Monday, November 29, 2010

Day 300

(Technically: 446)

Working on the new edit for NYZ with some temp music. 300 days and still working on it.

Met with Yemane briefly and we're going to sit down and go through it once more in December.

Hope you had a Happy Turkey Day and Shopping Day After.

Monday, November 15, 2010

George and Ballard High School Filmmakers on KPLU

Last August, I came home to Seattle for a few weeks to unwind and relax. During that time, I was invited back to Ballard High School by Matt Lawrence to talk to his video students and show them my latest work, Kiss Me, I'm English and NYZ.

Gary Davis, who runs the local Artscape program on KPLU came by to interview former and current Ballard video students in a piece that just came out last night called "Following Aristotle: Ballard High's Storytellers."

Also featured in the piece were fellow BHS alum Madison Murphy and current students Blair Scott and Emily Deering, plus a look at Reflection, produced by Blair Scott and Sheridan Koehler.

Listen to the audio and read the full article on the KPLU website!
Day 285

(Technically: 431)

88 Days ago I was in Seattle, where I screened Kiss Me, I'm English and a rough cut of NYZ to a bunch of video students at Ballard High School, where we discussed them and talked about how I can change my latest cut to make it better. It's come a long way since then.

But also while I was there, so was Gary Davis, who runs the local Artscacpe feature on KPLU and he was doing a piece about Ballard filmmakers, capturing our post-screening discussion and critique of my film and even interviews with current BHS students in an article called "Following Aristotle: Ballard High's Filmmakers."

Listen to the audio highlights and read the full article on the KPLU Artscape website!

Saturday, November 6, 2010

Day 277

(Technically: 423)

Work has been put on hold momentarily while I've been freelancing and looking for jobs. Also looking for a composer for a Harry Nilsson-type song.

Like this.

In other news:

Last night at the New Visions and Voices Film Festival, Zachary Poots received an award for Production Design on Kiss Me, I'm English!

Congratulations, Zach!

Check out a short preview of Kiss Me, I'm English on Vimeo!
(WARNING: This clip contains ONLY strong language.)

"Kiss Me" a winner at NYU Film Fesival!

Last night at the New Visions and Voices Film Festival, Zachary Poots received an award for Production Design on Kiss Me, I'm English!

Congratulations, Zach!

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

"Kiss Me" at NYU Film Festival!

This Friday marks the premiere of Kiss Me, I'm English.

New Visions and Voices Intermediate Film Festival 2010

November 5th at 7:30pm in Room 200 at the Cantor Film Center on West 8th Street and University Place, New York.

Remember, remember the Fifth of November,
The Drama, the Story and Plot,
I know of no reason
Why Kiss Me, I'm English
Should ever be forgot.

Admission is free and Kiss Me, I'm English is only one of many more NYU short films playing as part of the film festival. Hope to see you there!

-------------------

From the Vault...

Part of selected Ballard student works for the Seattle Channel.

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Day 260

(Technically: 406)

The website has been updated now, which was something I've been meaning to do for a long time now, complete with new pictures from the set and videos. Check back soon for more exclusive videos from behind the scenes!

In other Zombie News:

ZOMBIES ATTACK TEAM COCO HEADQUARTERS! Run Conan!

Friday, October 15, 2010

Day 255

(Technically: 401)

Filling out 2010 Fiscal Annual Report for Fractured Atlas.

Accounting.

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Day 253

(Technically: 399)

Met with Yemane the other day and we sat down to go through the rough cut of NYZ. It was very productive, and we got some good ideas of how to make this even better. It may involve a few more pick-ups around the city, but all in all, it's very well within reach.

On a side note about the film, when the script was written last year, it was intended to be a 15-20 minute short film. But now, the latest cut has it down to under 11 minutes! That's quite an improvement, considering the shorter the film, the better chances it has of qualifying for more festivals, thus reaching a wider audience!

Also, finally finished the SAG paperwork and will be turning it in to their offices on Madison Avenue tomorrow.

Saturday, October 9, 2010

Day 249

(Technically: 395)

Spent these past few days knee-deep in AfterEffects tutorials, learning about how to do this.

Also:

Working on the latest edit -- the fine cut.

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Day 246

(Technically: 390)

Tonight we showed the 2nd rough cut of NYZ for the Monday Night Faculty Screening, where we got some great feedback on where to go from here.

Have also been going around the city collecting some sound effects and ambiance for the soundtrack.

Still need to find the right tone we want to go for, though. A funny movie with serious moments, or a serious movie with funny moments.

****A ZOMBIE NEWS UPDATE****

Check out the newest trailer on Vimeo:


Thursday, September 23, 2010

Day 235

(Technically: 379)

****A ZOMBIE NEWS UPDATE****



Become a citizen of NYZ:

Follow us on Twitter @NYZthefilm
Join the Facebook group
Visit georgewestberg.com for more information!

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Day 228

(Technically: 372)

Met with Yemane yesterday. He had been out of the country filming a documentary all summer, so it was great to sit down and chat with him about the progress of NYZ. As always, he had great advice of where to go forward from the rough cut, namely trying the Monday Night Faculty Screenings that he runs along with a few other NYU professors to watch students' rough cuts and give feedback. This Monday is booked, but we'll see if the next one isn't filled up yet.

Also working on the re-shoots+pick-ups, which we hope to complete before the end of the month, because autumn is fast approaching and it would be ideal to make it look like it did last April when we shot the rest of the film.

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Day 221

(Technically: 365)

Pre-Production officially began one year ago today, with the first day of class where we pitched our project ideas in the hopes of getting the coveted allotments. How nerve-racking, how young, full of cautious optimism, blissfully unaware of the trials that lied before us...

Now, one year later, (not in DC Comics time, mind you), we have returned to school to finish NYZ, which is currently undergoing its second rough cut, hopefully getting towards a fine cut in the next month or so.

While one shooting day was affected by rain, forcing us to postpone that scene to a later date, there are other spots that the rough cut has brought to light that need tweaking, so a few pick-ups are currently being planned as well as the scene we need to re-shoot. And now that we know how it all fits together, we know how to best utilize the time to make the final pieces fall into place. For now, courage.

George on Vimeo!

I now have a Vimeo account! Well, that's a bit of a lie, since I've had it for a little while, but it's taken me only till yesterday to get some of my videos up! Check it out here!

Monday, August 16, 2010

Day 197

(Technically: 341)

28 Weeks Later

We have a rough cut of "NYZ" assembled. I've just been doing it myself for now, and will be looking for an editor to come along and actually do a proper edit, since as the director I am a little attached to it and could use an objective pair of eyes to help.

I've been in Seattle for a week for a little break, and I got the chance to visit my old high school today to stop by and screened the rough cut to the high school kids in the video program. Got some good feedback, and we had a very thorough discussion afterward where the students offered some great notes on how to make it better. We'll most likely be doing some a pick-up shoot sometime soon to fix a few continuity problems as well as a way to improve transitions between scenes and adding to the storyline.

Speaking of things that won't die...

I know vampires suck, but really...? Do we really need this?

Thursday, August 5, 2010

Some other work

A bit of an update as far as other work besides NYZ...

Last summer I edited a promotional film for the National Trust for Historic Preservation and Lowe's Charitable & Educational Foundation to promote their efforts in restoring the Rosenwald Schools in the rural south.


For more information about the schools, feel free to visit the website and check out the video!

Also, I edited a documentary for the Keep A Child Alive College Program directed by my friend Adam Grannick. Check it out here on Vimeo!

Thursday, April 1, 2010

NYZ: 28 Days Countdown 2.0

Happy April Fool's Day!

It's the first of the month, and that means we have less than two weeks before we start shooting NYZ from April 21st to April 28th.

And so, we have decided to restart our 28 Days Countdown. It just won't stay dead!

We will posting videos sporadically, but as our last attempt at a 28-day video blog clearly demonstrated, we cannot hope to organize, shoot, edit, and post a new vidcast every day. So this version of the 28 Days Countdown will mostly be journal entries on NYZ's official blog.

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

"Time Keeps on Skippin'" at NFFTY! (Reprise)

Check out the highlights from last year's National Film Festival for Talented Youth! Keep your eyes peeled for my "blink-and-you'll-miss-it" appearances in the background of two shots around :41 and :43!







video platform
video management
video solutions
video player

Friday, March 12, 2010

NYZ Update: Kickstarter

NYZ is now up on the fundraising website Kickstarter! Spread the word! Share this link with friends! Even just a few dollars can help us reach our goal of $800 for zombie makeup and effects! Check it out here:

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

"Kiss Me, I'm English" FINISHED

I am currently working on my zombie film.

Speaking of things that won't die, today we finally put the finishing touches my last film,
Kiss Me, I'm English.

This morning, I attended a final mix for the soundtrack, having done some last minute foley the night before. And once all the audio was sweetened thanks to my re-recording mixer, I went down to the finishing station and did a final export of the finished film in all its High Definition glory!

All that's left to be done is some DVD menu stuff (which I am working on as we speak) and a DVD commentary track with Eric Pato, which has become something of a tradition for us since my previous film, Time Keeps on Skippin'.

Anyway, be sure to check back soon for more zombie-related news!

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

NYZ: 28 Days Countdown - Day 9

The ninth installment of 28 Days Countdown is up now on YouTube. We were too lazy to do anything, so we just slapped together another Classic Public-Domain Zombie Moment!

Monday, February 8, 2010

Sunday, February 7, 2010

Saturday, February 6, 2010

Friday, February 5, 2010

NYZ: 28 Days Countdown - Day 4

The fourth installment of 28 Days Countdown is up on YouTube, featuring Tech Scout more Zombie News with Eric Pato. Plus another Classic Public-Domain Zombie Moment!

Thursday, February 4, 2010

NYZ: 28 Days Countdown - Day 3

Hello again!

The third installment of 28 Days Countdown is up on YouTube, featuring What Kind of Zombie Are You? Plus another Classic Public-Domain Zombie Moment!

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

NYZ Update: Vote For Our T-Shirt!

Hey, everybody! Remember that poster design Eric did?

Well now, we're getting it printed as a t-shirt on Threadless!

And we need your help!

All you have to do is register with Threadless (it's FREE!) and vote for our iZombie! Just click on the "5" to give it the best rating, and then check off "I'd buy it as a TEE and as a PRINT" to give it a grand total score of "5$$," the highest score possible.

Please, tell your friends! We only have six days left, so please hurry!


NYZ: 28 Days Countdown - Day 2

Hey, everybody! The second installment of 28 Days Countdown is up on YouTube, featuring Location Scouting and Zombie News with Eric Pato. Plus another Classic Public-Domain Zombie Moment!

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

NYZ: 28 Days Countdown - Day 1

It's February. And you know what that means?

That's right:
NYZ shoots in less than a month.

So, to promote this film, I've partnered with Eric Pato to create a video blog every day, one a day until the end of February, which only has
28 days in it.

And, I don't know about you, but when I hear the number 28, I think of zombies.

I admit this seems a little haphazard, but don't be fooled -- this is only the beginning of what is sure to be a long and arduous blog. Enjoy!

Friday, January 29, 2010

A Message From George Westberg: The Showing Blip

Tonight was The Showing at Ballard High School, which is held at the end of every semester to showcase the best short films made by the students in the BHS Video Production Program. Although I was unable to attend, I made a little cameo appearance via "satellite" to make a plug for the program (and to shamelessly plug NYZ!).


Monday, January 25, 2010

"The Showing" January 28 at 7pm

If you are in the Seattle area, please check out the first screening of the new decade featuring new and original work by students at the Ballard High School Video Production Program. The Showing will be Thursday, January 28th at 7pm in the BHS auditorium. Included will be news features, advertisements, anti-advertisements, public service announcements, and short comedies and dramas. Admission is free, but there is a suggested $5 donation. Be sure to arrive early--prior screenings have filled the auditorium and unfortunately people have been turned away.

Alas, I am in currently New York City and cannot make it, but I highly urge anyone and everyone who can to go see some fresh and exciting new short movies by young student filmmakers!

BHS is where I got my start in filmmaking, and the program there fosters a creative environment where students can collaborate on expressing their artistic talents in unique and liberating ways!

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Sunday, January 17, 2010

NYZ Update: 38 Days Later


Winter break is over. Classes are about to start up again.

And NYZ is kicking into high gear.

With 38 days before the shoot begins, we're pulling out all the stops now with fundraising, auditioning, location scouting, and getting everything prepared for our first round of shooting.

The second half of principal photography will commence in April (when it's much warmer for the exterior scenes).

Also, NYZ is now on Facebook! Become a fan by joining here! So far, we have 91 fans (my goal is to break 100)! I want to thank everybody who has joined so far and would love it if you could extend the invitation to other people to spread the word about our upcoming film!