Jovanka Vuckovic's Blog
May 17, 2012
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
The Captured Bird will make its world premiere at the 2012 Worldwide Short Film Festival on June 9th in Toronto, Canada.
The short concerns a little girl who is drawn to a mysterious mansion where she witnesses the birth of five horrifying apparitions, is executive produced by Guillermo del Toro (Pacific Rim, Pan’s Labyrinth) and produced by Jason Lapeyre, writer/director of I Declare War (Best Picture/Screenplay, ActionFest 2012).
“Having grown up in Toronto and previously attended this festival as a fan, it’s an absolute honour to be attending as a filmmaker with my first short,” says Vuckovic.
The dark fable, which del Toro describes as “lyrical and brutal” and “filled with beauty” is the culmination of two years of collaboration with some of the top talents in the genre world including cinematographer Karim Hussain (Antiviral, Hobo With A Shotgun), editor Douglas Buck (The Theatre Bizarre, Sisters), Oscar-nominated special effects company Spectral Motion (Looper, X-Men: First Class), matte painter Deak Ferrand (Twilight, Lord of the Rings), Oscar-nominated production designer and frequent Terry Gilliam collaborator Anastasia Masaro (The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus) and animatronic special effects designer Paul Jones (The Thing, Silent Hill).
WSFF marks the beginning of The Captured Bird’s festival run, which will include screenings at many top tier events across the globe (to be announced). The film will also be available for viewing by press and industry at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival this year as part of the Short Film Corner.
THE CAPTURED BIRD plays the World Wide Short Film Festival on June 9. For tickets, head right here.
February 28, 2012
It feels like forever since we wrapped principal photography but we finally made it - The Captured Bird is done! With five different visual effects vendors from four different countries working on the film, it took quite a bit of time and co-ordination to complete the 25 shots - some of which took two months or more to create and render. More importantly, we took the time to do it right and our dreamy little picture now looks and sounds beautiful!
Yesterday we officially delivered The Captured Bird to broadcaster Bravo!, which provided a substantial portion of the budget through a generous grant. We also began submitting the short to film festivals last week - first up was Cannes (wish us luck!). As promised, when the film has completed its festival run, we'll be sending out links to HD downloads and DVDs to those of you who earned one with your backer package. Of course we encourage you to come and see it at a festival screening if you can, so subscribe to the BLOG, like the FACEBOOK page and follow us on TWITTER so you can keep updated on film festival screenings. We would love to meet you at one! Additionally, we have an IMDb page now, so feel free to "like" that too.
Once again, thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your generosity and support. We literally could not have made the film without our backers - proof that filmmaking can be democratic and that crowd funding works. Congratulations, you're a part of film history!
Here are some photos of us in post production and one of Jovanka visiting Guillermo del Toro on the set of Pacific Rim yesterday - where she hand delivered the finished film to del Toro.
Coming soon to a festival near you.... The Captured Bird!
January 5, 2012
In case you missed it, here are Jovanka's picks for the best horror films of 2011. Reposted from Revolver Magazine.
An author, filmmaker, and journalist working in the horror genre, Jovanka Vuckovic is Revolver's resident fright-flick guru, the writer of Splatter Matters, which kicked off in the new, 100th issue. She was recently named one of the top 10 most important women in the history of horror. For more, visit jovankavuckovic.com and follow her at @JovankaVuckovic on Twitter.
What better way to ring in the New Year than with a little godless onscreen violence? As always, last year there were plenty of pointless-yet-entertaining big-budget remakes (The Thing, Fright Night 3D, Don't Be Afraid of the Dark, Straw Dogs), sequels (Paranormal Activity 3, Scream 4, Wrong Turn 4, Final Destination 5), and other genre-bending fare at the multiplexes (127 Hours, Super 8, Attack the Block, The Darkest Hour, Contagion). Then there were the big misses (Season of the Witch, Priest, The Rite, Red Riding Hood, Apollo 18, Dream House), which came and went like a fart in the wind. The original horror films–the ones that made this list anyway–lurked around the independent scene. Of course, that, too, is a mixed bag. There were movies I really wanted to like but didn't (Red State, Burke & Hare, The Ward) and others I wish I could un-see (The Human Centipede 2, A Serbian Film). Then there was the abysmal straight-to-DVD drivel, which you should take care to avoid entirely (Hellraiser: Revelations, The Howling: Reborn). I've waded through the good, the bad, and the ugly to bring you a list of the year's finest genre films. Here they are, in no particular order. Happy New Year!
The Skin I Live In
Directed by Pedro Almodóvar
Spain
Antonio Banderas stars as a research scientist who has developed a synthetic skin that he's using on a guinea pig whom he alters to look like his dead wife. Obvious comparisons to Eyes Without a Face aside, The Skin I Live In is a unique, melodramatic art-house horror film that reveals its shocking secrets slowly. Not since David Cronenberg have surgery, sex, and violence frolicked in the same stained bed so skillfully. A must see.
Martha Marcy May Marlene
Directed by Sean Durkin
USA
Elizabeth Olsen (yes, the younger sister of the Olsen twins) walks the line between sanity and madness in a breakthrough performance as Martha, an ex-cult member who tries to re-enter polite society after having been brainwashed to ignore social values. Told in a style that's reminiscent of Michael Haneke's Funny Games, Martha Marcy May Marlene divided critics at festivals due to its ambiguous ending. Powerful and unsettling.
I Saw the Devil
Directed by Jee-woon Kim
Korea
A serial killer (played by Old Boy's Min-sik Choi) gets more than he bargained for when he kills the fiancée of a prominent special agent in this highly stylized, savage thriller from the director of A Tale of Two Sisters. Seeking vengeance, the grieving cop kidnaps his wife's murderer, tortures him a little, then frees him only to track him down and torture him over and over again. Worth the price of admission for the wildly creative (and brutally bloody) taxicab scene alone. Merciless, uncompromising, and unforgettable.
The Woman
Directed by Lucky McKee
USA
Feminist filmmaker Lucky McKee (The Woods, May) examines the horrors of misogyny is this incendiary intellectual revenge film (co-written with Jack Ketchum) about a handsome family man and successful lawyer who kidnaps a feral woman and chains her up in the cellar. Beautiful, bizarre, and barbaric. As a primer, you can watch this video of a viewer's extreme reaction toThe Woman at the Sundance Film Festival.
Troll Hunter
Directed by André Øvredal
Norway
What do you get when you combine Cloverfield with Nordic Trolls? This very funny monster mockumentary. I know what you're thinking: Trolls? Really? Just see it. And when you do, watch it with Norwegian subtitles lest you miss some great voice performances in this foreign creature feature. Great fun.
Cold Fish
Directed by Shion Sono
Japan
A teenaged girl takes a job at a fish store owned and operated by a couple who turn out to be much more than fish mongers. If you're familiar with Shion Sono's work (Suicide Circle, Love Exposure), then you already know what to expect from Cold Fish. This is totally bent Asia extreme serial-killer cinema at its best–equal parts disturbing and blackly comic. Make time for it, though, because like Sono's other films, it's overlong.
Tucker and Dale vs. Evil
Directed by Eli Craig
USA
In this, the Three's Company of horror comedies, two redneck buffoons run afoul of a gaggle of teen partygoers on spring break who misjudge the hillbillies as a threat. Grave misunderstandings give way to fountains of unintended violence. Hilarity ensues.
Amer
Directed by Hélène Cattet and Bruno Forzani
Belgium
This film has been doing the festival circuit since 2009 but became available on Blu-ray this year, and, boy, is it ever a doozy. If the films of Mario Bava and Dario Argento could make a love child, Amer would be it. A dizzying, non-narrative, near dialogue-free art-house experiment in avant-garde filmmaking, Amer shares as much in common with Un chien andalou as it does Strip Nude for Your Killer. Lush eye candy or psychosexual nightmare? You decide.
Stake Land
Directed by Jim Mickle
USA
Director Jim Mickle (Mulberry Street) retrieves the vampire's balls from the Twilightfranchise with this gory apocalyptic road movie. It's about an orphan who travels through a vampire-ravaged America with a hunter known only as "Mister" on their way to find the last place of possibly unspoiled humanity. Imagine The Road meets True Grit meets I Am Legend on a very low budget and you're sort of there. (ReadRevolver's interview with Stake Land actor and co-writer Nick Damici here.)
We Are What We Are
Directed by Jorge Michel Grau
Mexico
An impoverished family of cannibals struggles to find new meat when their patriarch dies. Sound familiar? Although obviously reminiscent of Tobe Hooper's Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Jorge Michel Grau's We Are What We Are is its own beast. A thoughtful but flawed exploration of the collapse of familial roles amidst a landscape of social decay in Mexico, We Are What We Are is more than the sum of its, er…parts.
Snowtown
Directed by Justin Kurzel
Australia
One of the many feel-bad movies of the year, Snowtownis a true crime film that centers on the unusual relationship between sixteen-year-old Jamie and his newfound father figure, John Bunting, who happens to be Australia's most prolific serial killer–bodies in barrels and all. This is his Jamie's harrowing story.
The Dead
Directed by Howard J. Ford and Jonathan Ford
UK
Following a zombie outbreak in Africa, Lt. Brian Murphy tries to make his way home in this beautifully shot, slow moving road movie. The Dead evokes classic George Romero with its political commentary and pacing, but most importantly, it succeeds at making slow moving zombies scary again. Great visuals.
The Innkeepers
Directed by Ti West
USA
Ti West's lighthearted spookfest about two employees (and amateur ghost hunters) putting in their last shift at a century old haunted inn was a crowd-pleaser on the film festival circuit last year. It isn't actually being released in theatres until February 3, 2012, but it hit VOD on December 30th so I encourage you to order it. Support independent filmmaking. Please don't torrent.
We Need to Talk About Kevin
Directed by Lynne Ramsay
USA
OK, so it's not a horror movie per se, but it's by far the most depressing film of the year. Tilda Swinton stars as a grieving mother who has raised a misanthropic sociopath (played by Ezra Miller) who tortured her and her family before going on a killing spree at his high school. A deeply disturbing dramatic thriller not for the faint of heart.
Honorable Mentions: Rubber, Absentia, The Last Circus, Wake Wood, Hobo with a Shotgun, Black Death, Insidious.
*All films were released in North America in the 2011 calendar year.
September 7, 2011
We've just gotten our beautiful full size (27" x 39") illustrated poster approved and sent off to printer! This teaser is illustrated by Richard Raaphorst (director, Worst Case Scenario, Frankenstein's Army) and graphic and motion designer Sander Brouwer. It's limited to 50, ten of which are going to be signed by the cast and crew and sent out to our awesome Kickstarter backers. The other 40 are going with director Jovanka Vuckovic to ZomBcon 2011, in Seattle October 21-23 and will be on sale at the event. So if you want one, get your rotting corpse to ZomBcon next month, meet Jovanka and have her sign and number one for you in person. She will be hosting a panel on The Captured Bird, giving tips on how to successfully crowdfund your film on Kickstarter and, of course, promoting her new book, Zombies! An Illustrated History of the Undead (St. Martin's Press). Autographed copies of Zombies! will also be on hand at the filmmaker/author's booth. 
Of course if you absolutely cannot make it to Seattle and you are dying to have one of these glossy, full size, limited edition teaser posters, use our CONTACT FORM to email us and we'll arrange payment and shipping options for you. The remaining 40 posters will be signed by the director and mailed to you in a tube for $20 plus shipping - which varies depending on your location. NOTE: Posters signed by cast and crew are limited to 10 and already sold out. They were a special offer to our Kickstarter backers only. ZomBcon attendees will have an opportunity to buy the poster at a discount at the show.
Thanks again for supporting our short film project! We can't wait to send it off to film festivals in the new year!
August 24, 2011
Greeting backers, supporters and film fans!
It's been almost three months since we wrapped production on The Captured Bird and we figured it was time for an update on the status of the project. You might be wondering, how could a ten minute movie be taking so long to complete? I've been wondering the same thing myself! As I'm learning, independent film production can be a slow process, especially when your budget is limited and you're cashing in favours from professional friends. The Captured Bird is a very ambitious little film, packed full of visual effects movie magic. Now that doesn't mean it's the next Avatar, because a lot of the shots are referred to as "invisible effects" - shots that require treatment but aren't necessarily exploding spaceships or other extravagant effects - but it's nevertheless quite a lot of work. Being a former visual effects artist myself, I know full well how much effort goes into this type of art. Even rotoscoping - rig removal and the like - can take weeks to complete. Our film has 25 shots, some have taken two months or more to create and render. Some amazing work has already been approved, though. The inimitable Deak Ferrand (of Hatch FX) has turned in several staggering shots, which are no surprise given that his film credits include The Lord of the Rings and Hellboy II. I wish I could share those with you but there have to be some surprises for you along this journey, right? In the meantime, we have several visual effects companies and independent visual effects artist from all over the globe diligently working on shots, which are trickling in. As soon they're all approved, we move on to sound design and finally, to the DI. Redeemer has already begun work the score, which will be dark, moody and orchestral. We'll definitely post a sample in the coming months. Our goal is to have the film completed by December, which means a spring 2012 film festival tour. Hopefully we'll meet at a festival near you!
Jovanka
July 9, 2011
We have just a few t-shirts left from our Kickstarter campaign and are making them available here. Like our Kickstarter campain, $50 gets you a thank you credit in the film, a link to a digital download of the movie and one of these Captured Bird t-shirts (limited to 100, with a swanky metallic gold print). All funds will go to the cost of post-production. Get yours before they're gone! Use the contact page to email us about sizing before you make your donation please. The only sizes remaining are are MEDIUM, LARGE, XL. And there are only a few of each!
T-shirt printed by Killthe8
June 3, 2011
As many of you already know, the house we shot The Captured Bird in has been uninhabited for over 40 years and is said to be haunted by a woman who died while it was being built. She has been spotted by previous film crews in one particular room near the attic. Our intrepid location manager invited the EPK crew upstairs for a closer look and it appears they weren't alone....
Hey everyone, here are some more gems from the over 1400 production stills that were taken. The footage is in the editor's hands now and once we have a locked picture we'll start in on the extensive visual effects. From there the film will have sound design applied and then the sound will be mixed and mastered. Then colour correction, and finally the online edit will put everything in its right place. Should take about two or three months if there are no hiccups.
And don't forget - you can still get Captured Bird t-shirts by donating at the $50 level! Supremely cool memento of the show.
More pictures below:
June 1, 2011
Behold! The limited edition Captured Bird t-shirt, available EXCLUSIVELY through Kickstarter. Just three days remain on our campaign. Your chance of getting one of these shirts (as well as a thank you credit in the film) will be gone forever so get yours today! 
T-shirt by Kill the 8.
May 30, 2011
It's the morning after wrapping principal photography on my first film. My house is a disaster, Tammy (our VFX supervisor) is on her way back to LA, Karim (our DP) is en route to Montreal with the footage we shot and all the members of my crew are back to their regular film gigs after having spent three long days working tirelessly on The Captured Bird. After the organized chaos of being on a film set, it's quiet. Too quiet. It gives me pause. And the emotions begin to flood my heart.
When I first walked on set and saw all those vehicles – the package truck, the craft service truck, the generator big enough to power a 50 million dollar film – I was in awe and almost didn't believe it was all there for my film. The producers (Neil Lum Lock, you're a god!) ran around putting out fires all weekend and making sure I didn't know about any of it so I could focus on directing. As I watched the crew – my crew – bustling about, I held back tears of joy and excitement. I still don't really understand why all these talented and experienced people would do all this on their days off for our little film. It's a kind of generosity I did not expect when I embarked on this journey.
Almost two years ago to the day I had lunch with my friend Jason Lapeyre and asked him if he'd help me make a movie. And there we were, on a real movie set, with real gear and a real crew – not to mention a full size animatronic creature puppet built by Paul Jones, who slept in his shop during filming! (Isn't that the classic practical effects guy story?) Our show overlapped with Silent Hill 2, so I don't believe he was getting much sleep. In fact I know he wasn't getting much sleep! Still, in just three weeks he sculpted, molded, mech'ed and fabricated one of the most original movie monsters I have ever seen. I asked for weird and I certainly got weird!
Jason Lapeyre asked me this morning how I was feeling now that I am officially a filmmaker. I achieved a longtime goal and there's a sense of pride and accomplishment that comes with that. I am renewed, reborn and alive in a way that I have never been. I am mobilized now to continue to follow my dreams more than ever, because they truly are attainable if you work hard enough. How am I feeling? Blessed is an appropriate word. I've forged some new friendships (Anastasia, Neil, Rocco, Gerhard, Paul, you guys are amazing) and galvanized old ones. I feel a deep bond with Karim, who truly outdid himself trying to make my film the best it could possibly be. He was open-minded, inspiring, commanding and painfully entertaining. Between him and Rocco (my 1st AD), they set an easy tone on set, which is really what you want when you've got 58 people working mostly for the love of the arts.
I feel like Jason is more of a brother now than a friend. I feel like Rob Lucas was the movie's guardian angel (when our generator blew, he flew in a new one in less than two hours!) I feel like six-year-old Skyler was a gift to all of us. She radiates a kind of magic that is indescribable and made me long to return home to my own daughter, Violet, who was in the loving care of her father during the shoot. What a consummate joy Skyler was to work with. This tiny, tiny human being gave it her all and turned in a performance that none of us, not even her mother, knew she had in her. I feel honoured to have had the privilege of working with her before she skyrockets to stardom. She sings, dances and acts so keep an eye out for her. She's going places.
How do I feel? I feel grateful, loved, supported, satisfied and inspired. It was a whirlwind weekend of movie magic. I'm almost sad that it's over. As much work as production was, I had a great time with my crew. And there is a lingering impression that I will see them again soon. In the end, we shot some truly beautiful footage for my strange little art house horror film. I don't think there's anything out there that looks quite like it. And while I am still facing months of visual effects work in post, the experience has filled me with endless satisfaction and excitement to continue making films. It's been a dream come true. Thank you to everyone who made The Captured Bird possible. You not only supported my film project, you also supported my career as a filmmaker. For that, you have my undying gratitude and respect.
Last but not least: with love, appreciation and deepest sincerity, I would like to thank my crew – all 58 of you. See you on the next film!
Jovanka
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