Welcome to the web site for THE LAST the end. It was a long journey for me to leave my quill pen by the fireside and log on with the whole computer age. I was always a sucker for the romanticism of slow arduous artistic processes like writing by hand or editing film on a Steenbeck. I still think these things have their importance, but I am happy to say that I have mellowed. I finally realized the far-reaching value of computers, word processors, and the internet. I can just imagine the look on my script supervisor's face as I deliver her my handwritten script on parchment paper, in CURSIVE!

Admittedly when my brother, Todd (the producer, editor, and web designer for TLte) said he wanted to chronicle the process of making this film on the web, I was reticent. As if creating our first feature film wasn't enough to contend with... but that's Todd, the consummate overachiever. He was so insistent and, frankly, he was right. It turned out that the web proved an invaluable repository for our thoughts and feelings as things progressed. So many people, far and near, have used the site to keep up with the continuing story of the making of this film that I feel like we have an ongoing online pep rally . And you get it all... the good, the bad, and the ugly.

A noteworthy aspect of the web site is the glimpse it gives you into the family of people who made the film; not just the goings-on, but the personalities behind it. Again, it ain't all pretty, but that is the inspiration Todd had when he set out to create the site. He wanted to help people see the truth behind the glass, the reality that making a film is essentially just a bunch of folks getting together and applying their love, passion, skill, and sweat to creating something they really value. This is a process that, however high and mighty the people who do it may try to seem, provides only a slightly more useful expenditure of one's summer than sitting around on the couch. It is truly the result of such a process that has incredible value and deep meaning for all involved. We want you to see a bunch of people making a film and maybe you'll pick up on the sincere and loving heart with which they did so. We want you to see the struggle. After all, that's what it's all about. (If you wish to read a humorous and slightly off-kilter account of just what it takes to make a film, I urge you to check out my production journal entry entitled, "The Recipe.")

As far as I am concerned, I wrote and directed THE LAST the end because I was full of it. Yes, some would say I am truly, "full of it..." at times, but I mean that I was full of the film. I let it sit in storage in my heart of hearts and age until it was truly ready. And by that time, it just poured out like water, caught in many worthy cups by the cast, crew, and associates who nurtured it. I loved making this film and it was one of the hardest things I have ever done. This is why the experience is one of the most precious I have had. We are taking the time needed to post=produce the film with kid gloves with hopes of getting it edited as soon as possible. I hope you enjoy your tour around the web site. Please feel free to contact me personally with comments, questions, or feedback. Enjoy!

Jesse P. Howard, Director/Writer/Composer