Washington DC Independent Film Festival

We are excited to announce Ghosts Don’t Exist's first film festival! GDE has been officially selected to the DC Independent Film Festival (http://www.dciff.org), a GREAT local festival and voted by Movie Maker Magazine as one the top festivals for independent filmmakers! As of today, we are scheduled to close the festival on March 14. However, their site says schedule is subject to change until Feb. 1, when they will announce the final schedule. Please spread the word, and get your tickets early!

As always, thank you for your support and we hope to see you at the DCIFF!

It's Here!

The enhanced version of Ghost Capture for your iPhone is now available!

For just 99 cents, (with all sales going to help the film) you can get the eagerly-awaited full version of the popular app—which includes 20 brand new "ghosts" (30 total) to inhabit your photos!

If you've tried the original app, you know why it's been a hit. We've been getting some terrific stories from users, such as this one from "Cedar Park Tx":

"What makes this so cool is the ability to quickly punk someone. I took a picture of my wife on the stairs of our new home... In seconds I added a ghostly Victorian girl behind her. I suggested I send the photo to her girlfriend to show off our house. Within a minute she called wanting to know about the little girl in the photo and of course I played dumb. It TOTALLY freaked them out. It's being able to do slight of hand right in front of victims that makes this idea work. My only request is for a wider variety of ghosts, but by all means keep it simple like it is now. Great job guys!!"

We also get some that are funny in a darker sense, like this one from "Albert D":

"Ya, works too well. I deleted this app. I took a pic of a friend's dining room and placed the image of the little girl in the center and made her barely visible and sent it to my friend. He got so emotional. I deleted the pic from his computer and all settings, only to find out later he spent $100 on software to try to retrieve the photo from his computer. I felt so terribly guilty. To this day, I still feel bad inside."

Albert only gave us 1 star because of that experience, but hey—his story was priceless. :)

The most frequent request we receive is for "more ghosts." The new version contains plenty of that, with even more to come.

All future updates (and there are already some great ones in the works) will be completely free, as Ghost Capture continues to grow. Help support GDE by getting it now, and let us know what you think! Don't forget to check out the Gallery to see what users around the world have submitted, and submit your own creations!

New Year, New Ghosts!

To kick off the new year, Ghost Capture is launching a creepy new campaign to advertise the highly-anticipated enhanced version of its hit iPhone app, which allows users to create their own "paranormal" photos by inserting ghostly images into their own pictures—which they can adjust the size, positioning, and transparency of for surprisingly startling effects. They can then email the photos to friends, as well as upload to the official gallery at ghostsdontexist.com.

The new version will retail for 99 cents, and includes thirty ghosts to choose from (the original ten, plus twenty brand new ghouls!) Free future updates will continue to add to the spectral population, as well as categorizing images (males, females, shadow figures, orbs, faces, etc.). All earnings go towards supporting the film. The original version will remain available as a free app—Ghost Capture Lite.

The current edition has been a mainstay in the Top 20 Free Photography apps on iTunes for months now, going as high as #4 and topping the likes of Flickr and TwitPic! In fact, in Italy, it not only reached the #1 spot, but cracked the Top 10 of ALL free apps, regardless of genre!

The new ad campaign features some of the new "ghosts," and puts an even eerier spin on the concept by suggesting a "personal history" of sorts for each—alluding to how and when they entered the spirit world.

One of the characteristics that has helped Ghost Capture stand out from the pack is the use of more subtle, psychologically disturbing imagery... rather than the expected cliches of vampires, demons, blood, and gore. Users responded overwhelmingly to the image of a small Victorian girl with no eyes, consistently ranking it as a freaky favorite. This idea of a "regular person" from long ago (who's just slightly... irregular...) materializing in a contemporary photo... it struck a chord. Crafting a fictional history only enhances that effect, allowing the user's imagination to run wild as they add these ghostly figures to their own photos.

That's right—we said fictional history. ;)

In reality, all of the images used are custom creations from model-released stock photos and vintage family albums. Not only did these folks not meet tragic, gruesome ends—most are actually alive and well. And posing for other stock photos. :)

The process of creating a new ghoul for Ghost Capture often comes from unlikely images, which are usually anything but ominous.



Removing a few limbs, adding a ghostly pallor, and deadening the eyes of a photogenic little model... sometimes that's all it takes to create the mystique of a tragic 19th-century ghost—one your friends would be shocked to see materializing in the background of that New Year's Eve picture you just took! Gaaaah!!! :)

The enhanced version of Ghost Capture has a little something for everyone—including those who requested the more modern, distorted spectres one might find in a Japanese horror film, shadowy figures, faceless entities, and jilted decaying brides. The new app will be available early this year.

Ronna Wallace to Rep GDE

It is with great excitement that we announce a new member to the Ghosts Don’t Exist family. GDE will be repped by Producer’s Rep extraordinaire, Ronna Wallace. Ronna started out as an Executive Producer on films like Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs, Bad Lieutenant, and Bob Roberts. She is now one of the best in the biz at finding a home for films – repping movies like the successful horror, Open Water. Our goal from the beginning was to get her involved and for it to become official is a huge milestone for GDE. We’ve heard that she is picky about the projects she accepts, so for her to take on GDE speaks volumes.

As the Thanksgiving holiday approaches we are definitely THANKFUL for having Ronna on board and we’re excited to see what she can do with GDE!

Meet the Crew: Ed Mantell

I'm proud to say that Art Director Ed Mantell and I have a few things in common—one of them being the title, Art Director. While my title applies to the graphic design industry, Ed's calling is filmmaking; and there's nobody better at his craft than Ed Mantell.

I had the pleasure of working closely with Ed on the set of Ghosts Don't Exist, ensuring that he had access to digital props and other often-overlooked art department details. With every project, things sometimes have to change on the fly—even the script. I can recall a few instances (usually in the wee hours of the morning after a long shoot) when a scene called for something new; Ed would always respond with the same unflappable reply: "Copy that!" And within moments, he'd have it solved.

That's an art director's job on set and off—making sure that the film stays true to details and visual consistency. To say that it's a tough job is an understatement. It takes meticulous planning, and a careful eye to control the set after its been assembled—a particular challenge. Between takes, cast and crew typically relax momentarily and tend to forget their surroundings. That's when the rogue coffee cup sitting on a step may inadvertently be moved or thrown away—someone innocently having forgotten that it was a prop in an earlier scene that shouldn't be disturbed! Ed was always there preserving the set; taking careful photos and diligently monitoring every artistic detail.

Just as important as his expertise and professionalism is Ed's genuine personality. He's both a willing, generous teacher and mentor on set—and a student of the industry with a continual thirst for knowledge. And he's just a hell of a lot of fun to be around—a trait that so many on this team shared.

Like most of our other veteran crew members, there's much more to Ed Mantell than his art directing duties. He's accumulated a wealth of experience on both sides of the camera, having worked as an actor and extra in over 30 projects, including documentaries for PBS, The Discovery Channel, A&E, and many more. He's also been in several feature films, including Gods and Generals, War of the Worlds, Leatherheads, and the critically-acclaimed HBO mini-series, John Adams.

As is his nature, Ed makes a Herculean effort to understand the things that interest him, and he immerses himself. He's a certified Cannoner and Gun Commander (Certified by The National Civil War Artillery Association). He's also a living historian—having impersonated civilians and soldiers from the French and Indian War, the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, the Spanish-American War, WWI, WWII, and Vietnam—on film and for the general public.

It's also been suggested that Ed is a real-life pirate. But that's another story.



Undoubtedly, one of Ed's many skills is his chameleon-like ability to change appearance. I got to witness the transformation first-hand when he assumed a bit part in GDE as Bradford Walters, a character pivotal to the backstory. Ed effortlessly shifted gears on our very first day of filming, leaving his improvised art department desk briefly to don a vintage suit and take a turn in makeup artist's Jim Choate's chair. Reporting to set, he was a totally different person. He shot me a knowing wink and added, "Man of a thousand faces."



Ed's also an amazing drummer and guitarist—and one of the highlights of each day's wrap was the impromptu jam sessions with he, Sam Edens, and Gavin Peretti over a few beers. Where lesser crews might justifiably crash into bed after a grueling day, these guys would hold court for additional hours. And after hearing them play a few bars, most of us stuck around as well.



"Life isn't about finding yourself, Life is about creating yourself." This quote from George Bernard Shaw is one of Ed's favorites, and it's befitting. He continues to create himself with each project he undertakes, and in doing so, be a positive influence on everyone he works with.

On a sad note, 19th + Wilson and the entire Ghosts Don't Exist team extend our heartfelt condolences to Ed on the loss of his father, Carl Raymond Mantell, who passed away yesterday. Ed's dad was a piano and organ teacher, and had still been playing a midi accordion as a one-man polka band. Like his son, he sounds like a wonderful character. God bless you both.

Ghost Capture: Movin' On Up!

If you haven't downloaded Ghost Capture for your iPhone yet, there's never been a better time to do it. In honor of Halloween, it's available FREE until November 1st!

Our fun, paranormal photo manipulator is officially a hit—it's just cracked the coveted Top 20 free photography apps and is currently at #14! How awesome is that?!

However, now we really need your help RATING it in the iTunes store. Of the 4000+ who've downloaded it globally so far, only a hundred or so have actually given it a rating. If you enjoy the app, please take a moment to give it a good rating on iTunes—every new download helps spread the word about Ghosts Don't Exist, and that's the ultimate goal!

We're also in the process of planning the first major update for the app, so keep your eyes peeled. We've literally been receiving thousands of creepy images from Ghost Capture users around the world—which you can now browse through in the new Ghost Capture Gallery at the official site! Keep those freaky fotos coming!

The GDE iPhone App!

Ghosts Don't Exist is a first for 19th + Wilson on a number of fronts. It's our first feature-length film, and our first time working in high-def. It's also the first of our projects to spawn an official iPhone app!

Ghost Capture is a cool little application we designed ourselves, in the spirit of the film (no pun intended.) In short, it allows you to create realistic "paranormal" images right on your iPhone or iPod Touch. Here's the description from the iTunes App Store:

With Ghost Capture, you can manipulate any photo from your iPhone photo album. After choosing an image, (or taking a new photo directly through Ghost Capture) select a ghost to superimpose onto the photo. Choose from creepy Victorian children, faceless torsos, Civil War soldiers, ghostly orbs, and more. After placing the ghost, adjust the size, rotation, and transparency to achieve the optimum effect. Save and email your creation to your friends, and let them judge for themselves!

You'll be surprised at how creepy some of your own photos become. Transparent, creepy Victorian children and faceless torsos do have that effect, you know.

There's currently a page of 10 different "ghosts" to choose from, and we'll be adding plenty more in future updates.

The app is available on iTunes for .99 cents, with all earnings going to the film. So please help out by purchasing it and giving it a solid rating! Even if you don't have an iPhone or iPod Touch, you can still purchase the app through iTunes, if you'd like to help support us anyway. (And for when you do finally get that iPhone.) ;)