream parlor.

http://www.cafepress.com/filmcow/7073378

Also, speaking of llamas, Chris Alex (who voices Carl) is now on Twitter: @FilmCow_Chris

Anyway, here are the Llamas merchandise designs:

QuickTime:
http://www.filmcow.com/doctorfabulous.html

YouTube (HD available):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2k7aoIGqTI

ENJOY, MY FRIENDS.

The post-production on this video was considerably more difficult than I initially expected it to be.  In total there ended up being 112 effects shots (a couple of scenes take place in front of a green screen), and everything was done in full 1080p HD, so there was a crap load of work to be done.  In the end it was worth it, I think this is my favorite live-action short I’ve ever done.  It’s… fabulous HAHAHAHAHA SNORT.

Also, to the few of you who occasionally make fake “Jason Steele” comments pretending to be me: the comments here have to be manually approved by me before going public.  So whenever you post as “Jason Steele,” or spam, or whatever, no one ever sees it but you.  So please stop, it’s gay.

More updates to come!

LOOK AT ALL OF THOSE TAPES GOOD GOLLY

Doctor Fabulous will only be a 10 minute video, but I shot more footage for this than any other movie I’ve ever made.  There is, in total, around nine hours worth of raw video.  I’m importing the tapes now – it’s going to take me all day.

To put this in perspective, “World of Dentists,” which was 20 minutes, only had four and a half hours worth of stuff shot for it.  So this movie, which is twice as short, has twice as much raw video.

If we had shot this much footage on 35mm film stock instead of HDV, the film itself would have cost us 32 thousand dollars – and processing would have been about that much as well.  Three cheers for the digital age!  Screw you celuloid!  You’re not my real mom!

I’ll keep you all updated as to my editing progress.