Tag Archives: benheck

Movies

Possumus Woman poster + release date

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Mark your calendars now – Possumus Woman strikes on October 31st! (yes, 2008)

Official Possumus Man 2: Possumus Woman poster
None of this actually happens in the movie but I don’t care. Click here for full-size, printable version.

Yes that’s correct – unlike all of my other movies Possumus Woman is being done in a timely fashion! Editing is complete, there are only a couple of special effects left to do (already in progress), and all I really have left is sound editing, which I plan to do over the next few weekends.

As with Port Washington the plan is to have a “web premiere” allowing persons to download the movie for free on the release date, in a variety of formats including iPod video and hi-def Quicktime/WMV. Think of it as an expensive YouTube video – I just did it for fun, as a hobby, but want to share it with the world. It was a fun break from the daily “portables” grind.

We also plan to have some local showings in the south central Wisconsin area, likely in early November. Jason Jones is in charge of those so more details as they become available.

Video Games

Guitar Hero pedal controller in action

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Aside from the 2 I built for a show back in May, the 3rd pedal demonstrated below is the first I’ve actually built by request for a customer. He knew the secret to getting a Ben project – diligent (yet not annoying) emails and patience! Plus he can play Guitar Hero on Hard, something I cannot. (Rock Band, yes)

Click here to check it out on YouTube…

In other related news the Access Controller should be arriving for shipment sometime next week… more details to come.

Movies

Filming on Possumus Woman wraps

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After getting the final shot of the movie, this completely candid photo was taken.

This last weekend we filmed the remaining bits of Possumus Man 2: Possumus Woman. Specifically a lot of fire effects and a few closing moments for the characters.

In a drastic turn from Port Washington, we shot this movie in 2 months and 3 weeks (having started on June 14th). For more final weekend photos and some “Possum Movie Facts”, check the rest of the article.

Release date to be announced soon. More than likely I won’t make a trailer due to time constraints, would rather just finish editing the movie.

Continue reading Filming on Possumus Woman wraps →

Podcasts

Benheck.com Podcast #48

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We’re back at last! In this episode we talk about the reason for the dearth of podcasts lately, namely the filming of Possumus Man 2: Possumus Woman (drinking game: swig every time Jones reminds me to simply call it “Possumus Woman”)

Includes some sneak-peak (or rather sneak-listen) insight into the process and commentary on indy filmmaking in general. We also discuss Xbox Live Achievements, which games are super-stingy with them, which are ridiculously easy and those that simply dole them out as you go along without requiring any magical super-jumping abilities.

Finally we talk about Braid, which, while a bit pricey (kind of like my products) is still worth checking out on Xbox Live Arcade.

Enjoy, and hopefully we’ll get back to having intros again soon!

Listen to Benheck.com Podcast Episode 48

www.benheckpodcast.com

Video Games

Possumus Woman now 91% complete

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A few production photos from this last weekend’s filming:

Only a Ford can stop a possum!
Doing a test run for the “drive through a wall of fire” shot.

Yes, the movie starts like Spider-Man 3, who cares?
Night filming (ug) the scene where an escaped convict becomes the Possum Woman!

"It's time for her to paaaaay!!!"
Rustic Resort survivors making a last stand to stop the possum in a scene with enough gunfire to make Charlton Heston blush.

This was probably the biggest shoot we’ve ever had on Ben Heckendorn film, mostly for the number of people involved for a single weekend. Nobody got hurt, we had enough pizza to go around and no fires got out of a control – what more could you ask for?

We now only have a couple scenes to go, which will hopefully be knocked out in the next week. My original “completion target date” is looking more likely than ever, you can learn more when the newest podcast comes out tomorrow, in which we discuss Xbox Live Achievements and the filming of Possumus Woman. See you then!

Movies

Possumus Woman 82% Complete

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Surely to be the best fight on a truck in a movie since “Raiders of the Lost Ark”

I’m posting to let the interwebs knows that my indy film “Possumus Woman” (formerly “Possumus Man 2: Possumus Woman”) has reached the 82% completion point. Last Sunday we got the most complex scene out of the way, a fight on the back of a moving truck between myself (as Grady McDunaway) and of course the giant killer possum.

It went pretty well (we brought lots of ice-cold bottled water) and we did everything “for real” – there are no special FX in the entire sequence. In fact the movie probably won’t have more than 25 or so FX shots total, a far cry from my previous films that won’t create the crisis of delaying the project. And this movie has been a lot faster to make – coincidence?