New Look. New Season. New America

After a long hiatus, the EvansAmerica crew has reassembled to start on a brand new season of the show. This new blog will serve as the new homepage and will host new webisodes, trailers, behind the scenes, interviews, columns and more. So stay tuned.

New EA review on Film Threat

I saw yesterday we were getting hits from filmthreat.com and checked it out to see a front page review of our show on there "online" section. We had sent the first webisode to them way back in January, but now is better than never. I wish the reviewer would have reviewed the show based on all the episodes and not just from the first because I think alot of his concerns were the same we were getting from other people which we corrected in the later episodes. But, oh well, it's not the most flattering review, but these types of reviews are the most constructive and help us make the show better. Scotty and I think it's a pretty big deal to get reviewed by Film Threat and so we're glad we got anything at all.

Here's the link to the review.

Webisode #5 Launches

The first season of EvansAmerica concludes with our fifth webisode. Hope you enjoy.

Webisode #5 "Class Warfare"
synopsis:
When the mayor of Kansas City announces he will unveil his new "poverty reforms" on a local nightly newcast, the group plans to disrupt his gameplan because they feel his proposals are disingenuous. During a weekend getaway put together by Dr. Vallone, they reveal to him the extracurricular activities the group partakes in, much to his surprise. He agrees to help however, and their complicated plan is put in motion, which involves Dee Dee seducing the mayor's son. Tate is none to happy about the arrangement and takes out his anger and jealousy on Deana. Meanwhile in New York, Nikki arrives home for a short visit with her parents only to realize she has really parted ways in her views she used to share with them and that she doesn't seem to fit in anymore.




RIGHT CLICK AND SAVE AS HERE TO DOWNLOAD WEBISODE #5.

(Having problems downloading?)

WINDOWS USERS
To download your webisode of EvansAmerica, right click on the words "Right click here to save Episode X to your computer." This will bring up a list of options. Depending on your browser, you will either scroll down to "Save Target As..." or "Save Link Target As..." or "Save Link As." Once you click on one of those options, a menu will appear for you to choose a destination on your computer where you want the EvansAmerica file to be saved. Select either a folder or your desktop and click the "Save" button to begin downloading. Once the download begins a box should appear, telling you how much time is left until the download is complete. It is a large file so be prepared for the download to take at least 15 minutes, but it's well worth the wait.

MAC USERS
To download your webisode of EvansAmerica, right click (or option-click) on the words "Right click here to save Episode X to your computer." Depending on your browser, you will either need to select "Download Linked File As..." or "Download Link to Disk..." Choose where you want the EvansAmerica file to be saved, and click the "Save" button to begin downloading. A box should appear telling you how much time is left until the download is complete. It can take at least 15 minutes, but it's well worth the wait.

BEHIND THE SCENES: Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2005

To view the complete photo gallery click here.

Director's Journal:

Our last official production day on webisode #5. We still have a few insert shots to get, but those are always the easy stuff. We ventured out to Ginger Cove lake, about 10 miles outside Omaha to my Uncle's lake house. The location is great and his house is sweet, so I had been waiting to call in that favor and shoot there for a long time now. We had three scenes to shoot totaling 8 1/2 pages. And about six hours to do it in, no pressure, right? Luckily I had the veteran crew trio with me, James, Wendy and Tyson so we moved fluently in between setups. James rode with Chelsie on the way to the location with the camera and got our car shots we needed which saved us time. Our first scene was a pretty simple two page scene and we got through that quickly and moved to our big 4 page scene out on the deck. Great shots overlooking the lake, and the audio wasn't too bad as the boats were sporadic. It was a tough dialogue scene so we needed alot of rehearsal but Chelsie and Janell did a great job once we were rolling. We moved back inside for the last scene of the night and it took us a bit to get the lighting down in the kitchen. Beau had a lot of different little lights in the background which played well in the shots. The funniest story of the night was that Chelsie was getting voicemails from this guy she didn't know, so during a break, she called the guy back who was talking to her like he knew her, but she had no idea who he was or how he got her number. She finally told him to please stop calling, I know all of this because she had turned the speaker phone on so we could all hear, but when she hung up, she didn't actually hang up and we proceeded to make fun of the guy with the phone right there on the counter. I then mocked the anonymous guy when he asked "what are you doing", then in my best Chelsie voice, "oh just on set filming....and it's hot". When all of a sudden, the guy's voice broke through our laughter..."hello?" her phone was speaking! Oh shit, it's still on, he's been hearing everything we've been saying. Needless to say he probably won't be calling again or he will be calling even more because he's joined our neighbors in thinking we're making porn.

Behind the Scenes Video:

(Quicktime is needed to view movies, click here to download free version if you don't have it)

*Filming at Ginger Cove.

CNN making good on their promise

Well CNN hasn't completely given up on sensational non-news stories like Natalee Holloway and the missing cruise guy, but after the Michael Jackson circus, CNN prez Johnathan Klein made an executive decision that his network would go back to actually doing hard hitting news and in depth journalism regardless of the ratings. We'll see how long it lasts, but I have to say he is actually following through on his pledge. Their coverage in general has been focused on politics, the shuttle mission and other worthy news. Anderson Cooper has really been the one to step up to the plate, he is in the country of Niger filing reports and spending his whole show devoted to what is happening in that country like it is in many other African countries.

Unlike Greta Van Sustren on FoxNews who is supposed to be the one liberal on that network has spent the last 50+ shows, all 60 minutes of each night in Aruba covering the Holloway story. Every second is devoted to this one unfortunate incident. Two to three babies were dying right during Cooper's segments before he could even finish the story. Dying from something that actually CAN be prevented given the resources. Nothing can be done for Holloway, she's dead, and I hope that Vandersloot kid gets life in jail, but come on, nothing has really developed in that story for weeks. It just goes to show that Fox doesn't really give a shit about anything but ratings, I hear Sean Hannity bitch and bitch about Iraq and how the war was worth is because we needed to help the people, and the mass graves. Hey Sean, there's lots and lots of mass graves in Africa, how about we go after that terrible figure, he's not Saddam, he's hunger and aids. Let's get fired up, wave that American flag and kick its ass, whatcha say Sean. Oh that's right, you don't give a shit, you really don't care about the people of Iraq, you just don't want the liberals to be right that the war was based on WMD lies. This is why I can't stand people that are such hypocrites like Hannity and others. If they truly did care they'd spend a segment talking about it, just one show about what people can do for those suffering in Africa. If Iraq is worth all these lives and money, surely other countries are as well.

So watch CNN, go to cnn.com for your news and read about what's going on in Africa. And most importantly visit a humanitarian site and pledge some money, it's money well spent, just a little bit even helps. I know this is sappy, but whatever, I don't care, it's too important, just please do it. UNICEF and CARE are very good organizations where you can trust your money will make a difference. Thank you.

BEHIND THE SCENES: Sunday, July 31, 2005

Day Four of filming on Webisode #5

Director's Journal:
Today we were at the club "Shag" to film some bar scenes from the fifth webisode. I had never been there, Parks had scouted and negotiated the location, but I was very impressed, it's quite different and very colorful. Kind of a half vintage half upscale dance club mix that was quite unique. We picked the couch area I want to use as our main setup and off we went setting up the dolly and lights. Being in a bar setting, I was able to use some funky colors through combinations of gels, and we lit up the glass bar rack behind the action as well which looked very cool. It was an old school today as well as Melanie Connealy (formerly Gillis) from that old blockbuster "The Dean's Boys" made her debut in our show today. And it was fun to work with her again, probably quite a difference from the last time we worked together when she had to fake vomit to death and be carried around pretending to be dead being dropped and stuffed into closets. Newcomer Jeremy Holan also had his first day today and did just an excellent job as the Mayor's son who is the antagonist in this episode. Lara, Mel and Jeremy all worked together very well and scenes came off just as I wanted them too. I also was able to pull off my stylish little slo mo intro for the girls as well even though that needed the most rehearsal to get the dolly timing and their walking speed synced up. We wrapped, tore down and loaded up and as I was getting into the van to drive home, it was exactly 3:00pm which was our scheduled wrapped time. I'm going to say it again folks, it's getting scary how on the dot we're hitting our wrap times. I will say this, the whole cast and crew scheduled for today all arrived within 10 minutes of the 11:00am call time, I think that's a first. So gold stars for all.

BEHIND THE SCENES: Sunday, July 17, 2005

For the day's complete photo gallery, click here.

Behind the scenes videos:
(Quicktime is needed to view movies, click here to download free version if you don't have it)

*First shot of the day.

*Setting up the last scene of the weekend.

*Martin wrapped.


Director's Journal:
The final day of the crazy three day lake house weekend, where we were to complete the rest of our scenes at this location, 22 pages all together. That's pretty damn impressive if you ask me. We were a little late getting the first shot off, but once we finally did we were off and running until we wrapped a little after 10pm just as a thunderstorm rolled through. It was close, we were constantly barely getting shots in under the wire all day, it was chaotic, but God was on our side even if the dumbass people in Cedar Creek were not. Clouds rolled in about mid-afternoon for the first time in weeks, which was fine as we shot the first half of a scene outside, but then we had to wait for Lara to complete her transformation into whore-DeeDee. Not her fault, but the clouds appeared to be on their way out and I had to keep yelling inside that our scene was about to be effed, since it was the second half of the scene and it had to match what we had already shot. And Branden has already wrapped and went home so we could not reshoot the first part. Shit. We hurried Lara outside and shot two takes before the sun came out, but there appeared we were going to be saved by a few straggler in the distance. This gave us time to calm down and rehearse more and be ready to go when the sun went behind the clouds again and we were able to get a few more really good takes in before mr. sun came back out. Next was a rooftop sunrise scene being faked at sunset. We caught a wide sillouette shot right at the perfect moment, the sun literally set on screen during the shot. We had to pull out the 1ks after that to fake sunlight to get our closeups. We finished the day with a night scene I was looking forward too where Deana is sitting on the dock sipping a drink and is confronted by Tate and they have a heated conversation. Martin and Givani were just rock solid, I mean really good stuff. They only got one closeup each because of the approaching storm. The wind started to pick up as I jumped in the paddle boat with Tyson again and boated out a bit for our wide. Lightening was blasting in the sky in the distance and the wind was rocking the boat as they finished the take, we called a wrap and scramble to tear the lights down and get inside and loaded up just as the rain started. Literally as I turned the keys on head back to Omaha. Like, I said, that was close. Big props to the entire cast and crew that worked their ass off, dailies look just incredible and if the second half of the scenes go just as well, this will be by far a stellar webisode.

Lara Adkin's Cast Diary (Dee Dee):
Martin and I were supposed to meet at 11:30am in Omaha and drive out the cabin together, since everyone else was already out there and Martin wasn't sure of the way. However, in retrospect, it probably wasn't Director Dan's brightest idea to have the two people who are ALWAYS late drive together. Since at 11:35 I was just pulling out of my driveway, and when I called Martin to let him know I'd be late, he said he, too, had just left. So we got to the cabin at about 12:30 instead of noon like we were supposed too. But everyone did a great job and everything seemed to be going well, until it was time to shoot my whored-out scene. Apparently I took too long to get ready and Director Dan was getting quite testy. And then when I finally WAS ready I kept flubbing my lines or delivering them so badly that Dan felt the need to do a ten-minute one-on-one with me (note to self: do not be surprised if Dee is written out of the show soon). And then a car would stop and ask for directions. And then an airboat would scream by. And then scream by again two minutes later. And then it would be quiet and we'd start to shoot and the airboat would drive by again. But against all odds, we got it done. Barely. On the plus side, though, I had expected to be out there until 11pm, and I got done just after 9! Yay Dan!

BEHIND THE SCENES: Saturday, July 16, 2005

For the day's complete photo gallery, click here.

Director's Journal:
Our first call wasn't until 5pm so everyone was able to catch up on sleep after the late night of filming. Our first scene was one half of a phone conversation with Bill Wassem who plays George Vallone. I crammed myself into the passenger seat backwards and Givani sat in the backseat and fed Bill her lines for him to play off of. We drove around town for about 1/2 hour shooting his dialogue before returning to base where I unkinked my body from that awful position. By that time the rest of the crew had arrived for their call time and we saddled up and headed back out to our lake house location on the river. We arrived about 7pm, just in time for the start of magic hour sunlight and squeezed in the other half of the phone conversation with Givani by the river as she talks on a headset. The light was perfect and in her closeup the river and sunset are framed perfectly in her sunglasses. While that was going on, Parks, JB and Tyson were setting up the dolly and lights in the back of the lake house where we were to shoot a good dialogue scene with Vallone and Paul as they smoked cigars. The spot was out of the sunlight so we had to fake the light with our 1ks and I must say we're getting really good at that. It was a scene I was looking forward to and Branden and Bill really nailed it. We ended the night before we lost all available light with another quick phone conversation with Givani. We improvised a water dolly out of a paddle boat as I rode with Tyson out onto the lake to get some cool shots with Givani talking on the dock as we slowly moved in on her. We finished just in time as our light ran out and wrapped rather early and kicked back with some cold ones and watch dailies.

Behind the scenes videos:
(Quicktime is needed to view movies, click here to download free version if you don't have it)

*Getting ready for Bill and Branden's scene.

*JB marking the dock scene.

*The water dolly in action.

*Steady as she goes.

BEHIND THE SCENES: Friday, July 15, 2005

As promised.






Complete behind the scenes photo gallery click here.

Behind the scenes videos:
(Quicktime is needed to view movies, click here to download free version if you don't have it)

*Cast and crew loading up to head to the location.

*Bill and Givani running lines on the way to the set.

*Lara arriving on set.

*Sneak peek on set.

*Wrapped.

Director's Journal: Back to the ole grind here at EvansAmerica, after a 10 week break, we've hit the ground running with the resumption of production on webisode #5. Cast and crew met at my place about 6pm and loaded up into vehicles to make the trek out to the lake house location on the Platte River. A very hot night as the cast sat out back running lines as we worked for about two hours on our lighting setup inside. Which proved to be difficult because the sun was still up so we had to use some guess work in how it was going to look as we set the lights in place. We took our time, used all six of our lights, using up both light kits and we even lit some plants in the background with existing lamps. The setup turned out very good indeed, I was very pleased. About 9pm it was getting dark enough to start tweaking our colors and levels and we brought the cast in and went over blocking. After two run throughs we were ready to start rolling film and off we went. The cast was very solid, and didn't miss a beat, they seemed unaffected from the hiatus and got right back into their characters. We shot an impressive 7.5 pages of the script and wrapped about 1am, which was right on time. It took us about 45 minutes to tear down and about 2am we were loaded up and heading back to Omaha. A great start back, I don't think it could have gone any better.

Branden Maslonka's Cast Diary (Paul):
Ah yes, starting with the shooting again. It feels good to get back, and I think we all need to knock some rust off ourselves. It was nice having Bill on set for the first shoot because he really does bring an air of distinguished to the set. Everyone gets pumped when he's on set because we pretty much know that we are in for a money scene. Of course Bill was flawless (as usual) and the rest of us got into a groove after a while. The lighting for the scene was flawless, I honestly think it is one of Dan's bestest lighting jobs that I have seen. They did a really good job of recreating a sunset coming through the window. On another note it seems as though we are getting more and more hits on the website everyday, this is very exciting to me because that means that more and more girls are seeing my pretty pretty face. Seriously though, it is awesome that more people are seeing and being exposed to the message that we are trying to portray. So to all of you that read this I say thank you for supporting us, and continue to check the website for new episodes and behind the scene footage. If you have something to say, let your voice be heard on the blogs, nothing is out-of-bounds. We live in America right? You can supposedly say what you want in this great country without any consequences (we all know this is not true), but I promise that it is true on this website. Don't suppress your mind and opinions, let them be heard. Peace.