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I haven’t posted anything in a couple of days because I’ve been so busy that I haven’t really made a whole lot of progress in terms of motd (my1000days).  That’s no excuse though.  To make up for it, here’s a meatier post:

In the interest of full disclosure, I must confess that technically, I have already directed a feature-length movie.  It doesn’t count for what I’m doing with my1000days, but it was an important part of my upbringing as a filmmaker.  Here’s the story…

One day back in high school I got a text message from my buddy Matt that read: “Dude, I’m playing this game.  U have to make a movie out of it!”  I didn’t know it at the time, but when I clicked the message open, I was setting off on a three-year journey of discovery.

The game was Ubisoft’s “Splinter Cell” and the year was 2004.  I was a bit hesitant to take on the project at first, knowing I couldn’t really do anything with the film if I made it because I wouldn’t have the rights, but I had Matt bring the game over anyway.  We played through one of the levels, and I had to admit, it would make a killer movie.  I decided to go ahead with the project as a way to  try out different shooting styles.

Over the course of the next three years we would shoot after school and on weekends.  I made a pair of Sam Fisher’s signature night -vision goggles out of a few pairs of cheap binoculars, a diver mask, and some terribly wired LED’s.  Interestingly enough we shot a scene with two different agents (both of whom needed to wear the goggles), but I only had time to make the one pair, so we had to cheat the angles to make it seam like they both had their own. In the winter months we battled not only the temperatures, but having to hide the fact that it was snowing in exterior shots or out the windows.

All-in-all it was a very educational project for me.  It ended up being 68 minutes (which by most film festival standards would be considered “feature-length”), but knowing what I know now about editing, it really should have been closer to 30 minutes.  Below you’ll find a scene from the film and its trailer. Enjoy!

QUESTION: What video game do you think would make an awesome movie? (PS rumor has it, there’s a Splinter Cell movie in the works with Tom Hardy set to play Sam Fisher, but I’ll believe it when they start shooting.  It’s not the first time I’ve been promised a SC movie!)

“Splinter Cell: Rogue Agent” – “Final Incursion” Scene

“Splinter Cell – Rogue Agent” Trailer