Novel Release!

THE LAST PATRIARCH is officially on sale in paperback novel format. With a page count of 267, the epic story has been transposed directly from the 5th draft of the script for the movie. The book is published via POD (Print-On-Demand), which is the cheapest way to self-publish a novel without the conveniences of a mass distributor.http://stores.lulu.com/mikhailpschalk
You can purchase a copy of "The Last Patriarch" at The novel took just over 4 months to write. I've also included a sneak preview at the first of two sequels I've begun to write. The first 8 pages of the script for LEGACIES appears at the end of the book after a brief Afterward. With the novel complete, I will be working on writing the sequels during my free time, however primary focus lies within the completion of the film.

Patriarch will be picking up pace this month, preparing to start the main modeling and animation phase of production. We'll be looking to assemble a full team of CG Artists to handle the workload that needs to get done between now and the Summer 2008 tentative release. A full-length Animatic will be created by mid to late January with a completed Scratchtrack of the music and dialog, and as of now we are officially casting voice rolls, to record dialog tracks in December. If you have interest in joining the production and have necessary expertise, you can email at mikhail.p.schalk@gmail.com

In the meantime, we're currently working on a short Teaser Trailer which will debut later this month with the launch of our official website for the production. The site will be a full domain capable of hosting HD video content and inside info on the production. Until then, you can purchase a copy of "The Last Patriarch" from my storefront and feel free to enjoy it, and hopefully everyone will get to see it in theaters this summer...

Summer Spoils!

As the Summer of 2007 nears an end now in late August it's time to look back on the progress that's been made and collect the spoils.

With the final (5th) draft of the script complete I began early in June transposing it into book form. The novelization is nearly complete and the book will go on sale via Print on Demand publishing at http://lulu.com very soon (The novel will also be available as an e-book for download at a reduced price). Writing the 240 page script into novel format was no easy task, but the resulting 400+ page book was definitely worth the time. I still have yet to create the cover, but the text itself is just about finished. It follows the plot of the film exactly. I hope everyone will purchase a copy and enjoy reading it once it's released. Book sales will certainly help the production of the movie and make things a bit easier to have a loyal fan base.

In addition to the novel, I've been busily outlining the scripts for two sequels, the production of which will directly follow the completion of PATRIARCH given that reaction is good. I will be writing the 2 scripts over the course of PATRIARCH's production and we will be casting voice roles for the films at the same time as we audition for PATRIARCH which will be very soon so if you have any interest in doing a voice part and live within the New England area, contact me at Consideringthepickle@gmail.com. I won't reveal any inside information on the two sequels at this time, other than the title of the second movie will be LEGACIES, and the working draft is closing in on the 100 page mark. There may be a novelization release of LEGACIES sometime before the release of the first film (Possibly around March), but the script is still far from finished, although some of the concept art has already begun to reflect the material for the second film (Jacob Leslie below).

Production wise, we're working towards the release of the first Teaser Trailer which should be done soon. After that the main focus will be getting the characters, objects, and environments needed for the film modeled and ready to animate. In the fall we'll be recording voice tracks and hopefully there will be a finished Animatic by the end of the year.

As the summer comes to a close, I'll be trying to create a pool of voice actors to audition in the fall for the 3 films and at the moment production hinges on assembling a Team of 15 to 20 CG Artists by mid to late September, so if you're interested or know someone who might be interested in getting involved, email me at Consideringthepickle@gmail.com. In the meantime, progress is slowly being made. Concept art for the main characters is in its final stages. (A sketch of one of the film's primary characters, NEMUSIDIAN JONES, can be seen to the left, drawn by Heather Hodgkins). So as the summer quickly ends and fall begins look for the release of the novel and the Teaser Trailer which are just around the corner. Until then, enjoy the warm weather and endless sun...