So... what have I been up to lately?

Well, it's been awhile hasn't it? Sorry about that, but the truth is that although I've been creative and posting on my other Social Media sites I've been ignoring the website because I found it rather cumbersome from a technical perspective. But in an effort to consolidate my "global media empire" (ha ha ha) I've decided to come back swinging. I've registered my spiffy domain name www.scottkunklemedia.com and that's given me the necessary impetus to get my act together here. So let's catch up, shall we? I promise to be (somewhat) brief... I will probably circle back later on with more detailed Blog posts on the various subjects as time allows.

Production on the latest CAGE THE BEAR film began in Fall 2019 and moved along quickly and energetically but some scheduling problems forced a couple delays and ultimately a rethink of the script. So we hunkered down over the Winter and turned our negatives into positives, creating new and substantially expanded and improved arcs for several of our returning characters. The film benefitted greatly from the additional work and once we all wrapped our heads around the Covid obstacles we resumed filming in the Spring and wrapped not long after.

I was editing the film as we shot so I was well into Post-Production by this time. The Special Effects took up most of my time and energy - this was a big science-fiction film on a minuscule budget and I was pushing myself to the limit with both practical and digital effects... exhausting but fun!

The musical score became a mix of both new music and recurring themes drawn from the first two films in the trilogy. I dipped into electronic soundscapes more than I ever have before which was another interesting and satisfying challenge. I suppose the time crunch and sheer enormity of work on my plate led to me cutting some corners on the musical side of things, which I regret. But needs must and I think the score serves the film well, despite some personal misgivings. More on all of that another time, including my plans for a soundtrack release in some form or another.

The film was released in September 2020 but instead of taking a much needed break after 18 months of solid work, an idea for a Halloween short film popped into my head and wouldn't let me out of its grip until I brought it to life. It was a quick and fun shoot (no more than a week from idea to execution) and gave me the chance to be silly and exercise my long-dormant cinematography muscles. With the help of my girlfriend Cindy and the neighborhood girls, BIG PANTS HALLOWEEN hit the Interwebs just in time for the holiday, receiving some very nice reviews and giving us all a much-needed belly laugh to close out what was a very NOT funny year.

Reenergized by the success of that film, I plowed ahead with new enthusiasm with the intention of producing a new short film every couple of weeks. I actually shot 90% of a new short tentatively titled LAST CHRISTMAS and put a ton of time and energy into it, but I just couldn't get the script right and so as of now it remains a 'work in progress'. I had more success with a second one, dreamed up one night in the span of about 10 minutes and executed in the following few days. FACETIME is a quick and twisty little ride. Not by best work by any means, bu it felt good to get another project completed after a couple months of false starts and indecision.

But I could tell the fatigue and Winter blahs were beginning to take their tole on me. I was putting in yeoman hours on YouTube and in the field learning and honing my cinematography craft as well as pushing into new areas of music writing. But nothing was really clicking. Ideas that began with fresh enthusiasm petered out and became unfinished "what if's" languishing in folders on my hard drive. It was all a bit disheartening, not being able to see anything through to completion. I'm a project-oriented guy and these were troubling waters to be adrift in. And even though I know that no good idea will remain forever unfulfilled - my main theme in our latest feature was one such orphan from years past that I stumbled upon with incredible fortuity - I knew I needed to get my engines back up to speed. And fast.

So a regular exercise regimen and a few lifestyle tweaks later, I was back up and running with a fun new idea and the energy to execute it diligently. PRESS PAUSE began as a song chorus that popped into my head during a smoke break. I raced to my phone to record myself humming it, knowing that it was probably the silliest thing I had come up with in years but also had the potential of lifting me from my funk. There was just one daunting aspect to the thing - I hadn't written a pop song in ages, especially one that demanded a straightforward rock band arrangement. I also knew that it could only exist as the vehicle for a music video - or vice-versa. I just didn't see the point of writing a goofy 2:30 minute pop song only to bury it on an album where it would be nothing but a misplaced oddity. So I forged ahead at breakneck speed and I can honestly say, it was the most fun and creative few days I've spent in ages. Working on the details of guitar, bass and drums parts was a lost art to me and I relished it. Layering dozens of backing vocals and hell, even singing a lead part were things I thought I'd left behind and it was a joy rediscovering them. Creating the accompanying music video was an enjoyable laugh from start to finish - 2 days in total.

So I think I'll finish up here with the promise of a lot more things to come. More films, more music... if there's one lesson I've learned from the isolation of pandemic and Winter it's that I am only truly happy when I'm busy creating. And so I shall!

Until next time, stay safe and happy out there!