…the one unanswered question has an answer:  When is “Megaman” going to be released:

http://screwattack.com/blogs/Stuttering-Craigs-blog-1/State-of-the-Website-Address-Transcript

To get to the point if you don’t want to follow the link:

“Now as cool as the ScrewAttack Throwdown is, there is one last thing that I’m extremely excited to announce… you’ve heard us talk about… you’ve seen trailers for it… and soon you’ll finally be able to experience it for yourself.  Coming in May, you will be able to find Eddie Lebron’s master piece of a fan film - Mega Man - exclusively on ScrewAttack.  The Blue Bomber is going to blow you away.  See the trailer here(http://screwattack.com/videos/Mega-Man-Movie-Trailer-1) Speaking as someone who has seen it, Mega Man is the way a video game film should be made.”

And thus:

World Premiere Screening: May 1st. 2010

Online Release: May 7th, 2010.

A new trailer is to follow within the next 4 weeks.  Information regarding the Manhattan world premiere screening will be available once a theater is chosen this month.  After all cast, crew, family, and friends are accounted for; approximately 100 extra seats will most likely be available to fans and press but that’s not an official statement.   I can’t wait to finally show the film!  Once again, I thank everyone for their support and patience.  It shall be worth it!

Eddie

Hello!

One week ago, I traveled to MagFest 2010 to screen a rough cut of “Megaman”.  What I Got was: amazing audience reaction, all around praise, and a very happy batch of viewers that believed the Blue Bomber has been done with great justice in this film.  In short: the screening was a success!  In addition, the film was screened a second time the following day so I was able to sneak in and see the audience reaction without them knowing I was present.  I stuck in and out to hear what the fans were saying amongst themselves.  No only were audience reactions even BETTER, but I heard solid chatter praising the film.  So, with a film that seems to be in pretty great shape, what’s next?

Due to the success of the screening , little changes will be made to the film as is.  The new ending that was screened tested very well and I’m extremely happy with the pacing so the current cut is pretty much what will be in final release (aside from some fine tuning here and there).  That means the released film should having a final running time of about 107 minutes with credits!

The next big question is: when will it be released?  The film shall be released online 2 weeks after the premiere.  Well, when will the premiere be?  I don’t want to say officially when it will but I do have a specific time frame in mind and it’s soon….very soon.  Without giving too much, the film will be premiered before the summer.  If any delays occur, you all will be the first to know but at this rate, we are in really good shape.  Let’s say this: everyone who is working on post-production is aware of what is left and what their deadlines are and have agreed to said deadlines.  If no delays occur and everything is smooth, you are looking at a  Premiere/Release within the next 3-5 months (meaning the soonest possible CAN be 3 months from right now).  I don’t want to say a specific release date at the risk of it backfiring in my face but we are close.  Once the film is completed we will spend time promoting and marketing the film as much as humanly (and legally) possible.  We will also push the premiere and make sure we get hardcore MM fans in those seats come premiere day! The official release date will be announcement via. a trailer within the coming weeks but the release date won’t be announced until we are days away from saying this thing is 110% done.  Stay tuned!

Until the, I will keep everyone updated and will post all marketing goodies and info up until the release.  If anyone has any question, feel free to ask in the forum!

Eddie

Hello all!

Finally, a nice update with some treats.   First off,  back in late-September, I did a podcast in which I discussed “Megaman” and film making in general.  Give that a listen right here!:

http://obicitypage2.podomatic.com/

Second piece of fun news is that a COMIC for the film is currently underway!  Andrew Decrescenzo, a follow student who I’ve met at my college, expressed interest in the project and through a series of fun events, is now illustrating a prequel comic!   You can view his website at the link below:

http://andrewdecrescenzo.com/

The comic will cover the events building up to the film as well as the history of Wily and Light, something very present in the film’s plot.  The general concept and story were written by both myself and Andrew.  The release of the comic is undetermined but will most likely be released the day of the premiere, if not before.

Lastly, and probably most importantly, in approximately 4 weeks, the current cut of “Megaman” will be test screened before an audience at a video gaming and music convention known as MagFest.  Some of you might remember that I attended last year to show 15 minutes of the film.  Before me, I’m looking at a nearly ready “presentation” cut clocking in at 94 minutes.  The structure of some scenes of action sequences are different than what the final cut may present but the ultimate purpose is to see how some of these changes work.  Many sequences, both story and action-based, have actually been shortened so this will also allow us to test pacing.  The test screening will be an important step in shaping the film one last time in the editing room before the release.  And in the event the whole film test positively?  Finishing the sound mix and release!  Site for MagFest is linked below:

http://magfest.org/

Perhaps I’ll see some of you there!

Eddie

Hello all!  With a majority of the questions asked and sent to the cast of the film, here are their answers:

Here’s the list of the actors who took part in answering your questions:

Jun Naito - Mega Man
Jeanie Tse - Roll
Edward X Young- Dr. Light
Dave Maulbeck - Dr Wily
Alan Fung - Elecman
Wayne Chang - Iceman
Hugo Salazar-Fireman

Ludichris714:

1.)  What’s your favorite character from Mega Man? and why?

JN: Probably Elecman because you get multiple hits out of one zap.

JT:   Roll all the way!  How can someone so cheerful kick so much butt and look cute doing it?

EY: When I auditioned in January of 2008,  I was utterly unfamiliar with “Mega Man” or any of the ancillary characters.  By choice, until our project was finished, I avoided seeing anything associated with the game or based on it, because I didn’t want the exposure to interfere with me developing Dr. Light as a character of my own interpretation and creation.  Dr. Light has grown to become one of my favorite characters of all the projects I’ve done. I can only hope I’ve captured the expectations of the many Mega Man fans out there.

DM:  Dr. Wily, of course.  Why… he’s pure evil, mad as a hatter, but still fun and that’s a hard combo to pull off.

AF:  Well… I don’t know that I have a favorite actually, I mean I think Dr. Wily is pretty cool, since he’s so out there.

WC:  “Eddy” because it sounds like “Eddie”

http://megaman.wikia.com/wiki/Eddie

HS:  Besides being absolutely in love with my character, I would have to say that my favorite character, without being cliché, would be Mega-Man.  I’m always a fan of the whole idea of “coming of age” for characters and them overcoming incredible odds in reaching that goal.  Stories like this are my Kryptonite.  Mega-Man starts out as a regular aid, but through the course of events, grows into a man of a Robot to set out to fix what was wrong with the Mega-Man universe. This, while clearly risking his life.  And Jun Naito does an amazing job in having that range of a harmless aid-robot to becoming the hero, risking his life to, literally, save the world.  Kudos to Jun for that.

2.)  How was your experience working alongside Eddie Lebron?

JN: I’ve now worked with Eddie on 3 feature-length films and countless shorts. I guess the experiences have been good since I keep working with him.

JT:  One of my main reasons for taking this role was that I wanted to work with Eddie again.  I trusted that he would make this departure from my usual serious, dramatic roles a success.  Eddie has amazing vision, energy and cinematographic skill, AND he’s a really nice person.

EY:  Eddie Lebron is a genius. He’s the most efficient, professional and versatile filmmaker I’ve worked with.  Eddie Lebron is a double-whammy: an exceptional director and cinematographer. I hope he has a part for me in every picture he makes.  And I have had the pleasure of working with Eddie on three more projects subsequent to “Megaman” including the horror features “Eat Me!” and “Muttnik.” Keep your eye on him:  Eddie Lebron is the next “Steven Spielberg.”

DM:  Working with Eddie was great. He’s professional and friendly. he has a vision for his film and allows you as an actor to bring your gifts to the project with out being over powering. It’s a team effort.

AF:It’s always a pleasure to work with Eddie.  To witness the talent and vision this guy has.  You never imagine the takes to come out as great as they do, well, until you realize this guy is just that talented and has it all figured out, and will only get better.

WC:  From an actor’s point of view, Eddie is very specific with his vision, and his direction. He gave the actors the freedom to bring what we can bring to the character, and trust that we came to set prepared. So, the entire team had faith with each other.
HS:You can not ask for a better film director.  Eddie has his clear cut vision on how he wants his movies to come out. And  you find that you completely duplicate that in your mind without him having to
struggle to paint the picture for you.  The chemistry and comradeship between Eddie and I was apparent as soon as we met each other and that leaked over beautifully onto the set.  Eddie knows how to give particular direction for his vision.  But where other film directors fail is that they tend to micro-direct anything, which NOT what you want to do with the talented cast that we have in Mega-Man.  Eddie does the opposite.  He harnesses and channels one’s talents and gives the right freedom to the actor to truly shine.  For example, I am a nationally ranked competitor as a martial artist and acrobat.  Fire-Man was an intensely physical role for me and Eddie knew how to apply my talent to his vision.  Having worked with seasoned Broadway actors and Tony Award winners in the theatre, it’s amazing to see how Eddie can build the chemistry and direct to his ability despite Eddie’s little time in the business.
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Finally, another blog post.  What a delay!

First order of business:  Where’s the film currently at in terms of completion?

Currently, the focus is being put on the most complex scene of the film: the finale.  This chunk of the film involves the most editing and VFX work so after this sequence is complete, a giant step has been taken toward the completion of the film.  The finale, as I’m sure most Megaman fans know, are pretty elaborate (as seen in the game).

Aside from that, it’s all visual effects and the score.

Also, as a means of bringing more interest back to the blogs, I present this idea proposed to me:

“Ask the Actors!”.  Have any questions for any of the actors who worked on Megaman?  Ask them!  Ask either in the thread for this post or in the comment area below.  All questions asked before Friday will be presented to the actors who will answer them personally.

Keep in mind I’m also reading the forum so any suggestions for content or blog post are welcome and if they peak interest, I might go with them!

And finally, a nice treat.  4 finalized character posters for the film!:

Eddie
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Hello all!

Today marks a very special occasion.  Both today and tomorrow, I will be shooting inserts and pick up’s for the film!  After almost a year, I’m revisiting the shooting of the film with many of the key actors once more.  Based on the current edit, I deemed it necessary to shoot a few small, missing shots here and there to put into the film.  Not only would these pick up’s add to the production quality but help to fight some editorial issues.  By doing this, I’m actually making it easier for me to release the film sooner!  Saves more time doing this then trying to get certain moments and scenes working.  Hopefully I can upload some behind the scenes video capturing some of this weekend’s fun.  Stay tuned!

Eddie

Hello all readers!

Man, many questions to answer!  Let’s begin:

———–
Asked by “Wearethedead”:

Q1.) If I had another question to ask I guess it would have to be….are you going to add a CG fire effect to Firemans head?

A1.) Yes!  His head will light up in flames for elongated periods of time and sometimes briefly.

———–

Asked by “Icer13″:

Q1.) My question is, will Rush be in the movie or Items 1-3 from MM2 or something like that?

A1.)  Rush will not be in the film.  His presence was saved for the possible sequel.  Those items are also being saved for the future!

———–

Asked by “KamenRiderGumo”:

Q1.) First, what make and model cameras are you using? Second, what kind of computer and editing software do you use? (I use a Panasonic AG-DVX100B and a PC equipped with Adobe Premiere, myself; tried Canon/Sony cameras and Mac editing platforms and didn’t care for them in the slightest, but I’m interested in knowing what you use.)

A1.)  The film was shot on a Panasonic DVX100A.  Love it!  I use a basic set-up, though.  Windows duo core with a decent video and sound card and 2gbs of ram.  I’m upgrading my entire set up, after Megaman is completed, to a Quad or an Octo-core (if I go Mac)!  I use Adobe Premiere CS3 for personal editing but use Final Cut for gigs when called for.   Odds are, I’ll go Final Cut Pro exclusive once I go completely Mac.

———–

Asked by “thorgrim105″:

Q1.)  I want to ask when you say all the bosses will copy cat mega man and the yellow devil(big yellow thing) be in the film as well? Just to ask.?

A1.)  I once said every boss of the first game will be in the film so… you be the judge of that answer =).

———–

Asked by “tyle09″:

Q1.) You said that the music would be mixture of new themes along with classic songs from the games and that the music would be orchestral, right?  Can’t really remember the name, but did Siddhartha, I think it is, actually compose music and conduct an orchestra for you?  Or was the music created on a computer?

A1.)  If I had to take an educated guess, he’s probably doing the score the same way he did the last score he did for me.  A combination of live-recorded instruments he did himself and computer-created tracks.  Either way, this hybrid will lead to an AMAZING score since Sid’s talents and his use of these tools will be the main key to the success of the score.  The man knows how to deliver the goods!

Q2.) Will Megaman use any of the Items like the jetboard from MM2 to get around?  I honestly, don’t understand the whole teleporting thing.  But maybe you’ll explain it very well in the flick.

A2.)  Teleportation will be explained.  In fact, the first released clip touched upon it!  It applies to only inanimate objects and machines.  The skin of Light’s android is a substance that is artificial so it allows Megaman and company to teleport successfully.

Q3.) Will Protoman use any of his aliases, like Blues or Breakman, to cover up his identity.
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It’s that time again….again!

Man, things have been a bit crazy!  “Megaman” is getting there and I grow more excited each day to release this bad boy and see what the video game community thinks!

I may push back the premiere since it has been decided that rushing for a July 4th premiere in Dallas was impractical.  It seems much more beneficial if we take our time and have a legitimate premiere with the actors, crew, and fans in Manhattan in July/August.  Can’t wait to experience this film with an audience!

One little note:  This far into post-production, more changes, additions, and negations are being made!  I find it funny just how much you can change a movie in post.  Luckily it’s for the best.  I foresee myself releasing a special edition cut of the film with all scenes in tact and the original edits of certain scenes.
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Many questions were asked, and thus, I shall answer all of them!  Let’s begin!:

———–

Asked by “Wearethedead”:

Q.1: Eddie, I saw you had posted on “The Megas” forum. You said that you had discussed possibly using one of their songs for the the film. Are you still considering it?

A.1: Indeed, I am!  I’m pretty sure at least one song off their album will be worked into the film in some form, whether a new trailer or the actual film.  With such great music, it just seems smart to use it anyway we can!

———–

Asked by “MagicalWingLT”:

Q.1: Will the movie be put on the site for everyone to see?

A.1: The film will be posted online for free viewing, first exclusively on Ningin, followed quickly by www.megamanfilm.com, and after some time has passed, the film will be hosted by various means on various sites.

Q.2: Will you put the movie on dvd so we can buy it?

There will be an option on the site in which you can request a DVD copy of the film and we send it over!  The only thing you would pay for is for the disc itself (IE. the dvd we will burn the film to), shipping, and the packaging.  I won’t be charging anymore since I don’t want to make a profit.

———–
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It’s that time again!

After getting swamped and being hit with a virus, here I am again!  Well, on to business:

The goal is still set for July 4th screening and I am remaining optimistic.  The next few weeks will be crucial as the most complex effects are handle.

One funny little tidbit.  The ending of the film has been modified to be more faithful to game.  Without giving much away, one element from a later game was incorporated to the end of the film but after much thought, I thought it would be better to change one or two things in the editing and visual effects to modify this and please myself and other fans alike.  Upon release, I shall reveal what change was made!

On a screening related note, if you or anyone you know is interested in screening the secretive 16 minute preview of the film at an event or festival, ask me!  Screening request for the actual film will not begin until June the earliest to ensure any screenings the film is schedule for are plausible.  Although things are on course for July, I am not making promises.

Also, as mention in passing on the forum, I’m strongly interested in answer questions from those who follow this blog!  In the forum topic that will be created for this blog or in the comments below, shoot some questions my way!  As many as you want!  Within the next 7 days, post your questions!  All questions after 7 days will have to be saved for another time.  Talk to you all then!

Eddie