BlogDogIt

I can't decide if Big Biting Pig Productions is truly getting better with every project or if I am just becoming that much more of a fan. Whatever the case may be, I came away from my viewing of PJ Woodside's Frances Stein with a fresh appreciation for that crafty band of horror-bent denizens of Madisonville, Kentucky.

This year was PJ's turn to head-up the project and not only did she decide to bring us a completely original take on the beloved "mad scientist" genre, she made the very bold move of casting herself into the shoes of lead/title character (in addition to wearing hats of writer, co-producer, director and likely any other role one can ascribe to a master of independent film production.)

I must confess that in the days, weeks and months leading up to the release of this picture I was a little nervous regarding PJ Woodside assuming such a monumental role in the success or failure of the project. I have seen every film released by Big Biting Pig Productions (make that 9 now) and am very familiar with spotting PJ on screen in one supporting role or another but would never have expected her to be our leading lady. Simply put... What was I thinking? PJ was the perfect choice to play the brilliant (but whacked-out) suffering scientist driven to madness, ultimately by the effectiveness of her discoveries.

Frances Stein plays as much to the heart as to the horror. Fans of PJ's work will be quick to tell you that she is not content with knocking your socks off (which this film certainly does) she must grab you by the "gray-matter" and pull you to the edge of your seat. You will want to experience this story first hand so my advice to you is to avoid any synopsis or (other) reviews and get thee to a screening of what is sure to become the talk of the indie horror circuit. This one will become already is a classic.

Followers of Big Biting Pig Productions will recognize many familiar faces on screen and/or names when the credits roll. If you do not do as I did and applaud as those credits roll I would be very much surprised.

Thanks and congratulations to entire cast and crew on yet another successful release.

Be sure to see: GIFed Mad Scientist

 

An Alternate Universe

Glorious Results Of A Misspent Youth
Saving The World From Stupidity…One Blog At A Time
 

Big Biting Pig is set to premier their latest annual horror flick this weekend. And if the trailers are any  indication, it looks like we are all in for a shockingly good time...

The film is called "Frances Stein" and (as you can well imagine) it promises to put a feminine spin on a familiar genre. For a look at the official trailers, a peek at the official synopsis, to order the DVD and/or view the streaming video you should visit The Big Biting Pig Productions "Frances Stein" Movie page. While you are there explore the site for many fright inducing opportunities for fun.   

Followers of BlogDogIt will remember that I created animated GIF files for each of the BBPP releases to date (shortly after the release of last year's monster hit "The Caretakers.") In case you missed them, be sure to check out "The Complete BBPP GIFs Collection" for my tribute to the Big Biting Pig Horror Collection.

Continuing in that tradition, I present the following GIF creations built with frames extracted from the official trailers - These are offered in the spirit of "fan-art" and in no way are these efforts endorsed by PJ Woodside, Steve Hudgens, or Pig Biting Pig Productions (but I hope they like them.)

Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

---

 

 

 

Maintain Composure...

"Frances Stein" (2015) - Big Biting Pig Productions

 

 

 

Subjection...

"Frances Stein" (2015) - Big Biting Pig Productions

Only the best blogs. Where blogs come to hang out.

For better than a year now I have been lamenting the fact that technorati dot com has given up on their blog rating system and completely changed the landscape in the blogosphere as far as I'm concerned. There once was a time when your Technorati rating was some indicator of your blogs standing in the community. I would find great sport in perusing the list of registered blogs and would always pay special attention to those blogs with a similar rating to BlogDogIt. Once upon a time I would only "Spotlight" websites that shared a similar Tecnorati score to my site's. Since that system of measure is no more (or NoTechrati, as I now prefer to think of them) the business of discovering new blogs to visit has been a bit more random. Now the house rule regarding a blog's eligibility to be featured here requires that it must be accessible via links originating from BlogDogIt.

A few months ago - following the example of Amanda Wood (Journey of Mixed Emotions, Clearly Writing) - I added the LonelyBlogs "Badge" to BlogDogIt and in so doing have opened a fresh new world of interesting discoveries. As I find the gems I will catalog them in the BlogDogIt Links section so look for more activity in that area too.

LonelyBlogs is basically a feed aggregator of their member blogs. I have personally made several valuable discoveries by visiting the page and selecting sites from their dynamic up-to-the-minute list of freshly published articles. Since joining and having BlogDogIt included in the mix I have noticed a bump in visitors to this site traceable to this initiative. I invite you to check them out and join the fun. Their motto "Only the Best Blogs" would include you, right?
Get started today!

The section below is reprinted from the LonelyBlogs website:

Random represents indie sensation, Cindy Maple's directorial debut. The film was written by Cindy and wisely places her in a starring role beside her real life hubby Rusty James.

Graphically powerful and erotically romantic, this touching film offers the viewer a delightfully voyeuristic glimpse into this pivotal night of life and love for the unquestionably happy couple. Cindy Maples brings to the screen a side of herself that this reviewer will not soon forget while Mina Fedora's original score sets the mood and caries us solidly through to the final fade.

A truly impressive 7 minute short that showcases the talents of all involved in a polished work that will no doubt serve as first-rate resume enhancements for the creative, technical, cinematic and production personnel. Carriage House Productions and Cindy Maples prove once again that they are in it to win it.

The Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDoMNC2FGSk

This review was written by me for submission to IMDB

When I learned that the church was planning to hold a water balloon fight my first thought was "this cannot happen without my video camera and me in attendance." My first words had me volunteering to document the event. And so that "snowball" was put into motion...

It did not take too much thought to realize that in the midst of a water balloon war is not the optimum location for the delicate, precision electro-opticals of a digital video camera (unless yours happens to be of the Go-Pro® variety.) My Samsung HMX-F90 - as it just so happens - is not designed for making movies in moisture so I had to figure out a way to take the camera out from under the umbrella and into the field of battle.

Slipping the video-cam into a Ziploc bag was the first idea that had merit but polyethylene bags are not manufactured for optical clarity and I did not much relish the thought of filming a water balloon battle as though it were a Doris Day close-up. Since I do have several bits of scrap Plexiglas in the workshop I considered cutting a disk to serve as a port-hole to allow sharply focused rays of light into the bag-o-cam.

When I was a kid I had the plans for building an underwater camera housing using Plexiglas, epoxy, o-rings and wing-nuts-out-the-wazoo and wondered if the time had come to put those plans into action but was curious about what other "DIY" types are doing to waterproof their cameras. This is one of those questions that helps the internet earn its keep and as expected there was a fair amount of advice on building home-made submersible camera enclosures.

Many of the more popular methods involved using PVC drain pipe and fittings with Plexiglas for a window - some really good ideas but these involved turning on the camera before loading into the housing and allowing it to run non-stop until its retrieval; this left a lot to be desired in the way of composing, changing focal length, reviewing shots and cinematography in general. I had to dial back the enthusiasm a bit and - by way of the drawing board - invent what I think of as a "rain coat" for my camera, as opposed to those "Helmet Diver Suits" that certainly serve a purpose but are not really what this assignment called for.

In the laboratory, er workshop I was reminded of how well suited the scroll saw was for cutting out Plexiglas [see Bridge Head Template] and returned to that workstation to get this manufacturing process under way. The dimensions for the largest part - the "wrap around" piece - was worked-out using cardboard. The locations for the bends were transferred in pencil to the protective paper coating on the stock Plexiglas. Using a pen knife I lightly scored the brown paper in the hopes this would lead to a more accurate bend.

The bending was accomplished with the use of a heat blower gun; the material being situated between an iron straight edge and along the edge of the iron table saw top. There is a certain art to bending Plexiglas this way but it is a skill that once mastered will serve you well for many ingenious solutions. You should however, exercise great care when heating Plexiglas because the temperature at which the material bends is uncomfortably close to the temperature at which it will ignite. That being said, you are also well advised to have a fire extinguisher handy anytime you plug in the heat blower gun - just sayin'...

Once the large piece was formed the camera is tested for fit and  I discovered the camera controls could be manipulated easier if there was just a bit more clearance space above the camera. This adjustment was made by re-heating and some creative jig rigging but ultimately resulted in a satisfactory shape which was then traced onto more Plexiglas stock to form the front and back panels. These pieces were cut out handily on the scroll saw and the next step involved the rather tedious task of removing the paper from the parts.

The only reason I came to posses a supply of this 1/8th in. Plexiglas is that its previous owner was storing it in a poorly climate controlled warehouse and after several years of heating and cooling extremes the protective paper - which under ideal conditions is adhered with low tack adhesive - is mindbogglingly difficult to remove to expose any usable clarity. Not one to let such a valuable cache of resources find their way to the nearby land-fill I offered to let them continue in their tradition of improper storage in an out of the way nook in my unheated garage/workshop.

I will let it be known here that I have arrived at a method for removing even the most stubbornly adhered protective paper coating from even the most mistreated of Plexiglas rewarding you with crystal-clarity with a minimum of fuss. For this most valuable of trade secrets I ask only the paltry sum of $15 and a self addressed stamped envelope sent to "Tell Me How To Do It" P.O. Box 555..... but seriously here's how it's done:

Soak the Plexiglas parts in a container appropriate for complete submersion in a mild water/ammonia solution for anywhere between overnight and a few days. This will enable you to remove the paper without much trouble. The use of a hard plastic squeegee as a scraper will speed the process and save your fingernails. The only problem now will be the glue residue that is left clinging to the precious Plexiglas. There is only one thing I have found that will cause the glue to release its death-grip and that is none other than Denatured Alcohol. In fact if you ever need to remove sticky residue (as from bumper stickers etc.) go straight for the denatured alcohol and take care of it lickety-split (of course the usual disclaimer about "check for color-fastness in an inconspicuous location to determine if safe for your application" applies here.)

Once the protective paper with its glue mess was gone, window cleaner and paper towels finished the chore. Using a bit of emery cloth I sanded 1/4 in. bands where the Plexiglas pieces needed to be bonded to add some "tooth." At this time I also drilled the hole for access to the camera's tripod socket and scuffed that area to give a bit of grip to those surfaces. Using clear plumbers silicone caulking I applied a bead to the perimeter of the flat end pieces and assembled the project on end and weighted it down to dry overnight. The caulking goes on white but drys clear and make for a clean looking bond despite my rather sloppy caulk beads. The shape of the housing did not allow for the usual technique of smoothing the caulk with a moistened finger so it is what it is.

This video camera rain coat turns out to be a perfect companion piece to the "steady(ish)-cam" that was constructed for the "Rockin'4God" event [see: About this Rockin' 4 God Video] and the combination performed admirably in the heat of battle providing close-to-the-action footage that helps to make "The Balloon Fight Movie" the instant classic it is (among all those who took part in that most epic day of fellowship and fun.) The proof is in the pictures. Check out the video made with this rig and you will agree that without this clam-shell layer of protection it would have been the end of this video camera as we know it. All in all this was the proper amount of engineering to make good on my promise to "deliver the goods."

In my next post I will talk about editing "The Water Balloon Fight Movie" using open-source software and the complexities of building the soundtrack that added so much to the enjoyment of this video project.

[See BlogDogIt Article: Sound Trek]

 

The Dig project continues slowly but surely. Collecting the various bookmarks for the alphabetical highlight pages is a lot of fun but I especially  enjoy uncovering something that demands to be shared in the form of a post. The website I am sharing here is a Dutch language tribute to the 2009 Fanoe Kite Festival and features the adventures of three daring Belgian thrill seekers. 

You should probably brush-up on your Dutch or fire-up the translator before visiting their website but you are sure to enjoy the video below (created by Michel "Bitchkoemer" De Meester) which clearly speaks the universal language of friendship and fun!

Een weekje Fano 2008
A week of Fano 2008
        from Michel De Meester

Eind juni 2008 trokken we met de motorhome een weekje naar Fano.
In late June 2008, we went with the motor home for a week to Fanoe.

Uitsluitend om te buggiën en een beetje te genieten van het vliegerfestival.
Mostly for buggying and a bit to enjoy the kite festival.

Hier ziet u een korte samenvatting van onze "uitspattingen" aldaar.
Here is a brief summary of our "excesses" there.

Groetjes
Greetings

Bitchkoemer (B1084)

 

 The Video: https://vimeo.com/1564977

 

Wie zijn wij?
Who are we?

Soms noemen we ons "Tree of a Kite", een woordspeling van de bekende poker term "Three of a Kind".
Sometimes we call ourselves "Tree of a Kite," a pun of the famous poker term "Three of a Kind."

We zijn inderdaad "Three of a Kind", we zijn met drie, we kennen elkaar al jaren en hebben samen al heel wat woelige watertjes doorzwommen, kortom drie goede vrienden, ieder met een eigen persoonlijkheid maar door onze vriendschap zijn we, net als broers, meestal wel in elkaars buurt te vinden.
We are indeed "Three of a Kind", we are three, we've known each other for years and have been together for quite some turbulent lessons learned. In short, three good friends, each with their own personality but through our friendship we, as brothers, are typically found together.

"Tree" verwijst enerzijds naar "drie" , maar ook naar het dorp waar we alle drie wonen: "Boom" (tussen Antwerpen en Brussel), "Kite" spreekt voor zich, we zijn alle drie met de vliegersport bezig.
"Tree" on the one hand refers to "three", but also to the village where we all three live: "Boom" (between Antwerp and Brussels) [boom means "tree"], "Kite" Obviously, we are all involved with the sport kite.

---

De oudste (en dus ook de slimste :-)
The oldest (and therefore the smartest :-)

Michel De Meester, in de vliegerwereld beter bekend als Bitchkoemer (B1084), houdt zich voornamelijk bezig met buggiën, maar ook af en toe een éénlijnertje onder de naaimachine duwen lukt hem wel.
Michel De Meester, in the kite world known as Bitchkoemer (B1084) mainly engages in buggying, but also occasionally pushing a tow-kite through a sewing machine with successful results. [?]

---

De middelste
The middle
 

Rudy Belis, de buggy collega's kennen hem als FamGaga (B1158), hij rijdt ondertussen iets meer dan een jaartje en begint zich aardig uit de slag te trekken in zijn karreke.
Rudy Belis, the buggy colleagues know him as FamGaga (B1158), meanwhile he runs a little over a year and begins to withdraw from the battle in his nice karreke. [?]

---

De jongste (en ook de lelijkste)
The youngest (and the ugliest)

Peter Bastaens AKA Viper, zal af en toe wel enkele rakjes rijden maar houdt zich voornamelijk bezig met onze technische ondersteuning, ook de catering valt meestal onder zijn bevoegdheid (lees pintjes halen voor de rijders :-)
Peter Bastaens AKA Viper, will occasionally do some buggy driving but is mainly concerned with technical support, also catering usually falls under its jurisdiction (read: fetch beers for the drivers :-) [?]

---

Do you feel called to participate in the organization?
Do you feel called to sponsor us with "beverage and food?"
...please do not hesitate to send an email to someone of "Tree of a Kite!"

Michel aka Bitchkoemer (B1084)

Rudy aka FamGaga (B1158)

Peter aka Viper

pareidolia
par·ei·do·lia (păr′Ä«-dō′lÄ“-É™) n.

The perception of a recognizable image or meaningful pattern where none exists or is intended, as the perception of a face in the surface features of the moon.

Images from the interwebs.

Pareidolia

 Click On The Image For Source Page

To shine a spot light on Noël ILL is akin to pointing a flashlight at the moon; so many features -vs- so little light.

I have been following the work of Noël for a couple of years now and am still learning about her many talents and areas of interest.

I first discovered Noël as the earthling behind "Saucer Time" and soon found that "Independent UFO Researcher" was just the proverbial tip of her iceburg proportioned resume

The website, NoelILL.com, "abouts" her thus:

The Links

YouTube

Noël Ill
http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCt5QvZK_CwSL6f78Mw0z1HA

Contributor to

Art by Noël ILL
http://noelill.blogspot.com/

Saucer Time! UFO blog
http://www.saucertime.com/

Galaxy Sorceress
personal blog
http://galaxysorceress.blogspot.com/

Twitter:

@SaucerTime      @noelill