10-25-08
ON LOCATION: THE ATWOOD BLAUVELT MANSION!

Today, our cast and crew tackled one of the most important scenes in "Fight the Panda Syndicate," our Prologue. The scene was set in 1939 in Poland and involved Mitternacht and his villainous henchmen ransacking the estate of Bianka Yonac in search of Xiongmao's Medallion. This was a very complex scene, and we are very happy to have it under our belt. Special thanks to Jeff and Bonnie Wells for their hospitality throughout our shoot.

08-17-08
A BATTLE IN THE WOODS!

This past weekend the cast and crew of Fight the Panda Syndicate was out in the woods filming a scene in which Jim, G and Artie have just helped Rachel escape from the fortress and, as they are escaping, they run into none other than Renard and Otto Belmar. Needless to say, the scene turns into a brawl between Jim and Renard while Otto hunts Artie and Rachel through the woods.

Renard and Jim battled it out to moves choreographed by Ace Laluces that matched up the french savate style of fighting with a blend of mixed martial arts.

King Kong Bundy himself was back in action as Otto Belmar this weekend too, and this time he brought a particularly menacing penache to the role. We explored some wonderful improvisational lines as Otto stalked Rachel and Artie through what felt like the Forest of Endor on a much smaller scale and what was literally supposed to be Xiongmao's backyard.

Afterward, scenes were shot involving Renard, Otto Belmar and the Unnamed Associate (played by Chris George) in which they take out a troupe of ninjas on their way out of the fotress and get into a massive argument in their car.

This was our last BIG shooting weekend for FTPS, and it was a rousing success. Special thanks to everyone who helped make it a reality. With very little left to film, hopefully you will all be seeing our dark, action comedy very soon in a theater near you!

Check back with us for more updates on the final scenes to be filmed and the post-production process.

8-28-08
ON LOCATION: GIANTS STADIUM!

Representatives of Crazy Elk Production Studios were onhand for an outstanding rematch between the Giants and the Patriots today to film the halftime show, which involved football players from Mahwah, NJ's 3rd and 5th grade Thunderbirds led by Coach Karl Kreshpane.

For anyone present, it was difficult to tell whether the kids or the coaches were more jazzed. Everyone involved seemed poised for victory, a victory which was inevitable by virtue of the fact that they had made it to the Meadowlands!

Our crew was able to film warmup in the bubble adjacent to the stadium and then a march around the stadium and down a tunnel onto the field. Our cameramen were very excited to have the opportunity to film from not only the sidelines but on the field itself. Special thanks to Debbie and Karl for giving us this very special opportunity and to the teammates of the Mahwah football program who showed great tenacity in every play!

08-17-08
THE FINAL FIGHT!

After an arduous thirteen hour shoot, our crew walked away with not only some of the most exciting scenes in "Fight the Panda Syndicate" wrapped but with some side-splitting comic shots that should leave audiences rollicking with glee for days afterward! Once again, Ace Laluces, Antonio San Miguel, Kofi Nsafoah and David Chen have pulled off an extraordinary set of action sequences for our movie. With one of the hardest working and most intense groups of ninjas that we have ever had, we have completed the final fight scenes for the movie.

Throughout the final battle, the members of our heroic group work their way deeper into the fortress, taking out ninjas and minions galore. Starting with the wooded approach to Xiongmao's Beaver Creek complex, they sweep in, joining forces to knock out their competition while our main hero, Jim Reeder, and his best friend Ganaraj Raman use the fight as a distraction in order to slip right into Xiongmao's lair and to interrupt him in his plot to destroy the world.

The final battle will cut back and forth to a series of carefully planned sequences with inserts involving some improv. comedy as well.

The final battle’s fight scenes consist of a variety of forms of martial arts with an emphasis on the jeet kune do philosophy. Which is to work on a base or background of martial art that works best for a specific person and expand it to try and capture the full potential and abilities of our characters. Of course there are some cases where we just left a classic form of martial art on its own, specifically from our very talented Tae Kwan Do specialist Kofi Nsafoah to make more of classic clash of a heightened skill set style against a free form fighting stance that can be seen through the movements of David Chen. Our true vision for this battle was not to showcase that one form of style is better than the other, we wanted to show that it’s the man that wins the fight not the style.

The final fight sequences involve two ongoing confrontations though, during which the dynamics of fighting shift as character alignments are questioned. Jim Reeder takes on Xiongmao and his Chief Security Advisor Vernon Lennox, followed by Brazilian Agent Diego deCasthilos's entrace and after which Vernon Lennox and Diego are locked in combat themselves.

Throughout their conflict, Diego plays upon his pre-existing relationship with Lennox to try to convince him to switch sides and assist them in their quest to stop Xiongmao, who only cares for world domination and bringing about a new era of hell on Earth. To see what choices Lennox and some of our other characters make, you will just have to watch the movie. With only a handful of shoots left though, it won't be long before the onset of post production and our extrandinarily talented cast and crew will be able to sit back, relax and revel in their hard work.

Special thanks again to the Sheraton Crossroads Hotel in Mahwah, New Jersey for arranging this location for us. The Sheraton is certainly our premiere venue of choice if any of us are in need of a place to stay the night or are looking to offer our out-of-town guests a place to stay.

Special thanks must also go to the expertise of one of our cameramen, a fellow screenwriter, director and extremely talented editor, Christopher Sendrowski. We are certainly fortunate to have Chris's knowledge of filmmaking and his enthusiastic contributions working for us.

7-27-08
BACK TO THE MACHINE SHOP!

We were back in action today at P. Feiner and Sons, Inc., with tons of ninjas, swat, zombies, motorcyclists and, most importantly, Brazilian Agent Diego DeCastilhos - whose single-handedly took on some of Xinogmao's most experienced ninjas. After three hours of bum rushing, bikes and sneaking about while Mitternacht commanded from on high, we went into a full blown fight scene, involving flips, backbreaker drops and throws. We owe a great debt to our talented ninjas today and to our fight choerographers Ace Laluces, Antonio San Miguel and David Chen.

Being that this marked one of our last big shoots for "Fight the Panda Syndicate," we left the machine shop with mixed feelings. It is certainly bittersweet that our production is nearing an end, but with King Kong Bundy coming back for one more shoot, we certainly plan to wrap it up on a high! In the meantime, we start preparing for August 17th and the final four-way martial arts battle!

Thanks again Gerson! The Machine Shop really has become the front line of Xiongmao's fortress! Unfortunately, stills of the action shots are difficult to capture, and you will have to wait for some sequenced clips, which should be ready soon!

7-02-08
RICK BUSTAMANTE & "FIGHT THE PANDA SYNDICATE"

Rock Musician, Producer and thrill seeker, Rick Bustamante offers a refreshing alternative to what we are seeing in Rock,Pop and Hip Hop today. Classically trained on piano and voice as a child, Rick hit the road after graduation, immersing himself in the NJ/NY Hardcore punk scene, with FOE, sharing the stage with such punk acts as The X-men, Faith No More, Agnostic Front, TSOL and Suicidal Tendencies. His studio located
in Ringwood, NJ, Studio BUSTO, is a creative haven for local music projects. Rick currently writes and collaborates with many local talents, his latest musical ventures have been with rapper Ron Jackman on the joint project “Mashup Masterpiece”, songs for Weird New Jersey magazine, Star Wars Fan Club magazine and recently Crazy Elk Productions for the movie Fight the Panda Syndicate.

6-26-08
       BIRTH OF OUR NEW SHOOTING STYLE!

For almost two months now, we have been experimenting with a new piece of equipment that has allowed us to get really creative and inventive with our camera work. We have abandoned our tripod almost exclusively, opting for more frenetic, mobile and sometimes crazy camera movements thanks to the Frezzi Stable Grip.

The Stable Grip is “a unique hand stabilizer that can attach to any Mini DV or HD camera and can help provide a more steady, smooth and stable shot.” It has become an invaluable aspect of our ever-evolving style, allowing us to focus more on capturing our actors organically or “in the moment,” without the time-consuming repositioning of the tripod. We are free to move around the action virtually hassle-free in exciting and innovative fashions.

This new, liberating way of shooting has definitely elevated the tension and pace of our scenes, bringing forth this very interesting new style and with it a boundless pool of creativity.

For more information on the Frezzi Stable Grip, visit www.frezzi.com. An image of the Stable Grip can be seen here: http://www.frezzi.com/images/hi_rez/p7_i4.jpg.

06-25-08
"DIEGO ON THE MOVE " CLIP!

       Here is the fourth clip that you may view from the film "Fight the Panda Syndicate" in which the character of Diego DeCastilhos is in pursuit of Jim, G, Artie and Rachel in an attempt to help them escape from the Beaver Creek complex.

Diego breaks cover directly after this scene when he catches up with our heroes, explaining that he has been in deep cover with the Panda Syndicate for a long time. As you may have seen in CLIP #2, he is then taken captive by Victoria and Mitternacht for his betrayal. To find out what happens to Diego, you will just have to watch the movie and see for yourself!

06-22-08
TRANSITIONAL MOMENTS

       Yet another massive transitional weekend comes to a close with some amazing additions to the list of scenes that we have wrapped for "Fight the Panda Syndicate." This past weekend, we filmed more scenes that enhanced Rachel Gehret's rescue at the Sheraton Crossroads Hotel in Mahwah, scenes that expanded the character of Ian Redgrave with our newest cast member Carson Grant, scenes in which Governor Bedford motivated the troops for an all out assault on the Beaver Creek Complex and in which FBI Agent Emily Aragon stood poised to reveal more about the Panda Syndicate than ever before.

This weekend was full of excitement as expert cameraman, editor and dear friend Chris Sendrowski, Director of "Down that Road and Back," was on set to assist us in capturing some steadicam movement as Jim, G, Artie and Rachel raced through the bowels of the fortress and were consequently trapped at a dead end. We continued to follow our heroes as they were confronted by Brazilian Agent Diego DeCasthilos, who offered his help in their time of need.

Our camp also grew in number this weekend, as we were blessed with the arrival of a crew of motorcyclists, friends of our own heroic Tommy, who joined the fight against the Panda Syndicate and followed Governor Bedford into battle.

We were also joined again by our friends Matt Messano and Bryan Thompson of LOST SOUL ENTERTAINMENT, who provided us with a SWAT truck and two police cars for Governor Bedford's team.

Special thanks to everyone involved! This was a very special weekend for all of us. With only a few key scenes remaining, we expect that production for this film will wrap soon.

06-17-08
THE PRESS KIT

     Now that filming for "Fight the Panda Syndicate" has nearly wrapped, we have started to put together our promotional materials. You may view a copy of our evolving press kit by clicking on its cover page to the left of this entry. The press kit will undoubtedly grow in the coming months to include a completed budget summary and some additional pictures from our upcoming shoots, so check back i fyou are interested in seeing how it changes with time.

06-14-08
ON LOCATION:
BERGEN COMMUNITY COLLEGE

     Today, we shot scenes in which Professor Rachel Gehret (Danielle Gardner) met up with a colleague of hers by the name of Professor Ian Redgrave (Carson Grant) on the campus of Bergen Community College in Paramus, NJ.

In the scene, Professor Gehret receives information from Professor Redgrave about the "artifact" that Xiongmao has sought to possess for at least one thousand years.

Having a very special cast of students come to populate what is "Northern State University" in the story of the film made our shoot even more successful. As Professor Gehret and Professor Redgrave were brightly discussing whether or not it would be worth Rachel's while to sell the artifact, some campus hijinks ensued.

Special thanks to everyone who made this shoot yet another rousing success!

06-13-08
SPOTLIGHT ON OUR COMPOSER

      We have a number of extremely talented musicians contributing to the soundtrack of "Fight the Panda Syndicate," ranging from dance to hip hop to neoclassical theme. One of whom is Glen Gabriel, who has composed our opening theme and some of our epic battle themes.  "Born in Stockholm, Sweden, Glen began his musical career as a self-taught pianist.  Being classically trained and orchestrating his own music, Glen has released 2 albums and scored independent films, major commercials, poetry and company logo music etc.,  since 2005. His orchestrations has also been used with other genres of music for songs from the American Hard rock singer Tony Harnell and the successful Swedish Industrial Rock band Lizette &.

For more information, you may visit Glen's page at www.glengabriel.com or his myspace page at www.myspace.com/glengabriel. We are very fortunate to have Glen with us on this project and look forward to many future projects with him.

You may visit Carson's website at www.carsongrant.com.

06-11-08
ACTOR CARSON GRANT JOINS
THE CAST OF FTPS AS
PROFESSOR IAN REDGRAVE

       Carson Grant (Actor/Director) studied acting during the 1970’s with Lee Strasberg and has created character roles in over 300 films. His recent films include “The House Is Burning” (Cannes Film Festival); “Liars and Lunatics”, “Dead Serious”, "Blood Rails" and “LogJam”.  Among his most fortunate moments is his romantic kiss with Christina Ricci in Woody Allen's “Anything Else” as Ron Keller, Acting teacher.

In FTPS, Ian Redgrave is a professor of anthropology with Northern State University, an associate of Rachel Gehret and an "Uncle" to Jim Reeder.  Having come into possession of Xiongmao's Medallion through Rachel Gehret, Professor Redgrave has sought to ascertain its intrinsic value by contacting a number of his associates in Great Britain about the artifact.  Professor Redgrave informs Rachel Gehret that the medallion is Chinese in origin from the Sui Dynasty by way of certain markings on the back. 

We are very excited to have a seasoned actor like Grant lend his talents to our production and look forward to further updates on his involvement in "Fight the Panda Syndicate."

06-07-08
TRANSITIONAL MOMENTS

       Over the past few weeks, our cast and crew have had a number of transitional moments, which we have not only endured but as a result of which we have excelled.

We returned to NINJA, NY, this time accompanied by the members of Friction Broadcast, where we completed some complicated sequences that we set out to film early on in the project, including Rachel Gehret's rescue from Xinogmao, Victoria's entrance into the story, some intense yet comical moments between Renard and his sleazy attorney Davonsport. Jim and G demonstrated their mettle in some hand-to-hand combat scenes conceived and choreographed by Ace Laluces and Antonio San Miguel while Tommy, Artie and Cakes were on hand to provide hijinks and hilarity.

We shot scenes with Artie Bannister and the boys on the road in Artie's Car, a 1956 Bel Air, throughout downtown Pompton Lakes and a number of other towns, which was rented to us by our good friends Matt Holmes and Bryan Thompson of:

LOST SOUL
ENTERTAINMENT

Special thanks to the Mayor, Council, Borough Clerk and Police Department of Pompton Lakes for their thoughtful consideration of our project!

We even reshot some scenes dating back to Summer 2007, giving them a new look and some frantic camerawork to heighten the tensions. All in all, things are shaping up nicely. With less than ten additional days of shooting left on "Fight the Panda Syndicate," we just want to thank everyone who made these past few shoots some of our most successful and productive yet.

05-29-08
CRAZY ELK LECTURE ON INDEPENDENT FILMMAKING AT BERGEN COMMUNITY COLLEGE

       Crazy Elk Producers Jason J. Dale and Christopher Pickhardt gave two lectures today for the Bergen Counyty Film Commission.

As we believe, filmmaking, is a very challenging art form with many different technical and scientific aspects.  For the independent filmmaker, it is critical to realize from the start that you will play a number of different roles within the production team that you have assembled, and it is also very important to understand what the duties of each of those positions might entail in order to ensure that those duties are fulfilled, bringing you closer to the realization of your vision as a storyteller and making it possible for you to hone your craft as an artist to the best of your ability. 

"It was certainly a pleasure for us to share our experiences and our knowlege with those interested in our art form," said Dale. "Not only were we able to share, but we learned a great deal and received some thoughtful compliments and some constructive criticisms from those in attendance."

Special thanks to Carol Messer and Bill Romano of the Bergen County Division of Cultural and Historic Affairs for setting us up with this opportunity.

05-05-08
FLIP THE BIRD MUSIC VIDEO FOR "FIGHT THE PANDA SYNDICATE"

05-03-08
FRICTION BROADCAST @ THE BITTER END ON
MAY 3, 2008 AT MIDNIGHT!

04-27-08
RETURN TO HANSIL'S FOR THE SECOND HALF OF THE BARFIGHT!

       On April 27, almost a year after our initial shoot at Hansil's Bar & Grill in Oakland, NJ, we had a very special reunion shoot for one of our most entertaining shoots ever.

The first time we visited Hansil's, our team left with some invaluable unexpected footage wherein Artie met Tommy, Keith, Bob, Oliver, Jonathan Jim, Mr. Hansil and the rest of the "Secure Location Bar" Gang! This time, we were joined by many of our original actors but also by members of Flip the Bird, to tie in their performance to Artie's brawl in the "Secure Location Bar."

There certainly was an element of magic in the air, for all the boys got right back into character with their own rowdy rendition of a timeless and classic drinking song and did not fail to raise the roof with their comic hijinks!

Hansil's Tavern & Grill

7 Ramapo Valley Road

Oakland, NJ 07436

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04-04-08
FLIP THE BIRD PERFORMS
"FIGHT THE PANDA SYNDICATE"

       Our friends with Flip the Bird have done it again! While playing to an enthusiastic crowd at the Orange Lantern in Paramus, they broke out the smashing original work, as written by Ricky Bustamante, entitled "FIGHT THE PANDA SYNDICATE," a theme song written for the closing credits of our movie.

We at Crazy Elk Productions are fortunate to have Flip the Bird in our corner and are looking forward to sharing many more exciting moments with them as they continue to rock on! Special thanks to Tim, Glenn, Ray, Mike and Ricky!

Special thanks also to Christopher Pickhardt for his extraordinary camerawork!

Check out our friends' website at www.flipthebirdband.com for more information about upcoming shows.

03-15-08
ON LOCATION: THE MACHINE SHOP!

       Our cast and crew converged on the scene at 8:30am and spent all day shooting action sequences in a machine shop and manufacturing facility. It was decided that Xiongmao's fortress should have some kind of manufacturing plant as a part his Jian Chi Trading Company, being that he is hellbent on world domination and would likely be in the business of arms production.

This shoot involved scenes taking place at Xiongmao's fortress, including a scene where Rachel Gehret escapes captivity and then is recaptured by Victoria, scenes from the final battle in which all of our heroes stormed the complex, and a daring rescue attempt carried out by Agent Dixon, Jim, G and Artie after making their way through the forest and intot he complex.

The first picture is a screenshot of Rachel Gehret as she is witnessing the resurrection of Commander Mitternacht by Xiongmao and about to be recaptured by Victoria (seen in the background).

The second picture is a screenshot of Artie Bannister, followed by the members of FLIP THE BIRD as they approach a rear entrance to the complex - READY FOR BATTLE!

The third picture is a picture of our heroes (Jim, G, Dixon and Artie), sneaking across the machine shop floor as they narrowly avoid a group of ninjas on their way to rescue Ms. Gehret. Little do they know, that they are being watched via closed circuit television monitors by Diego deCasthillos, a Brazilian double agent who works for Xiongmao, but who is ultimately working for the Brazilian government to help stop the Panda Syndicate.

Special thanks to all our cast and crew, Gerson Feiner of P. Feiner and Sons, Inc. and, especially, our ninja crew for making this shoot so fantastic!

03-14-08
ANNUAL CRAZY ELK FUNDRAISER

       Today, the Crazy Elk crew held their annual fundraiser on to raise money to finish production of "Fight the Panda Syndicate." At this event, guests will were treated to the music of Flip the Bird and Friction Broadcast, as well as to the DJ expertise of Saretto Entertainment! This event was an outstanding success. Special thanks to all involved.

02-24-08
NINJA, NY

       Decorated to look like a mountainside village in Japan, when you visit NINJA, NY you will be getting one of the most entertaining dining experiences out there. When our associates first visited NINJA, NY, we were astounded by their food and extremely pleased with the superior level of service. The decor is what attracted our eyes to the venue for "Fight the Panda Syndicate."

If you are courageous enough to board the elevator at NINJA, NY and brave their NINJA tunnel on your way to the dining area, you will find yourself in what we decided would look perfect as Xiongmao's inner sanctum, a place within the heart of his fortress at Beaver Creek, where he could conduct business and meditate on his plans.

So, while we were at NINJA, NY, we shot scenes involving the final battle and the storming of the Beaver Creek complex, a daring rescue and some additional footage of Xiongmao and his crew hard at work.

We could not possibly recommend NINJA, NY Higher to a fan of Japanese cuisine. Special thanks to our new friends! You may visit NINJA, NY's website at the following Internet address: www.ninjanewyork.com.

02-10-08
The Anatomy of a Gun Battle / Final Fight

       Although we have been away from filming for a few weeks, we have been meeting with our martial arts choreography team and planning out both a gun battle between the characters of Diego and Stockwell. We have also been hard at work in planning out the final fight sequence, involving Xiongmao, Jim Reeder and Vernon Lennox.

In planning such sequences out, we have come up with floor plans and storyboards. We have also set up a schedule for fight choreography rehearsals in which our actors are rigorously going over their moves, so they will be comfortable when the time comes to film.

01-14-08
LOLA'S TATTOOS
Hot & Flying!

       Last month we were honored not only by the presence of King Kong Bundy, but to be able to shoot in a very special location, Lola's Tattoo's in Bogota, NJ.

The crew at Lola's are among the most pleasant people we have encountered to date in our quest to make "Fight the Panda Syndicate" a reality. We are forever in their debt for their kindness and for hosting our shoot.

Lola's is advertized as a place for "enjoyment, fun and art," and it certainly delivered all of those things. With an atmosphere that is more like that of a family at home, the staff at Lola's gave us an unforgettable experience. We recommend them to anyone and everyone!

You may visit Lola's Tattoo's website at the following Internet address:
www.lolastattoos.com