Shipping Tomorrow!

Great News!

The new DVDs are arriving today, and we will begin shipping tomorrow.

This time we are doing something different though.

"AGENT EMES AND THE SHAVUOS TRIAL"
CAN ONLY ORDERED FROM OUR WEBSITE!

That's right, it will not be in stores! (At least for the time being)

So head on over to agent-emes.com and be one of the first to get a copy.

Our new cover is out!

We are moving along toward the release of "Agent Emes and the Shavuos Trial". I hope to begin shipping in about 2 1/2 weeks.
Here's the new cover

The Shavuos Trial - A teaser scene

Agent Emes and the Shavuos Trial - teaser scene from Leibel on Vimeo.

I know many of you just can't wait for the release of episode 8. "Agent Emes and the Shavuos" trial, so just to wet your appetites a little, I am posting a teaser scene which in classic storytelling terms might be dubbed "The Call To Action."
I just try to come up with new ways to do it in each episode which are hopefully not too hoeky.

Enjoy. Pass it around. Feedback is appreciated.

wanna see my picture on the cover...

of IMDB?
Used to be you were "something" if you were on the cover of "Rolling Stone" Magazine. Now it's if you make it to IMDB.
I'm happy to report that due to the unceasing efforts of our sound man, Zach Mazefsky, Agent Emes #6 is now "something."
Check it out
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1376147/combined

Slicing away on Agent Emes #8

Haven't updated here in a while. Of course a lot of you have been asking "when is the next Agent Emes coming out?" A legitimate question indeed. The title, of course, is a big clue: "Agent Emes and the Shavuos Trial." It won't be ready by Pesach, but the plan is to have it out a few weeks before Shavuos.
I'm trying my best to allocate some of the many responsibilities involved with releasing an episode. The biggest hurdle I face with number 8 are all the special effects shots that have to be done. For the past few shows I've been doing it myself, but this is hardly the best possible use of my time.
So this time around I think I've found a couple of very capable university students who are studying motion graphics to handle the duties for me. It's great experience for them, will look very good on their resumes, will relieve me of the very time-consuming hassle, and, most important, probably end up looking better than anything I could have done.

You know, to wax philosophical for a moment: A person must be honest with themselves and try and determine what they are best at, and concentrate on those things. Only the vary rarest of person can be excellent at almost everything, and I am, for certain, not one of those. My interest is in making professional looking, entertaining, and educational films for the Jewish audience. There are plenty of people who are interested in creating cool motion graphics, so why not let them do that part?

Film has always been the most collaborative of art forms, for the simple reason that there is too much to do for one person to do it all him or herself. that's why some, writers especially, get so worked up about the "A Film By..." credit that appears in front of so many of today's movies. The director certainly brings everything together, especially on set, but there are countless (in my case you can count them, but that's different story) individuals who contribute to your average motion picture who make the final product what it is.

It's an interesting discussion for another time and place. My own feeling is that the "film by" by credit, if given at all, should only be awarded to a writer/director of a film, but almost never to the director alone.

Blah blah blah. Time for lunch.

Part 2 Ships Monday, Dec 15

Yes, you read it hear correctly. Episode 7, "Hard To Forget: Part 2" is almost ready to ship, so all of you who have been asking "what happens to Agent Emes?" will finally get your answer.

I'm not gonna post a trailer for the new episode, but in the meantime, you can enjoy this little piece I put together from this year's Chabad Kinus Hashluchim

Agent Emes at Kinus Hashluchim 5769 from Leibel on Vimeo.

Part 2 is almost ready!

I've been working furiously to finish episode 7 AKA Part 2 of "Hard To Forget". Here's what the new cover is going to look like:

But I had to go to Brooklyn for two days to introduce part 1 at the Chabad Kinus HaShluchim, and to buy a new kapote, and good kosher meat for my refrigerator.
The kinus was great. As usual, I was inundated with rabbis of all shapes and sizes telling me that they had strict orders not to come home without the new Agent Emes.

I also showed a sneak peak at part 2, which was close enough to being ready to warrant a preview. Since the kinus fair took place at Ohelei Torah, where a cheder is located, a bunch of kids came down during their recess to watch the new film.

I was nearly crushed against the wall as they strained and pushed to get a good look at my modest monitor. The other vendors were shooting me looks as well, as the kids were disrupting business for anyone near them.
On one hand I felt bad about it, but it was hard to ignore the positive publicity that came from it.

I took some video of the event, and as soon as I am finished with #7, I'll post something you all to see.

One more thing: last week I bought a GPS to take with me to NYC and I recommend it for anyone who ever finds him or herself driving in a strange city. It's a huge stress reliever, and lots of fun as well.

Until later.

Feedback Time

The new Agent Emes has finally reached the stores, and we have started shipping units out of Pittsburgh.
I'd like to start hearing feedback from those who have seen it, so feel free to use this blog to offer your comments.
A good yom tov to all!

Pre-Release SALE - 20% off

Agent Emes: Hard To Forget (part 1) is at the duplicator and we expect to begin shipping the first week in October.
If you want to be among the first to own this great new episode, log on to
www.agent-emes.com
where you can pre-order the DVD and save 20% off the suggested retail price.

Cover is ready!

The DVD sleeve artwork for the new Agent Emes DVD cover is now ready!
I think Tanya did a great job on this one. Please keep spreading the word about
"Agent Emes" Hard To Forget"
Available in stores between Rosh Hashona and Yom Kippur.

The new Trailer is up!

Here is the trailer for our upcoming release " Agent Emes: Hard To Forget (part 1)"


Agent Emes: Hard To Forget from Leibel on Vimeo.

I am working frantically to finish all aspects of the DVD, including sound mix, color corrections, special effects, and even a new special feature.

The DVD will available in stores and online by the beginning of October 2008.

Please pass word along!

Production is finished!

Here's the latest on the most exciting year for Agent Emes yet.

We have finished production! Almost.
Up until the second to last day of filming, we were completely on schedule. But on day #25, I finally overestimated what we could get done - so I have now fallen behind one day - which I will make up in August.

I'm not gonna say much about plots at this point. What I will tell you is that while some of the previous cast will be returning for the next three episodes, many of the key roles have been filled with new characters and actors. There is, of course, a new Agent Emes, but there is also a new villain, set of parents, and siblings for the new character.

People have been asking about a trailer/teaser, and I will do my best to get one up by late Aug, early Sept.

Since wrapping on Monday, I have been making a rough cut of episode #6 (1st for this season), and have now completed almost 20 minutes of that.

One of the nice things is that the special effects requirements are not so extensive for #6, so that should make the process go much faster. The third one we shot (number 8) is going to be loaded with SFX, so I will have my work cut out for me this Winter.

Last thing I'm gonna mention is that if there are any web marketing, or just plain marketing experts out there, who have ideas for how to spread word of Agent Emes further into the world, please let me know.

Over and out.

Third week of production!

It's time to restart this blog, because Agent Emes has been completely re-tooled, and we are gearing up to release THREE huge episodes over the next year.

Right now, we are busy filming all three episodes simultaneously, and, thank G-d, we are still on schedule.

By now, almost everyone knows that we have replaced Sholom Ber and are introducing a new Agent Emes. He is being played by a very talented boy name Yissachar Shollar.

We are also introducing a new villain to oppose Agent Emes, and we are calling him Uncle Evil. UE is being played by Pittsburgh acting legend, Sam Nicotero. He has brought a new brand of villainy to the series, and we think our fans will love what they see.

Of course, mixed in with all this will be compelling stories, and valuable Jewish educational content.

So start counting down, because come this October, a new Agent Emes will hit the stores.

Feedback Time

The new episode hit the stores yesterday, and I am anxious to hear the reaction to it. So if any of you out there have had a chance to watch "Agent Emes and the Happy Chanukah", here's your chance to let me know.
For those of you who placed orders on our website, and are anxious to see the episode for yourselves, I will be getting my shipment tomorrow and begin shipping immediately.
Just hang in there a few more days.
Over and Out.

Now taking orders!!!

Hi folks. Long time.
I was REEEEL busy finishing up
"Agent Emes and the Happy Chanukah". Doing sound and special effects takes a LOT of time. But still, I think we are more or less on the schedule I set for this episode oh so many months ago, give or take a few weeks.

The master copy is at the duplicating center as I write this, and they are giving me a completion date of November 3. That means this latest and greatest Agent Emes episode (and I do mean greatest) should begin appearing in NY-area stores by Sunday, Nov 5.

I will be able to begin shipping, G-d willing, on Nov. 8.

In short, WE HAVE STARTED TO TAKE ADVANCE ORDERS.

Visit our home page and see for yourself.

Episode Five Teaser - See it now!

Hi Folks
The moment many of you have been waiting for has arrived, I suppose.
The first fruits of my latest labor: The official "Agent Emes and the Happy Chanukah" teaser. It's about 3 minutes, 50 seconds long and features temporary music composed in Apple's "Soundtrack" application.
I think it works, but would love to hear feedback from you viewers out there. So please, comment away.

Still lots to do in order to get this out on time, so gotta run.

you can check out the Agent Emes 5 teaser in ipod format here:

http://agent-emes.com/FIles/teaser for ipod.m4v

And don't worry, you don't need a video ipod to view it, but you DO need Apple's "itunes" app, available in Windows or Mac format

And here it is in mpeg 4. Not as clear, but some of you may prefer it


Enjoy!

on the set

Here are a couple of nice pics from the set. We shot this scene when Reuven Russell, (our Betzalel) came to town this past spring.
Here he is clowning with Sholom Ber
The other pic is of Reuven again, and Adam Marze and Doug Stanzcak, both of whom have made extensive contributions to Agent Emes over the years.

visiting day

one of the challenges of getting Agent Emes made is the very LIMITED time the kids have for filming. For instance, when they are in school, it is for most of the day. When the school year is finished, they have a week break, and then it is off to camp.
Speaking of camp, we just came back from visiting Sholom Ber in Morristown. Here is a pic of him, his cousin Levi, his little sisters Elisheva (the baby) and Sara, and brother Mendy. Enjoy

making progress

Hi all. Long time. So much for a “daily” blog. How about a semi-annual one?
I tend to be overly ambitious, and sometimes have trouble living up to my self-imposed own expectations.

We are a little more than half way through the summer, and things are coming along with Agent E 5. I have a rough cut done – at least with the material that is already filmed (“in the can”, as the saying goes).

There still remains a very big scene to do – which even has a date attached to it: Tuesday, August 22. Modi will be returning to Pittsburgh the day before, and we will go into the recording studio to record the music we will be lip synching to the following day.

You see, this new Agent Emes ends with a big concert scene where we will hear Agent Emes (and others) sing. The working title (and probably the final one as well) is “Agent Emes and the Happy Chanukah” It looks as though it will have a running time of over 50 minutes, making it the longest episode to date.

Here’s how the editing process works:

After filming our scenes, we are left with miniDV tapes containing the “raw footage” of all the takes for all the scenes. As mentioned in a previous blog, the editor (myself in this case) must separate and import (“log the footage”) into the computer. I use the Macintosh system and the incredible editing software called Final Cut Pro.

Once all the footage is in the computer, separated into individual takes, I then begin the process of selecting the best ones and pasting them all together into a comprehensible narrative. Since I wrote the script and am intimately familiar with the story, I don’t have to rely on notes as much as an editor who did not write and direct would. I basically know how the shots should go together to tell the story.

However there are always complications to deal with. As I say, the best performances must be chosen. But these takes must flow together from long shot to medium shot to close up as smoothly as possible. Sometimes the best performances don’t cut together so well. Or sometimes the first half of a take might be great, and the second half will have a major breakdown. So the editor must find a way to put two or more versions together to make one good one. There is quite a bit of slight of hand involved in editing.

At this juncture, I have cut together the entire episode (minus the material that has not yet been filmed), and I am pleased with the way it is turning out. It so happens that this episode is the most special effects intensive to date, so I have taken on an assistant to help create the lightsaber effects we need for two big fight scenes between Dr. Lo-Tov and Agent Emes. My assistant is a fifteen year-old boy who is very quick to pick up the techniques necessary to pull of the effects. I would mention his name, but since I don’t have his permission, I won’t. Those of you who have seen previous episodes would recognize him as the boy who played the part of “Yoni”. He is really doing a great job, but there is a LOT more to do, school starts up again in three weeks, and he is on vacation this week in Alaska.

The rest of the effects will done either by myself, or the same person who did effects on previous episodes.

Once I am happy with the flow of the edited film, the next step is to make corrections on the picture. This process is called “Color Correction.” Without boring you with details, this involves lightening, darkening, and changing the color balance of individual shots so that they match within a scene, and do not create distracting discrepancies. In other words, if one shot is tinted green, and the next one is reddish, the viewer sees this (maybe only subconsciously), thus creating an imposition to the viewing process. It takes the viewer “out” of the story, so to speak.

Next comes the music and sound editing.

I am beginning to bore myself. Suffice to say that this all takes a lot of time. And since we are not a mult-million dollar production, I have to do most of it myself.

We are still looking at a target release date for mid-October 2006, but I don’t want to make any promises.

More to follow.

On scheduling

Today is June 8, 2006.
We have a wedding in NYC on Sun, June 25, and after that, Sholom Ber goes straight to camp.
That gives me 13 shooting days to finish everything involving Agent Emes/Shimmy himself, so I can edit the episode over the summer. This is harder to arrange than you might think.

First, there is school. I can't very well take the poor kid out of yeshiva to act, especially with finals coming up, etc. It sends the wrong message to him and his friends. Yeshiva is the most important thing.

Then there is pony league baseball. Although Ber's team is quickly compiling the worst record in Pittsburgh pony league history, he still loves to take part in the games, and since this is the last year he will realistically be able to participate, I don't want to take away any game nights from him.

And that's only Sholom Ber's commitments.

In a "real budget" film production, the participants are professionals who make themselves available when needed, because they are being paid. On Agent Emes, almost no one gets paid. Their time is all voluntary. So the windows of scheduling opportunities become much tighter.

The other thing is that on a real, funded production, an individual called a "line producer" is hired to break down the schedule and make sure everyone is available when needed, so that the director (in this case myself) would be able to concentrate on the task of directing the film. It so happens, however, that I have to do just about everything here. So yesterday, for example, I spent about four hours pouring over all the different dates, sets, and people and juggled and re-juggled all the elements until I arrived at a schedule that MIGHT work, provided that the weather cooperates, and that the crew is also available.

I have been trying to arrange these last weeks of filming, one of which involves an actor flying in from NY for four days. His name is Modi. He is an excellent stand-up comic and burgeoning actor who I know from years ago when I lived in Boston and he was a BU student who used to come to our local Chabad House. I booked Modi to fly to Shpittsburgh for four days and do ALL his scenes in one week.

One of the scenes we need to shoot, the climactic concert scene of the episode, involves a large cast of extras, and multiple camera. This means I need multiple crew members, cameramen, etc. Well two days ago I found out that the Shpittsburgh Steelers are filming some kind of TV commercial, and since jobs like that don't find their way to the city any more, all of my potential crew will be occupied with that.


I can't very well shoot the concert scene with no crew then. So I am forced to postpone it until after the summer, and before school starts (sometime the last week of August). But what if Modi cannot or will not fly back here that week. Then what?" I'll be stuck without a climax scene.

Gam Zu LaTova (this too is for the best). I couldn't book any of the local theatres as locations for the scene but MIGHT be able to for end of August. If I can pull it off this way, then I will also have more time to prepare the musical performances for the scene. I plan on recording the music before the filming, so the actors can just lip synch to the music and concentrate on the acting. In sum, postponing the date of the big scene might be better for all.

The other reason I feel comfortable doing this is that the scene does not involve any special effect composites. Those will take the most time this summer. If I can get the entire episode edited during the summer, then I can just film this last scene and still have the DVD out for early fall.

I hope this post was of interest to someone out there. I will soon send out an announcement to our email list telling people about this blog.

Hope this post was of interest to someone out there.
let me know