'Endure' Sound Editor Practices Addition, Subtraction

RICK RUNION | THE LEDGER

By Gary White

Published: Monday, November 16, 2009 at 4:16 p.m.
Last Modified: Monday, November 16, 2009 at 10:49 p.m.

More than 80 years after motion pictures learned to talk, most viewers probably still regard sound as secondary to images in the movies.

Not Rick Morris. A veteran sound editor whose credits include the major-studio films "Face/Off" and "Blow," Morris knows that sonic elements are crucial to a movie's impact. Inaudible dialog can ruin a scene, whereas well chosen sounds can make an audience squirm, laugh or weep.

Morris, a 1977 graduate of Lakeland's Kathleen High School, is the sound design editor for "Endure," a Lakeland-based thriller whose progress The Ledger has been chronicling since its early stages. Morris, owner of the one-man company Maverick Sound in Winter Garden, has two general objectives for the small-budget film shot this spring: removing sounds that might detract from the story and adding sounds that will enhance it.

On a recent morning, Morris sat before three flat-panel computer monitors in his office, a crepuscular room with walls covered by blood red sound-dampening panels. Two mixing boards occupied his desk, their knobs and switches giving him command over every detail of the soundtrack.

Morris said he decided to be a sound man at age 12 as he watched a man at his church operate a four-channel sound board at services. Morris lat er learned more about sound mixing while playing bass guitar in a rock band.

Morris ventured to Hollywood in his early 20s and found work with one of the movie industry's premier sound companies. In addition to his film assignments, he worked on the TV shows "NYPD Blue" and "Law & Order." He received an Academy Award nomination for best sound editing on the 1997 film "Face/Off."

Since returning to Florida, Morris has also done sound design for the likes of Universal Studios Florida, the Daytona Speedway and Kennedy Space Center.

Morris, a youthful 50, received the digital video files of "Endure" in mid-October. He said the sound editor's first task is to conduct an aural cleansing. He uses a computer program to remove unwanted noises, such as humming from air conditioners or electrical generators and camera crew clangor.

He also tweaks some vocal elements. He said "Endure" lead actor Judd Nelson has a much deeper voice than co-star Devon Sawa, prompting Morris to do some equalizing of pitch.

Morris adds sound in various ways. He layers on ambient noises, such as cricket drones, wind and thunder in outdoor scenes and background murmuring - known as "walla" - and ringing phones in interior scenes.

Morris' software program offers 96 separate audio tracks, 12 of which he has allotted for music. But Morris resists the temptation to fill every possible sonic nook.

"One thing I've learned from doing backgrounds is less is better," he said.

His role also involves "foley" work, the creation of sound effects to match visual actions.

"Basically, if you see it you have to hear it," Morris said. "If you see a car go by, you have to hear it. That's kind of the general rule."

A car crash occurs in the early moments of "Endure." Morris embellished the scene's recorded track, inserting sounds of a fracturing windshield, a ferocious thump as the car slams into a guardrail and the hiss of steam escaping a punctured radiator.

Other foley additions are less obvious. Morris inserts "body grab" audio and even the rustling of clothes, sounds often too subtle to register during filming.

Morris has a catalog of thousands of audio clips, but he often goes into the field to record fresh sounds. His office includes a soundproof booth, in which he regularly creates sound effects.

As the film's sound designer, Morris supplements the musical score of brothers Adam and Dennis Davidson with extra-musical noises.

"Sometimes in feature films I never get to hear the music," Morris said. "Independent films I love. I can usually interact directly with the composer and hear the music. I love to do sound design to actually make it part of the score. I hear the music, hear the pitch it's in, and I'll pitch things to make it part of the music."

He played the movie's opening scene, in which a young woman lies on a floor, a gag in her mouth. As she is dragged by the unseen kidnapper, an eerily warbling metallic sound blends with the music, compounding the sense of dread.

Lakeland resident Jim Carlton, the film's editor, said Morris' efforts are particularly important for the scenes in which the young woman, Daphne, is shown bound to a tree in the woods as the local police search for her.

"In this film, especially with Daphne on the tree and her inability to verbally communicate with the audience, the sound design is a critical element," Carlton said. "It's almost a character in and of itself. It's setting the mood and tone for each of the scenes."

Morris said his task is more than half finished. The producers are beginning to submit rough versions of "Endure" to film festivals and hope to have it completed in December.

Carlton spent months editing the film.,"It's amazing the difference from the sound we've given him and what he's added," Carlton said.

[ Gary White can be reached at gary.white@theledger.com or at 863-802-7518. ]

ADFed Presentation

The NFocus gang will speak today on their feature film 'Endure' at the local Advertising Federation. Creating a 'buzz' on an indie film.

Music for Polk Movie Coming From a Converted Garage

by Gary White of The Ledger

LAKELAND | There is a memorable scene from the movie "Amadeus" in which Emperor Joseph II, after hearing Mozart's opera "The Marriage of Figaro," tells the composer the piece contains "too many notes."

Unlike the movie Mozart, the Davidson brothers don't take umbrage at such suggestions. Simplicity is their guiding principle as they create music for the low-budget detective thriller, shot in Polk County in April and May.

The Ledger has been following the film project with occasional reports since the filmmakers began seeking investors in 2007.

"This is not a movie like 'Star Wars,' where there's a grand orchestral theme that runs the length of the film," Adam Davidson said.

Instead, the Davidson brothers are putting together a small-scale, ambient score attuned to the conflicted state of the movie's protagonist, Emory Lane (played by Judd Nelson), a police detective pulled between his gravely ill wife and an urgent case. The music will lean toward keyboards and restrained guitar playing, with touches of violin and percussion.

Adam Davidson, 35, director of arts and worship at Lakeland's Trinity Presbyterian Church, provided music for O'Brien's short films "Blackwater Elegy" and "Wait." His chamber-music score for "Wait" won a silver medal for excellence the Park City Film Music Festival in Utah in 2007.

Adam Davidson read an early draft of O'Brien's script and has been close to the project all along. He also watched the shooting of several scenes and appears as an extra in one.

"Endure" has a budget of about $1.2 million, and Adam Davidson said all the money for the music went into recording equipment for his home studio, a converted garage. The Davidsons and the musicians they enlist will only be paid in the unlikely event the movie generates a soundtrack. O'Brien and his production partners, Rob Tritton and Jim Carleton, are still seeking a distribution deal.

Though the Davidsons want to create an uncluttered score, the process itself is complicated by geography - Adam lives in Lakeland and Dennis in Los Angeles. Dennis, 29, spent two months in Lakeland brainstorming ideas with Adam, and the pair now swap music files on a shared computer server.

The Davidsons began developing ideas well before they received the director's cut of "Endure" in mid-August. Adam said they aim to have the score complete by mid-October. He said Trinity Presbyterian is allowing him to devote one day a week to the project.

Sitting in his dimly lit studio , Adam Davidson played the opening 12 minutes of the movie, complete with music, on a large, flat-screen computer monitor.

The first sound heard is a countrified version of the hymn "The Old Rugged Cross" playing on a TV set. Adam Davidson arranged the tune, which is sung by Lakeland's Barbara Hart, an investor in the movie.

A short establishing scene yields to the opening credits and the main theme, which arose from an improvisation between Adam on piano and Dennis on lap steel guitar. For the finished version, Adam added accents on glockenspiel, a percussion instrument like a xylophone but with metal bars.

It is a somber piece, set mostly in the key of F minor, without a dominant melody. The title theme establishes musical ideas that will recur throughout the film.

"It was a good sense of accomplishment to get that musical piece finished and get our feet under us," Adam Davidson said.

Adam Davidson said the brothers want to craft two other distinct motifs, one for the scenes between Emory Lane and his ailing wife (Joey Lauren Adams) and another for a sinister character played by Tom Arnold.

Adam said the brothers' influences include Philip Glass, a minimalist composer known for rhythmic patterns that repeat with subtle variations, and Brian Eno, a pioneer of ambient music. Another model Adam cites is James Newton Howard's understated score for the 2007 film "Michael Clayton."

Adam Davidson said the average movie contains 30 to 60 minutes of music. He expects the "Endure" score to be on the low end of that spectrum. O'Brien describes the Davidsons' music as "integral but not pervasive."

Big-studio movies often include well-known pop songs. The "Endure" filmmakers don't have the budget to pay hefty licensing fees, so any music emanating from a TV or radio will likely be either an Adam Davidson composition or his arrangement of a song in the public domain.

For example, Adam wrote a country song to play on radios in successive early scenes. He has invited Rachel Plating of the Lakeland-based band Pemberley to sing it.

Adam Davidson said he talks to O'Brien regularly and plans to meet with the director at regular intervals to review the music. He said established film composers normally complete a score without consulting the director.

"I don't have confidence in my abilities enough to work that way," Adam said.

O'Brien, though, has plenty of confidence in Adam Davidson.

"What Adam is creating is essentially a story in its own right, and it really does help bring out a depth that we wouldn't get with just the picture and dialog alone," O'Brien said. "Sometimes it's surprising what results in our collaboration. I may come in with something in my mind, but when he's done working it's an altogether different feel and many times it's better."

[ Gary White can be reached at gary.white@theledger.com or at 863-802-7518. ]

Pickup Shots

The NFocus crew spent two days doing some pick shots and reshooting some establishing shots for their feature film 'Endure'.

'Endure' Goes Through Tedious Film-Editing Process

By Gary White

THE LEDGER

Published: Wednesday, June 24, 2009 at 3:25 p.m.

RICK RUNION | The Ledger

Jim Carleton, producer-editor, works on the film "Endure" shot in Lakeland.

Jim Carleton leaned close to the flat-screen monitor, peering at the video image of a criminal profiler's face. As Carleton's right hand worked a computer mouse, the scene slid forward and backward, sometimes slowing to a frame at a time.

"... his use of restraints ..." the woman on the screen said. Carleton backed up, seeking the exact right moment to cut from one camera view to another.. " ... his use of restraints ..."

"This is the tedious part," Carleton said.

Carleton is in the midst of editing "Endure," a movie shot mostly in Lakeland in April and May. He hopes to complete a director's cut this week, after which the sound editor takes over.

Carleton, a partner in Lakeland's NFocus Visual Communications, has been a video editor for nine years. He and NFocus partners Joe O'Brien and Rob Tritton serve as producers on "Endure," a small-budget detective thriller written and directed by O'Brien. It stars Judd Nelson, Tom Arnold and Devon Sawa. The Ledger has been following the project since 2007.

The 16-day shoot ended May 10, and eight days later Carleton began editing the results. Carleton, 49, has been working 10- to 12-hour days in his dimly lit office, where he has an Apple Mac Pro computer and two large, flat-screen monitors at his command. He uses a program called Final Cut Pro to edit the footage, shot in digital video.

"Endure," like most movies, was shot out of script sequence, but Carleton edits it in narrative order.

Carleton said he's averaging about one minute of "rough cut" footage for every hour of editing, or about 10 minutes a day.

"I don't know if that's good or bad," he said of his editing pace. "I just know it's very time-consuming, but we're really liking what we're seeing."

The finished movie will be about 90 minutes long.

SCENE NO. 69

On a recent morning, Carleton began on scene 69, set in a fictional police station created inside the former Southside Baptist Church.

The scene opened with a split view of a hallway and a detectives' bullpen. The police captain, played by Dennis Neal, turned a corner into the hallway and rapped on an interior window for Detective Emory Lane (Judd Nelson).

Nelson rose to meet Neal at the front of the room. After a brief exchange about a dead kidnapper, the pair walked out of the room and down the hall, still talking.

Carleton scrutinized each take, looking not only for technical errors but also assessing the composition, the performances of all the actors, including extras, and the timing of the action.

In one take, a boom mike showed at the top of the frame. In another, Neal slightly flubbed a line. In another, Carleton noticed an extra failed to react to the chief's rap on the glass.

"There's a lot to pay attention to," he said.

During shooting, a digital time-code generator synchronized the sound and picture, but in some takes technical problems occurred and the audio and video did not match up. For those, Carleton had to do "old-school" editing, manually aligning image and sound through the visual cue of the black-and-white slate clapped before each scene.

TRIAL AND ERROR

Carleton said editing is a matter of trial and error. He splices a segment together and then watches the result to judge whether it works, often repeating the process many times until everything seems right. It took him 40 minutes to construct scene 69, which lasts about 20 seconds.

Carleton moved on to the next scene, a meeting of Nelson and Neal with a criminal profiler (Candace Rice) who suggests a second suspect may be involved in the kidnapping. He watched several takes of the scene from three camera positions.

"She did a good job in this scene," he said as Rice delivered her lines crisply in take after take.

Carleton decided on an opening shot of Rice seen over Nelson's shoulder with the camera panning slowly to the left. He cut in a reaction shot of Nelson and then cut back to a tighter image of Rice.

Carleton assembles segments of eight to 12 minutes and then consults O'Brien, who watches the footage and suggests revisions. Though this is their first feature film, the men have worked together for years and Carleton said he has a good sense of O'Brien's preferences. As a result, he said O'Brien rarely requests significant changes.

The "Endure" team's post-production schedule is geared toward having a finished version ready for submission to film festivals in the fall in the quest for a distribution offer.

"Since we're doing the editing here, we do have a little luxury in time," Carleton said. "If we took it somewhere else, we would have to adhere to a very tight schedule because it's money, money, money. Doing it here, we can be a little lax and make sure we get what we want."

Thanks to Bartow Regional Medical Center

One of our few locations outside of Lakeland was the Bartow Regional Medical Center. The hospital closed their Post Surgical Unit for an all-day shoot. We're sure the many crew, cast, and production trailers looked like an advancing invasion force as they pulled onto hospital grounds.

From entry badges to in-house directions to off-duty personnel, BRMC went all out to make sure patient care wasn't compromised while making the Endure crew feel welcome.

It was a long day in tight quarters, but filming in the hospital will ensure a realistic look for the film. Select BRMC staff spent their off day helping with the film. For one key scene, a BRMC team portrayed operating room doctors and nurses. From setting up monitors to the proper look of wounds, the staff helped out the crew.

I witnessed one small scene where BRMC staff made sure reality was key. A prop crewperson set up a surgical tray and adjusted the instruments "just so." As he walked away, a BRMC nurse casually put the instruments in the correct order. During the scene, she was going to need to grab them without looking and they needed to be correctly placed. Of course, the prop person wouldn't know the proper order for the tools, but it made a difference to the expert.

Every member of BRMC we encountered showed such expertise, patience, commitment, and a desire to help with the film. We are very grateful for their work, and for the opportunity to film at their facility.

That's A Wrap

Endure has finished principal photography. After last night's Wrap party, the cast and crew have moved on to other jobs. Except for Executive Producer Jim Carleton, who changes hats and starts editing the film. He'll put together a cut and then work with Writer/Director Joe O'Brien on a final cut.

Don't expect many changes from the Editor's cut. Carleton said he and O'Brien have worked together for a long time. That familiarity enables him to look at the raw footage and see the scene O'Brien filmed.

Over the next few weeks we'll continue to post articles and tweets from the film. Expect more "thank you" posts for all the organizations and people who've helped and are still helping make this movie a reality.

We'll also post some crew information, behind the scenes photos, and technical aspects about the film.

This story isn't over until the NFocus guys start production on the next film...

Lakeland Local Press Covers Endure

The local newspaper has covered Endure almost from conception. This past week, Ledger writer Gary White focused on filming in the South Lake Morton district of Lakeland:

Over the past two weeks, Lakeland has been transformed into Lakeridge, an outwardly placid small city punctured by unspeakable evil. The lawn of the Lakeland Public Library became a cemetery. The former Southside Baptist Church became a morgue, complete with a corpse on a slab. -- Residents Get a Taste of Hollywood in Their Own Back Yards

Ledger reporter Shoshana Walter has the crime beat, so it was only natural she wrote about Technical Advisor Gary Gross. The Lakeland Police Department Sergeant has been a tremendous asset to the film:

Gary Gross is used to the strange hours, the gore and the stress. The police profession has one of the highest rates of suicide and divorce, so he's used to the drama. Now the Lakeland police sergeant has helped bring it all to the film set of "Endure," the Polk-based crime thriller written and directed by Joe O'Brien. -- Lakeland Cop Fits Right Into Film

Walter also took an interesting look at how Lakeland women have responded to Devon Sawa's time in Lakeland:

Ever since “Endure” began filming three weeks ago, something strange has happened to the young women of Lakeland. We giggle. We blush. We fantasize. Why? Because Devon Sawa, one of the film’s stars, is in town. Our town. -- Girlhood Dreams Return Because of 'Endure' Star

Finally, White also published a series of tidbits from the production.

Mister Fish

Last Tuesday, the Endure cast and crew had the pleasure of filming at one of Lakeland's best known locations: Mister Fish. Using a crane for the shots outside the eatery, Director Joe O'Brien made sure to get one nice shot of the familiar Mister Fish sign. Let's hope it makes the cut.

Lakeland residents make the small corner restaurant a busy place during lunch. Add the public library, a film crew, and dozens of onlookers and Palmetto was a very busy street. The crew barricaded the street -- with permission of course -- to allow our drivers to portray background traffic.

We'd like to thank Mister Fish for letting us interrupt their day, the Lakeland Public Library and the Polk Museum of Art for loaning us a sizable portion of their parking lot, and all the businesses and homes for letting us inconvenience them to make Endure.

After the end of filming, we'll have longer thank you for all those who've helped with sets, street closings, and other inconveniences. Tonight we have to hide away in a basement.

Yes, there are basements in Florida. Here it is...

SHOOT DAY SEVEN, April 28, 2009

Last Tuesday, Ledger photographer Cindy Skop shot a few photos of the cast and crew. I thought you might be interested to read the call sheet from that day.

Scenes: Sets:
75 EXT Daphne's Apartment, Front Sidewalk 1/8
76 INT Daphne's Apartment, Hallway 1/8
46 EXT Walk-up Restaurant 3 2/8
65 INT Macey's Workplace, Macey's office 1 4/8
67 INT Macey's Workplace, Macey's office 2 1/8
66 INT Macey's Workplace, Macey's office 1/8
64 EXT Parking Lot (outside Macey's workplace) 7/8

I won't mention who is Daphne or how Macey's office is important, but you can see how they film scenes out of order.

Yes, I knew you already knew that. But did you know they list scenes in eighths of pages? On Tuesday, April 28th, 2009 8 1/8 pages of script were shot in about 12 hours. They shot about 2 hours of film in that time. Editor Jim Carleton will reduce that to about 8 minutes of film time.

Looking On

For the first week of production, we had very few onlookers. The first few days were on a relatively busy street in the South Lake Morton district, but the scenes were indoors. A few cars slowed down, and we had more reporters than residents stopping to take a look.

That changed Monday. The production moved to a trio of homes near Lake Morton, and almost every scene was outdoors. Many of the Lakeland residents who follow this production blog and our Twitter updates figured out we were in the area and came by for a look.

Some seemed very interested in the production and some in the cast, but all were respectful to the cast and crew, and quiet during filming.

There were a couple of folks who didn't seem to be movie fans. One driver ignored road blocks and crew members to drive past the set. And one local resident wasn't about to let a film interrupt her daily walk. But they were far less an interruption than the bird who couldn't interrupt his love song for our crime thriller.

The Boom Mike operator tried to shoo him away, but he just jumped up one wire. Sound wasn't too perturbed. It's hard to blame a bird for whistling in Spring.

Photos by Chuck Welch

Update: Edited to remove errant sentence.

Lighting Fix

If you read the description of the first day, then the first week was

Day 2: ditto
Day 3: again
Day 4: more of the same
Day 5: Yet again

A commenter suggested we're not publishing cast photos because the Bale incident. I've seen nothing like that on this film. That isn't to say everything is perfectly smooth.

Sometimes planes fly overhead. Sometimes the camera doesn't reboot correctly and the sunlight never waits. Sometimes a light is too big...

The other morning, the lighting crew set up in a very small room that served as an important location for the film. It needed to be small, comfortable, and realistic. The room was perfect for all that, except one corner was too dark.

So the crew added a light that created the perfect mood for the scene. Everyone stood ready as the cameraman took the camera through the scene and found he could see the light in the shot.

All stood back while the lightening crew rushed to raise the light to the ceiling. Unfortunately, the next run through found the light still intruded on the frame.

Of course, it was an important shot that needed to be made now. The cast was ready. The director was ready. All were sympathetic, but no one could help the lighting crew solve the problem.

The crew found a smaller, more powerful light. Then they had to hand-fashion a filter to make the light fit the scene.

During the many minutes it took to fix the lighting problem it could have been easy for people to express frustration. No one wants to fall behind schedule. The cast gets geared up to act now, and doesn't like to wait. The crew was dancing well, but it felt like someone had thrown glue on the floor.

You could see crew and cast find what they could do to cope. Some worked ahead where possible. Others found a spot and relaxed. Some just stood ready to help.

Did no one feel anger, irritation, or exasperation? I can't tell you that, but all seemed to realize that expressing those emotions wasn't going to help speed the lighting fix.

I'm sure that was a testament to the experience and professionalism of all those involved.

Where are the behind-the-scenes photos of the cast?

According to Executive Producer Jim Carleton, the reason we haven't published any photos of the cast is contractual.

When your brand and your livelihood is your "look," you want to make sure you're always at your best for a photo. With actors concentrating on their parts, they don't have the opportunity to smile and pose for the silly behind-the-scenes photographer.

So the producers made a contractual agreement with the cast -- the photographer is given full access to the set to shoot freely. Any cast photo the producers might want to use for publicity, or DVD extras, is submitted to the cast member for approval.

Since the film is keeping much of the story and look of the actors under-wraps, the producers have decided not to publish any behind-the-scenes photos of the cast at this time.

That gives you a little hope, doesn't it?

Clare Kramer Brings it On to Endure

Yes, you recognize Clare Kramer from Buffy, the Vampire Slayer. Her 13-episode arc as "Glory" is a fan favorite. As Buffy's primarily protagonist from Season 5, she was a villain fans loved to hate.

The Georgia-born actor is returning to the South to join the cast of Endure. The film's producers haven't released many details about the role, but the role opens the movie and drives the film's plot.

Writer-Director Joe O'Brien auditioned many actresses for the part, but couldn't find one who expressed all emotions needed until he cast Kramer.

For more information about Clare Kramer, see her filmography at IMDB.

Photo courtesy Clare Kramer

Tom Arnold Plays a Pivotal Role

Joining the cast of Endure is actor/comedian/sports commentator Tom Arnold. With four films in various stages of production, the always-busy actor comes to Endure after a recent guest-staring stint on E.R.

First recognized as a stand-up comedian, Arnold was a writer/actor for the Roseanne show. After the series ended, Arnold often guest-starred on comedies such as "Malcom in the Middle" and "Arli$$." He's also a mainstay on late-night talk shows trading jokes with Jay Leno, David Letterman, Craig Ferguson, and Jimmy Kimmel.

While Arnold's early work was primarily comedic, he has started accepting more dramatic roles in both television and film.

Endure producers haven't released details about Arnold's character, but expressed that the actor is playing a pivotal role in the film.

photo of Tom Arnold and Pierce Brosnan courtesy and CC by the1secondfilm.

Stories

After a couple of days, I've gotten better at the subtle language of the crew. A person standing still with a hand to his ear is listening to set communications. That's not a good time to start a conversation.

Someone standing off set with a cigarette? Also not a good time. A lighting chief listening to the director of photography explain that a light is visible in the shot? Yeah, not a good time.

You get the idea. It's best to walk quietly around the set and look for that crew member who appears attentive, but not distracted.

At that point, you get to hear about the fun and troubles of traveling from film set to set. How family members stay home back in Austin, Texas, or Los Angeles, to give the crew person the opportunity to practice his craft.

You can hear the humor and exhaustion of fixing the hair of hundreds of extras in a period film, or a sad and funny story about working on a film whose star decides they must quickly leave a South America location shoot -- after some on-set gun play.

Not that I can repeat those stories here. Sorry.

Stu Stone Stays Loose

After the bustle of the first day, the film is moving along at a less hectic, but steady, pace. It needs to be steady. With the call at 7am, the production doesn't end until early evening.

Not every discipline is busy every moment, but you won't find a minute where everyone is standing and waiting. There is always something that needs to be adjusted, replaced, or touched-up.

Tuesday, a scene was filmed in a tiny room barely able to hold a desk, three actors, and the two cameras. The director was forced to sit 20 feet away in another room. Watching the action on two monitors, he would judge a take, jump to his feet, and hurry into the room to discuss the scene before the next take.

He walks through a hallway so narrow that the crew stands like a bucket brigade ready to put out a fire. Representatives of each discipline stand ready to help if needed.

Inside the actors wait patiently in position as the cameras, sound, and directors reset. That particular scene starts with a closeup on actor Stu Stone. Before the slate clicks Stone winks and smiles at the camera. Mugging a bit for an appreciate audience of two: the director and the script supervisor.

During another set up, Stone takes a moment to tell a joke to Judd Nelson and Devon Sawa. Watching the soundless camera monitors, Sawa's sudden smile indicates Stone has reached the punchline.

First Morning: A Subjective View

This morning I wandered the set; watching the crew and the cast prepare, discuss, and prepare some more. All for a scene that takes maybe a minute of the film.

It couldn't sound more simple: cars pull in as people walk into and out of a building.

Of course, it's not simple to make sure each of those persons starts and stops at the right time, and in the right place. It's not simple making sure that every door, building and car is correctly labeled. It's not simple making sure no one has hair sticking out sideways or tans that stop right at the chin line. It's not simple making a sunny street when the sky is overcast. Or a dark room appears to have sunlight streaming in the window. Or making sure that a character is not wearing the same shirt and tie in scenes set two days apart. Or is wearing the same shirt when the scene calls for it.

It's just not simple to make a movie. There are at least a hundred crew and cast dancing around and through a building. There could be twenty in the hallway when the film can only show six. There are cables to be lifted quietly off the floor -- and not tangled --- as the camera is pulled backwards in front of actors walking forward, and stopping right there.

To enter the scene just so, actors walk around cameras, out of doors that aren't there, and speak their lines as they ignore the dozen crew peering at them from behind the camera's view. A crew that seconds before was moving, fixing, adjusting, installing, or removing. All with singular purpose; each knowing his or her duty, and ready when called upon.

It was like watching a ballet in a crowded hallway performed by 30 of your neighbors.

I'd catch the random crew member here or there with a minute or two of free time. I'd ask how was the filming compared to other first days. Each seem pleased that it was going so smoothly.

Early in the morning, I'd overheard one crew member say to another, "You're doing an excellent job." Then he introduced himself. They'd already been working together two hours at that point. They hadn't had time for introductions.

When standing in a doorway that the camera couldn't see, I watched a scene shot four times. Each time the director would adjust the movements of background extras, and the actors would change their lines slightly to emphasize a word or two. And the cameraman would reset to see one actor's face in just the right light. Each take looked like a movie scene.

Then I watched a little of what the camera filmed on the monitor. Now that looked like reality.

Devon Fans

The other day, I was able to release that Devon Sawa was part of the Endure cast. A few minutes after posting the news on Twitter (@enduremovie) I received tweets and text messages from some young women. They all informed me how much they loved Devon and had such a crush on him when they were teens.

Even my 22 year old daughter let me know she was a Devon fan.

So it came as no surprise when I received an email with the photo you see above. Local resident Amy Strohmaier was enjoying a nice dinner out when she spotted Devon. A few minutes later and Devon was kind enough to stand with her for this photo souvenir. I wasn't surprised to read that Amy once had a crush on Devon.

Based on what I've heard the last few days, I don't believe any of those crushes have completely faded.

Joey Lauren Adams Joins Endure

Playing a pivotal role in Endure is Actor/Director Joey Lauren Adams. Maybe best remembered for her distinctive voice, Adams has appeared in numerous popular and well-respected films. Fans of director Keven Smith will remember Adams as Alyssa Jones in Chasing Amy and Gwen in Mallrats.

At 19, Adams moved from her home state of Arkansas to San Diego to attend college. Then she decided to try Hollywood, “I went to L.A. thinking, ‘I’m going to explore.’ I thought I’d try acting; you never know.” **

Adams wrote and directed Come Early Morning. Drawing on her childhood in Arkansas, Adams filmed the movie on location in Little Rock. Asked how she was able to keep her passion during the five years it took to fund the film, Adams replied, "It turned into obsession, not passion."

Devon Sawa added to Endure cast

Devon Sawa has joined the cast of Endure. The Canadian-born actor made a splash in SLC Punk! and Final Destination. Eminem fans will also remember Sawa as "Stan."

Extreme Dating's Mark Roberts on Sawa:

“One of the best things about Devon is how cool and relaxed he is in front of the camera which translates into a fun, watchable and likable character. He’s a real natural." - Fan site DevonSawa.org

Finding a Hero

Last week Director Joe O'Brien sat down with Transportation Coordinators Marti Wells and Julio Palomino. They were looking for a hero.

Not an actor, they were deciding on a "hero car." The vehicle is important to the film; the interior layout at least as important as to the make and model. Joe had a model in mind, but Marti thought it would be difficult to find. They decided to let Marti find something compatible, with the understanding it had to have bucket seats.

Yes, bucket seats is a plot point.

In the script and storyboards O'Brien had crafted a scene which was possible only if the car had bucket seats. It's the kind of detail that a film crew must attend to. And it's why there are so many pre-production meetings. Telling the Transportation Coordinator to "bring a car" simply wouldn't do.

They moved through the script to identify all cars needed. They discussed the make, model, and color for each vehicle needed. Not just the cars in the foreground of a scene, but what should be parked in the background. They listed what cars may need to be painted to match. Which cars may need to appear damaged, or suffer damage.

They identified which car might need special effects to damage the windshield, and the need to have backups in place. And a person who can install said windows.

Planning ahead means the crew isn't standing around waiting for a window glazer to make it to the set. Shooting a film requires a lot of very detailed-oriented people.

Page Turns and Call Sheets

Each night the Production Secretary, Hope Marbut, sends out a "call sheet." The sheets lists every crew position title, crew member name, and the time he or she is expected to arrive. Today's sheet lists 77 crew members, and that doesn't include every position. Some crew are not expected, some are on call, but many are listed to arrive at 8 am today for the "page turn."

Just like it sounds, the crew will sit around a large table reading through the entire script. While they do read scene by scene, the dialogue isn't their focus. The crew is concerned with scene descriptions. Those few words setting the scene, and the director's vision, will help each department know exactly where, when, and how they're needed. Basically, they're making sure they are all on the same page.

Bad pun aside, this might be the place to link to a pair of film term glossaries: IMDB.com, and FilmSite.org

Props Photos 04.09.09

Stunt Coordinator Meeting Photos

Production Office Photos 04.08.09

Tyler Billingsley Behind the Scenes

The Endure crew is a mix of those with years of big budget experience, those working on their first feature film, those who move for projects, and Lakelanders who have worked with previously with Joe, Jim, and Rob. One of the "locals" is Tyler Billingsley. In 2003 he stopped by NFocus, Jim, Joe, and Rob's company. With an interest in video production, Tyler had decided he needed on-the-job training. He'd found the firm in the phone book and came looking for an internship.

Though the guys at Nfocus weren't sure they needed an intern, Tyler had an ace in the hole. His step-mother had known Joe in high school. With her encouragement, NFocus decided to give Tyler a chance. His random phonebook search paid off as he found a work environment he truly enjoyed, “They work together really well.”

Now a teacher at Full Sail University, Tyler is shooting the “behind the scenes” video for the production. “It's my first big budget project. This is good experience for me,” he said.

While Tyler is shooting video for the movie, his expertise is in editing. He enjoys crafting a piece from the raw footage, but laughs how his hardest work may go unnoticed. He could spend hours making one minute of video look perfect, but the finished result looks so effortless that the client thinks it must have been easy work. “They're just not going to know what you put into it,” he said.

Though he loves the work, Tyler acknowledges that many would find it tedious, “This is something you have to like to do.”

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Tyler uses Final Cut Pro HD to edit stills from his raw behind-the-scenes footage.

Wreck Location Scout

Photos From Locations Visits on 04.03.09

News Coverage

Almost from the start, the production has received coverage from the local newspaper, The Ledger. Today, the Ledger reporter and photographer will accompany some crew as they scout a location.

We'll post a link to the latest story as soon as it is published.

Below are links to the Ledger's previous articles:

March 09: Lakeland Filmmakers Snag Judd Nelson

Feb. 09: Local Filmmakers Bring 'Endure' Back to Polk County

Feb. 08: Lakeland Filmmakers 'Endure' to Get Funding for Film

Feb. 08: Video Interview

Jan. 08: Video Interview

Monday Production Meeting

The production offices have quickly become overcrowded. The building stays buzzing as people walk in, out, and through. There are quick introductions as crew members meet.

At 10:30, the first full Monday Production Meeting fills the conference room. The session gives crew from each discipline the opportunity to tell the rest what their week will bring. Questions are asked, requests are made, and needs are noted.

Afterwards, Producer Rob Tritton talks about the importance of such a meeting to start the week. How it helps the crew plan and know what to expect from their peers.

Even after the big meeting, there's a lot of commotion. Small offices hold meetings of two, three, or five, hallway discussions are quick and to the point, phone calls must be made in noisy open offices.

There's just not much time to relax. This week the crew needs to try out the cameras, send test film, break down shots, shoot photo boards, lock down locations, set up transportation, cast a stray character, and make numerous other decisions and duties.

Yet, Rob calls next week "Hell Week." Next week will be the last for pre-production. Shooting commences April 20th.

All Work and No Play

While many of the crew is already working 12 hour days in pre-production, they're aware of the need to grab some down time where possible. The schedule for Monday, April 6th ends with the start time for the NCAA final game.

Costume Design Meeting

Most merely call them clothes, but for Beverly Safier they're “costumes.” For over 30 years she's created the look for film and television actors. Yesterday, she met with Joe, Jim and Steve to start work on the look for each Endure actor.

As the writer/director for Endure, Joe O'Brien has long had an image in mind for each part. Before she met with Joe, Beverly read the script and wrote costume notes. Throughout the meeting Joe often remarked how Beverly's vision was close to his own.

(This blog wants to give you a peek behind the scenes, but not reveal too much of the film. So bear with us as we stay coy about character and actor names and descriptions. Still, it is interesting what goes into costume design.)

Before the meeting Beverly and her partner Armando met with a representative of the Lakeland police department. As law enforcement is seen in the film, Beverly wanted to see how current law enforcement dresses; even down to little details as to where detectives like to wear their badges.

Since many background and extra parts don't fill until the last minute, sometimes the costume must come before the actor. Able to borrow some extra uniforms from LPD, Beverly remarked, “We'll get people to fill those uniforms.”

The film is made in Central Florida, and Beverly first confirmed that it is also set there. “We are shooting this Florida for Florida?” She wanted to make sure all costumes match what is expected in the region.

Though the discussion moved through the film scene by scene, it wasn't just the matter of dressing a character for each scene. They would also consider the arc of each part. For example, Beverly felt one key character's clothes should start out light but go dark for a late scene.

Even the look of scenery dictated costume design; storyboards are consulted and Director of Photography Stephen Campbell would pull up location images and the crew would discuss what costumes would fit that room. Even wall and car seat colors could cause Beverly to change an actor's costume.

In a couple of cases, seeing the actor cast for a role gave her new ideas for that character's costume. Especially for those actors she remembers from previous films. She already knows what would work on that actor that would still fit the character. For one actor, Joe to remarked, “Her voice is as petite as she is.” Understanding how voice and body size also helped Beverly offer ideas for that actor's character. Another actor already cast for a role prompted a discussion about how the actor's body shape would affect costume decisions. It's the rare actor that can look “right” in every costume. The crew discussed how dressing against that actor's shape would fit the character. As Beverly said, “That's totally wrong. So it's perfect!”

The crew took much longer to work out a look for one pivotal character. Much care was made to how the character would have dressed even before the film opens. They considered how those clothes would look in various scenes, and as Joe said, “What does the audience expect?” Though he liked Beverly's ideas, Joe decided to ponder the character's look for a bit before committing.

It was interesting to note that Joe felt one character's normal clothes would be a costume to that character. In Joe's mind the character had reached a position in his career and now wears the clothes he feels others expect him to wear. “He dresses the part,” Joe said.

For some experienced actors, Beverly and Joe agree the actor would have some input on what might work. In those cases, the crew agree on a general look, but leave the final details until the actor comes to work.

It's even easier to dress the extras who must wear their own clothes. Beverly mentions they give them guidelines for what to wear to filming. “We ask them to bring three choices,” said Armando.

For one character, Joe thinks aloud that he sees the character as having an almost “hippy” look. Beverly said her notes say “Earth child.” It was obvious they had the same image in mind and it was just a matter of perfecting the details,

Ideas for other needs also came up during costume meeting. When Joe remarked that a particular actor could play piano as called for in the screenplay, that gave Stephen the idea that he could pan up from her fingers to her face. If she wasn't a pianist, they would have had to fake the playing or shoot someone else's fingers playing and cut to the actor's face.

The meeting concluded as each crew member took his or her notes and started work. After many meetings about money, Joe remarked that “It's nice to get to the creative interpretation of the script.”

Locations Scout 04.01.09

Production Office

Shoot Schedule Meeting Photos

Shoot Scheduling

Steve Maddox (1st AD), Jim Carleton (Exec. Producer), Joe O'Brien (Director), Stephen Campbell (Director of Photography), Phil Glasser (Producer), Dirk Higgdon (Unit Production Manager), Shawn McFall (Production Designer)

A good portion of the morning today was spent going over the shoot schedule. From this first pass at the schedule with various departments, the schedule will be fine tuned over the next few days. To view more photos, please visit our flickr account.

Jim Carleton, Joe O'Brien, Stephen Campbell

Auditions

In a small conference room, a series of young actresses sit in an uncomfortable hard-backed chair. With some back story and direction -- you're tied to a tree. Gagged. We need to see what you can bring to it – each actress must express the terror of that situation.

Director Joe O'Brien and Location and Extras Casting Director Tanya Sullivan are watching eyes. The film opens focused on the eyes of the character being cast today, and they want to make sure they choose an actress whose eyes can tell the story. “We have to care about her instantly,” O'Brian says.

They have seen many actresses for the role and the pair are looking for honesty and believability. If they can't see it in the audition room, believability won't magically appear on the set.

They're also looking for a commitment; an actress who connects with the material. Of one actress' audition, Sullivan said, “When she walked in she was so pretty. The first thing I noticed when she started to read was that she wasn't afraid not to look pretty. She never dropped her fear.”

A Lakeland resident, Sullivan is returning to the field after a sabbatical. For ten years she worked with a partner traveling around the country casting films. She auditioned Reese Witherspoon for her first film, The Man in the Moon.

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After each audition, O'Brian scribbled notes and set the actress' photo on the table. He won't make his decision today. There are more actresses to be seen, and he may bring in some back for a second audition.

Storyboards

Before the writer's vision is made into film, an artist creates a series of images of the expected shots -- effectively creating an illustrated version of the film. On Endure, Writer, Director, Co-Producer Joe O'Brien works with renown Florida artist Christopher Still to create the storyboards.

A mural and fine artist, Still created a series of large murals for the Florida House of Representatives. Still uses photographs, models, and his keen sense of perspective to produce images based on O'Brien's vision. "As long as he clearly knows what he wants, I can give it to him," said Stills.

Still is able to create realistic paintings while manipulating perspective. That talent comes into play as he creates the storyboards with O'Brien. Recognizing that a character's point-of-view might not give O'Brien what the scene needs, Still is able to create a perspective that satisfies the director, "Nobody in the theater knows what it really looks like." He points out that his changed perspective will appear more real to the audience than the character's true point-of-view.

Budget Meeting

Rob, Gary, and Phil going over the budget.

As the start of principal photography gets closer, tightening and locking the budget becomes all the more critical. Rob, Gary (Production Accountant), Phil and Dirk (not seen in the photo) spent most of today fine tuning the budget.

Local Location Scouting

Stephen Campbell (Director of Photography) and Joe check out an angle for an exterior shot.

Shawn McFall (Production Designer), Stephen and Joe check out a possible location for Daphne's apartment.

Today started our first full day of soft pre-production. Phil Glasser (Producer) is now in town and working closely with Rob on finalizing talent negotiations and other details. Dirk is working on closing key crew personnel. We spent a good portion of the day with Stephen Campbell (Director of Photography) and Shawn McFall (Production Designer) looking at locations. You can view more photos from today at our flickr account.

Shari Rhodes Spends Week Casting Local Talent

Jim, Dirk, Laura, Rob, Joe, Shari and Tanya.

Joe and Shari go over some head shots, during casting calls.

Casting Director Shari Rhodes has spend the week at the Endure Pictures production offices casting local Central Florida talent for the feature project. With a handful of talent coming from LA, a good portion of the films talent will come from the Central Florida area. Producer Jim Carleton says, "There is no shortage of excellent talent located right here in Central Florida. Early on, one our goals for the project was to utilize the local talent pool readily available to us."

With her many years of casting project such as Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Urban Cowboy, Mississippi Burning, The Man in the Moon, Passenger 57, Mulholland Falls, and The Patriot, Shari brings a great deal of casting experience to the Endure project. Director Joe O'Brien says, "We are fortunate to have gotten this project into Shari's hands. She has believed in our project from the beginning and has been a sincere advocate for us. Shari has been awesome to work with."

Lakeland Filmmakers Snag Judd Nelson

By Gary White

THE LEDGER

The three Lakeland men behind the planned independent movie "Endure" are all in their 40s, meaning they were in target audience for the mid-1980s films "The Breakfast Club" and "St. Elmo's Fire."

They remember John Bender, the shaggy-haired high school hoodlum from "The Breakfast Club," and Alec Newbary, the philandering post-collegian from "St. Elmo's Fire." Judd Nelson, one of a group of young actors of the era labeled "the brat pack," played those roles.

Perhaps it was inevitable, then, that when the three Lakelanders began mulling possible lead actors for their first feature film, their thoughts turned to Nelson, among other candidates.

Last week, with the arrival of Nelson's signature on an e-mailed contract, "Endure" took a massive leap toward becoming reality. Rob Tritton of Endure Pictures said Nelson has committed to playing the lead in the small-budget thriller. The Ledger has been following the filmmakers' venture in an ongoing series since 2007.

Having secured their lead actor, the filmmakers - producer Tritton, writer-director-producer Joe O'Brien and editor-producer Jim Carleton - have set a start date of April 20 for shooting, with a budget of about $1 million. The schedule calls for two weeks of shooting in Lakeland followed by a week in rural Polk County.

Nelson has agreed to portray Emory Lloyd, a small-town detective who leads a race to save a young woman bound to a tree somewhere in a vast wooded area. The script opens with a car crash that kills the kidnapper and reveals a photo of the woman.

"We're fortunate to get him; we're jazzed," O'Brien said. "He's got a pretty big following, and what's great about him, too, is I think his personality fits the role. It just seems to lend itself to this kind of pensive character that is our lead here. I think he's going to really excel at the part, and I'm just looking forward to working with him."

Nelson is scheduled to arrive in Lakeland the weekend before filming begins. Tritton said he expects to hire established Hollywood actors for another three or four roles, with the remaining parts going to Florida actors.

Nelson, 49, may be best known for his "brat pack" roles, but as O'Brien noted, he studied under the revered acting instructor Stella Adler. He had a recurring role on the Brooke Shields TV comedy "Suddenly Susan" in the 1990s, and he remains a busy actor, even if his roles are less prominent than they once were.

The three Lakeland men have been trying to turn O'Brien's script into a movie for about two years. They raised money from investors, and Tritton said those funds, combined with an expected rebate from the state of Florida, should cover the budget.

Last year, Endure Pictures forged a deal with a production company and announced plans to shoot the movie in Tennessee with an expanded budget. The filmmakers eventually returned to the original plan of shooting in Polk County, though Tritton said Endure Pictures retains a partnership with the Tennessee company.

The filmmakers hope to have a finished version ready for submission to the Toronto International Film Festival in September.

O'Brien co-wrote and co-directed the award-winning 2003 short film "Blackwater Elegy," shot in Lakeland and starring former "Northern Exposure" actors Barry Corbin and John Cullum. Based on that experience, O'Brien said he expects Nelson to add depth to the written version of Emory Lloyd.

"What's great about working with actors of his caliber is ... you can write something on paper and create a script, and you kind of build an image of the picture in your head, but when they get hold of it, it just really turns it into something much better than you could have imagined," O'Brien said.

Endure Pictures Inks Deal with Judd Nelson

Endure Pictures has finalized negotiations with Judd Nelson for the lead role of Emory Lloyd in its feature project entitled Endure. Producers of
the project are excited to have landed Judd for the lead character. “He will bring a great wealth of experience and depth to the character – We are fortunate to have him.”, says director Joe O’Brien. Judd is best know for his work in The Breakfast Club, St. Elmo’s Fire, and New Jack City.

Endure is a crime thriller in which the main character Emory Lloyd must risk everything to identify and find a missing woman before it’s too late. Central Florida will serve as the backdrop for this fast-paced highly emotional film. With a principal photography start date of April 20, the project is being produced by NFocus Pictures in partnership with producer Philip Glasser and Hi-Def Entertainment out of Franklin, TN.

Judd Nelson was born and raised in Portland, Maine; the first of three children to (attorney) Leonard & (retired 5-term State Representative) Merle Nelson. After graduating from St. Paul's School in Concord, New Hampshire, Judd attended Haverford/Bryn Mawr Colleges in Pennsylvania where he studied philosophy. He also began acting in college theatrical productions, and performing in "summer stock." Ultimately, Judd decided to leave college for NYC to study under the legendary acting teacher Stella Adler. After two years with Ms. Adler at her conservatory, Judd made his motion-picture debut in the film Fandango, and has been working in film, television, and theatre ever since.

Scouting Woods Scenes

Joe, Stephen, and Dirk discussing scenes in the woods

During their time in Lakeland, Phil and Dirk looked over various locations with Joe, Jim and Rob and Stephen Campbell (DP). For more photos, visit our flickr account.

Initial Lakeland Pre-Production

Phil, Dirk, Jim, Rob, Joe, and Laura going over budget.

Phil and Dirk came down from Nashville for some initial pre-production meetings for four days, during the week of February 2. We had the opportunity to meet with some potential key crew people and do some location scouting in the Lakeland area. For more photos, visit our flickr account.

Local Filmmakers Bring 'Endure' Back to Polk County

Article by Gary White, The Ledger

If it becomes reality, a movie conceived in and inspired by Polk County will be made here after all.

That is the latest plot twist in the drama of three local filmmakers' quest to turn a script into a feature film whose title, "Endure," has come to have a second meaning for the them.

The filmmaking team of Joe O'Brien, Rob Tritton and Jim Carleton has endured several changes of plans and some near-misses with actors in the two years since they began striving to make the small-budget thriller. At this point, the trio still has no firm shooting date and still needs to land a lead actor.

The Ledger has followed the filmmakers' quest in an ongoing series since 2007.

The NFocus team originally decided on a budget of $1.2 million. Last May, NFocus announced it had signed a deal with Hi-Def Entertainment, an established Tennessee production outfit, that would boost the film's budget to $3.1 million. But Tritton said NFocus has decided to bring the project back to Lakeland and trim the budget to $1 million. He said the Tennessee company will no longer contribute to the funding.

Tritton, producer and production manager for NFocus Pictures, said the filmmakers now hope for an April shoot, though that depends upon the signing of a lead actor.

"The script was written for this city," said O'Brien, who wrote the screenplay. "So when we go to start looking for locations, it is more in keeping with the spirit and tone of the picture."

"Endure" is a thriller with an opening hook: A man dies in a vehicle crash on a desolate rural road, and authorities find inside the wreckage a photo of a terrified young woman tied to a tree. The plot revolves around efforts by a small-town detective to determine the woman's identity and find her alive in the 560,000 acres of the Green Swamp.

Randy Larson, one of the project's early investors, said he remains committed to backing "Endure." Larson, a Plant City businessman, said the experience has taught him about the vicissitudes of the movie business.

"I'm still excited about it," Larson said. "There's the old saying, 'Success comes from the courage to go slow,' and I think that's playing out pretty well so far. I've always been confident it's going to happen. I guess I have been surprised it hasn't happened quicker than what it has. I thought we were going to blow and go with this deal right off the bat, but I'm sure the economy has had a big play in that."

Tritton said "Endure," if completed this year, could qualify for a partial rebate of its budget through an incentive fund overseen by the Florida Governor's Office for Film and Entertainment.

Though the state legislature slashed the incentive budget from $25 million last fiscal year to $5 million this year, state film commissioner Lucia Fishburne said the "Endure" project could be eligible for a rebate of 15 percent to 22 percent of its expenses. She said a project must include at least $625,000 of spending in Florida to qualify.

The most vexing challenge for the filmmakers has been signing an established actor for the lead role of Emory Lloyd, a detective in his late 40s or 50s. Tritton said NFocus, working first with an independent casting agent, has managed to get copies of O'Brien's script to well-known Hollywood actors, and though he said some have responded enthusiastically none has yet to commit.

With the new budget arrangement, Tritton said the lead actor would get roughly 10 percent of the budget, or $100,000.

"We're asking people to consider it for a wage much lower than what they're worth and typically work for," Tritton said. "We have to sell them based on the quality of the script. ... Someone's going to do this project for the love of the project not for money. We have to find them."

O'Brien, Tritton and Carleton have full-time jobs through their Lakeland production company, and they have been pursuing the "Endure" project for about two years now. O'Brien, 46, admits the process has tested his resolve.

"I'm convinced all things worth doing are similar - full of frustration," O'Brien said.

Tritton said he's grateful the film's investors have remained patient through the travails of the past year. The invested money is held in an escrow fund, and Tritton said no investors have yet backed out.

Larson said he doesn't yet feel tempted to demand his investment back. He said the funds in the "Endure" escrow account are stable, whereas many of his other investments have tanked lately.

"It's easy to have patience with those guys because they keep you so informed," Larson said. "When you're uninformed and everybody's silent, that's when you begin to worry. But that has not been the case here."

Tritton knows, though, that the investors' endurance isn't limitless.

"There's not an indefinite time frame for this," he said.