written by Julia Morizawa
I'm not going to lie. After spending 2012 editing "JesusCat" and 2013 doing the whole film festival thing, I was feeling pretty burned out by the time 2014 came around. Since I'm really just an actor, all this producing and editing and distribution stuff has all been self-taught through trial and error and the help of the World Wide Web. Which means it's been quite slow-going and challenging. But the final chapter in this do-it-yourself journey is what the industry calls... distribution.
Of course, distribution for this type of project through, say, a distribution company, is not really an option. No names, no budget, no nudity. Which led us to the prospect of self-distribution. And fortunately for us, Amazon's CreateSpace, will allow us to do just that.
So I've spent 2014 preparing the movie for DVD and streaming release. First I re-watched just about all of the original footage. Yep, that's right. I re-watched and re-edited 12 hours of improvised footage. Which took a very, very, very long time. But the result is some totally awesome DVD bonus features showcasing footage that didn't make it into the final film and a hilarious blooper reel. This additional editing was followed by learning some basics in DVD authoring to create a menu. Using Sony Vegas, Sony DVD Architect Pro, free online tutorials (most thanks to www.moviestudiozen.com), and again, a lot of trial and error, I was able to piece together a simple but creative DVD menu for your enjoyment.
I think the most valuable thing I learned in this process is how to use a bitrate calculator to render video down to the appropriate size in my editing software. And to NOT use the DVD authoring software to compress video. I did that the first time and it took over 24 hours for the DVD to burn. I guess that's what happens when you're compressing approximately 150 gigs of high-definition footage down to fit on a 4.7 gig disc.
The next step from here is to send all the necessary files to CreateSpace and to approve a proof. We're really looking forward to sharing "JesusCat" on a wider-scale and hope that the response continues to be positive. We expect the DVD will be available online somewhere between the end of October and mid-November. We'll announce of the official release here!
I'm not going to lie. After spending 2012 editing "JesusCat" and 2013 doing the whole film festival thing, I was feeling pretty burned out by the time 2014 came around. Since I'm really just an actor, all this producing and editing and distribution stuff has all been self-taught through trial and error and the help of the World Wide Web. Which means it's been quite slow-going and challenging. But the final chapter in this do-it-yourself journey is what the industry calls... distribution.
Of course, distribution for this type of project through, say, a distribution company, is not really an option. No names, no budget, no nudity. Which led us to the prospect of self-distribution. And fortunately for us, Amazon's CreateSpace, will allow us to do just that.
So I've spent 2014 preparing the movie for DVD and streaming release. First I re-watched just about all of the original footage. Yep, that's right. I re-watched and re-edited 12 hours of improvised footage. Which took a very, very, very long time. But the result is some totally awesome DVD bonus features showcasing footage that didn't make it into the final film and a hilarious blooper reel. This additional editing was followed by learning some basics in DVD authoring to create a menu. Using Sony Vegas, Sony DVD Architect Pro, free online tutorials (most thanks to www.moviestudiozen.com), and again, a lot of trial and error, I was able to piece together a simple but creative DVD menu for your enjoyment.
I think the most valuable thing I learned in this process is how to use a bitrate calculator to render video down to the appropriate size in my editing software. And to NOT use the DVD authoring software to compress video. I did that the first time and it took over 24 hours for the DVD to burn. I guess that's what happens when you're compressing approximately 150 gigs of high-definition footage down to fit on a 4.7 gig disc.
The next step from here is to send all the necessary files to CreateSpace and to approve a proof. We're really looking forward to sharing "JesusCat" on a wider-scale and hope that the response continues to be positive. We expect the DVD will be available online somewhere between the end of October and mid-November. We'll announce of the official release here!
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