The Full Pitch

Watch me as I explain the plot for REDD.

It's too cerebral! We're trying to make a movie here, not a film!

To be introverted or not to be introverted. That is the question. I mean, we all are naturally, but I feel maybe I've not been taking enough responsibility in my own actions. Maybe that's why funding is failing. Maybe it's supposed to.

Don't mind me, I'm just being an Emo Moviemaker. A little down about fundraising, sure, but more down about not being able to create, well, ya know MOVIES! Something cinematic. Something really great.

I'll keep trying. The best way I can. And that's all you can do.

"Do or do not, there is no try."

Yes Master Yoda, but sometimes, trying is all you can do.

I hate this. I don't like that feeling of coulda, shoulda, woulda. It happens when you're trying to make something out of nothing. You look back on things and wonder what else you could be doing. What else you could have done or would have done.

It's time to look long and hard at the possiblity that no one is going to give you money. But we try anyhow. And you keep trying. And while you're trying to do that, you try to do everything else as well.

For example, my latest ad for Poptent. A commercial for the Nokia Nuron.

I went down the normal laundry list of ideas. Comical, cute, irreverent, or perhaps straightforward and general. All while trying to convey the information the brand wants to broadcast about their project.

Doing many skits, and viral vids, I had immediately come up with several ideas, some of them doable, some of them good, but none of them that click. And when I say click, I mean that click you here when art connects with storytelling, and when the visceral connects with intellectual to create something truly tangible (am I being too cerebral?).

In other words I wanted something that gave me an AHA moment. And I had come up with something that was almost there. But I was holding back. Mainly because in my mind I was separating my ad work from my true creations. It's like there are unseen lines categorizing what I make. The ads are what I make for other people, everything else is geared toward me true goal, to make something truly cinematic, something with gravitas and depth.

And then it finally dawned on me. I was being STUPID. Why am I categorizing? Why have I unconsciously drawn these lines to box in what I was trying to do? There is no difference between my stuff and their stuff. Instead of whining about how I wish I could make something cinematic, why don I just do it. Who cares if it's for another company.

I know it should have been obvious. But sometimes you get wound up in things, I had alot to juggle, and I started organizing my brain, when it didn't need organization. So instead of just making an "AD" let me try to tell a story, and attempt to do it in a cinematic fashion.

Below is the ad I came up with. Went through a couple of versions, but this is the one I'm satisfied with the most.




Maybe when you watch it you only see a cute video using a couple of stuffed animals. But I'm very proud of it. It was an honest attempt to convey a plot cinematically. Which is to say create a story with images and sound. Not just some simple set up a camera and shoot something funny, but a genuine mini-movie about one character looking for something and finding it.

I took great pains to achieve it. I wanted to convey a somewhat Sci-Fi tone, especially with the lighting. Very much in the vein of Amazing Stories or Close Encounters. And then go into that playful child like feel and end on a fairy tale happy ending.

The bears were old props I've had for 10 years. Used for another project, I dug em out of the old prop box. It all seemed to click. Especially with the music. I used an old track I wrote years ago for another project called "Halloweenland". That score I was very proud of when I had created it, and it matched this concept perfectly.

Doing this ad made me excited to do my feature Bobby's Closet. My little sci-fi adventure monster movie that's very much a nod to the 80's adventure flicks. That's going to require a much bigger budget, around $80,000 at the least. Hopefully when I get to it, I'll be able to have a higher budget and really take off with it.

Until then, I'll create my little cinematic moments in everything I do and whenever I can. Perhaps it'll eventually get me the funding I need.

Speaking of funding. Our time at Kickstarter has ended. We did not reach our target goal, which means we did not getting our funding, but it was fun, and we did get the word out to a few more people about Monster Cops. No regrets there. But as I said before, we have to keep trying.

So please take a look at our IndieGoGo page. It's just like Kickstarter but we actually get to keep the pledges even if we don't reach our goal. So this is me officially saying we're putting out a DVD this Fall. Click the widget below, make a pledge and you will get a reward for it whether it be producer credits, t-shirts, or a DVD.




Thank you so much to those that did back us on Kickstarter. It means alot to know we have your support. THANK YOU.

Off I go to make something cinematical. And no excuses, no time for being down anymore, you want to make something really great, with depth, with true AHA moments? Then just go and do it. Then show it to people. Show it to everyone.  And yes the coulda, shoulda, woulda, moments will come and go, but the best remedy for that is DO something, and when you can't do something, you can at least TRY.  Cuz if you don't try, then you'll end up with a whole lotta nothing.

If you want to make movies, then make movies. If you are a moviemaker then remember, don't just make movies, make movies everywhere and every chance you get. I don't care if you're just cutting together a car commercial or shooting your cousin's Bar Mitzvah, make it a movie.


Betsy? It's now or never. We are gonna make a movie.
- Bowfinger

UBELIEVE

Above is probably the last Vlog I'll be able to do before time runs out on Kickstarter. Right now I'm trying to get this commercial finished that's due Monday.

I would love to go into detail about what I've been through these last few days. But I am entirely too tired. Just know that it's been an adventure, and now I continue on that adventure as I try to get this project finished before Monday.

Depending on what happens with Kickstarter, I'll probably be starting up IndieGoGo next week, as well as really pushing some of our options for funding. I need to know where I stand so I can figure out which direction to take with Monster Cops and what major projects I'll be working on in general.

Focusing.

It's times like these I need to really appreciate what I've got. It's been a rough ride this week, and I am so very thankful for many, many things. I am very thankful for the support that I have, for friends I can count on, as well as for car air conditioning, bread, housing, electricity, showers, computers, hard drives especially 1TB hard drives, Poptent, screen doors, band aids, salad, Lincoln Navigators, teddy bears, crappy tripods, demos, Dai Green, 3 Chip Cameras, 12mbp Cameras, Basketball, Celtics!!!!, Sly, Emails, Cell phones (even when they suck), Kickstarter (even if we don't make our goal), the US Military and those serving our country, COPS (both the show and actual Officers), thumbs (cuz they come in handy), brussel sprouts, Jena Haze, self checkout lines, Sara Bareilles, hearts of romaine, Reggie Watts, sandwiches, laptops, razors, my health, my wife, my life.

There's alot more, but this is basically me vomitting words onto a blog to somewhat describe this week as I am too damn tired to actually blog about it. I call it Puke Blogging or Plogging.

Ew. That sounds kinda gross. Like something you do to a toilet.

Ok, back into the grind.

Patrickprejusa.com

If you were looking for PATRICKPREJUSA.COM and you ended up here, congratulations, you are now at PATRICKPREJUSA.COM. I had my personal site over at devhub.com. But their servers kept going down, there were entirely too many issues, and since I learned you could add pages to blogger, and I really just wanted a place where I could blog AND show people my videos, then I didn't really need devhub anymore. So here we are.

Currently Monstercops.com is built over on devhub, but eventually I'll move it off there and on to a better server. Also I'm hoping we'll have enough money by the fall that I can get a fully professional site up and running. Something I won't have to babysit so much, and that'll have better more accessible video options.

We are only about 4 days going into 3 days left for our Kickstarter. We are now at $645 our of $4000. As you may know, if we don't reach $4000, it all goes away, and I must head back to my seasonal job as an ice road trucker, not really.

If we don't make it, then there is a plan B. This plan B is called INDIEGOGO. It's yet another crowdfunding site much like Kickstarter, except there you keep all the pledges regardless of reaching your goal. I've been testing it out for a year now, and I've finally set a deadline for funding on it. But more on that after the Kickstarter date runs out.

I'm also hoping some of our other plans for funding workout. A few possible investors maybe, and then of course sponsors that we can help advertise for. But as I said before, if none of it pans out, we'll be producing the next episode anyhow, it'll be just like normal, a pain in the ass that'll take about 8 months to do. Meaning you won't see a new episode til next year. Hey that's reality, we don't always get to do our dreams when we want to do them.

Working on a few ads for Poptent, that may or may not help out. Created two ads for the Moe's Queso assignment, both are listed on the ADS PAGE. Made a La Quinta Inn Ad as well, that one will be listed momentarily. What I love about Poptent is the videos you make aren't chosen by votes or popularity. The companies and brands that requested them pick what they want. Also Poptent is just filled with great creators, and I'm proud to be a part of that community. Also, they have made me money in the past, so I may be a bit biased. If you have any creativity at all and some skill with video creation, then you're bound to make money on Poptent.

I feel the same about fundraising for indie movies in general. If you have some kind of talent, the drive, skill, and a bit of smarts, then you're bound to get the money you need. I'm hoping that's true for me. And fast too, because we're missing out on some major fests for Monsters Vs. Cops, and I'm sure that's one of the things that will help really get Monster Cops noticed. Definitely need at least $400 before July. So fingers crossed. Really need to make it to the NYTV Fest, Vimeo Awards, Rock And Shock, and NYC Horror Fest. This thing needs to get out in front of audiences, now.

Going to work on another Vlog today, updating and trying to entice people to pledge. But mainly I need to finish this commercial for Nokia's new phone. The deadline for that one ends the same time as Kickstarter, so alot to do this week. The ad for that one I'm really aiming for a cinematic look. Don't know if I can reach exactly what I see in my head, but I'm going to try. If you've been watching my tweets then you have a clue that it does involve Teddy Bears.

And I'd like to say again, THANK YOU to Night Of The Living Podcast for helping us get the word out about Monster Cops. Please check them out NIGHT OF THE LIVING PODCAST. Also look them up on iTunes, subscribe, and give them a high rating. Great podcast.

Monster Cops Vlog: Under Pressure

Monster Cops Vlog "Love Connection"

Actions Speak Louder

You are defined by what you do. Even the act of doing nothing defines you.

I think that's why I haven't really blogged. I feel more motivated to do something rather than talk about it. So nothing to really elaborate on.

Fundraising is underway at Kickstarter. And we've gotten some pledges in already.



Been working on re-writes for the new episodes, site updates, and vlogs like this one:



Working on more videos and vlogs. It's one of the only ways I know of to really reach out to the online community about our Kickstarter page. Before you know it 25 days will be up and we'll know whether or not we'll be able to make any episodes.

So please, if you can, pledge. You'll get rewards, you'll help make this dream of mine happen, and you'll help raise money for Cancer Charities.

Even if it's just for one dollar.

Thank you so much to everyone that have pledged so far. Helps me stay positive.

If you don't know what I'm trying to raise money for, please check out http://monstercops.com

If you like what you see, then please help us out.

I'm so tired

I'm just so beat up and worn out, and I feel like I've only moved a few inches in what I needed to do today.

Continuing down that path of trying to raise money. And I am beat up today. And I don't think I need to be as tired as I am, it really doesn't feel like I've done enough today today to warrant being as tired as I am.

I had to delete Monstercops.com and then rebuild it. It was the only way I could fix this particular web design issue I was having. Having to re-install codes, redo the colors, the text, etc. I guess that could be very tedious, and probably did take alot out of me.

So the good news is that Kickstarter has approved Monster Cops.

Kickstarter helps projects get funding through donations. They let you set up a page where you can set a dollar amount goal (in our case $4000) ask for donations, and reward donors for contributing. Like so many other sites, like IndieGoGo and Fundable, you try to get to your amount goal in a set number of days, and if you don't reach it, you get no money.

The difference between Kickstarter and the other sites, is that Kickstarter seems to have grown more and more popular. They're being picky about which projects they approve, so just getting approved seems to be a big deal to some folks. They initially rejected my feature film CREEP. But they approved Monster Cops, probably for the same reasons I've decided to pursue a Monster Cops DVD, because it's gotten good reviews, and it's got somewhat of a following.

Kickstarter has become my back up plan. Still pursuing investors and sponsors, because I'd love to produce a total of 8 episodes, but if all of that falls through, then I can at least produce 3 more episodes with the money I can raise through Kickstarter.

I've got 30 days to raise $4,000. I hope I can do it. And it would be great if I can also get investors and sponsors on board as well. If that happens it's going to be a great Fall and Winter for Monster Cops. You'll hear about the Monster Cops Series 1 DVD everywhere.

I've got everything set with Kickstarter. The rewards are set, the target amount, the date. Just one more thing I need to do, and it feels like I've been trying to do it all day. I need to shoot a "pitch video". Right now if you go to the page, you'll see the Monster Cops Trailer, but I need to replace that with a video of me pitching the project to you. I think it will be more effective and make the project much more personal.

I'm so anxious to get it shot, and I just don't have the energy to do it right now. It's getting late, I'm getting more and more tired, and I'm just going to have to take a whack at this thing in the morning. Then I can spread the word about it, everywhere.

Here's the widget for our Kickstarter page.



I know I haven't completely started spreading the word, and I need to make the pitch video, but I'm anxious to see even just a dollar contributed tomorrow. We'll get the ball rolling soon enough. June will be here before you know it.