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| PAST NEWS & EVENTS August 2000 News ArchiveWhat happened in the Light & Dark universeAugust 31, 2000 -- As the month comes to an end I am both saddened and elated. This past Wednesday filming was finished. There is a possibility that some pick-up shots may be required. Mark Yonick, one of three people who wears the killer outfit, really took a beating during the movies climatic finale filmed this past Monday at Euro Spa in Pleasantville, New York. He was hit in the head, punched, pushed, shoved, and slashed with a real knife (because it looked better than the prop one). He pulled through like a real trooper and along with Vanessa Edwards, gave an incredible performance. Despite the fact that three people portray the killer, we don't know who the killer is until the end. Though I am mentally and physically exhausted as is most of the cast and crew, I'm quite sure, it has been an exhilarating ride. I have made a number of great new friends and I welcome them like family. I'll miss working with them. The great news is that the movie has been covered in a feature story in the New York Times thanks to reporter, Saxon Henry and photographer Chris Maynard. Better yet, Monday, September 4 at 9 AM on News 12 Westchester you can see a pre-taped interview with myself featuring a first ever rough cut teaser trailer for Fear of the Dark. Pictures from both the article and the News 12 Westchester set are included in the Fear of the Dark Photo Gallery section of the web site. A very special thanks goes out to Ed Shelinsky, of Demon Call Productions, who made a mad dash effort to put together the killer (no pun intended) music which appears in the teaser. The musical piece is entitled "Techno Horror" and may appear in the final movie. The trailer was put together in one night since we had such short notice. I would like to take the opportunity to thank Aardvark Pet Supply for loaning us Babbott the gerbil. So now, it's time to sift through the footage while I wait for my Sony Vaio computer to ship to me. Once I receive it, it's on to phase two. Hopefully we will be promoting the movie in October at the Chiller Theatre convention. Preparation is being made for a possible in-production, musically oriented, promotional video. Until then, keep checking back in for more news and photos (I just added more). The following is a transcript of the New York Times article:
A Horror
Film Fan Makes His Own GLEN BAISLEY'S fascination with horror films began when he sat on his father's lap watching Chiller Theatre on television. Now, he is turning his lifelong passion into an independent film. To this end, he is putting 19 actors and 40 extras through their paces in venues from Pleasantville to Putnam Valley and from New Rochelle to Bear Mountain. "To say that this movie is just a horror film would be wrong," Mr. Baisley said. "It has a little bit of slasher, a little thriller and leans heavily on psychological terror. Most of all, it's a good old-fashioned whodunit." Hoping for a spring or summer 2001 debut, Mr. Baisley has his eye on the Rome Film Center in Pleasantville for the movie's first screening. From there, he would like to tour the local film festivals and sci-fi and horror conventions. Mr. Baisley, a freelance videographer and writer who also manages the electronics store Cousins Audio Video in Pleasantville, has set his budget for the film, titled "Fear of the Dark," at $8,000, though he confesses that the figure is likely to go up. To keep costs to a minimum, he is shooting with a mini digital video camera. "Although Mini DV is not as widely accepted as 16 mm or higher formats," Mr. Baisley said, "it is quickly gaining respect among moviemakers and opening the floodgates for budding enthusiasts." Ed Shelinsky of Putnam Valley is a phone company worker who is acting in the movie and choreographing the fight scenes. He said the minimal budget presents challenges, like the extra time it takes to film a scene, since there is only one camera, rather than four or five shooting a variety of angles at once. Many of the all-volunteer cast and crew perform double duty. Anthony Eikner of Fishkill, who has a role in the film, is also the makeup artist, the special-effects man and a stuntman in the film. Kirk T. Larsen from Hicksville on Long Island, who is serving as a production consultant and acting in the film, explained that this is not unusual, as he recently had 14 jobs while shooting an independent film. The female principal in the movie, Rosemary Gore of Manhattan, has a number of regional theater appearances and 15 independent films to her credit. She portrays Alice Walker, a character she describes as "very unbalanced." Mike Lane of Smithtown on Long Island plays opposite Ms. Gore. This is his eighth independent film, but his role as Michael is his first lead. He describes this role as his meatiest to date. Mr. Baisley said he has been in awe of the unfolding project as the characters have materialized through the actors. As writer, director and producer of the movie, he said, "It's such a thrill to bring to life something that you've created." When it comes to marketing his film, Mr. Baisley finds himself in a situation similar to that of many independent producers: he has yet to arrange distribution. Though he sees some parallels with "The Blair Witch Project," another independent film made by unknown filmmakers with a minimal budget, he has no illusions about repeating its success. "Forget the Academy Awards," he said. "I will know I have finally made it when I can stand before an audience at one of these conventions and have them adore me for the hard work that I have done."
August 23, 2000 -- This past weekend marked a momentous occasion in the production of the film. The New York Times honored us at Maher Funeral Home in Pleasantville, New York with their presence. A feature article on the movie should be coming out soon. As of the appearance of this update, I have yet to get more than seven hours of sleep in the the last two days. Mark Yonick has joined the cast and crew lending both his talents as production assistant and stunt man. Production was interrupted by an earthquake which took place Tuesday morning when the shoot ran until 3:30 AM. The filming of the movie should be completed in the next four days starting with Friday. August 15, 2000 -- Shooting began on August 13. The first scene we shot was at the Beechmont Tavern in New Rochelle. The scene which will be approximately 5 minutes in the film took 5 hours to shoot. It was shot at numerous angles but not without its share of technical difficulties. The only thing I can tell you is to watch "American Movie." I have a newfound respect for the independent film maker. Making films is much harder than it looks. It's a learning experience. You try new things as you go along. New life was breathed into each scene as the actors and extras brought their own personal touch to them. It's an emotional experience to see the characters that you have created come alive before you. Monday's shoot really hit home. We shot the scene between Alice and the Church Man at the Calvary Assembly of God in Pleasantville over another 5 hour period. The scene was overpowered by a thunder storm which raged outside. Every strike of lightning and every boom of thunder seemed to emphasize the lines that were spoken. It was rather eerie. The effect was so astonishing that we have rewritten the script to include the storm. It will make it more of challenge to edit later but the end result should look great. Tomorrow marks a turning point in the shooting schedule for this week. We have 4 scenes to shoot including the opening of the movie which will be a technical challenge. The movie's opening requires precise timing for both lighting and sound cues. The scene takes place during a blackout. To give the scene a gritty feel, we will rely only on natural daylight coming through the windows. This gives us a timeframe of roughly 40 minutes to film the first half of the scene. This week's shooting schedule will end with the Alice and Dr. Fisher scenes as well as a murder scene. Stay tuned for more updates. August 1, 2000 -- This past weekend we shot a scene for one of the more surreal moments of the movie. Harmony Nichols and myself were made up to look like Alice's dead parents. Anthony Eikner, Doctor Death, really got into it to. Harmony down right gave me the creeps. The entire scene including photo and video shoot as well as the makeup process took about 3 hours. The clip in the film will amount to no more than 10 to 15 seconds at most. We concluded the day with a brief stroll through the local mall's food court. The looks we received were nothing short of entertaining. One person bumped into another while a few just stopped right in their tracks and stared. And on that note, it's just two weeks away until the official shooting begins. This week will conclude rehearsals. Check out the site for the first of many production shots. For More Information Contact:
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