The Short-a-Week Project

The Short-a-Week Project is on Hiatus!

2009-07-14T21:28:00.001-07:00

As if you couldn't tell...

Still writing that feature film...

And doing other things...like:

:)

-Eric

Howard pitches a short about Coffee Bean

2008-12-17T09:34:00.000-08:00

Howard: I thought of a great short while I was in the bathroom at Coffee Bean.
Eric: What it's about?
Howard: It's about going to the bathroom at Coffee Bean.
Eric: Sounds...great?
Howard: The guy would really have to go to the bathroom, but then he goes in and finds out it's for customer's only.
Eric: Go on.
Howard: But there's a line, and he has to wait as two people in front of him order the most complicated coffee drinks ever. And then the girl in front of him orders a tea, but then that becomes complicated too.
Eric: And then you get up there and order a water. And the bathroom key.
Howard: I don't buy water.
Eric: Never?
Howard: Never. But if you wanted to do it for dramatic purposes, that's fine.
Eric: Thanks.
Howard: So, you like it?
Eric: Yeah, let me just call up a Coffee Bean and get the filming rights.
Howard: Cool.
Eric: I was joking.
Howard: Oh.
Eric: It's still a good idea, though.
Howard: Thanks.
Eric: It might be a while before we do it.
Howard: That's okay.
Eric: Meanwhile, I'm going to post about it on the website.
Howard: Are you recording this?
Eric: No. I'm going to have to wing it from memory.
Howard: Yeah, like I can't imagine you saying this about winging it from memory.
Eric: Yeah, that part will have to be made up.
Howard: Cool.

---
Coming Soon: Jack and The Coffee Bean Bathroom

The Handicapped Bathroom Stall - A Short Film About a Guy Who is Harassed by a Paraplegic for Taking a Handicapped Stall - Man, Titiles Can be Long..

2008-11-25T06:50:00.000-08:00

Subject of the next short: Handicapped paraplegic fumes when the only stall taken is the handicapped stall - taken by a guy who is not handicapped.

Needs:
Script
Actors
Camera
DP
Sound Equipment
Location

We'll be checking these things off as we go along...

I hope.

The Short-a-Week Project will return

2008-11-11T04:37:00.000-08:00

Meanwhile, the plan is to make some DVDs of our "best" shorts so far.

Don't you want to watch them on your big-ol TV? So do we.

Look for a Comedy DVD and a non-Comedy DVD in time to stuff the stockings.

And look for new shorts in Feb. 2009, when we start up again.

Speaking of which, do you act? Have you written a short? Let us know. Send headshots and scripts to shortaweek@gmail.com

Don't have a headshot or script? Take / write one! Both are easy!

The Short-a-Week Project is on Hiatus

2008-10-24T11:39:00.000-07:00

After 27 weeks, 26 shorts + a promotional video and interview, the Short-a-Week Project is officially on break.

But never fear.

We're returning in 2009 with brand new short films!

If you haven't seen all of the films, scroll down and check them out on the right side of the page...

See ya next year!

(Got an idea/script for a short? Want to be in one / help out in any way? Let us know! Email - shortaweek@gmail.com)

:)

Lessons learned in this first half of the project

2008-10-24T10:46:00.000-07:00

Below are some lessons learned, which also may provide good justification for why we must go on hiatus right now (but to return in 2009!)

Lessons Learned from doing 26+ shorts for The Short-a-Week Project:

-I'm pretty good at writing, editing, and soundtrack supervising

-I'm OK at directing

-I'm BAD at producing, lighting, sound, kraft servicing

Other lessons:

-If you do a short film every week, your real work may pass you by in this race called "life," and you'll have to start catching up in October.

-Cameras cost a lot of money and should not be purchased used on Ebay

-Producing is hard. Did I mention that? It's surprisingly difficult to arrange times when actors are available.

-Sound recorders and mics are necessary, and worth saving for. So start saving.

Things that will happen in 2009:

-New camera. The shorts will look good.

-New microphone. The shorts will sound good.

-Planned shoots - The shorts will have a scheduled day and time to shoot.

-Start looking for actors early. Like, two weeks before the planned day and time.

-Be at least three shorts ahead of schedule.

Possible things that will happen in 2009:

-Auditions
-Recruit a Director of Photography...or two.
-Group writing sessions
-More craigslist ads for short scripts and actors
-More fun?
-More fun!

etc.
etc.

see ya in 2009!

Week 27 - Mutant - A Short Film

2008-10-17T16:45:00.000-07:00

This week The Short-a-Week Project brings you "Mutant."

Mutant - A short film about a guy who believes he is indestructible.

Starring Lawrence Long

Written and Directed by Lawrence Long and Eric Myers

Based on a concept by Lawrence Long

In other words, Lawrence gets all the credit / blame for this one.

Enjoy!

"Mutant"

One reason for the slowing enthusiam...

2008-10-14T18:41:00.000-07:00

We used to have a Canon GL1

But it didn't work that well.

So it was returned.

But the owner did not yet return the money.

The battle with Ebay and Paypal and the seller continues.

It has been over two months.

Frustration ensues.

Producing and Editing are the Biggest Headaches in the world, like bigger than the worst hangover.. man, i didn't know titles could be this long?!?

2008-10-12T13:20:00.000-07:00

Not sure if pawning of some producer duties to Lawrence is going to work. Didn't work last week, haven't heard from Lawrence today - guessing there is no shoot this evening. Don't blame him - it's surprisingly hard to get actors together in such short notice...for a short.

Which leaves us with one short in the can, three written and waiting to be shot, and a bunch of ideas for shorts.

Also:

Apologies for the delay in posting "Three Fries." Final Cut Express ain't to be trifled with.

Ahhhhh, and now I have to do "real" work.

Can you feel the tension? How many more weeks will the Short-a-Week Project last?

Stay tuned.

Week 27 - Three Fries

2008-10-10T23:54:00.000-07:00

If you've been waiting for the new short instead of reading how Sarah Palin was found guilty abusing her powers, my apologies.

Okay, so without further ado, we bring you "Three Fries," a short about a stranger who just wants a couple fries.

Starring Lawrence Long, written and directed by Eric based on an idea by Kim Hsu (and you'll see there ain't much to the writing, so perhaps we can just say co-written by Kim Hsu...)

Now, really, without further ado (seriously)

"Three Fries"

new short! Coming...in like, a few hours

2008-10-10T12:43:00.000-07:00

Yes, the new short should be up.

And it would be up.

If I hadn't fallen asleep last night.

Instead of editing it.

Darn sleep.

Darn circadian rhythms.

Whatever those are.

Short coming soon!

nudity sex girls naked adult content in our short films

2008-10-08T11:44:00.000-07:00

While the title is an obvious attempt to drive more visitors to the site, there is still a point to this post.

That is, some of our shorts are for "mature audiences" only. Below is a list of those shorts, and the reason why you should really be at least 13 years of age to watch them.

Okay, 12.

Don't Follow Me - Brief violence and scariness.

Up the Creak - Sexual innuendo and partial nudity.

Flip a Towel - Partial nudity and dirty clothes.

Now you know which shorts to avoid / watch.

Speaking of shorts, Lawrence and I are off to film one today.

On a Wednesday?

Indeed.

One Star Videos, Rejections, and Writing

2008-10-07T06:09:00.000-07:00

It appears someone went through and gave our last few videos one star each on YouTube, which makes little sense, since each of those videos is totally different, and many people (ie: our relatives) have said they're some of our best vids yet.

The fact is, I don't care if you give our videos one star, but with such a polarizing vote, please, please leave a comment so we know what sucked so bad about it. Was it the abysmal lighting done by yours truly? The shaky sound by yours truly? The acting by yours truly?

Come to think of it, a one-star rating with no follow up is probably personal... hmm, who would have something against The Short-a-Week Project?

Two words: rejected writers.

Well, if I'm right, I'll just say hey, I'm sorry your script was rejected...but keep writing. The fact that I even replied to you means you're on the right track and are welcome to send your next one. (shortaweek@gmail.com)

Or...

Start your own short film project! Seriously, it's one of the reasons I started The Short-a-Week Project: was tired of writing sketches for a friend's comedy group and then having them rejected or not performed.

And so...

I feel your pa(l)in. But please, don't give us one star without a reason.

Google Page Rank: 3

2008-10-06T18:24:00.000-07:00

We have a Google PageRank of three.

Out of nowhere.

Well, not nowhere.

Out of Google.

Thanks Google!

Week 26 - Your Questions

2008-10-03T18:31:00.001-07:00

Ah, here it is!

The Short-a-Week Project celebrates the half-way mark by answering some of your questions!

Thanks for sending them in, and thanks to all those who have supported us so far.

Your Questions

A short is coming...

2008-10-03T15:34:00.000-07:00

Some issues with Final Cut Express...

Uploading not working...

Will try later...

dot dot dot

Question the Short-a-Week Project

2008-09-30T09:24:00.000-07:00

Have you been DYING to ask us a question or two about our shorts? Or, can you make up a question and pretend as if you've been dying to ask it? Well, now is your chance!

To celebrate our 26th short (half-way to 52...a year of short films) we're answering questions in front of the camera. I know, exciting stuff!

Just leave a comment with a question about one of our shorts or the project as a whole: there's a good chance we'll read it, answer it in front of the camera, use your name, and make you famous. Like, better than 50/50.

We need all questions by Wednesday (tomorrow) at 10:59 PM. Random time? No! We're filming at 11!

Think think think.

Week 25 - Leave the Bathroom Door Open Day

2008-09-26T16:00:00.000-07:00

This week's short "Leave the Bathroom Door Open Day" is - you guessed it - a follow-up to Dirty Day.

Which is part of a new series called Holiday Guy

To see them both, go to our YouTube site!

http://www.youtube.com/shortaweekproject

(I'll also post Leave the Bathroom Door Open Day here on the site...as soon as it loads up on YouTube. C'mon Internet, you can go faster than that!)

ed. note... here it is!

New Short - Coming, but tied up in Final Cut Express HD

2008-09-26T12:14:00.000-07:00

This week's short should be up within the next few hours. Please have patience as I learn this new editing program.

Ah, the possibilities of Final Cut Express...

Ah, the frustrations of Final Cut Express...

Sit on this toilet for an hour while I play with the camera

2008-09-24T09:58:00.000-07:00

That's pretty much how it went on Sunday when we filmed the next installment of Holiday Guy.

The first installment was Dirty Day. Yes, it will get better, but hey, I liked Dirty Day. Don't hate!

We also filmed a short that may not see the light of day, but is tentatively titled "Mutant." Ask Lawrence; he wrote it.

Week 24 - SILENCE: A Quiet Little Short

2008-09-19T14:19:00.000-07:00

The Short-a-Week Project Presents: SILENCE

"A quiet little short about a guy who can't sleep peacefully."

Because the faucet keeps dripping.

And the blinds keep flapping.

And the fridge makes strange sounds.

Eh, just watch.

SILENCE

Starring Lawrence Long

Song "Mega-Bite" by My Transformer
http://www.myspace.com/mytransformer

Running time: 2 minutes and 30 seconds

Enjoy!

YouTube Quality

2008-09-18T13:55:00.001-07:00

In case ya didn't know, uploading a video to YouTube dramatically reduces the quality of the sound and video of a short film.

So please, use a little imagination when you watch our shorts.

And start saving your moneys for the first "Short-a-Week" DVD - coming in October!

Almost Half-Way There

2008-09-15T06:00:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago it dawned on me that the Short-a-Week Project is approaching the half-way mark of the "let's do one short a week for an entire year" goal.

And we're going to celebrate.

Oh, but how to celebrate? Below are some options:

1. A party
2. A screening of some of the best shorts
3. A DVD of some of the best shorts, with outtakes and commentary
4. Your suggestions?
5. All of the above

Oooh, what will happen? How will the celebrations take place?

Stay tuned for the answer.

Week 23 - Dirty Day

2008-09-12T11:55:00.000-07:00

In this week's short - Dirty Day - Lance invents a holiday so he doesn't have to clean up around the apartment.

Starring Lawrence Long and Mauricio Peña

Written and Directed by Eric Myers

Song "I Feel Fantastic" by Jonathan Coulton

Enjoy!

Comments are optional, but always welcome. Yes, even anonymous ones.

Alternate Names for the Short-a-Week Project

2008-09-11T14:38:00.000-07:00

Proposed alternate names to the "Short-a-Week Project" (as proposed in conversation with Lawrence during filming, Sept. 10th, 2008)

"Get Lawrence to Roll Around in the Dirt Project" (Just wait until tomorrow's short)

"Bang your head against that refrigerator Project"

"Project: There's a big pile of laundry; I'm going to throw it on top of you and we'll make a short."

Or "Project: Are you really worried about how clean my car is? / Project: Do you mean you can't put your bare ass on a dirty car?"

I think the "Short-a-Week Project" might still be the best one.

-E

Our Most Popular Short - Up the Creak

2008-09-10T09:43:00.000-07:00

In record time Up the Creak has surpassed The Casting Couch as the most popular short on our site.

This is good news. "Creak" is a much better short than "Couch," which probably garnered a lot of hits due to its sexually-suggestive name.

Coming this Friday: Dirty Day

Alternate Title: "Naughty, Dirty, Scantily-Clad Dancing-Girls Day"

Week 22 - DISHWASHER

2008-09-05T15:01:00.000-07:00

Boy, we're slacking. DISHWASHER is a short I shot a while back, but then it got shelved. It wasn't really up to par then, and it certainly isn't up to par now.

What I'm trying to say is, that Labor Day weekend freaking messed everything up! New/Good shorts coming next week. We promise.

Oh, and enjoy DISHWASHER. At least it's short.

-E

DISHWASHER
(2008)

"A dishwasher expresses displeasure, forgiveness, and finally, love for its owner."

Don't Follow Me - Week 21

2008-08-29T11:44:00.000-07:00

Warning: This horror/thriller short film starring Kenna Knost and Lawrence Long might scare you. In fact, I hope it does.

Seriously though, it's not for kids. Let's say, if you're under 13, don't watch it.

Thanks!

"Don't Follow Me"

Short on Scripts

2008-08-25T12:04:00.001-07:00

No, I don't mean we're making a short about scripts, I mean we need more scripts.

This was realized after writing a script an hour before actors were to arrive last Sunday.

That's not really fair to the actors.

And so, we need to stockpile.

Got a script? Send it over!

Week 20 - All the Best Lines

2008-08-22T12:29:00.000-07:00

Week 20 - "All the Best Lines"

"Coming next summer, a movie so ridiculously good, it doesn't even make sense."

Starring (in order of appearance):

Cecily Schaefer
Chad Kennedy
Stefanie Oudiz
Lawrence Long (Voice)
Howard Padwa
Eric Myers
Kenna Knost
Lawrence Long

Written by Brian Hurley
Directed and Edited by Eric Myers

Song: "Creepy Doll" by Jonathan Coulton

Enjoy!

All the Best Lines

All the Best Lines Is Going to Be Great

2008-08-21T11:14:00.000-07:00

I can feel it...

Tune in tomorrow. It will be up.

All the Best Lines + Parking Garage

2008-08-18T01:27:00.000-07:00

Wrapped up some good takes on "All the Best Lines" which may go through some changes...since Brian Hurley wrote it with a cast of 15, and we had, oh, 8 actors and/or passerbys chip in and help out, which will have to do. And so, the script may change.

We shall try to keep the "spirit" of the shoot alive, as always.

Shot Parking Garage which will not be the name of the short, but is more of a location.

Some "almosts" on Parking Garage

-Kenna's flip-flop almost got ran over by Lawrence's car
-Some people walking by almost questioned what we were doing
-Lawrence almost pretended to ride some guy's motorcycle
-Lawrence almost got killed by the owner of the motorcycle he almost pretended to ride
-The cameraman (me) almost tripped on a parking block and almost fell on his face almost breaking his camera

Week 19 - Up the Creak

2008-08-15T23:22:00.000-07:00

Wait no longer

The Short-a-Week Project Presents..

UP THE CREAK

"A guy who can't stop joking about the upstairs neighbors gets on his girlfriend's last nerve."

Written by Brian McCloskey
Director of Photography - Linda Abbott
Directed and Edited by Eric Myers

Starring: Chad Kennedy and Cecily Schaefer

Still editing

2008-08-15T16:35:00.001-07:00

Lunch ran long.

Then it got so hot

I had to take a nap.

"Up the Creak" coming in less than an hour!

"Up the Creak" will be up shortly

2008-08-15T11:36:00.000-07:00

"Up the Creak" is almost done!

But right now I have to go out to lunch with my friend Carlos a.k.a. Mr. LA.

Why do they call him Mr. LA?

Think about that while I'm gone.

Meanwhile, have you watched all of our shorts? And our new promo video?

Really?

Prove it!

(or just comment)

:)

Michael Phelps's Home Movies

2008-08-14T15:47:00.000-07:00

Just kidding.

That Phelps is so hot right now.

Thought about doing a short about Phelps's text messages, but couldn't find the right set of spandex pants for Lawrence to wear.

Coming Friday: Up The Creak

Which reminds me, I need to record some "creaks."

-Eric
Writer/Director/Foley Artist

Promo Video Number One

2008-08-11T02:36:00.000-07:00

Promotional Video - Short-a-Week Project

All the Best Lines

2008-08-10T13:14:00.000-07:00

Lawrence's reference to my dramatic acting debut is from a short we've been filming in pieces for a week or two: ALL THE BEST LINES

Written by Brian Hurley

Title by Eric Myers

Who may change it to "Coming Next Summer"

Who knows?

All I know is that we might start asking people on the street to do cameos.

Next time, Brian, less actors.

But thanks for the script!

:)

Shot with the GL1

2008-08-09T18:09:00.000-07:00

Yes, Vacuum was shot on a used Canon GL1. Did you notice? Perhaps if you check it out on YouTube and click "Watch in High Quality."

Try it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-riNihA16YE

"Up the Creak," coming Friday, was also shot on the GL1 AND we had a cinematographer. It should look good. Real good.

And if it doesn't, we will blame the video transfer...something that sounds important, but has yet to be investigated by the Short-a-Week Project.

anticipation

2008-08-09T03:23:00.000-07:00

So I'm thinking....

With all the amazing footage we got tonight.....

We must of got something good.....

I thing we got something good........

I fucking know it.

Check in soon to see E's debut as dramatic actor....

trust me....it's worth it

Week 18 - Vacuum

2008-08-08T14:34:00.000-07:00

"The hardest thing to do in a relationship is to listen."

Starring
Lawrence Long
Kenna Knost

Songs by Frantic Taste
Check 'em out: www.myspace.com/frantictaste

Now enjoy Vacuum - A Short About Listening

short shorts mini shorts daisy dukes

2008-08-06T01:14:00.000-07:00

The Short-a-Week Project

Making shorts.

And using sexual innuendo to get more hits.

There is only one turn in bed...

2008-08-04T08:45:00.000-07:00

...and it's away from the other person.

That was some of the great direction dished out yesterday while filming "Up the Creak." Other things learned:

-A sheet will not billow when it needs to be billowed.
-200 watts is enough. 2500 watts is too much.
-Having a director of photography (DP) is really, really helpful.
-Holding a picture in the background is not really the DP's job.
-Bedroom scenes are better when the actors know each other.

What a fun shoot. That's what happens when you have a DP, pre-plan all the shots, and the actors do a great job.

Thanks so much to everyone who helped out. "Up the Creak" will be up August 15th!

My New Video Camera on the Cover of Entertainment Weekly

2008-08-03T12:55:00.000-07:00

What's it mean when a cover features a blonde from The Hills and all I can think is, "Is that a Canon GL1, the camera I just bought?"

I'm not sure, but there's the GL1, in a starring role!

Okay, so it's probably the Canon GL2, not the GL1. But a boy can dream, right?

horror mayhem murder madness

2008-08-03T01:19:00.001-07:00

Just some things I'm trying to keep in mind as I rewrite DARKROOM, a low budget horror-thriller.

Horror.

Thriller.

Go go go.

(That would be the cheerleader inside encouraging me to stop blogging and get back to rewriting...)

Okay, I'm gone.

Week 17 - A Scene from Darkroom

2008-08-01T11:59:00.000-07:00

The Short-a-Week Project Presents: "A Scene from DARKROOM"

This is a scene taken from one of my yet-to-be-produced screenplays. Kenna and Paige did a great job, and Lawrence helped out with some of the directing and the boom.

A little background:

"When dead bodies show up in her photos, Ashley believes her camera takes pictures of old murders.

Walter is the shady man who runs the B&B. Is that him in the photos, with a knife? Ashley doesn't want to wait to find out."

Ashley - Paige Jarvie
Karen - Kenna Knost

Song "Haunt You" by Clare Means
www.myspace.com/claremeans

Enjoy! I mean, be afraid...

Let it be known!

2008-07-31T04:02:00.000-07:00

If drinking late, watching Coen Bros. movies, I mean FILMS, and suddenly getting inspired to write two short films and editing a budding masterpiece in less then 2 hours is not the "norm"....then...well...HATE ME.

But, please, love my scripts.

Cool.

-L

What earthquake?

2008-07-30T01:58:00.000-07:00

Things that happened yesterday (Tuesday):

-Earthquake
-Eric freaking out about the earthquake
-Lawrence not feeling the earthquake (he was driving)
-Filmed "Vacuum"
-Edited "Darkroom"

No footage of the earthquake
Only nightmares
Except for Lawrence
Who will sleep soundly

Missing in action

2008-07-29T00:06:00.000-07:00

E just got his new baby, I mean camera. It's pretty sweet and all, but I know this means that other than shooting I will probably not see my friend for the next three to six weeks, depending on how long it takes him to read the instruction manual. And being that he bought it on eBay, I think he's lucky to have received the manual at all.

See you in a short sometime soon.

-L

7 steps to making a GOOD short

2008-07-27T13:58:00.000-07:00

List of things to do in future shorts that have worked in the past... so we can freakin' remember to do them.

1. Write script at least a day in advance.
2. Re-write script at least twice
3. Rehearse at least 3 times
4. Record the sound separately
5. Take at least 30 min to think about the shots
6. Write out shot list
7. Get gf's wise input (my girl friend snuck this onto the list while using my computer...but it's probably a good idea)

Time to start again.

The Donut - Week 16

2008-07-25T13:28:00.000-07:00

...it's still noon somewhere.. (Hawaii?)

The Donut - A Short Film

Written by Brian Hurley
(who may never write another thing for us after watching this)

Next week will be better. Apparently "better" takes time.

A Title Change

2008-07-23T10:35:00.001-07:00

Brian Hurley's "Pie on the Floor" has now changed to "Donut on the Floor" due to budgetary constraints.

Other factors in the name-change decision include the relative messiness of dropping a piece of pie on my carpet vs. a maple bar, and the durability of pie in a fight.

Coming soon: Donut on the Floor

So it's come to this

2008-07-21T00:30:00.000-07:00

Good to know that I can go online to get a schedule, tentative or otherwise, for the week ahead. Frankly I'm just stoked to get a schedule. Actually, I think this is a wonderful step forward, which is perfect since our aspirations seem to be growing bigger and more intricate by the minute.

Yeah. I just said stoked. What are you gonna do, huh?

I gotta go, gotta prepare.

Making a schedule and sticking to it

2008-07-21T00:06:00.000-07:00

What, didn't I just post about a schedule?

That post should have been labeled "tentative schedule." Maybe I'll just change it. Maybe by the time you read this, I've already gone back and changed it. If so, forget what you just read, and read on about the schedule:

The Schedule for this week

Today
10am - Film Floor Pie with Lawrence

Tues
8pm (?) - Kenna and company film a scene from Darkroom

Wed-Thurs - Edit, write (new short, or edit old short; when you figure out which one, Eric, enter title here. Choose by Thurs. night.)

Friday at Noon - Post "Pie" or scene from "Darkroom." Whichever is "done."

Sunday, July 27th - 2pm - Film!

And...

That's all. For now.

Short Film Project Delayed, Actor Demands "Preparation"

2008-07-20T20:30:00.000-07:00

LOS ANGELES, United States, July 20th - The Short-a-Week Project experienced delays today as principal talent Lawrence Long refused a request to film until "we have something in mind to shoot."

"I don't want to just wing it," he added, a reference to past works such as Post No Bills and Rock Star. Each of those shorts began with little or no script, and were essentially created on the fly.

Those "winged" shorts have had mixed results for The Short-a-Week Project. Post No Bills became a surprise hit, while Rock Star did not fare as well with general audiences, possibly leading to Long's reluctance to film without a plan.

The shoot was rescheduled for Monday at 10am, before which time a script and shot list will be sent to Long. All parties agree that such planning on future shorts can only improve the finished product.

I just bought a Canon GL1

2008-07-20T05:36:00.000-07:00

Forget what I said about "no major purchases." Let's make some movies!

Week 15 - Doorknob

2008-07-18T12:00:00.000-07:00

Inspired by the works of Shyamalan, Raimi, and early Peter Jackson comes a first effort at something beyond comedy or abstract French films.

Suspense, horror, and much, much more.

Okay, basically just suspense and horror.

Okay, mainly just suspense.

Crank up the volume and enjoy!

"Doorknob"

Foot in the Mouth - Director's Cut - With Outtakes!

2008-07-18T10:09:00.000-07:00

New short coming...by noon? By noon!

Meanwhile, check out this re-cut of an oldie but goodie, Foot in the Mouth.

"Foot in the Mouth - Director's Cut - With Outtakes!"

Planning the next shorts

2008-07-17T11:18:00.000-07:00

The future of the Short-a-Week Project lies in organization.

[Note: Darkroom is a recently completed screenplay.]

Friday 7-18 - 5pm
-My French Fry - 2 actors

Sun 7/20 - 11:30pm
-Horror in the Parking Garage (Better Than P2) - 2 actresses, 2 actors

Mon 7/21 - 9pm
-Scene from Darkroom - "The Camera Has Powers. Seriously." - 2 actresses

Friday 7/25 - 2pm
-Horror in the Parking Garage Redux - 1 actress, 1 actor

Sunday 7/27 - 2pm
-If Drugs Were Legal - A Commercial for The Budweiser of Cocaine
-3 actors

Friday 8/1 - 2pm
-Embarrassing Childhood Moments Acted out as an Adult - Short

Sunday 8/3 - 9am
-Scene from Darkroom on the beach

And...more.

A short will be up tomorrow! Stay tuned...

Posting on Craigslist

2008-07-16T08:14:00.000-07:00

Posted an ad on craigslist for actors and writers. Got a lot of responses. Turns out there really ARE a lot of actors in LA.

If you emailed us your headshot, resume and/or script, THANK YOU. It's nice to see people getting out and trying to do some creative work. We shall get back to you as soon as Lawrence and I have a chance to look through them all. Plus, we might keep you on file for later shoots.

And Thank You Craigslist. Man, that site is great.

Holding off on major purchases until we learn our strokes

2008-07-15T03:18:00.000-07:00

I've decided not to purchase the Panasonic DVX100B. Yet.

When I first learned to play tennis, I had a cheap, twenty-dollar racket. Yet, had I played with a two-hundred dollar racket, my play would not have been better. It wasn't until I learned the strokes (via private lessons - thanks mom and dad!) that a more expensive racket became useful and necessary.

I'm hoping the same philosophy will hold true in filmmaking. I will take to learning the basics in sound, lighting, and direction, and worry less about the image quality. After all, the image is so small on the screen, and we haven't had any complaints, and even a few compliments (thanks mom and dad!).

Also, I'm sticking iMovie for now. It lacks slow motion, but most other features seem adequate. Plus, Tarnation was cut on it. Woah.

But I could change my mind tomorrow. The DVX100B calls to me.

What's different in Week 14's Dude That's My Bike

2008-07-13T05:12:00.000-07:00

When you watch Dude, That's My Bike, you may notice it's different from our other shorts. Besides my poor attempt at acting, here's some other things that are different.

1. Shot in widescreen. Which is why the screen is wide.
2. Recorded the sound separately. What you can't see is that we wrapped a digital recorder around a pipe in the garage, suspending the microphone like a boom above the actors. Oh yeah, complicated.
3. Sound effects. That's right. There's no dog, and I didn't drop any change.

Coming soon: more differences in future shorts!

Week 14 - Dude, That's My Bike

2008-07-11T02:58:00.000-07:00

The Short-a-Week Project Presents: Dude, That's My Bike

Starring Lawrence Long

Written and Directed by Eric Myers

Shot on a Canon ZR50
Edited on iMovie

Enjoy!

"Dude, That's My Bike"

More things Learned after Making a bunch of Shorts

2008-07-11T01:16:00.000-07:00

1. Sound quality is paramount.
-That's why Post No Bills plays so well: all sound done in post-production.

2. Black and White reduces concerns about lighting, and makes most things look good.
-I Used to Be Somebody would have not been pretty. Even with Chad in it.

3. iMovie does not have slow motion, and is hard to layer sound.
-Otherwise, I can't really complain.

4. Photos / screen shots add a lot, and are a good way to mix things up.
-Another lesson learned from I Used to Be Somebody.

5. Acting is hard.
-See my performance in Dude

...More to come!

Shorts by Quarters

2008-07-10T15:01:00.000-07:00

The first thirteen shorts were mostly comedies. I think they were all comedies. Or they were supposed to be.

These next 13 will be different. We're thinking suspense, thriller, or horror.

And then the following 13, drama.

And the final 13? Who knows.

And who knows if we will follow these guidelines. Sounds good though, doesn't it? A little bit?

iMovie Demonstration at the Apple Store

2008-07-10T14:19:00.000-07:00

Lawrence thought it might be a good idea for us to learn EVEN MORE about iMovie, the program we edit all our short films on. And so I met him on the Third Street Promenade today and we got the demonstration.

The guy giving the demonstration wasn't bad, but he had trouble finding some of the short-cut keys. At one point, after our leader had been searching for a minute, I leaned over to Lawrence and said, "The shortcut is Command-Shift."

"You should tell him."

"I think you're looking for Command-Shift!" I shouted to the presenter.

He looked a little rattled when I shouted, but the shortcut worked and the presentation could continue. I suppose it wasn't so nice to shout, but hey, we don't have all day - this is the Short-a-Week Project.

We now have learned how to edit each individual sound clip; as well as cutting pieces of audio in Garage Band and putting them in iMovie. Ah, the benefits of the in-store demonstration. Seriously.

Bike - A Short Film

2008-07-09T21:42:00.000-07:00

Not sure if it will be called "Bike," but the short we filmed today certainly has a bike in it.

Vote on Our Best Short

2008-07-09T15:32:00.000-07:00

Please vote for your favorite short on the right bar there. (if you found this post via Google, the poll is likely closed).

You don't have to register, login, or anything.

It's totally anonymous.

You don't even have to watch all the shorts.

Just click your favorite.

And please be honest.

For us.

:)

(:

That's us.

Thanks!

It's Tuesday and We've got Nothin'

2008-07-08T08:54:00.000-07:00

We should probably start planning the short this week, since it will be posted on Friday.

How to prevent these last minute shoots in the future:

1. Don't go out of town over the weekend.
2. Write something in advance.
3. Or better yet, have a contest where people submit a bunch of shorts...
4. Schedule a time to meet and shoot at least a week in advance.
5. Eat right
6. Exercise
7. Use the force

Or something like that.

How to Make Short Films

2008-07-06T01:23:00.000-07:00

If you landed here searching "how to make short films," you've come to the right place. Unfortunately, it's hard to answer that question in one posting (this whole blog can be seen as an explanation on how to (or how NOT to) make short films.) But, I'll give it a shot.

First, read Mike Figgis's Digital Filmmaking and/or Robert Rodriguez's Rebel Without a Crew. Both those books will make you say, "Hell, if I want to make a movie, I need to just do it!" That's the spirit. Keep that energy. You'll need it.

After you've got the motivation, write a short script. Use MS Word if you don't have screenwriting software. You might want to set your short in places you know you can film, don't have any stunts or blood or anything that might be complicated. Limitations spawn creativity. Seriously. (Proof: Write a short about life. Then write one about your favorite cup. Which was easier to write?)

Next, get the actors. Hopefully they'll be good, and hopefully you'll get along with them.

And finally, shoot the damn thing. I know what you're thinking, what about sound, lighting, camera angles, and everything else? Who do I get to cater?

This is your first short, right? Got a camera? Just start shooting. It ain't gonna be pretty the first few times, so just get them under your belt. You can be creative in the editing room.

Which reminds me: edit your short well. Do it yourself. Take your time. Put in music, sounds, etc. Use iMovie or Final Cut Pro (any version). It all happens in the editing room.

Hope that helps! We've made thirteen short films so far. Thirty-nine to go. This advice might all change by the time this project is over.

But until then...write, rehearse, shoot. And send us your youtube link. We like to watch them too.

Week 13 - Free Massages

2008-07-04T13:34:00.000-07:00

It's the Fourth of July and we're 1/4th of the way there! (Goal: 1 year of shorts...that's 52. 52 divided by 4 is 13. Who knew?)

Here is number 13, "Free Massages."

Enjoy!

shortaweekproject.com vs. shortaweek.com

2008-07-02T16:01:00.000-07:00

Please redirect all your links and browsers and bookmarks (or create some!):

Old Domain: www.shortaweekproject.com

New Domain: www.shortaweek.com

Shorter and sweeter.

iMovie Ain't so Bad

2008-07-02T15:06:00.001-07:00

Now that I've discovered a few more features of iMovie, I have to say it's really not that bad. Highly recommend buying a new MacBook and using it for all your short-a-week projects.

Look at the claims!

2008-06-30T22:14:00.000-07:00

Greetings from NorCal! I drove through Lovely, good-smelling Merced today and I could swear I though I heard it say "Hello, Eric! I miss you! Come back to me..."

You know, on the wind.

Nothing inspires motivation like having to live up to a publicly announced deadline. Good one, E.

If you talk to her, tell Kenna my sternum is still not talking to her.

Making Short Films Using a Canon ZR50 and iMovie

2008-06-30T16:09:00.000-07:00

These first 13 shorts (including this week's short) were all shot with a Canon ZR50 and cut on iMovie. We often get asked, so I just wanted to make it official.

In the future, we hope to shoot on a Panasonic DVX100B and cut on Final Cut Pro 3, but that day has not yet come.

When will it come?

I'm saying it now - by the end of July we will have one of these things. Oh yes, dreams do come true.

Free Massages - The Making of

2008-06-29T19:09:00.001-07:00

Filmed "Free Massages" today, the newest effort from Brian Hurley.

With Lawrence Long, Kenna Knost, and introducing RJ Victoria.

Some choice moments...

Me: Can you do a handstand?
RJ: No.
Me: Can you do a bridge, upside down, like in yoga?
RJ: No.
Me: Can you stand on one leg?
RJ: Yes.
Me: Cool. In this scene, you're standing on one leg.

Kenna: What if I dress up like a nurse and lick a lollipop?
Me: Do it.
Kenna: Even though it's not in the script?
Lawrence: We'll find a place for it.

Me: Now elbow him in the chest, lightly. RJ, act like you like it.

Lawrence: With my shirt stretched like this, I look like a dancer, not like I got beat up.

Me: Dude, do you know how to roll a grape?
RJ: I guess not.

Lawrence: Ow.
Me: Keep hitting him. Don't stop. Why are you guys stopping? He's just acting.

...

Coming Friday: Free Massages - A Short Film

Week 12 - Flip a Towel - A Short Film

2008-06-27T03:32:00.000-07:00

The Short-a-Week Project Presents: Flip a Towel
Written and Directed by Eric Myers

Based on "Flip a Towel" by Klaus Varley of The Literary Brothel

Starring Stefanie Oudiz and Lawrence Long

Song "The Night is Young and So Are We" by The Silent Track Plays

Flip a Towel

I'm okay with nudity

2008-06-26T11:03:00.000-07:00

Is what Lawrence's girlfriend said when I asked, "Do you want to be in a short?"

Laughter ensued.

My laughter.

Lawrence was not laughing.

Well, maybe a little.

Coming Friday: A reenactment of Flip a Towel by Klaus Varley of The Literary Brothel. Sorry, no nudity.

The Casting Couch has over 200 Views

2008-06-24T14:47:00.000-07:00

Thank you to everyone who watched The Casting Couch over and over again.

Don't give up yet - 1000 is just around the corner.

Ratings, but no comments on YouTube

2008-06-23T09:44:00.000-07:00

Dear Person or Persons who give some of our shorts low ratings on YouTube but don't leave a comment to tell us how to improve:

What's up with that? Help us out!

Sincerely,
Eric

Week 11 - Défense d'Afficher II (Post No Bills II)

2008-06-20T00:05:00.000-07:00

The second part of the acclaimed short film "Post No Bills," finds our protagonist on an existential quest to discover the one who removes that which others have posted.

Starring Lawrence Long

Written by Lawrence Long and Eric Myers

Running time: 3 minutes 12 seconds

French with English Subtitles

Défense d'Afficher II (Post No Bills II) - A Short Film

Editing with voice over and subtitles...

2008-06-19T17:32:00.000-07:00

Takes a long time. Not to mention cutting the footage, putting in music, credits, and even a still frame (oh my!).

But the director (Lawrence) has said it's where he wants it, and the co-editor (me) is happy with it, and so it will go up in the wee hours of the morning.

Look for Post No Bills II, coming soon to a monitor near you.

Could it be? Lawrence's Directing Debut?

2008-06-17T11:57:00.001-07:00

Say it ain't so...Eric hands over the reins to the second installment of Post No Bills to Lawrence who has some ideas about how he wants (Eric) to shoot it.

In other words, I'll be DP-ing this one.

Which seems a bit strange, since I can't even spell cinematography.

Never mind, it appears that I can.

The Cost of Shorts (Short Films, that is)

2008-06-15T12:13:00.000-07:00

This follow up to Lights, Camera...all Cost Money is just to help keep track of the cost of this "project." It looks like after ten weeks, that cost is $59.

From before:
$8 - chips, salsa, cups, soda (for Foot in the Mouth)
$15 - Big-ass Clamp-Light + 200w light bulb (so far, only used on Rock Star)

New Costs:

$26 - Six Blank Mini-DV cassettes.
$10 - One year domain registration for www.shortaweekproject.com

That's right, we've got a domain. Worth it.

Next on the list: Microphone, microphone, microphone...

And

A place to take donations. Seriously.

A Short About Shorts, Sher-lick Holmes, and more..

2008-06-14T11:09:00.000-07:00

Time to plan ahead. Future Short Ideas:

-Post No Bills 2 (Lawrence's version if he sends me something soon; the original plan if not)
-A short about shorts
-Sher-lick Holmes: A short about a detective who uses his tongue to detect
-A short acting out the article Flip-a-Towel while it's read in voice-over...in Spanish! (j/k)
-Short Documentary on the 99 with voice-over commentary
-A Chinese instructional video about Americans (In Mandarin. Seriously.)

Larger Projects in development (in code, so you don't STEAL the ideas)
-Survival Vid (5 parts)
-Anti-Stereo (at least 5 parts)
-Chair in There (1 part)

Of course, we're open to ideas. We'll even give you credit.

I know Brian Hurley is thinking really hard about his "massage" short right now. Thanks Brian.

Week 10 - The Nigerian Banker

2008-06-13T09:25:00.000-07:00

"The Nigerian Banker"

The Nigerian Banker - The Making of a Short Film

2008-06-13T09:12:00.000-07:00

Last minute change of plans had me writing a short at 7:30 pm on a Thursday night, and filming it an hour later. Some highlights from the 45 min shoot.

(L = Lawrence, Me = Me)

L: Ooh, looks like a film set in here.
Me: Without the good lighting and expensive film equipment.

Me: Is this side table close enough?
L: How about I just put the coffee cup next to me on the couch, since there is nothing in it anyway.
Me: That will work.

Me: Cut.
L: I messed that up again, huh?
Me: This is not only the more important line, but it's the only line I really care about. You can mess up all the other lines in the script, but this one has to be right.
L: Thanks for not being dramatic.

---
Thanks to my girlfriend for the idea of using the Nigerian Internet scam in this obvious sequel to Not a Girl. Hey, when you're pressed for time, return to what you know.

Holy crap we have to post something by tomorrow morning

2008-06-12T09:08:00.001-07:00

And we have nothing filmed...

Was out of town last weekend. Then last night Lawrence said he could meet around 11:30PM to shoot the sequel to "Post No Bills." So I got to my girlfriend's apartment.

Then at 9 he says that 10 or 10:30 is good. Then at 9:45 it turns out he meant more 10 than 10:30. I'm on my way to meet when he calls again:

Me: What's up, man? Can you shoot at 10:30?
L: I guess-
Me: You got something to do afterwards?
L: Yeah.
Me: Oh.

[Pause]

In the pause I'm thinking how I haven't printed out the props that he's going to need for this week's "Post No Bills," and more importantly, I haven't planned out the shots. There is no way it can be done in less than an hour.

Me: Wanna shoot tomorrow night?
L: Sure.

Now tomorrow night is tonight, and I'm thinking some advanced planning might save on editing time. We shall see.

A secret about The Short-a-Week Project

2008-06-11T18:51:00.000-07:00

I, Alien was actually our first short.

It just took a long time to edit.

Thus, Not a Girl went up first.

Did you know that?

Of Mice and Men and Masterpieces

2008-06-10T23:42:00.000-07:00

Yeah, a bit premature. But, hey, if this blog is suddenly about quoting people I've never HEARD OF then, well, I guess there's nothing premature about me.

Nothing.

While we (E) may seem stressed out, please know that there is no stress here (my place)

I don't have to type "shortaweekproject.blogspot.com" to get here anymore, I just google "Canon zr50 MC"

Zing!

p.s. Yes I've seen Leaving Las Vegas, I just didn't know that the person who directed it had a name, that's all.

Quote from Mike Figgis

2008-06-10T19:10:00.000-07:00

"...too much information and too much choice is in itself a huge limitation on creativity."

-Mike Figgis (Director Leaving Las Vegas) in his new-ish book, Digital Filmmaking.

Coming Soon: Post No Bills Part II (of III)

2008-06-10T10:04:00.000-07:00

Post No Bills Part Deux has been outlined, and well, that means it is already planned out a far more than its predecessor was at this stage.

But yet, we're filming Wed. night, which only gives a day for editing. It's going to be close.

If we don't make it, there is still one more short "in the can" that we haven't posted online.

However, there is a reason we have not posted it online.

And at this point, it would be a large step back.

And we might loose some fans.

Oh, the dilemma.

Canon zr50 MC camcorder

2008-06-09T09:01:00.000-07:00

I just realized that the MC on the side of my camera probably stands for "movie camera."

Is this important enough to blog about?

Probably not.

Could these be the best short films ever made on a Canon ZR50?

Possibly.

Do I keep mentioning the Canon ZR50 because our site comes up when people search for it?

Um...what?

I gotta go write a short.

Week 9 - I Used to be Somebody

2008-06-06T15:13:00.000-07:00

Without further ado...

"I Used to be Somebody"

Fix it in Post

2008-06-06T12:11:00.000-07:00

One of the running jokes on the set of I Used to Be Somebody (due out later today) was the mantra "Just fix it in Post."

Turns out, it would have been a lot easier if "fix it in pre-production" were our slogan.

Who knew?

iMovie and its Limitations

2008-06-04T16:01:00.000-07:00

I've cut (edited) these first nine movies on iMovie, the editing software that comes standard with the new MacBook.

iMovie is great for uploading videos, making a few cuts, and throwing some music on there.

iMovie is not-so-great for cutting back and forth between different takes, and layering sound from one clip over another.

iMovie is FRUSTRATING AS HELL if you're cut your films into pieces and want the sound to be consistent and not automatically fade-in on every damn clip, which may SEEM like a good thing, but when you are putting in 1 second clips, the dialog sounds like a car going by. You know, like:

"...hey man, what HAVE YOU been up to..."

This didn't annoy me the first seven movies I cut. Recently, however, this has become unbearable.

Final Cut Pro never looked so attractive.

Stay tuned...more editing software related posts in the future! Oh boy!!1!

And Coming Friday: I Used To Be Somebody (Working Title)

The New Page Design - The Results of that Poll from Two Weeks Ago

2008-06-03T11:03:00.000-07:00

Turns out that people prefer the new design to the old design. Mystery solved.

Also, only one person voted for "What new design?" which means we have some steady visitor, and one new visitor, or more likely, one steady visitor-jokester.

While you're waiting for this Friday's awesome short, and speaking of web design, check out Blackle - it's just Google, but it somehow saves more energy because the screen is black.

Yes, it's strange to me too.

Prius - A Short - The Making of..

2008-06-02T18:25:00.000-07:00

Some things learned yesterday on the set of Prius (working title):

-It's OK to reverse the roles of the two main actors ten minutes before we start filming.

-When you direct something you didn't write you can respond to all complaints, "Hey, I didn't write it."

-Using real photographers as characters playing photographers is a good way to get production stills.

-Chad is hyper-colored. (No, that is not racial.)

-Everything looks better in black and white.

I'm just glad to say....

2008-06-02T00:59:00.000-07:00

...that it was warm out today.

And that Eric had the foresight to move his car outside and let it heat up a bit.

On Friday you'll know the horrifying reason why.

Week 8 - How to Become a Rock Star

2008-05-30T12:54:00.000-07:00

Week 8

Enjoy!

"How to Become a Rock Star"