I was hoping it would be bigger, but hey, I could only afford so much foil. But I WILL continue to add to it. Eventually I'd like to have a Foil Ball big enough to reenact the boulder scene from Raiders Of The Lost Ark.
Again, special thanks to Molly Bendall (mo11ymonkey) for retweeting it to PeeWee Herman (peeweeherman) who then retweeted it and posted it on Facebook. It was kind of neat that happened. Ah the power of the interwebs.
just got re-tweeted by Pee Wee Herman. Special thanks to mo11ymonkey for re-tweeting me first.
All because I stated I was going to make a huge ball of foil. Which I actually am. It's for an ad. Which I hope goes over well, but hey, it's kinda all I got right now. So again, do what you can.
Alright, continuing the list, house cleaning, editing, re-writes, running errands, and the such.
I am going to bed now. And when I wake up, I will finish the rest of my to do list from today. Also, I will figure out where this $100 will come from. What $100 you ask? Why the $100 dollars I didn't realize that I needed before next wed in order to get all the materials and pay the fees I need to pay to get Monster Cops to the New York TV Fest. The fee is $50. Which I have part of, but as I need to make 5 DVD copies and a couple of data discs with some press materials, I realize I don't have enough disks. So I need to scrounge up the money to get said disks. And lets not even talk about packaging and shipping. I swear these things add up. The money I am getting will not be coming til well after I need to send this stuff off. So the curse of the NYTVF may strike again. Seems like every year it's something. Like fate will not allow me to submit and or screen there.
Hmm. I will figure something out. Hopefully we can get more pledges in and I can cover these costs. Thank you to those backers who have pledged so far. It has been a huge help. I was able to get monstercops.com transferred and paid for, and hopefully soon this means we can move to a better (or at least temporary) server, with way less problems.
My iTunes just started playing Skunk Anansie "Selling Jesus." It's a song off the soundtrack for the movie Strange Days. I played that soundtrack to death back in the mid nineties. Strange Days was a movie not everyone liked, but totally knocked me out. I loved it. It became a prime example of the kind of movie I was trying to model after. It's a movie you can't really put your finger on. Is it SciFi, is it Action, is it a Thriller, is it a social commentary on race as well as technology? It's a movie that qualifies for all of the above. Directed by Kathryn Bigelow from a story by James Cameron and a script by James Cameron and Jay Cocks. It obviously has that Cameron complexity that I love so much. It's never just one thing with him. It's gotta have equal parts thrills, technology, and romance, all wrapped up in an action plot. And with Kathryn Bigelow at the helm, it was bound to be an amazing ride.
A great cast with some great performances. Ralph Fiennes does well as our hero, and Angela Basset is just a total bad ass in this movie. I will say that if you're not in the right mind set, you may not like it. It does have something to say about race and social problems in general, but for me it really adds to the tension of the movie. It gives you the extra layer of depth, and enhances the big finish. The tension totally put me on edge, as I wasn't sure how this movie was going to have a happy ending.
This movie blew me away. It made me excited to write, because this movie was an example of something a little bit different at the time but still had a bit of that detective noir mixed in with a not so futuristic setting. Like Blade Runner on speed mixed with a little crystal meth. This movie comes to mind because of recent scripts of mine I keep coming back to. Right now I'm juggling so much and I needed to think of something to shock me back into the right frame of mind. It's been a heck of a week.
The first time I saw this trailer it blew me out of the water. I distinctly remember watching this for the first time in the theater and just being in awe. It really made me want to just fuckin jump out of my seat and go make a goddamn movie! As a matter of fact I did. It was called Vampire Killer, but that's another story.
Goddamn this trailer blows my mind. I watched it every chance I got back then on VHS tapes, and I do so now, thanks to YouTube.
Aside from a few side adventures today (Being sidetracked by a power outtage, and later the ongoing coverage from E3, some exciting stuff) I tread forward. With what must be done.
I've been assured by our make up artist that the supplies for the fx work for the big baddy in our next Monster Cops episode has been secured. I also am putting some production in motion with a second unit to get some B-Roll shots. And I'm laying down the layers for the new episode in the editing timeline in Vegas. The big plan, even without the major money, is to get the next 2 episodes done and possibly 3 so we have at least 4 to 5 episodes on this DVD we will put out in the fall.
I've also been in contact with a few theaters to hold some local (all over the triad, NC) screenings, still waiting on info from one more theater. We'll have AT LEAST one local screening near Winston Salem, NC.
Already got one backer in for IndieGoGo. If we can get a few more in then I won't really have to worry about the domain name disappearing in the next few weeks, and I can cover the cost to submit to the New York TV Fest. I would love to finally screen a Monster Cops episode there. Especially Monsters Vs. Cops, I think it would go over well with a big TV going crowd.
My main concern right now, other than money, is producing something a little more accessible with Monster Cops. Meaning, I know that if you see a video is around 20 minutes on the internet, you're bound to pass it up. If you really do want to watch this video, you have to make time for it, and you run the risk of forgetting.
Monsters Vs. Cops is 21 minutes long. Either you already like Monster Cops, or you're already looking for something long form to watch. If not, we lose you. Because with all the crap out there, 21 minutes is alot to ask of your normal internet goer. It's the reason I decided to do Minisodes, but the Minisodes are "cute" and are not a true representation of what Monster Cops is.
The key here is to, of course, create something that is so entertaining and epic that people will want to watch it. But at the same time, make it convenient for people to watch time wise. Yes, I'm talking about the very essence of the "Viral Video." We have yet to create any such videos and I feel Monster Cops lends itself to that very essence, or at the very least, has that potential, if we hit it right. I actually tested this theory with this upload.
I cheated a bit with that video. I placed the words "REAL" next to "WEREWOLF" just to see if it would at least get people to watch the whole clip. Which it did. 1 year later 112,000 views. This picked up in the last year since the topic of Werewolves had increased in popularity. Seems to have picked up quite a bit just in the last few months as well. And please see the comments on that upload. Very entertaining stuff.
The point is, I know there are alot of people who know and like Monster Cops, but I'm also aware that many of those people haven't taken the time to watch our episodes, mainly because they're just too damned long. So we have to make better quality Minisodes at less than 5 minutes, and make them true to the essence of Monster Cops. Comedy of course, but more Horror, more Monsters, more outrageousness. This will hopefully lead them to want to watch our other content.
So that's sort of the plan for Dead By Dawn. The episode itself is 17 minutes. But we'll do a 4 minute version to circulate. As I said at the top, I'm already moving on that. I'm also looking at 3 plots that would make better Minisodes. Alot of work to do, and I only hope we can get more pledges in. The more money, of course, the better chance we have of completing all this during the summer.
Working on that Teddy Bear ad was a tease. I know what I saw in my head, and I like what I had created, but in the end it still is just a "cute" little commercial. I think it's very much a case of "what I see in my head is bigger than the tools I have", but this is no one elses problem but mine. There is a part of me, that knows I can create some really great stuff with what I have. I know, I know, I've heard it before "But Patrick you've already created some great stuff with what you have." Yes, I know, but when I say GREAT, it's not anything I can really explain to you. The GREAT in my head is bigger than anything I've made or could ever convey with words. I have to show it to you.
I'm just looking forward to really showing you these stories. My body can barely catch up with my brain sometimes. Somehow, I'll find a way to get there. Right now I can only do what I've always done, do the best with what I've got.
Back to editing. I've got some possible ad assignments to consider. And I've got Vlogs to shoot.
A lot of life is dealing with your curse, dealing with the cards you were given that aren't so nice. Does it make you into a monster, or can you temper it in some way, or accept it and go in some other direction? --Wes Craven
Plog: power outtage, bacon, lists, and a time for contemplation.
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
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.
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.
“The great mistake is to anticipate the outcome of the engagement; you ought not to be thinking of whether it ends in victory or in defeat. Let nature take its course, and your tools will strike at the right moment..”
A few days ago, HorrorHound Magazine editor-in-chief Nathan Hanneman lost his 34 year old sister Angela to cancer. I know most of you probably didn't know Angela and you probably don't know Nathan either, but that's neither here nor there. The horror community is truly one big family and Nathan and his family could use our help to pay for his sister's funeral expenses - obviously, her being so young, no money was set aside for such a horrible thing. If you would like to help one of our own in the horror family, there's a few ways you can go about it.
- Donate via Paypal to Nathan@Horrorhound.com
- Call/E-mail the John H. Evans Funeral Home directly to make payment: (513) 831-3172 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (513) 831-3172end_of_the_skype_highlighting or info@evansfuneralhome.com
- If you'd like to send a card or a check, drop me an e-mail at mortis45@aol.com and i'll shoot you over Nate's address
If you're a bit low on cash, nobody's gonna fault you. You can still help out by spreading the word on this and by reposting this information on your own blog or website, if you have one.
Like most of my blog posts, this is an affirmation. A reminder.
This situation, like most situations in my life, is indeed in my own hands.
I'm not sure if we're going to reach our target goal on Kickstarter. It's about 13 days left, and we're only up to $575. Am I angry? Nope. Am I worried? A little. But I know it'll be ok. Maybe we won't be able to make as many episodes as I was hoping, but I'm going to put out a DVD this fall for Monster Cops and I'll probably do it the way I've always done it. On my own, with no money, and plenty of creativity and drive.
I'll figure out a way to make it happen. Maybe it won't happen the way I was hoping, but I'll make something happen. I'm encouraged by the support I've been getting. The messages, the emails, the good reviews. Thank you all so much for that. And thank you to all of our pledgers so far.
I know the days aren't up yet, but I need to make plans just in case it all falls through. Even if Kickstarter fails, we still have other options that we are pursuing, but even if all those become exhausted, I'll figure out a way to get the money.
And again, even if I don't, I'll figure it out. It is, after all, in my own hands.
No fate but what we make right?
Oh, Andy loved geology. I imagine it appealed to his meticulous nature. An ice age here, million years of mountain building there. Geology is the study of pressure and time. That's all it takes really, pressure, and time. That, and a big goddamn poster.
In Voluptas Mors (1951). A portrait by Salvador Dali and photographed by Phillipe Halsman. A tableau vivant (living portrait) of Dali sitting next to a skull made of seven nude women.
This would later be used in the famous poster for Silence Of The Lambs (1991). Where the pattern for the Death's Head Moth, would be replaced by a recreation of the skull from Dali's famous portrait.
It does seem quite fitting for the movie. The killer (Buffalo Bill) saw the Moth as a symbol of transformation that paralleled his own transition from gender to gender, and his deadly and sadistic approach to make such a change.
The Descent (2005), would recreate the skull for the film's poster.
I'm quite fond of this poster. Not only a creative idea, but very fitting symbolism for what the women in the movie go through. It's great to see such creativity in marketing for a movie, but I appreciate it even more when it's applied to a really good movie like The Descent.
To me it makes the movie a little bigger, and in a way helps tell the story of the movie. Which is what great marketing should be. Not just a way to tell people about the product, but to contribute to the overall story and feel of the story, making it bigger than a movie. Giving it what we all sort of look for in art and creativity. A little depth.
UPDATE:
Check out our latest short/trailer. RED RIDING HOOD is a bad ass (REDD)
If ever I had to list my top 10 moviemaking influences. William Castle would be on this list.
Since I learned about him when I was in junior high, I've been obsessed with his showmanship for the cinema. Sure his movies may borderline the cheesy, but it was his flair for the theatrical and his passion for engaging the audience that was so amazing to me. Between him and Hitchcock, I would not only become obsessed with moviemaking, but movie promoting and marketing as well.
I just recently found out there was a documentary about him that's been out for a few years now. Can't believe I haven't seen it yet. Here's the trailer.
His approach to marketing and showmanship was always one I was inspired by. And it's something many movie makers will probably need to return to. Get back to a level where you engage the audience directly. He and Hitchcock stuck to the rule I've been talking about for a while now.
Great night with the wife. We drank our Dharma Initiative Wine, ate great food, laughed, cried, and said goodbye to a show that was one of the best rides of our lives. It was truly a fun and enlightening experience, and definitely one that will help shape me as a storyteller.
Now I'm excited to move on to my own series, Monster Cops, and work to bring you my own thrills, action, laughs, and enlightenment.
I'm sad to see a show end, and happy to get back to work on a new one.
This show has been a huge influence on me. It's been intriguing, and puzzling, and a heck of a ride. And I'll miss it. But as it ends, I look toward my own series creation, and I can only hope that what I make can reach people the same way this series has.
It's been a hard day. I haven't felt very well. I'm not sick. But I am upset.
Don't really want to elaborate, but much of it has to do with ignorance and racism, and possibly on a deeper level, I feel a little on the outside right now.
There was one time, when I was in Russia. I had left the hotel and gone for a walk. I got a little lost. Then I found myself completely overwhelmed. I didn't know where I was, nothing was familiar. The signs were in Russian, the people, the language on the streets, the cars, everything was completely different from what I was familiar. When you travel overseas you realize that you are visiting a foreign country, but when you're lost on the streets in a foreign country, you suddenly truly realize just what that means. You're not in a foreign country. You are the foreigner, and you truly begin to understand what it means to be a stranger in a strange land.
Eventually I found my way back to the Hotel. But I remember vividly that feeling of being completely surrounded by everything that is completely unfamiliar. I started to feel that way today. Mainly because of certain events, certain perspectives, and people not fully understanding that: 1) I'm not white, and 2) Not everyone shares the same opinion and or point of view.
I don't talk to anyone about religion or politics or anything controversial, and I'm ok with whatever POV you want to express. Everyone has their own and they are entitled to it. But if it is hateful, if it demeans me, and attacks me, then it's not something that I will tolerate. I don't care how casual you talk to me. Do you really think I'm going to just stand there and be ok with what you are saying?
I should be asleep. But I am not. Instead I'm contemplating fundraising, back up plans, the end of my various favorite TV shows, trolling the internet for remnants of my childhood.
I'm finally caught up on all of my shows. And when I say all of my shows I really just mean 3 of them. Watched the last few episodes of HOUSE all the way up through the season Finale. Of considerable note is that it was shot on the new Nikon DSLR. It was quite an episode, and afterwards it had me seriously contemplating buying a DSLR camera (whenever we get the funding that is.)
I've been dead set on the Canon HV40 for so long, then I find myself researching the Nikon, which brings me back down to a cheaper price, which means looking at 5D's, then lowering the price some more, which brings me to the new Olympus Pen. Realizing that the video quality is not up to my standards. Which brings me back round to the HV40.
So there's that.
Also caught up on SUPERNATURAL. Watched the season finale tonight. Very intense, and not too dissimilar to the style of a Monster Cops episode I've been working on. Supernatural has been dealing (and usually does deal) with very intense topics, with some fairly dramatic (and often depressing) emotional depth. Tonight they really turned the volume up on it. Doesn't help that there is so much of LOST that seems to cross over into SUPERNATURAL. Well, mainly the actor Mark Pellegrino, who plays Satan on Supernatural, also plays the mysterious Jacob on LOST.
Which of course brings me to LOST. The last episode "What They Died For" was yet another intense episode that aired this past Tuesday. The SERIES FINALE is this Sunday. And for many of us it is very much an EVENT. For 6 seasons we've been on this roller coaster ride of puzzles, drama, mysteries, and thrills, leaving us with many questions. And it's all about to come to an end.
LOST is somewhat controversial in that there are several people who have questions about the show, but don't seem to be getting any answers. I've even seen many people post about how they just hated this past season, as this was supposed to be where we get answers to many questions posed in previous seasons, and some folks don't seem to be getting those answers. Not only that, but they seem to be rather bored with this last and final season.
For me I'm the exact opposite. I've gotten a great deal of answers, AND I've found this to be one of the most intense and entertaining Seasons of Lost. I understand we all have different perspectives, but I'm just really blown away by how anybody can't find the entertainment as well as the enlightenment to some of Lost's greatest mysteries. I think a huge part of it is that you can't be a casual viewer. To some extent you kind of have to do your homework, re-watch episodes, re-live previous seasons. If you're as big a fan as I am, that's no chore. I take pleasure in it. For someone who loves TV as well as puzzles and mysteries, Lost is very much up my alley, and for me it has not disappointed me one bit.
And now we are coming to an end with it. And yes there are several questions still in play, and I am very much looking forward to seeing how Sunday's 2 and a half hour finale will (or won't) resolve those questions. Whether I get answers or not, I think my greatest concern are for the characters. As it should be with every show, in the end it really is about these characters that you've watched, loved, hated, yelled at, and cheered for, and have generally spent a great deal of time with. In the end I'm really just looking forward to seeing their resolution.
So of course this is all that has been on my mind as I was laying in bed. On top of the usual, moviemaking, Monster Cops, where is the money going to come from? Yadda, yadda, yadda.
Somehow all this had lead me to the movie FX. Maybe it's because it's one of my favorite and most influential movies from my childhood. But for some reason I really needed to hear the end theme from the movie. It's called "It's Just An Illusion" by IMAGINATION.
Maybe it's because the movie is about a moviemaker/special fx artist fighting a conspiracy. Maybe it's all the themes involved, Imagination, Illusion, FX. Don't know what it is, but I needed to hear this song. I needed help remembering that time. When I was younger and very much influenced by the magic and mysticism of the movies. When I was (and still am) in love with and fascinated with illusions.
On some level there is a true reality to an illusion. Much of it is based on the perception of those witnessing the trickery. When you watch a magic trick, you're looking for the secret, you want to know what the backstory is, like seeking out the solution to a puzzle. When you're sitting in the movie theater, the illusion is well known. It's no secret that the light is coming from the back of the theater, and that in reality, we are all just staring at a lighted wall.
The very definition of an illusion tells us that it is not real. Yet I say, that the illusion itself can be more influential and inspiring than the truth of it all. If we believe in it, like we believe that the light hitting a screen is telling us a story, then is it really a lie. What's false about believing in something, especially when that something affects you emotionally?
Imagination is more powerful than knowledge. I forget who says that.
And now I have no idea where I'm headed with this. Ok, time to head back to bed.
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 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.
It's 21 minutes and 27 seconds. It's not quite safe for work, and does have scenes of violence and gore. But it does have some very funny parts. I really like this one, certainly much better than the first episode, SHADOW COMPANY. Don't get me wrong, I love that episode, but this one is much tighter, a little better quality, and a little closer to the look and feel of what a Monster Cops episode should be.
I just hope other people like it like I do. Now I move on to raising that money so we can get started on the next one. I've got to do it, I see it so clearly in my head. The next one will be an even bigger improvement.
I'm in it right now. Editing, re-writes, updating websites, re-tooling the business plan, talking to investors. I've got my computer back and I feel like I'm back in the swing of things, ready to really hit Monster Cops as hard as I can. Finishing up this episode, prepping for the next one.
But as I'm in the middle of working. I need to stop for a minute. Really take stock of what it is I'm thankful for. I was without my computer for a week, and I felt so frustrated not having this very important tool in my moviemaking arsenal. Now that I have it back I realize how thankful I am for it, and remember a time when I was younger and had nothing but a desire to make movies, with no resources to help me get there.
As much as I like to complain about what I don't have (we all do it), it's important to really look and appreciate what you do have. I'm in such a better position now than I was years ago. Yes, I want the latest equipment to help make better quality stuff, but at least I've got the tools to make something decent now.
But I have to look beyond that. Before I jump back into the grind, and pump out as best an episode as I can, I have to look beyond the pursuit of my dreams, and really see what else I'm TRULY thankful for.
I'm thankful for my health, the fact that I'm breathing and I have all my limbs, and a functioning brain (sometimes). I'm thankful for a roof over my head, food on my table, and that I live in the land of the free, where, despite whatever supposed blocks I may encounter, I am absolutely free to pursue my dreams. I'm thankful for my amazing wife, Julianna. For the times we share, the adventures we have together, and the love that I have found with her. I'm thankful for such supportive friends, both online and off. There are people who believe in me so much and do things to support me, and I am ever grateful for them, and promise never to let them down and do what I can to return the favor. I'm thankful for my supportive, caring, and loving family. I'm thankful for my community, for my very existence, and the fact that I am blessed to witness so much greatness and beauty, and for the opportunity to use my talents to add my own creativity to that greatness.
I mean, why wait til Thanksgiving to take stock of what you are thankful for. I think it's important to stop for a minute, and appreciate what you have, appreciate that you're living, and appreciate the opportunities that are given to you. It's easy to look at what you don't have. It's easy to look at what more you could have. But life isn't about easy. It's about living and really experiencing the true nature of your own existence.
To do that, to really live, you don't need anything else but what you already have. Your heart, your mind, your soul, and the very breath in your lungs. With that, you can do anything.
without my computer. Still using the wife's laptop. My desktop is still being worked on. I will hopefully get it back tomorrow and I can get back to some real work.
Must finish the next MC episode, as well as do some major updates to monstercops.com. I have intro videos to upload. And I have to get a DVD copy of this episode to New York by next week. If I don't get to, then I just wasn't meant to screen Monster Cops at the New York Television Festival. I swear I've been trying to get a video to them for the past 3 years. And it's not that I ever got rejected, something always seems to prevent me from even getting in a submission.
I have alot of confidence that this episode will be a better example of what Monster Cops is and could be. I just hope that you all receive it well.
On the fundraising front, a few interested parties, but nothing solid yet. I'm pretty sure everyone is waiting to see the newest episode first, and once I can get that done and out for people to see, we can probably get a bit more movement in getting the funds.
It's a bit harrowing right now, a little scary, and very adventurous. In the end I hope I get the chance to really show my stuff soon.
Hopefully the next time I blog it will be from my desktop.
I didn't want it to happen, but we're going to have to go into overtime. Need to make a play soon, or something drastic will have to happen, and I'm going to have to call this whole thing off and head on home. Like for real.
I'll get my computer back in a few days hopefully. Chris is having to take a closer look at it. Depending on what can be saved, I may have time to actually get this episode done and sent out before the deadline. It's got to go to a few places and seen by a few people. Also I was looking forward to putting it online. Give folks more reason to head over to monstercops.com
Monster Cops has moved to the forefront in the projects area. Creep is second. Especially now that I may have a few people interested in helping Monster Cops out financially. I may have the seed money to at least get the camera and go ahead with the next episode, as well as shoot that first scene for Creep.
My main goal is to really get going on episodes for Monster Cops and have that DVD ready for the fall and the holiday season. Creep we'll be able to work on more closer to the end of summer into fall. But the Monster Cops DVD is looking like more and more of a possibility.
Without my computer I'm out of commission on video and sound editing. Thankfully my script writing software is installed on my wife's laptop and she's been nice enough to let me use it. So I can at least work on re-writes for Creep, and the next few Monster Cops episodes. Unfortunately all my music that I listen to as I write is on my computer, but for now, iTunes radio will have to suffice.
I'm hoping a few things will happen in the next few weeks that will mean me getting the rest of the funding to ensure these Monster Cops episodes get finished. I have 8 listed, but I'll be fine with producing 6 total. Here's a listing for all episodes and what they are about.
1) SHADOW COMPANY. Completed Cutter still deals with the death of his wife, Greenly is obsessed with the death of Tupac, Weir has questions about the death of Mothman, and the team faces off against zombies, and a Vampire that knows too much.
2) MONSTERS Vs. COPS. Almost Completed (Computer Status Pending) It's Jack's birthday and zombie activity is on the rise. Cutter bakes cookies for everyone as the team investigates the activities of an Occult Worshiping Succubus.
The rest may under go title changes and are open as far as plot. I have to leave them kind of open because I need to leave room for improv. That's how it is on no-budget. If I get complete funding, then we can shoot the scripts straight up with minimal surprises.
3) DEAD BY DAWN (Vampires) The team has less than 6 hours to track and destroy a Master Vampire before one of their own becomes one of the Undead.
4) BLOOD MOON (Werewolves) Bigfoot sightings at a Campground lead the team to do battle with a giant Lycanthrope. Meanwhile Windows is having a tough time trying to find a date to the prom, and Jones' sexuality becomes a hot topic at the water cooler.
5) PARANORMAL DIVISION (Exorcism / Demons) A closer look at the Paranormal and Psychic Division of 19-3. The Exorcism of a young girl may lead to clues about the coming of a Demonic Beast the Cops must destroy. Meanwhile, Weir is dealing with his fear of insects and Cutter faces off with an old adversary.
6) DREAD (Demonic Serial Killer / Cult / Zombies) The Lab needs a specimen to study, which means the Cops must capture the elusive Supernatural Zombie. Meanwhile research ties the rise in zombie activity to an old hippie cult known as The Cult Of Dread. Also, the Sniper team is having way too much fun with new weapons.
7) HELL GATE (Zombies / Sorcerer) Satellites detect a hot spot in an open field, where the team finds one lone Sorcerer trying to open up a gate to hell. The team must use every weapon and piece of technology at their disposal to do battle with an ancient sorcerer, who has the powers to summon evil zombies and demonic beasts. Meanwhile a government revue could mean a CIA take over of 19-3.
8) 19-3 A prophecy foretells of a coming war against humans as demonic beasts known as RAGS gather in large numbers in the forests of Gaines park. The team must put all of their weapons and training to the test in order to stop it. Meanwhile a new CIA liaison begins to micromanage Shadow Company officers, putting a damper on team morale. Cutter must make a decision to save 19-3 from a CIA take over, but could mean his official leave of Shadow Company.
With a little funding I know I can produce 6 episodes, but with the full funding I'm sure I can get all 8, which would be great, because I would be able to tell the full arch of this particular story. There are many more Monster Cops adventures as well as 2 feature length screenplays that I'd love to produce in the future, but for now, I'll concentrate on these, see how people feel about them, and if a larger audience would like to see a full fledged series on DVD. I know I've got a few supporters, so for now I'm making these for you guys, but I'm hoping we can reach out to a wider audience, see where it goes from there.
I have to note that, although it sucks the possibility of me losing files and having to start over, it's nothing compared to what some people are going through right now. I see tornadoes hitting some towns, and of course the other recent earthquake disasters. I lost a stupid computer, these people have lost homes, lives, entire communities. I still count myself very lucky that I'm still breathing, I've got my wife, and I've got a roof over my head.
Stupid computer problems? Whatever. I'm still very blessed.
Going to hand the Laptop back over to the wife. Gonna hit my notebook to do some notes, back on later.
Friday, April 23, 2010
Chris Plouffe currently battling my computer demons. He feels confident they can be slayed.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Out of comission with no comp. blogging by phone. a good time to sit and really look at the situation. much to ponder.
The dream was very real. I really believed it was happening. I actually remember wishing that it were all just a dream. Then I woke up. And although my heart was pounding hard, I felt so relieved. It really was just a dream.
I remember those other times, when it felt like a nightmare. When my mother told me she was diagnosed with Cancer. When Juli's mom got Cancer, the day we realized she was going to die, and the night she passed away. These things in life happen, where you wish it was all a horrible nightmare, and you'd just wake up from it. And the helpless terror you feel when you don't wake up.
So when I learned the world was going to end, I ran through all the emotions, the denial, the helplessness, the fear, the reluctant acceptance, and the immediate regret for all the things you'll never get to do. I'll never have children. I'll never grow old with my wife. I'll never see my family again. I'll never make movies. I'll never get the chance to sit with an audience in a theater as they and I experience one of my movies together. I'll never see any of my dreams come true.
Imagine my relief when I woke up. I was in my bed, next to my wife. Right where I was wishing I was. I felt like I was given a second chance.
I felt more driven than usual. Like nothing could stop me. Then I turned on my computer.
My computer is down. Crashed due to a virus. I may very well lose a ton of video files, including the entire project file for this new Monster Cops episode.
The good news: I have all of the videos on tape, so I'll just have to re-capture everything. Pain in the ass, but still good. I have alot of files backed up to an external hard drive. Some stuff I have backed up online.
The bad news: I'm going to lose alot of unique audio and video files that I could not back up, because I could never afford big enough back up hard drive. Projects that I don't have backed up, videos that I could never re-edit, photos, and many, many scripts, all of it gone.
Yes it is my fault for not backing up my files. I never had a big enough hard drive to do so. It was always on those list of things to get when ever I had the money.
Money, always comes back to that doesn't it? The funding to get this done. As I work to get that funding, things start to fall apart. Situations occur that could be easily remedied with the funding.
Ironically the episode that I needed to finish was almost finished. It needed to be sent off to a few folks who might put up some money, and it needed to get done before next week. But now I may have to start from scratch, forcing me to re-upload, re-edit, re-construct everything from the start before the middle of next week, IF I can get my computer back up again. It's always about irony isn't it?
So I try to remain proactive. I've got someone coming in Friday to look at the computer. And meanwhile I have to prep for the pick up shoot tonight.
And this is how it is for a no-budget moviemaker.
I continue to do what I can with no money, no hard drive, no funding, while trying to get that funding and continue to produce what I can. The goal is to have a product, a DVD, ready for the fall. Spend the next few months raising money and making movies.
So far this year has been filled with disappointments. Investors fall through, computers crash, and no budget production work gets harder and harder to do.
Monster Cops episode is basically done. Doing some serious tweaking. This is where I really scrutinize every edit, every sound cue, making sure it's as good as it can possibly be. Seeing if there's any sound elements that need to be added, or if a scene can be tightened even more.
Having issues with this final zombie fight. It feels like it needs to be fuller. It may require some pick up shots tomorrow and some extra graphics work, but I may be able to pull it off purely in post.
This would be easier if I wasn't starving. Going to get some dinner for me and the wife, then I'll do a lengthier post about being in post.
Today's theme boys and girls. Inner City Blues by the late great Marvin Gaye.
Sometimes you feel like burning it all to the ground. Taking it all down. Getting rid of all you've worked on and start fresh. Because right now it looks like everything I've created just isn't that impressive to me. It's a horrible example of what I'm capable. Yet I can't seem to get to the greatness unless I do something to inspire people to help me get to that greatness. It's a vicious fucking circle.
Yes, I'm set to emo, down and out mode. I get this way when it looks like I have to place my future in other people's hands. It's not looking good. It never does. It only seems to workout when I rely on myself, and myself right now doesn't have the funding.
I'm more than halfway through editing this next Monster Cops episode. And I think it's neat. A few inches closer to resembling what I think Monster Cops is in terms of a good episode. We've got the monsters, the comedy, the conspiracy, and a nice little ending. But right now, it's just not enough for me. It's an alright episode.
Man I am so ready to make something that is more than alright. More than ok. More than just nice.
Jesus, this is getting old. How many more times am I going to blog about trying to make something amazing.
I'm just venting. Truth is I got a bit gung-ho about trying to get funding for Monster Cops. Thought for a second I could make a run for it, produce a bunch of episodes and make a DVD this year. But it looks like Monster Cops will stay right where it is. A side project that I'll be working on from time to time, til I die.
So I continue on with my list, clean the house, wash the car, get the CREEP website nice and shiny and as impressive as I can, and get that bad boy running in the next few weeks.
I'll see what else I can do for Monster Cops, but I really just need to quit asking for other people's help, go get me 3 jobs and raise the money myself. I've done it before. Course it's a little harder now, because I have a wife I'd like to see occasionally.
Perhaps I'll get the funding I need for Creep through some generous folks on the interwebs. A few of them have already messaged me to say that they will, and a few of you already have. Thanks for having faith in me guys. I've got to get that website as good as it can, before I spread the word on it.
Hang ups, let downs
Bad breaks, set backs
Natural fact is
I can't pay my taxes
Oh, make me wanna holler
And throw up both my hands
Yea, it makes me wanna holler
And throw up both my hands
- Marvin Gaye
I liked it alot. It was scary. And it really made me think what I would do in alot of the situations the characters found themselves in. What would you do if you were being stalked by a madman? Would you stand by and let him terrorize you? Or would you take a good long look at your life, and realize how precious and wonderful it is, and worth fighting for. Maybe then instead of screaming bloody murder, you would have the fortitude to stand your ground and fight back with force and clarity.
Of course I'm not really thinking about a literal madman. As always I'm thinking about moviemaking, the stumbling blocks along the way, and my madman that continues to stalk me. Myself. I am my own terrorizer, my own stumbling block, the only one that prevents me from reaching the next level.
And what is this next level? There are two things I am concerned with right now. To make my cinematic masterpiece feature film, CREEP. And to make MONSTER COPS into what it is meant to be, a full fledged online series, DVD compilation, and known brand reaching the audience it was meant to.
Creep I'm confident I can raise the money for. I'm still working on the site to do some crowdfunding and we've already begun rehearsals as I do re-writes. I'm going to make that movie this year, period.
Monster Cops, I've decided to hit it hard. I also need funding for it. Serious funding, to really be able to turn it into what I know it can be. Produce several more episodes, have national screenings in several venues, and have a DVD and merchandise ready to sell before October of this year. The stories and vision I have for Monster Cops needs to be told, and it deserves to be marketed properly to the audience that wants and needs to see it. I know I've said it before, but I need restate what Monster Cops is. It's comedy and horror for sure. But more so, it's episodic cinematic story telling hidden inside a goofy comic horror web series. The one episode I've produced and the few minisodes I've put up, barely display the full depth, empathy, pathos, and thrill I wish to convey with Monster Cops.
I've got the one episode up, one more on the way, and I need the resources and funding to produce 5 more episodes making it a total of 7 complete 20 minute episodes. Many of them will be available online to watch, but all will be available for purchase on DVD, and many of them will be screened in different venues through the nation. With the right marketing I know I could turn it into something really special. That combined with the solid story telling and hidden inspiration behind all the monsters, action, and comedy, I think this could really be the series and brand that I envisioned so many years ago.
I'm tired of settling for this so called reality. I'm ready to create with all my heart and produce the right livelihood I deserve. I've been holding back and I just don't have the strength to hold back anymore. It's time for me to let loose and hit this as hard as I can, and really bring out the creativity and effort to bring the visions in my heart to life.
Because in the movie of my life, I am not the victim. I am the badass motherfuckin hero in this bitch, and I have the force and clarity to pursue my passions and achieve my goals.
So in your own life, in your own movie, are you the victim?
“As long as I can remember I feel I have had this great creative and spiritual force within me that is greater than faith, greater than ambition, greater than confidence, greater than determination, greater than vision. It is all these combined. My brain becomes magnetized with this dominating force which I hold in my hand.” - Bruce Lee
"Never let 'em see you ache"; that's what Mr. Mayer always said. Or was it ass; "Never let 'em see your ass"?"
— Carrie Fisher
Every opportunity to fail is an opportunity to learn, to improve, so that next time you will not fail. Therefore there is no true failure, only valuable steps to take towards your success.
Taking a few lessons from Sun Tzu's The Art Of War. It's been translated in different words, Vacuity and Substance, Illusion and Reality, Weak Points and Strong Points. It's about recognizing and understanding what your resources are, and how it applies in battle.
It's a step just before the next step known as Engaging The Force. Reading that just now, I think of Star Wars, but I don't think that's what Sun Tzu was referring to. Or was it?
Maneuvering/Engaging The Force explains the dangers of direct conflict and how to win those confrontations when they are forced upon you.
- From SUN TZU's The Art Of War
I now turn to advice from yet another old Asian war master. Miyamoto Musashi and his Book Of Five Rings. There are rules in learning his Military Science. Many of those rules can be easily applied to everyday life, and most definitely here and now in my current mind set.
1. Think of what is right and true.
2. Practice and cultivate the science.
3. Become acquainted with the arts.
4. Know the principles of the crafts.
5. Understand the harm and benefit in everything.
6. Learn to see everything accurately.
7. Become aware of what is not obvious.
8. Be careful even in small matters.
9. Do not do anything useless.
Number 9 is what I'll be working on today. While things are being pondered and realized, I must do what I can to make sure I have a clean and efficient base of operations.
In others words, I'll be cleaning house.
"Timing is important in dancing and pipe or string music, for they are in rhythm only if timing is good. Timing and rhythm are also involved in the military arts, shooting bows and guns, and riding horses. In all skills and abilities there is timing.... There is timing in the whole life of the warrior, in his thriving and declining, in his harmony and discord. Similarly, there is timing in the Way of the merchant, in the rise and fall of capital. All things entail rising and falling timing. You must be able to discern this. In strategy there are various timing considerations. From the outset you must know the applicable timing and the inapplicable timing, and from among the large and small things and the fast and slow timings find the relevant timing, first seeing the distance timing and the background timing. This is the main thing in strategy. It is especially important to know the background timing, otherwise your strategy will become uncertain."
It happens. In any sort of transition. There is friction, there is some discomfort, stress, pressure, and clashing. Such is the weather. Right now, Winter is transitioning into Spring. As one season moves in and another takes it's place, there is a small clashing in the transition. The lightning, the thunder, the rains, and the winds.
For a philosopher there is much to ponder, and for the local news, there is much to report. And boy does the local news love local happenings.
Anyhoo.
I am in a time of transition. It's not going to be pretty. Moving towards a life that you want to lead, and away from a life that has nothing left for you.
Simply put, I'm trying to make my living making movies.
It's been hard so far, and I only expect it to get even harder. But I'm confident I can get through this transition.
One obstacle I realize I must overcome, is that I am obviously not making it clear enough what it is I'm trying to create, and more so, just how driven I am in making this project happen.
It's obvious that I have to do something drastic in order to get the help I need to make this happen.
I'm not just talking about making a movie. I'm talking about making something amazing. I'm talking about making something mind blowing.
I've watched alot of indie movie trailers lately, and they look exactly like not so great. Amateurish, bad performances, bad direction, horrible writing. I hate to dog some of my fellow indies. It takes alot to get it all together and make something happen. I've been there before. And I know what it's like to struggle to create something when you have neither the time nor the money.
But alot of these trailers I've seen are from people who were able to raise $50,000, $100,000, $500,000. What that money was spent on? I do not know. Because the quality, the production, the magic, it just wasn't there.
I'm trying to keep costs low. I'm doing this bare bones. The budget I require is $11,730. And I'm still trying to refine it. I'm trying to put this together realistically, what is it that I need to make this happen. No trailers for amateur actors you've never heard of. No $15,000 Dolly system to give you smooth professional shots that I know I can do for less than $300.
If I had some of the money these folks have been able to raise, I would make something that would not only be a "good movie", I would create something that was on par with any professionally made Hollywood extravaganza. And I don't need $100,000. I don't even need $50,000.
Just get me that $11,730. Heck, to make it, I'm aiming to get the first round of funding, which is $7,280. That's what I need to actually shoot, edit, and produce this feature film. The rest of the money I'm confident we can raise after we have a finished product.
I don't know how else to convey how far I'm willing to go to get this made. I am literally at the end of my rope. I cannot let another year pass where I have NOT made a movie. I WILL make this movie IF IT KILLS ME.
And I think that's pretty much where I'm at. Either a movie will be made this year or I am going to die. Because it already feels that way. When you feel like you're born to do something specific, and you don't get to do it, then you're already dying. Little by little, you do things that you don't want to, and at the same time you know what you're supposed to be doing, a little bit of you dies. And dammit I'm ready to live. I AM READY TO LIVE! I am ready to create with all my heart and soul, and if no one will help me then I'll just have to keep doing what I've always done, help myself.
But there is only so much I can do with no money. I'm tired of no money. I don't want wealth, I don't want a million dollar budget, I just need this little bit to get me what I need, to do this properly, and I will take care of the rest.
I'm tired of holding back. If you're out there and you've been planning on doing something amazing, why are you holding back? If you're an investor and you've wanted to contribute, but you just haven't for some reason, why are you holding back? I will make this the best way I can for no money, but I need HELP.
I've done what I can for now, with CREEPMOVIE.NET. I plan on adding more and more to help display what this movie is and what I am trying to create. But please feel free to look it over. Tell me what you think, what else should I add, how else can I better explain, how else can I better get people to contribute?
I'll do more to start letting people know about the movie and about this site as I add more to it, but if you're reading this then please feel free to check out the site. There will be more soon. More videos to explain every bit of the movie and the site. I plan on shooting that first scene and posting it for all to see, maybe that will help generate more buzz.
Pardon my dramatics, but I'm so focused on this I cannot think of anything else. I need to do this. I'm ready to burst if I cannot do this, and I am determined to make this happen.
I'm so amazingly happy someone had posted this video. This is from Harry Anderson's act from back in the day. I was a kid when I watched this and it made me absolutely love Harry Anderson more. I loved him on Cheers as Harry The Hat, and later on Night Court as Judge Harry T. Stone, but even more so I respected him as a magician and showman.
I memorized his book, watched his act on TV every chance I got, and when I saw the Needle Through the Arm trick, I had to learn how it was done. I actually found the trick at a magic shop and I just had to have it. I still have the kit with the instructions and the needle in my super secret magic stash somewhere round here. I pull it out and look it over every so often.
I don't know why, but for some reason, Harry popped into my head today. Got me to looking up old quotes of his, and searching for videos of him on YouTube. I needed to find that video and I didn't even realize it. I needed to see it. It was a reminder of my childhood, what I dreamt of back then, and how I'm still working towards that very dream today.
I also needed to be reminded of the one thing Harry would ever really teach me. It's about showmanship. It's about putting on a great show. And probably one of the most important quotes that applies to my current goals:
"If you put on a good enough show, people will be more than happy to pay the price of admission."
I wanted be Harry. Because of him I wore a hat, from my freshman year to my last year in college. I still have that hat around here somewhere. I don't wear the hat anymore, but I still think of how he shaped me and my ideals about my own goals.
Thanks for that Harry.
Ok, back to the grind. Updating CREEPMOVIE.NET getting it just right before I go round getting everyone on board to fund this movie. Also working on Monster Cops today as well. Tomorrow I'll hopefully finish the Werewolf and get started on REDD.
5) Begin Crowdfunding at CREEPMOVIE.NET once you feel confident that you have enough material to express your vision for the movie CREEP and that the website does a good job of communicating this movie.
6) Finish Re-Writes for Creep.
7) Shoot first scene for Creep.
8) Finish doing Recon.
9) Pre-Production Concept on Secondary Show.
10) REDD
It's an exciting, strange, glorious, and scary time. Right now, anything can happen, one thing's for sure. I'm going for it. For real.
I've been making birthday videos for my wife for a while now. Started a few years back when I realized I had no money and nothing else but editing skills and a random sense of humor. The videos always contained inside jokes and themes for whatever fandom, celebrity, or show me and my wife were into that year. One year me and some of our friends did our version of SNL's DIGITAL SHORT "Dick In A Box"
I hadn't done one in a couple of years we've been so busy. This year I knew she wouldn't be expecting it, so I put one together. This time it was LOST themed. Using Sony Vegas 9 and several stolen photos, I animated several LOST characters lip syncing to Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody. A few guest appearances from some of her fav celebs as well as some of our friends.
This won't mean much if you don't watch LOST. But you may find it mildly amusing if you like Star Trek, Conan O'Brien, The Office, or Rick Astley.
Enjoy the randomness. This is the edited version minus all the Bday greetings at the end from some of our friends.
Standing in the garage. holding my wife, watching the rain come down. This is living.
