About
the film
Shadow Kill was primarily an experiment in emerging technology. The filmmakers
set out to see if they could pull off something not often seen in short independent
film.
For decades a filmmaker needed access to expensive gear and equipment to make
the simplest of films. That has changed in recent years with the development
of smaller video cameras, faster home computers and progressive software,
all of which has become affordable to the individual filmmaker.
Shooting
Shadow Kill was shot using various cameras, from the high-end professional
Betacam camera to the now affordable 3 chip mini DV cameras from Sony, Panasonic
and Canon. Shooting took place in several practical locations, on various
partial sets, and against a blue screen to later be enhanced with visual effects.
Editing
The entire film was edited uncompressed on a home PC with Adobe Premiere by
Director John Bailey. The film was later conformed on an Avid Media Composer
for the express purpose of outputting to a higher quality tape format than
Mini DV on a home system. Every shot was then color corrected, color stylized,
and given a film look using Discreet Fire by artist Mark Longchamps. At the
time Mark Longchamps was a Fire Artist and Editor for the Sci Fi Channel and
USA Network. He now works for the Boston Based CBS Affiliate WBZ4.
Visual
Effects
Special visual effects were created and often composited in a 3D program called
Lightwave 3D from Newtek. John Bailey was also the lead 3D artist working
with fellow 3D artists Russell Sanders, Michael Piehl, and Jose A. Perez.
Michael Piehl is also a freelance editor who has done work for the Sci Fi
Channel, USA Network, Trio and several other major networks. Russell Sanders
is a freelance Lightwave 3D computer modeler and digital graphics artist who
resides on the Space Coast in Florida. Russell has done work for several fan
films and short film projects. Jose A. Perez is a working Freelance 3D artist
who's credits include Star Trek Voyager, Star Trek Enterprise, Battlestar
Galactica, Odyssey 5, Firefly as well as several other productions for TV
and Film. To date his career has garnered him several awards including 3 Emmy's
for his work.
Audio
Post Production
Supervising Sound Editor Brian Rund stepped up to the audio post-production
challenge. He, along with the help of Brendan Downey, both of who were Audio
Engineers with the Sci Fi Channel and USA Network at the time, worked for
months in their spare time on Pro Tools systems to bring the audio world of
Shadow Kill to life. Brian Rund now works as an Audio Engineer for Bionic
Media, a post-production facility in New York City.
Music
Composition
Lastly but certainly not least was the original music composed for Shadow
Kill. Cliff Schwarz, owner of Cliff Schwarz Music Production, a complete post-production
facility in New York City, created a theme as well as a memorable score for
the film. Cliff Schwarz Music Production has a wide array of clients including
the Sci Fi Channel, USA Network, Trio, HBO, Showtime, ABC Family as well as
many other major networks.
Budget
Everyone involved in the production of Shadow Kill generously gave of themselves,
offering their free time which often included weekends and the hours after
a full working day, all without pay to bring the project to completion. Use
of cameras and any equipment other than a home PC was also donated free of
charge. Thanks to their efforts Shadow Kill was produced with a budget of
under 15,000 dollars, which was spent on sets, costumes, props, home
computers, software, and of course the essential craft services to keep the
crew happy.