More embarassing footage

Started: 2006-08-08 20:19:01

Submitted: 2006-08-08 20:31:31

Visibility: World-readable

A year and a half after shooting the first two episodes of The Why? Files, Willy, Heather, and I gathered again to shoot the third and final episode, once again at my parents' house in south Boulder. We got a bit ambitious while filming the episode, cutting more often than we had in previous episodes; unfortunately, our camcorder was having power issues and lost its position on the tape when the power cut out. This means it may never be possible to rescue the entire movie, but I present several stills for your viewing horror. From my journal entry on the day we filmed, 29 December 1999:

In the afternoon, Heather came over and I filmed and directed her and Willy in another episode of The Why? Files. I followed Willy's basic plot outline and attempted to make it all work within the confines of time, resources, and being tethered to a power outlet. (I hate being tethered, but I make the best of it whenever possible.) I engaged in my standard guerilla filmmaking techniques, blocking out a scene, making a few practice runs, then making the one and only take, in sequence because I lack superior editing techniques.

The episode, if it could be called such, started with Willy as Special Agent Hound at Ziyal playing GNU Tetris. Heather as Special Agent Scaly comes in and he quickly switches desktops and shows the FBI website and tells her of their assignment: to hunt down some bad guy (played by me, of course) who has a wormhole and uses it to steal stuff. We filmed an elaborate Nerf gun versus plastic lightsaber battle between Willy and I as a random guard. I changed and became the bad guy himself for a real lightsaber battle between Willy and I. Heather ends up killing me after I knock Willy's lightsaber to the ground far below.

Heather's mom showed up before we were totally finished, forcing me to come up with an ending scene quickly. I made something up and it was remotely funny enough to work. Heather departed and Willy and I watched the episode. There were enough long static-filled pauses to be really annoying; I suspect it has something to do with cutting the power when it's not really suspended. It didn't help that the power cable or adaptor or the jack between them was being very temperamental.

Special Agents Hound and Scaly examine the new super-Nerf gun.

The Nerf gun features three modes: Nerf, Destruction, and Genocide. This was the result of the Destruction setting.

Coming up with the plan outside the bad guy's estate. Not entirely unlike the general method used to film these episodes. This scene would have profited from a tripod.