Wedding Updates posting every Monday.

Happy July and a Happy early Independence Day, y’all! Here in the high country of Colorado, the wild columbines are blooming on the forest floor; and the water level from snow melt off the peaks has dropped enough for safe river rafting. And after 24 eventful weeks of journaling, six whole months, this is Greg & Halle’s last entry at TheKnot.

We are switching our full attention to our new Collywood Studios & Entertainment web page, as well as our new feature film, “Crime In The Vines.” We will continue journaling on the new page about our filmmaking adventures, our pre-production process, and include a special intermittent section-within-a-section, “JFCYHSW?!? - Jesus Fucking Christ! You Haven’t Seen What!?!

Halle, blinking rapidly, a borderline lead stare after Greg suggests this acronym: Or… we can just call it ‘JFC.’

Greg: JFC? JFC also good.

It all stems from Greg’s sad lack of watching Tombstone. Halle will never forget the words “I haven’t seen Tombstone, I was doing other things” as she rounded a corner at the mountain house and stopped dead in her tracks. It was like a six shooter to the gut. Halle said, “I can’t be married to someone who hasn’t seen Tombstone” and sat Greg down immediately so he”ll never ever have to utter those crime-laden words again, “I haven’t seen Tombstone” to another soul and upset the world of cinema. Anyways…. He saw it-and was on the edge of his seat. Halle is proud to report that Greg is now her huckleberry. Except, consumption free thank God. RIP Doc, you old cur.

JFC will be where either Halle or Greg occasionally sits the other down with a movie they haven’t gotten around to seeing, and then offer a few brief thoughts or impressions about the film. It’s a fun way to review oldies but goodies with fresh eyes. We’ll dip into AFI Lists and other catalogs, and share our love of film with you.

This is familiar ground for Greg, as he’s been reviewing films all the way back to his days editing Spotlight, the school newspaper for the High School for the Performing & Visual Arts in Houston, Texas. He also reviewed dozens of terrible B Movies for the Damn Dirty Drive-In, his Mystery Science Theater 3000 and Rifftrax fan podcast.

Halle grew up in an odd movie environment. Didn’t have cable, and only had movies to choose from, so her movie knowledge is niche and wide at the same time, but also hasn’t seen classics like ET, and Bambi (well- that one is on purpose) but there’s still so much to see and learn from, and that excites her.

One last brief round up of the week:

Saturday morning, there was a chaotic farewell breakfast that featured karaoke, vigorous cat pets for visiting Sphinx cat Maple Syrup, as well as a few rounds of mini golf on Halle and Greg’s pair of Meta Occulus VR headsets. And then the remaining guests boarded planes, or packed up their RVs and cars and headed home.

Sunday evening, after every other guest had left and Greg and Halle could secure all the outside doors, the cats burst joyfully forth from their two-room house arrest. Yuki was overwhelmed with exploring the cavernous space of the mountain house, and his tail puffed up with over-stimulation. He had never known such big spaces to explore freely with windows of even bigger open spaces to gaze out of. Mamba and Spindle said hello to their old vacation stomping grounds of Summer and Fall 2023. Mamba headed to a window for a favorite sunbeam, her tail poking out beneath the curtain and swishing happily. Spindle stretched out on the living room carpet and sped around with a case of the zoomies.

Greg spent Monday and Tuesday slowly closing up the mountain house, putting away camp chairs and camp tables from out in the meadow, bringing in patio cushions from the porch, and doing light housework. He sadly pulled the lucky seven hummingbird feeders down, one by one, and set them on individual plates on the kitchen counter. Mama and Papa Tally would hang them again when they came up next. But this was the effective end for Greg’s hummingbird watching season.

Tuesday night, Las Vegas held the premiere of Brandon Slagle’s “Arena Wars,” where Greg plays wise-cracking political prisoner Goldie in a deadly dystopian reality show combat arena. Think “Gladiator” meets “Running Man.” Watch it on Amazon, iTunes, Google Play, Vudu, Xbox360 Live, Youtube, CinemaNow, Playstation, and various other streaming platforms.

Wednesday, Greg woke up early and drove to Denver to return to work.

Halle spent her time taking the cats back down from the mountains, and boy did no one want to leave. She left in a hurry, car running with the AC because it was the one day that was over 80 in the mountains and Denver, but had to get humans to the airport on time. Halle did just that and said goodbye to her dearest friends and tried not to cry with every single one leaving. Luckily there’s video chat! Halle and Greg almost nearly perfectly timed an airport run to when Greg got back in town and we got to spend a quiet evening at home, married, and back to the routines of such.

So what’s next? We are finally home, and get to engage in the quotidian activity of unpacking and organizing our remaining moving boxes, as well as all the gear from our Amazon wedding registry. We schedule further field testing of all the equipment in our new camera kit. And we check in to see if our supported submission for the Telluride Film Festival is accepted. And monitor closely the State of Colorado’s bid to move the Sundance Film Festival to Boulder, starting in 2027. Plus all the paperwork and final negotiations for “Crime in the Vines.”

For TheKnot, we’ll add some wedding photos as they become available. But that will be a little while yet.

Reflecting on our wedding day, and the buildup to it, we are overwhelmed with gratitude for the love and support we received from our cherished friends and family. Our wedding registry played a crucial role in making our celebration everything we had dreamed of, and more. The generosity of our guests, who contributed to our film kit, helped to create a day filled with joy, laughter, and cherished memories as we built our film studio. From the smallest details to the grandest gestures, each gift from our registry added to the magic of our special day, and for that, we will be forever grateful.

Thank you for helping Halle with her new lighting and sound kits, both for one-off freelance projects, as well as her and Greg’s long term projects. Thank you for stocking up the studio with valuable and useful gear.

If you gave to us, our heartfelt thanks. If you’re still thinking about sending us a present, we also appreciate that. If you send us nothing but well wishing, that’s OK, too. Just reading our stories and participating with us has been enormously meaningful to both Greg and Halle.

These last six months of sharing our wedding adventures have kept us grounded and sane, even in the most trying of times. We are truly grateful for that. So thanks again everyone for your generous help with our studio, believing in us, and for following us! And one last time here, we are so excited for what the future holds! The best days are yet to come. And as they say in Tombstone, “Well… bye.”

In Love & Film,

Greg & Halle

P.S. Watch these various spaces for more:

Halle

Facebook: HalleCapone

Instagram: HalleCapone

Tik Tok: hallecapone

Greg

Facebook: RealGregTally

Instagram: RealGregTally

Tik Tok: RealGregTally

Collywood Studios

Web:http://www.collywoodstudios.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/100092624675711

Instagram: CollywoodStudios

Day 3+ of our Marriage. It’s the first weekday after the wedding. Halle and Greg are enjoying a few days in the cool of the mountains, before heading back “down the hill” to our lives in Denver.

What a Friday afternoon it was, on the Summer Solstice, graced later that evening by a full Strawberry Moon! With a light drizzle and a few guests stuck in construction on I-70, we delayed the ceremony until 2 pm. And then magically, the rain stopped, the sun came out, and a solitary raven flew over the wedding tent, just as the music began to play by Greg’s son Joe, beautifully strumming Zep’s “Going to California” chosen by Halle as a little wink to Greg. What a blessing and sacred moment in the enchanted aspen grove we chose to exchange our vows.

Special thanks go out to the wedding party: To Rev. Bree Barnes for walking Halle down the rose petal-strewn aisle, as well as delivering a chin quivering ceremony like you do this everyday; To Best Dad Richard Tally for standing in his tux by Greg’s side, a pillar of stoic fatherly support; To Maid of Honor Kendall Iris Devine for walking Halle down the aisle and witnessing this moment knowing Halle the longest (whilst rocking that glittery purple pantsuit being a beacon of light); To Ring Bearer Waffles the Pug and human handler Caroline Tally who manages Pug energy perfectly; To Guitar Player Joseph Tally for strumming effortlessly; To Wedding Photographer Enrique Garcia clicking endlessly; To A/V engineer Julio Rodriguez spinning the tunes, his wife Brenda, and their kids Chris and Emily who helped expert Floral Artist Mama Tally with the flower arranging and the general “chaos” of wedding prep.

Thank you to the professionals who catered and served from our Colorado Wine Country Inn, Bridgit Zlab and Dave Kassera. Your food and hospitality were impeccable. It made a special day even more special. We’ll be dreaming of that prime rib and grilled pheasant sausage for years to come. Halle may have already taken a picture of the package to order more.

Thank you to Cornerstone Chocolates for the delectably made wedding cake and groom’s cake. It was exactly what Halle and Greg wanted, and tasted so so good. Waffles definitely agreed! There’s not much of it left. We have chosen to participate in the tradition of freezing the top, so we’ll be having some more a year from now!

A huge shout out to Ron McAdams for your help, support, friendship, sage advice, and even tempered nature. You were everywhere, being amazing, looking dapper, and inspiring laughter as always. Thank YOU.

And a special thanks again to hosts and and founders of the feast Jean and Richard Tally, for the tent and location, amazing meals, the wedding cakes, flowers and loaners of Colorado Wine Country Inn Equipment and Personnel. We’re glad so much of our special day will enjoy a second life with the F & B of so many future events and other folk’s special days. It was truly a perfect day, and we both love you so much. Thank you for this beautiful gift.

Thank you to Spindle, Yuki and Mamba for being so patient for being cooped up in a room until you could roam free again. You are the best of kitties and Halle thanks Yuki for not trying to escape, although the contraption of bungee cords and cast iron kettle attached to the doorknob to keep you inside was pretty solid (Halle thanks Julio and Greg for that weirdness, and everyone that can read a sign). Thank you to Coffee the Pug, Maple Syrup the Sphinx, Simon the Chihuahua and Reggie the Yorkie for your roles as Best Supporting Mammals in the grand spectacle of this craziness.

And thanks to Bucky the Mule Deer and his Doe Friend Fawn, that Very Inquisitive Raven, the herd of Elk, and One Million Hummingbirds for making the day even more special with your wildness. The sounds of birds chirping throughout the event was magical. Bring sugar water… and hummingbirds will come.

And thank you thank you thank you to all our guests, family and supporters who shared the gift of their time and celebrated our major life event, and the affirmation of our love.

We recognize the importance of family, and appreciate Lynne and Roger Reynolds for representing all the assorted Tallys, Blairs and Reynolds. And a big, big thank you to Alejandro Luna for both cat sitting while we were in France, leaving reminders of LA around our house, refilling our soaps, laughing at Greg’s Stupid Dad Jokes, and being a special part of Halle’s Chosen Family on her special day. Thank you to our dear friend Riley, who held Halle’s train and accompanied her in the moment right before, and for getting Greg and Halle through some interesting and challenging life times with her brilliant storytelling ability, improv, and game making, keeping us thoroughly socialized and entertained-we are so grateful for you. We feel very loved.

And definitely thank you to all the wellwishers with your cards and online messages, as well as all the wonderful gifts!!!

With the countdown to our wedding now reversed, and racking up active days of wedded matrimony, we're filled with gratitude for the support we've received. Our Amazon wedding registry is a reflection of our shared hopes and dreams for the future of our filmmaking, and your donation has really helped bring those dreams to life. And it’s still not too late, the registry is still up! Thank you for being a part of our journey and helping us create memories that will last a lifetime.

Before they play us off, thank you again everyone for, well, really everything, and for everyone believing in and following our wedding adventures! We are so excited for what the future holds! With all of you in the picture (and future moving pictures), it holds beautiful things indeed.

In Love & Film,

Greg & Halle

Countdown - 4 Days Until Our Marriage. Happy Day After Father’s Day, to all you dads out there!

Last week was a beautiful buildup of entertaining guests as the early bird helpers arrived. Wednesday, Halle and Greg went to the Oriental Theater to see post-punk band The Chameleons, our very first concert together. Halle has been trying to see them for years living in LA and has always missed them. It would always seem to land on a night before Day 1 of some production, or on actual Day 1, and Halle has a strict no going out policy if crewing a movie. Halle is one of those people that consistently opts out of “fun” for sleep to be the best version of herself on set.

We had to leave three songs into their first set, but yay-Halle finally got to see them play live in the flesh! Leaving was to pick up Halle’s bestie Bree at the airport. And so ensued late nights of conversation and laughter and ordering in delicious meals - Thai and Vietnamese and Mexican. The biggest trips were out for gelato and sitting on the stoop, or in the park next to the bocce ball courts. Halle is finally inspired to follow in her Nanu’s footsteps and order a set. Someone has to set the Pallino standard in Denver. Oh and speaking of Italians, we also ventured out for gabagool sandwiches at the local deli.

There was also a very specific movie watch - “Under Paris.” For a French shark movie set in the Seine, it was a surprisingly good and entertaining jump scare monster movie. The cinematography was pretty impeccable considering some of the complicated shots they had to pull off. It was a good story too, which you don’t find too often with shark movies. We both highly recommend it. The cats were just impatient to watch more birds and squirrels on Cat TV streamed onto the flatscreen.

Greg is back in the mountains again, lugging lots of gear to help with the wedding, while Halle and Bree are following behind with kitties. Friends are traveling from all over America and all over the globe to attend the wedding.

Friend Julio drove into Colorado in his RV, Sonny the Sunseeker from the Rio Grande Valley, with a big bag of delicious RGV tamales in the fridge. Friend Kyosuke is flying all the way from Japan, friend Ron from Missouri, friend Alexander from Massachusetts, friends Luna and Enrique from Los Angeles. And so many more friends from California and Texas.

Everyone is ready for a Rocky Mountain wedding at 8,700 feet. It’s going to be a fun week of socializing. Of front yard barbecues and friend’s gatherings at the local brewpub.

And there’s also flower arranging with Mama Jean, a couple dips back into Denver to pick more folks up. Not the least of which are Greg’s daughter Caroline and her partner Camdon, bringing their “breakfast pets” - sphynx cat Maple Syrup, and pugs Waffles and Coffee. The puggos will be ring bearers, and their doggy bowties are all ready to go! Greg’s son Joseph is flying in from New York, to play Halle down the aisle on his acoustic guitar.

Just to spice it up a bit, we have five juvenile mountain lions roaming together as an uncharacteristic pride across the property, as well as bears, coyotes, bobcats and now… even wolves reintroduced by the Colorado Division of Wildlife. Not to mention deer and elk and moose. We humans will just have to travel in pairs, and bring inside the garbage and hummingbird feeders at night.

Sure, there’s also a lot of wedding set up and work to do as well. We are so happy for the lots of willing, helping hands to pitch in.

As we prepare to exchange vows at the end of the week, and begin our journey as a married couple, we're grateful for the love and support of our friends and family. Our Amazon wedding registry is an opportunity for you to share in our joy and excitement. Your donation will help us create a legacy of love and art that is truly special and unforgettable. Visit our registry and help us build the foundation for a lifetime of making movie magic together.

So thanks again everyone for your generous help with our studio, and for following our wedding adventures! Wish us luck, and see you on the other side. We are so excited for what the future holds!

In Love & Film,

Greg & Halle

Countdown - 11 Days Until Our Marriage. June is Bustin’ Out All Over! And oh my gosh, and hoo doggies, we are getting SO CLOSE! The aspens and cottonwoods are acid green with new leaves, and dropping cottony catkins that float like snow through the Rockies. And we are engaged in final prep.

Greg is fresh back from five days in the mountains, trying to keep his elderly parents from injuring themselves with heavy tasks. Mama Jean took a nasty spill and hit her head on a rock. Stubborn lady tried to trade in her cane for a shovel and was chopping away at a root when she tumbled. Classic ginger move. Fortunately, it was just an ugly scrape and bump that bled a lot. We are all monitoring; but her shoveling days are over!

Greg was in red carpet wear and silk bow ties ten days ago. But up in the mountains at Casa de Tally, it was sweaty bluejeans and t-shirts. Greg moved 500 pounds of salt out of Papa Richard’s pick up to the utility room for the water filter; he dug holes, mowed the lawn, cleaned the garage, and moved patio furniture by himself. He was super happy to make a giant cauldron of sugar water and fill all the nectar feeders, which are covered again with broad tailed, and Roufus and other local hummingbirds.

While mowing the side yard, Greg took a spill of his own. He decided to mow the top landing step as a final act, and backed into and flipped over a big boulder from the walkway into the grass. Classic ginger move. He knocked the wind out of his lungs and lay there for a minute, then remembered to cuss.

In Denver, Halle worked on unpacking more moving boxes, and readying the house for the Reverend Bree Barnes to fly into town. There is so much still to straighten and organize. While cleaning, Halle missed an entire step while racing down the stairs and landed on her ankle. Classic ginger move.

Science experiment over. Three out of three gingers agree: gravity works! Halle’s grandmother (also a ginger) warned her that common sense was an inherent skill, but clumsy was genetic, and always apologized for it. Halle understands that apology now.

(Greg wanted to make an extremely dark and tasteless joke about “Anatomy of a Fall,” which Halle quickly removed. This is the sad remnant of that tastelessness.)

Carrot top pratfalls aside, part of the race to empty boxes is the wonderful problem of making the space to accommodate everyone’s generosity with building up our camera kit. Halle has more gaff tape than she knows what to do with at this point, and is happy that there’s enough pelican cases coming in to hold some of these important items like sound gear, and Lav mics. Halle’s sound kit is complete again, and she thanks you dearly!!! Halle and Greg say more lights, if anyone can swing it!

Seriously, y’all, your help has been a source of comfort and joy during this busy time of wedding planning and movie pre-pro. Our Amazon wedding registry is a reflection of our hopes and dreams for the future, and your donation will play a crucial role in bringing those dreams to life. Whether you're able to give a little or a lot, your contribution is greatly appreciated. Thank you for being a part of our journey to make great film together!

Halle is excited to pick out a gaffer to use all these cool toys for Collywood’s next film… which we are PROUD to announce will be the comedy crime drama, “Crime in the Vines.” Watch this IMDb as we announce the cast and crew!

Three out of three gingers also agree - thanks again everyone for your generous help with our studio, and for following our wedding adventures! We are so excited for what the future holds!

In Love & Film,

Greg & Halle

Countdown - 18 Days Until Our Marriage. And Happy Pride Month! We are back from France and grateful to be home again in Denver.

Last Tuesday, we took TGV bullet trains from Cannes to Avignon, and Avignon to Charles de Gaulle airport. This mode of travel is a dream to pack a picnic and look out the window at the countryside, if you travel light. We did not travel light. Our two diva cases of festival and wedding wear was like traveling with two mini fridges full of bricks… plus two regular carry-on suitcases, two laptop bags, and two canvas bags loaded with drinks and snacks.

The snacks got consumed. The ham sandwiches and Orangina and Paprika chips and a big box of chocolate and marzipan were all enjoyed over the course of the day. But oof… the lumbar stress and near hernias of lugging that much crap.

Halle very gracefully did not murder a group of clueless French grannies dithering at the stairs inside the train and causing a log jam of people trying to hop aboard in the very narrow three minute window before the doors hissed shut and the train sped off. Some judicious bilingual swearing and loud Italian hands saved the day and a little girl from getting smooshed. Halle learned that day that not everyone inside their own country knows how to “train” well, or is well trained.

While at the Avignon train station, we noticed some beautiful poppies growing stubbornly out of a crack in the concrete. The same poppies that sprung up on Flanders Field after the horrific battles of World War One. Resilience in the face of adversity. This is something Halle and Greg know well.

The aggravation of French grannies to one side, Halle and Greg have faced a lot as a couple. And we mean a lot a lot. We have chosen to lean into love and very doggedly pursue our dreams and one another. Greg has taken to calling us “Stubborn Little Poppies,” or “The Stubborn Ones.” No obstacle too great. Love always wins, especially when paired with faithful, consistent tenacity.

We chased the sun on Wednesday from Europe to the middle of North America, flying over Iceland and its volcanoes glinting with snow and glaciers in the afternoon Atlantic sunlight. Halle woke Greg up to see the spectacle. Iceland…soon we shall know you.

The flight was mostly boring and uneventful, Halle really doesn’t like flying, and a white knuckle landing in a thunderstorm was facing all the fears. The pilot didn’t say it, but we were running out of fuel and he had to fight windsheer to get us safely on the runway. Hats off to that steely eyed French pilot, for all our sakes.

On the Air France flight home, Halle Watched “Killers of the Flower Moon,” and “Poor Things,” while Greg watched Gene Kelly’s “An American In Paris.”

Halle was impressed with the sheer amount of shots in gaudy 1950s Technicolor in “An American in Paris.” Dolly shots moving in from 30 feet into a macro, and you could tell they used some of the last shots of the day with how shaky and nervous Gene Kelly’s hand is while holding this beautifully lit single rose - she just can’t get over how they must have done it. There were so many complicated setups in this movie, so many striking sets and costumes and visuals, and hearing the dialogue was hardly necessary with how loud Greg’s headphones were turned up, and Halle’s ability to read lips. Greg just wanted all that lush Gershwin jazz poured right into his ear holes.

“Killers of the Flower Moon,” Halle won’t spoil it other than it’s a necessary watch to understand and feel your history. “Poor Things” - a necessary watch for any filmmaker who considers themselves a Gilliam fan. Yorgos is slowly taking that space Gilliam left. It’s imaginative, fun, and darkly funny. If you don’t like it-you probably don’t get it and that’s ok… Halle remembers her first beer too 😉.

When we returned home, we were astonished to find friend and house sitter Luna had cleaned our house from top to bottom. The cats were so overjoyed to see us, that they mostly forgot to be spicy. Luna left little trinkets for Halle and Greg to find and both of us have only found one, a llama; and although he thought that would be an annoying joust-it’s entertaining both of us.

And Thursday after months of waiting, Greg’s wedding ring arrived in the mail from Oore Jewelry. All the bands are now in our possession. It’s rose gold and comes to a swooshing point, and fit for a Tolkien Elf King. He can’t wait for Halle to slip it on his finger on the Summer Solstice.

While we struggle with our jet lag, Halle decided to make a side trip to Michael’s to create a Shadowbox of our handfasting knot. She wanted themes of the ocean and movies. Beach and sea trinkets were easy to find, but film stuff admittedly a little thin on the ground. Greg cleverly rounded up little stainless sewing bobbins and shiny black ribbons to turn into film reels. Halle painted the white sprockets and breaks in the film with white paint. She also took treasure chest jewelry charms and filled them with sea glass collected from the Mediterranean. Halle is very crafty and could have been a prop maker in another life.

In other movie news, Collywood has its first titled and produced movie trailer out, “Devil’s Knight.” It’s a cheese-tastic fantasy TTRPG campaign turned into an action horror movie. Greg plays the big bad named Monsignor Mustela, the evil chamberlain to the king. He is also co-producer and line producer, so it is a fun first foray for Collywood’s name on a slate. Produced in conjunction with Mahal Empire, Stag Mountain Films and Wicked Monkey Pictures. You can watch the trailer here.

We will be announcing our first solo produced movie in the weeks ahead.

In the meantime, with just a few weeks left until our wedding, we're filled with excitement and gratitude for the incredible support we've received. Our Amazon wedding registry is the perfect way for you to be a part of our special day, and our plans for further building Collywood Studios. Whether you're able to donate individually or pool resources with friends, your contribution will help turn our dreams into reality. Visit our registry today and help us create art and memories that will last a lifetime.

So thanks again everyone for your generous help with our studio, and for following our wedding adventures! We are so excited for what the future holds! After all, you never know where we stubborn little poppies will be popping up next.

In Love & Film,

Greg & Halle

Countdown - 25 Days Until Our Colorado Marriage. Whelp, we tied the knot yesterday! Under a rosé-colored sunset sky, along the Plage Midi on the French Riviera.

The ceremony was short, sweet and elegant. We are not citizens of the EU (not yet, anyway 😉), so we can not legally wed inside the Schengen. So the “real deal” ceremony occurs next month in Colorado.

Halle’s bestie, the Reverend Bree Barnes tied the knot in a hand fasting ceremony, with cords Halle wove herself including our favorite colors of rope. Bree had a few wise things to say, that left shining eyes and a sniffle or two.

Bree’s curated words had affirmation, commitment, and love as the centerpiece of her words. It was beautiful, and a moment we will both cherish for the rest of our lives.

And then a run in the surf, hand in hand to Halle and Greg’s favorite spot, Plage Waikiki. We ordered a giant bottle of rosé, iced prawns the size of puppies, salmon tatar and tandoori grilled salmon and other amazing dishes in the post wedding feast.

This last week included many happy days at Waikiki, on the tail end of the Festival de Cannes. Halle and Greg arrived at the train station and Ubered to a beautiful apartment on the Rue du Clemenceau, named after the prime minister and savior of France during World War I, who grew up along the Suquet. Halle learned he was fond of many cultures, including local Jews and fought for equality through the written and spoken word.

We learned and experienced so much this last week:

- Air France is a more comfortable airline with better food than British Airways or Lufthansa.

- Staying at Charles deGaulle Paris to catch your train the next morning is like staying in the Newark, New Jersey of France. It was dirty, industrial and we did not feel safe. Halle could not breathe in that level of humidity and smog.

- Cannes by contrast feels very safe, relaxed and comfortable. We felt extremely at ease walking seaside, through the neighborhoods and Old Town, even alone.

- Icy cold cocktails under the green umbrellas on the lawn of the Hotel Mondrian is more bearable at dusk than the throbbing heat of the day. Halle says the Paloma was comparable to LA.

- If you order chocolat mousse at Californie, the best “people-watching” cafe by the Croisette, they will bring you a cake mixing bowl with spatulas, and you will be eating mousse for days. Buyer beware 😂

- There are great mermaid rings and pirate candy to be found while shopping on the Rue Meynardier.

- The Greek restaurant Parthenopi still has one of the best fish dishes on the planet, their fried sea breem.

- The winner of this years Palm d’Or for best picture was Sean Baker’s Anore. Greg has met Sean before, and was at the premiere of Red Rocket in ‘21. Both Greg and Halle cite Baker’s filming Tangerine with iPhones as part of their process for their upcoming projects.

- The owner of the CBD coffee shop, Jean Paul (the Pope of CBD), expressed the love hate relationship the townies have with the festival. He stuck his nose in the air and tapped the end of it and said, “Snobs. Their movies are merde.” We laughed. Jean was more of an action flick kind of guy. Marvel specifically.

We're overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and support as we attempt to equip ourselves for our own particular brand of merde film.

Our Amazon wedding registry is brimming with items that will help make our future film projects together unforgettable. Your donation, no matter the amount, will contribute to the magic of our dreams and create cherished art that will last a lifetime. Thank you for being a part of our journey.

It’s the day after the beach ceremony and Hand Fasting and exchange of vows at sunset. We are back on the Plage, soaking up the last bit of surf and yummy food, and sun before the long train ride and plane flight home. Bree and Halle have spent many hours in the surf, searching for sea glass and will come home with many treasures.

It’s been a magical week. Thanks again everyone for your generous help with our studio, and for following our wedding adventures! We are so excited for what the future holds!

In Love & Film,

Greg & Halle

Countdown - 32 Days Until Our Marriage. And not even a week until our handfasting and exchange of vows on the beach in Cannes!

With the modern world being a wondrous, connected technological marvel, we are writing this post over Greenland at 30,000 feet, aboard our flight inbound to Europe. We are in our comfy Air France seats, enjoying mushroom ravioli and quinoa and cheese as we write this.

Greg and Halle tackled a significant project by building a closet organizer and reviving his Hollywood Diva Closet in Denver. Handy Halle assembled the furniture… Gawky Greg held the shelf fasteners for her and um… made sandwiches, and fetched cold drinks and stuff. (Hey, we all have our weak points).

But once Halle stepped back, kissed Greg on the forehead and teased him about, “Boys and their projects,” Greg jumped right in. With meticulous care, he sorted and hung up his beloved collection of Hawaiian shirts, his dazzling Elton John-esque red carpet attire, and his “Chad Wear” and “Brad Wear” - more reserved business outfits suitable for managing the hotel, as well as his more outdoorsy Denver attire. Halle shook her head, “Duder, you have more clothes than me.” Greg is sorry, not sorry.

In the build up to leave, all the rituals of packing for an overseas trip have been observed… The “Panicked Search for the Passport,” the “Puzzled Hunt for the Travel Hangers,” the, “Hey, Where are Halle’s Shoes?”

Clearing this clutter off the spare bed has not only made our guest bedroom more inviting, but has also allowed us to tackle more unpacking of the remaining boxes from January. And have a place for our house sitters to crash. Upon our return home, one more solid push and we will be finally, gloriously moved in together.

On the hotel front, our Stanley the Stegosaurus statue got his annual makeover coat of paint.

After 24 hours knocking around the City of Lights, we are taking the high speed TGV down to the French Riviera.

Back home in Denver, so many nice additions to our camera kit continue to roll in… the always useful gift cards, a light tube, a soft box light adapter, a second, “B cam” tripod.

Your kindness and thoughtfulness have touched our hearts as we prepare for our wedding. With our Amazon wedding registry, you have the opportunity to contribute to our happiness in a meaningful way. Whether you choose to donate individually or pool resources with others, your generosity will make a difference in us building our studio. We're grateful for your support and can't wait to share our special day with you.

So thanks again everyone for your generous help with our movie making dreams, and for following our wedding adventures! We are so excited for what the future holds!

In Love & Film,

Greg & Halle

Countdown - 39 Days Until Our Marriage. It’s the day after Mother’s Day. Tomorrow, the Festival de Cannes opens! And in one week, we fly to Paris!

Greg spent last week in Oregon with his daughter Caroline. He used a corporate training course as an opportunity to also hang out with his kiddo in Portland and in the Columbia River Gorge. He and Caroline stood in the spray of Multnomah Falls, and ate brunch in the cafe. The waterfalls have been used in multiple productions, most notably recently Twilight and The Shack. He sent Halle pictures and she couldn’t stop singing the “hoa hoa hoa” song and Greg is still confused. +10 points for those that get it. And at least Greg and Halle will have their own opportunity to sparkle on the red carpets in Cannes. Vampires need not apply.

While he attended all day training, Caroline enjoyed exploring the area by foot, walking the river path and visiting the nearby Sequoia tree in a park, as well as the local history museum.

In his twenty years of ownership, Greg has never been general manager of the Dino Hotel, only an owner. That journey reached a completion with him receiving his general manager’s certificate, in tandem with Blanchard Exchange Leadership certification.

On the tail end of the seminar, Greg and Caroline drove up to Timberline Lodge on nearby Mount Hood. The Timberline is a parkitecture hotel without a national park, a grand old building in the national forest system known to moviegoers everywhere as the exterior shots Stanley Kubrick used in his version of The Shining. Greg was gratified to find many of the homey little touches he’s implemented at the hotel also at the Timberline… a library, game shelf stocked with lots of UNO, coloring and crafting station, and lawn games. And Greg was thrilled when his son Joe wrapped up his semester at Reed College and joined him and Caroline for the flight home.

Halle held down the fort at the hotel, logging long hours and chasing an unscrupulous boiler install team around the property. At least they brought conciliatory donuts… then proceeded to eat the donuts. She wished she had time to work on creative things physically, but instead came up with a whole new ending for her documentary. She’s excited with the new direction. A creative mind never stops creating, even when under stress, no sleep, and holding it all together with only a few cuss words uttered. (OK. A LOT of cuss words, thanks Nanu the Fisherman for teaching Halle the good ones…Cazzo…Salve in heaven ya old dog!).

The hotel was sold out or nearly sold out nearly every night last week. Both food trucks (BBQ Friday night and Cajun Saturday) were a hit. After working a triple shift, 24 hours straight, Greg stood in the lobby and handed out flowers to all the Moms and Pet Moms at breakfast. Lots of smiles and happy customers around the hotel, these days.

And the RSVPs and wedding presents continue to roll in - backpacks, gift cards, any number of useful items.

As Halle and Greg continue to fine-tune the details for our special day in June, we're reminded of the incredible generosity of our friends and family. Our Amazon wedding registry is filled with essentials and cherished items that will enhance our filmmaking. Your donation will not only bring us to building out our little studio, but will also serve as a reminder of the love and support surrounding us as we embark on this new chapter together.

So thanks again everyone for your generous help with our studio, and for following our wedding adventures! We are so excited for what the future holds!

In Love & Film,

Greg & Halle

Countdown - 46 Days Until Our Marriage. It’s the day after Cinco de Mayo, and two days after the high holy Star Wars Day. Our days are busy, happy, and full. Wedding pre-production is speeding up, as more friends and family jump into the preparations to help. And around the Front Range, the lilacs in their lavenders and whites are in full bloom.

Greg moved around pool furniture on the patio and doubled the seating capacity of the breakfast room with more tables, chairs, and black and white striped umbrellas and chair cushions. At long last, the giant chess board was properly set up, with giant Connect Four, giant Jenga, and cornhole nearby. Families have been enjoying the lawn games on the cool May evenings ever since.

Greg and Halle made a trip to the local nursery to buy flowers and hanging baskets for the hotel grounds, and some more landscaping for the handful of trees and shrubs that need replacing after each winter.

Three large landscaping granite boulders and three medium granite boulders are being delivered by the nursery. (These are to protect our cable box from being perpetually run over by drunks); Along with five hardy blue spruce bushes and five medium blue spruce trees. Halle put her personal stamp on the hotel by selecting three large purple lilac bushes. All will be planted and placed at the Dino Hotel, in the weeks ahead.

Purple lilacs have long been associated with love and romance, making them a popular choice for weddings and other romantic occasions. In Victorian times, giving someone a lilac flower symbolized the beginning of a new love or the renewal of an existing one.

Legend has it that the lilac's intoxicating fragrance has the power to evoke passion and desire. In ancient Greek mythology, the god Pan fell in love with a nymph named Syringa, who transformed herself into a lilac bush to escape his advances. From that day on, the lilac became a symbol of love's ability to overcome obstacles.

And there was some serious crafting going on, as well. Halle's dedication to weaving her own macrame handfasting cords speaks to her deep connection to tradition and symbolism. As she sits at her work station, the gentle sunlight streaming through the window, she meticulously braids each cord with care and intention. In the ancient Celtic tradition, hand fasting was a sacred ritual symbolizing the binding together of two souls in marriage. The cords, often made from natural materials like hemp or silk, are intricately woven to represent the intertwining of the couple's lives and destinies.

Today, the true significance of hand fasting and the act of "tying the knot" has been somewhat forgotten. (Even though we are literally posting this story on TheKnot!) Beyond its superficial meaning as a simple metaphor for marriage, handfasting carries profound spiritual and symbolic weight. It signifies the joining of two individuals in a bond that is both physical and metaphysical, a union that transcends the material world. By braiding her own handfasting cords, Halle not only honors this ancient tradition but also fills her marriage ceremony to Greg with a deeper sense of meaning and connection.

Stuff has been chugging right along in other wedding related areas, as well. The Right Reverend Bree Barnes is going over the details of the ceremonies in France and Colorado, and working on her speeches. Friends from around the globe have booked more rooms in the Vail Valley for the June wedding. And a handful more invitations arrived in people’s mailboxes. Also several really swell, film-related presents arrived at Greg and Halle’s townhome: some nice gift cards, a softbox light, an Aputure Amaran spotlight, a small underwater digital camera. We are so grateful for all of them!

This level of generosity means the world to us, as we approach our wedding day. With our Amazon wedding registry still in progress, we're counting on your support to make our celebration truly unforgettable. Every contribution, big or small, brings us closer to realizing our vision for making film. Visit our registry today and consider making a donation to help us create lasting art.

So thanks again everyone for your generous help with our studio, and for following our wedding adventures! We are so excited for what the future holds!

In Love & Film,

Greg & Halle

Countdown - 52 Days Until Our Marriage. This last week has been all about getting the hotel to perform at a maximum capacity, both in occupancy and staff performance. And shifting into this week, it is all about insisting on time for one another.

On the Dino Hotel side of things, May 1 holds special significance for Greg as it marks the 20-year anniversary of owning the hotel. It's a milestone that fills us with pride and gratitude for the journey we're now sharing together.

In spite of the pouring rain and intermittent snow, the hotel sold out, and the food trucks ran out of food. Happy guests wrapped themselves in their panchos and ordered burgers and wings, and sat inside Paleo Joe’s eating dinner. The UNO decks were checked out of the Little Lobby Library, and vicious games of familial bloodletting ensued.

Greg is dusting his shoulders after checking out almost 70 guests by himself Sunday morning. The complimentary coffee was hot and kept on coming, the new kid’s cereal bar at breakfast was a sugar-fueled hit.

So now it’s Monday. So after a leisurely sleeping in, which rarely happens lately, Halle and Greg went to the Denver Zoo. Over 3,500 animals representing over 450 species and we saw - um, some of them! It was a warm day, and the green lawns were dotted with yellow dandelions, and flower beds with tulips and columbines. Halle stood at the lilac trees for awhile, just gazing.

At the zoo entrance, a work friend who also works for the concierge desk ran out and gave us a free membership pass, which was a touching and sweet thing to do. We saw okapis and giraffes and hippos, and adorable little monkeys with huge white Lorax mustaches. We ate stir fry and kettle corn and Dippin Dots. And rode the carousel. Halle sat on a cheetah, and Greg a tapir. It was a beautiful couple's day, and after the onslaught of work, a much needed reconnection.

In the realm of filmmaking, Halle has been pondering her philosophy of "Filming With Less," particularly focusing on the concept of an Economy of Cast and applying that to the next feature film Collywood produces. This involves crafting scripts with fewer characters, typically around fourteen or fewer. She has been reflecting on the numerous benefits this approach can bring to storytelling, from tighter narratives to more intimate character development, not to mention the cost savings of housing and feeding a smaller group of actors.

Halle is currently envisioning the storyboards in shot form in her head, and is so excited to get through the shot list for this film. She can already see a lot of it, but some of the casting choices will better inform the process.

As invitations start arriving in mailboxes across the globe, Halle and Greg also want to express our gratitude for the support we've received as we prepare for our upcoming wedding. Our Amazon wedding registry is still in progress, and we're in need of various essentials to make our special day everything we've dreamed of. Whether you choose to contribute individually or pool resources with friends or even strangers, every bit helps us achieve our goals. Remember to check the registry to see if others have already contributed toward a gift; you might find that some bigger ticket items are more within reach than you initially thought.

Once again, we want to thank everyone for their generosity and for joining us on this incredible journey. We're filled with excitement and anticipation for what the future holds, both in our personal lives and in our creative endeavors.

In Love & Film,

Greg & Halle

Countdown - 60 Days Until Our Marriage. Happy Earth Day and chag Pesach kasher vesame'ach, to all who celebrate! It is Passover, and life is doing anything but passing us by.

French orange juice. It just hits different. Especially when served on the French Riviera, surf hissing on the fine pebbles and sand, a warm hazy sun just peeking through the clouds, at our favorite beach club restaurant. French OJ is fresh squeezed, and not as sweet as its American counterpart. But it is also Halle and Greg’s short hand for the sweet days ahead as we travel to France to exchange our vows.

Saying "French OJ" to one another is what keeps us going amid exhaustion and chaos. We are severely over-extended, severely depleted, y’all. The dishes and laundry may stack up, and the moving boxes remain unpacked. But through extreme hard work, we are slowly, surely prevailing.

Lately, Greg has been sleeping four hours and working for twenty, while simultaneously attending hospitality classes and running the Dino Hotel. The summer high season with all its vibrancy, complaints and challenges, is in full swing.

Thanks largely to the Red Rocks Summer Concert Series that kicked off on April 19th and runs through November 15th, with diverse acts like Primus, Wiz Khalifa, Widespread Panic, The Avett Brothers, Imagine Dragons, James Taylor, Brandi Carlile &, Khruangbin, Lord Huron, Little Nas with The Colorado Symphony, Jason Mraz, Mt. Joy, and Deadmau5. The line up definitely offers an array of clientele bound to show up at the hotel. Halle has her eye on seeing Heart in the fall.

Greg and Halle have been adding new amenities for guests like a kid’s cereal bar that will make the mornings for our little guests sugar fueled frenzies. Picture vibrant bowls filled to the brim with loops, squares, puffs, and rainbow marshmallows, parents growing increasingly uneasy as the hyperactivity in their wee little spriggans kicks in. The Changeling myths start at home, with generous amounts of Cap’n Crunch. My God. It will be glorious.

And as if that wasn't exciting enough, food trucks will be rolling in on the weekends, ready to tantalize our taste buds with gourmet delights from around the world. From sizzling street tacos to mouthwatering wagyu burgers piled high with all the fixings, these trucks will transform our weekends right next to Stanley the Stegosaurus.

New pool furniture has been ordered. As has giant Jenga, Connect Four, Checkers and Chess games. Cornhole won’t be far behind. Ditto for sidewalk chalk.

Oh, and Halle’s engagement ring arrived, and it looks pretty swell. Thank you to all our friends and loved ones who celebrated this beautiful life event with us. We appreciate your support, and feel the solidarity on our side with all the well wishes. The ring is exactly what Halle wanted, and she cannot stop staring at it.

Green is Halle’s favorite color, and she thinks the emeralds accentuate her green eyes. It reminds her of some of the family rings she saw growing up, on older Sicilian fingers. The ring brings Halle some nostalgia even with the newness of it. Halle cherishes this new addition, and the man who gave it to her even more. Halle feels very lucky to have Greg in her life and corner.

On the film front, Halle put on her producer hat and fielded most of the calls this week on our upcoming feature, as Greg was just happy to sleep.

We can’t wait to tell you more about it! We are still rounding out the rest of our kit through our Amazon wedding registry. We do need as many basics as possible to make it all happen. And we appreciate you helping us achieve this.

You can buy a gift by yourself, or pool resources with friends or even strangers to help buy a more expensive item. Don’t forget to click on an item to see if anyone has already contributed towards the gift. The retail price may not reflect how much is left to give as a gift. And because of the previous, stacked generosity of others, some bigger ticket items are more attainable than you think.

So we know in spite of life’s challenges, and the occasional obstacle or annoyance, life is mostly sweet, like French orange juice. And many sweet, happy moments are yet to come.

So thanks again everyone for your generous help with our studio, and for following our wedding adventures! We are so excited for what the future holds!

In Love & Film,

Greg & Halle

Countdown - 67 Days Until Our Marriage. Quick! Run to the Post Office, folks, and drop off your returns! It’s Tax Day! We are post “Apoc-eclipse!” Quit staring at the sun, and go pay Uncle Sam his due.

Wow, what a beautiful week of warm spring weather. It was a time of separateness for Greg and Halle, even though all they wanted was to be together. The week started super auspiciously, with easy Monday accreditation and approval for Greg and Halle, as well as their Collywood Studios & Entertainment, to attend Festival de Cannes. Before boarding a plane, we looked together at the 65th percentile eclipse from Colorado, a “cookie bite” out of the partially blocked sun.

Mere hours after Texas was plunged into the darkness of totality, Greg flew to Dallas to attend a hospitality conference and take some training seminars, while Halle held down the fort at the house with the kitties, and at our Dino Hotel.

Greg and Halle talked and texted every day, and played their weekly remote DnD game with their group of friends Thursday night. Much laughter and fun was had, as always.

And then for these two lonely lovebirds, a miraculous thing happened… we began pre-production on our fall comedy feature. We lined up investors, cast the majority of the actors, drafted our preliminary budget and legal docs. In less than a week, we are already funded, with all extra backing going right back into the production, tentatively set for this fall. (Wedding first!)

We can’t wait to tell you more about it! This does place slightly more urgency in rounding out the rest of our kit through our Amazon wedding registry. We do need as many basics as possible to make it all happen. And you can help us achieve this.

You can buy a gift by yourself, or pool resources with friends or even strangers to help buy a more expensive item. Don’t forget to click on an item to see if anyone has already contributed towards the gift. The retail price may not reflect how much is left to give as a gift. And because of the previous, stacked generosity of others, some bigger ticket items are more attainable than you think.

So thanks again everyone for your generous help with our studio, and for following our wedding adventures! We are so excited for what the future holds!

In Love & Film,

Greg & Halle

Countdown - 74 Days Until Our Marriage. Oh my goodness, what a week Halle and Greg had of pivoting, and gaining momentum! The Dino Hotel handily passed its annual QA inspection. Greg received hundreds of happy birthday messages from well wishers. An investor came calling regarding the hotel and studio. The hotel is gradually fuller every day, as we emerge from our winter off season. And our third set of airline tickets for France are finally purchased.

The original itinerary of flying to Cannes via Iceland is being pushed out to later in the year. And Greg’s Mom’s offer of her tickets to Nice ended up being non-transferable. But now Halle and Greg are flying from Denver to Paris, and after a day or two in the City of Lights, boarding a bullet train for the Festival de Cannes!!!

Our accreditations have been submitted for Collywood Studios & Entertainment. Now it’s just a matter of organizing our clothes, packing our swimming suits, and of course, our tux and wedding dress. If any of y’all want to attend our beachside exchange of vows on the Plage du Midi, please reach out to us.

On Greg’s birthday, we explored our historic neighborhood of the old Elitch Garden amusement park grounds. The old carousel house is now the home of an inlaid concrete labyrinth, like the mosaic floor of a cathedral. Looking above, Halle could see the old mechanisms and bearings still intact in the vaulted ceiling. A net was put up to keep out the birds, but the sounds of them cooing drew her eyes up to look in the first place.

Across from the carousel, the original Elitch Theater still stands strong in its freshly painted glory, full of history and roosting pigeons. Once a vaudeville and film and stage performance hall, this theater shaped the career of Cecil B. DeMille (as an actor!!), started Douglas Fairbanks, as well as saw Sarah Bernhardt pass through in 1906 to a female owned theater house.

The first films in the Western US were shown there in 1896. DeMille so loved Elitch’s summer repertory, he sent opening night congratulatory telegrams at the beginning of each new season, right up until his death. He even went so far as to describe Elitch’s as "one of the cradles of American drama." So much of early Hollywood was born in Colorado, and taken further west to California. And all of it originated in our backyard!

Big things usually start in small places, in unusual ways. Such is the case with our ambitions for Collywood. We do need at least the basics to make it all happen. And you can help us achieve this by contributing to our gift registry at Amazon, which is aimed entirely at stocking our little studio for our first feature film. We can’t wait to tell you more.

You can buy a gift by yourself, or pool resources with friends or even strangers to help buy a more expensive item. Don’t forget to click on an item to see if anyone has already contributed towards the gift. The retail price may not reflect how much is left to give as a gift. And because of the previous, stacked generosity of others, some bigger ticket items are more attainable than you think.

So thanks again everyone for your generous help with our studio, and for following our wedding adventures! We are so excited for what the future holds!

In Love & Film,

Greg & Halle

Countdown - 81 Days Until Our Marriage. Happy April Fools Day, ya Fools! Greg’s birthday is Wednesday! As he’s fond of saying, he was born two days too late. It’s Greg’s first annual 50th birthday! (OK, he’s 51. But you can’t blame him for trying).

What a crazy, whirlwind week of the ins and outs of the inn, indie film, and intense fun! We started off last week in some discussions with some industry folks. This Thursday, Greg finished up this round of hotel school. He also noodled on a few scripts, and began putting some serious thoughts into the planning and pre-production of our first feature film. Halle spent some long days at her work station, alternately booking contracts and editing her documentary.

The highlight of our week was Easter, where we drove up Highway 93 to Boulder. Greg was super excited to show Halle some of his home state. We sat on a bench and ate elk and beef brats right off the cart on Pearl Street, marked by its rainbow crosswalks, an aromatic Deli, and newly blooming tulip bulbs that we got to see sprouting. We browsed the entirety of the Boulder Bookstore leaving with a few books, and had fountain-side dinner and drinks at Dushanbe Tea House.

Some background: Boulder’s sister city is Dushanbe in Tajikistan. In the late 80s, Dushanbe gifted an entire traditional tea house to Boulder. It’s a Persian- style open air building that architects had to close up with windows and skylights against the Colorado snow. Even with this more walled-in interior space does not diminish the beauty of this tea house, and its jewelry box ornateness.

The hostess sat us next to the center fountain, with its ferns and bubbling waters. It reminded Halle of a centerpiece fountain in a park in Cannes. Halle and Greg took in the soaring ceilings, full of hand carved wood and multicolored ceramic tiles. We savored a tranquil dinner and tea. Dinner was amazing: Korean barbecue pork chops, chickpea kafteh, golden milk, spicy cinnamon and tangerine tea, Lady Grey infused vanilla ice cream for dessert.

According to our server, the Muslim artists who crafted the place, all believed that, “nothing is above God.” So all their intensely ornate tiles and panels have discreetly hidden imperfections. Only the forces governing the universe are not flawed. This perfectly imperfect art is a wonderful way to approach art in general, and embrace human existence in all its beautiful imperfections.

For Halle, it reminded her of the movie Perfect Days yet again-and it was challenge accepted. She scanned everywhere for the flaws, alas she could find none. The only waitress to ever find one has worked there for three years. It was a beautiful evening, and a preamble to Greg’s birthday day.

We are headed to a complete studio and we are asking for your help in building our filmmaking dreams by donating to our wedding registry at Amazon.com. Again, all of it is aimed at stocking our little studio for our first feature film. We are so grateful to all of you, and your generous support. We truly could not do it without you.

So thanks again everyone for your help with our studio, all gifts are so very much appreciated, and for following our wedding adventures! We are so excited for what the future holds!

In Love & Film,

Greg & Halle

Countdown - 88 Days Until Our Marriage. Happy first day of Holi, and the day after Palm Sunday, for all who celebrate! Jeepers, y’all! Where did March go, anyway? We blinked, and it’s almost over. We are under the three month mark for walking down the aisle in Colorado, and right at the two month mark for the beachside exchange of vows on the Côte d'Azur in France. Time to kick it into gear!

Greg and Halle have been addressing and stuffing envelopes in a frenzy, and dropping them in the mail. A happy springtime activity. And the days really are growing longer and warmer in Denver. The trees are beginning to bud. Families, kids and dogs are out in force in all the parks around our neighborhood.

More small, iterative progress amid a welter of grueling work days. On the homefront, Halle unpacked a mountain of moving boxes, and took six huge loads of packing material in a wagon down the elevator to the recycling bins. The “hoarder” aisles of boxes are a little wider, and the cardboard skyline in our dining room a lot lower. But it is a victory, regardless.

At the Dino Hotel, we are gearing up towards the summer months with training, staffing and resupply. These are mostly happy times spent problem solving and facing unique daily challenges. The dinosaurs are dressed for Easter, trading in their kelly green leprechaun hats for pink bunny ears. Mostly, Greg has been nose to the grindstone attending mandatory online training for Best Western.

On the film front, two more conversations were started with production houses to rent the Dino Hotel as a filming location. Greg met with Apple’s corporate team to ask a series of questions about the logistics of our iPhone Pro Max film kits. Halle is field testing the gear and our editing bays, and stealing an hour here and there out of her sleep schedule to work on her documentary. Greg’s writing time is mostly sitting stunned on the couch after work, then falling asleep.

Writing takes different levels of alertness and brain energy. When he’s too tired to directly create, Greg outlines and researches. Both of us are working on pre-production of our feature film and are at the beginning stages. There’s lots to decide: where it’s going, who’s in it, and how it’s going to be shot. We’re both teeming with ideas and strategies, and thankful to have those options.

A friend or two reached out about the wedding registry at Amazon. All of this is aimed at stocking our little studio for our first feature film, which is beginning to take shape in a promising manner. Want to help us? Please buy a gift by yourself, or pool resources with friends or even strangers to help buy a more expensive item. Don’t forget to click on an item to see if anyone has already contributed towards the gift. The retail price may not reflect how much is left to give as a gift. And because of the previous, stacked generosity of others, some bigger ticket items are more attainable than you think.

So thanks again everyone for your generous help with our studio, and for following our wedding adventures! We are so excited for what the future holds!

In Love & Film,

Greg & Halle

Countdown - 95 Days Until Our Marriage. Happy belated Saint Patrick’s Day! Tomorrow Tuesday is the Vernal Equinox, and the first day of spring.

Life at the Dino Hotel and Collywood Studios has been incredibly hectic. We proudly hosted several teams for the Special Olympics, as well as braved a major snowstorm that shut down Denver for two days.

Half the hotel staff was unable to make it up to work. Greg and a handful of employees anticipated the road closures, and spent the night at the property to run it during the blizzard. Greg cooked breakfast for the entire hotel, and he and his skeleton crew kept the place up and running during a series of challenges. Maintenance could barely stay ahead of shoveling and plowing two feet of wet, heavy snow.

Halle is settling into her role as director of sales, and handled the logistics of booking and reserving rooms for the teams. Between her and Greg, we both have ten separate systems to master to run the Dino Hotel. And even in the middle of this, we have set up a little lobby library full of board games and dino books for guests of all ages, a hot sauce bar at breakfast, a spin the wheel for a prize station, a craft and coloring station, as well as ornaments to hang on holiday themed trees. Added to this are an improved snack bar leading into a full gift shop, and plans for a return of Paleo Joe’s as a poolside daytime summer bar.

The hotel is intense; its own creative outlet, and for two people fresh from the grit and glitz of L.A., a cross between Fawlty Towers and Schitt’s Creek.

Halle and Greg’s best solace has come from exploring our trendy Denver neighborhood, which our friend Deana Dolphin describes as a, “bougie walk to sushi kind of place.” Bakeries, diners, coffee shops, restaurants, cafes, bars, shops, salons (and yes, sushi). One of our favorite activities is a morning off work, and a slow, companionable wake up in a diner sipping coffee. Being present and with each other in a simple couple’s morning ritual is a blessing.

Even when we are slammed, we still make room for film. Greg has been setting up technical appointments with Apple to completely master our 1 TB iPhone 15 Pro Max camera rigs. Halle has fielded a few calls for film crews interested in filming at the Dino Hotel. And we both are attending a Thursday rally at the state capitol to increase the Colorado Film Commission’s annual budget. Between online hotel school and sales contracts, Greg and Halle are still finding time to write and edit. We find comfort in our creative projects and each other.

Two of Greg’s movies with Sonny and Michael Mahal, Arena Wars and Devil’s Knight, are slated for release later this year. Arena Wars this summer, and Devil’s Knight around Halloween.

All the film goings on are augmented by people donating to our Amazon wedding registry, and generous gifts allowing us to grow our studio. Several gift cards arrived this week (thank you Emily and Dennis), as well as another massive multi-terabyte drive for housing raw film data. With the acquisition of two new Mac Book Pros, a Mac Mini, and other computer gear, as well as Adobe Creative Suite and Final Cut, our editing capabilities continue to increase. All of this is with the goal of producing our first feature movie sometime after the wedding, in the second half of the year.

On the wedding front, we’ve got to hurry up and get the invites in the mail, and a handful of other logistics. But hey! When you’re running multiple businesses, who needs sleep? (Who are we kidding? We do!)

So thanks again everyone for your generous help with our studio, and for following our wedding adventures! We are so excited for what the future holds!

In Love & Film,

Greg & Halle

Countdown - 102 Days Until Our Marriage. And a late Monday post after the Oscars. Normally this would be a chance to celebrate Hollywood’s time-honored tradition of complaining about the Academy’s choices (huge congrats for The Boy and the Heron, and all of the winners). It’s always a mixture of emotions for Greg. Halle doesn’t really care for the Oscars much, and has a lot of opinions on how that excessive money should be better spent.

But beyond the occasional irritated groan or approving cheer at the results coming in on our newsfeeds, Halle and Greg did not actually watch the Oscars, or attend any parties. Halle likes listening to the speeches later, and Greg is usually playing catch up to watch all the movie nominations, well after the fact. It was a quiet week in the Colorado Rockies.

In a heavy 120 hour + combined week of work, it was also a determined week of celebrating our anniversary and engaging in self care. To make room for each other, moving boxes had to wait, and entirely too much PostMates was DoorDashed and UberEaten.

Halle and Greg did make it on a whim to The Fort, Sam Arnold’s famous fur trapper restaurant nestled in the Rocky Mountain Foothills. Beef, quail, elk, trade whiskey, prickly pear margaritas, and peanut butter stuffed jalapenos were consumed. And all parts of the buffalo - bison tongue and steak. It was a massive meal, topped with a fireside kiss under the red sandstone outcroppings lit by softly glowing luminarias.

Greg had flowers delivered, but clicked the wrong address. The roses went to the Dino Hotel instead of their townhome. Halle shared her flowers with the hotel in the lobby, and the lillies are still blooming.

The final little bit of couple’s therapy came with a stroll through downtown Golden on a warm winter morning. Under the shadow of the Coors brewery and Green Mountain, Halle and Greg ate a diner breakfast, then poked their heads inside a rock and crystal shop and played with rocks.

Greg looked at Halle and wondered how many of their industry friends are what he called, “Film Feral”? The monetary squeeze of L.A.; the daily grind of the industry, or the sheer lack of enough time, film folks sometimes put themselves last. We aim to change that for ourselves, and hit a little better work-life-art balance.

Amidst the full crush of LIFE, Greg and Halle both got their cars into the dealerships for tune ups, and remembered to LIVE first. Film will still be there, while Halle and Greg help the Dino Hotel to its full potential, and remember to eat, sleep, breathe, laugh and love. We are still working on our documentary and scripts.

But you do need at least the basics to make it all happen. And you can help us achieve this by contributing to our wedding registry at Amazon, which is aimed entirely at stocking our little studio for our first feature film, which we can’t wait to announce at a future date. You can buy a gift by yourself, or pool resources with friends or even strangers to help buy a more expensive item. Don’t forget to click on an item to see if anyone has already contributed towards the gift. The retail price may not reflect how much is left to give as a gift. And because of the previous, stacked generosity of others, some bigger ticket items are more attainable than you think.

So thanks again everyone for your generous help with our little studio, and for following our wedding adventures! We are so excited for what the future holds!

In Love & Film,

Greg & Halle

Countdown - 109 Days Until Our Marriage. It’s the first full week of March! And wow wow wowie wow wow! Here we are, at our one year anniversary. It’s love amid the moving boxes; but love nonetheless.

A year ago, March 6, 2023, Greg was slated to meet Halle for a business lunch to discuss him acting in a short film of hers. His apartment had a massive maintenance issue, and Greg was very stressed about it. He called Halle to cancel, but she rolled up her sleeves and offered to come over and help fix the problem.

They dealt with the issue, and sat on the couch together, at opposite ends. And Greg looked at his cool friend probably for really the very first time, thought to himself, “what are you doing you knucklehead? Worse that’ll happen is she’ll say no.”

He asked Halle out, pretty bluntly. In Hollywood, where people are rarely open and often snakey. Greg said, “Hey, would you ever consider going out with me?” Halle looked thoughtful for a second, said yes, that would probably be pretty awesome, and very logically weighed the pros and cons with Greg before they both decided the answer was yes. After a few days, the answer was emphatically YES! After a few months, it was yes to marriage.

That was how Halle really fully entered Greg’s life: helping. She’s never stopped helping, never stopped giving. When love quickly bloomed in the weeks ahead, Halle and Greg found great joy not just in their laughter and goofiness and common passions, but in helping each other. Spotting each other, loving each other equally and giving back to their fullest.

So many in the film industry and elsewhere had their hands out, with hidden motives, and wanted to only take. But Halle and Greg helped each other, through good times and through adversity. Both wanted to love and be loved. And in each other, we both found a mighty ally, a great lover, and a real friend.

Back on that magical first week together of March ‘23, Halle had to go away for a day, to celebrate her sister Leslie’s birthday, who she loves very much.

Greg was bubbly and couldn’t quit smiling. He counted the hours until Halle came back. Later that same week, Halle and Greg attended the premiere of Jason Horton’s “Craving,” where Greg played a scary cult member named Red.

And here they were, two crazy redheads steppin out in style. Greg dressed in a flashy blue and silver tux, and Halle in a black pantsuit and a vintage white fur coat. It was their first public appearance together, at the height of the Worm Moon. And that’s how Halle and Greg have measured their roller coaster first year, from full moon to full moon. Here we are again, just a little shy of the Snow Moon, late March bringing the Worm Moon again.

What an adventure it’s been. We’ve been on movie scouts, and traveled abroad, walked red carpets, worked on movie sets as cast and crew, as well as braved bears and haunted murder rooms in ghost hotels, soaked in hot springs; and gazed at hummingbirds and starlight in wonder, held each other, made big works of art, as well as lost art, suffered great pain and felt great joy. It’s only been twelve calendar months and a handful of moons, but dammit if it doesn’t feel like we’ve been together for five years, in the best possible way.

The Worm Moon is when the farmers know the earth is waking up again, that the ground is thawing. The cycle begins anew, and it will soon be time to plant. Great things, great loves and lives reshaped for powerful new beginnings can happen.

From two formerly cynical people who didn’t think love was a real thing anymore, we both have found our person. And after a year of joy and improv “yes and-ing”, and lots of hugs and laughter, we look forward to what the next year will bring. We both have each other's backs, and we know we are both here to help. The answer was “yes.” And for that, we are both blessed.

In Love & Film,

Greg & Halle

Countdown - 116 Days Until Our Marriage. Mid February, and the weather in Denver has been warm and spring-like. Wedding planning took a backseat to life, and its many obligations. But when you’re with someone you love and like, it’s no real obligation at all. (Although a solid night’s sleep would be nice).

With a long list of tasks, Halle and Greg have been rising early, working hard, and going to bed late. We head up to the studio and Dino Hotel together, and are busting our buns to make sure both businesses are the best they can possibly be. There are moments of love and beauty and solidarity, among the long, grueling hours.

Sunday morning brought a six am carpool down a quiet Denver residential street. The full moon, a snow moon, hung bright and luminous above the bare branches of the cottonwood trees lining the road. Halle and Greg smiled and sipped their morning coffee and tea, enjoying their common purpose. A small moment of connection before a busy, busy day.

Greg is absolutely blown away by Halle’s common sense, her natural leadership, her problem solving, her hard nosed realism. Halle loves Greg’s sense of humor, and slow, deliberative pecking away at a problem until it’s not a problem anymore. He says I love you by packing a sandwich and an apple for her for lunch, and filling her novelty camera lens coffee mug with coffee and creamer in the morning. (Thanks Kendall!)

On the Venn diagram where the hotel and movies overlap, we are listing the property on Giggster and Peerspace for location rental for movie crews. (So movie peeps! If you want to film a production on 2.5 acres of dinosaur goodness, hit us up for rates). After a thorough spring cleaning, we will remodel the podcast and studio space at the hotel. Both are due for a makeover.

Greg was also happy to celebrate the theatrical and streaming release of “Black Mass”, directed by Devanny Pinn, and written by Brandon Slagle. Greg had a small scene at the end, playing a detective across from “The Walking Dead”’s Lew Temple. Halle is also deep in the sauce of working on her documentary.

We continue to be blown away by how much everyone is helping us achieve our film dreams, equipping our little studio for our first feature film. If you’d like to help, there’s many different ways to gift on our Amazon wedding registry. You can buy a present by yourself, or pool resources with friends or even strangers to help buy a more expensive item.

So thanks again everyone for your generous help with our little studio, and for following our wedding adventures! We are so excited for what the future holds!

In Love & Film,

Greg & Halle

Countdown - 123 Days Until Our Marriage. And Happy President’s Day, everyone! We hope you are enjoying your mattress sales and extra day off from work. As far as all of Halle and Greg's efforts are concerned, we are engaged in slow, iterative progress amidst a flurry of non-film related tasks. As George Washington was fond of saying, “Many a mickle makes a muckle.” Say what now? What in the name of Washington’s wooden dentures does that mean?

It’s an old Scottish saying for many small things (a mickle) add up to a great big thing (a muckle), when given enough time, patience, and dent of effort. Great projects take lots of small work to become bigger work.

In terms of the wedding, this translates to finally settling on a bakery in Colorado for the big day. And no lie; no cherry trees were chopped down in the selection of this cake.

There’s an awful lot of life responsibilities demanding our attention; regular chores, work at the Dino Hotel, emptying and breaking down boxes from the move. We’re getting there, one small baby step at a time.

As for creative efforts, with his to-do list lengthening, Greg’s primary outlet this week may be writing this post. He did have some luck from previous acting efforts, most notably appearing in the new trailer for Robert LaSardo’s “American Trash.” Greg is excited and honored to be a part of LaSardo’s directorial debut.

And ever the actor, Greg ordered a stand alone closet extension to recreate his lost “Diva Closet” from his apartment in Culver City. Halle laughs and reminds Greg he has been nonstop mourning his Diva Closet since he got home. Greg points out hanging his costumes and three million Hawaiian shirts up will “Make the boxes go away.”

Even with the press of responsibilities, and slight February “brain fry” for both Greg and Halle, the editing bay for the studio is coming together nicely for post production. Monitors, ergonomic chair, table, computer, keyboard, mouse, and backup drive, all set up for DaVinci editing software and post production. This is a major milestone for the studio.

This is possible because gifts continue to arrive from our wedding registry at Amazon. Everyone’s generous gifts of mickles are adding up to one great big muckle of a studio. There’s many different ways to gift your own mickles to the muckle. Buy an item outright, or donate with a group of people towards a larger, “big ticket” item. No matter how you help, we are grateful for all of your helping hands.

So thanks again everyone for your help with our studio, and for following our wedding shenanigans! We are so excited for what the future holds!

In Love & Film,

Greg & Halle

Countdown - 130 Days Until Our Marriage. Happy Year of the Dragon, Laissez les bons temps rouler (Let the good times roll) and Go Chiefs! It’s two days after the Lunar New Year, the day after the Superbowl, the day before Mardi Gras, and the windup to Valentine’s Day. The good times are certainly rolling with Halle and Greg.

The wedding party is starting to take shape. Greg has asked his father Richard to be his Best Dad, his son Joseph to be the musician on the acoustic guitar (and play as Halle walks down the aisle), and for his daughter Caroline and her pug Waffles to be the ring bearers. Halle has chosen her best friend Bree to officiate the ceremony, and her best friend Kendall as the maid of honor who’s going to walk Halle along with Bree down the aisle.

Life is happening in big, messy chunklets. Boxes, boxes, everywhere!!! There’s a lot to unpack and put away from the L.A. move as we combine our two households. Fortunately, extra kitchen and camping gear can be applied to future productions. As a Producer, Greg secretly digs running crafty. His happy place on the crew is behind video village handing out Pop Tarts and hot coffee on cold days and ice water on the hot ones.

In the middle of work and unpacking, we both are making time for creative endeavors. Greg is taking breaks to write his and Halle’s new screenplay, and he’s also finishing up an audio play script he began late last year.

Halle continues with her explorations of light and composition with her still photography, editing the video footage of her new project, and field testing the capabilities of the 1 TB iPhone 15 Pro Max. She also is busy setting up her sewing station for some one of a kind red carpet looks for Cannes.

More thoughts on Halle’s philosophy of Filming With Less: Economy of Crew is key to saving money in the long term. Different directors who film with small crews: Steven Soderburgh, Mark Duplass, Ed Burns, even Sophia Coppola at times. One of the most iconic shots of Black Swan came with a crew of five including Darren Aronofsky in that number.

Small crews require experienced people, who not only love what we’re doing but who understand the art of simple direct communication to accomplish our common goals. Halle strongly believes in pre-production done right. Eliminating all foreseeable problems ahead of time so that by the time production is a go-Halle and crew are prepared for anything and everything that comes their way. That leaves more time for the “extra” fun shots that could come off the cuff, or be fully set up and ready to shoot-because we all know how to quickly and efficiently.

As director Jean Cocteau once famously said: “A Film is a Petrified Fountain of Thought.” Moving snapshots of your planning, hard work, brain pictures captured on film, and even some unplanned moments too that may come across as “planned.”

We had some wonderful new film presents trickle in from the wedding registry at Amazon. Some friends have gifted us a set of apple boxes! Thank you so much! These are the wooden boxes of varying thickness that you place under a shorter actor, a height challenged director (Halle probably needs a half apple 😂), or camera person, a wobbly tripod… the uses are pretty endless. Also we received a second bolt of muslin, perfect for bouncing light on set.

Everyone’s generosity is helping us achieve our film dreams, equipping our little studio for our first feature film. There’s many different ways to gift. You can buy a present by yourself, or pool resources with friends or even strangers to help buy a more expensive item. Don’t forget to click on an item to see if anyone has already contributed towards the gift. The retail price may not reflect how much is left to give as a gift. And because of the previous, stacked generosity of others, some bigger ticket items are more attainable than you think. Just click through. We really, really appreciate it!

So thanks again everyone for your generous help with our studio, and for following our wedding adventures! We are so excited for what the future holds!

In Love & Film,

Greg & Halle

Countdown - 137 Days Until Our Marriage. Unbelievable, but here we are already nearly a week into February. After much deliberation and packing (and a massive assist from the amazing friend and all around good guy/best man Ron McAdams), it’s the final push to move out of L.A. And say goodbye for now. When you’re in the Western half of the U.S. and in the industry, you never fully say goodbye to Hollywood. Jobs will always keep pulling you back. Greg and Halle have both taken breaks before. Greg left the City of Angels during the pandemic, and again took an extended hiatus during the writers and actor’s strike. Halle took breaks in 2013, but has been living there consistently for over 10 years and is excited to film and see different scenery. While Greg’s fifteen month lease in Culver City had him movin’ on up to a deluxe apartment in the sky, it’s time to get back to the mountains. We’re excited to make Denver our “home-base” and peace out on the rent expense in LA.

L.A. “may” have the work, but it can never captivate our hearts quite like the mountain paradise that is Colorado, so highly underutilized in film. The jagged peaks, the beautiful blue bird sky, the deep wild woods and wild animals, call both of us. Colorado is home.

And making movies in the Rockies is part of Greg and Halle’s overall vision, especially for our start up studio, Collywood. Colorado and its landscapes, its towns and people, are what puts the “Colly'' in Collywood.

As for the wedding-Mama Jean, Halle and Greg have had some avid discussions about how to make for a more informal event at the mountain house. After pricing many things out, and in consultation with the Food and Beverage Manager Bridgit Zlab at our Colorado Wine Country Inn, we decided why reinvent the wheel? Why rent a bunch of stuff when we already own a wedding venue? Let’s use what we already have. Plates, linens, tables, tents, centerpieces and chairs will all be loaded on a truck and sent up to the mountains, under the attentive eye of Bridgit and Jean.

Aiming for simplicity and economy are central to Halle’s philosophy of life, and certainly that holds true both in entertainment and film. From her camera choice of a 1 TB iPhone 15 Pro Max to a lean, paired back crew and equipment, Director and DP (director of photography) Halle has an overall approach of “Filming With Less.”

We’ll expand on this in future posts, and leave it at this: your crews, your casts, your budgets, your gear don’t have to be bloated to make great films.

But you do need at least the basics to make it all happen. And you can help us achieve this by contributing to our gift registry at Amazon, which is aimed entirely at stocking our little studio for our first feature film, which we can’t wait to announce at a future date. You can buy a gift by yourself, or pool resources with friends or even strangers to help buy a more expensive item. Don’t forget to click on an item to see if anyone has already contributed towards the gift. The retail price may not reflect how much is left to give as a gift. And because of the previous, stacked generosity of others, some bigger ticket items are more attainable than you think.

So thanks again everyone for your generous help with our little studio, and for following our wedding adventures! We are so excited for what the future holds!

In Love & Film,

Greg & Halle

Countdown - 143 Days Until Our Marriage. Another week, another set of pleasant evenings after work spent online. Lots of browsing and cost comparisons for shopping, and screen grabs for idea boards: of wedding rentals like tents and chairs for Colorado, red carpet looks for Cannes, even a belated engagement ring for Halle. She can’t stop looking at it, and is currently obsessed with looking at the photo of it.

What? What do you mean no ring yet?!? Woah, hold up there for a sec, Judge Judy! Back in May Greg asked Halle to marry him in an impromptu unplanned way, in a moment of pure joy. And since then, he has taken a practical approach, and secured and paid for the trip to France and parts of the Colorado wedding first. Plus, Halle hates most surprises, and wanted to help choose her special ring with Greg.

And wow! Her choice is absolutely gorgeous. She found jewelry maker Uma Gordin with her small studio. Uma is custom making a rose gold and emerald-studded ring worthy of a Fairy Queen, and is very inspired by nature.

Halle and Greg will also order our wedding bands, choosing two custom rose gold rings for a couple of crazy gingers. We browsed Uma’s website together and discussed the pros and cons of dozens of different rings. Like our best moments together, it’s been a process of collaboration and communication.

For the festival season in Cannes before our exchange of vows, Greg and Halle are enjoying practicing what can best be described as “Thrifty Chic” for the red carpets. It’s diligently shopping online and in person for a bargain. Discount stores, clearance racks, and thrift shops for vintage items help us create a fun and glamorous look that does not break the bank. Halle’s closet is filled with vintage items curated in LA over the years as well as gifts from her own mother’s closet, stuff from the 60’s on. Halle plans to amend some of her newly acquired wardrobe and pieces hiding in her closet to personally reflect her own style in Cannes. Halle’s Capricorn heart hates to waste money, and is excited to utilize some of her sewing skills to accomplish this.

For his part, Greg generally sources shiny, shiny jackets from China, jeans and slacks from America, and shoes from Italy. Hey, you can look like a million bucks, without spending a million bucks!

Halle has been experimenting with editing footage from a documentary short she shot on her iPhone as well as testing the studio’s new iPhone Pro Max movie camera. Greg has been outlining a new screenplay he and Halle are developing together for Collywood. He will write the first draft, and she will write the second. For Greg, it’s a welcome creative break from readying the Dino Hotel for its spring inspection.

And thanks to the generosity of the film community, Halle’s sound kit just got upgraded with a new Shotgun Condenser Microphone, boom pole, as well as a new blimp windshield with fuzzycats. The closer we get to the Big Day, the more we seem to be building toward our two person crew studio, and we are so thankful for everyone who has contributed to that so far.

Next up for well wishers to either buy singly or pool their resources are the Sennheiser wireless Lavalier (or “Lav”) microphones. Amazon allows both options. This will be an important step towards Halle’s ability to work regionally as a union eligible sound engineer.

Pro tip: Click on the item in the wedding registry to see the actual amount people have contributed towards a purchase, and the difference left. The front page list price may actually be mostly paid off, or significantly reduced.

For those outside the industry, Lav mics clip onto a lapel or get taped onto a collar, sewn into clothes, or even taped on the actor’s body. A thin cord is run to a wireless transmitter pack, about the same size as a deck of playing cards. The pack is hidden in a back or breast pocket, or clips inside the waistline or on the belt. Sennheiser mics are prized for their crispness, sound fidelity and general sturdiness in their products.

So thanks again everyone for your generous help with building our little studio, and for following our wedding adventures! We are so excited for what the future holds!

In Love & Film,

Greg & Halle

Countdown - 151 Days Until Our Marriage. Wow! What a week! Seven days after our wedding website and registry went live on social media, we are still basking in the glow of all the kind thoughts, congratulations, and well wishing. Everyone has been truly amazing and kind.

We’ve been busying ourselves with our wedding checklist, and coordinating between Halle and her future mother-in- law, Jean, for hosting the wedding ceremony at the Tally family mountain home at 9,300 feet. Halle’s two wedding dresses — one for France, one for Colorado — are bought and hanging tantalizingly in Halle’s closet at their townhome. Greg is being remarkably self disciplined about not peeking inside the garment bags, and maintaining the good luck, the mystery, and the big reveal of the dresses on the twin wedding days.

There’s lots of discussion about ordering flowers in bulk, and adding in the wildflowers from the woods around the house that should be nearing their peak by late June. Jean’s mountain garden has columbines, purple asters, daisies and other beautiful blooms that grace the mountain property. Greg and Halle love the summer hummingbirds, and Greg is busy hoarding nectar feeders so there will be plenty of the quirky colorful little birds flitting about the lawn during the ceremony.

Greg and Halle are also finalizing their guest list, gathering addresses to mail out invitations and eventually announcements. And we are experiencing a little cross-cultural learning curve about wedding cake. Halle had never heard of the Southern tradition of a groom’s cake (usually chocolate), while Greg had never heard of an Italian wedding cake, a delicious puff pastry filled with cream and fruit. When we meet with the baker, we may combine both traditions into something new.

Meanwhile, folks are being incredibly generous with the wedding registry. The packages are trickling in to help Halle and Greg’s start-up studio - an extremely useful Aputure LED light panel, and a Lowe’s gift card that is certain to turn into power cords, clamps, or a partial down payment on a generator. Also showing up are an Otter Box and shatterproof shield for the eventual “B camera” of a second top of the line 1 TB iPhone 15 Pro Max, as well as some nifty phone car chargers and windshield mounts.

A little detour for the film folks in the room: The “A Camera” already sits patiently in its box at home waiting for Halle to experiment and field test it. She will use both her still film photography cameras as well as the iPhone to location scout, hone her shot list and visual aesthetic. Both “A Cam” and “B Cam” will be bricked, or sans a cell plan, “non working” phones. The general plan is for Halle and Greg to also turn in and trade up their working iPhones for iPhone 15 Pro Maxes, for maximum redundancy and flexibility on set.

Sure, the phones may not have quite the camera cachet of an Arri or Red, or so “they” say. With a little fiddling the phones can film RAW or 4K quality video. Add in Apple Care and their Lost or Stolen policy-a couple of protective screens and cases… and these iPhones are endlessly upgradable and easily replaceable with newer later models. There aren’t many lens repair shops in California to fix expensive film lenses for cinema. Their wait list is long and the process for fixes are slow on these lenses that routinely cost precious film budget. By way of comparison - there are five Apple Stores in Greg and Halle’s home base of Denver alone, not to mention all the other big box stores of Walmart, Target, Best Buy, etc. A replacement iPhone can be as simple as walking into the Genius Bar and swapping out the troubled device, same day.

So thanks again everyone for your generous help with our studio, and for following our wedding adventures! We are so excited for what the future holds!

In Love & Film,

Greg & Halle