From Dragon to Dragon Banner - March, Year of the Wood Snake

T-Minus Seven Days

After a damp and dreary winter, the first days of spring are finally here. Daffodils are in bloom. Maples are starting to bud. Our neighborhood deer are shedding their winter coats as the hummingbirds return from warmer climes. To commemorate the occasion, I’ve replaced Surly Old Man Winter on my wall with Naïve Spring Dipshit. Just look at this asshole. He’s got no idea what’s coming.

In my theater days, I had a little calming ritual to fight the overwhelm. Once the house opened, I would sneak out on stage, lie down behind the curtain, close my eyes—and listen. Just listen. I’d take in the tuning of the orchestra, the murmur of the audience, and somewhere in that soundscape charcuterie, an odd calm would descend. I could set myself aside, so to speak—drape my worries and headspace over a chair like a cardigan—and slip into the dream-state of performance. A couple hours later, when it was time to re-center, I couldn’t really remember what I’d done. I remembered that I had performed, but specifics were lost in a fog ungoverned by time. I don’t know how else to describe it, but that’s kinda the way magic works, isn’t it?

I would like to be spending these final pre-shoot days on the artistic things, but the duties of a producer are legion, and I’m not even our primary. My role in these final days is checklists and approvals. Yes, these contact lenses. No, those prop arrows. Yes, I’ll unbox and gas up the gennies. No, I don’t have room for the sound coffins; do we need to rent a van? Yes, we can afford a van. No, I can’t drive it.

We’ll find out soon enough if our planning was as thorough as we thought. At this point, only the unknown unknowns and the capriciousness of fate remain in play. As von Moltke put it, “No plan survives first contact with the enemy.” Personally, I prefer Mike Tyson’s take on the subject: “Everybody’s got a plan until they get punched in the mouth.”

It’s a lot of firsts for us. I’ve never helmed a project this size; I’ve captained smaller vessels, sure, but never one with this scope or budget. It’s also Brian’s first round on this side of the camera, as a producer, which is amazing, because he’s taken to it like a fish to water. It’ll also be Seth’s first time on set—he’s coming out for the duration while still working full time. And several of our department heads aren't the folks who we were expecting, but folks who stepped up when our original crew members had to withdraw due to injury or unavailability. It’s a strong crew, unified in purpose and vision.

So here I lie, on the stage behind the curtain, listening to the murmur of the house and sliding into performance mode. Seven days and counting. We’ll be ready.

A Peek Behind the Curtain

There is so much I want to show you, but so much of it is spoiler-adjacent that I have to be careful what I reveal. So here are a few context-free works-in-progress from the Art Department that shouldn't give anything away. Some of these seeing in quite the primordial state.

*“So I said, ‘Let them eat cake.’ They didn’t take it well.”*

It’s always fun comparing concept sketches to what winds up on screen. This just goes to show how many hours of planning, refinement, and construction go into moments that will be on screen for mere minutes, or maybe only seconds. Dozens, possibly hundreds of hours distilled to mere moments of magic.

You can find more pictures and a much fuller writeup in our VIP Newsletter.

The Very Worst Stretch Goal

Or the best, if you’re going by engagement, or if you’re a member of my giggling support team.

Our 580k stretch goal for Gamers 4 included a bit where I would have to direct a day dressed in a costume voted on by the backers. Our challenge was figuring out how best to conduct the vote. I handed it over to my team. Maybe I should hand more off to them, because we’ve never seen this kind of response to a Kickstarter update. Most of our updates get a handful of comments, maybe a dozen or two likes. This one? More comments than every other update combined.

The runaway favorite, garnering over 55% of the vote, is the ridiculous outfit below. So on our heaviest day of production, I’ll be directing our biggest crowd scenes dressed like an extra from a 1980s aerobics video.

The costume’s already arrived, and it... “fits.” I can’t put the leotard on with the crotch buttoned, but I can’t button the crotch with the leotard on, so we’re going to have to increase our Wardrobe head’s day rate. But hey, it could be worse. At least it’s not Chibichan.

Whither Dwelth Yon Cabbage?

No real news on Liberty Cabbage or Dwell this month what with Gamers 4 sucking up all the oxygen. Here’s what I can tell you. We are reconceptualizing our Cabbage Kickstarter video and are tinkering with the idea of filming it during the Gamers 4 shoot. This is advantageous for us for several reasons, 1) the cast will (mostly) all already be there, 2) we’ve already got a dedicated BTS team on set to film it, and 3) we wouldn’t have to stagger back to set two weeks after wrapping a feature. A low energy pitch by a bunch of exhausted 40-somethings doesn't make for a compelling pitch. Much better to snag the footage we need during downtime and between setups. And what production value it would capture!

On the Dwell front: after our Camlann tech scout, we visited an incredible location I’d only heard rumors about—a location where, it turns out, we have a crew connection. With no script written, it’s hard to say exactly what we’d use it for, but there are some places you discover and then tailor the script to feature. You can’t just not use a multistory man-made waterfall on private land. We’re also toying with the idea of filming a pilot episode for Dwell prior to the Kickstarter, which is slated for the fall.

The Camlann: Hands of Fête

Just a reminder that our featured location for Gamers 4, Camlann Medieval Village, is hosting a fundraiser for its first annual fête on April 12. The festivities begin at noon and will feature demonstrations of 14th century arts and crafts by re-enactors in full kit and costume. There will also be a silent auction and a banquet feast at The Bors Hede Inn. Tickets are limited and went on sale in March, but there are still some left. Get yours today! Or tomorrow. Just before April 12.

If you're in the area on the 12th, come by and say hi! I mean that literally. I will be at the Fête on April 12, with a micro-crew, filming the festivities for a promotional video we're making for Camlann. The rest of the Gamers 4 production will be filming not ten miles away at an undisclosed location.

One Week to Go

Behind the curtain, here I lie. I can hear the crowd murmuring in the house, the tuning of the orchestra. Mere days now. Time to start counting in hours.

Three years of work distilled down to seventeen days. But it’s not just three years, is it? It’s twenty. And if you go all the way back to the original Gamers, it’s 24—over half my life. No pressure.

Wish us luck, everyone.

—Matt

March, Year of the Wood Snake