We'll, we're all but there. It's been a while, I know.
The artwork for Itu's Bones is done and dusted and the NTSC Master is winging it's way to the replicator. The PAL version will follow shortly.
We should have them back in our hot little hands then on US shelves early in the New Year. Europe and Australasia shortly after - so don't spend all your Christmas pocket money just yet.
It's been like the second coming, post production has taken me exactly twice as long as I'd anticipated. My machines have been cranking red hot for the last week crunching numbers on the final color corrections and compression.
Finishing up a project is always bittersweet - after months of post production I'm usually sick of the sight of it.
The final step is to see your luscious HD footage have the shit compressed out of it for MPEG2 to go to DVD - it's always disappointing to view the result.
The U.S NTSC versions are worse, lower resolution than PAL and color that often looks like it's been strained through an old sock - I'm pretty pleased with the result, the pics are amost as beautiful as being there - almost. (Why the hell did the US and Japan go with the worlds worst television standard.)
In saying all that, the film looks great, our best yet.
The whole Aitutaki Bonefish project has been a huge mission, one that we're very privileged to have been involved in.
Personally, I'm very grateful and proud to have met and befriended my Bonefish buddy Itu Davey. The whole experience has been a life changer - for all of us I suspect.
Itu, his family and the people of Aitutaki have shown incredible generosity and friendship to me and my family and we're all the richer for it.
They should be very proud of what they've achieved.
I certainly am.
We literally couldn't have embarked on this project without the help and support of Costa, Patagonia and Sage
They believed in what was a very ambitious project from the get go - big ups for having the balls to support it and the foresight to give back.
My heart is in Aitutaki.
… but my liver is still lost somewhere in Key West
