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LAIR LINES
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The Wraith: Eyes of Judgment director/co-writer Stephen J. Semones (as well as the occasional other member of the cast/crew) will keep everyone up-to-date in a regular journal/blog re-counting his experiences working on directing this exciting new film... March 28 2006 BRISTOL-TN. Sir Reel Films and Trinity Comics would like to proudly announce the 2-disc Special Edition DVD of The Wraith: Eyes of Judgment is now available for purchase. You can purchase the film directly through www.sirreelfilms.net, www.the-wraith.com and the film's official site: www.the-wraith.com/movie (click the above DVD menu link or here to go there). The Wraith film was concieved in August of 2003 when Sir Reel Films and Trinity Comics joined forces to bring the comic book hero, The Wraith, to life through film. The Wraith is based on the Trinity Comics comic and novel, written and created by Frank Dirscherl. Dirscherl and Stephen J. Semones, head of Sir Reel Films, combined efforts for two years to keep this film in production. Obtaining the assistance of a mix of enthusiastic amateurs and seasoned Hollywood professionals, the Sir Reel/Trinity team delivered a top notch short film for only $15,000. With contributions from Emmy Award winning composer Larry Groupé, to Academy Award winning stunt specialist Scott Leva, The Wraith film delivers on all aspects of technical filmmaking and achievement. Featuring special CGI effects from Marc Kimball of The Troupe and a 5.1 digital surround sound mix, The Wraith film pleases all senses. After a two year production, The Wraith: Eyes of Judgment premiered at the world famous Abingdon Cinemall (www.cinemall.com) in August of 2005 garnering rave reviews and making it an instant local success. Since then, the film played to thousands in New York and Los Angeles at video and film festivals. The film has been hailed as "... a visually stunning triumph of creativity over budget" by William J. Wright, accredited journalist for Film Threat, Sirens of Cinema, Pennyblood, and The Horror Post. After more than two years of hard work, the film has grown into much more than originally planned. Also in August of 2005, Coscom Entertainment (www.coscomentertainment.com) published the master companion to The Wraith film in The Wraith: Eyes of Judgment Official Scriptbook & Movieguide. From books to comics to novels to movies, Sir Reel Films and Trinity Comics have totally encompassed all aspects of independent media. March 8 2006 Well, well, well. Here we are, approaching the release date of The Wraith: Eyes of Judgment like a runaway train. Without delay any longer, I'll just cut all the crap and get straight to the point. Tuesday March 28th, 2006 YOU WILL BE ABLE TO PURCHASE THE WRAITH: EYES OF JUDGMENT DVD straight from www.sirreelfilms.net, www.the-wraith.com and right here on the movie site. Okay, there it is, mark it down: March 28th, 2006. The 2-disc DVD set will be $19.99 plus shipping. For more information on the DVD's content, check the DVD section of this site. In the last Lair Line I mentioned that it would be before Valentine's Day, but we didn't make it. We had some problems with the sound mix that had to be adjusted. Let me tell you guys the whole story, so maybe you'll have some sympathy for us. Around October of last year, I told Voodoo Studios that I wanted a completely new sound mix. They basically started from scratch. They kept some of their sounds from the Cinemall mix, but I was a little more involved this time around. Not too much, because I gave them a lot of freedom. They would bounce ideas off me and I'd tell them once the direction to go and they would be off to work. I gave them so much freedom to add ambience and make the sound mix stand out that much more. After seeing the film at the premiere on the bigscreen, I knew we could push this film harder in the sound department. I wanted more and Voodoo was willing to go the limit with me. This is the reason for the delay: we completely redesinged the sound mix for the whole film. Yeah, it's crazy, but like I said, I knew we could push the envelope further. It's not that the original mix was bad, but I just saw what Voodoo could do and I knew we could take it to another level. Fast forward to last week and I get the master DVD's to the film. Wow, what can I say? Marc Kimball did a phenominal job creating the DVD's. You'll all be impressed. Frank has a master copy as well and he'll agree with me when I say that hands down, this is one of the most impressive indie DVD's ever made (I do - Frank). I tried to keep the cost of the DVD relatively cheap, but because we're self distributing, $19.99 was the best I could do. I hope you all check this DVD out because it's literally worth every penny. After seeing countless DVD's with crap Special Features and overall quality, I delayed and delayed this film so I could deliver the absolute best presentation of it possible. I'm a film enthusiast as well as a filmmaker and I believe in putting out something with substance and quality. I hope you all feel as though we did. The Special Features alone will have you busy for a long time. Now, beyond the DVD lies an uncharted realm of Wraith footage. Basically, I had to cut close to six hours of content off of the DVD, so I've got quite a bit of stuff left over. After the DVD launches, I'll periodically release unseen footage in webdoc form. I've got a lot of cool stuff left over that I can show, so if you really like the DVD and want to see more, head on over to the forum and vote for what you'd like to see , please click here for the forum thread (you'll need to join the forum before being able to view/post - Frank). Around the time of the DVD's release, www.filmthreat.com will be doing a piece on The Wraith and Sir Reel Films, so be sure to check there frequently for what will be the best article on this project to date!! My good friend William J. Wright conducted interviews at the premiere and with Frank has contributed to a lot of The Wraith's critical acclaim and enthusiasm. Be sure to check this out because it's an interview/article not to be missed!!!! That's about it folks. Stay tuned to www.sirreelfilms.net and www.the-wraith.com for all the DVD purchasing information. Come March 28th, The Dread Avenger of the Underworld makes his small screen debut!!! Enjoy the DVD! Peace. Stephen March 6 2006 It's been a long time between updates, but we can now announce that the release of The Wraith: Eyes of Judgment 2-disc DVD set is only weeks away. That's right, your chance to see this amazing DVD is very soon in coming. Keep an eye on the site for further updates confirming an official date, but we're nearly there now. For a reminder of just what the DVD contains, please click here to see the updated specs. To celebrate the DVD's release, we'll be updating the site with some new features over the next few weeks to enhance your experience with the DVD. To start with, we have an interview with one of our costume effects personnel, Mr David Pea of Universal Designs, and that can be read by clicking here. More to come very soon... Frank January 10 2006 FANTASTIC NEWS! We've just received word that the film has received several honourable mentions from its New York and Los Angeles screenings of the New York International Film Festival. We'll have more info on this soon. Frank December 13 2005 Well, it's been a while since you heard from me. After the scriptbook was published, I really didn't know if I'd continue doing any Lair Lines. However, Frank asked me too and I thought of some cool stuff I could tell everyone, so I figured I'd go ahead and update everyone on everything. I know, I know... where's the DVD? Well, good question. I'm glad I asked it. Right now, to clear everything up, I'm about to tell you. I'm also going to explain why it's taken so long and it's current status. Right now at this very moment, the DVD is almost ready to roll. Marc Kimball, who is assembling everything for it, has it in his hands and is awaiting the final sound mix from Voodoo Studios before he sends it to me. They've been working extremely hard and coming up with a sound mix that will blow the Cinemall mix out of the water. The whole DVD will be completely in digital surround... even the menus. So, programming everything and layering all this sound takes time. A lot of time. This is a job for more than just two people, and right now, all I have working on it is two people. However, I spoke to Jonathan the other day and they're almost done with everything and they're about to send it to Marc for final mastering. Everything but the sound mix is ready to go, so it's not going to be much longer now. Now, I know everyone wants an exact date, but I can't give something I don't have. What I can garantee is that it will be available for purchase REALLY, REALLY SOON. How soon you ask? After Christmas but before Valentine's Day. That's about the best I can do at this time. As soon as I have a definate date, Frank will post it on his site, so you'll all have an exact date really soon. You have my word. I know this is a highly anticipated film and everyone is wanting to see it, so all I can say is patience is a virtue and you won't be disappointed with the final product. The thing that pisses me off most about buying a DVD is when the studio releases something with little or no special features and the one's that they do have suck. I've gone out of my way to make sure that there is more than enough stuff to do and I'd estimate somewhere around four hours to get through both discs. I don't think that's too bad for a film running 48 minutes. You'll go behind the scenes and see some scenes actually being shot and what it's like making a film with virtually no budget or crew. I also want to say right now that the Outtake Reel is so funny and raw that we had to put a warning on it. It's EXTREMELY funny and shows outtakes from about four or five seperate scenes. Oh, did I mention it runs like 12 minutes long? It does. The main documentary is about 45 minutes or so and there are close to an hour of interviews. I also recut a scene for the alternate scene section just for the DVD. It's basically a scene I cut down from 7 minutes to 5 in the final cut and wanted to go back and re-edit the whole sequence. So yeah, that's on there too. What I'm getting at is that I put so much time into this myself that I don't even want to imagine what Marc and Voodoo Studios went through. I'll say this though, I've worked close with everyone to ensure that you all get your money's worth from this impressive DVD. What has happened to the film since the premiere? Well, another good question I'm glad I asked. It played back in November in New York at the International Film and Video Fest. From what I heard, it was a hit with everyone who saw it. So far, over 1,500 people have seen this film on the big screen, so I couldn't be happier. Though the Cinemall weekend turnout was great, NYC was a heck of a lot better. I've sent it to other festivals that will take place throughout 2006 and I'm currently awaiting acceptance notices. I'll go into more detail when those events become known to me. As far as locally here on my end, I've got some good news. Our local Bristol Public Library will be carrying copies of the scriptbook and film and I'm also working on getting it into a few local movie and comic shops. We'll probably end up doing some sort of press function at the Library, so look for more details on that later. They're opening a brand new building (which the construction was CGI'd out of the film-- seen in the background in the original take) in March and we'll probably be doing something around that time. The Sir Reel Films website will be back online shortly around the time the Wraith DVD comes out. You'll be able to purchase the DVD through either that site or The Wraith site and more sites will be linking to it as well. Right now, the suggested retail price on the DVD will be $19.99 plus shipping and handling. I'm sure Frank and I will eventually have copies personally in stock and will offer signed copies from time to time and you'll be able to buy it first-hand at all the convention and festival appearances Frank and I make. Speaking of conventions, one we'll definately be at is the Knoxville Adventure-Con coming June 2006. As far as The Wraith goes, The Dread Avenger is almost here. Sir Reel Films is currently hard at work on the pre-pre-production of our next film. Our next film is going to be our first feature film and The Wraith has enabled us to get the respect and credintials to finally branch out and work with a bigger cast and crew. Sir Reel owes it's success to The Wraith and that's one reason we've taken our time with the DVD. We don't want you to buy something from us you're not going to like. We don't want to release a crap DVD and we definately want you all to be impressed. So far, all I can say is that you'll all love it and will be VERY impressed. I'll probably do a few more Lair Lines to update everyone on festivals, conventions, and more Wraith film news... so stay tuned. Until Next Time........ Stephen October 25 2005 We've updated the DVD section of the site to precisely reflect the many features on The Wraith: Eyes of Judgment 2-disc Special Edition DVD, which is intended for release very soon. Check it out today, and while you're waiting for the release of the DVD, why not give The Wraith: Eyes of Judgment - The Official Script Book & Movie Guide a look. Read the full film screenplay, find out intricate details of the shooting schedule, read interviews with the film's director/co-writer & executive producer/co-writer, witness exclusive never-before-seen photos from the film and read a never-before-published 2-page comic book origin of The Wraith! Click here to buy this amazing trade paperback online now!! Frank August 31 2005 The Wraith: Eyes of Judgment composer Adam DiTroia has been featured in a recent newspaper article, which can be viewed online by clicking here. Frank August 29 2005 We've added the WCYB News spots to the site today. All three feature various cast & crew members from the film talking up the Cinemall premiere that night. The first news spot aired during the middle of the day, while the next two at various times during the evening news. They can be viewed by clicking here. We've also added 15 photos from the premiere which took place on August 19 at the Cinemall in Abingdon, Virginia. Those can be viewed by clicking here. Frank August 22 2005 Well, the premiere took place last Friday, and here's Stephen reporting on the massive success it was... I woke up after about five hours sleep to my wife getting my son off to school. I was expecting Jonathan Wall (our sound fx guru from Voodoo Studios) and his wife Carmen at any time, so I figured it was time to get on with my (Birth)day. I had to be at the television station at 11:45 with Ryan Basham to do a spot on the noon news, so I just had a couple hours to get ready. Jonathan called and said he'd be in after lunch. He and his wife drove up 10-12 hours from Orlando just to come and be a part of the premiere. He was driving over-night but got really tired and had to stop to rest, so that eased me up for the TV station. Ryan and I went to the local station and were immediately greeted by a reporter and her cameraman. They took us around so we could do some interviews where we shot some of the film. Then we headed back to the station for an on-set interview. We were interviewed for about five minutes and then left. (NOTE- I'll be sending Frank all three news spots they ran on us from Friday soon!!) When I got back home, the phone started ringing off the hook. Apparently, everyone had nothing to do but watch us on TV. J/K After about an hour and a half of talking on the phone, Jonathan called from across town, so my wife and I bolted to go have lunch with him. After a late lunch, we came back to get ready for the premiere. At 5pm, David and Stacie Cooper arrived at my house so we could all meet and leave together. After 30 minutes, we arrived at the Cinemall. Upon pulling up, I noticed that they had "THE WRAITH" on their marquee out by the road with the other films. Basically when we arrived, most of the cast and crew were shortly behind us, so we were off to set up for the reception and get the film ready. Ryan Basham set everything up for the reception as David Cooper and I went to the HUGE projector hall up in the attic and got the projector ready. From up high in the projector room, we saw for the first time our film on the BIG SCREEN. After that, it was on to getting Jonathan Wall into the theater with a walkie-talkie for him to relay sound levels back to us upstairs. Once we had everything ready to roll, Coop and I went back downstairs. This was also about two minutes before seating, so when we went out to find everyone, the lobby was PACKED FULL OF PEOPLE. I asked Coop if these people were here for our movie and he thought so. When we got closer to the crowd, we noticed they were ALL in line for our film. Friends, family, and people we didn't even know were filling the lobby for our little film. Everyone but the cast/crew was let in shortly after Coop and I made it back to everyone else. As the people walked that long hall, then onto the red carpet, and into the theater... I felt my stomach start to drop. I could feel pressure like someone sitting on my chest. Panic was starting to set in. I paced around the cast and crew in the reception area. An hour later, I thought, and all those people who just went into the theater would be standing where I'm at now telling me what they thought. A nervous flutter of energy swept over everyone. Then it was time. Ryan led the cast down into the theater with me bringing up the end of the line. He walked in and greeted everyone in attendance. Then, he introduced the cast and they all came out together to a roar of applause. They took their reserved seats while I waited in the hall leaving the theater. It took forever before Ryan introduced me and then he said it... "Ladies and gentlemen... The Director of The Wraith, Stephen J. Semones". I waited about two seconds because I was shocked when he said my name. As soon as he said my last name, the theater absolutely roared with applause and cheers. It was deafening. I walked out waving to the crowd and introduced myself. I'll save what I said for the DVD, but I briefly introduced the film and thanked everyone including the cast and crew. Then as I was going to sit down, David Cooper stood up, announced it was my birthday, and caused me to be taken back by another wave of deafening applause. I took my seat and sat nervously as the lights dimmed... then POW! It came on. I was in complete awe and filled with shock at seeing The Wraith on the screen. As the opening to the film went into the main credits, applause rang out again. People cheered throughout the opening credits and then got quiet as the film began. They laughed at all the humorous bits, jumped in fear (Cobra scene), ooohhed and ahhhed at the CGI and sound fx, and cheered like mad when it was over. It was such a rush and a high sitting there taking it all in. After the film, I hung around and talked to people as they were headed to the reception. I didn't want to leave the theater until I saw everyone else leave. As I talked to people on their way out, the response was all the same... "Awesome." "Great!" "Wonderful" Impressive". I made my way to the reception with a great feeling of relief. Success had just been achieved. At the reception, everyone was taking pictures with the cast and crew and getting them to sign newspaper articles of us, the scriptbook, comics, etc. Everyone wanted their picture taken and camera flashes were abound. People were also interviewed for the DVD after the film, so there are some great comments about us and the movie. Everyone was absolutely in love with the film. William Wright, my buddy for over 9 years and journalist for Film Threat and Penny Blood magazines, came up to me shaking his head and my head at the same time. William made my night. As he shook my hand, he looked me dead in the eye and said: "Thank You. Thank you for making a comic book film that was smart and visually pleasing. " He also told me that the camera work was nothing short of genious and amazing and what I did shooting on video, pros in Hollywood can't do on film. That was a cool thing to say and it made me feel good about my overall style. He told me that I was now one of his favorite filmmakers and that Film Threat is going to totally eat us up with coverage. Good to hear. Very Happy William is a great guy, but most of all... he's a critical bastard when it comes to movies, so his approval HAS TO mean something. I mean, he's a film journalist. Anyway, after the reception, we were greeted outside by a small crowd of kids\teenagers just hanging out. When they found out that WE were the ONES responsible for The Wraith.... well... we had to all break out the sharpie's and start signing more stuff. Really weird kids... had us signing skateboards, body parts (don't ask.. ok?), shirts, foreheads, and anything else they could find. I think I even signed a napkin at one point. We all left and went out for dinner and drinks. A great time was had by all. William finished his interview for Film Threat by talking to me, David Cooper, Rick McVey, Trevor Carter, and more.... After dinner, we all said our goodbyes and thank you's. It was bittersweet and something I'll never forget. The premiere was PACKED full of people. Very few empty seats were seen. However, as we came out of our show, there were already about fifty people in line for the second showing. It was amazing... simply amazing. I DID however walk into the second show to see how the crowd was taking it. Cooper and Randy (Eight Ball) went with me. As I peeked around the corner during a Latham/Grieco scene I noticed something... there wasn't an empty seat in the whole place. Coop and I started jumping up and down in the little hallway like little kids. The crowd was really into the film and were laughing at a classic Grieco moment. All in all, it was a bittersweet experience. Ryan said he went to see the second show crowd, but was late getting there and caught them all leaving. Funny thing is, for both shows... everyone stayed until the end of the credits. That was supercool!!!!!! Stephen Premiere photos and more will be up on the site very soon. I've also added the previous The Wraith teaser in Windows Media Player format to accompany the Quicktime teaser. Frank August 19 2005
Frank
The premiere screening of The Wraith: Eyes of Judgment film at the Abingdon Cinemall on August 19 has been booked out, so we won't be able to send out anymore invitations. However, there are several screenings on the 19th, and all through the weekend, and for only $5.00, that's a bargain you dare not miss! Please click here to find out when the film is screening over the coming weekend. August 6 2005 Two TV spots, which are airing on certain local television stations in the Tennessee/Virginia area, have been added to the Videos & Music section. Please click the link to the left or the above Downloads link to check those out. The Cinemall in Abingdon, Virginia has updated their website with screening times to catch the film on the big screen. Click the link and scroll down to find out exactly how not to miss this! Frank July 27 2005 The Press Release announcing acceptance into the New York International Independent Film & Video Festival can now be read by clicking here. Frank July 21 2005 Wow, almost two full years later and here I sit. Less than a few days of making two full years since I first agreed to do this film. Here I sit, a changed man. A changed filmmaker. I'm a better person now having done this film. My son had just turned three about the time I first decided to do this film. He turns five in five days. He was the main reason I decided to do this film. Growing up I always dreamed of making a comic book movie and now I have. Though my perceptions have changed on everything from life down to comics, the magic is there for me to give my son. However, the great thing is, he's gotten to see me work the magic. He knows the cast and crew fairly well, and has spent hours beside me as I edited the film. He knows more about how movies are made than I'd say 90% of adults. This is my gift to him. The Wraith: Eyes of Judgment, it's all for him. For Sean. All my drive, inspiration, and creativity was put forth for him. Now that the film is complete, he now gets to see it at the theater and see his dad's gift to him enjoyed by a packed house. Now you all know why I was able to complete this film on a personal level. Now let me tell you how I was able to do it on a creative level. When I first set out to make this film, I had a vision of what it would be. We have surpassed my original vision and I'm actually suprised at what we've achieved. I'll be getting the final print of the film this week. The sound is still being mixed and the score wrapped up, but we're almost there. I'll have the complete film, final sound and master print, around the first week or so of August ready to premiere at the Cinemall August 19th. I want to personally thank everyone for their involvment, so bear with me. Let me start with the cast:
As for the rest of the cast - Randy Stout, Mandi Leigh, Zek Hensley, Joey Hale, Adam Oravec, Dietrich Adetayo, Trevor Carter, Chris Wolfe, Izzy Real and that bum we paid a slice of pizza to do that one scene with Cooper... thank you all. You all did great bringing Metro City to life. Thank you all for your hard work. As for the technical crew of the film:
For the rest of the crew and producers and everyone else involved - Derik Nutter, Ty Kelsey, Zek Hensley, Scott Leva, Jonathan Long, Christie Turner, Rob Nelson, Best Friends Photos (Janet & Lisa), and everyone else who pitched in to help... Thank you. For without your help, I could not have brought The Wraith and his world to life. Without you, I would not have been able to do this film at all. You all were the backbone, workers, inspirations, and friends who helped us achieve such a great film. For the help and support, I bow in honor. Last but not least... Frank Dirscherl. Frank you took a chance with me when no one else would. No one would see my vision of films and how I thought they should work. People trashed my films for the most part and you saw beyond that and saw someone who understood how The Wraith should be done. You put faith in me and I thank you for that. I thank you for allowing me the opportunity to portray your character and his world on screen through my camera. That took guts, courage, and faith. Thank you. Thank you for everything you've done for me personally and the film. Thanks for listening to me vent and rant and (like a sitcom theme song) thank you for being a friend. You've had my back every step of the way and I appreciate it dearly. I will one day make your Wraith feature film, but until then, I hope this one will suffice. It's been a great ride so far mate, let's see how far we can take it! This is the last Lair Line I'm doing. Production on the film is nearing it's end and we're almost ready to premiere the film. Frank will still be posting news and information regarding the film, but this Lair Line section set out to be the production diary to the film, and now production is nearing an end. As the production ends, I feel I should end the Lair Line series this way. I'll still frequent Frank's site, but the production chapter of The Wraith is now officially closed. Writing this is bittersweet. I feel as though I have revealed so much of myself through these Lair Lines that to stop is almost selfish on my part. However, I know I must stop them now and move on to getting the film out there for you all to see. I will honestly miss writing the Lair Line production diary. I hope over the course of me writing them that everyone has got some insight now into what it's like making a movie at the level we made The Wraith at. I hope you've all got to know me better and that I've at least entertained you through these journal entries. Thank you all for your support. Be sure to check out The Wraith: Eyes of Judgment wherever you can, and if I'm there selling or supporting it, stop by and let me know what you think of it. I love talking to people, but most of all, I love talking to people about my movies. Haha. Thanks to everyone involved in this film, everyone on Frank's website, and every other site that has done any news piece or press release on us. Thank you all for your support and faith in Sir Reel Films. Thanks to my wife and son for their support, and for putting up with my workaholism. I love you all. See you at the movies. Ramble On... Stephen I have to echo Stephen's thanks to everyone. Nearly two years ago, I decided to search out a way to get my character to a bigger audience then was possible for myself to achieve. I thought a film was the perfect avenue for this. Not an easy option when dealing with limited funds and limited marketing, but I managed to find a kindred spirit in Stephen J. Semones. After we spoke online, I knew he was the person for the job. I'm sure most of you have seen what passes as comic book films/television shows over the years, and the vasy majority aren't very good. Most writers/directors just don't get the genre they're dealing with. I know, indeed I know. It's a comic book, you say, how hard can it be? The reality is - harder than you might think. Stephen... I have to thank you for everything. This film exists because of you. Your talent, your drive, your commitment, your loyalty. We've been through a lot together these past two years, but I wouldn't trade that time for anything. I value our finished film so much, but I value our friendship even more. That's something words cannot describe, but I will say this - you have a friend for life. Once we decided that we were a good fit to work together on the film, what then? We knew we'd be able to nail a script together to our satisfaction, but could we bring The Wraith to the screen in such a way as to satisfy us both, let alone our audience? That was the big question for me initially. While we hammered out the screenplay, I was looking for a way to ensure the look of the character could be perfectly transferred from comic book page to the screen. I didn't want to make the film at all if we couldn't achieve this. I knew, though, that my old friend Lance Coulter (who with Jeremy Colyer runs Xtreme Design FX) wouldn't let me down on that score. I came into my mind at that point that, despite the film's low budget, if we can get the look of the character right (and by that I mean, just like the comics and done to a professional film standard), then what else could we do? So, it was then I contacted my old friend Marc Kimball (our superbly talented visual effects supervisor from The Troupe) and got him onboard. I contacted Larry Groupé and Scott Leva, top Hollywood pros in their respective fields (music and stunt work), and was thrilled when they agreed to work this. That spoke volumes for the quality of the script, the hard work of Stephen and the team, and above all, for the character itself. Other members of the team came onboard through various means, either through myself, through Stephen, or by them coming to us, wanting to be a part of this. Together, and it truly was a team effort, through thick-and-thin, we achieved a level of quality - of magic - virtually unheard of for a production of such a low budget. Stephen's named everyone, and thanked everyone. I really can't add much more to his words other than to say this - thanks to you all. You're amazing, and this film is just the start of an exciting journey for us all. It only gets better from here. And to you, our loyal readers... you're in for a wonderful surprise when The Wraith: Eyes of Judgment premieres on the bigscreen August 19, on DVD in September and at the New York International Film & Video Festival in November. So, get set for an amazing experience... Frank July 16 2005 The Wraith Hits New York City! You heard that right, The Wraith: Eyes of Judgment film is hitting New York City. The film has just been accepted for entry in the prestigious New York International Film & Video Festival, for screening in November. This is the biggest festival of its kind in the world, and The Wraith is gonna be a part of it! We're all thrilled beyond belief with this news. The film, indeed the character, will now be exposed to such a huge audience, a much larger one (of industry heavyweights and the general public alike) than we ever dreamed possible when we started this. This could be the start of something truly big for us... here's hoping. How cool is this? July 5 2005 A new mailing list has been created for those who wish to join and keep abreast of all the latest news re: this groundbreaking new film. Click here to subscribe to The Wraith Movie Mailing List. June 27 2005 New wallpaper added to the Posters & Wallpapers section. Download it and present it on your desktop proudly. Frank June 21 2005 FRIDAY June 17 - I woke up after about 4 hours of nervous sleep. I realized something the night before that I hadn't thought of before.... We're about to attend our first convention and are we ready (and worthy..) to be there. We were soon about to see. My wife, son, and I took off to Knoxville around 10am. The car ride down was a nervous one for me. I was anxious to find out how people would take us and if we'd be taken serious at all. Little did I know I was in for the best weekend of my entire life. We didn't do much on Friday. We got to the convention center and picked up our passes, checked out our table, and basically left. We had to get a few things and decided to come early Saturday and set up. Our table area wasn't that big so it wouldn't take long to set up. The family and I decided to spend some time together before catching up with a friend we were staying with. We drove all over Knoxville and had a blast before traveling to my friend Brian's house for the evening. I went to bed more nervous now than ever. SATURDAY July 18 - Ryan Basham had came in with his friend Friday night and had given us all the info on his hotel and such. I awoke Saturday morning realising that my brother David wouldn't be there until about 11 and it started at 9:30. I was curious to see how he reacted to the crowd I saw gathering as I made it to the Convention Center. As I got to my tables I realized who was around me. Directly behind me was Captain Marvel himself, Jackson Bostwick. He was a really nice guy and chatted with us all weekend. He came by the table and checked out the Wraith trailer. He liked what he saw and thus he was presented with a free comic. As the day progressed Ryan Basham and I were really promoting our table to everyone who passed. We had on display two large movie posters behind us and three spread out on our tables which were surrounded by comics. To the side we had running a trailer and an FX Documentary. We took 40 comics with us and in two days came back with 1, so all in all it was a good trip. We gave like 4 away. Jackson Bostwick, Adam West, and John Rhys-Davies were but three that recieved a complementary issue of The Wraith # 0. The day was going great and I couldn't believe the response to the trailer and comic. We had a signup sheet for a Premiere and DVD mailer and got a couple of pages full of people who want to attend the premiere or buy the DVD. When I met John Rhys-Davies, it was in the afternoon. Things had calmed down, the lines had died, so we were able to approach him. My brother, Ryan, and I walked straight up to him and started up a conversation about who we were. He was such a pleasant man and a gentleman. We invited him to our booth to check out our trailer. He (to our complete suprise) stood up and told his assistants that he'd be back. He then walked with us (unsupervised) across the floor to our table. He stopped occasionally to grab a camera and snap a picture of himself, or to shake someones hand, but he was on a mission with us to see The Wraith trailer. When we all arrived at the table my wife and friend Brian were completely shocked to see our new friend. He introduced himself to everyone and casually checked out our booth. He took a comic and started looking at the trailer. He liked what he saw and told us "good job!". He was impressed with our efforts as filmmakers. He stood there with us for about 10 minutes and just gave out advice. The things he said to us I won't repeat, but those who were there truly got words of wisdom from a legend. After chatting with us, he posed for a picture with us and then one with my son. After leaving our table he stood around the center floor and just talked to fans and hung out. He is truly a class act and an extremely nice and approachable man. Thank you Mr. Davies. Thank you for everything you said and your advice. We hope you love the comic. ;) After that success we felt nothing could top it. Then I ran into an old friend who is now a film journalist. William Wright walked straight up to the booth and for the first time in 9 years, we spoke face to face. What a great feeling it was catching up with him. He then told me that when the convention ended for the day at 7, he had an interview with Robert Englund. I talked him into letting me meet Mr. Englund. He agreed and we spent the rest of the day there catching up and hanging out. My wife and son left to go back home with my mom, so we had nothing to do but network and socialize. Come 7pm, the only two celebrity guests left were Robert Englund and John Davies. We packed up, met up with William, and headed over to the celeb tables. There were only about 10 people left hanging around for last minute autographs, but these two men stayed until everyone was satisfied and had their chance. We walked up to Mr. Davies and thanked him for his time at our booth. He then began to talk to us for another 15 minutes as Mr. Englund finished up. He was very polite and energetic about us being filmmakers and going after this ourselves. He said goodbye to us and left. We stood then with one man left... Robert Englund. As he finished up, William approached him and Robert invited him out to dinner. William asked if I could come and they agreed. They took a car and I walked a couple blocks away to a really nice resteraunt. The rest of Sir Reel Films unloaded our stuff and then came to the resteraunt. When I walked in I saw William and Robert and Nancy Englund sitting at the bar. I was greeted by them and they told me to sit down. I took a seat beside his wife Nancy and talked to her as William interviewed Robert. Nancy Englund was a sweet and kind lady and I can't thank her enough for a wonderful and delightful conversation. We talked a little business but kept everything social and fun. As Robert was being interviewed, some of the workers at the bar asked for an autograph. He stopped the interview, grabbed some photos, then started signing away. He was such a nice and generous man to everyone in his presense. I honestly feel that he's never met a stranger. As our table was ready, we went outside. I sat with Robert, Nancy, William, Stephen (Robert's Agent), and a guy (name escapes me) from the Adventure Con. At the table beside us, the rest of Sir Reel Films sat as my support group. I couldn't believe I was having dinner with Freddy Krueger. I grew up watching this man and was terrified of him. Now I'm having dinner with him and his wife and he's one of the nicest men I've ever met. We sat there for about three hours as William interviewed him off and on. Informal and formal. I'm not sure how his interview will play out when he's done, but I can't wait to read it. After the interview we all talked about life, movies, music, love, and a lot more. When it was time for Robert and company to leave, he paid for everything. I mean everything. To top my night off, Robert Englund bought my dinner. I honestly felt as if I was about to die. He was so cool to us all. He talked to us as if we were his close friends and treated us the same. After he left I was about to explode with excitement. A lot of things I can't repeat or go into detail on discussions or conversations, but Mr. Englund was full of advice and I was taken to school. Not just about films, but this charismatic man taught us all a little about ourselves and life in general. To him, his wife Nancy, and his agent, I say thank you for one of the best nights of my life. I'm still in complete shock it all happened the next day. When we left the resteraunt, Sir Reel Films cut loose on the town of Knoxville. Once again, I can't give details, but fun was had by all! SUNDAY July 19 - Waking up I had to confirm with others that the previous night had happened. Once they assured me that I had the night of my life, I snapped into reality (like 30 minutes later) and got ready to go to the convention center. My brother, my friend Brian, and I arrived before Ryan. I got seperated from my two partners in crime and found myself outside. Who materializes out of thin air and approaches me from behind? None other than John Davies. He literally started me. We chatted briefly and then we parted ways. Needless to say, he remembered me. As I headed back downstairs to the convention room, I caught Davies walking through the early birds in line waiting for entrance and just talking to people. He was literally just hanging out. He loved it and was having a great time. This guy has no ego and is a true gentleman. He tried to stay for a second day, but he couldn't get his flight changed in time and had to leave. While he waited on his flight he hung out with everyone and eventually left just before the doors opened. The crowd didn't pick up until after lunch, but seeing as it was Father's Day, it was to be expected. We hung out with some local authors, musicians, toy dealers, etc. We also got to talk a lot more to Jackson Bostwick and get to know him a little better. Come to find out, Captain Marvel lives pretty close to me. :) As the day ended and everyone said goodbye to the 2005 Knoxville Adventure Con, parting was bittersweet. I looked around and shopped for the first time just before we left. Last year I was there as a fan, this year I was there signing autographs and talking to a lot of interesting people. I'd like to say thank you to everyone who stopped by and talked to us all. We hope you like your comics and look forward to seeing you all at the premiere. We hope you all check out the DVD as well. I'd also like to thank Ryan Basham, David Semones, and Brian Tittle for working the tables with me all weekend. These guys pulled their weight and really helped get this movie out to people. The reception from everyone was extremely positive, especially the established celebrities. I'd also like to thank Jackson Bostwick for a lovely time conversing with us. Hope to talk again with him soon. I'd like to thank John Rhys-Davies for disrupting the Adventure Con by being sociable and coming to our booth and hanging out with us. Thank you sir for your wisdom, enthusiasm, knowledge, and most of all... thank you for being an extremely nice guy! Last but certainly not least, thank you Nancy and Robert Englund. Thank you for dinner and the wonderful time I had. It was an honor and priviledge to sit and toast margaritas with a legend. Thank you all. Right now it's early Monday morning and I had to get this out while it was all fresh on my mind. Believe it or not, that mini-novel I just wrote is the condensed story. I'll send Frank some pictures and hopefully we'll be able to post them for everyone to see. I met a lot of great people and had a blast. Until we all meet again............ Thanks for the memories. Stephen Pics from the event can be seen here. Frank June 17 2005 We're done filming. The movie is completely shot. I've been working feverishly the last two weeks to finalize everything we had left to shoot and edit. I mailed the film off to Voodoo Studios, Adam DiTroia, and Marc Kimball for them to add their finishing touches. While they work their magic I'll be tweaking the film (possibly some minor pickup shots) and getting the DVD ready for the September release. We also have a final date set for the premiere at the Cinemall... August 19th. That day also happens to be my birthday (and my mother's - Frank), which ironically worked out that way without my influence or control. The last month of filming had it's ups and downs off screen. I won't go into detail on that but we all pulled together and finished shooting the movie. I've literally spent the last two weeks glued to my computer editing the film as well, but that's another story all together. The last things we had to shoot were the final fight scene and the BIG dialogue sequence before it involving the three main villains. My hat goes off to everyone involved shooting these last two scenes. They really poured their blood, sweat, and tears into the last stretch to ensure we got the best ending to the film that we could. Rick McVey, Ryan Basham, David Cooper, and David Semones acted their hearts out for the final segments of the film. For the final fight, everything literally went smooth. I could go into all the details of each shot, but everyone will have a chance to see the film in two months anyway, so I'll just give out some other kind of "inside" information: Injuries. There were basically very minor injuries during the final fight scene, however they were all inflicted by The Wraith himself. Chris Wolfe (Latham's Bodyguard) banged his toe up pretty good during a jump. Dietrich Adetayo (another bodyguard) got his mouth busted by a big Wraith headbutt. My brother David, Charlie Grieco, literally took the most punishment. He actually got pistol whipped by The Wraith and his head busted open a small amount. Each of them that were hurt laughed it off (suprisingly) and did another take. There was minimal amounts of real blood, but I had to mention their efforts. They each bled to bring you all The Wraith. Though each incident was completely supervised, things happen, though this time it was minimal and didn't delay filming at all. These guys deserve the standing ovation when it's all said and done. Actually, the whole cast deserves one. The minor injuries were nothing compared to the lengthy task I had trying to get this film completely pieced together. To put it simply, I had the whole film edited except for these last two scenes and two small pickup shots. As we ran close to the deadline, I was basically filming and editing at the same time. This got to be very stressful, but I pulled through. I'm really anxious to show this film to everyone and I can't wait for August. This is the last Lair Line that will deal with the filming aspect of the film. The next Lair Line will be really, really special I promise, but I'll finish up this one first. :) Expect another one really soon though. If I had to sum up my experience shooting this film I guess I'd say the following: I gave two years of my life trying to make the best film I could. I've worked with so many talented people in person and via email (which is tough). I cannot thank each person enough for their individual contribution. I cannot even begin to express my gratitude to these men and women who have worked so hard to bring Frank's vision to life onscreen. I guess I've been the mediator in the whole collaboration and I'm nothing short of honored to have played my part. I guess Frank deserves his share of thanks. Most of all for giving a poor filmmaker like myself the opportunity to bring such an incredible world to life as a film. He's been with me (overseas) the whole journey and I thank him dearly. Making this film has not been easy. In fact, it's the hardest thing I've ever had to do. I really feel like Sir Reel Films has truly accomplished something. Regardless of it's success, we all made a film that we had a blast making and can't wait to return to do a feature film version. Wrapping up filming was bittersweet, but I will miss it. We have 28 hours of footage and over 4,000 still pictures just for one 47 minute film. That's a lot to go back through for the stroll down memory lane, but I will always look back on this film as my first great achievement. I sit on the eve of the Adventure Con, nervous and filled with anxiety. In fact, I just about had a panic attack. I know we'll do fine, but I can't be too at ease. I type this just before I head to bed and wake up and start our next journey. A journey this film has allowed us to take. We will be guests along side some legends (Robert Englund, Adam West) promoting this film and can't wait for their reaction. For now however, I should get my rest. Making this film has been a blast and I've loved it every step of the way. This is an amazing film and I hope you all enjoy it as much as we did making it. Well, off to the Adventure Con....... Peace! Stephen June 8 2005 We would now like to formally announce the release date for THE WRAITH: EYES OF JUDGMENT at the Abingdon Cinemall in Abingdon, Virginia, USA. The date is set - 19 August 2005! Mark that down in your calendars, and if you live in the area or are able to travel there for the premiere, please let us know by visiting the Attend the Premiere vsection of the website. We hope to see you there. Frank June 3 2005 While the cast & crew prepare to shoot the film's final scene, the major fight scene at the end of the film, the site here has added some visual fx video footage - of Michael Reeve entering The Wraith's Lair - for your viewing pleasure. Some of the film's intricate fx, including the aforementioned scene, will be explained and detailed in a documentary, hosted by visual effects supervisor Marc Kimball from fx house The Troupe, on the film's DVD. A new teaser in Quicktime format has also been added today. Don't dare miss it! Lookout for more cool updates on the site here VERY SOON! Frank May 25 2005 Writer/director Stephen J. Semones was recently interviewed again on radio station Electric 94.9, and we're proud to have that second interview (to join the first) right here on the site. Please click here to listen to it. We also have a rough teaser put together, and that can be viewed by clicking here. A pro-looking trailer will be released in June, while the final trailer will be released in June/July sometime. Keep an eye out for those. Frank May 19 2005 We've added a new section to the site today, and we're pretty excited about it. If you'd like to attend the star-studded premiere of THE WRAITH: EYES OF JUDGMENT at the Abingdon Cinemall in Abingdon Virginia in the first week of August (exact date to be fixed), then check the Attend the Premiere section out and see what's on offer. We also have your first look at the finished poster for the film, by one of our production artists Iskandar Salim, a supremely talented artist, and a lovely guy to boot. Check out the Downloads section (and then the relevant links) to check it out. Frank May 13 2005 Well, what can I say? Post production. Man, it's tough. It's literally like writing the film all over again. I compare it to a putting a puzzle together. I've got all these pieces: the script, the music, the footage, the voice overs, etc... and I have to put it together in a coherent format that moves along at a good pace. Right now, I have a rough cut of the film. It's about 35 minutes long and is missing a couple of shots here and there, but I'm almost there. We've got about 10 more minutes of footage to shoot and edit in and we're done. Right now Marc Kimball is finishing up his second batch of fx work and is awaiting the footage we shoot for some minor work. Voodoo Studios have already began the sound design and foley fx for the film and are recieving a shipment of video and audio this week. Jonathan at Voodoo told me that it will take around two months for the foley, sound design, and digital mix. They've already begun the initial steps, so we're looking at having their final master in July. Marc Kimball's work is almost complete as well, so I can safely say that things are winding down. What has been going on is that due to editing issues, I have had to tackle this project myself. Well, at first I thought I would be editing by myself, but Trevor Carter came on board, so I've got a partner in crime now to tackle this with me. Trevor has been a tremendous help in helping me edit this film. Several scenes you will see in the final cut, Trevor edited himself and without me even being present. One of the scenes he cut is an awesome scene between Robert Latham and the Cobra. He's been a valuable asset since his arrival and my only regret is that he wasn't with us from the start of this film. We've got him now though and we're glad! Like I said, we've got about 35 minutes of the film cut, so I can go ahead and tell you how it's shaping up. This isn't your typical comic book film. Yes, it's based on a comic book character, but it's more than that. It's not off the wall like Spider-Man, and The Wraith isn't conflicted like Batman. Therefore, he's not your run of the mill superhero. I love the others I just mentioned, but you cannot compare this film to those. To me, this film seems a lot more intimate and personal than others I've seen. Its small scale makes it seem very realistic and original. As far as the pacing, well it opens with a burst of action, so you take that however you need. After the opening, the film immediately begins to tell the parallel origin of The Wraith and the Cobra. In Act Two we see the impact that the origins have from Act One on Leena Patterson, Robert Latham, and Charlie Grieco. In Act Three, the storylines all come down to one final moment... Judgment. You may ask, "Stephen, can you be any more cryptic?" Yes I can. However, I will spoil this no further. This film is very emotionally driven. Each character has their own emotion and mood, so that is what really propels the story at a nice pace. The editing really takes a backseat to the story when it all boils down to it. Everything comes second place to the story when you think about it. Well, I'm hoping to deliver to you all an exciting, intriguing, and beautiful story that you will hopefully watch over and over for years to come. As far as I can tell, we're making history here. Everyone who has seen any cuts of the film has been nothing short of impressed and wanting to see more, so expect something truly special this August. Yes, I said August. Until Next Time.... Stephen April 18 2005 What can I say? We have three shoots left on the film and I'm getting really excited. Today we traveled to our new warehouse for a critical scene in the film. After waiting for Ty to arrive (as usual), Trevor, David Cooper, Ty, and myself all headed about 30 minutes away for the shoot about 10:30 this morning. My brother David was supposed to meet us there, and when we got there, he was waiting for us. As impatient as he is, I guess he didn't mind the wait. Why would he? I mean, he was only shooting a MAJOR segement of the film today and probably the defining moment of his character, Charlie Grieco. Rick McVey was supposed to meet up with us after lunch, so we had to get as much shot as we could before he got there. David Cooper had to be somewhere early afternoon and Rick had a play in the evening. Needless to say, we couldn't waste any time. Now, I don't want to say what scene we shot because it will spoil all the fun, but just imagine The Wraith, Charlie Grieco, Robert Latham, and a couple of thugs in a warehouse. Like I said, this was a CRUCIAL segment of the film, so we had to take our time, but get it all shot in the small timeframe we had. We pulled through on the time aspect, but we got off to a slow start. Nathan Blevins showed up to assist behind the scenes and add his input. For some reason, we couldn't get the opening shot timed right. The Wraith would walk too far, the thugs would come in too late, Grieco missed his mark... you get the point. We must have spent 15 takes on the first shot before we got a good one. However, once we got it nailed, it was really cool! Really, really cool!! We did everything we could before Rick got there, and had just finished cleaning up some "blood" when he arrived. Once he got there, he changed into Latham, stepped onto the set, walked through it twice and was ready to roll. I set the last shot up of the scene. We basically only needed Rick for about fifteen seconds on film. Literally. He's only in two shots, but those two shots are absolutely amazing. About twenty minutes later we were done. Rick's part was so small in this, I almost hated getting him down for it. He was really cool about it and understood that we needed him to make this scene. It didn't take long once the cameras rolled on Rick to wrap up for the day. When I got home, I immediately began cutting this segment of the film. I just now finished a rough cut and I'm about to email it to Frank. Today was a really productive day for us here at Sir Reel and things are really moving into high gear on the post-production end. Trevor and I have already started cutting the fight scene that Mandi Leigh was a part of. We've got it about 70% complete and should have it cut really soon. It's getting closer.... are you all ready?? Stephen April 11 2005 Fate. I believe in it... but not as in all the time. I believe you know when fate happens and recognize it as fate. Fate is destiny being dropped right in your lap and you dealing with it the best way you can. Be it in acknowledging that it is fate and making the best of it, or going about your daily business and thinking that everything happens just because. About two weeks ago, some guy emailed me about working with me. I get emails like this all the time. Do you need this, do you need that, can I help with this, whatcha think of that? This is basically what they all say. This one was really no different, except that the guy contacting me this time lived really close to me. Around a thirty minute drive up the interstate. His name was Trevor Carter. Trevor contacted me telling me he was a musician, but was also interested in making a film in other aspects. Now, I replied as I always do appreciating the offer, but I didn't need a musician. I need other things, so I said since he lived so close by, he was more than welcome to come down today for the shoot. Tonight we did pick up shots from a scene we shot back in September. Seven months back we did a scene with Mandi Leigh and recently decided that we wanted a couple of close-ups we just overlooked back then. Nothing major, but we also wanted to test out our new Steadicam, so this was a good opportunity to bring in someone new. We weren't doing anything really exciting, but by God we made it fun. We had to wait until it got dark to shoot, so that left us there for around a half hour just talking and having a blast. Around seven tonight Ty Kelsey showed up with Zek Hensley at my house for the shoot. Shortly thereafter, Randy Stout showed. Randy had to play make-up artist and draw the tattoos on Zek for the scene. Being a professional tattoo artist (he didn't need his drawn on for the shoot), he was able to turn Zek into Chainz within a few minutes. Trevor called me letting me know he was in town early, so realizing it was good to be a good shoot, we headed out the door. Once we got downtown five minutes later, we met Trevor and headed a few blocks over to the location. Now, this is where I get technical about stuff. We had to do close-ups and filler shots with the thugs Eight Ball (Randy) and Chainz (Zek), but we had to do this seven months later and do it without Mandi. Basically, when we did close-ups, Nathan Blevins or Ty would fill in for Mandi so the other two could have a visual reference. Though they weren't near as attractive as Mandi, they served their purpose. I had to make sure that we got the shot we needed and do it so that the audience won't even know that Mandi wasn't standing there. Even though we did close-ups, we did a few angles that weren't too close and we had to position the camera just right to make sure that the place where Mandi was supposed to be wasn't shown. We had to judge and get the perspectives just right to make this work. When doing something seven months later, this isn't easy to recreate. Heck, this isn't easy to do period, but we got this done and I am VERY pleased with the end results. Zek and Randy did great again, and we found a great cameraman in Trevor. He impressed us all and we realize that fate directed him to us. I understand why he was brought to us, and I hope he understands why himself. People like him don't just fall out of the sky and start working on movies, but Trevor just appeared from nowhere ready and willing. He did a good job and letting him run the camera freed me up to do my part as Director. I feel that pushing me back to watch helped me gain a better view of things and I can see the scene better from standing back than on a three inch monitor. We all just wish Trevor could have gotten in on this thing from the start, but there's always the next film. I'd like to let everyone know that we're almost done shooting. We wanted to be done sooner, but I want you all to know that the wait will pay off. We appologize for the delay, but realize we've been working on this film since August of 2003, and we're now in the home stretch. We're winding down and after next weeks shoot, we'll only have three shoots left. A lot of the fx work is done and I can't tell everyone often enough how much this film is going to shock and suprise. From the opening to the very end, this is going to be one Hell of a ride! I hope you all enjoy it because it's been a blast making this film. Until
Next Time....... |
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