The Night Shift is the production diary of Fighting Owl Film's new independent supernatural-adventure-comedy of the same name currently in "post" in Mobile, AL. Over the course of the next several weeks and months, you'll get an insider's peek at what it's like for filmmakers to craft a new entry of paranormal pop culture from Erin Lilley, a producer and actress on the film.
Done!
At precisely 10:02 p.m., April 14, 2011, two identical Facebook status updates went out simultaneously. The updates contained one word, and one word only: "DONE!"
That's right, ladies and gentlemen. The Night Shift is officially finished. Complete. In the can. Finito. Stick a fork in it.
That's right, ladies and gentlemen. The Night Shift is officially finished. Complete. In the can. Finito. Stick a fork in it.
It took a few months longer than we had originally anticipated, largely due to post-production crew hiccups, but the day has come and it is finally out of post and ready for release. Somewhere. By someone. We hope.
We actually decided to call it around 7 p.m. The color-corrector once again failed to send us files we could actually, you know, open. Not only that, but what we could see of his work was actually much worse than what we sent him to begin with. What we'd sent him was basically a color-corrected film in need of some minor polish, but definitely a watchable, saleable property in its own right. Thomas and I sat down and discussed our options: Did we want to try again with him? Was there anyone else who could do the job? Did we need anyone else to do the job?
We actually decided to call it around 7 p.m. The color-corrector once again failed to send us files we could actually, you know, open. Not only that, but what we could see of his work was actually much worse than what we sent him to begin with. What we'd sent him was basically a color-corrected film in need of some minor polish, but definitely a watchable, saleable property in its own right. Thomas and I sat down and discussed our options: Did we want to try again with him? Was there anyone else who could do the job? Did we need anyone else to do the job?
We decided to go with the lovely correction we already had in hand, invented a few new nicknames for the corrector, removed his name from the credits and pronounced the film done. Then we just sat back for a couple of hours, watched a little Buffy the Vampire Slayer
on Netflix and generally just enjoyed the quiet glow of having a finished film.
Friday evening, we commenced work on the Burning of the DVDs and the Stuffing of the Envelopes. It's like the Running of the Bulls, only more frenzied, less exciting, and with greater danger of papercuts to your tongue. We're now in the process of sending out press kits and review screeners, and I feel like I'm really beginning to bond with the ladies that work in our post office.
on Netflix and generally just enjoyed the quiet glow of having a finished film.Friday evening, we commenced work on the Burning of the DVDs and the Stuffing of the Envelopes. It's like the Running of the Bulls, only more frenzied, less exciting, and with greater danger of papercuts to your tongue. We're now in the process of sending out press kits and review screeners, and I feel like I'm really beginning to bond with the ladies that work in our post office.
Frankly, this is the most nervous I've ever been. Wish us luck!
The newest trailer is now online, and can be viewed at http://www.thenightshiftmovie.
With that in mind, I thought I'd take the opportunity to thank a few folks for their contributions to the movie.
Yes, we have a "Special Thanks" section in the credits, but this set is for the unsung heroes of the film.
First of all, I'd like to thank the good people of Starbucks. Without your yummy Iced Soy Caramel Macchiattos, I never could have made it through the shoots. Also, thank you, Buffalo Rock and Coca-Cola, for keeping our non-coffee drinker director awake and in relatively decent spirits.
To the makers of Hot Pockets: God bless you. Your quickly-heated, hand-held sustinance allowed our makeup applications to begin earlier, which, in turn, gave us more time to shoot. Thomas and I are forever grateful. Of course, if I go the rest of my life without seeing another one, I won't be heartbroken. I hope you understand.
To the nice folks at Off! Skintastic for guarding us from malaria, at worst, and unsightly welts, at best. You saved the makeup crew a lot of time and extra work.
Hawaiian Tropic, you rock. Not only did you keep our undead caretaker nice and pale, but in a pinch, you doubled up as a replacement for greasepaint when a zombie realized she was allergic to her makeup. That's going above and beyond, my friend.
Ah, Duct Tape! What can I say about you that hasn't already been said? Thank you for keeping the top of Herbie's skull in place. It's never good to have your principal characters lose their heads in the literal sense.
Lastly, to the Gladys Kravitzes of the area, who felt the need to call the cops on us more than once, I thank you. Your nosiness led to fun stories to share, and a chance to meet some of Mobile, Alabama's wonderful police officers. They were extremely nice, made us feel extra safe, and had nothing but lovely things to say about us. The same, however, can not be said for what they had to say about you. Next movie, I'm printing t-shirts emblazoned with, "We Have Permission To Be Here, KTHXBYE".
Really, though, the honest-to-God thanks need to go to the online community, and all of you guys who have supported us with articles, interviews, and kind words. We'd especially like to thank Aaron and everyone at Paranormal Pop Culture for their exuberant support. You have no idea how much it's meant. There have been times when we've wanted to just throw our hands up and yell, "I QUIT!," but then we look back at how excited people seem to be about this movie, and know that we have something worth finishing. You guys get us through the dark, and that's worth more thanks than I can express.
Okay, enough celebrating. Back to paperwork and research. A producer's job is never done.
We're still plugging away at this thing. In the meantime, you can follow The Night Shift at www.thenightshiftmovie.com. You can check out the poster, trailer, cast and crew, and some fun downloads. Heck, if you like, you can even be our friend on Facebook and Twitter (@NightShiftMovie), where you can follow more of the progress of the movie.