I’m not really in a position to talk about that or how it may or may not effect our film at the moment.  I’ve got a Skype chat scheduled with Henry tonight, so I might know more later, I might not.  Obviously I have thoughts on the whole thing, but I don’t particularly think it’s my place to share them at this time.  So if you were expecting that, I’m sorry!

But what I will do is finish up the post I’ve had hanging around on my drive for a while now.  A few weeks ago, when I should have made this post, I asked my followers on Twitter what they wanted me to write about.  I got this response:

@ninehourfilms when can we see!? what it’s like to see your documentary develop over time?

— Edward Joseph Juarez (@Damogron) April 26, 2013

As to the first question, I’m afraid I have the same answer I’ve had for a while now – when it’s done! I’m with everybody else in wanting this to be finished sooner rather than later. But we need to make sure we make the best film we can, otherwise what was the time and expense and heartache and work really for? Donors who have donated more than $250 will be able to watch a test screening of a cut of the film to be able to give feedback and possibly influence the movie. But I’m still working out when and how the rest of the world will be seeing it.

As to watching the film develop…at the risk of being horribly melodramatic, I actually had to stop the rough cut about two minutes in and just stop for a while because I was a little too overwhelmed. The last two years have been a very emotional ride, with plenty of ups and downs to share. Fun trivia, the first real proposal I wrote for the film was actually for my class in Digital Imaging in my last year of my MFA. It was my final project, and I put together a graphics package for the whole thing. We’re using absolutely nothing from that original proposal, of course, but that’s the nature of the beast.

From that first proposal to now, it’s been a lot of stress, a lot of fun, a lot of creativity, a lot of problem solving, and a lot of raw emotion both in front of the lens and behind it. So when I had all of that boiled down into this file that was just sitting there on my desktop, just an icon like all the other icons, it was really odd. Suddenly it wasn’t an experience, it was a movie. I’ve felt this before, since this isn’t my first movie (I think it’s technically the 10th). But this is the first project of this size, and it’s the first project that’s had this kind of scope, timeline, and budget. So it may have been a familiar emotion, but times 9000.

At this point, the rest of the post process won’t be as emotional, I’m sure. The next big step is actually screening it in front of an audience. That is going to be a big deal too, and I really can’t wait. Except I have to wait until it’s actually done!

One of our interviewees, Patrick O’Neill

There’s something really profound about the moment that you sit down to watch the first cut of a project that has been your heart, soul, and life for so long.  I realized earlier this month that it had been exactly two years since I went to PAX East and we filmed the first frames of Good Game with iNcontroL, Anna Prosser, and Scott Smith.

We’ve come a long way, and accomplished so much.  Our editor, Henry Kaplan, has been hard at work since he came onto the project in December of last year.  He took my first version of the script, and with my blessing tossed it out the window and started fresh.  He then put together a rough cut of the full film that he sent me a few weeks ago, where he’s already starting to incorporate the fantastic music being composed for us by Rob Rusli.

It was clear watching the film that the right thing to do was to toss out that script and get a new perspective and a new eye.  Henry really managed to get me out of the fog that descends when you’ve been working on a project too long, and he’s managed to capture the feeling that I was aiming for, which is so much more important than just lining up the clips that I picked out.

The ending gave me chills when I was watching it to write up my notes for the changes and adjustments that I wanted.  The music, the dialog, it all came together in this moment that I just can’t wait to share with everyone.  But Henry and Rob still have work ahead of them.  So do I, for that matter.  But watching the rough cut, all I could feel was how happy I was with my post production team.  They get it, and they care, and it’s going to really show when you see the film.As a side note, ironically we actually haven’t used any of that footage from PAX so far.

Mary Ratliff
Nine Hour Films

This sneak peek features footage shot at MLG events in Columbus and Anaheim, as well as photos provided by LzGaMeR. We will be continuing to follow Jacob and his teammates throughout 2011.

Featuring music by Underline Entertainment and footage shoot at the NASL Finals, MLG Anaheim, and Miss USA 2011.

Get to know Geoff Robinson, or EG.iNcontroL, a professional gamer who is one of the stars of Good Game.