Buff, NY SWN 2014 Development & Pre-production

As of last night, Bisons Star Wars Night 2014 (SWN) has started its development stage! This means we are going to need a lot of help from you all. First and foremost, we need a development team which consists of a production team and a writing team. If you think you'd like to be in either of these teams, then please read the rest of this post and seriously consider committing to the production of SWN.

Before reading below, understand that what follows could seem like a daunting or even intimidating proposal. Please remember that we have a lot of experience under our collective utility belts with bringing about the best Star Wars Nights in the country! And I know we have a lot of passionate, smart, and creative people in the club that are more than a match for this undertaking. Even more important, we are a supportive bunch and together I know we can do this by helping each other! Also know that I will make myself available to anyone on these teams for direction and support in making SWN a LOT of fun for us and therefore incredible fun for our audience.

Okay, now for a lot of technical language... feel free to contact me with any questions.

WRITING TEAM
At this time, anyone interested in helping create the story for SWN and even be on the writing team have until October 1st to prepare and submit a story idea to me (message me if you need my e-mail) for consideration by the production team. The production team will vote on October 3rd and determine the basic theme and any possible message based upon suggested possible stories.

Club members can submit ideas on their own and/or as part of a writing team. The story can be pitched as part of a series or as a standalone story. The story idea must be presented in no more than 500 words.

The writing staff for SWN will be identified based upon story idea submissions and the story determined by the production team. A head writer will be suggested by the production team based on interest and will need to be endorsed by the majority of the writing team. When you submit your idea please indicate the author(s) and whether there is a desire to be on the writing team and if there is interest in being the head writer; this is a commitment to take the selected story idea and develop it through synopsis, outline, scriptment and script phases -- about a six month process.

PRODUCTION TEAM
If you are interested in being on the production team, please contact our club president, Chris Solecki, and express which position or positions you would be interested in. Please note that this is more than a nine month commitment to this event. The assignment of these positions will ultimately be determined by him:

Director - primarily responsible for the storytelling, creative decisions and acting of the film and live show. Also responsible for casting decisions and photography.

Assistant Director - manages the production schedule, rehearsal schedule, film shooting schedule and logistics of the production, among other related tasks.

Director of Audiography - responsible for sound design, sound effects, recording, mixing, and music used for the film as well as the live performance.

Art Director - responsible for storyboards, concept art, visual effects, sets, and props

Director of Choreography - responsible for live show field movement and fight choreography

Please submit interest to Chris immediately! As indicated above, the production team should be solidified soon; I'd prefer by next Sunday, September 15, so the task of story idea review can be spread out over the greatest amount of time possible.

Thank you one and all in advance for your support of SWN!

 

Hint for story proposals: we are likely to favor story ideas whose proposal helps us envision producing the concept in six video segments with a live-action conclusion.

 

Thanks so much for spearheading everything this year, Bill. Your time and expertise are already very much appreciated.

Just submitted a story idea! It was fun! Feel free to use none or any of it as you and the committee see fit. I can't wait to hear
what we will be doing next year!

 

Update: Production is not quite finalized; if you haven't contacted Chris with your interest, time is definitely running out.

Story ideas: if you have an idea for next year's SWN, please submit a pitch, in 500 words or far less, of an idea that would have a filmed and live action component. Here is an example:

The Witches of Dathomir have determined that a source of arcane power is to be found in Buffalo, NY. A group of Nightsisters are sent to Buffalo by Gethzerion and they find the source of the power is in Coca Cola Field! The Emperor gets wind of the Nightsisters' mission through his agents and dispatches not only his own Sith agents to thwart the Nightsisters but also makes sure the Jedi are made aware; ultimately hoping that in the ensuing confrontation between the Jedi and Nightsisters, one of his Sith will be able to slip away with the object of power: a rare and ancient dodecahedral holocron (looking fairly similar to a baseball).

Don't forget with your submission to indicate if you want to be on the writing team or not. And, if you want to be on the writing team, whether you wish to be considered for the head writer position.

 

Two more weeks to get your submission in! Don't let October 1st go by and have your idea for SWN 2014 left behind for another year.

 

As you write a story pitch, consider what characters club members have already created. A story involving Lando would be pretty amazing but also kinda difficult as we don't currently have anyone playing Lando.

Also, I'd advise caution if you choose to focus on a "face" character. Much of characters such as Luke, Leia, and Darth Vader have well documented lives and behavioral patterns; out-of-character and counter-timeline material will seriously irk your fellow fans.

 

Less than one week remaining! Submissions for story ideas are due by midnight on October 1st!

 

Less than 48 hours remaining to get your story idea in for SWN 2014! Don't forget to mention if you also wish to be on the writing team and whether or not you'd be interested in the role of head writer.

 

Story ideas due tonight by midnight!

 

Based upon expressed interest and known talents and experience, the production team has been appointed!

Executive Producer - Chris Solecki
He will be the primary liaison with the Bisons organization and will be primarily involved in any coordination of resources outside of the production team such as participants from out of town.

Producer - Dan Malcomb
He will be responsible for tasks delegated to him by the Executive Producer as well as helping the production remain faithful with historical SWNs and conceptual material accepted as "official" in the Star Wars universe's fan base.

Director - Bill Reynolds
He will be primarily responsible for the storytelling, creative decisions and acting of the film and live show. Also responsible for casting decisions and photography.

1st Assistant Director (AD) - Bill Breindel
He will manage the production schedule, rehearsal schedule, film shooting schedule and logistics of the production, among other related tasks. He is directly responsible to the Director and "runs" the sets and the performance field such as lighting and sound.

2nd AD - Jonathan Jones
He will work closely with the 1st AD and create the daily call sheets from the production schedule. The "second" also serves as the "backstage manager", liaising with actors, making sure cast know their starting positions, marks, cues, and know where they have places to do make-up and wardrobe changes.

Director of Audiography - Steve Lukasik
He is responsible for sound design, sound effects, recording, mixing, and music used for the film as well as the live performance. He will help synergize the rhythm and spirit of the music particular with the live performance.

Art Director - Jon Duffie
He will be primarily responsible for the storyboards but also any concept art, visual effects, set elements, and props.

Director of Choreography - Lisa Barkowitz
She will be responsible for live show field movement and integration of duelist fight choreography into the flow of action on the performance field.

With regard to the Audiography Department, Art Department, and Choreography, if any club members wishes to help in the tasks of one of those departments and be on its staff, please feel free to contact the director of that department.

Along those lines, thank you Mindy Solecki for being willing to act as a consultant to Bill Breindel on the work of the 1st AD based on your experience last year.

 

Story ideas for SWN 2014 are now in the hands of the production team. Thank you to everyone who submitted an idea! The production team will vote on October 4. Individual feedback will be sent by me to everyone who submitted a story idea along with notification as to the role you can play in the writing team.

If you did not submit a story idea but wish to be on the writing team, please contact me before October 5.

 

I would still be interested in helping with the art direction

 

Excellent! Message JDuffPhoto with your interest

 

Our writing team has been established!

Kathleen Weber - head writer

Writing team:
Bill Breindel
Jon Duffie
Steve Lukasik
Dan Malcomb
Michelle Saxton
Chris Solecki

Writing for SWN14 can now begin!

 

WOOHOO!

 

if I somehow receive a starring role once again, I better get my own makeup team and one of those fancy film chairs with my name on the back. For realz guys

 

LOL!

Good luck with that!

 

Nice!

 

We would love to help in what ever way possible.

 

Great! Stay tuned for developments. Soonest way you can help will be at the next club meeting; the head writer will present the synopsis of the proposed show. Everyone in attendance will be able to help by giving feedback.

 

Great! When will the next meeting be? I didn't see it posted on the boards.

 

We do not have a meeting scheduled at this time.

 

The SWN14 Production team and Writing team meetings are closed; only club members who were appointed to those teams are going to those meetings. The progress of those team meetings will be shared at the next General meeting which I take from Anna's post as to say that the next General membership meeting has yet to be scheduled.

 

Ok. Thanks for the clarification.

 

I don't know if club members know that everyone on the Star Wars Night production team are a terrific bunch of bright and caring people, especially when I keep them an hour and a half past our meeting end to give "feedback", but I need to say publicly, they are. The show's in the best collection of hands possible.