Get ready for THE REALM!

The Realm. The story of James Lockwood (Sacco Sarkis) and a mysterious girl (Kimberley Miller) he finds naked on his doorstep who has no memory of herself and magic powers. They race to discover who she is and why people from her realm are crossing over to our world to capture or kill her. We follow the story both here on Earth and in The Realm, but eventually the two worlds will collide!

Here we are six months till The Realm premieres and already we have our first teaser trailer out and the main theme has been released to the masses. We are very excited to get things rolling and will be promoting the web series very heavy between March-June with special features and such before during and after season one airs.

Things to look forward to: 

Inside The Realm: This 1-3min show will feature interviews and clips with the cast and the crew to give an insight into the behind the scenes of the show. The three episodes will be released before the first episode of The Realm then during our season 1 break Inside the realm will air the 1^st and 15^th of every month until season 2 comes out. (See we want to keep you entertained!)

Secrets of The Realm: This special (Length not determined yet) will feature Tony and Allyson Diana and some cast members as we look back at season one and reveal where SOME of the hidden clues and Easter Eggs are in each episode. This will help to prime you guys to keep a keen eye on season 2 to get ahead of your friends on the mystery.

The Movie! : If all goes well and season 1&2 prove popular we want to finish the story off with a blockbuster styled film. We will be using crowd funding during season 2 to hopefully raise enough money to make the most amazing film to end our story of two world’s right!

But wait there is more.

Tony is working hard behind the scenes to get the cast and crew of The Realm beyond the web. He is currently talking to Comic Con people and news outlets to get our story out there and into the world at large. We will keep you up to date on all things Realm both here and on our Facebook page.

Help spread the word for the exciting project and join the Realmpire!

Promoting The Realm.

Ok so we are about 7 months till we premier The Realm and one thing I have learnt from other web series is that it is important to pre promote you show in order to get a following. I can understand that you really want to create buzz for the thing you have been working on for so so long.

A couple of things I am feeling and hope that helps anyone else trying to do this.

For starters never feel like your project is not worthwhile. After a few hours of spreading the word on social media and such you tend to see a lot of mainstream projects pop up (Avengers, GOT, Doctor Who) It can be intimidating and you start thinking “well my little project is nowhere near those guys.” That’s not the point. Keep in mind that you have worked very hard to forge this idea into reality and others may still appreciate even if it is not Start Trek J

Second list, list and more lists. Keep a record of where you have been and who you sent what to. You don’t want to make the mistake of resending a press release or vid to someone twice. You can seem pushy that way and they will not even bother with you.

Finally at the end of the day just remember you have done all that you can for now…there is always tomorrow and the next day. It does not all have to be done at once. You may feel like Actors, Crew and such are depending on you to help them get their names out but ultimately you are all working together and that is why you do the work you do on the project.

I hope this helps you…It helps me to vent out a little. Until next time

Tony Diana

Welcome to the Realm (pire)

Well here we are, what started as a seed of an idea in my head almost 10 years ago has finally materialized as small, but poignant teaser for our new fantasy web-series “The Realm”. One day I will write a blog about the evolution of this idea I hold near and dear to me ,but for now I want to enjoy this moment for our actors, crew and company as we take our first step into The Realm! Enjoy as more is to come.

1st Teaser for "The Realm"

The Trial and error of Green screening.

Green screening or Chroma key can be an awesome tool in your arsenal as a filmmaker. It can save you hundreds in set building or securing an exotic location however, it is also a matter of practice to  perfect it’s use and then even more experimentation.
Now I am talking to all the neophytes like me who could not afford film school and have to guerilla their way through movie making.  I have been working with Chroma Keying for about three years now and I am starting to get some decent results, but not for the reasons you may think.

The key thing I have found about it is that distance from actor to screen is essential and I do not have the greatest or largest of spaces available to me. If I keep my actor 6-9ft away from the screen the results are good any closer and the green color will cast on their skin and clothes ruining the results.

Lighting is also crucial. You must keep the green screen lit evenly and then light you actors again, I do not have soft boxes just clamp lights and homemade diffusers.
For our new project “The Realm” We are talking about an extensive amount of chroma key to bring the fantasy world side of The Realm to life and what better place to solve both of my problems than shooting outdoors!
The sun is the ultimate soft box a rich source of diffused light plus nothing gets bigger than the great outdoors.
Now we will have to do some things inside a studio but with what I have learned from my recent experience I am confident we will succeed.


Here are some sources for more on Chroma key.

Definition of Chroma Key

History of Faking it.Hollywood Greenscreen

Filming The Realm!

We are as of this writing two weeks into filming our new web series 'The Realm. You know when people say “I don't think we could have asked for better actors” and you think they are lying, it's actually true in this case. They are a fine and fun bunch of professionals who care about making this the best they can.

I have a personal mantra I use when I enter a scoring gig. “Project before ego.” Meaning I don't care how hard my director is on me because I want to produce the best product I can. These actors have that mentality. No divas or know it all, just sincere people who want to be part of something they can be proud of.

We are not the richest indie  group and don't have all of the latest toy. However, armed with this cast 

and our passion for this story I believe whatever happens by 2017 when all is said and done we will have a product we all know we did our best on and moreover we will all of made great new friendships that we will keep for the rest of our lives.

Thank you to the cast and crew of The Realm for making my dream come true and for your passion to forge it into reality. To my wife Allyson there can be no thank you adequate enough for stepping on the path of The Realm with me.

Tony Diana

Sept. 21 2014

Are you ready for "HARRIGNTON HOSPITAL?

As a part of our new web series “The Realm” we are filming a fictional and funny  soap opera called Harrignton Hospital…wait? What?  Why? I'll explain.

Within the series the main character enigmatically known only as “The girl” (She arrives on our world with amnesia) gets hooked on a soap opera called, you guessed it “Harrington Hospital” I thought it would be great to shoot a series within a series, it's something I have always wanted to do. Badly!

I actually grew up watching soap operas as a kid (General hospital, Guiding Light, Days of our lives.) I was always fascinated by the thought that the people in these stories never found it odd that their lives where turned upside down on an almost daily basis and they still had time to work, do their hair and shop for fabulous outfits and smile.

General Hospital 1980

Now you may only see little bits of the soap here and there, but don't fret. When we finish the first season of “The Realm” We plan on selling DVDs and “Harrington Hospital” will be one of the extras. You can watch the drama unfold in all of its glory.

The soap itself will be all improvised by our wonderful actors with only the tiniest plot to keep them going.

In the meantime here is the title song for the soap to whet your appetite before it all starts!

 Harrignton Hospital Main Theme

Tony Diana

The Path to “The Realm”

By Allyson Diana

The Realm is one of the biggest undertakings Butterfleye Films has ever done. The difficulty in creating a web-series takes the form of the unseen things, such as pre-production considerations, creating a fantasy world out of nothing, and coordinating all of the efforts of the cast and crew to make a polished idea come forth onto film.

When the Realm was conceptualized it was merely an idea in the head of an awesome creator. This creator is my husband, Tony. He came to me on a starry night and began talking about a fantasy world with witches and wizards, but more importantly intense emotional relationships that would far outlast the magic he dreamed of.

Then the real world set in amidst commitments and events (unable to be missed according to family members), we developed a world which we proudly call “The Realm”. A year ago it was only talk among our closest friends. However that talk never ceased and ideas emerged. Quickly I started on scripts, taking the points that my husband gave me and creating these fresh, new characters. The first script is aptly named “The Girl” as even now, we are too excited to give away her name. Her counterpart was to be romantic (but normal), imagine that, yet creating James was a challenge to any writer. There were subtleties and nuances that could not have been imagined in my husband’s mind when he originally conceptualized it. Slowly but surely the characters of the fantasy world (The Realm) came to life. As any writer knows, it takes development on one side to understand the other. I started developing characters in the fantasy world that I could have never thought of without developing the main characters of “The Girl” (still not going to tell you her name) and James. What came out was something I didn’t even expect. While my husband and I collaborated on many projects in the past, “The Realm” may prove to be our best.

Entering “The Realm”

By Tony Diana

About a year ago I had this idea for a web series, it would fulfill one of my lifelong goals, to spin a mystery while telling a love story. I really like complicated involved tales that take a while to tell and all the while you get to spread little clues 

This is “The Realm”!  I am close to having it forged into reality. I got the story mapped out and characters created now it has to be written. Enter my brilliant wife Allyson. I told her about the story and it seemed to ignite her imagination, so much so that she created some new characters into my story and added layers that now make it equally hers as much as mine.

As of this writing we have sent our audition notices and received a healthy amount of actors interested in the project. This is where we work hard to find the right people to cast for the leads, James (The man who feels a little cut off from life) and the mysterious girl who shows up on his doorstep. Equally important are the supporting characters Dustin (James's best friend) and Cassie (Dustin's Girlfriend). We are ready to enter “The Realm”.

The Realm is a story about two worlds, our everyday world we live in and a fantastical land of magic and monsters and what happens when people from each of those worlds come together and the danger they must fight in order to be together. 

Music of the Past today

From the Studio

by Tony Diana

I have written music for over 25 years and I love film music. It has such a quiet and long history most people don’t know about. So when I get a chance to go back in time and play with these forgotten concepts of film music, I really enjoy it.

In 2011 we made a film called “Attack of the Atomic Zombies” A retro 1950’s Sci-Fi spoof. I wanted the music to sound like that period of film making.

Back in the day the “Independent studios” outside the big three (Fox, Warner Brothers and Paramount) could not afford a full orchestra so they would resort to “canned” music (Pre-recorded music you could license the rights to for use in your film). It was a record you would get from the publishing house and then record the parts you wanted onto your final film reel. This practice still goes on today.

The reason I mention this is that often the music would not match in theme or structure, since they were using different composers from the publishing house. This is what I wanted to accomplish with Zombies, not that anyone would notice, but it was important to me to hear that nuance.

Once production started I listened to soundtracks of the era, Plan 9 from Outer Space, The Day the Earth Stood Still, Robot Monster and so on. I soaked in the orchestrations and moods then went to work. For the main theme I knew I wanted a Theremin in the mix. Nothing said 1950’s Sci-Fi like this instrument.

The Theremin in action!

Theme from Plan 9 from outer spacce

Theme from Attack of the Atomic Zombies

Next I focused on the character themes and wanted to make it light and plucky, so I went for 50’s commercials and used this for my inspiration. Already I had two different tracks that sounded like they were from the 50’s, but did not match scoring wise.

This is why I love film and film music. It has such a rich history of style and story all its own. If you want to discover more I suggest you check out these links.

A brief history of film music

Timeline of Movie scores

AUDITIONS NOW OPEN FOR "THE REALM" WEB-SERIES

Butterfleye Films is starting it's own web-series "The Realm" A fantasy drama! 

If you want to take part and audition for it follow the link for all of the information! good luck :)

http://butterfleyefilms.wix.com/home#!auditions/cyr1

Slate Operator

By Leigh-Ann Hammond

Hi folks, Leigh-Ann here introducing myself to you!  I have been a part of Butterfleye Films since almost the beginning.  I joined the team just as we started filming our first movie, “Attack of the Atomic Zombies” (2011).  I came on board as the “ABE”.  What the hell is that you ask?  Well, basically it’s the name Tony came up with for me, “Assistant Bitch Extraordinaire”. (Nope, not offended by it – I was there to help in any way I could.)  Over time I have become a member of the board and all around ‘in-the-office girl’.  I get to take care of the paperwork behind the scene.  It doesn't sound exciting but it is very necessary. I am also a writer (under the name Elle Gardner) and have written for BF – I took lead on writing MissedOpportunities. Occasionally you may see me in the background as well.

But what do I do during filming?  Aside from running around helping set things up, a little hair or make up, that kind of thing, I am also the Primary Slate Operator.  A busy little job that serves a big role when we get to editing. 

Clapper Slate

Clacker

Slate It

So the slate does a few things… first, it documents which scene is being filmed, what take we are on and which camera we are using.  All of this helps the editor keep things straight.  Sometimes a scene can take ten or more takes to get it right, we make a note of which take was the best and then the editor uses the slate prompts to find that best take. 

But there is something else.  See the lines at the top of the slate that make an arrow??  Well, when you close the top to the slate it makes a clapping sound.  That sound is used by the editor to make sure that the sound and the video are lined up during the editing process.  When the arrow is lined up with the clap, you know you have found the sweet spot.  Especially helpful if you are using external sound to go with the film. 

As you know, we are a modern company and you know something… there’s an app for that!  Yup, for iPhones or Android there are tons of apps you can download.  Our app of choice is the simple free on of Film Clapper Board.  So when your hands are full of multitasking, you can always pull your phone out of your pocket and still get the job done, they even come with the clapping sound effect!

Now, when you shoot 15 scenes a day, 8 takes a scene on average, you get a lot of clapping going on.  So much so that it could drive an editor MAD!!!  Tony is not only our editor here at Butterfleye, but he is also a musical genius.  So out of insanity he created this little number.  We hope you enjoy!

DIY: Tripod Dolly

Home brew Film Making: Tip #1 Easy Dolly

If you’re like us and are not the richest person in the world but still want to make the best films possible, you’ll find ways to cut corners.

Here is a tip for the low-budget filmmaker that we have used to create a good indoor dolly effect.

What you need:

A tri-pod

1 PKG. of Furniture Pads.

Watch video below, this was made for under $10.00.

D.I.Y Furniture Pad Dolly

Neat right. Well it’s totally easy to do.

Head over to Wal-Mart or even your local hardware store and pick up a package of Furniture Pads, The small round things people put on the legs of furniture to make it easier to move them.

Try to get a size that matches the leg of your tripod. The pads have a sticky bottom so they will adhere to your tri-pod.

I saved the protective paper so that when I remove the pads I can use my tri-pod as tri=pod again but, this Is optional of course.

Once you have the pads on you’re ready to go, Practice a bit and learn the texture of the floor you are shooting on. I find it’s easier to slide the tri-pod with my feet locked as far apart as I want the shot and move it slowly within my frame.

I hope this helps and good luck in your future move making endeavors.

Furniture pad purchase link

Metamorph- A Surreal short

Butterfleye Films has a new website. Keep up to date and find out about new films and Auditions.

Butterfleye Films Webpage

http://butterfleyefilms.wix.com/home