Update: More on the Bug

The Backbrain has been busy with other things lately... you know, life. Or at least an approximation thereof. So some news items have slipped into the dark. One series I want to drag back into the light is the ongoing Behind the Scenes information being released by producer James Cran in relation to the giant monster / hillbilly horror epic The Millennium Bug (US-2011; dir. Ken Cran) -- especially in advance of the film's world premiere screening at the 14th annual Dances With Films festival on Friday, June 3 at 11:45 PM at the Laemmle Sunset 5 in Los Angeles. Tickets are available by visiting http://danceswithfilms.com/2011_listings_15.html.

Part 1: The Script looked at the development of the story and original screenplay, Part 2: The Monster revealed how the titular monster was created, and Part 3: The Storyboards showed how director Ken Cran went about creating ultra-detailed storyboards.

Since then the Crans have spilled the beans on a number of other significant aspects of the production:

• Part 4: The Warehouse. Says director Cran: "Preproduction continued, and ramped up considerably when a suitable warehouse was found in North Hollywood. Why a warehouse? Simple: cost. We considered actual soundstages for a day, but once we realized that soundstage space was way outside our budget, we committed to a warehouse."

• Part 5: The Aesthetic: "How would the effects look? The production design? The lighting and cinematography?"

• Part 6: The Miniatures Part 1. "How can you tell a man in a monster suit is supposed to be a giant unless you have something to compare it to? Simple. You build miniatures."

• Part 7: The Miniatures Part 2. "The most challenging of the models to build were the various structures comprising the ghost town of Mason's Grove. I love ghost towns, so I was really looking forward to building Mason's Grove. I had done some research while visiting the ghost town of Rhyolite in Nevada, taking lots of photos and really absorbing the atmosphere."

All fascinating stuff. So head along to the official website to get all the gory details.

Source: James Cran. Research by Avery Guerra. Written by Robert Hood. For more information on the film check out these Undead Backbrain links.

Exclusive: Millennium Bug at Work Behind the Scenes

With the much-anticipated hillbilly horror / giant monster film, The Millennium Bug, about to chomp down on us, producer James Cran has sent the Backbrain news of updates to an ongoing Behind-the-Scenes video seriesthat is appearing on The Millennium Blog -- as well as some intriguing images.

Already up is Part 1: The Script, detailing the development of the script, as is Part 2: The Monster, which offers insight into the monster itself and How It Was Done.

Also recently added is Part 3: The Storyboards, in which director Ken Cran talks about his Hitchcockian approach to creating ultra-detailed storyboards that were critical in ensuring that every shot was captured correctly for compositing later. Here are some pictures relating to the process, some of them exclusive to this site:

Just up is Part 4: The Warehouse. In this installment Cran recollects finding the 700 sq. ft. warehouse that would barely provide the space needed to shoot the movie. It provides fascinating insight into this intriguing project.

• Source: Producer James Cran.