_ B e h i n d   T h e   S c e n e s _

How did you do it? What format was it filmed on? Is that a real stone wall? Got any pictures? We knew those questions were on your mind. You clicked the right button.

Format: We filmed the movie on...get ready for this, on Hi-8mm. Why not 16mm? All real independent filmmakers use 16mm, right? ...No one on this project majored in film. No one on this project is trying to make a living off of filmmaking - not YET, anyway :) . Starlite Productions has been creating video movies and shorts since 1982, cheaply, using standard over-the-counter equipment. It is this project's mission to prove you do not need 'real' film to make a quality movie. Maybe one day we'll go to 16mm, but until then, we're perfectly happy making our movies with Hi-8mm. The budget for Silion topped off at $800 (not including the $1000 for tape copying/sleeve printing). With 16mm, we'd have to tack several thousand dollars on top of that. Nooo thank you. When we get some deep pocket investors, maybe....Maybe. Let the low-low-low budget revolution begin!

Editing: We've got a DC10+ digital video editing system from Pinnacle for the PC, using Ulead Video Editor software for the fancy effects. Maxtor 13GB and 20GB Hard Drives are nearly full of scenes. The DC10+ card has been nothing but a headache during this project, and has easily doubled the time needed to edit. I would not recommend it.

Wall: Of course the wall is fake. Several rolls of corrugated stone wall paper, straight from Party City.

Pictures: You want a peek behind the scenes? Check out the images below!

• Props - In a low budget movie, you have to build your own props. Here is Allison King and Mindy Owens at Prop night. Those high tech alien devices had to come from somewhere!

• Audience - Scott Lorah, Allison King, Jane Moore, and Bonnie McQuagge watching the scenes unfold before them.

• Direction - Scott Lorah gives Jeff Ballentine some artistic advice while some of the cast look on.

• Spinning - The 'spinning newspaper' effect. Kevin Skidmore demonstrates how we did it.

• Perspective - Don't have a 1940 Bel Air Police car? No problem, just use a model. We use perspective in this shot to make the cast stand behind the car.

• Laboratory - Mindy Owens, Eric Hirst, Igor Ferigutti, and Jeff Ballentine in the Mad Scientist's lab.

• Aliens! - Allison King, James Cherico, and Nikki Lewis play the role of the invading aliens.

• Captured - Eric Hirst, Kim Adams, and Igor Ferigutti. When you're captured by a Mad Scientist and monster, there's not much you can do.

• Low Budget Boom - Until Kevin Skidmore bought a mike stand, we were taping our microphone to a broom stick. Don't forget -- B movie. :)

• What's my line? - Lele Long and Mark Owens try to get their lines down, correctly.

• Tom's Office - Brent Runyon, David Rouse, Bryan Morrow and Christina Currie in the head detective's office.