Live Update: Follow the Development of "Officer Spot," our THAC 2022 Entry!

 By: Andrew Bermudez

(Mustache Maniacs Film Co. Headquarters; January 8, 2022)

    To kick off the new year, we're in the process of developing our THAC 2022 entry, titled Officer Spot! This film takes the unbelievable true story of when Nikki, the Vaughn, New Mexico police dog, was the only cop left in town after the police chief resigned over allegations of corruption and turns it into a brand-new comedy short film! We've been discussing this film in broad strokes over the past several months in order to allow the film to fit into THAC 2022's theme (which has literally JUST been announced), so don't be surprised if details change from past discussions to the finished film, which is slated to be released tomorrow.

We're going to be continuously updating this page throughout the day, allowing you to follow along in the development of this film. Check back frequently to see where we're at, including any important reveals and updates. The latest updates will be at the bottom of this press release.

7:08 AM - We've gotten a late start, but we do have a good idea where to take this film, as well as what it will mean for future projects. Writing has just begun.

8:03 AM - We're just about done writing, or so we think. We're going to submit the script to our editors to make any changes. Hopefully, these will strengthen the story. In the meantime, we're launching auditions for two characters! We're not going to post this to our website (since that would take too long to set up), but you can get all of the information on Bricks in Motion by clicking here. Be advised that all of the posted guidelines on our website still apply should you be interested.

8:47 AM - Looks like the script is ready to go. We have yet to receive any auditions, but set construction has begun after being delayed. Hopefully, this doesn't take too long.

9:30 AM - Still constructing the set, with little progress. Good thing this is a one-set film.

10:44 AM - Set construction is still on-going, but substantial progress has been made. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about casting the film's two speaking roles. What we do have now, though, is the film's title treatment, pictured below.

This title treatment evokes an official atmosphere, while incorporating elements to make it clear that the title character is, indeed, a dog. Production is expected to begin and end this afternoon.

11:16 AM - We're putting the final touches on the set now, with only some important details left that will bring the scene to life. However, since we quickly discovered that real-life saguaro cacti are outside of our budget and won't ship to us in time, we've had to...compromise.

12:00 PM - Lunch Break! The set is finished and ready to go, so production will officially occur this afternoon. In the meantime, we're extending the audition deadline.

1:36 PM - We're back from lunch, another editor looked at the script...and ordered an almost-complete rewrite. Production is now expected to begin around 2.

2:05 PM - We're finally getting to production! We'll update you once the production phase is over.

6:26 PM - With a time skip like that, it looks like production is now over! On to the editing stage! But before we get there, here's a still from today's shoot to give an idea of what the finished film will look like.

7:02 PM - While the animation has been sequenced and color-adjusted, we are now stopped at a point where we cannot advance further until voice recordings have been completed. We are seriously looking into closing all auditions and just using internal talent, which we are already doing for some of the characters.

7:39 PM - Voice recordings are now done. We will inform all Bricks in Motion users that auditions for this film are now closed.

8:48 PM - We're nearing the end, folks! Visual editing is just about done! All that's needed now is some sequencing, filtering, color correction, and tweaked timing before we move to audio editing!

9:22 PM - Render, render, render! We're going to take this time to prepare some assets for the film's launch tomorrow, such as the official web page. More editing news will follow.

9:39 PM - We had a rendering error, but restarting the process was easy. More to follow, including promotional material!

10:47 PM - A major technical issue may set us back, but it won't knock us out of the race! We're having some issues right now, but they should be resolved shortly. In the meantime, here's the video thumbnail for the film!

The computer is currently restarting, though some of the issues won't be resolved until tomorrow. Good news is that video rendering was finished an hour ago!

10:56 PM - And we're back sooner than we thought! And on top of that, the restart fixed literally all of the issues, so it's back to sound editing we go!

11:47 PM - And that's a wrap! Officer Spot is officially in the can, so all that's left is to get the film exported, uploaded, and submitted. But don't go away yet! We have a few more surprises for you tonight!

11:55 PM - Almost there! The file has been created, so let's get it online! We'll be back once everything is said and done.

12:34 AM - It's a new day, but we are officially done with Officer Spot! It's been submitted and is officially entered into THAC 2022! With that, we have another film under our belts (and our first for 2022), so we're celebrating with some new promotional material! First up is the official poster!

This poster will be making its way to the official wiki this week, as well as to our online store later this year as part of the upcoming "Legendary Posters" collection. But if that's not enough, we also have the official soundtrack for the film now on our music channel! You can listen to it by clicking here.

And that concludes our coverage of the creation of Officer Spot. Thank you for joining us, and we'll have a new press release out later this week that will cover this film in more detail and officially canonize it for the cinematic universe. Have a good night.