Original Music Orchestration!

Close up of musical score
prior to recording session

 We just posted an update on Kickstarter, which I will share here: 

Stan Skora holding iPad connected
to the composer in Australia 

We recently edited a behind the scenes look at the recording of one of our original pieces of music for the film.  We were able to hire some very good studio musicians working in Los Angeles, a state-of-the-art recording studio and excellent recording engineers.  Thanks to Stan Skora, the composer's husband, who is a professional recording engineer, and his connections with the musicians union and the recording studio, we got a fantastic deal.  

We were able to record Seven tracks of original composition, one of which is captured in this video "Joy Gives Us Wing."  Lisa Smith wrote such amazing music for the film, as though she had been transported to 1912 and brought back the spirit of the journey.  

For fun, watch for Lisa in the video; she was unable to fly from Australia to attend the session, so through technology she was there via facetime on the iPad.  See if you can see her smiling face. 

I will include the link below, so that you can watch the video--but hope to post the video here at some point! 

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/9432662/luminous-journey-abdul-baha-in-america-1912/posts/397084?ref=email&show_token=1ea7c6e4d83f55fd&play=1#video

In production at home; the final push in sight

Rebekah on set, "Kenyon Hotel"

 Keywe Studios was the scene of a final shoot on Friday, when we re-created a scene at the Kenyon Hotel in Salt Lake City, with Rebekah (assistant editor) and Brad (intern) helping out with technical aspects and acting!  It was fun to be back in production after so many post-production hours!

Lighting was challenging for Tim & Brad
as we simulated daylight

Props and costume elements were Anne's focus

Technicians at work 

Some may be wondering: when is this FILM ever going to be finished?  We can see the end, sort of, and have a list of scenes still to edit and still to refine.  Some people have told us the final push is the hardest part. We are hoping to have a completed work within 6 weeks! That puts us into March. Oh, the agony and the glory! Will we make it? Please send energy, thoughts, and prayers to us!

Travels: Orlando and Edinburgh

So many things to report!  The end of 2012 was filled with travel. After Seattle, we went to Orlando for  a conference on Social and Economic Development, where we presented a workshop on our film experiences--and the film-in-progress itself!

Speaking in Orlando, before

film screening

Performing a monologue about

Abdu'l-Baha's influence

Presenting poetry

Then, unbelievably, we went to Edinburgh for an arts retreat at the invitation of Gordon Kerr, who is creating a Foundation for the Arts called Dazzling Spark.  There, we met Andrew Singer (a pen pal on a writers' listserve) and Joseph Sheppherd (a writer/photographer). All of them are deeply connected to Abdu'l-Baha's journey in Edinburgh and the rest of Europe--as were others.

With Andrew Singer & Gordon Kerr

With Joseph Sheppherd

We got to shoot footage for a possible sequel to our film!  And celebrate New Year's in grand style,

Arts retreat; Andrew & I are reading

from Roger White's "Bring Chocolage"

attending a street party and Ceilidh with traditional music and dance. 

The significant part was that it thrust us back into a centenary year; I have been following the European journey since Dec. 5 and now suddenly we are living it!  More about that sometime later. 

New Years in Edinburgh. We can actually see

where we were standing, in this photo!

We filmed characters in costume!

Tim, Edinburgh Baha'i Center

Scene on stairs

Tim & Hari Docherty, out shooting

A lovely performer, Brina, and husband,
musician/producer Kieran Murray

Martin Kerr, from Canada

Seattle--and Home

A wonderful event was held on Saturday at the Bellevue Baha'i Center in the Seattle area, honoring the centenary of 'Abdu'l-Bahá's visit. The longest version of our film to date was shown there!

I got to speak in advance and afterwards, and great was the expression of enthusiasm and support.

Zabine Van Ness has done a marvelous job of creating a Baha'i history museum--it was such a pleasure to see it and to be there!

Our poster is now printed!  Back at home, we had a whole staff of people helping today: Ron and Linda helping with the poster tubing and mailing;

Tara working in the green room on the Philadelphia section;

Rebekah working on the last New York section;

Brad creating a behind-the-scenes video of the orchestration of our original music in LA;

Tim, as always, at his editing post

and me--blogging this blog!

Screening of work-in-progress

Mehdi, performing music

We had a screening of our work-in-progress at the Dallas Baha'i Center on Sunday, Nov. 25.  It sort of went well!  Technical problems with the sound caused us to show our previous version (with good sound), and then we showed some new sections, with a mic up to the little speaker coming out of the projector. . . . 

Tim & Anne at podium

Still, there was an overwhelmed response. The audience stood up!  There is still so much to do to finish the film. 

We had our first rejection today from film festival entries--Sundance.  But that just means we're on our path to success! 

Today is a special holy day associated with Abdu'l-Baha, the anniversary of His passing.  May it galvanize us to seize the time, before it passes! 

Inching forward!

EVERYTHING seems to be taking longer than what we envisioned. We have never made a feature-length film before and had no idea how long everything would take--especially the editing!  However, real progress is being made.

We have printed thank you FILM CARDS & and are sending them to contributors of time, talent, resources, funds.  

We have designed a FILM POSTER and are awaiting "review" and then will do final wording tweaks. 

Brad & Anne in studio

We have recorded the introductions and the pieces for a CD MONOLOGUES project, which I will edit with an audio student, Brad, at the Art Institute. 

Danny, our sound engineer

Brad, recording

Our ORIGINAL MUSIC continues to come in from Australia, where Stan Skora (our composer's husband and sound engineer), is doing final mixing on the orchestral versions of Lisa's music. In addition, we are using music by Ravand Samaeekia, Luke Slott, John Ebata, and Smith & Dragoman.  

The SOUNDTRACK CD won't be ready, however, until the film is complete. 

Animation and graphic elements are evolving; we've worked on the credit sequence and have flourishes, animated maps, chapter titles, and other aspects finished. The opening title sequence and the flashback sequences are taking the most time. 

Last, but not at all least, the FILM ITSELF is taking final shape--well, being edited slowly, by our meticulous editor-director, Tim. We are at the 60 minute mark of the edited film, which will probably end up at 120 minutes.  At this point, we can't predict when it will be finished. This is agonizing for me, but Tim plods away, day after day, adhering to high standards of beauty. I can't imagine that we'll be ready to send screening copies out until January at the earliest. 

We have submitted our work-in-progress to 8 film festivals. 

SCREENINGS of our work-in-progress will be occurring in DALLAS (Nov. 25), SEATTLE (Dec. 15); ORLANDO (Dec. 21); MICHIGAN and the NETHERLANDS (Dec. 27); and (we think) EDINBURGH (Dec. 29). These are all "private" screenings--i.e. for special events or conferences. We will not be traveling to all of these locations, however. 

We appreciate your continued thoughts, support, and PATIENCE as we bring to fruition this work of art and love. 

Intern; the home stretch; challenges

Andreas Attai

Andreas Attai was with us for 9 days and helped with several sections: America 1912, New York, Chicago, and Montana--a story from the West.  It was great to have him!  He did not complain about the chaos of our house--script versions taped up on walls, lists of goals everywhere--but did note with surprise that old people like us stayed up most of the night!  He was influenced somewhat but held to his basic sleep patterns--and Tim took the late shift! Of course, I have barely slept in 2 years.

Andreas & Tim setting up for a shoot

Now it is November, and we are pledged to show a version of the film on November 25--the Day of the Covenant. I want the film to be finished, of course, but that may not be possible. Still we are striving, mightily. However, we wish Andreas was still here!

 Andreas, editing. . . .

So--the "home stretch" is basically in sight as various things are achieved. But this project is so large! Many challenges impact us daily. But we've still managed to send a few more film festival entries in. 

 And others continue to help us. One weekend we had Sherry Malone with us. Sherry is an accomplished editor and drove up from Houston to help us.  Mostly what she helped with were the chapter title openings--a kind of dreary job, but it saved Tim numerous hours. She also helped to time the closing credits. Yea, Sherry!

Atoosa Lotfi has been over recently to help find images and scan photos. Diana Rohrback continues to help us with financial records and organization. What would we do without all of these "angels"--in 

this world and the next?!