NEWS / BLOG

JULY 22, 2023
I went to the local film festival and was informed by two of the Powers That be (who select and program the festival) that even if I had a fast paced, cool40minute short film, they will instead accept two or three ten or fifteen minute shorts. FIFTEEN MINUTE RUNTIME is the target for them. And since THIS is THE festival I care about (local for my parents to be able to get to in spite of their failing health), I want to increase my chances as much as possible to be accepted in THIS particular festival.
I had a 40 minute script ready to film. I cut over half of it to meet the "suggested" running time, but it took out the entire heart & soul of the story; if the audience doesn't care about the characters, the plot-heavy movie is POINTLESS.
I DO have another story 100% ready to film that falls in the fifteen minute range, but SCHEDULDING and LEAD ACTOR AVAILBILITY (a teenager & guardian) is the biggest hurdle on that project. I may find an actor that is available to film on a WEEKEND for this TWO-DAY SHOOT despite the fact that SCHOOL is starting back up very soon (with no time to prep and memorize the script before then). If THAT doesn't work out, I just have to hope my parents can hang in there ANOTHER year to see my name on the big screen in 2025. But i'm NOT giving up a 2024 release without a fight.
I also have another 17 minute story almost ready to produce (with adult actors) to film next summer, so there's that.

JANUARY 7, 2023
So, on December 31, 2022, the future was not only looking promising but indeed bright: the scripts were in development, coming along nicely, the production budget was already 33% saved, I had a new more reliable income, everything was running smoothly.
Then, LIFE happened. My vehicle died. It had been falling apart, something new every month, and I had already invested well over a thousand dollars in the last few months - I had now invested more parts than the vehicle was worth. I was always planning on buying a another vehicle.. in about A YEAR AND A HALF from now. i.e. every dollar I was going to make was already spoken for during the next 18 months. Also, I had two other unexpected, COSTLY emergencies come up.
So I had to take everything I had saved to use as a down payment on another vehicle and deal with these other emergencies. I'm broke again. Thus, with the movie deadline in early April, there is NO WAY to saved up enough money to make a film by then.
I won't give up, that is not the issue. My concern is my parents health are both RAPIDLY declining. I wanted them to be able to see my name on a theater screen before they passed.
I don't do things to prove myself to others (except for investors), or for a "I told you so", and I really don't care what people think of me. But I have to admit, it WOULD have been really, REALLY nice for my parents to see the black sheep of the family FINALLY succeed at one thing in life - which they point out on a regular basis (every time I talk to them) that I have YET to do.
Oh well. Maybe this is a life lesson, or maybe my parents will hang in there and be around in a year or two if I can make my film by then and accepted into a local festival, or maybe this is just a "shit happens" with nothing to come of it (or anything to "learn" from, as in most cases) except an unavoidable delay. We'll see. Just take whatever life throws your way, learn from it if you can or adapt, while being grateful for everything that IS still going good.

DECEMBER 20, 2022
Our website host upgraded so we lost all previous news/blog entries.
No big deal, not missing out on much anyway.
All it did was show how sometimes plans do not go as planned when unforeseen circumstances interfere.
All the best content is already included in the making of/behind the scenes portions on individual film project pages.

Currently writing "CHIMERA". Hoping it will be ready to film in March so we can meet the April deadline for a local film festival entry.
No, Chimera is not our best, but it IS a film that we CAN MAKE! And,. we are making it as good as possible incorporating our own style so audiences and investors can see hints at our future potential when we have more resources. We have learned to start small (2 or 3 shooting days on a short story) and work our way up, thereby giving us a portfolio to prove our capabilities. Hopefully, we will get resources to some day make the bigger, much, MUCH BETTER feature length stories