tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71805805422369713412023-11-15T22:56:15.768-08:00Indie Movie MastersIndie Movie Mastershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00785883665824314268noreply@blogger.comBlogger32125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7180580542236971341.post-19510579589662031042010-06-02T19:49:00.000-07:002010-06-02T20:31:43.296-07:00Stacey Gillespie- The Man of 1000 Faces<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeFMxJjFd7I3P0BsvchKPevV_2Vv8I47q-tUUSyqiSo1x6uYTVxHGmTWShSiwKY2hYySQLGjA0zGc6ib5tIqGCknkj0hJROt0YmptRJyCIrmcM62HBXNc0eweKy_fnrTE8ynv0Ehba3QU/s1600/StacyG1-small.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeFMxJjFd7I3P0BsvchKPevV_2Vv8I47q-tUUSyqiSo1x6uYTVxHGmTWShSiwKY2hYySQLGjA0zGc6ib5tIqGCknkj0hJROt0YmptRJyCIrmcM62HBXNc0eweKy_fnrTE8ynv0Ehba3QU/s320/StacyG1-small.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478378848751667970" /></a><br /><br /><br />Watching any indie short film or feature coming out of Kentucky, invariably the name of Stacey Gillespie will be found somewhere in the credits, and maybe more than once! Stacey epitomizes the indie film actor: hard-working, resilient, patient, able to put up with rough conditions for hours on end, and passionate about independent film. Without a doubt, he is one of the individuals that one can say has paid his dues, and then some.<br /><br />With literally several hundred credits to his name over the past several years, I wanted to get a better look into the mind of Stacey Gillespie. With a humble and down to earth nature that is not altogether common in the entertainment industry, Stacey comes across as a soft-spoken and very laid back individual. Under that mild demeanor, however, is a guy that is zealous about indie film, and who is absolutely dedicated to improving his skills as an actor.<br /><br />With no formal acting background, Stacey is one of those people who honed his craft by simply jumping into the deep end of the pool and doing it. From his legendary 17 acting parts in Zombie Planet, on up to the film he is working on now, Santa Vs. Zombies, Stacey has answered the call of director after director, becoming a real asset to any project that he is a part of.<br /><br />Stacey is also a burgeoning filmmaker as well, currently immersed in the post-production phase of his fantasy feature Eyes of Darkness.<br /><br />So without further delay, let's make a little foray into the world of Stacey Gillespie, from his acting roles, to his feature, his thoughts on indie film, and even a bit about the rumored Gillespie Fest coming this fall!<br /><br /><br />-Stephen Zimmer for Indie Movie Masters Blog, June 3, 2010<br /><br /><br /><br /><strong>SZ: What inspired you to pursue acting? </strong> <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS-S6bVZxWf7MIZ85dYeSOHP7k27RE6xTz39WBF1qSrWgsYBK79XrHZ5qzxJO3zWPgMvtvwe01fPASRTqa_hFAE74jp4FHmM8eOYtni2boiBsC2femkg_9QEoESiTI65I2HcI0VE5yChA/s1600/StacyG2-small.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS-S6bVZxWf7MIZ85dYeSOHP7k27RE6xTz39WBF1qSrWgsYBK79XrHZ5qzxJO3zWPgMvtvwe01fPASRTqa_hFAE74jp4FHmM8eOYtni2boiBsC2femkg_9QEoESiTI65I2HcI0VE5yChA/s320/StacyG2-small.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478379075190030578" /></a>SG: I sorta became an actor by accident. A good friend of mine asked me to go to an audition with him that he had heard about in a newspaper. He had never done any acting before and I did a play or two in elementary and high school. It was for a movie called Zombie Planet. So we went to it and talked to a few people who were cast in it, and some of the crew involved. We talked to the director George Bonilla and he told us a little about the film, and some of the acting roles and crew he had available. At the time I became quite inspired because I had never worked on a movie before, so I was pretty excited and wanted to learn more about it. They were doing a test shot called day for night, where they shoot in the day time, and later use the footage as night shots. I was asked to be a zombie for the shoot as a test subject. So they put me in a makeup chair for 4 hours, where they put latex and tissue paper and painted my entire face and arms. I wore this old torn shirt that said I Saved A Life from the Central Kentucky Blood Center, and we went downtown Lexington in an alleyway where I would have to jerk and growl and stumble and knock over trash cans and furniture, looking for pieces of human flesh to consume. Well I guess the director liked what I did, and he was so encouraging to me that I decided to get more involved in that side of filmmaking. I sorta developed what a lot of actors call the “acting bug”. It is the passion of it that gets in you, and you want more of it. <br /><br /><strong>SZ: Did you have any acting background of any kind, in terms of theater or school?</strong><br /><br />SG: Not really. I mean I did a few things like Snow White And The Seven Dwarves in elementary school, and a play someone wrote in high school, but I didn’t do anything much other than that. I went to Berea College but I didn’t study acting there. Although, I became good friends with Jeffrey Reddick, who asked me to help him with some dialog in some of his screenplays he was writing. Who would have thought then that I was friends with the guy who wrote Final Destination, a Hollywood Horror original. Very cool.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: What is the first independent film role that you had? </strong> <br /><br />SG: Well, the very first was the zombie role that I had mentioned earlier, but the first speaking role I had was Fred the Dregg that was also in Zombie Planet, where I played a radio operator trying to get support and food from the government to survive the zombie plague. I got soup thrown at me by a bunch of bad guys called the Upper Class. My first bad guy role I played, if I may, was a racist redneck who pretended to be best friends with a guy in order to steal coalmining rights in the film Forever In Black Hills. <br /><br /><strong>SZ: How many parts did you play in Zombie Planet? </strong> <br /><br />SG: I played 17 different roles in Zombie Planet, and it started out just being around when they needed some people to play extras in different scenes. They would always grab me and place me somewhere and put me in the appropriate costumes for each scene. Well after about 6 different times doing that, they decided to see how many times they could get away with sticking me in the movie. They used hats and scarfs, coats, zombie makeup and anything to disguise me. The very last role I had a prosthetic nose made, darkened my hair, darkened my skin and put cotton balls in my mouth to make me look Italian where I got shot in the head. Now it is a drinking game too, so that when ever you see me in the film, you take a drink. You are guaranteed to feel pretty good. <br /><br /><strong>SZ: How many film credits do you have today? </strong><br /><br />SG: I have a scrapbook at home, and I try to remember to log everything that I do. I have been acting for ten years this year, and including acting roles and working on crew I estimate I have around 450 to 500 credits. <br /><br /><strong>SZ: What film are you working on right now?</strong> <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfnEeTKfHPkxqhaQpNCG52AR36Bla2Ueig4rZEv_S8rm5ApinrWFbmVM5ytC-tIxRf4B4LZXirgpu7WlJD-oGdInnHa9qSP-bqJv5-hX6lEem93AXoCx3wLRZZljQOs3FZ4h2GMTfricM/s1600/StacyG3-small.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfnEeTKfHPkxqhaQpNCG52AR36Bla2Ueig4rZEv_S8rm5ApinrWFbmVM5ytC-tIxRf4B4LZXirgpu7WlJD-oGdInnHa9qSP-bqJv5-hX6lEem93AXoCx3wLRZZljQOs3FZ4h2GMTfricM/s320/StacyG3-small.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478379249352817490" /></a>SG: I am working on Santa vs. The Zombies, a PG Christmas movie, and starting Bunker of Blood, a bloody soldier massacre. I finished up part 2 of a Dumb and Dumber meets American Pie film called Kildo 2 by David Gooslin, a sequel to the first which seemed to be a big hit. A few music videos and educational training videos as well. <br /><br /><strong>SZ: What have you discovered to be the most important, in terms of continuing to be an active independent film actor? </strong><br /><br />SG: Well for me it takes ambition, dedication, passion (the biggest of all) dependability, and most importantly respect. I always try to give the director exactly what he or she wants, and to make sure I know my lines, and to always be there on time. I did a seminar at the World Independent Film Expo talking about different things an actor should remember, and knowing your character and giving respect to each project are two of the things that I touched on the most. <br /><br /><strong>SZ: What are the most common mistakes made by independent film actors, in your opinion? </strong><br /><br />SG: Gosh, I guess some of the common things I see is being late for the shoot, not knowing your lines or what scene is being shot, or blatantly not showing up at all, and not calling anyone to let them know. I have seen issues of money get in the way of actors and projects. I have seen some actors deal with overbooking themselves with 2 or more shoots at the same time, which can cause relational problems in the future with them and the director. And occasionally, you will run across an actor that who has developed what I call “gone Hollywood”, where they get the Hollywood syndrome and tend to act as though they are on the same status as a Hollywood actor, and respect for the project has left the building in terms of the director and other actors. These are some of the things that I have seen over the years. <br /><br /><strong>SZ: What are your long term goals? </strong><br /><br />SG: I guess the same as many other fellow actors, to perhaps one day make this a fulltime career, and try to grow to become a better actor, and taking on challenges that have not been explored yet, be it larger projects, more difficult roles, or roles that have not been done. For me I can’t put the money first, for I want it to remain a passion first. I don’t want to lose that “love for acting as an art”. I think one can lose who they are if this escapes them. I would love to perhaps move to New York or California and try my luck there. I want to try working with some national commercials, TV, and Hollywood film, perhaps even become SAG. <br /><br /><strong>SZ: Rumor has it that there is a Stacey Gillespie Fest in the works, which will have films that you have appeared in. Is this rumor true, and if so, where is this very interesting project at right now?</strong> <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf9-YsoVNRsusPJasUQTE3hurbtHCL2U5PYatn1xCKzmosVPn4huiNXEaBANrcW7zkQPHrxZ01lJzT73nwmF23OvPcml7ih-CtJujFyjuZO6wpNJkOW5AfDNvhxYnzy3Tiy8nNhqDKvas/s1600/StacyG4-small.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 152px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf9-YsoVNRsusPJasUQTE3hurbtHCL2U5PYatn1xCKzmosVPn4huiNXEaBANrcW7zkQPHrxZ01lJzT73nwmF23OvPcml7ih-CtJujFyjuZO6wpNJkOW5AfDNvhxYnzy3Tiy8nNhqDKvas/s320/StacyG4-small.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478379403730870258" /></a>SG: Ha ha yes, this is true although it may not involve me in every film, but Belinda Cook came up with the idea, and this year I decided to go forth with it. I plan to have it in Sept. around my birthday to celebrate that and my tenth year as an actor. My hopes are to have it at the Kentucky Theater on a weekend, and to have a possible premier of a film, some comedians, and a live band. But since I am passionate about the cancer society I want to donate some money to a cancer charity, because my mother had cancer back in ’97, which she was fortunate to survive. But I want to support that cause using this event. It will be more or less a celebration. I will even include the best Stacey joke contest where a prize will be given.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: What are you favorite films as a movie fan? </strong> <br /><br />SG: My all time favorite film is Lord Of The Rings trilogy. Love that genre. I own any movie that deals in that genre. But I like anything that has to do with action, sci-fi, comedy and even drama. And of course, I like a good horror film involving either intellect or just straight out blood and gore.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: Who are your favorite actors?</strong> <br /><br />SG: My favorite actors would include Harrison Ford, Jack Nicholson, Arnold Swartzenagger, Ashley Judd, Bruce Willis, Clint Eastwood, John Wayne, Scarlet Johanson. <br /><br /><strong>SZ: What actors in Hollywood would you compare your style and look to? </strong> <br /><br />SG: My aunt always says I look like Nicholas Cage or Bruce Willis. Charles Shouse, director of Forever In Black Hills always says I favor Jason Statum. I think my style would mostly represent, depending on the role, would be Harrison Ford for his great facial expressions, Jim Carrey for his outrageous extreme comic behavior, Bruce Willis for his sarcasm, and ability to play various roles, and Liam Neeson for his serious delivery. <br /><br /><strong>SZ: Tell us a little about your fantasy feature In The Eyes Of Darkness. What is it, and when will it be premiered? </strong> <br /><br />SG: Well, after about 3 years into being apart of the independent Kentucky film culture, I had gained a lot of experience in front of the camera and behind, so I decide to tackle a film of my own. So I bought a camera and asked a few writers about how they chose the film that they did. From what I gathered, I learned to write what you know, and are passionate about. My passion was in the fantasy realm, and Lord Of The Rings was my favorite film, so I decided to do a fantasy feature. I titled it In The Eyes Of Darkness. It is about a kingdom called Graystone, where all is peaceful and good until people of the region start to disappear. Well, men were sent out to investigate the problem and they would end up missing as well. Therefore, even more people such as soldiers and rangers were sent to investigate as well and, of course, they would not return either. So within a monk village an elf and his sister decide to go and figure things out for themselves knowing they have no experience in such things. However, one of the monks of the village demand that an experienced holy warrior go with them. So along their journey they team up with a cocky barbarian and his strange sidekick dwarf, as they go seek to find the evil taking over the land. They come across the evil lair of an ancient creature, where they find themselves helpless as they battle the evil force, trying to survive themselves. But that is the premise of the film, and it is, as I have been told, the first attempt to do a fantasy feature on a independent level. The film is in the editing stage, and I hope to have a premiere date sometime in early 2011. The film is encased with swords magic, battle scenes, drama, gore, unique creatures, and mind-blowing scenery. The films website is geocities/eyesdarknessmovie.com.<br /> <br /><strong>SZ: Where can people find you or connect to you on the internet?</strong> <br /><br />SG: I can be found on Myspace, Facebook or Twitter under my name Stacey Gillespie. My email address is staceytgill@hotmail.com. I am working on a Man Of A Thousand Faces website, to be available soon. I was given the nickname earlier in my acting career. <br /><br />I wanted to thank Stephen Zimmer for his interest in the independent film community in Kentucky, and wanted to encourage anyone to check out his ingenious writing abilities, including his new book The Storm Guardians, Book Two of the epic urban fantasy series The Rising Dawn Saga. Stephen is a very talented writer, and is now doing book signings across the country. Thanks Stephen for the wonderful interview, and look forward to connecting with you again.Indie Movie Mastershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00785883665824314268noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7180580542236971341.post-39969579237327906062010-03-09T14:43:00.000-08:002010-03-10T12:39:50.775-08:00Eric Butts-The Man Behind the Madness!One of the more unusual fellows that you will encounter in the Kentucky indie film community, Eric Butts is a very talented guy who brings a depth of technical and historical knowledge to any project that he delves into. In addition to being a filmmaker, he is also a very capable talent in music, perfectly capable of being a one-man rock band in a studio environment.<br /><br />I had the pleasure of working with Eric when I directed Shadows Light, and I can say that you will find few people as passionate about film and storytelling as Eric. <br /><br />More recently, Eric has dived into the world of CGI, including 3D modeling and animation. In this IMM spotlight, we visited with Eric to find out how things are going, what's on the horizon, and to give readers a little idea about the man himself. <br /><br />-Stephen Zimmer, for Indie Movie Masters Blog Interview, March 10, 2010 <br /><br /><br /><strong>SZ: You are a man capable of wearing many hats, in terms of writing, producing, directing, doing CGI, editing, etc. How would you describe yourself these days, in relation to your career?</strong><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj52RDZjdGDL7ccCdwCkdkW_ea5_0vxlkUqPBGjJScMB-BIXDnvO3IYTQ2XUX37tOd2w1QXH1ZPiKzqPIBEeU8PA7JrZlY4cTucYBPJq0V4TaK0kLI6YjA8GHKcJeh_onub0rkgvuKurmg/s1600-h/EricButts1-small.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 246px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj52RDZjdGDL7ccCdwCkdkW_ea5_0vxlkUqPBGjJScMB-BIXDnvO3IYTQ2XUX37tOd2w1QXH1ZPiKzqPIBEeU8PA7JrZlY4cTucYBPJq0V4TaK0kLI6YjA8GHKcJeh_onub0rkgvuKurmg/s320/EricButts1-small.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447103166302117954" /></a>EB: I've started referring to myself as an artist, but I always cringe a little, because it sounds so pretentious. I've also enjoy being called a Renaissance man. Ultimately, I'd like to be known as a director, maybe an editor and musician as well. I love doing all the other stuff I do, because it's fun to want to learn something and then actually do it, but I really only do it because not a lot of other people can in my current budget levels. I've found it to be a lot cheaper to buy a book and spend some time and just do it myself. That just spilled over to my friends, most of whom are film people as well. A lot of them are very talented too and sometimes they have projects I HAVE to be a part of. I just love making stuff!<br /><br /><strong>SZ: What first got you into pursuing an independent film career?</strong><br /><br />EB: I was just sort of born wanting to do it. I started playing music at 2 and started writing by 3. I just never wanted to do anything else. Part of it is because I grew up loving movies. My folks let me watch whatever I wanted at a young age. I spent so much time in video stores, that at one point I actually listed a video clerk as an emergency contact for my school. My mom loved horror and my Dad's into Sci-Fi. My first movie ever was "Alien" when I was 6 months old. Everyone in the theater thought "Oh great, here's comes the screaming baby" but I apparently stayed transfixed on the screen the whole time. Plus, my folks have always been very supportive of my creative thinking! Reality can suck! Sometimes I'd rather create and live in my own worlds and film making allows that on a constant basis.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: What are some of the things that you like especially about the world of indie film?</strong><br /><br />EB:No release date deadlines, which is great when you can't spend money, cause time is usually the indie film maker's friend! That can also be a problem. I come from the school of thought that art is never released, it escapes! There's always going to be more you can do to make things better and the more time you have with a project the more things you start wanting to fix. Eventually, you have to just let it go and let it be what it's going to be, then maybe, someday, you can pull a Lucas and go back and fix things, something I've never had a problem with people doing by the way. Other than that, I've never seen much difference between indie and Hollywood for me. I'm going to make what I want to make, period. I would like to make a living at it eventually, but I HAVE to make what makes me happy first! Luckily, most of my ideas are for summer blockbuster types of films, which makes it hard for me to write scripts I can afford to do. Now, with my CG, I'm capable of a lot more!<br /><br /><strong>SZ: Conversely, what are the biggest negatives about working in indie film, besides the obvious money restraints?</strong><br /><br />EB: Really all the drawbacks stem from lack of funds. Scheduling is next to impossible. If you need more than a couple actors to get together at the same time, you can quickly find your hair turning gray... ask Jerry Williams. Extras are impossible to find in any large number. The talent pool is thin compared to the choices you have when you can pay people. Sometimes getting people to take what you're doing seriously can be difficult, because a lot of times they think it's just going to be something fun to do and don't realize how much work it actually is! <br /><br /><strong>SZ:You’ve been delving into the world of 3D modeling and animation lately. How is that going? </strong><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSt6LuYUlj_pUans1IQBTrTEfz80MZwQ3SwpQso2UXRurTtckaK5qigd1glT7y9zm-BfFC073JkpeRPpliZzagpDoT_NdEFk5XxDRzGm0oeVO09mJvDVFmS0kIvmSJ70hBPiii7tA75q8/s1600-h/ericButts2-small.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 282px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSt6LuYUlj_pUans1IQBTrTEfz80MZwQ3SwpQso2UXRurTtckaK5qigd1glT7y9zm-BfFC073JkpeRPpliZzagpDoT_NdEFk5XxDRzGm0oeVO09mJvDVFmS0kIvmSJ70hBPiii7tA75q8/s320/ericButts2-small.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447103319151092834" /></a>EB: It has been insanely fun! CG was something I used to think was way out of my abilities, but I've always had ideas that require CG! I made a short 30 minute film when I was 15, so it would have been around 1995, that movie had a bunch of CG morphing in it, some of the shots were even pretty good. Last year I upgraded all my software and had some minor 3D capabilities, which gave me some really cool Ideas for some CG movies. I quickly find I couldn't do too much with what I had. I started looking into videos of CG programs and quickly found Lightwave and out of the three major CG programs, it was the one in my price range, but also seemed easy to use. I decided to get it. I also knew I was limited in my 3D motion tracking and after some research found a great program called SynthEyes. It's one of the industry standards and surprisingly cheap, for what it is. I then found out, my favorite show, "Battlestar Galactica" (Modern) used Lightwave and Syntheyes for 95% of their CG and their CG is incredible! So I was totally sold. Lightwave is amazing. Right out of the box with very little knowledge at all I was able to start making some cool stuff and within a month I had some shots that could have been in Galactica! So I'm very pleased. Don't get me wrong, I love practical effects too, I grew up a Savini fan, but I'm also a George Lucas fan. So I've always loved both and some projects of mine require more CG and some require more Practical and I don't understand why so many people hate CG so much, I've always believed one of the reasons people like movies is to see things they never could in real life.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: Rumor has it that you have a "modest" DVD and BluRay collection, and that you are a "bit" of a film historian. So, name a few of your favorite directors, and why are they your favorites?</strong><br /><br />EB: He, he, ha. Yeah, "Modest." I have around 2,000 DVD's and about 600 Blu-rays. Plus, I still have a bunch of laserdiscs and some VHS. My dad has a collection bigger than mine! I LOVE movies. You learn more about filmmaking from watching movies than anywhere else, except on-set experience. You even learn more from bad movies than you do good ones. As for my favorite directors, Lloyd Kaufman I believe to be an underrated genius. Most people just lumps his films in with the rest of the Troma catalouge, but his films are so much more than that! It's kind of like Jerry William's films. On the surface that can be enjoyed as gross out weird comedies, but if you look deeper, you start to realize how well thought out, clever and smart his films are. I'm also a huge fan of George Romero, I love the way he gets very real performances in bizzare situations. He know's how to make the characters matter. I love the visual style of Dario Argento and Peter Jackson. I love the "Lord of the Rings" films, but his earlier work is just as incredible, especially "Heavenly Creatures". Some one who's new to directing, but has been around as a writer for a while is Ron Moore. This guy changed my life and the way I approach writing. I will see ANYTHING he's involved with and know it will be good!<br /><br /><strong>SZ: Zeppo was one of the bigger projects that you have been involved with. How was it working with Debbie Rochon and Loyd Kaufman?</strong><br /><br />EB: Well "Zeppo: Sinners from Beyond the Moon!" was an incredible experience. It took us 3 years and a lot of learning, but the whole thing was just one fun experiment. I love the movie and it is pretty much everything Jerry Williams and I wanted it to be, but we knew starting out that part of the fun of the project was going to be in how we tried doing a little bit of eveything, it was my first time compositing shots. A couple of them turned out pretty good, but I learned A LOT about green screen from that shoot. The whole thing was like that, just always trying things and sometimes being succesful and even when we weren't it still worked for the type of film it was meant to be. It was sort of like the idea of film school, it was a safe place to fail.<br /> <br />One place we did NOT fail was in casting Lloyd and Debbie! Jerry and I both had grown up being Troma fans, so Lloyd Kaufman is just a god to us, and as I've gotten older and continued to love his films, I've learned how much of a truely underrated genius Lloyd is! And Debbie... Debbie I'd been a fan of for a long time and even though she's appeared in a few films that weren't quite as good as others, she's always been consistently exellent. Lloyd and Debbie both are the kind of people who, before you meet them, you think they're going to be cool, but once you meet them, they're WAY cooler than you could have ever imagined! We still all keep in touch and will be working together soon. Debbie stepped my game up as an actor on Zeppo. Getting to work with her so closely as an actor taught me alot, and ever since then when I act in films I try to bring that level of focus.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/_Tt9gDy0i4A&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/_Tt9gDy0i4A&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><strong>SZ: How have things gone with Zeppo since completion? Where can people buy/rent/view it right now?</strong><br /><br />EB: Well after screening Zeppo in a few festivals we had tried to get distribution and we kept hearing the same thing... " we love Zeppo, but can't do any foreign sales with black and white movies." So for a moment we made some dvds and started selling it ourself, but that kind of became a pain for us to deal with, so we finally found this thing called Create Space on Amazon. It's a pretty cool deal. We have control over what the product is and all we have to do is collect a bit of money for the discs. This is a great sevice for indie filmmakers, especially one's like me and Jerry who just want to make movies and not deal with all the rest of it! So, with in a month or two, Zeppo will be availbe on VOD and DVD through Amazon. <br /><br /><strong>SZ: You have worked quite a bit with rising cult film legend Jerry Williams. Do you consider him to be sane? Secondly, can you give some really good dirt on him? (humor intended in this question!!!!)</strong> <br /><br />EB: Jerry Williams is INCREDIBLE!! He has a completly unique vison in his films. On the surface they're these weird random comedies, but if you pay close attention you see there's a definate message and interesting storyline going on. He deserves major cult status, because his films are always hilarious and within seconds, you KNOW it's a Jerry William's movie. He's also a great guy, he's part of my family. Much like Lloyd Kaufman, you can't judge Jerry based on his films alone. He's a down to earth guy who's nice and willing to help everyone as long as they're not being too crazy.<br /><br />Is he sane? Yes, but I belive that's because his films are outlets for his insanity. I'm actually slightly worried about what will happen to him while he's on hiatus to raise his new baby, but luckily he's spent a great deal of time getting footage lately, so he'll have plenty to edit. I have some dirt on Jerry for sure...so here's a little bit. Jerry drives his car very slow! <br /><br /><strong>SZ: One of your newest projects is Girl/Girl Scene. What is it? Who’s involved?</strong><br /><br />EB: Girl/Girl Scene is amazing! It's not something I would have expected to be involved with, but it was such a great opportunity, I'd be a fool to say no. It's executive produced by Nic Brown and Written by Tucky Williams. Nic called me up and told me he and Tucky were wanting to make a dramatic lesbian web series. At first I wasn't so sure, but I really enjoy hanging out with Tucky and Nic and I was excited by the idea of getting to focus on Directing. Then I got the pilot script from Tucky and I was sold. I knew she was a talented actress and I've come to realize she is an equally talented writer. The script was really good. In my first reading I found that I cared about the characters and was left wanting to know what happens next, so that was a good sign. Then Tucky started casting all these incredible actors which made my job a whole lot easier. All I ever really had to focus on was how I wanted to tell the story visually, and having that much time to devote to one line of thought led to some really great choices. <br /><br />I've been editing it and have most of a rough cut done and it's great! It really draws you in and engages you, plus it's got some great humor in it. Shooting on HD has really been amazing. I've watched some of the scenes on Blu ray and it's a REAL show. You could put this next to any drama out there and it looks just as good. I've since read the script for episode 2, and oh man... The pilot does a great job of letting you know who these people are and what they're about, but episode 2 is going to hook people! We're about 4 to 6 weeks away from revaling the pilot for free, online at girlgirlscene.com<br /><br /><strong>SZ: The trailer has been having some tremendous success recently. Describe how that all unfolded and what kind of response you are seeing.</strong><br /><br />EB: It's been great! At first we posted it on the Girl/Girl Scene FaceBook group page. It was there for 24 hours first and we had great feedback pouring in. Then we posted it on YouTube and DailyMotion. YouTube was getting about 500 views a day in the beginning and DailyMotion wasn't doing much, untill AfterEllen.com posted our trailer on their site. Within six hours the trailer gained over 2,000 views. The real good part is, now, about a week after posting it, we're still seeing really good traffic. Some days are fifty views, some days are two hundred, this leads me to belivie Girl Girl Scene is building some word of mouth. After about 2 weeks we're at around eight thousand views total. I knew this was turning out to be a great project on all parts, but I am a bit surprized how quickly it's getting out there when we've barely even promoted it!<br /><br /><object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/KTtZmbEo9v8&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/KTtZmbEo9v8&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object><br /><br /><strong>SZ: What other projects are on the near horizon for Eric Butts? Can you give us a scoop perhaps?</strong><br /><br />One of the downsides to people finding out I'm as good as I say I am, is that I now get offered all kinds of stuff all the time. Sometimes I have to miss out on things I really want to do because I'm too busy. I mean, people should still ask me, because if I can help I will. Right now I've been directing and doing all of post production on "Girl/Girl Scene", I've been editing a behind the scene documentary for Jacob Ennis' "Red River", I'm helping out with a fun project Billy Boyd is doing as an actor and VFX, I'm acting, composing the score and doing MAJOR VFX on Roni Jonah's "Malfunction" with Billy Boyd and Sven Granlund, plus I may be editing it as well. <br /><br />I've got one more role to film for Jerry Williams before his baby break. I'm trying to write a couple new scripts for myself and finish a new Record I've been putting off for a long time now. I'm also starting advance pre-production on a feature film I want to make this summer, it's a very dark fun monster movie in the tone of "Feast" or "Return of the Living Dead." But I need to work on a beach for a week and that may prove just out of reach of our resources for this year, in which case I'll move to a back up script I have for a much darker Argento inspired Giallo film. I have a bunch of stuff coming out soon too. I acted in Roni Jonah's "Trepan:<br />Redux". I was a HUGE fan and supporter of the original and when I was given the chance to be in a new version of it, I came prepared and gave the best performance I've given yet. I was also in "The Last Temptation of Fluffy" and did a VFX shot for it, as well as creating the poster. There should be countless Jerry Williams films coming out soon that I'm in. "Zombie Hombre" was just released for free online and I played my twin brother. The cool thing was that the footage was shot a few years apart and I look very different in both roles. Also, I'm in "Cornball Classics" that is available on Amazon Video on Demand. Plus, how could I forget the upcoming "Trouser Snake!"<br /><br /><strong>SZ: Anything else that you feel inquiring minds want to know about Eric Butts?</strong><br /><br />I'm obsessed with the modern "Battlestar Galactica" and "Caprica" and you should be too! I LOVE action figures and have a HUGE collection of modern "Star Wars" figures, including hundreds of Clone Troopers. I can't get enough U.K. Wildcats basketball! <br /><br /><strong>SZ: If people would like to follow or connect with you or your projects(including beautiful single women), what are your links for sites and social networking?</strong><br /> <br /><a href="http://www.zeppothemovie.com">www.zeppothemovie.com</a><br /><a href="http://www.girlgirlscene.com">www.girlgirlscene.com</a><br /><a href="http://Myspace.com/EricButts">Myspace.com/EricButts</a> (I don't uses this site much anymore)<br />And I'm on FaceBook all the time, but there are a few Eric Butts' on there so make sure <a href="http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=100000221873661">you get the right one!</a>Indie Movie Mastershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00785883665824314268noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7180580542236971341.post-13731624799950659922010-02-10T16:11:00.000-08:002010-02-10T17:04:24.133-08:00Cherokee Hall-From Dark Woods Con, to Filmmaking and Acting<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfkdyT4g5gfZMW-zxObwKR7FcJDYvO2rMaTk-GNhxckkq34061Ssmrxf9916y0qcqYQgjtciOkcGuTG0teql6n_Cv2ECYJfF_lBLOiNTTm-jufAo-k2MKxTMucJYImh6LabdOcaPS_hwk/s1600-h/DarkWoodsBillboard-small.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 174px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfkdyT4g5gfZMW-zxObwKR7FcJDYvO2rMaTk-GNhxckkq34061Ssmrxf9916y0qcqYQgjtciOkcGuTG0teql6n_Cv2ECYJfF_lBLOiNTTm-jufAo-k2MKxTMucJYImh6LabdOcaPS_hwk/s320/DarkWoodsBillboard-small.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5436780724996214706" /></a><br /><br />The IMM spotlight turns next to Cherokee Hall, whose activities in the independent film world run the gamut from directing and producing to acting and events. <br /><br />One of the most prolific individuals within the Kentucky independent film community, Cherokee is on the cusp of completing and releasing his first feature film, Mountain Mafia. As if that was not enough to occupy his time, in the past year, Cherokee moved forward with Dark Woods Con, a convention project that is going to be a fantastic addition to the constellation of independent film events in the region. The addition of Dark Woods Con to the region's schedule can only help to strengthen independent film, and create more opportunities for fans and filmmakers alike. <br /><br />IMM visited with Cherokee a couple weeks out from the premiere Dark Woods Con event, which is taking place from March 5-7 at the Landmark Inn, in Pikeville, KY. <br /><br />In my opinion, it is really beneficial for independent filmmakers and fans to have an event like Dark Woods Con in this area of Kentucky, at this time of the year, as it will be a great compliment to Lexington events such as ScareFest, and Louisville events such as the Fright Night Film Fest. At the end of the day, Dark Woods Con represents good overall progress for everyone, making all of the events in the state, and the independent film community as a whole, that much stronger. Cherokee Hall and all the staff of Dark Woods Con should definitely be commended for this very considerable, and worthwhile, undertaking. <br /><br />-Stephen Zimmer for the IMM Blog Site, February 10, 2010<br /><br /><br /><strong>SZ: For those that might not yet be aware of Dark Woods Con, give us the particulars and what to generally expect as far as activities.</strong><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxkwhQcI5GBfcxSNzqG2k9XSeMAdhXnRBqVjj5ZkCBJ0s4N0nTqZl2NxC9tsKmkMYp5dB3Nsf5mSx4WIHIFV3X9nHxmAyFxka0n_sG7MIKCeSheGPzWtiOdFFL-2ZxgiWZZ57cJhxRaeQ/s1600-h/cherokee-small.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 225px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxkwhQcI5GBfcxSNzqG2k9XSeMAdhXnRBqVjj5ZkCBJ0s4N0nTqZl2NxC9tsKmkMYp5dB3Nsf5mSx4WIHIFV3X9nHxmAyFxka0n_sG7MIKCeSheGPzWtiOdFFL-2ZxgiWZZ57cJhxRaeQ/s320/cherokee-small.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5436780995561641506" /></a>CH: Aside from the vendor booths and celebrities to meet, we’ll have free daily contests for door prizes, as well as a scream contest and costume contests and some other surprises. Plus we have the Rad Girls there, and they are always doing stunts.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><strong>SZ: Focusing in on the film festival. How big is the film festival going to be at this initial event? Any premieres that you would like to mention? </strong><br /><br />CH: We got the word out a bit late about the festival so it’s mainly going to be short films. Yes, John Cosper’s Fluffy 3 will premier at the event.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: As far as advance registrations go, are you seeing primarily a regional audience, or do you see some attendees coming from farther distances? </strong><br /><br />CH: We’ve been hit up from as far away as Rhode Island, but mainly it’s all regional.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: I always applaud sponsors that come behind a first event. Feel free to highlight any companies/organizations that have gotten behind you on this premiere event</strong>. <br /><br />CH: Southern Steel Tattos, Bourbon n’ Toulouse, David Fultz, clearmyrecord.com, Eagle Creek Massage, Page 3 Comics, Crawford’s Roots, Jim Hinkley’s Motorvation Car Care, YellowBird Insurance, Stewart & Stafford Tire & Custom Wheels.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: What was your inspiration for starting Dark Woods Con? </strong><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6qThCrvg02DUtkZ5oz4zkGFqR2TQ4Rob8Lx622B9dprDq4fv7QfsIYJ05tk3W9aRA4errfqH0jisRKmposX6WqM6q3eMgFQ-nusHJkniIhrgBdFqk3qmFd49jQD9-OW8UuhwBU8h88JY/s1600-h/dwc_killer-small.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 184px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6qThCrvg02DUtkZ5oz4zkGFqR2TQ4Rob8Lx622B9dprDq4fv7QfsIYJ05tk3W9aRA4errfqH0jisRKmposX6WqM6q3eMgFQ-nusHJkniIhrgBdFqk3qmFd49jQD9-OW8UuhwBU8h88JY/s320/dwc_killer-small.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5436780853267575330" /></a>CH: It was an idea that me and David Gooslin had back in 2007 but realized just how successful one could be after Scarefest had their 2008 show. It’s been something that both of us have wanted to do for a long time.<br /><br /><br /><br /><strong>SZ: As a very busy actor and filmmaker yourself, who understands just how tough the indie world is, how can attending a convention such as Dark Woods Con be beneficial to other actors and filmmakers? </strong><br /><br />CH: Networking, networking, and networking! You meet so many people that can help you out along the way. All you have to do is talk to them.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: Who are some of the other “big names” involved with Dark Woods Con? </strong> <br /><br />CH: Michael Berryman, Tiffany Shepis, Al Snow, Daniel Emery Taylor, Jim O’Rear, Dick Warlock, Ari Lehman, Stephen Zimmer…We got a lot for our first year. The list keeps on going.<br /><br /><br /><strong>SZ: About a month out from the big event, how are things shaping up, in your estimation? </strong> <br /><br />CH: We are right where we need to be. Of course I’d be a little less stressed if we were a little bit ahead of where we need to be too though.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: I cannot resist asking you one humor-laced question, regarding one particular guest: Do you have to import extra security to deal with cult indie filmmaker Jerry Williams? Is it wise to have Jerry Williams as an official guest Don’t you fear massive community protests? </strong> <br /><br />CH: We have had more females ages 75-90 call us and tell us that it’s about time someone brought in a real man to Pikeville Ky!<br /><br /><br /><strong>SZ: Give us some contacts, websites, Facebook pages, etc. where people can connect with Dark Woods Con? </strong> <br /><br />CH: Sure thing. Check out our website at:<br /><a href="http://www.darkwoodscon.com">www.darkwoodscon.com</a><br /><br />Myspace at: <a href="http://www.myspace.com/darkwoodscon">www.myspace.com/darkwoodscon</a><br /><br />Facebook at:<br /><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Pikeville-KY/Dark-Woods-Con/114704353191?ref=ts">http://www.facebook.com/pages/Pikeville-KY/Dark-Woods-Con/114704353191?ref=ts</a><br /><br /><strong>SZ: Finally, what’s coming up on the near horizon for Cherokee Hall, (at least once you’ve taken a few days off and rested up, following the big Dark Woods Con weekend)?</strong> <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9O4l7W0etB-N4_IJLibPzIxgf9wFEw7cujoRkPF1CGdWVKa8AIMHVOeIZkX0PMqaAnFoi3IFQTE9N4yzbVTwcLkZgTEsWyJLwRYpiv0i7Uy5fzXhwa7atKZoIgLW4ndpvNndn3KTqWew/s1600-h/mountainmafiaposter-small.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 211px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9O4l7W0etB-N4_IJLibPzIxgf9wFEw7cujoRkPF1CGdWVKa8AIMHVOeIZkX0PMqaAnFoi3IFQTE9N4yzbVTwcLkZgTEsWyJLwRYpiv0i7Uy5fzXhwa7atKZoIgLW4ndpvNndn3KTqWew/s320/mountainmafiaposter-small.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5436781126089913106" /></a> CH: Actually I’ll go back to work on my film. My first feature film is rapidly approaching post production and we’ve already secured a distribution deal. You’ll be able to get Mountain Mafia (Staring Rupert Boneham, Tiffany Shepis, Al Snow, Tim Wilson, Amy Hayes, Casey Miracle, and Mike Holman) this summer at Wal-Mart, Best Buy, Target, NetFlix, and the Redbox too.Indie Movie Mastershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00785883665824314268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7180580542236971341.post-44398971986730674712010-02-04T08:10:00.001-08:002010-02-04T09:49:20.724-08:00Claude D. Miles-Personifying the "Can-Do" Spirit of Indie FilmFor the first spotlighted individual of 2010 for the IMM Blog site, I wanted to highlight a guy that really has been doing some great things within a very active regional film community. Not only is Claude D. Miles a talented actor and filmmaker himself, but he is also a proactive supporter of a viable indie film community in Central Kentucky, instigating events that have helped draw numerous independent filmmakers together (as well as working with other events, such as the ConCave convention, which is covered in the interview below). There is no question that his efforts have helped in sparking an increasing amount of collaboration and cooperation between indie filmmakers in Kentucky.<br /><br />The interview covers a range of topics, as you will see, but hopefully you will get an insight to a very positive-minded, talented individual who embodies the "can-do" spirit of indie filmmaking.<br /><br />-Stephen Zimmer, for IMM Blog, February 4, 2010<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFkKzBMBmR-VX7EKfedovyb_3woRMn_TkUWk1GEpjjYeZ6ojg2wDMHL0DOfTKIsK84S71ESj0Yq5Cch2ntAGwHMvVi0b7K2jAXaQgYZb0AGaRGccvFVFAY1liaHn0wWDSX6XbiXSnqiSo/s1600-h/claudemiles4small.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 253px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFkKzBMBmR-VX7EKfedovyb_3woRMn_TkUWk1GEpjjYeZ6ojg2wDMHL0DOfTKIsK84S71ESj0Yq5Cch2ntAGwHMvVi0b7K2jAXaQgYZb0AGaRGccvFVFAY1liaHn0wWDSX6XbiXSnqiSo/s320/claudemiles4small.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434430677455004786" /></a><br /><center>(Claude D. Miles in the upcoming Billy T. Boyd film, "Steampunk")</center><br /><br /><strong>SZ: Tell us about the upcoming ConCave, when it is, and its location?</strong><br /><br />CM: Well Concave is Kentucky's longest running science fiction convention. This will be the 31st year and marks the return of the con to its original location Bowling Green, KY. It was held there for one year and then moved to Park City for around 19 years and then to Horsecave for the last decade or so. Our size and convention requirements have finally pushed us back to Bowling Green which offers larger hotel venues in the 'Caveland' area. We have chosen the Best Western Motor Inn of Bowling Green to be our host this year. The facility offers much improvement as far as space over the Horsecave venue. Concave is traditionally held the last weekend in February and this year that is the 26-28th.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: What is your involvement with ConCave?</strong><br /><br />CM: Where to start... Well I have attended the last 29 (of 30 previous) Concaves. So for me it is a kind of reunion. I grew up there. So my role over the years has changed somewhat drastically. In recent years I became more involved in the running of the Con and was nominated to become Chairman. We recently incorporated as a non-profit group and so technically I am a Board Member who also holds the office of President. Basically that is a fancy way of saying I get to take out the garbage. Well there is a lot more to running a Con than that but you get the idea. I work with a veteran team of officers, board members, and volunteers to balance all of the minutiae that goes into running an event of this nature. We even raise a little money to donate to our favorite causes. <br /><br /><strong>SZ: What is a relax-a-con, as opposed to the more standard type of Con? What can attendees expect at this type of event?</strong><br /><br />CM: The relax-a-con is more about fans than anything. No special celebrity guests, no panels, no masquerade, none of the things one would normally associate with a science fiction con. What we do have is an art show (with Sat. auction), a dealer's room, a Consuite, a film room, a game room, and a lot of room parties. Concave has several krews that put on room parties from literally beyond this world. It is the sort of thing you have to see to believe. <br /><br /><strong>SZ: Tell us about some of the recent indie directors that you have been working with, as an actor</strong>.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigWfA6gSav1XiBQdUo2KhTJIDl9pZTEwHasFRGfeI7_d2-kgKgXuY2LegtgJv2ZcmQ5veZiuflbJ2fwM-KKAWWrlqqT1xm39eJJBSCwbT4AjHZEdBwLwM527yidn6pIjrJTGLx7phKXc0/s1600-h/claudemiles5small.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 257px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigWfA6gSav1XiBQdUo2KhTJIDl9pZTEwHasFRGfeI7_d2-kgKgXuY2LegtgJv2ZcmQ5veZiuflbJ2fwM-KKAWWrlqqT1xm39eJJBSCwbT4AjHZEdBwLwM527yidn6pIjrJTGLx7phKXc0/s320/claudemiles5small.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434430878801179250" /></a>CM: I have been trying to be as big a whore as possible when it comes to this. I want to work! I want to practice my craft any/time/way/how that I can! Lately I have done a lot of work with Roni Jonah and her Feathered Italian co-Hort Jason Crowe. We recently re-shot some scenes for her short film 'Trepan' and I got to put some work in on her fabulous Science-Fiction piece 'Malfunction'. I have also had the pleasure and privilege to work with Billy T. Boyd on his film 'Steampunk'. I am very excited to see that project come together. Billy is a talented writer and director who I look forward to working with more in 2010. I would be remiss if I did not mention one of my very favorite directors Jerry Williams but I see the next question is about him so I will hold off on my praise of this local film god. In general I feel very fortunate to have worked with some great directors all through 2009. Cherokee Hall, Jacob Ennis, Stacey T. Gillespie, Bob C. Cooke, the list goes on... Like I said. Whore. <br /><br /><strong>SZ: I always have to ask this question of people who have worked with cult indie filmmaker Jerry Williams (and humor is intended). What is it like being in a Jerry Williams film? Do you need extensive counseling after working with him?</strong><br /><br />CM: I love Jerry. He offers a creative freedom to his actors that is almost unheard of. I have found that he trusts me to just let go and get way out there. Which in turn pushes me to try and find HIS limit. Which I am not sure exists! He has let me flail around in my death throes until I destroyed the chair I was in! I relish any opportunity to work with Jerry. It is like drinking pure creativity. I only need the counseling to keep me from kidnapping him and chaining him to a camera and a computer in my basement. I am all in for Jerry. Whatever he needs that is what I want to do. Ummm, as an actor that is. I am a married man.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: Tell us about your new western/civil war film project that you recently completed. Who’s in it? And what’s the plot/setting?</strong><br /><br />CM: Oh, if only that were true! It needs quite a bit more work to be completed. I did screen some footage from it recently but just for fun. I am hoping to complete the project before October at this point. I was privileged to work with a great cast and crew on this. It stars: Cory Stringer, Billy W. Blackwell, Russ Croley, Grace Norton, Cassidy Rae, Roni Jonah, Sonny Burnette, Kayla Perkins, Billy Boyd, Keith Nicholson, Scaheffer Tolliver, Stacey T. Gillespie, and a host of wonderful civil war re-enactors. They were all a pleasure to work with and I have to give props to my behind the scenes crew: Jason Crowe, Jake LeMaster, Rhonda Bingham, Sven Granlund, Tonya Miles, and all of the actors who helped whenever needed. All of these folks and more really went that extra mile for the project and I truly inspired by there work.<br /><br />The story is basically this: In the chaos in the aftermath of the Civil War in Kentucky an 'outbreak' occurred that did not make the history books. This is the story of some folks trying to survive through that.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: When will you be holding more screenings for the new movie?</strong><br /><br />CM: I am hoping to be able to screen the finished product by October of 2010. Most likely it will screen here in Lexington for a premiere.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: What are the things that you enjoy most about working in the world of indie film?</strong><br /><br />CM: I really enjoy the "family" nature of this local community. There is a core of really great people working everyday to make their dreams come true. I love that you can find something happening every weekend if you look. Most weekends there are several simultaneous shoots occurring around the state. This is a wonderful time to be an actor in Kentucky film.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: Conversely, what are the things that you like the least about the indie film world?</strong><br /><br />CM: The money. I could really use a larger paycheck! More importantly I would like to see some of these fine film makers have some more of it to bring their visions to life! Don't get me wrong, the amazing stuff everyone manages to do with what little we have is mind blowing sometimes. I just think it would be nice if we all had nice catered lunches too!<br /><br /><strong>SZ: What do you see changing in terms of technology, or distribution, or anything like that, that will be of help to the low budget to no budget filmmaker.</strong><br /><br />CM: As the technology gets smaller and cheaper I think the market also becomes more accessible. If you make a quality product that is interesting to watch and you get it out there then people will look at it. Now, if you want to sell a product that can be a whole different ball of wax. I think VOD (video on demand) is really the wave of the future for most video content. I will always be a collector at heart and people like me will always want dvds we can hold in our hands but I think the future is VOD. And in a VOD world if you can get your name out there you have just as much chance of success as anyone regardless of budget.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: What kinds of things do you think help make for a strong independent film community?</strong><br /><br />CM: Knowledgeable, helpful, friendly members! Thankfully something we have in abundance here in Kentucky! People who will work hard for each other.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: As someone that had the honor of attending one of your events at Mia’s in Lexington, which was a mini-film festival that was free and open to the public, do you plan on doing other such events? What is your inspiration for these kinds of events?</strong><br /><br />CM: Thanks for coming! I basically wanted to get a bunch of these film makers I have been ranting about into the same room! I felt it would be nice to do a free screening of some of the recently completed work from our community and Mia's was receptive to the idea so off we went. I definitely want to do this again. I have been working on a larger venue for later this year. I will have more details as I secure sponsors.<br /><br />When it comes to inspiration I just love seeing what is happening out there and I think everyone should have the opportunity to show their work. <br /><br /><strong>SZ: What’s on your plate for 2010, as both an actor and a filmmaker?</strong><br /><br />CM: Wow! So much to say. I am finally getting to work with George Bonilla this year on his new film 'Santa vs. the Zombies'. I am out of my mind with excitement about this one! I am also looking forward to being in Roni Jonah's 'Lesferatu' this year as well as some more of her 'Malfunction' story. Then I have a couple of projects in the works with Billy T. Boyd that are going to be lots of fun. On the film making side of it I hope to complete the projects I have shot and get them out there. I am always writing and thinking so something else may get rolling but I am hoping to concentrate on my first love which is acting. <br /><br /><strong>SZ: If people would like to connect with you, what are some of your online links, social networking contacts, etc.? </strong><br /><br />CM: Good question! I guess the best way to get hold of me is on facebook but I really would encourage all of your readers to visit my imdb page. <br /><br />Claude's IMDB Link:<br /><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3014429/">http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3014429/</a><br /><br />Claude's FaceBook Link:<br /><a href="http://www.facebook.com/#!/claude.miles">http://www.facebook.com/#!/claude.miles</a>Indie Movie Mastershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00785883665824314268noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7180580542236971341.post-9521438892528659832009-12-08T11:16:00.001-08:002009-12-09T11:07:28.083-08:00Indy Film News Creates a Haven for Indiana's Independent Filmmakers<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUrhA2v3Qsyfvmu1O4nQHIeSdR10TYGohfig1Ylx2aG_qYilRCk-cE3kvMAlW8jJm7rrTF9cVCWeU-2GXOwnjjjMo2IJLtw_14x9GSieFguEQ6_1CQBofKY20hki-tyOia0CAd97XG6Pc/s1600-h/IFNLOGO-JPG.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 139px; height: 127px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUrhA2v3Qsyfvmu1O4nQHIeSdR10TYGohfig1Ylx2aG_qYilRCk-cE3kvMAlW8jJm7rrTF9cVCWeU-2GXOwnjjjMo2IJLtw_14x9GSieFguEQ6_1CQBofKY20hki-tyOia0CAd97XG6Pc/s320/IFNLOGO-JPG.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5413313744692006370"/> </a><br /><br />In the past, I had been a little familiar with the burgeoning Indiana independent film scene, which includes the director of the Starship movies, Mark Racop, who I featured in an earlier interview on this blogsite. I had first met him when we were on panels together at DragonCon a few years back. But it was not until I attended the Fantasy and Sci-Fi convention InConJunction in Indianapolis that I had the honor of being acquainted with Chuck Budreau, and Indy Film News. What I learned then and since is impressive, and Indy Film News serves as a good model for other aspiring film communities to follow. <br /><br />Chuck is one of those pro-active types who understands the value of a quality organization within an independent film community, and how it helps support the entire indie community through networking and resource functions. Chuck is a proficient individual to have on the set himself, with a range of talents that most notably include his work in production sound and scoring/soundtracks.<br /><br />I really enjoyed spending time with Chuck at InConJunction, and have since kept appraised of the group that he founded, Indy Film News. I hope that this interview introduces alot of people to what Chuck is doing, and what is happening in Indiana. It would be a real boon to independent filmmakers if there were such quality groups in all states. Indy Film News is, without a doubt, a real credit to the state of Indiana and Independent Film.<br /><br />-Stephen Zimmer, for Indie Movie Masters Blog/Podcast interview series, December 9, 2009<br /><br /><br /><br /><strong>SZ: Before getting into Indy Film News, I wanted to give people a little idea about yourself. Give us a brief description of your own background and film activities.</strong><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeQoXBTy9ZyfGc61QcyiouiQQ0Zo7SMn08Xt3Q2FbzTh4kDlStj9sN2ruBuOEvbOfn2rjfEdQ3sHE5EG16uMa826rxrHEADeagQ7B0BfCQ_zCVNcK1Nmky1cvZ0UdDriQptKSIEzkfqLI/s1600-h/chuckbudreau.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 262px; height: 279px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeQoXBTy9ZyfGc61QcyiouiQQ0Zo7SMn08Xt3Q2FbzTh4kDlStj9sN2ruBuOEvbOfn2rjfEdQ3sHE5EG16uMa826rxrHEADeagQ7B0BfCQ_zCVNcK1Nmky1cvZ0UdDriQptKSIEzkfqLI/s320/chuckbudreau.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5413312566115163538" /></a>CB - It started when I fell in with a bad crowd during my high school years...filmmakers.<br /><br />A friend of a friend was making a Batman fan film and they needed someone to play Alfred, the butler. So they grayed my hair and I did a really bad job of acting. From that time on I decided that while filmmaking was fun... I would do it from the other side of the camera. I helped by being a PA, Grip, or whatever else was needed. Then one day I got a call. The sound guy had backed out at the last minute and they were ready to start shooting a feature. I had a small amateur music studio in my apartment, so that made me the guy who knew how to run sound equipment. It helped that I had some equipment too. From that day on I was a sound guy. I've done sound on many features films, shorts, and misc. video shoots. It's been about 20 years and I still find it the most enjoyable work in the world. I recently joined as a voluntary board member of the Indiana Filmmakers Network. <br /><br /><strong>SZ: First of all, regarding IFN, what is Indy Film News, and what are its main areas of focus?</strong><br /><br />CB - It's a place for filmmakers and actors to find out what's happening in the Indie film scene in and around Indiana. It also is a place for them to promote their projects. Whether that means Cast & Crew calls, film festivals, Premiers, I try to cover it all.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: What roles a group like IFN play for a regional independent film community?</strong><br /><br />CB - I like to think that IndyFilmNews helps bring the community together and give them the support group they need to make their films. I have seen some great collaborations among the local filmmakers. Together they have really brought their games to a higher level.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: How long has Indy Film News been around and who founded it?</strong><br /><br />CB - I started IndyFilmNews.com a little over two years ago. <br /><br /><strong>SZ:What has the growth of IFN been like since it was founded?</strong> <br /><br />CB - It started as a place to meet other filmmakers on the site's forum. But over time it has really grown into a one stop source for filmmakers. The main page is devoted to News. We have Professional profiles for Actors and Crew members. There's a long list of film festivals, production companies, and other industry related groups. We even host Trailers and Short Films in a YouTube type format. Many Producers are using these resources to find their casts and crews and to promote their films.<br /> <br /><br /> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibE2a2hshq5M7u2wwoT4g2dLDVnyqIe4mBPvkFPeesk-So_JdeGDG5rF78kt2al4kn7XKhngqhlzBfZMGwXJPACy8tfY0z9SD73eoGxvrSCDH6Xib3iapLSolHxrkRumTYfR62ziSs7oQ/s1600-h/ifnbanner-jpg.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 62px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibE2a2hshq5M7u2wwoT4g2dLDVnyqIe4mBPvkFPeesk-So_JdeGDG5rF78kt2al4kn7XKhngqhlzBfZMGwXJPACy8tfY0z9SD73eoGxvrSCDH6Xib3iapLSolHxrkRumTYfR62ziSs7oQ/s320/ifnbanner-jpg.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5413312793860697250" /></a><br /><br /><br /><strong>SZ: In your view, how are things with indie filmmaking in Indiana? Are there a lot of ongoing projects, and what kind of projects tend to be the most common in your region? (i.e. short films, indie features, music video, documentaries, webisodes, etc.)</strong><br /><br />CB - There have been a steady stream of really well produced short films over the past few years. I just attended the first annual "Wet Your Pants Comedy Film Festival" all of those films were great and had a local tie in. The Indie Feature scene is also taking shape. There were several large scale productions over the summer and I'm hearing of several gearing up for spring shoots. There's a healthy environment, where filmmakers are supporting each other and the industry.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: In your opinion, what are some developments that you've seen over the past few years that have been of significant help to indie filmmakers? (in terms of technologies, trends, or formats)</strong><br /><br />CB - Technology has made it possible for anyone to give filmmaking a try. In the past our low budget films were shot on super 8 film and cost a fortune to cut and process. Today the HD cameras and computer editing suites are very affordable. You can make an amazing film that stands up to broadcast standards on very little money. As a sound guy the advances in digital recorders has been a god send. I used to lug around an ADAT 8 track digital tape machine and edit by bouncing tracks. Now I have a hand held recorder that does a better job and records directly to flash SD Cards. Though I'm still of the opinion that "talkies" are a fad... just like that whole wheel thing.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: What are some areas where you see increasing opportunities for indie filmmakers in the near future? Any favorable trends or developments?</strong><br /><br />CB - The viral marketing of films has made it so that you can get attention without getting picked up by the large film distributors. While it would be better to have them do all that leg work for you... you no longer are at their mercy. You can self distribute and actually sell your film. I don't know anyone who has gotten rich doing it but I think it's only a matter of time. The other great thing I have seen is that many theaters are equipped with video projectors and are working with indie films to get screenings on the big screen. There's nothing like seeing your work in a real theater.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: Is the state seeing any increases in larger independent films or Hollywood productions coming into the state? Has IFN been able to provide some resources/services for these larger types of projects?</strong><br /><br /><br />CB - "Public Enemies" was shot in a few locations in the northern part of the state. I posted the casting call for extras on IndyFilmNews. I doubt they noticed it... but I'm sure some of our site's visitors went to that casting call. There were several smaller productions that submitted their cast and crew calls. <br /><br /><strong>SZ: Like IFN, there are some good proactive indie film organizations cropping up in many states, such as Indy Film Wisconsin. Do you network or work with similar organizations in other states?</strong><br /><br />CB - I've been in contact with a few of the other sites. We kind of keep an eye on what each other are doing. There's no reason to reinvent the wheel. If they find something useful on IndyFilmNews I hope they borrow it. I don't think of other states as competition to our film industry. If a small Indie film from some other state makes it big it will only help our films.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: What are some independent film projects that we can look forward to in the near future out of your region?</strong><br /><br />CB - There are projects of all sizes in the works. One group is working on a feature film about the first Indianapolis 500 mile race. They are working on building a replica of the speedway as it was in 1911. They are also talking to some CG artists. Another project that's in the works is a Fantasy film the combines Victorian Steam punk science fiction and water spirits. It a really ambitious script. There's also a fairly large scale Batman fan film planning on shooting in the spring. They are using fan films to showcase their talents. There's plenty more films at varying stages of production... always something happening.<br /><br /><br /><strong>SZ: For those wanting to learn more about IFN, or perhaps become active with it, give us some online links on where to find you and Indy Film News.</strong><br /><br />CB - The main URL is www.indyfilmnews.com please stop by and check it out!<br /><br />I have worked with several production companies<br />Magichouse Productions <a href="http://www.magich.com">www.magich.com</a><br />Karmic Courage productions <a href="http://www.karmiccourage.com">www.karmiccourage.com</a><br />Racso Films <a href="http://www.racsofilms.com">www.racsofilms.com</a><br /><br />Other sites about the film industry in Indiana I would recommend...<br /><a href="http://www.filmindiana.com">www.filmindiana.com</a> that's the Indiana Film Office's site... lots of usefully stuff there.<br /><a href="http://www.indianafilmmakers.org">www.indianafilmmakers.org</a> the site for the Indiana Filmmakers Network<br />IndyFilmNews.com <br />Source: <a href="http://IndyFilmNews.com">IndyFilmNews.com</a>Indie Movie Mastershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00785883665824314268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7180580542236971341.post-27825478485793052202009-11-23T08:22:00.000-08:002009-11-23T09:14:26.885-08:00Infernal Dreams Making a Name in Independent Film, Horror, and Beyond<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV8qepwjaFAiR-tkM4Gh5-tEff84aVaQ0FY8IBOZuO08UwJUhePCqIq04otwbH12V2jxdG8bqOxc-ipXW0osYZVqqIDhoRexlxUxufmdGzU_aRIiYRdscfxCz-VcftTuZoxtqKs57DwQo/s1600/InfernalDreamsBanner.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 90px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV8qepwjaFAiR-tkM4Gh5-tEff84aVaQ0FY8IBOZuO08UwJUhePCqIq04otwbH12V2jxdG8bqOxc-ipXW0osYZVqqIDhoRexlxUxufmdGzU_aRIiYRdscfxCz-VcftTuZoxtqKs57DwQo/s320/InfernalDreamsBanner.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407343606240198882" /></a><br /><br />It is always good to see new organizations sprout and grow which have an emphasis on the horror genre and that are friendly to independents. It is even better when those organizations feature a team of creative people who enable a first-rate presentation, and sustained outreach in the public and on convention circuits.<br /><br />Infernal Dreams is one such organization that is really motoring on high-octane within the independent world, on the convention circuit, and online. They feature a number of dedicated individuals who are responsible for the rapidly growing content found on their site and at events. From movie reviews, to the Infernal Dreamgirls, and even to book reviews, Infernal Dreams is a name becoming more known with each and every day.<br /><br />Indie Movie Masters is pleased to spotlight Infernal Dreams, and to bring you an interview with the founder, David Rupp, who will give you the low-down on the foundations of Infernal Dreams, where it is going, and even his insights on matters relating to trends in horror and new developments affecting indie filmmakers.<br /><br />Let's check in with David and immerse ourselves into a world of Infernal Dreams! <br /><br />-Stephen Zimmer for Indie Movie Masters Blog Interviews, November 23, 2009<br /><br /> <br /><strong>SZ: First of all, for those who have not visited the world of Infernal Dreams just yet, what is Infernal Dreams all about?</strong><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy7kEXJPT4kAuHdcEn-envBDKnwdMHj6bsnBhYo0btkjlBmEmWbQ0f2aEx9mzUDAwOOFxnFQG_qX5gpLrirniDuavCwumynFprNNEgpxvhG-KUczW4Jh7rlS6jkv2ijVuk7sdfb6g630c/s1600/InfernalDreams-DavidRupp2.bmp"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy7kEXJPT4kAuHdcEn-envBDKnwdMHj6bsnBhYo0btkjlBmEmWbQ0f2aEx9mzUDAwOOFxnFQG_qX5gpLrirniDuavCwumynFprNNEgpxvhG-KUczW4Jh7rlS6jkv2ijVuk7sdfb6g630c/s320/InfernalDreams-DavidRupp2.bmp" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407343173456271362" /></a> DR: Infernal Dreams is an amalgamation of all things horror, we try to be as inclusive as possible. We support independent ventures without turning a blind eye to the mainstream. We ignore trends and do our very best to maintain integrity with our coverage, reviews and features. ID hopes to entertain, educate and make people aware of what the world has to offer as far as genre tidbits. Add commission graphics, video goodies and appearances and you have most of what we are about.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: Who are the main contributors or staff members of Infernal Dreams?</strong><br /><br />DR: Well ther's me of course, the father of this bastard, Peter Syslo who is on a holiday of sorts, Jeff Hudson one of the core members, Josh Felty heads the editing and brainstorming, Jake LeMaster is video/lights/photos and all around PR, Bindi Lavelle is articles from down under, Schaeffer Tolliver, Daniel Emery Taylor or celeb reviewer, and Tim-o our newest blood. As far as contributors we have GL Giles, Patrick Farmer and Sam O'Beirn from Canada. <br /><br /><strong>SZ: Tell us a little about your own personal background and your motivations for working to instigate Infernal Dreams.</strong><br /><br />DR: Originally I started ID as a place to showcase horror wallpaper and graphics that were not widely available. After a few years someone asked me why I don't start reviewing movies since I was always watching them and had deep opinions. That same year I went to my first convention as a fan, and met tons of local film outfits, and said "this is what I need to do". A month later the site morphed and took on staff, until what you see now emerged.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: What's the scoop about the Infernal Dreamgirls?</strong><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMEpuxuvARmM_DbA5dCqxb4oSF0OogN5UVkZY8mWM0ePMA0lOVf8yc2unZIuVzrTnyKZjlmvfYoSFa1_Rf1EuFBcPS8Gav4MwVrdlmhSrqXaOcA0FdgbbiGLENoq_LA9juwmU1KhRQtAs/s1600/Infernaldreamgirls.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMEpuxuvARmM_DbA5dCqxb4oSF0OogN5UVkZY8mWM0ePMA0lOVf8yc2unZIuVzrTnyKZjlmvfYoSFa1_Rf1EuFBcPS8Gav4MwVrdlmhSrqXaOcA0FdgbbiGLENoq_LA9juwmU1KhRQtAs/s320/Infernaldreamgirls.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407343351546864434" /></a>DR: What can I say that can not be visually explained? We have a lot of talented, beautiful and supportive friends who happen to be actresses and models. They have donated a few moments of their time to help promote us, as well as us giving something back to the visitor besides my mug all over the place. We also have a running Dreamgirl of the Month submission (dreamsgirls@infernaldreams.net) send a pic and some info and you could be the next (or first) DgOTM.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: How has the growth been in terms of visitors to your site since the beginning? Has it helped you to establish better relations with studios with new releases and such?</strong><br /><br />DR: As far as studios go we are taken more seriously now than when we were first launching the concept, still we have trouble getting the larger LionsGate, Universal, Sony etc. The studios that have worked with us have been great, along with the individuals who send us DVDs and books. Traffic has been on a steady climb in the last year and we hope to keep people interested in coming back week after week to read our articles and reviews.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: Who have been some of the individuals that you have interviewed, either printed or on video?</strong><br /><br />DR: We have interviewed a good variety of members of the local film scene as well as some outside of the circles. Just a few are Anthony Hudson - promoter and organizer of WIFE, Jeff Waldrige - Scarefest, Kevin Strange - Hack Movies, The Creepy Kentuckian & Uncle Bill - DeadPit.com, Jim O'Rear - Actor, G.L. Giles - Author, Joel Robinson - Artist to name a few.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: Do you plan on doing regular horror book reviews as well?</strong><br /><br />DR: Yes, we have been been steadily adding to our stables, and books/graphic novels have found their way into them. We have and continue to review anything that comes our way, and books have become a permanent.<br /><br /><br /><strong>SZ: What are some of the areas that you might be expanding or adding in the<br />near future?</strong><br /><br />DR: As far as I can tell, we will be expanding our graphics into more commercial filmaking arenas. designing covers and what not as well as posters for films. Quite possibly a music review section may arise within 2010 along with a documentary on Kentucky film and film makers we are currently working on.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: As a horror film guru, what are some of the trends in horror that you<br />see out there?</strong><br /><br />DR: I don't know about guru, but there has been an over-saturation of zombie projects lately. I love zombies but let's face it, too much of a good thing still affects the negative. What I would love to see are some fewer remakes and a resurgence of fresh ideas in a totally new frontier. The American movie audience has changed, become jaded. Re-invent what is terrifying, deeply disturbing, push envelopes. Maybe revert to a style, less polished, perhaps the older gritty style from cheaper film stock from the 70's. More balls out, blow the doors off storytelling, less CG. <br /><br /><strong>SZ: As there has been a big increase in the number of webisodes being put online in places such as YouTube, where do you think webisodes will fit in with indie horror? Do you see it evolving into something that indie filmmakers can make a little revenue on?</strong><br /><br />DR: Webisodes are a good promotional tool, but basing revinue from it may not be the way. I still believe the best way is to get out to the public, meet and greet, talk to them and get things in their hands. We did the webisodes for a bit, and may bring them back but the smaller videos are working for now.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: How have your convention appearances been going, and what conventions are you going to be appearing at over the next few months?</strong><br /><br />DR: We have been recieved fairly well on the circuit. We have been invited to some shows now to appear as media guests or sponsors, that blows my mind. You will be able to catch up with us at DarkWoods Con - Pikeville,KY March 5-7 2010, ImagiCon - Birmingham, AL May 21-23 2010, WIFE - Richmond,KY May 14-16 2010, Scarefest - Lexington,KY Nov. 5-7. These are the only ones confirmed so far, and I may not be able to attend each event personally. <br /><br /><br /><strong>SZ: Give us links for the Infernal Dreams site, your social networking locations (Twitter, Facebook, etc.) and anything else related to Infernal Dreams.</strong><br /><br />DR: You can find us at <a href="http://www.infernaldreams.net">www.infernaldreams.net</a>,<br /><a href="www.facebook.com/pages/Winchester-KY/Infernal-Dreams/86862122500">www.facebook.com/pages/Winchester-KY/Infernal-Dreams/86862122500</a><br /><a href="www.twitter.com/infernaldreams">www.twitter.com/infernaldreams</a><br /><a href="www.myspace.com/horror_haven">www.myspace.com/horror_haven</a>Indie Movie Mastershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00785883665824314268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7180580542236971341.post-2763185816888343502009-11-13T22:10:00.001-08:002009-11-13T22:44:41.616-08:00Indie Movie Masters Podcast Episode # 6, featuring writer/director/producer Jacob Ennis of Tuckywood ProductionsIn Episode 6 of the Indie Movie Masters podcast, we are spotlighting writer/director/producer Jacob Ennis, of Tuckywood Productions. Jacob made a great breakthrough with his first feature, Stash, which was covered in the print edition of Fangoria magazine, made it onto G4 Television, and had extensive distribution placements. <br /><br />In this episode, Jacob talks about Stash, his newest feature Red River, his influences as a director, and much more. Catch this episode and visit a rising star in the world of independent film!<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIA_VC9Gwc3nKZvGFix01plIXSRdf25xvJ1832SLfSZnDJ1a2UeWeWWUi8A0Z1YsSUhYYMlTnWdKLF8KQ1U6R1odSzdM-6HHdNQo6e3uh3kVjbX88-TGDlIPRclwx3CN000nTFcE2_eTg/s1600-h/TuckyWoodProductionsLogo-small.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 195px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIA_VC9Gwc3nKZvGFix01plIXSRdf25xvJ1832SLfSZnDJ1a2UeWeWWUi8A0Z1YsSUhYYMlTnWdKLF8KQ1U6R1odSzdM-6HHdNQo6e3uh3kVjbX88-TGDlIPRclwx3CN000nTFcE2_eTg/s320/TuckyWoodProductionsLogo-small.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403838820119795650" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.indiemoviemasters.com/IMM6.mp3">Click here to listen to the podcast or download! </a><br /><br />You can also subscribe to the new podcast series as an RSS feed here: <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/IndieMovieMasters">http://feeds.feedburner.com/IndieMovieMasters</a><br /><br /><a href="http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=326179998">Click here to get the episode via iTunes!</a>Indie Movie Mastershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00785883665824314268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7180580542236971341.post-14562801456079540112009-10-01T08:18:00.000-07:002009-10-01T08:26:13.002-07:00Indie Movie Masters Podcast Episode #5 featuring Casey Crow of Zallerquad FilmsThe fifth edition of Indie Movie Masters Podcast comes to you from deep in the heart of Texas! In this episode, we visit with up and coming director/producer/cinematographer Casey Crow, of Zallerquad Films, as he discusses film, his cohorts such as Sean Hastings, Zallerquad, and their latest project "Klagger"! <br /><br />So, to get this podcast as the "Crow Flies", just click below to download, to subscribe to the podcast as an RSS feed, or follow the link to iTunes!<br /><br />Leave a comment and let us know what you think of this talented West Texan!<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.indiemoviemasters.com/IMM5.mp3">Click here to listen to the podcast or download! </a><br /><br />You can also subscribe to the new podcast series as an RSS feed here: <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/IndieMovieMasters">http://feeds.feedburner.com/IndieMovieMasters</a><br /><br /><a href="http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=326179998">Click here to get the episode via iTunes!</a>Indie Movie Mastershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00785883665824314268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7180580542236971341.post-86758654366492119802009-09-21T06:58:00.000-07:002009-09-21T18:55:07.325-07:00Steve Guynn, From Hardcore Punk Rock to Indie Film and Theater Wizardry! A Modern Day Renaissance Man.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwx2OhyqCrJzvEQKvdt6jUJaTJX0jzs3q27UX2EbKTfHcqCMrPxgOCnyViYh3WKOO9qWADwzGt339QJUkhHzPs9A5iDc65Ei0VLuJ2Rv-2wsPzDAS1daCgqx0L1kub6jG4DBe7eDgeAA8/s1600-h/Guynn-Headshotsmall.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 256px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwx2OhyqCrJzvEQKvdt6jUJaTJX0jzs3q27UX2EbKTfHcqCMrPxgOCnyViYh3WKOO9qWADwzGt339QJUkhHzPs9A5iDc65Ei0VLuJ2Rv-2wsPzDAS1daCgqx0L1kub6jG4DBe7eDgeAA8/s320/Guynn-Headshotsmall.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5384054375318882594" /></a><br /><br /><br />Sometimes life takes interesting routes, especially when it comes to individuals that pursue careers in the arts. For one such young man, the path began in the world of hardcore and punk rock music, before he embarked on a serious acting career that has entailed both stage and independent film. <br /><br />Steve Guynn, of Lexington, Kentucky, is one of the more active individuals in his home region. When he isn't doing something like jumping out of planes (he is an active skydiver), he is working on projects, rehearsing, and honing his craft. A self-motivated individual, a necessity in the indie film world, Steve has actively toured in professional theater. <br /><br />In today's IMM interview, we will be visiting with Steve Guynn as he takes us into his world, from his music roots, to stage and film (with his thoughts on the two mediums), and his plans for the future. <br /><br />As intense as he was during his punk rock days towards his music, so is he towards his film and theater endeavors. Without a doubt, Steve Guynn is well on his way towards a successful acting and production career.<br />-Stephen Zimmer for Indie Movie Masters Blog, September 21st, 2009<br /><br /><strong>SZ: You have a music, theater and film background. Let's briefly touch on your music career. Tell us about the bands you've been in.</strong><br /><br />SG: I played guitar and sang backing vocals in a hardcore band called Ungrateful. We played shows in Lexington, Louisville, Somerset, Berea and so on. We were banned from most places we played in Lexington including The Wrocklage and Alcoholics Anonymous. The Dame wouldn’t even let us in their doors. It was hard to find a venue or club we were in good standing with, though Rock Haven was one such a place, not too dirty, not too clean, just right like Baby Bear’s soup. We released an album worldwide in 1996 titled ‘Southside Lexington Hardcore’ on Sound Pollution Records. I played guitar and sang backing vocals for Retribution, though I am not the guitarist on their EP recording. Retribution, The Infected, Brassknuckle Boys and other ‘back in the day’ punk bands thank Steve Ungrateful in the thanks section of their record sleeve or cd insert. That’s me. This is strange to me because no one called me Steve Ungrateful to my face, most people on the street called me ‘Hardcore Steve’. I guess it is worth mentioning that I also played in several bands (one called Ghetto Blasters for example) that did not release any recordings. I experienced so many good and bad times during those years. The Lexington KY Punk Scene will always be a family to me.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: Did your years as a touring and recording musician help in any way when you went full time into theater and acting?</strong><br /><br />SG: Yes definitely. I can always look back on all the fights (literally) and problems with the police and just know that my problems now aren’t really that bad. At least I’m not in jail for a victimless crime you know. All that I went through just to perform the music I love makes me realize that I enjoy performing for people and getting ideas out there. No matter what I am doing to put a roof over my head or food on my plate, if I am not performing, I feel like I am not contributing to the world.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: What has your formal training been in terms of acting and theater?</strong><br /><br />SG: I graduated May 2007 with a BA in Theatre at the University of Kentucky. I worked full-time as a maintenance man at a private school while attending classes at UK. Russell Henderson taught me vocal production; Margo Buchanan was my acting instructor; I took a playwriting class with Herman Farrell III. It was a real honor studying under Herman Farrell III. He was the kind of professor that really cared about his students and would make time for them. That’s it for formal training. I strongly feel that every time I take a theatre contract or work on a film set I am perpetually learning about acting and the entertainment industry as a whole.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: What were your experiences in professional theater like? (touring, acting multiple roles in children's theater, etc)</strong><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguWq4pnuh_6pnBq6EwwMCbKB-ICBQuJZYoo4q_R6D5mtn2UyqH4MVaGytZudknf0N_CYKusuSA43_4fkmlBrBx-uzCz-EPfi8APjyeahTR2E6uyBEyIU4haTTcOnx9vesfQg0kds3pRXg/s1600-h/Guynn-Gangstersmall.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 258px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguWq4pnuh_6pnBq6EwwMCbKB-ICBQuJZYoo4q_R6D5mtn2UyqH4MVaGytZudknf0N_CYKusuSA43_4fkmlBrBx-uzCz-EPfi8APjyeahTR2E6uyBEyIU4haTTcOnx9vesfQg0kds3pRXg/s320/Guynn-Gangstersmall.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5384054801777420114" /></a>SG: Wow, experiences in professional theatre. My first professional theatre contract was with The Lost Colony, it was their 2006 season. I have mixed feelings about that place. It is an outdoor drama located on Roanoke Island. They housed us in these town homes at Morrison Grove, which is a beautiful place. They have their own beach there, so you can imagine how often I was drunk and naked. To sum it up, my summer 2006 consisted of acting, skydiving, surfing, fishing, drinking and some other things too. That part of it was great. Here’s the bad part. I was hired as an AT. This means actor/tech. I acted in the show and I loaded scenery in the stage left and stage right scene docks during scene changes. They had shipped in new scenery that year. Each piece of scenery weighed 1000 pounds; no I am not exaggerating. Only four of us AT’s at a time would fit on a ‘book piece’ as we called them due to the way they folded. That means 1000 pounds divided between four people, multiple times a night, Monday-Saturday, 74 performances that summer. This was probably the most laborious work I’ve ever done in my life.<br /><br />I’ve done a few musicals. This was local work at the Actors Guild of Lexington and the Lexington Opera House. I played an ensemble member in The Music Man, this was performed Spring 2008 at the Lexington Opera House. I must say, for the finale we performed the song 76 Trombones; we had the Lexington Christian Academy Marching Band on stage, we had a chorus of 60 singers, and we had a pit orchestra, all performing the same song. I have now been part of an ensemble with a marching band and an orchestra. This was one of the greatest experiences of my life, thank you Ryan Shirar. I love musicals, although I am not the best singer or dancer.<br /> <br />Summer 2008 I did the show Tecumseh! in Chillicothe, Ohio. I can’t say enough good things about this place or this show. I played the lead bad guy, a character named Tompkins. A lot of stage combat in this show. I got to scalp Indians and cut off their chest skin and shoot them and stab them all summer. It was great. I was one mean dude you did not want to mess with. I want to make it clear that I do not hold any prejudice against Native Americans, I just like stage combat. Outdoor dramas are very important because they educate our youth and the general populace on American history. I have maid some life-long friends at outdoor dramas.<br /><br />I worked with a children’s touring company Fall 2008 called Hampstead Stage Company. That was interesting. Some touring companies send teams of five, six or more out on the road. Some send two. That is Hampstead Stage Company. Since they only send two out, one man and one woman, both players have to play multiple roles. In the stage production of Prince Caspian I played Professor, Peter, Edmund, Trumpkin, Dr. Cornelius, King Miraz, Reepicheep and Aslan. In A Christmas Carol I played Fred, Ebenezer Scrooge and Solicitor. They send both shows out on the road. I played eleven different characters in two plays. Rehearsals drove me crazy. 11-12 hour days for a month straight. I was on ‘team standby’. This means my partner and I performed at a town hall in Barnstead, New Hampshire. We did not tour. It was very rewarding in the end to actually get these shows up and on their feet. <br /><br /><strong>SZ: What do you find to be the biggest challenges or differences regarding film vs. theater acting?</strong><br /><br />SG: The challenges are very different and very much the same. In film a director wants to get an angle. In theatre a director wants to get a composition. A lot of hard work goes into both.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: Do you tend to enjoy theater or film more as an actor? Is one more satisfying than the other?</strong><br /><br />SG: I get this question all the time. It’s a good question. Theatre and film are both magic to me. In a stage production, I love being in the same room as the people I’m telling the story to. In a film production, I love the relationship with the camera; it feels otherworldly. Both are my children. I love both.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: You have worked with director Jerry Williams on more than one project. What were they, and what was it like working with Jerry? Did you need counseling after working on his projects?</strong><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCwkkxwNy1uIEEeymmQHfeD9TViliuKxVXzxLUqAr_dDBaLHZtTXtkyu2tyacNiu3eIKKEJSZ0XMuGM9ICDGVSAmVKrAqPcV-xEMKQqGBc3fS5h8XOTF9OwcNvYvl_NGKhpoAorW5KDEc/s1600-h/Guynn-guyfaxsmall.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCwkkxwNy1uIEEeymmQHfeD9TViliuKxVXzxLUqAr_dDBaLHZtTXtkyu2tyacNiu3eIKKEJSZ0XMuGM9ICDGVSAmVKrAqPcV-xEMKQqGBc3fS5h8XOTF9OwcNvYvl_NGKhpoAorW5KDEc/s320/Guynn-guyfaxsmall.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5384054561497062578" /></a>SG: Jerry Williams is one of the most creative people I have ever worked with. Many people don’t know that Jerry has a MA in Creative Writing from Morehead State University, thus the references to myth and folktales in his scripts. In 2007 Jerry put me in Misadventures In Space as Captain Tiberius and his twin brother Jessup Tiberius. That was a blast, mostly improvised work. That same year I played a zombie in Zeppo: Sinners From Beyond The Moon! Goatboy Films recently finished production on Saucer Sex From Beyond. This piece showed at Fright Night Film Festival 2009. I play Captain RobRoy Tiberius in that. Jerry let me write a monologue for that character. This was a real privilege. It is not often in film or theatre that you get to write in your own part, especially when the writer/director has a concept for the part. I know how it is to write your own work, you do not want anyone else to change it because it is yours. Jerry relinquished that control and gave me a creative license with his work. That’s rare. Thank you Jerry Williams. I am also in several of his films that are as of yet unreleased. He’s going to kill me for posting links to them below. And yes, I am definitely going to need counseling.<br /><br /><center><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/kZp47EJJQ7Y&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/kZp47EJJQ7Y&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/UZ9HvyH3OdA&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/UZ9HvyH3OdA&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /></center><br /><br /><strong>SZ: What have you found to be the most frustrating elements of the indie film world?</strong><br /><br />SG: Poverty. It comes with the territory. Some think that if the independent film community had more support and more exposure then they wouldn’t be independent. I don’t know. I don’t have all the answers. I just know that I am Bum #1, you know, like Public Enemy #1, except with no money.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: Conversely, what do you find most beneficial about the indie film world?</strong><br /><br />SG: A level of expression and creativity rarely found in other mediums. Most indie filmmakers are not afraid to be experimental. That takes courage and I respect that. Courage and sensibility are two qualities that distinguish a great director from a good director.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: What are your career goals regarding both theater and film?</strong><br /><br />SG: I am going to continue acting on stage & film. That’s plan A. There are certain novels that, one day, someone is going to make into a stage and/or film production. When they do, I am going to be there. It will probably be in the United Kingdom. That is all I can disclose at this time.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: Give us a list of your indie film credits to date.</strong><br /><br />SG The years here are during the production, not necessarily the same year as release.<br /><br />2009 Saucer Sex From Beyond Captain RobRoy Tiberius Goatboy Films<br /><br />2007 Misadventures In Space Captain Tiberius, Jessup Tiberius Goatboy Films<br /><br />2007 Zeppo: Sinners From Beyond The Moon! Zombie Goatboy Films<br /><br />2006 The Edison Death Machine Rex the EMT Zombie Planet Productions<br /><br />2005 Sirens Bobby the Manager Ever After Media/ Cineline Productions<br /><br />2004 Promise Bank Robber It Doesn’t Matter! Productions<br /><br />2004 Theatre Live Today Famous Guest Cindy Yu<br /><br />2004 Know Your Chronic Masturbator Robbie Optimal Riviera Productions<br /><br /><strong>SZ: How can people find some of your work or you on the internet? (websites, any Facebook or MySpace pages, etc)</strong><br /><br />SG: Here are some links………….<br /><br /> <a href="http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=63331862">http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=63331862</a><br /><br /><a href="http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=63332047">http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=63332047</a><br /><br /><a href="http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=63332092">http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=63332092</a><br /><br /><a href="http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=63332241">http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=63332241</a><br /><br /><a href="http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=63332407">http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=63332407</a><br /><br /><a href="http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=63332507">http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=63332507</a>Indie Movie Mastershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00785883665824314268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7180580542236971341.post-66245010596422799822009-09-13T20:41:00.001-07:002009-09-13T20:45:21.920-07:00Indie Movie Masters Podcast Episode #4 featuring Jerry Williams of Goatboy FilmsIndie Movie Masters Podcast Episode #4 is now up, and it's a special one! This one features Jerry Williams of Goatboy Films, the mastermind behind works such as Zeppo, Misadventures in Outer Space, Soul Robbers, Purvos, and the new Saucer Sex from Beyond.<br /><br />This interview ran a little longer than usual, and the total show is a bit longer at about 45 minutes, but it is definitely entertaining! Leave a comment and let us know what you think of Jerry Williams!<br /><br />(the chant from the crowd begins..."Jerry! Jerry! Jerry!")...<br /><br /><a href="http://www.indiemoviemasters.com/IMM4.mp3">Click here to listen to the podcast or download! </a><br /><br />You can also subscribe to the new podcast series as an RSS feed here: <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/IndieMovieMasters">http://feeds.feedburner.com/IndieMovieMasters</a><br /><br /><a href="http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=326179998">Click here to get the episode via iTunes!</a>Indie Movie Mastershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00785883665824314268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7180580542236971341.post-33512891543603964682009-09-03T10:35:00.000-07:002009-09-05T21:43:16.202-07:00Mark Racop on the Launch Pad for Starship II<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC8pqeOEucjeNb38xQpoCSKJEgWJUoZV4k-t_noQVYZ9-USUcPnHEQYGC5q6zuqL3p6g_YDIRtbVxvEX4hRpy6DWY1Dxz6Z3CzXWPdY46O53lTZFVbrMag3wbavqOqqyU9eulDPoaArwk/s1600-h/Starship2Logo.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 313px; height: 77px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC8pqeOEucjeNb38xQpoCSKJEgWJUoZV4k-t_noQVYZ9-USUcPnHEQYGC5q6zuqL3p6g_YDIRtbVxvEX4hRpy6DWY1Dxz6Z3CzXWPdY46O53lTZFVbrMag3wbavqOqqyU9eulDPoaArwk/s320/Starship2Logo.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5377307439712979346" /></a><br />Today's interview takes us to the fine state of Indiana, where director/producer/writer Mark Racop and the MagicHouse Productions team is based.<br /><br />A full production house with a studio facility, MagicHouse Productions is readying an exciting new science fiction movie, Starship II. The film features an extraordinary amount of special effects elements, and returns many fan favorites from the first Starship film (titled Rock N Roll Starship).<br /><br />For the indie film world, Mark Racop and MagicHouse Productions represents an intelligent approach to developing films and a production company. Mark has spearheaded a methodical path that has built a solid foundation for current and future projects, one that draws upon previous projects and has established an in-house production infrastructure. This approach enables growth in each progressive project, something demonstrated strongly in Starship II with its arsenal of special effects and increased production value.<br /><br />The buzz has been building for Starship II at conventions across the country, and is well on the way to becoming a growing indie movie franchise. Working with an array of talented individuals in Indiana such as Jeff Ello (the mastermind behind the CGI) and Chuck Budreau (sound and music wizard who is also with <a href="http://www.indyfilmnews.com">Indy Film News</a>, a networking and resource site for Indiana Filmmakers), Mark has worked to establish the nucleus of an outstanding independent movie team.<br /><br />Mark Racop is a filmmaker to watch, and MagicHouse Productions is definitely on the indie movie map. Watch out for Starship II in the very near future, and hop on board a great new indie movie series!<br />-by Stephen Zimmer, for Indie Movie Masters, September 6, 2009 <br /><br /><strong>SZ: What is your background in terms of filmmaking/production?</strong><br /> <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglaE9hPK2BFxThQ2ynyU-a29Dai83FFoNEqNnJB1bFOTbyuOUpjPydgPUd3VNt4x0RwLUj-MLEf07-O9gRv_2Y7PoDltbbaWbCVIfQBAOxkwZQnNTAUGFE-KIEn1JZWGg05fXeGi-mldY/s1600-h/MHmark.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 169px; height: 220px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglaE9hPK2BFxThQ2ynyU-a29Dai83FFoNEqNnJB1bFOTbyuOUpjPydgPUd3VNt4x0RwLUj-MLEf07-O9gRv_2Y7PoDltbbaWbCVIfQBAOxkwZQnNTAUGFE-KIEn1JZWGg05fXeGi-mldY/s320/MHmark.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5377307715062624498" /></a>MR: The filmmaking bug bit me at an early age. My father John remembers that I was interested in making movies even at the age of two, always asking, "How do they DO that?" Dad could only answer, "Trick photography." So while other children were reading short stories, I was busy reading–check that–studying Stephen Whitfield’s "The Making of Star Trek."<br /> <br />My filmmaking life was changed permanently when "Star Wars: A New Hope" was released when I was twelve-years-old. I knew from the first scene of that movie that I HAD to make movies. I voraciously read everything I could about movie making. As a huge1966 Batman fan, it was no surprise to my friends that I decided to make Batman the focus of my movies while learning my craft.<br /> <br />I collected a rag tag group of misfits from Logansport High School–and I'm quick to add myself to the list of rag tag misfits–to make my first movie in 1980, a 60 minute short film. We didn’t have a clue what we were doing when we started, but we figured things out pretty quickly. Shot on Super 8 movie film, and edited by hand with a Kmart splicer, it truly was a labor of love. It lacked big time, but as a first film, it was rather ambitious–there were several fight scenes, and the movie was made at many locations throughout Logansport, including the vault of the First National Bank. Logansport Mayor Jone Wilson even played a cameo in the film. The movie was rough, but well-received, and won some awards in high school.<br /> <br />Bolstered by the completion of my first effort, the following summer I made a second Batman film, a 30 minute short. The titles, fight scenes, and editing were much more sophisticated, and I was learning from my mistakes. Mayor Jone Wilson again made herself available for a cameo. And again, I received some awards.<br /> <br />There was little doubt that I would be going to college, and there was even less doubt that filmmaking would be the major. Majoring in telecommunications with a film emphasis at Ball State, I worked on several short films for classes, and networked with students that shared my passion for filmmaking. It didn’t take long for students to figure out that I was very serious about making movies. I was the only one that owned my own equipment. <br /> <br />Even though I was ahead of my class, I still had a lot to learn. Before diving into professional filmmaking I knew I needed to learn more about lighting, sound, editing, and overall pacing. My third and final Batman film was entered in the David Letterman Scholarship Contest at Ball State, and won a $3,500 award. Logansport Mayor John Davis played a cameo this time. This film was certainly different than my previous two. Acting, sound effects, and lighting improved tremendously. I built sets for the first time, which provided for better camera angles. And the ultimate prop was added–the Batmobile. Built by five seventeen-year-olds, we transformed a 1974 Monte Carlo into the world-famous Batmobile and used it in my very first car chase.<br /> <br />The David Letterman Scholarship award opened a lot of doors. It gave me credibility to deal with people in Hollywood as well as local investors. Without the scholarship, I don't think I would have made it on the set of my "big break," a terrible action/terrorist movie called "Terror Squad," made in Kokomo, Indiana, in1986. The final film was horrible, but I learned so much from being on a professional set. As the head production assistant, I learned the ins and outs of just every single department. I helped the camera and grip departments lug equipment, helped stuntmen with prepping cars for stunts, built a storefront for an explosion, landed product placement for clothing for the movie’s star, Chuck Connors, and I ferried film from the airport to the editor. I learned about special effects makeup, safety requirements for explosions and bullet hits, and how the same shots can be accomplished with different camera techniques–and how to choose the best one.<br /> <br />I was invited to Hollywood by some of the crew from "Terror Squad," so my friend Jeff Johnson and I departed in a 1976 Dodge Colt with stars in our eyes. 41 hours later, we arrived in the usually sunny state to find that we had somehow brought snow with us. Yep, that’s right--for the first time in ten years, Los Angeles experienced snow! I spent time on several movie sets and at camera stores, and talked with professionals in the business to learn what it really takes to make it in the business. I also learned that I didn’t want to live in LA. It just wasn’t right for me. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBUuJxVuHFgeOA91dpOB29eIWYNgG0wqyANmGe-zlLnwdwp1WffhNLlW9KtticMSNPtsEUrchlIHRdC05gwwUXWOQwpNpaoN89bfgmjAW1oLrf1pYYy9_IPjVY6QEhowjEJCawWfLyu2M/s1600-h/MHlogo2small.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 39px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBUuJxVuHFgeOA91dpOB29eIWYNgG0wqyANmGe-zlLnwdwp1WffhNLlW9KtticMSNPtsEUrchlIHRdC05gwwUXWOQwpNpaoN89bfgmjAW1oLrf1pYYy9_IPjVY6QEhowjEJCawWfLyu2M/s320/MHlogo2small.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5377306813158419378" /></a><br /><br /><strong>SZ: When was MagicHouse Productions formed, and what was your mission with the company when it began?</strong><br /> <br />MR: I formed MagicHouse Productions in 1987 and raised money to shoot my first professional movie, the ultra-low budget spoof, "Rock N Roll Starship." The up-front budget was $5,000, and the final cost of the film was $25,000. Dark Star and Hardware Wars were major inspirations as we put the movie together. The movie featured cheesy sets, cheesy dialogue, and cheesy acting–but it was all part of the plan.<br /> <br /><strong>SZ: As independent production companies often need to pay the bills while developing a feature film project, what kind of production work do you engage in outside of your film endeavors?</strong><br /> <br />MR: I shoot documentaries, commercials, promotional videos, music videos, and even legal depositions to keep the lights on. <br /><br /><strong>SZ: Give us a little history leading up to the production of Starship II, in terms of when the first film was produced, the response to it, and when you made a decision to do a sequel (and when you began pre-production on it).</strong><br /> <br />MR: "Rock n Roll Starship" has played well to science fiction audiences across the Mid-west. I am truly amazed at our fan following. While we never received national distribution, we have self-distributed over 1,500 copies on tape and DVD, from Georgia to Minneapolis.<br /><br />I am my toughest critic, and I am really tough on the film, but it is nice to see a crowd of 400 people rolling in the aisles with laughter. It helps remind me that it was worth all of the hard work.<br /> <br />While we were shooting Starship 1, we joked about the possibility of a sequel, and the ideas that could be incorporated into it. While everyone else went to sleep, I was writing down hundreds of tiny notes on scrap paper, napkins, placemats--anything I could get my hands on.<br /> <br />People everywhere demanded the sequel. The beautiful Leslie Culton is one of our biggest fans. It was really weird. She met us at a con, quoting dialogue from Starship! And then all of the planets aligned to allow us to make the sequel. I lost my job as a manager of a movie theater--and it was the best thing that ever happened to me. <br /> <br />Chuck Budreau and I took those hundreds of scrap notes and used them as an outline to create the script for "Starship II." We finished the first draft in three weeks, and did a script readthrough at the 1998 Inconjunction science fiction convention. Actors that had moved to New York and Ohio moved back to Indiana. At a chance meeting in a movie theater in Lafayette, watching the end credits of "Phantom Menace," I found our special effects team.<br /> <br /><strong>SZ: For those that may not have seen the first Starship film, catch us up to speed on events pertaining to the beginning of the story in Starship II, as well as a little about the plot of the new movie.</strong><br /> <br />MR: Because "Starship II" involves time travel, it is both a sequel and a prequel--making it a sprequel. Bob, Doug, and Jorge are well-known throughout the galaxy as the ones that blew up the Ramses Colony. In a freak accident, they accidentally go back in time to right before the blew up the colony. They now have the opportunity to stop themselves from blowing up the colony, and clearing their names...but you know how changing things in the past in a time travel has a way of screwing things up in the future, right? Bob, Doug, and Jorge discover that they have to go back in time to stop themselves from stopping themselves, or the entire universe will be taken over by robots! <br /><br /><strong>SZ: What cast members returned from the first film for the 2nd? Who are some of the key new additions?</strong><br /> <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisRlPggsU44hnC1u_V35CfOhgReFJIqNpbSNzfY0MnBLKLzEinUF_4NY2jI2ZObPZdg2-ZIf8wXGtQO4MNnShrYlexa4UO4M4bxJAlkWEMNFvdPscEhYLXsKnXKKz76SeJtIGboJoaN6s/s1600-h/MHcast1.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 184px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisRlPggsU44hnC1u_V35CfOhgReFJIqNpbSNzfY0MnBLKLzEinUF_4NY2jI2ZObPZdg2-ZIf8wXGtQO4MNnShrYlexa4UO4M4bxJAlkWEMNFvdPscEhYLXsKnXKKz76SeJtIGboJoaN6s/s320/MHcast1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5377308459956447986" /></a>MR: Rob Hinkle, Michael Allen Williams, and Logan Michaels reprise their original roles of Bob, Doug, and Jorge. Christopher Tracy returns for a cameo as the evil golden android Zake, and Robert Hubbard reprises his role as Leiutenant Ed. <br /> <br />Scream queen Leslie Culton joins the cast as the female lead, Captain Jane Wey, and we were fortunate enough to land John Astin (Gomez from The Addams Family, Attack of the Killer Tomatoes 2) as Professor Peabody. Babylon 5 alumni Jason Carter and the late Richard Biggs play Commander Deckins and Sergeant Franklin. And to finish off the cast, we hired Richard Hatch (Battlestar Galactica) to play cloned news reporters John Alpha and John Beta.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: Highlight a few key members of your production group involved with<br />Starship II.</strong><br /> <br />MR: Three people made a significant difference from the first film to the second--Jeff Ello, director of photography and also the post production special effects supervisor; Greg Fauvergue, set designer and builder; and key grip Eric Ridge, who provided camera booms, dolly track, and other great toys for me to play with.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEfF31CB8fFYqKFeF9WuWvhopPOKp38fxcstQCy-gY0xXTKtkFG4gvT5QU3K8uhK-7Ob8Y5gp3r73E03mmPuRJzkNYUnKvGidRv4k6CZWcG9y0wAliiXT8OEpD7FMWwV6msBHcbWEq2J0/s1600-h/MHJeffElloandPaul.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 216px; height: 162px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEfF31CB8fFYqKFeF9WuWvhopPOKp38fxcstQCy-gY0xXTKtkFG4gvT5QU3K8uhK-7Ob8Y5gp3r73E03mmPuRJzkNYUnKvGidRv4k6CZWcG9y0wAliiXT8OEpD7FMWwV6msBHcbWEq2J0/s320/MHJeffElloandPaul.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5377312440283618962" /></a><br /><center>Jeff Ello</center><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNLrkJvK8_xM2Q7q7YM3fHiOf18_vIcKF2lXA-S-87WV2qEdZSVlqs9byG5zWVx7K9OfdBLj3ntzUJk5yq40Tv1xOJEjYElZK5pJhFaPYD7NOVubh_zeA4irUNfDuLdf5hnSYIUaCsN18/s1600-h/MHgregfauvergue.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 160px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNLrkJvK8_xM2Q7q7YM3fHiOf18_vIcKF2lXA-S-87WV2qEdZSVlqs9byG5zWVx7K9OfdBLj3ntzUJk5yq40Tv1xOJEjYElZK5pJhFaPYD7NOVubh_zeA4irUNfDuLdf5hnSYIUaCsN18/s320/MHgregfauvergue.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5377312644819619650" /></a><br /><center>Greg Fauvergue</center><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHn9xprOIyk55sPlyDXEnYhtcDrb-9cVsiXCbIZKEr9hMS6Q1ii1RXF-nXdb6kEuv0pK9tmZzDC6lChTcGyrW-mHNMo7SUqoCYOHFx2NbfB0QBhJOSFVtImWe9PTBc5KJlGKw1uvCPWVk/s1600-h/MHericridge.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 197px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHn9xprOIyk55sPlyDXEnYhtcDrb-9cVsiXCbIZKEr9hMS6Q1ii1RXF-nXdb6kEuv0pK9tmZzDC6lChTcGyrW-mHNMo7SUqoCYOHFx2NbfB0QBhJOSFVtImWe9PTBc5KJlGKw1uvCPWVk/s320/MHericridge.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5377312814493465234" /></a><br /><center>Eric Ridge</center><br /><br /><strong>SZ: What lessons did you learn out of the process of the first film that you have applied to help improve the process of making the 2nd?</strong><br /> <br />MR: I am always learning from my successes and failures, and I knew that we had to overcome the shortcomings from the first film. We shot the first movie on film, and the cost was astronomical for negative and developing and transferring to video. The sets were built from white beaded styrofoam. We built the lights from foamcore and hung them from the rafters with twine. Even minor setups sometimes took an hour. We did the special effects on the Amiga Videotoaster. <br /> <br />The sequel had to have better sets. It had to have exteriors, and it had to have a much larger cast. We shot on miniDV with Canon XL1s and GL1s. We had professional lighting. The sets were made from plywood. Camera setups took minutes instead of hours. "Starship 2" was a radical step up from the original film, featuring a much more sophisticated script, great sets, great special effects, and most importantly, some great actors from Hollywood. The up-front budget for Starship II was $50,000, and the final budget is coming in around $100,000. <br /><br /><strong>SZ: How has having a studio facility helped the process in Starship II? What has it enabled that would have otherwise been too surmounting to attempt otherwise?</strong><br /> <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioYipfhpk_evKnovBTKuxK1SFuX_zXkHz0xvlGpKRXTlsqril6wkYdLbp2dGlQGmL3ypMtH6casMlhsXtJfb9MHq9cOTMCAfbJRcJkqOfV9ahUgucG8c4QMyYD8KHC0upJ0bnznidgUec/s1600-h/MHstudio1.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 282px; height: 93px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioYipfhpk_evKnovBTKuxK1SFuX_zXkHz0xvlGpKRXTlsqril6wkYdLbp2dGlQGmL3ypMtH6casMlhsXtJfb9MHq9cOTMCAfbJRcJkqOfV9ahUgucG8c4QMyYD8KHC0upJ0bnznidgUec/s320/MHstudio1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5377309093088376370" /></a>MR: We bought the 8,300 square foot building a few years after we wrapped Starship II, but the studio has changed our filmmaking forever. We have shot five movies, two shorts, and several commercials at our facilities. It has allowed us to build sets and leave them standing much longer than borrowed warehouses. I hate to shoot in interior locations any more because the studio is so much more controllable. From electrical to makeup to office space and our kitchenette, everything is right here.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: Your team is tackling an extraordinary amount of effect shots for a film, whether independent or not. Tell us about the number of FX shots estimated in Starship II and some of the challenges you have faced in this area of the production.</strong><br /> <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB1l77IIdUVq385HlKJox-R97IjGTiNLx4H8Q2yBpA6btAff67UAx60GtmlsJQuHI4_X18qKOHQku5cGu3rf_SdDyxK8fOjy6yyCg_tHHLLAM7VFXhLRF3ZgRMLKVqfzK4HE6eVSuJETY/s1600-h/MHselfdestruct1.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB1l77IIdUVq385HlKJox-R97IjGTiNLx4H8Q2yBpA6btAff67UAx60GtmlsJQuHI4_X18qKOHQku5cGu3rf_SdDyxK8fOjy6yyCg_tHHLLAM7VFXhLRF3ZgRMLKVqfzK4HE6eVSuJETY/s320/MHselfdestruct1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5377310130367617570" /></a><br />MR: Ugh! Yes, Starship II has an exceptional number of effects, that's for sure! At last count, there are over 800 visual effects shots. I made the mistake of allowing the FX guys on set. They got me so excited that we added 100 visual effect shots that weren't in the script! Raising the money to make the movie was a snap. Finding competent special effects artists that can generate usable material to assist Jeff Ello has been nearly impossible. With the exception of Staffon Norling and Ian Strandberg, he has had to scrap or completely redo almost every single effect that was delivered to him.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit2O0PUxM1q0TIGagM3-stWiIqlrpfR0AiURdd1sXh8w_91M9CWXIeE_SJFx56znyGq1gjm77GwUSvExejse2G07Ch038TizcKMSogMKfkx0aZ9ineBptj2ZTPJUQradrg1eeSHkH0Qj4/s1600-h/MHstargate1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit2O0PUxM1q0TIGagM3-stWiIqlrpfR0AiURdd1sXh8w_91M9CWXIeE_SJFx56znyGq1gjm77GwUSvExejse2G07Ch038TizcKMSogMKfkx0aZ9ineBptj2ZTPJUQradrg1eeSHkH0Qj4/s320/MHstargate1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5377310382674023314" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><strong>SZ: Do you have an estimate as to when Starship II will be finished?</strong><br /> <br />MR: Jeff Ello has passed the most difficult portions of the effects work, so we expect completion "around the end of the year." In the meantime, I have worked on five more movies, and one that I co-produced, A Time For the Heart, was premiered at the Imax theater in Indianapolis this past spring to a sell out crowd. I am also in preproduction on three more films, so there is never a dull moment around here.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: When finished, what kind of path are you looking to take Starship II on?(festival circuits? Distribution goals? Etc.)</strong><br /> <br />MR: A successful film producer in Hollywood happens to be the cousin of my primary investor, and we expect that he will be able to point us in the right direction when he sees the completed movie. We are planning a limited theatrical run, and hoping for Sci Fi Channel or Lions Gate to pick us up. Festivals and science fiction conventions are definitely part of the future for Starship II, I'm sure.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: Are there plans already for a Starship III?</strong><br /> <br />MR: Absolutely! Starship II ends with a cliffhanger, so we are compelled to make a Starship III to wrap up the mystery. The script is halfway completed. And Jeff Ello has said that he didn't spend the past several years of his life making special effects for just one movie. With 90% of the effects work already done, the next movie will go much faster in post this time!<br /><br /><strong>SZ: Give us some links for folks to use to find out more and connect with MagicHouse Productions and Starship II online.</strong><br /> <br />MR: You can find Starship II online at: <a href="http://www.starship2.com">www.starship2.com</a>, and MagicHouse Productions at <a href="http://www.magich.com">www.magich.com</a>.<br /><br /><center> <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/kmQM8DWiqks&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/kmQM8DWiqks&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object> </center><br />(Starship II Trailer)Indie Movie Mastershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00785883665824314268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7180580542236971341.post-2370498080944442642009-08-27T17:41:00.001-07:002009-08-27T17:46:29.419-07:00Indie Movie Masters Podcast Episode #3 featuring Jason Crowe of Feathered Italian FilmsHere's Indie Movie Masters Podcast Episode #3! In this episode, our guest is actor, director, and writer Jason Crowe. Jason recently made his directorial debut with the horror film The Legacy, at the Fright Night Film Festival in Louisville, and the production company he co-founded, Feathered Italian Films, is finishing up another horror project.<br /><br />In this interview we talk with Jason about his very busy involvement in indie films the past couple of years, The Legacy, his upcoming appearance schedule, working on indie film projects in general, and the future. <br /><br />This episode also features a great dose of new rock courtesy of Zero King, with a segment of their new single "Black Friday"!<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.indiemoviemasters.com/IMM3.mp3">Click here to listen to the podcast or download! </a><br /><br />You can also subscribe to the new podcast series as an RSS feed here: <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/IndieMovieMasters">http://feeds.feedburner.com/IndieMovieMasters</a><br /><br /><a href="http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=326179998">Click here to get the episode via iTunes!</a>Indie Movie Mastershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00785883665824314268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7180580542236971341.post-78705633162104076482009-08-21T11:52:00.000-07:002009-08-21T12:42:48.625-07:00Indie Film Success Story-Patrick Pierre's "The City Is Mine" Out this Week!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcokHFEvAYC7zoIILnQlMfV58T3xAReopkMZEMBQXmYjFYjJp7ju6OVwMu_rz_A0hhxJpNrTwkZ7NOiN6GjmkOuO5ShLiKgJXaQilsEtQAEhmd5zj7SsP2HE4NEw5je8WTAp9kKS6LJw4/s1600-h/CityIsMinePosterSpecialEdition2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 237px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcokHFEvAYC7zoIILnQlMfV58T3xAReopkMZEMBQXmYjFYjJp7ju6OVwMu_rz_A0hhxJpNrTwkZ7NOiN6GjmkOuO5ShLiKgJXaQilsEtQAEhmd5zj7SsP2HE4NEw5je8WTAp9kKS6LJw4/s320/CityIsMinePosterSpecialEdition2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372497354597982674" /></a><br /><br />This week, an indie film success story was completed when Patrick Pierre's new feature "The City Is Mine" was released nationwide by Maverick Entertainment. To those that know and understand the incredibly difficult process of making a truly independent feature, this is a moment for celebration, a rewarding culmination of alot of hard work and effort. It is always wonderful to see an indie filmmaker achieve a major success, which raises the credibility of indie filmmaking and opens up new possibilities for indie filmmakers everywhere.<br /><br />Writer/Director Patrick Pierre's career has certainly taken a big step forward, and he is already ramping up for his next project. In this interview, we will be going into the story behind the making of "The City Is Mine", including the path that it took from being a locally made indie film in Mercer County, New Jersey to becoming an acquisition by industry heavyweight Maverick Entertainment. There are lessons to be learned, and inspiration to be had. <br /><br />Indie Filmmakers and those involved in the world of indie film are definitely advised to pick up a copy of "The City is Mine", and share in a great indie success story.<br />-Stephen Zimmer for Indie Movie Masters, August 21, 2009<br /><br /><br /><strong>SZ: Tell us a little about your personal background prior to the making of “The City Is Mine”</strong><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKuR8GzaC-BrijSOl8NcbX1zUX9e-H35pmguNYGchHeC55Z1z9LHUEUWLiuixb_Q_nvnM52eEWUaSnt5D5tCvfgLWA4-wDSDaGx7l3NUCGI_Kjzyqv9dK6Z4TWD1sso7jn8L7ehhVeWs4/s1600-h/CityIsMinePatrick2.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKuR8GzaC-BrijSOl8NcbX1zUX9e-H35pmguNYGchHeC55Z1z9LHUEUWLiuixb_Q_nvnM52eEWUaSnt5D5tCvfgLWA4-wDSDaGx7l3NUCGI_Kjzyqv9dK6Z4TWD1sso7jn8L7ehhVeWs4/s320/CityIsMinePatrick2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372497189408090754" /></a>PP: I'm a native of Haiti; I immigrated to the U.S. when I was 8 years old. I lived in Brooklyn NY for many years where I attended school and graduated from Erasmus Hall High School in 1995. Shortly after, I moved to Trenton, NJ where I currently live. I attended community college at Mercer County in 1998, 2001 & 2003 where I took some courses in Theater, Acting and Stage Production. I was a volunteer in a lot of small independent productions where I gain some crew experience working on set. In 2005 I decided to form my own production company, Pierre Films, LLC. After writing and directing several short films, I decided to take the plunge into feature film. In 2007 I started production on "The City Is Mine"<br /><br /><strong>SZ: Describe the time line involved in “The City Is Mine”, from pre-production to final cut.</strong><br /><br />PP: From pre-production to final cut was one year. The script development process started in February of 2007 where my co-writer, Adriana Gittens, worked on the first draft of the script. After several draft, the screenplay was ready in about 2 months. From then, we started planning the actual production, from holding auditions to rehearsals. Finally we were ready to begin production May 2007. Production lasted for 4 months. We filmed on weekends only. Production was wrapped in September 2007. Not wasting time, we went right into the post-production phase, which lasted 4 months. The Film Premiered on February 16, 2008 to a sold out audience in Trenton, NJ.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: Where did you shoot “The City is Mine? How many locations did you end<br />up using in the movie?</strong><br /><br />PP: The City Is Mine was filmed throughout Mercer County NJ, mostly in the city of Trenton and some surrounding towns including, Ewing, Hamilton and Lawrence. We did end up going to New York to do one scene in upper Manhattan. A little over 15 locations were used shooting the film. Most of our locations were outdoors so it made things a little easier because working on an independent film is a little tough securing locations. Filming outdoors only required us getting permission from the City, which wasn't difficult. Due to limited budget and time we had to be creative and use certain interior locations multiple times in different shots giving the illusion it was several locations. For example we used one house in the film to be the home of several different characters in the movie. As you watch the film you can’t tell it's the same location.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: What were the biggest challenges in balancing a shooting schedule using<br />weekends and nights?</strong><br /><br />PP: The biggest challenges in balancing the shooting schedule was working around all the actors' schedules and making sure everyone was available at the same time. A good example, we may have a scene Saturday with actor A and actor B, but actor A wouldn’t be available on Saturday and actor B wouldn’t be available on Sunday. I would resolve this situation by pushing that particular scene back to a date when both actors were available on the same day. Lucky for us, we didn't have that problem too often because I gave the cast and crew a shooting schedule way ahead of production, but things do come up and as a director, you have to learn to adjust.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: Shooting a staggered schedule (Nights and weekends), were you able to maintain a core crew, or did you have to use/rotate a larger team?</strong><br /><br />PP: Shooting a staggered schedule was very difficult to maintain a core crew. In the beginning we had problems with people not being able to remain with the production team, because of the time involved on a daily shoot. Long hours were very common shooting The City is Mine. At times we started shooting in the early afternoon and wouldn't wrap till midnight or later. As production went on, the crew shrunk, but luckily the ones who stayed on board were dedicated and I believe things ended up running much smoother with a small dedicated crew.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: As indie filmmakers end up performing multiple functions on most productions, how many “hats” did you end up having to wear to get this project completed?</strong><br /><br />PP: I had to wear several hats in completing "The City Is Mine." I was the director, set designer, Cinematographer, Sound, Editor, Music Composer and a few others, though I did wear many hats, I did not do this alone. Every member of the production crew contributed to the production of the film, whether it was the PA who was holding the boom mic or the actor who volunteered to do the slate board in between takes.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: One gear question: What kind of cameras/format did you use for “The City is Mine”, and what were the main software elements used in post-production?</strong><br /><br />PP: The camera that was use for "The City Is Mine" was the Panasonic DVX100a, which is DV(Digital Video) format. In post-production, Sony Vegas 6d was used to edit the film. Magic Bullet was also used for color correction. Sony Acid to create the score and sound FX. Our visual effects artist used Adobe After Effects to create some of the gun and other visual effects in the film.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: How would you describe your style as a director?</strong><br /><br />I would describe my style as very visual. Before every scene, I make sure I do a thorough storyboard. I like to visualize a scene before I begin any kind of blocking. Visualizing the scene in my mind gives me a big advantage when it's time to yell action. In turn, being so visual, the end results is a stunning visual scene composition with every shot well thought out, every frame analyzed. I personally believe the story is the most important aspect in any film, without a good story, you will lose your audience, so having that knowledge, coupled with my visual style and love for cinematography, I feel the audience is not only enjoying a beautiful story being told, their eyes are also being treated to something amazing, whether they realize it or not.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: Tell us a little about the principle cast and your experience with them, from your perspective as the director.</strong><br /><br />PP: The principle cast was amazing. As a director the biggest gift you can have on a film production is a wonderful dedicated and talented cast. Each one had something special about them. A majority of them had prior film and stage experience which helped tremendously in the day to day shooting because of the long hours involved, they knew how to deal with that. Our lead actor, Kirk Ponton had never acted before, this was his first major production. He surprised himself, me and everyone who saw the film. He hit the part out the park. All members of the principle cast were easy to work with, but not all were easy to direct. I took the challenge as a director to push them to the limit in terms of their performance and what I expected to get out of them. At times, some would get annoyed from the many takes that were involved in a particular scene but it was my job to explain the scene to them and try to get the best performance out of a take, whether it took 2 or 20. To the less experienced principle cast members, they learned a lot working on The City Is Mine, I have to say I also learned many things from them which I plan to utilize in my next production.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: Once completed, what was the path you took regarding festivals and other exhibitions?</strong><br /><br />PP: Once the film completed it was our goal to have the biggest Premier/screening we could. I started researching several venues and ultimately went with "The Contemporary Auditorium" which seats 400+. In February 16, 2008 we screened at The Contemporary to a sold out audience. Due to the success of the first screening, 2 others followed at the same place. Then shortly after, I went right into the festival circuit. I researched several film festivals and created a plan to give "The City Is Mine" the best opportunity to screen at film festivals. I started looking at festivals which catered to the type of genre The City Is Mine was and started submitting to them. We were selected to screen at many film festivals which included: 2008 American Black Film Festival, 2008 San Diego Black Film Festival and 2008 Twin Cities Black Film Festival. We received a total of 4 nominations in the 2008 American Black Film Festival for the Jury Prize Best Actor, Innovational Film and Inspirational Film.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8v_kXvVTaAncVDFpChONg7rBpz-eivFKeNQDCOe99NmlMki6ds11CEQnWdLxm2duTTPzqIM2rMLwrSH6XbOXJAmWgJfkwduvdYwMTARdSxXe5l5xThHu-YHBUSQi4LXxGfedIIQ6t7rc/s1600-h/CityIsMineABFFFestivalNominee2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 166px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8v_kXvVTaAncVDFpChONg7rBpz-eivFKeNQDCOe99NmlMki6ds11CEQnWdLxm2duTTPzqIM2rMLwrSH6XbOXJAmWgJfkwduvdYwMTARdSxXe5l5xThHu-YHBUSQi4LXxGfedIIQ6t7rc/s320/CityIsMineABFFFestivalNominee2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372497535107244498" /></a><br /><br /><strong>SZ: How did your distribution deal with Maverick Entertainment come about When did they become aware of your project and show interest?</strong><br /><br />PP: The Distribution deal with Maverick came about right after we were an Official Selection at the 2008 American Black Film Festival. Maverick became interested in acquiring the film once news hit that we were nominated for the awards. They contacted me and the negotiation process began.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: What’s up next for Patrick Pierre? And how can people continue to follow you and your filmmaking career (main website and/or social networking links)</strong><br /><br />PP: What's next for Patrick Pierre is a wonderful film that I am especially excited about called "Visions of Yvette". The synopsis is: during our economic downturn, a single mother is forced into prostitution and drug addiction causing internal turmoil in her attempt to maintain custody of her son. I hope to begin shooting Visions of Yvette late this year. You can visit <a href="http://www.thecityisminemovie.com">www.thecityisminemovie.com</a> to get up to date information with that production or follow me on facebook.<br /><br /><center> <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/a4hfKpCJjG8&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/a4hfKpCJjG8&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object> </center>Indie Movie Mastershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00785883665824314268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7180580542236971341.post-6330596819045585962009-08-13T20:22:00.000-07:002009-08-13T20:36:27.696-07:00Indie Movie Masters Podcast Episode 2 featuring England SimpsonIndie Movie Masters Podcast Episode #2 is here! In this episode we visit with actress/model/independent producer England Simpson. The interview covers her career, including her film roles, her modeling endeavors, and her producing activities.<br /><br />This is a great interview with a very talented individual based out of Charlotte, NC, with alot of insights for those who are working in a professional manner within the indie movie world.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.indiemoviemasters.com/IMM2.mp3">Click here to listen to the podcast or download! </a><br /><br />You can also subscribe to the new podcast series as an RSS feed here: <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/IndieMovieMasters">http://feeds.feedburner.com/IndieMovieMasters</a><br /><br /><a href="http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=326179998">Click here to get the episode via iTunes!</a>Indie Movie Mastershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00785883665824314268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7180580542236971341.post-6070364585195935102009-08-08T18:20:00.001-07:002009-08-08T19:18:42.865-07:00Wisconsin Indie Film Advocate Wayne Clingman-Indy Film Wisconsin, his Podcast, the Midwest Web Slam, and More!In the indie film world, there are a number of very hard working individuals that embrace difficult challenges in the interests of advancing and supporting indie filmmakers. They work without the benefit of resources, and pour many, many hours of their own time into work that is all too often taken for granted or underappreciated.<br /><br />In this interview, I wanted to show my appreciation for one such individual, who is a true independent film advocate for the State of Wisconsin and indie filmmakers everywhere. <br /><br />His name is Wayne Clingman, and he is the brains and effort behind Indy Film Wisconsin. It is an advocacy group for bringing production to the state, but also provides production assistance, networking facilitation, and more. <br /><br />One facet of Indy Film Wisconsin is a very well-developed BlogTalkRadio show that Wayne puts on each and every week, featuring a wide variety of guests from the indie film world. The podcast is a full hour-long show, conducted live, and is archived and available on iTunes and more.<br /><br />Wayne is now setting his sites on the development of a cutting-edge conference, called the Midwest Web Slam, which will focus on the blossoming world of webisodes. This alone demonstrates the kind of vision and timeliness that Wayne and Indy Film Wisconsin brings to the independent film world.<br /><br />It is definitely a privilege to shine a light on an indie film champion like Wayne, and raise a little awareness about a guy that is a real defender and supporter of independent film.<br /><br />-Stephen Zimmer, August 9, 2009 for Indie Movie Masters Blog.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: What is your personal background?</strong><br /><br />WC: Started in media by being the Commissioner of CAR 25, the local Cable Access Station in Racine, WI. I was one of the 7 who started Film Wisconsin, the group who replaced the State of Wisconsin Film Office. Due to our work, 2008 saw 50-70 Million dollars of film being made in the State of Wisconsin. I wish the Governor would have kept the program going.<br /> <br />I was blessed to be in a few indy films liked "Tagged" and "Bowl Full of Happiness", and of course "Burr Effect II", all made in Wisconsin.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: What inspired you to create Indy Film Wisconsin? And when did it begin?</strong><br /><br />WC: After the "It Came From Lake Michigan Film Fest" ended, I knew that I wanted to stay in touch with film makers, and what better way than by interviewing them on a podcast? <br /><br /><strong>SZ: How has Indy Film Wisconsin evolved since it started? (especially that you have a range of national guests participating on the blogtalkradio show)</strong><br /><br />WC: Confidence on being able to get all kinds of great film makers allowed me to seek them out, and ask if I could get them on. Like I love to say, be surprised what you can do by asking. <br /><br /><strong>SZ: What kind of guests do you look for on your BTR show? And is there any particular way you decide on topics?</strong><br /><br />WC: Interesting ones. Well, what I find interesting to me. Is it an interesting film? Do they have a unique way they came into film making? True indy film maker vs. just claiming to be. Sometimes I enjoy simply having fans of films on, or folks that can teach us how to market, or how to use the new tech that is coming on line. <br /><br /><strong>SZ: How many shows have you hosted to date?</strong><br /> <br />WC: About 100. If you want to be on the show, just email me and we can see what we can do! Shows are about 60 mins, and we have had actors, crew, directors, and just film fans on. <br /><br /><strong>SZ: Do you see networking/contacts being made between your show guests located outside of Wisconsin and those such as yourself within it? (especially as they become familiar with IFW?)</strong><br /><br />WC: I do. It is good to see it going on. We are all stronger by working together. None of us know it all, or could not be better at our craft. Let's learn from each other. We should also let each other know about the scams and frauds too. <br /><br /><strong>SZ: Do you get involved with production assistance regarding out-of-state production companies bringing a project into Wisconsin?</strong><br /><br />WC: A little, mosly location help or good places to get equipment (North American Camera in Milwaukee, tell Bob D I sent you!) <br /><br /><strong>SZ: What's the Midwest Web Slam all about?</strong><br /><br />WC: Web Slam is all about how creative types can use the new tools to help make/sell/share ideas/films/music.<br /> <br />Web Slam will also talk about fun, cool entertainment ideas coming out from ARG to Machinima. Folks, this is huge!<br /><br /><strong>SZ:If someone would like to get involved with the Midwest Web Slam, how can they </strong><br /><br />WC: Email me ( wclingman@wi.rr.com )<br /><br /><strong>SZ: What are your personal thoughts on “webisodes” and where they are going? Do you see webisodes as becoming an effective new distribution model for indie filmmakers?</strong><br /><br />WC: I love webisoides. A great idea!! I'm thinking this is like TV was in the 50’s. The door is way open, and there is no one to say you can’t do this. <br />Just look at these two sites and behold what is out there! <br /><br /><a href="http://news.tubefilter.tv/">http://news.tubefilter.tv/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.tubemogul.com/">http://www.tubemogul.com/</a><br /><br /><strong>SZ: How is the state of filmmaking in Wisconsin right now, on an indie level and on a major independent/Hollywood level? How are tax-incentives in states such as Michigan affecting Wisconsin?</strong><br /><br />WC: Wisconsin sucks when it comes to tax-incentives. You will not find any here. To think we went from millions of dollars in investments to basically zero is sad. In my honest opinion, if it was not a true grassroots effort, which in my view the leadership of Film Wisconsin did not want, what little we have would not be there. Again, in my honest opinion, it looked like to me that the leadership of Film Wisconsin was more interested in keeping Governor Doyle in office for his social agenda than to keep film in this state.<br /> <br />If I may say so, we must all get and stay involved with our state governments to bring the power of the state to bear on obtaining the resources film makers need. <br /><br /><strong>SZ: Give us all the pertinent links to the blogtalkradio show? Where can someone connect with you on social networking sites?</strong><br /><br />WC:<br /><br />Indy Film Wisconsin Podcast <a href="http://www.blogtalkradio.com/icflm">http://www.blogtalkradio.com/icflm</a><br /><br />Facebook <a href="http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/wclingman?ref=profile">http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/wclingman?ref=profile</a><br /><br />Facebook group <a href="http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/group.php?gid=42707089001&ref=ts">http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/group.php?gid=42707089001&ref=ts</a>Indie Movie Mastershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00785883665824314268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7180580542236971341.post-46338672577944964792009-08-07T08:59:00.000-07:002009-08-07T09:03:42.338-07:00iTunes UpdateThe podcast series is now available on iTunes as well!<br /><br />Episode 1, featuring Stpehen Lackey of CineGeek.com, Con Trek, and Captain Pixel Productions can now be found there, as well as future episodes.<br /><br /><a href="http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=326179998">Click here to go directly to the iTunes Store listing!</a>Indie Movie Mastershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00785883665824314268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7180580542236971341.post-74387606554984869372009-07-31T19:45:00.001-07:002009-08-07T09:09:48.375-07:00Indie Movie Masters Podcast Episode #1Here is the debut of the Indie Movie Masters Podcast series, hosted by IMM's Stephen Zimmer! We will be alternating blog/interviews with the podcast here, and this weekend we're kicking off the new hard-rockin' podcast with a visit by Stephen Lackey, of Captain Pixel Productions, Cinegeek.com, and Con Trek, the new episodic show on conventions and festivals on the Microsoft XBOX Video Marketplace. Check out the podcast, give us feedback, and spread the word!<br /><br /><strong><a href="http://www.indiemoviemasters.com/IMM1.mp3"> Click here to listen to the podcast or download! </A></strong><br /><br />You can also be among the first to subsribe to the new podcast series as an RSS feed here: <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/IndieMovieMasters">http://feeds.feedburner.com/IndieMovieMasters</a><br /><br />We will post informations regarding iTunes options as soon as it is available.Indie Movie Mastershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00785883665824314268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7180580542236971341.post-19503260727321498602009-07-26T10:12:00.000-07:002009-07-26T11:06:07.251-07:00Con Trek-A Rising New Episodic Series Exploring Genre Events.<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpw5TusqeTM6nPDd1YMHfwnOoanw-nhrW9T2NY0WhBIPzZIm1suJ0DQXAFTs3qF3D3ZV6v4UAW_A6GupL6fUhyphenhyphen9A65sb1xCTJtKSztznp4cgR3ZN3HNbtCKs-6mmcxuCpaGPzW3dvwAGw/s1600-h/contrek_420x95+copy.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362828152003187570" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 72px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpw5TusqeTM6nPDd1YMHfwnOoanw-nhrW9T2NY0WhBIPzZIm1suJ0DQXAFTs3qF3D3ZV6v4UAW_A6GupL6fUhyphenhyphen9A65sb1xCTJtKSztznp4cgR3ZN3HNbtCKs-6mmcxuCpaGPzW3dvwAGw/s320/contrek_420x95+copy.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Con Trek, the new episodic series on the Microsoft XBOX Video Marketplace covering the world of conventions and festivals, is the result of innovation, vision, and persistence. Conceived by Nashville's dynamic duo of Stephen and Suzie Lackey, who produced the successful documentary feature "Fans and Freaks" on the world of Fan Cons, Con Trek is quickly gaining momentum, becoming a shining example of independent content development and strategic usage of emerging new media markets.<br /><br />With two vibrant and very talented show hosts (Brittney Eskew and Alan Smith), several episodes under their belt, and a distribution model that offers alot of possibilities for growth, Con Trek is poised to become a true independent hit. In today's indie adventure, we will be visiting with Stephen and Suzie Lackey to get some background on Con Trek; what it is, what's been done so far, and where it's going. It has some great lessons for independent content developers regarding persistence and planning.<br /><br />Nowhere else will you get the kind of inside coverage of science fiction, fantasy, and horror events and conventions that you will with Con Trek. Be sure to check out an episode on the XBOX Video Marketplace today!<br /><br />-Stephen Zimmer for Indie Movie Masters Blog, July 26,2009<br /><br /><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>SZ: Tell us a little about your respective backgrounds as it pertains to indie filmmaking.</strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBYAREKrDJl4rqoEAO2GDeDfhPP1qoY5PqFGz3xik_xzTEYQOcs7L7Ojnt6kLQNbpw4QxW7gJPAnRVM5tLmatTmcg7iWjn58OYwSff5icus8hYajf_KcVbfhWUV5NVETNwalvVXuJKMUM/s1600-h/ConTrek-Stephen-Suzie-Lackey.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362826337894459282" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBYAREKrDJl4rqoEAO2GDeDfhPP1qoY5PqFGz3xik_xzTEYQOcs7L7Ojnt6kLQNbpw4QxW7gJPAnRVM5tLmatTmcg7iWjn58OYwSff5icus8hYajf_KcVbfhWUV5NVETNwalvVXuJKMUM/s320/ConTrek-Stephen-Suzie-Lackey.jpg" border="0" /></a>Stephen: Well, I thought for years I was going to be a rock star, or at least work in the music business. While I was in college I switched my focus to TV production. While I was in college I worked at the local television station and did some student video projects. When Suzie and I were married was the first time I worked on a feature project.<br /><br />Suzie: I have been a film fan for as long as I can remember. I went to film school at Watkins College of Art, Design and Film. Instead of tackling a short film first, my husband Stephen and I jumped headfirst into a feature documentary film entitled Fans and Freaks: The Culture of Comics and Conventions. After being in production for two years, the film was completed in 2002 and has played several film festivals and won a few awards along the way. It still plays conventions and genre events. I know I learned more from making the film versus sitting in the classroom. Since that film, Stephen and I have directed several short documentary films.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: Tell us a little about what Con Trek is, in terms of format and style.</strong><br /><strong><br /></strong>Stephen: Con Trek is a documentary television series that visits different conventions or festivals each episode. The show is brief at less that a half hour but it goes a little beyond the typical sound bites that most other shows that try to cover the subject stick too. The show is earthy and deep in the middle of each event in an attempt to really draw the viewer into the proceedings. If you're a fan of the particular convention or subject you'll feel right at home and if you aren't you'll get to see some things you may never get to see any other way. The show is currently available exclusively on the the XBOX 360. The show can be found in the Video Marketplace under Gamer TV. The series is also listed under Independent programming.<br /><br />Suzie: Each episode is approximately 17-25 minutes in length, but don’t let the run time fool you: we pack a lot into a short amount of time.<br /><br /><object height="340" width="560"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/CGRoDsndIGs&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/CGRoDsndIGs&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object><br />Here is a preview of one Con Trek's first episode from season one.<br /><br /><br /><strong>SZ: Who are the main players on the Con Trek team?</strong><br /><strong></strong><br />Stephen: Stephen Lackey (me) producer/director/editor<br />Suzie Lackey producer/director<br />Brittney Eskew host<br />Alan Smith host<br />Mike Young photographer/production assistant<br />Julie Trull Publicist<br /><br /><strong>SZ: How and when did you come up with the concept for Con Trek? What were the main inspirations?</strong><br /><strong><br /></strong>Stephen: Well, our first feature was a film called "Fans and Freaks: The Culture of Comics and Conventions". It was a documentary about the world of fandom. We had really good success with that film and over the years have been constantly asked when and if we would do a sequel. I never wanted to do that unless we came up with a unique format to show more conventions and meet more fans. So, the idea for Con Trek was born.<br /><br />Suzie: We are fans and attendees of these events first and foremost. We fly our “geek flag” proudly.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: Tell us a little about the relationship between Con Trek and MicroSoft. When did you first pitch the show to them, and how long did it take before the first episode was aired on Xbox? Describe the road that you took.</strong><br /><br />Stephen: I'm a tech fanatic so I saw a couple of years ago during coverage of the Consumer electronics show that Microsoft would be starting up an IP (internet protocol) TV program for broadcasting television programming over the net and that the XBOX 360 would be doing television shows for streaming or download. So I started researching and found a contact. I pitched a number of ideas to them and sent in all of our previous work which included "Fans and Freaks" and a number of additional short docs we had done. They liked the "Con Trek" pitch and a couple of others so we began to move forward with the process of getting the series rolling. We encountered a number of speed bumps which slowed the process down a good bit but two years later the first episode hit the XBOX Live service.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: How many Con Trek episodes do you project in a given year?</strong><br /><strong><br /></strong>Stephen: This year we hope to do six to eight episodes. Based on how well they do we'll decide about the numbers for next year. The show will soon be available to a wider audience so that may change everything but it's too early to announce anything there yet.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: What are some of your highlight moments so far from the first few episodes? Any specific guests that really surprised you? Any particular wild events that you would like to share with us?</strong><br /><br />Stephen: Well, the big thing is all of the fans that we've met. We've made new friends throughout this process that we'll hopefully have for years to come. As far as guests Dana Snyder (Master Shake from Aqua Teen Hunger Force) was a real blast, and many of the professionals we met while covering Wonderfest were great. The big thing is the fans. For instance at Lebowski Fest (our most recent shoot) we didn't have to buy a single beer at the after party. Everyone has been really great.<br /><br />Suzie: Nothing rivals Dragon Con for unabashed cool events and guests and wild attendees.<br /><br /><br /><strong>SZ: On that note, who are a few of the more notable/recognizable guests that you have interviewed so far?</strong><br /><strong><br /></strong>Stephen: We interviewed Nichelle Nichols (Star trek), Steve Niles (author of 30 Days of Night) Jovanka Vukovic (editor of Rue Morgue magazine), just to name a few of my favorites.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: How did you go about selecting your hosts, Alan and Brittney? What kind of hosts were you looking to cast?</strong><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzRqne66Y4ZQA1K29rat2kthEVJtKOtwGoBFSeZ9X6fN4h9Oy1P9V_n83tllSPSyUXecfuegrmVrWwipmrlfHe-0gcnr6hkGo7rray-N-DpoefiUJ5s4dD-4G7uneII8JJF2etEDBckYI/s1600-h/ConTrek-BrittanyAlanwithpredatorchewie-small.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362829134218345442" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 175px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzRqne66Y4ZQA1K29rat2kthEVJtKOtwGoBFSeZ9X6fN4h9Oy1P9V_n83tllSPSyUXecfuegrmVrWwipmrlfHe-0gcnr6hkGo7rray-N-DpoefiUJ5s4dD-4G7uneII8JJF2etEDBckYI/s320/ConTrek-BrittanyAlanwithpredatorchewie-small.jpg" border="0" /></a>Stephen: We held a number of casting calls and decided on them after meeting with man people. We wanted hosts that were open minded and energetic. We needed a duo that had good chemistry together too. We wanted one hardcore fan and one less than hardcore fan so we could show two perspectives on the subject. Brittney and Alan are truly exactly what we were hoping for when we began casting.<br /><br /><strong></strong></p><p><strong></strong> </p><p><strong>SZ: The Xbox channels, with shows like Con Trek, represent a model for new media content delivery. Do you see signs that this model will be successful for independent developers/filmmakers? </strong><br /><strong><br /></strong>Stephen: I believe that yes this system of downloading or streaming TV and film is the future of media and it should really offer more opportunities to indie creators. The only problem is that it's so early in the evolution of this new system that only die hard creators ready to stick with it will see any success. In other words, there's not much money in it yet.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: Have you gotten any feedback yet from your contacts at MicroSoft?</strong><br /><strong><br /></strong>Stephen: They love the show and are very enthusiastic for us to stick with it.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: Do you foresee Con Trek making a jump to broadcast at some point? Or will it remain a Video on Demand-style episodic program?</strong><br /><strong></strong><br />Stephen: We hope to see the show jump to network or cable TV or to see it expand to a much greater level within the new media model. This fall the show will be available wider for sure in its current set up but we hope to take it much further.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: Where has Con Trek been over the past few months, and what are some of the places and events that you will be visiting in the near future?</strong><br /><strong><br /></strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6r1IcBGmIdwmxIqef1nc9qJncbg6o1IzVrM-r05eb0GdxQ-iVjk9GlrHeYC-n-XFcNVX3a96ZjBP3OFaKazofTUBJy3AhSwg0MKppMhodjdvtUQF1dbGAF3EoXR8p8hqmjW99ZK3kGws/s1600-h/ConTrek-BrittneyatSupermanCelebration-small.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362829371261248162" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6r1IcBGmIdwmxIqef1nc9qJncbg6o1IzVrM-r05eb0GdxQ-iVjk9GlrHeYC-n-XFcNVX3a96ZjBP3OFaKazofTUBJy3AhSwg0MKppMhodjdvtUQF1dbGAF3EoXR8p8hqmjW99ZK3kGws/s320/ConTrek-BrittneyatSupermanCelebration-small.jpg" border="0" /></a>Stephen: We've stuck with mostly southern shows and events in Atlanta ,Georgia, Louisville, Kentucky, and Metropolis,Illinois. We'd like to of course expand further out into the country next year, perhaps even do some real coverage of San Diego Comic Con. We want to do the smaller more quirky shows all over the country too.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: How does one find and access Con Trek on the Xbox?</strong><br /><strong><br /></strong>Stephen: Just log in and go to Video Marketplace, then to Gamer TV, and choose Con Trek to see all of the episodes. Again, we're also listed under the Independent Programming section too.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: How does one connect to Con Trek on the web (Facebook, Myspace, website, etc)?</strong><br /><strong><br /></strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmVDEGLyZ7sBuu27DZrK6jJL3cxlWViKEXt0zdCpw4tDrYKAn1QB0MjuuOvwDsjnNyFjzNerjhVTy1jBEhLgHNmDNou9hqZ7BA09f0Rs3tlpZpcjA1ENRHE3kQP-5YQUP0dgf5BEAPDEU/s1600-h/ConTrekAlanandAlucardRockout-small.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362829570250266178" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 213px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmVDEGLyZ7sBuu27DZrK6jJL3cxlWViKEXt0zdCpw4tDrYKAn1QB0MjuuOvwDsjnNyFjzNerjhVTy1jBEhLgHNmDNou9hqZ7BA09f0Rs3tlpZpcjA1ENRHE3kQP-5YQUP0dgf5BEAPDEU/s320/ConTrekAlanandAlucardRockout-small.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Stephen: We're all over the place. We have articles, blogs, pictures and more at the official website at <a href="http://www.contrek.com/">http://www.contrek.com/</a>, we have a fan site on Facebook too, just search for Con Trek, on Myspace we're at <a href="http://www.myspace.com/contrek">www.myspace.com/contrek</a>, and see video tralers, clips, and previews at <a href="http://www.youtube.com/contrektv">www.youtube.com/contrektv</a><br /><br />I think that's about it. If I missed anything, it's linked on the main Con Trek website.<br /><br /><object height="340" width="560"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/cqu6B3mVqV0&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/cqu6B3mVqV0&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object><br />Here is a preview of episode 2 from season one of Con Trek </p>Indie Movie Mastershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00785883665824314268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7180580542236971341.post-36632157664986045572009-07-15T15:23:00.001-07:002009-07-15T17:10:11.064-07:00Independent Film Festival Is Now One of Nation's Largest- A Moment with Ken Daniels, Director of Fright Night Film Fest in Louisville, KY.<a href="http://www.frightnightfilmfest.com/"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358827065083099458" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 149px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijLNB9mQFsA74KXXZhK4vKRHJAz_cDoyG5lvM6dChq6gU4z-yoRD3IPhqGrtuBIfq_F8ELlRBc_-xKyfojOY81OTeyEEatKAJeDyocyQ7v4rf6mNroOIn0qccQuLiGdry59OesMF5Td3E/s320/frightnightfilmfestbanner.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>The 5th Annual Fright Night Film Fest of Louisville Kentucky is poised to take yet another step forward on the national stage. Already the largest genre film festival in mid-America, The Fright Night Film Fest is one of the largest events of its kind in the United States.</div><br /><div>This year's event, taking place from August 14-16, and based out of the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky, will feature a host of events and activities for the casual fan and those involved in the world of independent filmmaking.</div><br /><div>Indie Movie Masters would like to introduce you to Ken Daniels, the director of the Fright Night Film Fest, so that you can learn a little more about Ken, the history of FNFF, what to expect this year, and even get some insight as to where this excellent annual event is headed.</div><br /><div>This is definitely a comprehensive event that is well worth traveling in for. So, without further adieu, let's meet Ken Daniels and go inside the Fright Night Film Fest.</div><div>-Stephen Zimmer for Indie Movie Masters Blog, July 15, 2009</div><br /><div><strong>SZ: What is your personal background? And what inspired you to start the Fright Night Film Festival?</strong></div><br /><div>KD: I've always been into movies. When I was young I wanted to be a special effects wizard and an animator. I was moving to Hollywood. I started with a Super 8 camera.The good ole Bell and Howell. My dad started me out. He taught me how to use it and I started making school book reports in the 8th grade. I hated the essay portion. So my teacher let me read the books and I made several book reports. I made a short film called "A Really Weird Summer". Then I made War of the Worlds in animation. I used clay and the original model kit of the Space Shuttle. I was pretty proud ofthat moment. I went to catholic school at the time, (St. Helen's). I was only supposed to show it to the class we made the book report for, but it turned out that the whole school got to see it. All 500 kids plus. Talk about the coolest thing to a kid that young. The other kids were calling me Kenny "Spielberg". It was great. When I went to High School it stopped and I continued my art. </div><br /><div>I also wanted to be a cartoonist and animator. Unfortunately my parents didn't think I could make any money at it so they told me to get a job. I got odd jobs here and there then went into business for myself. After a successful run here in Kentucky I got married in French Lick and my wife and I traveled the country for her job. I got to work on several Film Festivals around the country. The Lake Placid Film Forum was the first one. Then Woodstock Film Festival in 2000. We moved to San Francisco and I worked on some fest's there. We moved to Las Vegas then Phoenix. I was able to meet several B-Movie guy's in Vegas. I was in Ted V. Mikels movie The Cauldron Baptism of the Blood. He used my office in the movie as a police station. I even financed the Premiere of his movie at the Palms Hotel. I met Ray Dennis Steckler shortly after that which was pretty cool for me. Then we moved back home in 2005 and started The Fright Night Film Fest.</div><br /><div>I forgot to mention a lot of my family is in the industry. My uncle owns a small studio in Burbank California. He was also an adjunct professor at USC FILM school. He taught Cinematography and Special Effects. He owns an Optical Effects studio in California. The reason I wanted to do this is because I saw a need for genre filmmakers to get the respect they deserve. So we wanted to class it up for the filmmakers. I was really tired of the hipocrasy in the industry when it came to horror or genre films.Horror and cult films are here to stay they will always be around. So we wanted to celebrate all of that culture.</div><br /><br /><div><strong>SZ: Tell us about Fright Night Film Festival, as a comprehensive event. In your words, what kind of event is it? What does it offer to a person from the general public, as well as someone from the entertainment industry?</strong></div><br /><div>KD: Fright Night is a multi-programmed event with several platforms available. We are considered a film festival with an industry slant. There will be distributers at our show as well as seasoned Hollywood industry people teaching and giving out their information to help upcoming filmmakers. We cover a wide variety of topics and all this includes a music fest called Music Mayhem, an autograph area, a collectible and vendor area as well as a small tattoo fest. This of course includes the most important area, which is the film festival area that includes filmmakers from Canada,London, New York, Los Angeles, Florida, Mexico, Kansas, Texas, Chicago, and too many states to mention. Many filmmakers will be there to share there experiences and to help each other. It's a camaraderie that you have to see to understand.</div><br /><div></div><div><strong>SZ: How did last year’s event go? How did it match your projections andexpectations?</strong> </div><br /><div>KD: Last year was a phenomenal experience. I've told several of my closet friends and fan's that for me it was magical. We had a fantastic award ceremony held at the Kentucky Center for the Arts. 4 Limos, skytracker lights flashing skyward and over 4800 people between our 2 locations. It exceeded our expectations.</div><br /><div><strong>SZ: The overall event is now one of the largest genre events in this region,and even the nation. Give us the specifics on this achievement, and the level that FNFF has reached.</strong> </div><br /><div>KD: Well, we just had a great call from Micheal Heine, the founder of The Largest genre film festival in America. He runs The New York Horror Film Festival. We are actually the 3rd Largest genre Film Festival in the country. New York is first, LA is second and Fright Night is 3rd. This is for the Horror genre. So far we have reached international proportions. We've got to add a new category this year for the amount of international submissions we have recieved. So far we are only growing to exceed our expectations.</div><br /><div><strong>SZ: How big is the film festival portion of FNFF? How many films do you anticipate screening this year?</strong> </div><br /><div>KD: Our film festival proportion is 70% of our show. Between our screenings and the seminars it's amazing. Last year we screened 111 films. This year we will screen about 78 films. We've gotten stiffer on our criteria this year. </div><br /><div><strong>SZ: Tell us a little about what folks will be able to find in the vendor’s hall. Give us a few examples of some of the more interesting and unique vendors?</strong> </div><br /><div>Well you can get a tattoo for one or you could by your hard to find DVD, poster or Movie memorabilia. There will even be masked specially made for FrightNight. Celebrities will be there to sign autographs, Make A Wish our charity will be collecting to support that great cause. Lots of artists will be selling their work, as well as commissioning artwork.Several Haunted Houses will be there representing for their Haunt. Authors will be selling their works, and way too many great T-shirtswill be available. </div><br /><div><strong>SZ: Give us an idea about the kind of programming and seminars that you have for those interested in independent film?</strong> </div><br /><div>KD: This Year we will be having several reallyimportant seminars addressing the use of the new HI-DEF 4 K camera's. We'll have the GH-1 camera seminar. We are one of the first in the nation to do this. We'll also have the RED camera here. It's a filmmakers paradise. JD Feigelson, Screenwriter of Dark Night of the Scarecrow, will be talking on how to write the perennial screenplay. Several seminars dealing with acting in the Hollywood System. Casting for film seminar, Special effects seminar in After Effects. Producing seminar straight from Hollywood. The Hollywood way. Several more that will occupy your entire Sunday experience.</div><br /><div><strong>SZ: Who are some of the celebrity guests that you are particularly excitedabout hosting this year? (And who are your headline guests?)</strong> </div><br /><div>KD: Linda Blair, Michael Madsen are really exciting. I have a suprise guest who has never been to any show in the country. William Forsythe is awesome because of his HUGE acting resume. Ted White, who played Jason, is a HUGE FAN favorite, as well as George Wilbur, who up until Rob Zombies H2 is the only guy to play Michael Myers twice. Of course our other guests like Tom ,who is a Star Trek alumni as well as playing Leatherface, Michael Myers and Jason all in one. Who can forget Sybill Danning or Sharon and Clayton Hill.</div><br /><div><strong>SZ: Can you share some of the feedback that you have received from past celebrity guests?</strong></div><br /><div>KD: Oh yes. We are lucky. Several of our guests are returning again because of how much they love our show. As a matter of fact several testimonials will be up on the site after this show.</div><br /><div><strong>SZ: Can you give us a little insight into the vision that you have for this festival in the future? Where do you see it growing and expanding?</strong> </div><br /><div>KD:I want to grow this show to be one of the top industry shows for filmmakers and music artists, as well as all creative folks. My goal is to provide a profitable location for these folks to learn and grow. I never want to grow stale. It's important to be different from other shows. I've tried to explain to people around the country the differences between the types of shows. We are a film festival that has horror and other genres as it's focus. Some shows are paranormal in nature, while including horror. Other shows like The Wasteland in Ohio is a true Drive Show. They bring some of the most eclectic people around. Chiller is a monster of a show which has a lot of great guests, as well as being the grandfather of most of the horror shows. Monster Mania is a great autograph show. Spooky Empire is a great show for partying and meeting cool people. So every show has a place. Each one is different. So enjoy them all. If you're a filmmaker of our genres, then we are the only real show in this region offering what we offer.</div><br /><strong><div>SZ: Are all the events, activities, and screenings at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Louisville?</strong></div><br /><div>KD: No, we also have events at Georgetown Drive-In in Indiana.</div><br /><div><strong>SZ: What is the cost of attending? And where can someone go to register for the FNFF?</strong> </div><br /><div>Our costs are cheap. We are still the best bet for the money. Only $20 per day, or $35 for our weekend regular, and $45 for our weekend early pass. Our VIP PASS is on $90 and that includes everything. They can go to <a href="http://www.frightnightfilmfest.com/">www.frightnightfilmfest.com</a>.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div>Indie Movie Mastershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00785883665824314268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7180580542236971341.post-71724144312239299532009-07-03T18:25:00.000-07:002009-07-03T19:57:19.140-07:00Indie Film Crusaders-An Interview with the team behind Dead Harvey: A site that is a gold mine of resources for indie filmmakers everywhere.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnl9UByVoISESqyGL0_6PWgT_daUAX_zQ-_Y38px1JQF3qDdPhJUrR4XyygVyGS6c_kD9ydcnncbGA6y55ZQsaYZ2BKW3aj3rQ22nIBPitEFndHFMsrv8oEgu6myOr6BpqCIx8Dpdyeh4/s1600-h/new_NEW_Dharvey_banner_3.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354420179238451762" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 43px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnl9UByVoISESqyGL0_6PWgT_daUAX_zQ-_Y38px1JQF3qDdPhJUrR4XyygVyGS6c_kD9ydcnncbGA6y55ZQsaYZ2BKW3aj3rQ22nIBPitEFndHFMsrv8oEgu6myOr6BpqCIx8Dpdyeh4/s320/new_NEW_Dharvey_banner_3.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />One of the aims of Indie Movie Masters is to help bring a spotlight to exceptional individuals and organizations who are effectively advancing the world of indie film. We are proud to bring you the two guys behind Dead Harvey, a fantastic indie film site that not only features an extensive, regular series of interviews with indie filmmakers, but also has excellent articles, reviews, and a great archive of material for the indie filmmaker who is serious about developing a viable career.<br /><br />Available on the site is the Dead Harvey Film School, which has a ton of real world information gleaned from their many interviews with indie filmmakers who have released projects. The savvy indie filmmaker can pick up alot of hints and insights that are not readily taught in film schools.<br /><br />Information on screenwriting competitions, distributors, film festivals, and alot more is available within the considerable amount of content on this outstanding site. The site design makes it easy to navigate and find information. The primary emphasis is on the horror genre, but the information and lessons within this site apply to filmmakers in all genres.<br /><br />One of the things that makes Dead Harvey particularly special as a resource is that it is focused on helping indie filmmakers make a viable career out of their passion. They pay close attention to emerging distribution models and opportunities, and discuss many varied aspects of the business side of indie films. This is gold for the indie filmmaker, available for free because two guys with a love of indie film put their heart, time, talent, and effort into Dead Harvey. There is always new material, their already substantial archives grow by the week, and all of this is available 24/7 to the indie film community with a click of the mouse and a little time invested.<br /><br />So let's visit with Brad and Ted, the two guys that are the motor of the Dead Harvey street racer. When you are done, visit the site, bookmark it, and visit it regularly. On behalf of indie filmmakers everywhere, I want to thank them for what they have developed and provide for indie filmmakers.<br /><br />Brad and Ted are definitely two guys that deserve, and have earned, stars on the Indie Film Walk of Fame.<br /><br />-Stephen Zimmer for Indie Movie Masters, July 4, 2009<br /><br /><br /><strong>SZ: When did Dead Harvey begin, and what was the original vision for the site?</strong><br /><br />Ted: Dead Harvey started around 2 years ago and the vision has always been the same, but the site has obviously evolved. Very simply, I wanted it to be a resource for indie horror filmmakers and fans. There were lots of sites that concentrated on horror from the perspective of the fan, but very few that catered to the filmmaker. Indie horror filmmakers have very few places to<br />network, share stories and help each other out. So, in our own little way, we try to help out in that void.<br /><br /><strong>SZ:Where does the name come from?</strong><br /><br />Brad: Ted told me it was from a teacher in high school named Harvey. He and a friend used to draw pictures of the teacher dead with a bunch of cute bunny rabbits and rainbows in the background. I asked Ted why he hated the teacher so bad and he said something to the effect of, "I didn't. He was a really nice guy. I was just bored in his class." I laugh every time I think of that.<br /><br />Ted: I plead the fifth on this.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: Who are the main contributors to Dead Harvey? And how much time do you spend on it in a given week? You certainly have a ton of independent film related content on the site.</strong><br /><br />Brad: It's pretty much 90% Ted and 10% me. I do and interview here and there, nerd out of movies and write the occasion blog on my filmmaking misadventures but Ted does and always has done a massive amount of the work.<br /><br />Ted: Just to add to that, we've also had guest posts and articles from filmmakers and other industry types. Notably, we had a great article written by indie filmmaker and Troma-vet, Frankie Frain, and a few posts from indie composer Tony Longworth. I'd also like to add, if there's any people out there who are interested in contributing, shoot us an email!<br /><br /><strong>SZ: Referring to the last question, tell us a little about your main contributors backgrounds and interests?</strong><br /><br />Brad: I love pretty much every genre of movie except chick flicks. Although, I find them funny from time due to all their unintentional humor. I love Italian horror movies, comic books, video games, pulp novels, a lot of things people would consider makes someone a nerd. I don't care what people think. I wear my nerd badge with honor. My favorite authors are Joe Lansdale, Jack Ketchum, Stephen King, Edward Lee, Edgar Allan Poe, Jack London, Richard Matheson and Roald Dahl.<br /><br />Ted: As for background, I think we all share a similar background in our love of film. I mean, we met each other in film school. As for film interests, I really dig horror, sci-fi and action... I do enjoy the occasional comedy, depending on the subject matter, and I can handle a drama here and there. Chick flicks, no chance. As for interests, hobbies... I do write, direct and have a few horror projects on the go, but my actual day job is in marketing and advertising. I'm also a bit of a gadget freak... I love technology.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: What do you look for in a good independent film, bearing in mind the limitations that an indie film has to deal with in terms of resources?</strong><br /><br />Brad: A good script and a good cast make the movie. I see past a lack of budget instantly as long as those elements are there. The chances of a movie turning out any good without a good script and cast are far less without these elements, regardless of how much money they have to buy their way out of problems.<br /><br />Ted: As Brad covered off script and cast, I'll add that I love to see indie films that push the envelope in some way. This is obviously just my opinion, but I find that too many indie filmmakers try to emulate Hollywood. They think they need to make PG-13 pablum for the, so they can cater to a wider audience. The truth is, I think a good indie film goes further than a Hollywood film can. I'm very entertained by films with 'out there' concepts or that offer a new take on something. Something that makes you think, "They're not going to go there... are they Oh my God, they went there."<br /><br /><strong>SZ: What are some of your thoughts about the future of indie film and distribution opportunities? Will it just be a lot of outlet/channels that dont garner much in return? Or will new media/distribution options make it possible for indie filmmakers to develop viable projects for potential investors?</strong><br /><br />Brad: Ted's been tracking these trends quite a bit recently, so he's really the one to ask about this. Personally, I think there's going more options for indie filmmakers to make money and not get ripped off by distributors but it's going to take a few years. Everyone has to figure out how they're going to get paid through the internet first.<br /><br />Ted: Technologically, everything's in place for indie film to flourish in the digital age. Right now, there's tons of ways to deliver a film to your TV instantly, but there's two problems. One - how do we all make money? Two -how do people find your film? Netflix, Amazon and like-minded sites have really helped indie film by tapping into 'The Long Tail'. Meaning, they use search engines that analyze our viewing habits and suggest smaller, niche films that we may enjoy, but haven't heard of - this is the golden goose for indie film. Once those kinds of search engines are implemented into VOD and streaming services AND the casual viewer actually uses VOD and streaming, I think you're going to see indie films becoming viable, money making projects.<br /><br /><br /><strong>SZ: Do you see some negatives in the fact that cameras/software are so readily accessible and affordable, in terms of a flood of very poorly produced material drowning out awareness of projects that have involved a serious effort to produce a quality production?</strong><br /><br />Brad: I see nothing but positives here. The availability of affordable technology levels the playing field. Now, if people don't have money, they are forced to rely on talent and ingenuity. The market has always been over-saturated. A film's budget makes no difference to me. It's what the filmmaker does with what they have. There have been great movies like "Tape" where it's just two or three people in one room talking.<br /><br />Ted: I do think that there's a lot of crap being put out due to the fact that anyone can shoot and edit a film now, but the positives do outweigh the negatives. For every piece of shit that gets released, there's also a quality, entertaining film that was made on no budget... and would never have seen the light of day had cameras and software not been so readily accessible and affordable.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: What gave you the passion for indie/independent films in particular?</strong><br /><br />Brad: Having the dream to make movies and not having money to make them. That coupled with Sundance and guys like Rodriguez, Smith and Linkletter in the early 90's independent filmmaking boom who proved to people you could be an average Joe with no money and a dream and be able to get your work out there and realize your dream.<br /><br />Ted: Without really knowing it, I've always been into indie horror. I loved early Troma films, like "Surf Nazi's Must Die" and "Toxic Avenger", which made me seek out similar films. When in film school, I realized that a lot of my favorite films, "Evil Dead", "Texas Chainsaw Massacre", etc... were, in fact, indie films. I've always appreciated the underground, low-budget guerilla<br />filmmaking style. Rodriguez, Hooper, Raimi and even Henenlotter were big influences.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: curious, what are some of your favorite films from the pool of more mainstream or theatrical releases (major independent or larger)?</strong><br /><br />Brad: A few of my all time favorite movies are: Back to the Future, Star Wars (4-6), The Lost Boys, Sex, Lies and Videotape, Reservoir Dogs, The Toxic Avenger, Heathers and Clerks so it's a mix. This year, I've seen some really good movies at the theatre lately. I believe this is because Hollywood feels they have to try much harder now to get people to spend their hard earned cash, due to the shitty recession we're in. In a way, this is really good thing. Especially since I didn't find myself feeling this way last year. Now, I feel optimistic about the future. My favorite movies in the theatre this year have been Star Trek, Drag Me to Hell and The Hangover, all of which I enjoyed a great deal. I'm not a trekkie by any means but Star Trek was the best movie I've seen in the theatre so far this year. They put forth a great effort, nailed the cast and tone, were faithful to the Captain Kirk character, had a great script and pacing and all the characters jumped off the page.<br /><br />Ted: Favorite mainstream films of all time? Off the top of my head, Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Scarface, Mean Streets, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, the Nightmare on Elm Street series, the Friday the 13th series, Conan, Commando... recently? This year, I enjoyed Drag Me To Hell, I actually didn't mind the Friday the 13th remake that much. Star Trek was great. Watchmen, The Hangover.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: Dead Harvey looks to have quite a few resources for independent filmmakers, one of which (Dead Harvey Film School), draws heavily from the extensive interviews that you do. Tell us more about this part of the site and how it can be a<br />fantastic source for indie filmmakers.</strong><br /><br />Brad: There's no better way to learn about making movies than by hearing stories from the trenches of indie. filmmakers. All have different backgrounds. Some are older and giving it one last shot. Some are just starting out. Some live in their parent's basements, some have put out a second mortage on their house. All are consumed and risk or sacrifice a great deal to do what they want to do. School doesn't teach you this. You have to go out and live it. Hopefully, our<br />readers will learn from the lessons indie. filmmakers have given us on the site and learn how to avoid the traps and roadblocks that lie on the road to making your own movie. And, hopefully they'll pick up on what equipment they used and learn filmmaking tricks as well. There is so much good information in the interviews we have with the filmmakers it's like a film school in and of itself: hence the title.<br /><br />Ted: Brad said it perfectly<br /><br /><strong>SZ: Tell us about some of your other resources, such as those involving screenwriting competitions, distributors, and film festivals.</strong><br /><br />Ted: Well, although we're hoping to develop it all a bit more, we do discuss film festivals, distributors and screenwriting competitions. I'd also like to get into music, special effects and things like that. Put it this way... we recently compared indie filmmaking to being like a dark forest. Filmmakers walk into the forest, then almost instantly trip and fall... then they end up<br />scrambling, on all fours, trying to get through the whole process. Meanwhile, other indie filmmakers wander in and, generally, just start tripping over the same things that other indie filmmakers tripped over. Shortly after that, you have a pile of indie filmmakers, laying all over the place, just scratching their heads. What we hope to do is help out a bit, maybe light the way by telling stories of where those pitfalls are and what other people have gone through. Really, if we can help even a few guys navigate the process a bit better, I'd consider it a success.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: Have you been able to see some growth in traffic and usage of all the resources that you make available?</strong><br /><br />Ted - Yeah, the site has grown and we're getting more and more traffic every month. The most popular sections are definitely the film school, the distributors and the screenwriting festivals.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: Besides the website, give people an idea as to where they can connect with you elsewhere, such as MySpace, Facebook, etc.</strong><br /><br />Our site is at <a href="http://www.deadharvey.com/">http://www.deadharvey.com/</a><br />Myspace: <a href="http://www.myspace.com/deadharveyproductions">http://www.myspace.com/deadharveyproductions</a><br />Facebook: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dead-Harvey/16722761619">http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dead-Harvey/16722761619</a><br />Twitter: <a href="http://twitter.com/deadharvey">http://twitter.com/deadharvey</a><br /><br /><strong>SZ: What else would you like to say about Dead Harvey to folks that may not yet be familiar with your site?</strong><br /><br />Brad: Dead Harvey is primarily a site to promote independent filmmaking. It's a celebration of independent film. It's a place to share resources and information and provide a sense of unity for the independent filmmaker. It's not a place for angry, bitter blogs, etc. It's a place where those who go out there and make their own movie get the promotion they deserve and where all indie. filmmakers band together and help each other out. God knows in the time we're living in, we all need all the help we can get.<br /><br />Ted: I agree... and if anyone wants to help contribute, wants their film reviewed or is looking to promote something, we're always happy to help out.Indie Movie Mastershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00785883665824314268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7180580542236971341.post-59402845357870932832009-06-24T18:20:00.000-07:002009-06-24T20:20:21.819-07:00The Long Awaited, Eagerly Anticipated, Jerry Williams Interview!<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8zeEidyP6F62HEjO0KDO_A3qmZ1e0IUq0488c_BYUv54axMVr2D-0DWHhox4p7fvCZDGt433uy6T_eOKVGhMAuTvvjuUBbbgtaMvnJp3__4hFLOfd9zRSkfsrlBb-PZSK6D42f_Di7zk/s1600-h/Jwsmall-jerryjanitor.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351091149054680018" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 180px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8zeEidyP6F62HEjO0KDO_A3qmZ1e0IUq0488c_BYUv54axMVr2D-0DWHhox4p7fvCZDGt433uy6T_eOKVGhMAuTvvjuUBbbgtaMvnJp3__4hFLOfd9zRSkfsrlBb-PZSK6D42f_Di7zk/s320/Jwsmall-jerryjanitor.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />An evil army is approaching, and a lead character is lamenting the power and flexibility of evil in the world...the monologue draws to a pivotal moment...the actor's voice swells...and...<br /><br />"All we have is Steel!...Wizardry! All we have is defense!"<br /><br />This line, from a character played by the actor Steve Guynn in an upcoming Jerry Williams fantasy film, is just one of many, many examples of the great lines that one encounters in a Jerry Williams film!<br /><br />Jerry Williams is an indie filmmaker extraordinaire. He is a guy who usually has multiple films in various stages of production, and has crafted a style that can only be described as his very own, unique genre. He definitely pushes the envelope with his work, and elicits alot of reactions, ranging from those that love his signature style (count me in this group), to others less inclined, such as a film reviewer that actually called for someone, somewhere to punch Jerry for making the film that the guy was reviewing (true story!).<br /><br />One thing that is indisputable is that you will be hard-pressed to find someone who is more passionate about independent film. You will also be sorely challenged to find someone who is more gracious in the goodwill and support that Jerry regularly extends to other filmmakers of all genres and styles.<br /><br />From cardboard sets and creative uses of his cat (note to Humane Society: the cat has never been harmed and is, in fact, quite spoiled!), to voluptuous actresses leaving little to the imagination, to cult independent film stars such as Debbie Rochon, Conrad Brooks, and Troma's Loyd Kaufman, Jerry's works always have the unexpected and the original. What most people don't realize is that underneath all of the onscreen insanity, Jerry actually injects a serious literary undercurrent, an example of which he discusses in this interview concerning his feature "Misadventures in Space".<br /><br />Jerry is a playright, poet, and prose writer as well, and we wanted to bring a little of that aspect out in this interview, and encourage the reader to look into his excellent poetry collection that is in print, called Mirrors and Portraits.<br /><br />It is my intention that this interview gives the reader a little insight into the craziness, humor, work ethic, committment, talent, dedication, and other characteristics that Jerry possesses. (The genius right alongside the offbeat and insane, so to speak!) You will also hopefully get a sense of his collaborative spirit, as well as get to meet a few of his regular cohorts such as Pat Bowling and Eric Butts.<br /><br />The indie filmmaking world is not an easy one, and Jerry puts his heart and soul into his work. With all the things stacked against the no-budget indie filmmaker, Jerry's progress, success, and prolific filmmaking nature gives inspiration to all of us; the "Steel, Wizardry, and Defense!", if you will, to keep fighting the good fight for independent film.<br /><br />So here it goes! Buckle up, hold on to your seat! Now...Ladies and Gentlemen...the long-awaited IMM interview with Goatboy Films' legendary and controversial director, Jerry Williams!!!<br /><br />-Stephen Zimmer, for Indie Movie Masters, June 25, 2009<br /><br /><strong>SZ: We know you are a brilliant, genius filmmaker, but give us a little idea as to your background, education, that kind of thing.<br /></strong><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWeIk1SBkw9mRk0HS0P1P_tyPS78Z0bRYCk-RHcSS1v5ct5SVK7EOmPY7JEwba-9UC93_IuHhx3Lm-ZWe3JRO0cS4pHNgudDRw4QDJlv5y6i171vdTgQvjQ6yRQq3ftNq8KifRf4JHIgQ/s1600-h/Jwsmall-withgun.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351091756242977202" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 296px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWeIk1SBkw9mRk0HS0P1P_tyPS78Z0bRYCk-RHcSS1v5ct5SVK7EOmPY7JEwba-9UC93_IuHhx3Lm-ZWe3JRO0cS4pHNgudDRw4QDJlv5y6i171vdTgQvjQ6yRQq3ftNq8KifRf4JHIgQ/s320/Jwsmall-withgun.jpg" border="0" /></a>JW: I've always been a writer, first and foremost, and I got a masters degree in creative writing from MSU....two things from that time have always influenced my cinema work are my love of hidden messages in writing and my love of the grotesque...Lovecraft, Tolkien, and my personal favorite Clive Barker. In literary criticism, one of the things of Hemingway that struck me was he was very direct in his writing, but if you peered deeper in...there was hidden meanings in such simple direct sentence structures. I like the idea of my films, no matter how simple or silly it appears should have some deeper levels. I had read once that Gene Roddenberry made star trek a vehicle where he could talk about the human condition under the guise of a 'sci fi' show....I wanted to take that idea and apply it to indie or cult cinema, and place hidden messages or motifs in crazy surreal films. Misadventures in Space on one level is a silly send up of the sci fi genre in general and star trek in particular, but it is also a satire of the Iraqi war...when I wrote it...I was constantly watching the cable news shows, and the character Brother Bishop Tucker(Billy W. Blackwell) was named after conservative TV host Tucker Carlson. That biting satire buried in sci fi nonsense interested me...a form of commentary that hopefully some people got when they saw the film.<br /><br /><br /><strong>SZ: What got you into movies so passionately, and what type of movies or what movies are your favorites?</strong><br /><br />JW: I got into cinema as an extension of what I was trying to do with my poetry and coffeehouse performances. I have tons of favorite filmmakers...passion about the film is what I respond to....regardless of the genre. I took an art motif of homegrown 'slacker Dada' to my films. I like surreal films, and I love the idea of marrying cartoons, surreal, and junkfood low brow culture into sci fi or horror films. I love older cinema, and since I never had a color TV until I was into my teens, the idea of a black and white film never seemed weird to me... I watched all of the crazy shows from the 70's in black and white. Older movies seemed, to me at least, filled with beautiful women and films that needed plot and characters in them. When I see the CG inspired madness and MTV inspired 'slick shots' in films...I wonder how dated they will look in twenty years. I would rather watch an Ed Wood, Russ Meyer, or Ray Dennis Steckler film anyday over glossed over candy that passes for films these days.....the female lead from 'creature of the Black Lagoon' seems much more beautiful to me than some of these tacky celebrities out of hollywood of late.....Bela Lugosi was Dracula, and Flash Gordan fought Emperor Ming's evil empire give me more enjoyment than most current films.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: Do you have some favorite directors? And why are they your favorites?</strong><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVcuX3rJlNP5k5BLLnnIU0giLdsLk9583esP3R8zwi-rdIFH0rXNoq4o0SubOLwwQqKDJubRgu6htKEPwh1y4gn4qILowUIaapX_6uI16SXu_UIjG6PndKaprucPaNV823UvtX9kI8rZs/s1600-h/jwsmall-joe.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351096379125230306" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 180px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVcuX3rJlNP5k5BLLnnIU0giLdsLk9583esP3R8zwi-rdIFH0rXNoq4o0SubOLwwQqKDJubRgu6htKEPwh1y4gn4qILowUIaapX_6uI16SXu_UIjG6PndKaprucPaNV823UvtX9kI8rZs/s320/jwsmall-joe.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />JW: Ed Wood, Clive Barker, Lloyd Kaufman, Ray Dennis Steckler, Kevin Smith and Russ Meyers. Each director had a unique vision of what they were shooting for, and some (Ed Wood, Ray Dennis Steckler) did great with limited or no budgets. I also love my friend Conrad Brooks and his films....definitely worth a look for fans of surreal horror and 'offbeat' films. I'd also be remiss if I didn't mention local filmmakers George Bonilla, Jacob Ennis, Cherokee Hall, Stephen Zimmer, Matt Perry, Daniel Roberts, Mark Poole, Jason Crowe and my favorite Tim Ritter. I did several films with George Bonilla as an AD, and all of his films are surreal horror and worth a look for psychotronic film fans.....I did a nod to him and named several characters after him in Ectovision!<br /><br />Jacob Ennis produced my film Purvos, and I learned a lot...a lot from him on making films...Stash is a 70's slasher horror film much better than anything that Hollywood puts out there...I love Stephen Zimmer's films...his Shadows and Light movie is a fantasy film that really had a unique vision, and I really liked Matt Perry's film murderer. Tim Ritter is still a favorite director of mine, and definitely influenced Purvos.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: Do you have a day job? Or do you just sit back and collect royalty checks from the Goatboy films Empire?</strong><br /><br />JW: I'm a working stiff, and fund my films myself which gives me freedom and headaches at the same time. Perhaps one day goatboyfilms will help fuel that run for the whitehouse or Senate. Vote Williams!<br /><br /><strong>SZ: How in the world did you come up with the name Goatboy films? What is the story behind the name of your studio?</strong><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiac3pasiOwljUkHOTgZSA4HB_Yu2MvmyLsz99MxNXlwy854mL_GE32mqu-pBWHYMf4pV2LpfSgD4uVjc88wC9Lt2tJ7HyW4cd5VrCMDo4qTGntdpkW3xCqCEUl0Xe0QzkZ5W_9Egq9uc/s1600-h/Jwsmall-GoatboyLogo.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351072108433728370" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 161px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiac3pasiOwljUkHOTgZSA4HB_Yu2MvmyLsz99MxNXlwy854mL_GE32mqu-pBWHYMf4pV2LpfSgD4uVjc88wC9Lt2tJ7HyW4cd5VrCMDo4qTGntdpkW3xCqCEUl0Xe0QzkZ5W_9Egq9uc/s320/Jwsmall-GoatboyLogo.jpg" border="0" /></a>JW:From my friend Chadwell, we were kicking around ideas for a film company name in early 2001. It was Chadwell's nickname in college by a tripped out hippy chick. The name fit what I shooting for, and we kept it. It's not related to that saturday night live skit.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: Tell us about Pat Bowling and others in the Goatboy Films empire, as I know you work regularly with a few particular renegades like Pat.<br /></strong><br />JW: I've known Pat from college, and our differences work out for the best. I'm a 'head in the clouds dreamer' sometimes, and Pat is a 'nuts and bolts' guy and that combination helps get projects done. Trust me, Pat is worth his weight in gold when it comes to the UFO film. Pat is also a damn good actor as well, I think he likes production much more... his acting swan song will be in Queen of the Cursed World. Pat is briefly in the medieval thing I'm cooking up...Insomnia and Dragon Witch. He did a fantastic job editing 'The Cursed Doll' which is now with Echelon Studios<br /><br /><strong>SZ:How in the world would you describe a “Jerry William’s Film”? It seems to me you defy classification, but I had to ask, if only to know how best to describe your stuff myself. You perplex me!</strong><br /><br />JW: Live action cartoon energy slacker dada satire comedy horror show....I guess my films move to their own heartbeats....I like the idea of crossing genres...high brow motives with junk food pop culture. I have some notes about doing my version of Alice in Wonderland called at this point 'Alice Caligari'...I like the idea of bringing in older actors since our culture is so youth obsessed, and Lewis Carroll's book lends itself easily to symbolic and freudian intrepretations...I read several biographies and literary criticisms of his creative work, and agree it was his only outlet in a repressed and solitary existence. It's still up in the air at this point.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: You have incredible women in your films. How do you convince them to be involved in no-budget projects without shelling out big bucks?</strong><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH3t1uhIBPZRyknYekqKd6Ca-3Q21HXzij8TApry3S0gdc_3YHkkvqTqL1OlahTp0X6D02jF5dgGKyWAGAaLYfPYP11WDfWDNc14rsggp2y1jsZP919quQFWuTXkK4shunWFQzZbksTfU/s1600-h/JWsmall-LeslieRogers.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351075175100894002" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 180px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH3t1uhIBPZRyknYekqKd6Ca-3Q21HXzij8TApry3S0gdc_3YHkkvqTqL1OlahTp0X6D02jF5dgGKyWAGAaLYfPYP11WDfWDNc14rsggp2y1jsZP919quQFWuTXkK4shunWFQzZbksTfU/s320/JWsmall-LeslieRogers.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP78D-Gz60StP9IGBn0_46jezGaQTz0V9Lqd8-evHHOSZIWzvRxcd25BJ0Dn-EziB_00MBOS89rHocIrF7x1Nq1SCwo-stSfae-JIbaIH-2YUlMPPHiMQWFxawJB3FSwSqt2luh9BX8ro/s1600-h/Jw-small-queenofthecursedworld.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351076386770886210" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 180px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP78D-Gz60StP9IGBn0_46jezGaQTz0V9Lqd8-evHHOSZIWzvRxcd25BJ0Dn-EziB_00MBOS89rHocIrF7x1Nq1SCwo-stSfae-JIbaIH-2YUlMPPHiMQWFxawJB3FSwSqt2luh9BX8ro/s320/Jw-small-queenofthecursedworld.jpg" border="0" /></a>JW: Well, my films usually have strong female character roles...most films you have a finite amount of what and who you can play. Slasher films usually have two roles in them...hero or victim, and sci fi films are even more restrictive. My films may be out in left field, but the female characters have power and command respect. I like that the actresses bring something to the table. Leslie Rogers was a fanastic Fiona in Soul Robbers, and Heather Price does a fantastic turn in Ectovision. Stephani Heise and Natasha Roberts who played the lovers in Purvos did great.<br /><br />I wanted Purvos to be a little different. Actors will at least listen to you, if your film isn't the 'slasher-on-the loose' fare, and I don't cut off roles at 24 years old....I find the youth obsessed culture out of tinseltown is shallow to my taste, but of course that's just my opnion.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAGxdzYbAQkJD-uc5hlVfOjzJtfDke02Y4VlH7tTxW5fpGhFs0W6gWTcpiqj5AXqFAb2oTJRhE3TnVehtIFraR9n9S6hdAHx0w98coVOgOF1wxtzl6BxfciVYnqbNbr0jWR9IX-DeIANA/s1600-h/JWsmall-jerrynamyhayes.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351092244063550546" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 180px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAGxdzYbAQkJD-uc5hlVfOjzJtfDke02Y4VlH7tTxW5fpGhFs0W6gWTcpiqj5AXqFAb2oTJRhE3TnVehtIFraR9n9S6hdAHx0w98coVOgOF1wxtzl6BxfciVYnqbNbr0jWR9IX-DeIANA/s320/JWsmall-jerrynamyhayes.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><strong>SZ: What is your largest budget to date? What is a typical budget on a Goatboy project? (In US Dollars, Yen, or Euros, you can pick)</strong><br /><br />JW: Zeppo definitely, but I'm not sure about the final budget...that's more with Eric Butts and Moodswing Entertainment. I work with various budgets, but I joke with Pat that some of my films cost a six pack of beer and a song! I will say that at the end of the day, folks won't care about your budget if you engage them and entertain them. I've seen several modest budgeted films and felt great whereas I've seen CGI laden films that cost more than the gross national budget of small Africian countries and though they were slick emotionally dead pieces of eye fluff.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: You have a knack for casting, such as using the regal William Schaeffer Tolliver, the insane Steve Guynn, the Bruce Campbell-esque Daniel Roberts, the larger than life Cherokee Hall, etc. How do you approach casting such colorful characters? Do you bribe them?</strong><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHf6evPW5ynnAPSvpxDkCevKgIKc1Dwg1O34f7UK8rDLHzh1qVfjlN54WJdyD18AmhE-vKw5-1n0tn1hTISyafXdXY-F7zGkF7Ek5Qbe7Uw796GLfQZbBJ5qVHg5vhEFCvA5JhkOdEP_Y/s1600-h/Jwsmall-fantasyfilm.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351075408368744882" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 180px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHf6evPW5ynnAPSvpxDkCevKgIKc1Dwg1O34f7UK8rDLHzh1qVfjlN54WJdyD18AmhE-vKw5-1n0tn1hTISyafXdXY-F7zGkF7Ek5Qbe7Uw796GLfQZbBJ5qVHg5vhEFCvA5JhkOdEP_Y/s320/Jwsmall-fantasyfilm.jpg" border="0" /></a>JW: I bribe them with my personality! No seriously, I usually connect with actors and crews working on other films for friends....I met several talented actors on film sets by local filmmakers such as Cherokee Hall, George Bonilla, Daniel Roberts, Jacob Ennis, Eric Butts, and Cineline's Matt Perry ....you find out more about a person working with them in long period of time than someone who wows you in an audition, and are a complete pain in the ass afterward. People who want to work on my films are a pretty passionate group, and I've been very lucky to get actors like Steve Guynn, Jason Crowe, Nathan Day, Billy Blackwell, Roni Jonah, Stepahni Heise, Natasha Roberts, Claude Miles, Kat Carney and others in the regional area. I also got to mention that Chad Hundley is a fanastic comedic actor, and his timing especially with Cherokee Hall reminds me of the old Bowery Boys. If I missed anyone, trust me there are some great actors out there working.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: What is it like working with The Bob Cooke?</strong><br /><br />JW: He was awesome in Misadventures, as was Belinda. Bob's passionate about any and all things cinema....there was one line from misadventures that makes me smile...Bob's character says 'Our heroes will come like rain to a parched desert!' Bob did the line, but swore he'd beat me if I sent him another script like that again! People should check out his site <a href="http://www.Kymovie.net">www.Kymovie.net</a>, Bob Cooke is like Coca Cola...he's the real thing baby! Belinda is a damn good producer on films like Hellephone, and Monstrosity among others and a passionate actress(she was fantastic in STASH as the sleazy mother).<br /><br /><strong>SZ: Give me an idea of your filmography (Yes, I understand that we might need a couple pages worth of space for this one.)<br /></strong><br />JW:<br /><br /><br />Completed films:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI2pM-B3RUUmNQWFBZKi5y8lR9yzDcS5AoIJwZOS9SUGUDVH35gD5U8x_6bwkhgJAERTsq9anmcZIqC1Cud3aF_NpKyKzeT61vdenl6cDVv6rzhu_3jUs0NY1F188XfJ4UjSObLKgv9j8/s1600-h/jw-small-soulRobbersPosterSmall.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351096211118640338" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 213px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI2pM-B3RUUmNQWFBZKi5y8lR9yzDcS5AoIJwZOS9SUGUDVH35gD5U8x_6bwkhgJAERTsq9anmcZIqC1Cud3aF_NpKyKzeT61vdenl6cDVv6rzhu_3jUs0NY1F188XfJ4UjSObLKgv9j8/s320/jw-small-soulRobbersPosterSmall.jpg" border="0" /></a>Mint condition -writer/director (a Clerks type comedy) 18 minutes 2003<br />Manic / Happy Anniversary - producer for Jacob Ennis's shorts<br />Purvos - 72 minutes, writer/director 2004<br />Zeppo - writer/director, feature film 90 minutes (2007)<br />Misadventures in space, feature film 74 minutes (2007) and 53 minutes (2009)<br />Soul Robbers from Outerspace, feature 61 minutes.<br />Major Power and the flying saucer from Mars (and other tales of the hero) compliation 53 minutes (2009)<br />Pirate Candy Sampler, comedy film 49 minutes<br />Dinner for two, short 5 minutes<br />Pumpkin Joe, short 5 minutes<br />Twin sisters of Desire and Death! (The 'lost' episode of Misadventures in Space) 10 minute<br />Alien Conspiracy Murders, short 34 minutes</p><p><br /><br />In production:<br />Ecto-vision!, Insomnia and the Dragon Witch, Saucer sex from beyond, and the UFO documentary film I'm working with Pat Bowling. I'm also starting an edit of<br />'Queen of the Cursed World', and have several projects in the planning stages.<br /><br />As Assistant director on ZP movies:<br />Edison Death Machine, Monstrosity, and Hellephone.<br /><br /><br /><strong>SZ: Speaking of Zeppo, which is arguably your “biggest budget” project to date—what’s going on with it at the moment? Will it ever be released? Rabid fans want to know!!!! (Or will the boxed set version be out before the regular version?)<br /></strong><br />JW: I'm dating myself with this admission, but when I was a kid in the late 70's there was live action TV shows like Shazam!, Isis, and Jason of Star Command. Zeppo was a homage of sorts to that crazy saturday morning craziness crossed with a surreal midnight movie like Liquid Sky and Looney Tunes cartoons. Zeppo in a nut shell is a black and white cartoony sci fi adventure with non pc humor, naked zombies, cruel sexy aliens, and cardboard tombstones! Eric brought a lot his humor, and production skills for the film (not only did he edit and produce the film, but supervised the music and special efx shots for the film). We're currently shopping the film out to distributors, so hopefully folks will get to see it soon. Debbie Rochon was fanasttic in it, and Lloyd Kaufman still cracks me up...editing Lloyd was the hardest thing since he brings so much to the table...I'd love for Lloyd to do more serious dramatic roles...the local actors Stacey Gillespie, Elysse, Amanda Kaye, Casey Miracle, etc. did a fanastic job under some crazy shoots, and I have to say we had great production help from Casey Miracle, William Schaeffer Tolliver, and makeup was done by Julia Caudill.<br /><br />If Eric and I were the heads of Zeppo, Eric's mom, Patsy Butts, who helped produced the film and was its biggest booster was the heart of it. Sadly she passed away last year, but her legacy lives on in the film.<br /><br /><br /><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/_Tt9gDy0i4A&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/_Tt9gDy0i4A&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />(Movie Trailer for Zeppo)<br /><br /><strong>SZ: Will there be a sequel to Zeppo? And will the sequel be released before the original?<br /></strong><br />JW: Never say never, but for me it would depend on how the first film fares out with the folks out there.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: How do you pull off working on multiple film projects at the same time? Are you simply crazy? Or is there a method to this obvious madness?</strong><br /><br />JW: Part craziness, and part necessity. I shoot fast on my solo films, but it is also cause a lot of the actors are only available for a finite amount of time, so I have to move fast. The shooting multiple films at the same time is a nod to Roger Corman's methods. He would shoot a scene for a movie for AIP, then he would move the props about and change costumes to shoot a scene<br />for his own film which he would sell to AIP or to other film distributors. Pure genius, but maddening at the same time.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: Loyd Kaufman, Conrad Brooks , Debbie Rochon…what is it like working with cult figures that you have been a fan of yourself? How in the world do you keep Loyd contained and under control on the set?<br /></strong><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEKQgQXBCFbmX4gfGOQl9QmPfJ_V0wG2h1GhyVaQRfY3i1SJmht_WvHMc2j8T3iPmjIcdmsMFpNOYpAUzJtdP1NskbWi_Th9DUJuLkZ6Ko9TRUokXGeO5_PJsC30vQ_65HzJsXNzhOzhI/s1600-h/jwsmall-Debbienjerry.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351074736274243186" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 180px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEKQgQXBCFbmX4gfGOQl9QmPfJ_V0wG2h1GhyVaQRfY3i1SJmht_WvHMc2j8T3iPmjIcdmsMFpNOYpAUzJtdP1NskbWi_Th9DUJuLkZ6Ko9TRUokXGeO5_PJsC30vQ_65HzJsXNzhOzhI/s320/jwsmall-Debbienjerry.jpg" border="0" /></a>JW: I worked with Conrad on my horror film Purvos, and he and I are good friends. I love classic cinema, and movie serials of Conrad's youth so we talk about his films, and his experiences. A nice man, but pretty set in his convinctions which I understand and emulate myself. I always look forward to working with Conrad on any film...a good actor, he brings a lot to the table. He's an older actor and still working...check out his Jan-Gel films. Expect more film madness from Conrad in the future. I loved working with Debbie Rochon. A beautiful and talented lady, she was fantastic to work with on Zeppo...committed to the script, and worked her butt off on it...an artistic lady with a huge heart, and I can see why guys (and gals) fall for her like a ton of bricks. Whenever I think of Debbie, I imagine she is taking her ten minutes free from Fangoria radio and production work to paint on canvas...an earth elemental, timeless and beautiful like the moonlight in June.<br /><br />Lloyd is great actor, and very committed to cinema on all levels. I was very nervous meeting him. His toxic Avenger films are a part of my youth, so it was great and surreal to work with him. Like Debbie, a committed actor who busted his butt on the film. He really is a genius of indie cinema, and his books on making films should be taught in schools. Even if you don't 'get' the Troma films, it does my heart good that they can be out there. I think Lloyd can say more in a 90 minute film about the current state of affairs and the universal prejudices we have in say Poultrygeist than hours upon hours of PBS programming. I think Troma and Lloyd are the best parts of Americana like the hot dog and baseball, which is why I think people respond it worldwide. If you're into films, do yourself a favor and pick up his books and see that there is a method to the madness. I kept Lloyd contained by a harem of nubile women who fed him grapes and fanned him in between scenes....just kidding...he was a pleasure to work with, although I'm sure he wouldn't have protested that grape feeding scenario.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: I happen to own a poetry book by you, called <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mirrors-Portraits-Jerry-Williams/dp/1413765807/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1245892728&sr=1-1">Mirrors and Portraits</a></em>, which not many people may know about. At the risk of incurring your wrath, I would like to shed a little light on this side of you. Talk about the poetry book and any other literary projects you might have coming out?</strong><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh34CN-szDlh3UGB0uwnXfnfdr98D5ho_egPeIL7FYWn84lYY30xRS5U8CWkeDFoZWkjP7PCAXdi4r49BHrSPBy2ck6LbVsu48YetuHGv9mzKL21Vb-PdAt1IM7jkG_6c-tC1rPLTDZheo/s1600-h/MirrorsAndPortraitsCover.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351075842937776658" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh34CN-szDlh3UGB0uwnXfnfdr98D5ho_egPeIL7FYWn84lYY30xRS5U8CWkeDFoZWkjP7PCAXdi4r49BHrSPBy2ck6LbVsu48YetuHGv9mzKL21Vb-PdAt1IM7jkG_6c-tC1rPLTDZheo/s320/MirrorsAndPortraitsCover.jpg" border="0" /></a>JW: In college, I hung out with the literary crowd and loved writing poetry. I also got over my shyness by reading poetry at coffehouses, although I preferred doing it at places you wouldn't think about poetry.<br /><br />In Morehead, it was the local bar called Spanky's....you'd get these high and drunk professors, along with bikers and rednecks playing music and reading their poetry. A rough hole in the wall, but it was fun and definitely a place of my youth. In Lexington, it was High on Rose....unfortunately these places don't exist anymore...I guess I'm more Charles Bukowski 'live life fully dammit' than hanging out at staid coffeshops talking about writing. I had written poetry from that time period, and finally got a book of verse together called Mirrors and Portraits. In a sense it a portrait of me as an angry young guy who loved everything to the fullest. It's like the first time you finally 'hear' Mozart and it moves in your heart...same thing with literature and poetry with me. Passion fuels literature, and hopefully if people see the book, and see me...flaws and all. I'm working on a new book of poetry. I love writing verse, and never want that to leave my heart or my life. I try to put poetry and some poetic ideas in my scripts as well.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: On that note, rumor has it that you might be developing something theater related? Is there any truth to this rumor?<br /></strong><br />JW: I wrote the Halloween murder myster play, Green Ghost of the Tracks, for Kathy Hobb's theater company, Fantastical theatricals, and it was great to see a play of mine on stage. Theater is the ultimate high wire act. I have a couple of plays written together, that may or may not hit the stage. A lot of folks don't realize that I was actually more interested in forming a theater company to stage my work at the beginning, but went with films instead. I would still love to make a theater company, so maybe one day down the road when the stars are in place, it may happen. I would also like folks to check out Kathy and her wonderful Fantastical Theatricals, a wonderful experience for me as a writer.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: Where can people find and buy some Jerry Williams movies?<br /></strong><br />JW: Purvos is available at Brain Damage films. Major Power and the Flying Saucer from Mars DVD is available at indieflix. Misadventures in space the original version is on google video and hungry flix. That film has a tight new edit, and should be in a DVD package soon with mint condition. I have a comedy film, Pirate Candy Sampler, which is a comedy in the style of 'Amazon Women on the moon' on google video as well. The Cursed doll is now with Echelon Studios, so it should be out soon. You can also see Purvos on netflix and get it off Amazaon.com. My book of poetry is also available on Amazon and other book seller sites.<br /><br />Links to buy Purvos, Major Power, and Mirrors and Portraits.<br />Purvos<br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Purvos-Conrad-Brooks/dp/B0012OTVCG">http://www.amazon.com/Purvos-Conrad-Brooks/dp/B0012OTVCG</a><br /><br /><br /><br />Purvos on netflix<br /><a href="http://www.netflix.com/Movie/Purvos/70093406?&mqso=70002140&trkid=129129">http://www.netflix.com/Movie/Purvos/70093406?&mqso=70002140&trkid=129129</a><br /><br /><br /><br />Major Power<br /><a href="http://www.indieflix.com/Films/MajorPowerandtheFlyingSaucerfromMars">http://www.indieflix.com/Films/MajorPowerandtheFlyingSaucerfromMars</a><br /><br /><br /><br />Mirrors and Portraits<br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mirrors-Portraits-Jerry-Williams/dp/1413765807/ref=cm_cr-mr-title">http://www.amazon.com/Mirrors-Portraits-Jerry-Williams/dp/1413765807/ref=cm_cr-mr-title</a><br /><br /><br /><br />Misadventures in space (original cut on google video)<br /><a href="http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=895029670631039342&ei=qiE_SpqxA4WkqwLPruTKAQ&q=misadventures+in+space">http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=895029670631039342&ei=qiE_SpqxA4WkqwLPruTKAQ&q=misadventures+in+space</a><br /><br /><br /><br />Pirate Candy Sampler<br /><a href="http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7192095349227927623&ei=5CU_SoasK5HwrgK-lIHLAQ&q=pirate+candy+sampler">http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7192095349227927623&ei=5CU_SoasK5HwrgK-lIHLAQ&q=pirate+candy+sampler</a><br /><br /><br /><br /><strong>SZ: Will your cat be appearing in future projects, and will there be any parts available for other people’s cats, such as mine? Your cat’s performance was awesome as the Wizard Merlin in Major Power, and in the heavy-duty SFX sequence in the engine room in Misadventures in Space!</strong><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSifp7fnB6f9OGOGXhsGZ39eXwEnAcgfPEwCGYAEzvUQaeO3wcHbxvyVBMTCWFMDjQvg_5wu1Sa5QN_STMJUhwMVmmqiv7ggD7HhJ0A9w_vcZjKThumErhh4kYVNKuLruLpC7r8gmfarI/s1600-h/JWsmall-cat.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351072517002674130" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 180px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSifp7fnB6f9OGOGXhsGZ39eXwEnAcgfPEwCGYAEzvUQaeO3wcHbxvyVBMTCWFMDjQvg_5wu1Sa5QN_STMJUhwMVmmqiv7ggD7HhJ0A9w_vcZjKThumErhh4kYVNKuLruLpC7r8gmfarI/s320/JWsmall-cat.jpg" border="0" /></a>JW: I actually jotted down an idea for 'Major Power and the Ghost train!', so if Major Power shows up...I think the Wizard would confer with the great wizards of yore...you always got to look out for ...evil ectoplasm!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2SroRv4QGVyXIwsi1D1uf59kIAkPWo6z-zk6vVevhbXjGx8HkbVuBjgbrPY9NFtMmTpcX_g3-jOiK1vvhiSXzsZd44OrpmGYnOAw_8WwgmmgUyq8KISGEffMxe2wAmZyBd-y5cOjTPoo/s1600-h/JWsmall-ectoclone.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351076015338082034" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 180px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2SroRv4QGVyXIwsi1D1uf59kIAkPWo6z-zk6vVevhbXjGx8HkbVuBjgbrPY9NFtMmTpcX_g3-jOiK1vvhiSXzsZd44OrpmGYnOAw_8WwgmmgUyq8KISGEffMxe2wAmZyBd-y5cOjTPoo/s320/JWsmall-ectoclone.jpg" border="0" /></a> </p>Indie Movie Mastershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00785883665824314268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7180580542236971341.post-8684882493368951752009-06-17T12:21:00.000-07:002009-06-17T13:06:56.946-07:00Adventures with B Movie Man, Nic Brown!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtbq5JPBP4Id5DCTTZCUyNa0-JtEJtf_CEc0JMTQxFzkmTg6XeQb7vP0zk5xkbj7tcnUfL5H9MAMLTiCoxlUxWN7p0nV8KezNrQsVo7OgHJunuR6Ic2SSoFFn84WYXH-jhYc6zQj9OfYk/s1600-h/Bmoviemanbanner8-29-08.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348382513152315042" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 77px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtbq5JPBP4Id5DCTTZCUyNa0-JtEJtf_CEc0JMTQxFzkmTg6XeQb7vP0zk5xkbj7tcnUfL5H9MAMLTiCoxlUxWN7p0nV8KezNrQsVo7OgHJunuR6Ic2SSoFFn84WYXH-jhYc6zQj9OfYk/s320/Bmoviemanbanner8-29-08.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Every so often you encounter individuals in the indie film world who are talented, genuinely supportive of indie film and filmmakers, and who are straight-shooters. Nic Brown, mastermind of the popular indie film site <a href="http://www.bmovieman.com/">B Movie Man</a>, is one of these uncommon individuals.</div><br /><div>In addition to running the rapidly growing B Movie Man site, which has articles, reviews, interviews, trailers, and much more covering the world of independent film and b-films, Nic is also a very talented author, photographer, martial artist, and has even made a foray into talent representation. </div><br /><div>Indie Movie Masters is proud to spotlight Nic Brown in all of these areas, from the world of B-Movie Man, to his excellent book Blood Curse, to his work with actress Tucky Williams. We hope that you get a little idea about Nic, a guy who everyone involved in indie films can count as an ally and friend. The good reputation that he enjoys among a great number of individuals within the indie film community is indeed well-earned.</div><div></div><div>-Stephen Zimmer, for Indie Movie Masters, June 17, 2009</div><br /><div><strong>SZ: First, tell us a little about Nic Brown, your background, main interests, etc.</strong><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnxfVRu-wKOAhR1r2UIG6SS5Nf1cxO0C1QwhjfEob4hZ7gP2xSifd0O4_WDRCZyo7e7uNfeNSdgT0hZbcgTTPuR3vWJsThFxgBI5Acz7jGP7DWqmM21ua1S7Ssm7PJ4gOGznn6FvHB7Mk/s1600-h/7-22-08+050.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348382899033951586" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnxfVRu-wKOAhR1r2UIG6SS5Nf1cxO0C1QwhjfEob4hZ7gP2xSifd0O4_WDRCZyo7e7uNfeNSdgT0hZbcgTTPuR3vWJsThFxgBI5Acz7jGP7DWqmM21ua1S7Ssm7PJ4gOGznn6FvHB7Mk/s320/7-22-08+050.JPG" border="0" /></a>NB: Well I've been into movies for as long as long as I can remember. I got interested in B-Movies back in the 80's when grew up watching COMMANDER USA'S GROOVY MOVIES every Saturday afternoon on the USA Network. I also put myself through college working at a movie theater. I was a projectionist and finally a manager before I quit to go teach English in Japan for three years. While in Japan I was able to pursue my interest in writing and was regularly featured in several English language publications put out over there. That's also where I met my wife, although she's British, not Japanese. She was another English teacher. After we got back to the States I went to work for a Japanese trading company and I'm still there. I love the writing and the B-Movies, but I have to pay the bills too.<br /><br />As for my hobbies and interests, I love traveling, especially to other countries. Reading, I'm always reading a book of some kind. Here's a shocker, I love movies! I also do yoga, kung-fu, I'm an avid skier (not the easiest hobby to have living in Kentucky).<br /><br /><strong>SZ: Obviously, you like indie films, B-Films, and that kind of thing. So what are some of your favorite films?</strong><br /><br />NB: That’s a tough question. It depends on my mood. For mainstream films: ALIENS, CONAN THE BARBARIAN, John Woo's HARD BOILED, LE PACTE DE LOUPS (BROTHERHOOD OF THE WOLF), L.A. STORY, EUROTRIP, THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN and LEON (THE PROFESSIONAL). From the independent film side: TROMEO & JULIET, TREK, BRAIN DEAD, THE CELLAR DOOR, UNDER THE RAVEN’S WING, DEAD MOON RISING and BONNIE & CLYDE VS. DRACULA. Of course there are more, but those are the ones that come to mind right away.<br /><br /><strong>SZ:What are some of the things/qualities that you look for in a good independent film/B-Movie?<br /></strong><br />NB: For a good independent film I’m looking for originality, a good story and believable performances from the cast. Things like special effects and expensive sets are just extras. One more thing that is extremely important for a good independent film, which unfortunately is often overlooked, is the sound. I’m very forgiving of most of things when it comes to independent film, but if I can’t hear the dialogue, whether due to poor sound recording or the soundtrack music playing over it, I can’t enjoy the film.<br /><br />As for a good B-Movie, that’s easy: is it entertaining? If it is, then it’s a good B-Movie.<br /><br /><br /><strong>SZ: Tell us about the original idea/concept for B Movie Man, and when was the site launched.</strong><br /><br />NB: In mid-August 2006 I had the opportunity to meet two of my favorite authors, John Ringo and Dr. Travis S. Taylor (Google them if you don't know who they are). It was a small book signing in a mall in Tennessee and since it wasn't very busy we talked a lot. The publisher had a contest to win dinner with them and I lost, but they were nice enough to take me anyway! So I got to really know a couple of authors I admire and after that I felt inspired.<br /><br />I've always enjoyed writing but since my return from Japan, other than email I hadn't had much chance to write. Now I had the urge to finally write a book! I decided that for me, writing a book from a cold start would be like trying to run a marathon without ever training for it. It can be done by some people, but not me. So I started writing movie, book and television show reviews. Not wanting them to just sit on my computer I decided to start a website. I wanted Nicsflicks.com but it wasn't available at the time, so I went with a name that I'd been called by a friend of mine once after we discussed a number of obscure horror films that I like "B Movie Man".<br /><br /><strong>SZ: How has it evolved since its inception from your original vision for it?</strong><br /><br />NB: Originally the site was just movie, book and television reviews. Then one day I started getting emails from indie filmmakers wanting me to check out their movies. So I started talking with indie filmmakers and that lead to doing interviews with them. From there I got the idea to start my “Women of Horror” series and that has become the most popular feature on my site.<br /><br />My original vision for the site was that it would be a venue for me to talk about movies I enjoy and to have a chance to improve my writing skills. Now it is still that, but more. I feel like it’s a place where independent filmmakers are not treated like second class citizens to Hollywood. There are a lot of really talented people out there and nothing makes me happier than to give some of them the opportunity to spread the word about their work.</div><br /><div><br /><strong>SZ: Do you use other contributors for the site? I imagine it is not an easy thing to develop as much content as you have on the site.</strong><br /><br />NB: I have a few people contributing to the site. My wife Fiona, and a few of my friends like Eric Brooks and Crystal Angela write pieces for me as well. Of course there is also the new video series with Tucky, and the folks from Imaginaut Studios have given me an exclusive trailer for their new documentary on filmmaker Jim Wynorski: POPATOPOLIS, but in the end about 90% or more of the site's content is my own. I’m open to more contributions, but it’s not a paying gig so I take what I can get.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: Where do you see the site going in the future? Do you have any areas that you want to expand into?</strong><br /><br />NB: I’m not sure where the site will go in the future. I’m very pleased with the way it is right now. I am excited about my new video content and I’ve started work on a new series called “Women of Sci-Fi” as well (coming soon). As far as expanding goes, I may start a feature about some of the music I like. I’m a big fan of some of the lesser known artists like The Cruxshadows or the late Warren Zevon so if I could do something there it might be fun!<br /><br /><strong>SZ: How many events do you attend? I’ve noticed you have been a panelist and an attendee at several conventions.</strong><br /><br />NB: So far this year I’ve been to six events, three of them as a guest, and three just for fun. I have another three lined up for later this year: The Fright Night Film Festival, The Scarefest 2009 and the 3rd Annual B Movie Celebration. I’m a guest at Fright Night, I’m helping the organizers of Scarefest and I’ll be covering the B Movie Celebration for my site. I will probably go to a few more events just for fun, we’ll see.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: How is the feedback to the site? Do you get a lot of response to your reviews, articles, and interviews?</strong><br /><br />NB: I get some very good feedback through email and when I’m at shows and such. My site isn’t set up like a blog, so there isn’t a feature for comments to be posted directly to the articles. I’m sure I’m missing out on some feedback because of that, but at the same time I don’t consider my site a “blog” so I like it the way it is.<br /><br />I also think the real feedback comes from the fact that a number of other websites carry my work. Roguecinema.com, Pretty-scary.net, Benevolentstreet.com and BMovieNation.com all carry some of my interviews and features. Plus, Vince Rotolo from BMovieCast.com invited me to be the regular guest host on his weekly B Movie Podcast. I’ve been doing that for over a year and half now and it’s a whole lot of fun.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieGQGNjVzrmclIZK9sxQ1obAoyz_0qBtHdj5SwCL1_PRRD2Dc90YigOfWllEizzST10_ByUci7eo2vqHrvB1Ng0QdovHi_A8Hn6_5kvJYlrZcJGSUxMxoyd7O_KietaNAAZKGv70Bj1vc/s1600-h/TuckyWilliamswebversion.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348385016587772066" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 232px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieGQGNjVzrmclIZK9sxQ1obAoyz_0qBtHdj5SwCL1_PRRD2Dc90YigOfWllEizzST10_ByUci7eo2vqHrvB1Ng0QdovHi_A8Hn6_5kvJYlrZcJGSUxMxoyd7O_KietaNAAZKGv70Bj1vc/s320/TuckyWilliamswebversion.jpg" border="0" /></a><strong>SZ: You do a lot of work with the very talented actress/model Tucky Williams, who has appeared in many independent films in significant roles. Tell us about your work with her, her website, and the joint appearances that you make together at conventions?<br /></strong><br />NB: Tucky is a great lady and a good friend. I actually met her when I featured her in my “Women of Horror” series. I saw her film DEAD MOON RISING and contacted her about the feature. Since she lives in my home town we decided to do the interview at Café Jo Beth so my wife and I met her for dinner and then I did the interview. A couple of months later I was getting ready to do my first convention, the 2008 Scarefest, not as “B Movie Man” there to cover the event, but as Nic Brown, Author of “Blood Curse” and trying to sell a few books. I had an idea that I thought might be beneficial to me and Tucky. Since I had extra space at my booth, I invited Tucky to come share the booth with me. I even got the event organizers to promote her as a guest and the next thing you know, I had a line of people in front of booth and to date it has been my most successful show for sales. It was also Tucky’s first show and she found she really enjoyed getting to meet people and the whole convention atmosphere. So we decided to work together to promote her career as an actress and mine as an author. </div><div><br />Tucky was also looking for someone to build her a website and I took a stab at it. I’m not the greatest webmaster out there, but I’m not bad either. Plus, I know what to avoid in a website like “Hey let’s do black text on a dark purple background”. That may not sound like a serious problem, but you’d be amazed at how many sites are almost impossible to read just because of their color scheme.<br /><br />In addition to handling Tucky’s website, I’m also working as her agent. I’m the first to admit that I’m not a professional agent, but Tucky wanted someone she could trust to help her with that aspect of her career. So I try my best. By the way, if any filmmakers are reading this check out <a href="http://www.tuckywilliams.com/">http://www.tuckywilliams.com/</a> for a full resume, demo reel and photos!</div><div><br />At the end of the day Tucky has become a really good friend to both me and my wife and that is what’s really important.<br /><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_RxP_OaRXfAH3LOEulv-WzrKSi612VXQKnbf0XXLeEjKlbKs7FbqWr9-rp2Tcxibh6qKAhdm-CkfTqb4n_pUXIxGsQBLga1yAoZKJpymBgehzRbyZHLN8kCRz_aw4jJ0a42aM8JAzFQQ/s1600-h/Tucky%2520Banner%25201.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348383851001650514" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 98px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_RxP_OaRXfAH3LOEulv-WzrKSi612VXQKnbf0XXLeEjKlbKs7FbqWr9-rp2Tcxibh6qKAhdm-CkfTqb4n_pUXIxGsQBLga1yAoZKJpymBgehzRbyZHLN8kCRz_aw4jJ0a42aM8JAzFQQ/s320/Tucky%2520Banner%25201.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><strong>SZ: Speaking of Tucky, I noticed that you have a new video interview series with Tucky on the B Movie Man site. Tell us a little about it.</strong><br /><br />NB: We’re both really excited about this feature of the site. The series is called “Getting Lucky With Tucky” and in it Tucky interviews filmmakers, actors, and folks in the entertainment industry. Tucky has worked in television news and has a really great interviewing style. We’ve only done a couple of interviews so far, but we have plans to do a lot more, especially at some of the up coming conventions. Having new, original video content for my site is fantastic and Tucky loves doing the interviews so it’s a winner for both of us. The hardest part for me has been learning to edit video. We try to break the features down into five minute segments, plus I have to cut out all the parts where I start laughing at something funny she says.<br /><br />(<strong>SZ: </strong>here's one of the Getting Lucky With Tucky segments that are carried at the <a href="http://www.bmovieman.com/">B Movie Man </a>Site:<br /><br /><center><object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Sx1Y2c9rh9E&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0xcc2550&color2=0xe87a9f"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Sx1Y2c9rh9E&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0xcc2550&color2=0xe87a9f" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object></center><br /><br /><br /><strong>SZ: Not everyone may know that you are an author. Tell us about <em>Blood Curse: Werewolf For Hire Book One.</em></strong><em><br /></em><br />NB: “Blood Curse” is my first novel. It’s an adventure/fantasy/mystery about a werewolf detective named Michael Warren. Michael’s world is one where the supernatural exists just outside of the public eye and he makes a living working with his partners Tabitha and her husband Sam who he describes by saying “She’s a witch and he’s my I.T. guy.” The first novel finds Michael traveling to Kentucky to investigate a disappearance that is related to a local horse farm owned by a wealthy sheik with a mysterious past.<br /><br />I like to think of “Blood Curse” as a B- Movie book. It’s got action, magic, werewolves, witches, and enough sex to keep it interesting. I wrote it because it is the kind of book I’d like to read. Also I was tired of all the moody vampires! Everywhere you look there’s another bloody vampire novel!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSOJuUUqw3_DB8HxtN97LwyZqMKkMty7jS9-Gbvz8HZ8dq_Ll7k5j33VDdJHC_ruPU0N2ocdbISMoPY735upAKZHQwSXq6ojbmlSHDNy9UQc9jsv8mOCGivMMrPGnsm76qYVmnaNomX9Q/s1600-h/werewolfforhireNicBrownsmall.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348385313819786354" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 128px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSOJuUUqw3_DB8HxtN97LwyZqMKkMty7jS9-Gbvz8HZ8dq_Ll7k5j33VDdJHC_ruPU0N2ocdbISMoPY735upAKZHQwSXq6ojbmlSHDNy9UQc9jsv8mOCGivMMrPGnsm76qYVmnaNomX9Q/s320/werewolfforhireNicBrownsmall.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><strong>SZ: I know you have studied martial arts. Did your martial arts background help lot with the plot development, characters, and fight scenes in <em>Blood Curse</em>?<br /></strong><br />NB: Definitely. I spent ten years studying Shaolin Kung Fu and that has had a profound influence on most aspects of my life. With regards to my writing it has helped me have discipline. Writing a novel is not something most people do overnight, it takes hard work and dedication and those are traits that seriously studying the martial arts will help you develop. My study of Shaolin also helped me write the fight scenes. Knowing how to fight, what happens to someone if you twist their arm one way or kick them in another; that makes writing the fights both more realistic and more fun.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: When is the next book in the series coming out? And where can people order/buy the current one? (list all editions it is available in as well)<br /></strong><br />NB: I’m still working on the second book in the series, but it’s almost finished! It will be called “Blood Sacrifice” and this time Michael must travel to England to find Tabitha’s niece. The first chapter of “Blood Sacrifice” is available for free download at <a href="http://www.werewolfforhire.com/">http://www.werewolfforhire.com/</a>, that’s my official site for the series. I hope to finish it this summer so it may be available this fall.<br /><br />You can also order copies of “Blood Curse” through that site. It’s available in paperback and hard cover editions or you can download the e-book as well. The paperback and hardcover editions are also available through Amazon.com and all the other online book retailers.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: Are there other ways to connect with B-Movie Man, such as social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook? If so, let us know!<br /></strong><br />NB: I'm on myspace: <a href="http://www.myspace.com/nicholsbrown">www.myspace.com/nicholsbrown</a>, Twitter: Bmovieman, look me up, I tweet about once a month! Facebook: look up Nic Brown you should find me. You can also reach me through The B Movie Cast: <a href="http://www.bmoviecast.com/">http://www.bmoviecast.com/</a>, by the way, stop by podcastalley.com and vote for the B Movie Cast, we're #2 in entertainment and I'd love to see that go to #1!<br /><br /><strong>SZ: Is there anything else that you would like the indie film community to know about B Movie Man?<br /></strong><br />NB: I’m always happy to check out new indie films so if you’ve got one you want me to look at, drop me a line! Now as Commander USA way say: "Until next time amigos, keep your nose in the wind, and your tail to yourself!"Indie Movie Mastershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00785883665824314268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7180580542236971341.post-79689130526330841712009-05-25T19:43:00.000-07:002009-05-25T21:07:13.524-07:00Touchin' Bases with Nathan Day, Writer/Director of Bulletsong<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339966195422511890" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 197px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOaXpjyCfJcuuAghAGmuQabgflSVTC5m-Bv9DRqQGYQKGli-xqwDFaOkt_v0ZYQFCDH28hvbif2oAkKShybeivoRB8N3L00NYelnp6rSgAbn8ybmYpljDavwwUZ_0zh-dSdW3l-zbx6YQ/s320/NathanDirectorsmall.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div>Nathan Day is a renaissance-type talent, an actor, writer, director, musician, and composer.<br /><br />He decided to hurl himself with all of his multi-faceted abilities into his first feature film project, "Bulletsong", serving as Writer/Director/Producer/Lead Actor/Composer/Musician/Editor, in addition to wearing many, many more hats in the process.<br /><br />Siryn Song Entertainment is the vehicle by which "Bulletsong" will be delivered in the near future, hopefully before the end of the summer as things currently stand. This project has been a labor of love, goodwill, and a whole lot of painstaking, hard work. Nathan is the right kind of guy to tackle this kind of odyssey.<br /><br />That Nathan thinks through his film projects is an understatement. As one who has stood in a movie parking lot and listened to him describe shot by shot in detail one of his film ideas for more than an hour, I can vouch for the reflection that Nathan gives to his projects.<br /><br />An abundance of heart and determination has been shown by Nathan as he has worked diligently on this film over the past couple of years. Not independently wealthy, and devoid of millionaire uncles or cousins, Nathan has had to pull all of this off on a shoe-string of resources. Having seen what Nathan has done under such difficult limitations exemplifies his talent all the more.</div><br /><div>So let's visit now with the man of the hour, Nathan Day...</div><br /><div>-Stephen Zimmer</div><br /><div><strong>SZ: Where do things stand right now with post-production on Bulletsong? Do you have any pick-up shots still left to get?</strong></div><br /><div>ND: As of this response, we are about at the half-way mark of the rough cut. With the beginnings of the audio work, color correction, musical scoring, CG effects and such on the horizon.<br /><br />I have very recently decided to add a few currently unfilmed shots to the schedule. This late in the game I know that can sound like a bad idea and that perhaps I should let what is simply be, but I am not under a strict studio-imposed deadline and that gives me the freedom to do what I feel is in the best interest of the film. I want this movie to be everything it can be, to touch the audience much deeper than they ever anticipated. I would never forgive myself if I did not do what I knew needed to be done to make Bulletsong reach its potential. I’m very lucky in that the cast and crew support me 100% in this decision. </div><br /><div><strong>SZ: When did you first get underway on Bulletsong’s production?</strong></div><div><br /></div><div>ND: Lol, is it too late to plead the fifth or am I too deep into this interview already and am now forced to incriminate myself? Production of Bulletsong begin in October 2005, nearly four years ago. We began by filming simple “home video” styled scenes that I felt would ease us into the project (especially since this is my freshman foray into directing). </div><br /><div><strong>SZ: How did the idea for Bulletsong come to you, and when was the initialscript finished?</strong></div><br /><div>ND: Bulletsong was actually originally intended to be just a simple nothing-but-action short film about a hitman trying to rescue his daughter from a mob boss (much in the vein of Stacey Gillespi’s recent short “Takeback”). I had worked on many independent films at this point (almost exclusively as an actor) and got admittedly cocky, telling myself, “Hey, I think I can do that!”. I had some ideas for a few shots (a sped up bullet POV shot and a stunt over a stair rail) and then more and more ideas started flooding in. The pivotal moment, however, was after watching a film (I’m knocking around the cobwebs in my head trying to remember what movie it was) and asking myself what would truly send a man over the edge for revenge. What would make a NORMAL person cast aside everything else about his/her life to murder (righteously so in their mind) another human being. The answer was the death of a loved one, more specifically a child.<br /><br />I wrote the initial 87 page script over the course of 2004. I went back and rewrote and added based on what holes I felt the plot contained, mainly in terms of character relation and development (many of these additional scenes are now my favorite scenes). I wanted to see more interaction between a father and son. I wanted to see what happened when a grieving mother finally faces her loss. I wanted to see just why all of these horrible things happened in the first place. By the time I finished my rewrites, the script had blossomed into 128 pages. </div><br /><div><strong>SZ: What big changes to the storyline, if any, did you make as you workedyour way through the full treatment and script? Did any major charactersemerge during the process or were they all conceived of at the beginning?</strong></div><br /><div>ND: When I write I tend to begin with two things, the characters and the catalyst. Above all, the characters are the key to my stories (as I hope Bulletsong and future projects will show). I want the audience to be able to connect with the characters, both victim and villain, on a level that they do not expect from an independent film. With that philosophy in mind, I take time to develop their back-stories and personalities as much as I can. Once I feel I “know” these “people”, I introduce the catalyst. I try my best to realistically unfold how these people would react in the real world to the turn of events that is suddenly thrust upon them. I believe the characters themselves write the story from that point, so I honestly just try to keep the tone right through dialogue and direction.<br /><br />Very few things changed from my original outline (I cannot preach enough about the advantages of doing a thorough event outline before writing the rough draft of a screenplay), but many things were added along the way, as I felt many of the characters needed more screen time to flesh out their motives and back-stories; mainly the two antagonists at the onset of the film,<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivF7EREeDDPtP4vd3ZUklgTUOMQ1N94MeaoAusTkbGNVy24hTGsuPRr2fnmB6oA2EmmnegCuHyAMibDM5YHENhqgcdoIkYRYDCLFr2j756Sra3DQ4OC_foIryWJQ6R50G-dv05SVeMxlk/s1600-h/Mike_brettsmall.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339969363443836882" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 180px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivF7EREeDDPtP4vd3ZUklgTUOMQ1N94MeaoAusTkbGNVy24hTGsuPRr2fnmB6oA2EmmnegCuHyAMibDM5YHENhqgcdoIkYRYDCLFr2j756Sra3DQ4OC_foIryWJQ6R50G-dv05SVeMxlk/s320/Mike_brettsmall.jpg" border="0" /></a> Cesario “Czar” Mendez (played by newcomer Michael Gonzalez - lead singer of the metal madmen “Spent) and James “Lyric” Worthy (played by Brett Higgins - vocalist of the versatile and skillful band “The Slagsmiths”…I am never above a shameless plug. Lol). In real life the reasons people commit some of the most horrible things are almost NEVER as simple as black and white…and I really wanted that message to come through in Bulletsong, and that had to happen through character development and flashbacks. This philosophy did influence the creation of the drug lord know as Da’Ron (deftly portrayed by Just Us League Film’s Casey Miracle) who is the match that, in many ways, ignites the inferno. </div><br /><div>Another major addition was an extended ending, while watching Spent rock out at an all-ages concert in Woodford County Park, I turned and saw one of the coolest set pieces in all of Kentucky, the Bluegrass Railroad Museum…it was love at first sight. I knew Bulletsong HAD to reach its peak right there on that train. </div><br /><div><strong>SZ: Did you intend to direct Bulletsong from the beginning?</strong></div><br /><div>ND: I did. Maybe deep down I’m a raging egotist (or maybe not so deep down lol), but one of my life’s goals has been to write, direct, star in and compose the musical score for a feature film (originally intended to be an adaptation of my upcoming graphic novel, Orphan). Bulletsong IS the realization of that goal.</div><br /><div><strong>SZ: On that note, did you intend to be one of the leads in the cast from </strong><strong>the beginning?</strong> </div><br /><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1dYKwsZDgsRkZ5iyQBp_AcjCIQzO_ISUTqPLJUkcAW5sRr6v6d_00hATykh4mwK_37DCV4_KXTfCggVdR6XglcAx0mDL5INoCFhq9aK1qL85Hoa6FH26I4zDkuF6vyV8R8jicDsu61FU/s1600-h/Nathan2small.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339967540913769874" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1dYKwsZDgsRkZ5iyQBp_AcjCIQzO_ISUTqPLJUkcAW5sRr6v6d_00hATykh4mwK_37DCV4_KXTfCggVdR6XglcAx0mDL5INoCFhq9aK1qL85Hoa6FH26I4zDkuF6vyV8R8jicDsu61FU/s320/Nathan2small.jpg" border="0" /></a>ND: I did. I wrote many characters based on specific actors/actresses that I already knew I wanted for the film. Other actors were later found to play characters I had already fleshed out and the matched turned out to be even better than I could have hoped.<br /><br />My character, John Keys, however, I wrote for me. That is not to say I wrote him for what I wanted him to be, as I said before. These characters are their own people to me. They have lives they’ve lead up to the point we meet them onscreen. It’s just that this is the kind of character I’ve been wanting to sink my teeth into for a long time. </div><br /><br /><strong>SZ: Tell us a little about assembling the cast? Who came out of auditionsand who did you target for roles from the beginning?</strong><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCv-rkMJWypT5D2sPXFSDCJp-ZFBUfabpYpR0RgGl8lvGQ35w4G_msD4eiVfROescy6jitKW83asSaHV5poEQWO_2GU4a42LjSeiIXrbVF5tJtc2Cd6ifx1mbAYNj8yV0IvLUrf7Wed94/s1600-h/Mike-Cyn-Nate-Ashleysmall.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339968053930580866" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 180px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCv-rkMJWypT5D2sPXFSDCJp-ZFBUfabpYpR0RgGl8lvGQ35w4G_msD4eiVfROescy6jitKW83asSaHV5poEQWO_2GU4a42LjSeiIXrbVF5tJtc2Cd6ifx1mbAYNj8yV0IvLUrf7Wed94/s320/Mike-Cyn-Nate-Ashleysmall.jpg" border="0" /></a>ND: In many ways I feel like a bit of an ass for this, but there were no auditions for Bulletsong. That means that there are many talented individuals out there who simply never had a chance to be part of this project. I’ve been involved in the Kentucky film scene for around ten years now, been fortunate enough to work with some incredible casts and crew and that is where I pulled talent from. I’m a networker and a scouter. Any time I’m on a set, I’m always keeping an eye out for people I want to work with in the future.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsNog86_i1S0uSHt0A66HA2REKh-H2OyJC7nj91kXydS6SO-A0Dh0h1UMxnQgYUrJwzx2t0goZWFX3yyp0CCJMAWivuV8oQohFK-dwUB4MkV2GxhRHx-WoJAWC7-G_0zTz5KV0Guu80QM/s1600-h/KarenBolessmall.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339969679550473874" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 180px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsNog86_i1S0uSHt0A66HA2REKh-H2OyJC7nj91kXydS6SO-A0Dh0h1UMxnQgYUrJwzx2t0goZWFX3yyp0CCJMAWivuV8oQohFK-dwUB4MkV2GxhRHx-WoJAWC7-G_0zTz5KV0Guu80QM/s320/KarenBolessmall.jpg" border="0" /></a>Michael Gonzalez, Karen Boles and Katie Granlund were top of my MUST HAVE list and their characters were written based on what I felt were some of their own character traits. Other actors I knew I wanted (Stacey Gillespi, Freddi Goforth, Casey Miracle, Vince Bingham, Matt Perry for example) I just had yet to determine where they fit in. Some (like Brett Higgins, Ashley Glass and Cynthia Allen) were blessings I found through other projects (Greg Brock’s “Redneck Fury” and Stephen Zimmer’s “Shadows Light“) and knew I HAD to have them involved. There were even a few key cast members I wanted that unfortunately were not able to be a part…but I’m determined to work with them soon on other films.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: Who has really impressed you as a director, or grown a lot on theBulletsong cast while working on this project for a longer period.</strong><br /><br />ND: Is it too easy to say “everyone”? lol. Actually, it’s very easy to say everyone, and it’s very accurate. I have to talk about Mike…this is Michael Gonzalez’s first film. Up to this point his acting career is summed up in school plays. Going in I was 100% committed to the fact that he was, without question, one of my leading men. I also knew that it was a risky decision, not because I lacked faith as to whether or not the talent was there, but because having talent and being able to harness on set, in front of a group of people staring at you, expecting you to completely envelope yourself in this character, in this moment, can be incredibly intimidating, especially your first go-round. Not only that, this isn’t stage, it’s screen. On stage you walk in front of the audience and for the duration, you are your character, no break, no back to reality, you hit it running and ride it through ‘til the end. Film is an entirely different beast…it’s very “hurry up and wait”, very start and stop. And that can easily kill any connection that even an experienced actor can have with their character. There are so many more outside distractions and influences and I just didn’t know how Michael would handle those things…the answer: beautifully.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHKw5yQyXbCNcSmfFk93G-FK5I6MGT1IcB2m0BnuhoSTUhWmwkNFureNGhDuN8RyV9qTP0_-8ZmXkFGXqKrij2RVnC3HqJRLcuPZzliSXARd37YOQUPVPh6oRDe8ALKy7ZrS-rJGD8htQ/s1600-h/MattPerrysmall.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339968472049548322" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 180px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHKw5yQyXbCNcSmfFk93G-FK5I6MGT1IcB2m0BnuhoSTUhWmwkNFureNGhDuN8RyV9qTP0_-8ZmXkFGXqKrij2RVnC3HqJRLcuPZzliSXARd37YOQUPVPh6oRDe8ALKy7ZrS-rJGD8htQ/s320/MattPerrysmall.jpg" border="0" /></a>I also have to mention Matt Perry as the priest, Father Daniels. I would love to talk about how amazing the entire cast was, and they genuinely were exceptional from the loftiest role on down, but Matt kind of got shuffled around the cast. I got to see Matt’s acting prowess as Adam in the Zombie Planet saga. I was impressed by what I saw, but was convinced that there was even more untapped potential in him as an actor (he’s also one of the most talented directors I have ever seen on an independent level…Hollywood, you better wise up and grab him now!). I first approached him to play the role of Lyric (taken on later by Brett Higgins) as I had envisioned Lyric as a white “wannabe” who’s idol was rapper, Eminem. Matt laughed, but agreed. I let Matt borrow a few films to research the role (“8 Mile” among them) and started purchasing his baggy wardrobe. Soon, however, Matt came to me and said that it just wasn’t the right fit for him…and knowing Matt, in his mind he was thinking of what was best for the film, not himself. The role was offered up to Vince Bingham, but the same events occurred before I found Brett. I knew, though, that Matt was meant to be a piece of this puzzle and one day it just struck me how perfect he was for the role of Father Daniels. Matt’s an often soft spoken and gentle soul, but there is such a quiet strength there. In the end, it was just simply a perfect fit (as you will soon see).<br /><br />Additionally, Vince was cast in the role of Rob Thornton, the stepfather of my character’s daughter. There was such skilled subtly behind Vince’s performance that editing his scenes have been a source of great enthusiasm for me.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: All indie films are filled with frustrations and challenges, whichgets magnified a lot when you are doing a feature. Talk about some of thebigger hurdles that you faced in making Bulletsong? What were the biggestfrustrations?</strong><br /><strong></strong><br />ND: Scheduling….oh man, when you are working with a cast and crew this big for this long, especially when they are donating their time for free (on the front end)…Many times during production I repeated one sentence time and again, “Life happens.” At times it was like a curse, especially when first trying to “turn the ignition” on production. It felt like anything and everything that could happen to slow the process DID happen. My life was very traumatic at the time; I hit the lowest point I think I will ever know. But despite the turmoil, people genuinely believed in the project and never gave up on seeing it through. So, production was a slow and grinding process. Many shoots had to go forward without a real crew (many times Assistant Director/Producer Jason Scolf of Wishnwel Films was the only non-cast member on set, or the entire crew consisted of Jason, Producer/Actor Michael Gonzalez and myself), but the cast was always more than willing to help in a production capacity. It was a blessing.<br /><br />We were very fortunate to have minimal difficulty securing most of the locations for the film; the gas station and cemetery being by far the biggest hurdles.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: What kind of tools have you been working with to create Bulletsong? (From both a production and a post-production standpoint)</strong><br /><strong></strong><br />ND: Walking into this, I had virtually nothing. I asked for a LOT of favors and begged like a crying grade school child when needed. Lol. Indie Movie Masters founders Ever After Media and Cineline Productions were GODSENDS. Whatever their reasons were, they put themselves out there for me, a first time director, a complete novice. When they could not be onset they granted me access to equipment that at the time I could not afford. Stephen Zimmer of Ever After Media allowed me use of his Canon XL1S digital camera and video monitor, Cineline provided custom built dollies and steady-cam rigs as well as a jib (it was very important to me that many of the shots in Bulletsong have very specific movement to them I could not have otherwise achieved). I purchased various work lights from home improvement stores and the like, but mostly captured audio on camera as opposed to a boom mic (I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS!!!!!!!!!!).<br /><br />In post-production we had used Pinnacle Studio software for PCs to create the original Bulletsong teaser trailer (titled “If I Lost You”), but the editing and correction is being done on Final Cut using Magic Bullet filters. Musical scoring and original soundtrack songs are being done using a combination of Reason and Audition audio software.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: What are your plans for Bulletsong once it is completed?</strong><br /><strong></strong><br />ND: World domination of course!!! Or as a gift of peace to North Korea…haven’t decided. Lol. The public kick-off will be a premier at the Kentucky Theatre (who are incredibly supportive of Kentucky independent film…thank you thank you thank you!!!). After that the plan is to bastardize it as much as possibly through any and all film festivals I can, not just in Kentucky, but worldwide (watch out Sundance, I‘m gunning for you!!!). I’m also really hoping to work with Indie Movie Masters to help the film reach an expansive audience through their network.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: You are definitely a masochist, doing so many roles while tackling an indie feature film. Has wearing so many different hats, as Director,Writer, a Lead Actor, Composer, Producer, Editor etc. been particularlydifficult? Or has it been like you expected?</strong><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRrgrF7WaycpXFc9PYA12fN8xRfsp2ho0If9xq_CUMrBEGe5hLbi-HQc9TJ7AooVgyoCF3edmI2-7Nt57rtgtgBcG9spsYZQ_KkfsjzAghms-9auC2Q3k5-jP0WQ7_ttuIYmpRHD8IHF4/s1600-h/NateBloodysmall.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339973879529172338" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 196px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRrgrF7WaycpXFc9PYA12fN8xRfsp2ho0If9xq_CUMrBEGe5hLbi-HQc9TJ7AooVgyoCF3edmI2-7Nt57rtgtgBcG9spsYZQ_KkfsjzAghms-9auC2Q3k5-jP0WQ7_ttuIYmpRHD8IHF4/s320/NateBloodysmall.jpg" border="0" /></a>ND: NEVER AGAIN!!! Lol. Does that answer your question? Haha. I had no misconceptions that it would be a very difficult juggling act…and it was even moreso than I had anticipated, but along with being a masochist, I’m also a control freak when it comes to my art. I have a very specific vision for all aspects of the film. This, however, caused a lot of issues. Initially my biggest hurdle as a director was to learn to let go and trust in the people who were helping me with the film. This was never because I did not believe in their abilities (if that was the case then why even bring them on board, right?). It was because I was afraid that I wasn’t able to translate what was in my head well enough, ESPECIALLY when I was acting at the same time.<br /><br />Jason Scolf and Michael Gonzalez (hereto after referred to simply as Jason and Mike), often had to make me cut the umbilical chord I had attached to the monitor…lol. I kept trying to look over to see how the shots looked, to compare how they were in my head and storyboards. It was really hurting my performance onscreen and thereby affecting the cast as a whole. Distraction is like a virus to a cast. When it hits one person, others take notice and it distracts them, it breaks characters.<br /><br />Cineline’s Sven Granlund also kept reminding that I had to just trust and let go. He saw that what I was doing was stifling the talents of the people around me. Anyone who knows me on a personal level knows that, for me, letting go of anything is still the greatest hurdle I have to conquer. But once I began to ease back, more and more amazing things happened and the people around me really let their talents shine and proved why I never should have held them back in the first place. Going forward, this lesson has been learned and it will greatly benefit future endeavors.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: Rumor has it that the Lexington Police Department found one of your night shoots to be very genuine-looking…so much so that your actors foundthemselves ambushed by cops! Tell us about the famous (infamous) nightthat made the evening news.</strong><br /><br />ND: Haha, there’s just no escaping this question, is there? First and foremost let me say this, ALWAYS NOTIFY THE LOCAL AUTHORITIES BEFORE YOU EVEN ARRIVE ON LOCATION!!!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeOlFxGyGQIcDogk8cYW861UAtuQrOq0fQPhxgba0yovLiBwIZQKiew4Abhhbnlz8kZHr-d7b04D7LPsqiZRJRbb9-MOw6LtDVKCt1A934MvmuE2eDM3O7WrcAej9DvC1Fi6Vlnekq2oA/s1600-h/MikeHoldUpsmall.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339971482884820418" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 319px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeOlFxGyGQIcDogk8cYW861UAtuQrOq0fQPhxgba0yovLiBwIZQKiew4Abhhbnlz8kZHr-d7b04D7LPsqiZRJRbb9-MOw6LtDVKCt1A934MvmuE2eDM3O7WrcAej9DvC1Fi6Vlnekq2oA/s320/MikeHoldUpsmall.jpg" border="0" /></a>What happened is this: We had scheduled a four night shoot at the Midway Market to capture the pivotal robbery scene near the beginning of the film. (This story is another example of why wearing too many hats can be disastrous…and near fatal…seriously.) I had been working on storyboards, scheduling, rehearsals, costuming, prop wrangling, equipment wrangling, etc etc…the one thing I forgot to do is the one thing I should have done.<br /><br />A key word to me through this whole production has been “realism”. This isn’t a sci-fi or horror film, there is no monster or zombie or supernatural killer who can’t be killed. These are real world people in real world (albeit extreme) situations. Over the top costuming or theatrics would take away from what we had hoped to achieve.<br /><br />Our robbers, Mike and Brett, were dressed as I’ve seen many robbers do via crime scene videos, etc through actual media services; black hoodies, bandannas as facemasks, etc. People don’t often commit robberies using just their angry demeanors as weapons so they were armed with pistols. At the time (in the film) the robbery occurs, the gas station is occupied by its night clerk (played by Freddi Goforth), a father and daughter (Katie Granlund and myself) and an off-duty police officer (played by Stacey Gillespi).<br /><br />My shotlist dictated that we capture the nearly 30 interior shots first, then move outside for the final 3 set-ups of this, our first night on-location. The cast and crew busted ass and we bulled through the interior shots in good time. Some people stepped outside for a quick smoke break or just to stretch their legs or cool off as others began moving equipment outside.<br /><br />Suddenly a set of headlights pulled in at breakneck speed. Those outside were blinded and those inside were unaware until a figure stepped out and yelled, “Police. Everyone hit the ground NOW!” or something to that effect (you’ll pardon me if I can’t recall the exact words lol). Initially I think most of us, if not all of us, had the same reaction…we thought someone was pulling off an incredibly elaborate prank. The officer called out again and most everyone outside complied (one individual hit a state of shock and was frozen). More headlights sped in, twelve more pair to be exact (and soon after a police helicopter!!!)<br /><br />Everyone inside dropped to the ground and put our hands behind our backs, as instructed. Almost instantly police officers were everywhere. It was surreal. They had control of the situation with incredible speed and precision. I won’t go into many of the details from this point.<br /><br />What’s important is that through my carelessness, members of the cast (especially Mike and Brett still dressed in robber attire and holding pistols) came very close to being shot. These police officers are very good at what they do, and their training and patience kept things from getting horrifically worse than they did.<br /><br />What had happened was that an off-duty police officer was driving to visit her family and her route took her past the gas station. She just happened to look over and see what she justifiably believed to be a robbery/hostage situation in progress, so of course she called it in. Had I called dispatch earlier that day the whole incident could have been avoided.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: I want preface this question by saying that Mike Gonzalez looks reallygood in the scenes and shots that I have been able to see. From what Ihave seen, casting him looks to be an outstanding call. Yet it iscertainly a bit of a risk to place a leading role into the hands of arelatively new actor, especially one that has never done a leading filmrole before. What went into your thinking regarding casting Mike Gonzalezas Cesario? What did you see in him to convince you that he would rise tothe occasion?</strong><br /><br />ND: Mike “looks really good” huh? Lol…well, he is a good looking man. I know I’ve largely answered this in a previous question, but you bring up a few good points I haven’t addressed and one is that, yes, Mike is a good looking man. Lol. Now before the rumors start circulating and I’m super-imposed on a tabloid cover holding hands with Perez Hilton, let me say that what I mean is this: this is the film business…like the music business…”BUSINESS” is the key word. It’s about money, it’s about sales, it’s about marketing. That’s the reality. I try to be an artist, to me I put the art above all…but in this case, the cake and the eating came hand in hand. Hollywood stars are obviously often unrealistic examples of humankind. Looks often sell more than talent (isn’t that right Britney Spears, Paris Hilton, and so many others of you out there?), though every once in a while you luck into an Angelina Jolie or Gerard Butler who has the best of both worlds.<br /><br />Beyond all of the qualities I credited Mike with in the prior question, Mike has that look. He’s what the public expects to see in the leading man on the posters. He has that commanding presence that you need to legitimize the project in the eyes of people who may want to invest in these kinds of projects or invest in your next film. That all ties into why many independent films receive a cosmetic upgrade to their cover art (often with models who are in no way related to the project) when distributed by larger companies. To them it’s ALL ABOUT THE BUCK, which means to you, the small time filmmaker, you HAVE to make it all about THEIR buck.<br /><br />Art for art sake is fine…it’s DAMN HONORABLE. But like many others, I have bigger goals than to spend thousands of my own hard-earned dollars every few years to make a film just to say I did. Hell, I owe it to the cast and crews I work with not to have that kind of attitude.<br /><br />One other key factor to casting Mike is his role as the front man of the metal band, Spent (www.myspace.com/spent…shameless plugs abound). In concert Mike is, again, so commanding and dominating a presence that you’re drawn in. He exhibits such a charismatic aggression that I simply knew I could not have pulled off this film without tapping into and exploiting that.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: Tell us a little about the musical development you are doing for the film?</strong><br /><br />ND: This may disappoint some, but I do not plan to spend a few thousand bucks to mass produce an official Bulletsong Soundtrack on CD. I would love to, but this again, is where I feel you have to be a realist in terms of how the business works. People rarely will seek out and spend money to purchase the soundtrack for an independent film instead of something with a bigger, established name. I think we have an incredible soundtrack lined up for you, but I don’t think it’s going to compete with the new Green Day CD or the upcoming Transformers sequel soundtrack. We wouldn’t even be a blip on their radar screen and unfortunately, that’s just fact.<br /><br />That rationalization, however, is also incredibly freeing. It means that we can craft and draw upon the music that is right FOR THE FILM itself. I don’t have to worry about what would help sell a CD, and I can focus on what is going to hit the heart of the emotion of what’s happening onscreen.<br /><br />Our pre-emptive strike has been with Spent’s first single, “Breaking Down”, off of their amazing new album entitled “Scars”. To help fuel the hype for both projects Jason and I shot footage for a music video tie-in. The great thing is that we had so much footage that we were able to craft not just one but two great videos for the song. Jason’s edit is viewable online on www.myspace.com/spent as well as on the Indie Movie Masters interview of Mike. My own edit features footage from the film as well as additional footage that you will not see in the final edit of Bulletsong as it was shot exclusively for the video, yet expands upon its characters.<br /><br />I, myself have written two songs exclusively for the film that will be performed by cast members (“Higher Ground” performed by Brett Higgins and “Struggle” performed by Katie Granlund). I’m really happy to be able to showcase the many talents of our cast this way. Another song, “Then I Know” was written by Crystal Burton, a member of our production staff. It’s such an innocent and wounded love song; the moment I heard it I knew it had to be part of the film and I’m honored that Crystal is allowing me to compose the music for it and produce it. She herself will be providing vocals. Partial lyrics to these songs are viewable on both my personal and the Bulletsong myspace pages (www.myspace.com/akanathan and www.myspace.com/bulletsongmovie respectively). “Higher Ground” is also featured in the official Bulletsong movie trailer. Bulletsong Producer Sven Granlund of Cineline Productions and Indie Movie Masters will be engineering the recording of these tracks. I’m very excited about working with him in this regard given his talent and previous experience.<br /><br />For the musical scoring of the film I have recruited Spent guitarist Ken Mars to collaborate with me. Ken has a great appreciation for classical music and film scores (often citing his love of the Godfather score) and a deep understanding of music composition regardless of genre. He puts these talents to work in composing new songs for Spent.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: I am aware that the heavy metal band Spent has a song or possibly morein the soundtrack. Since this movie is in a contemporary setting, arethere other contemporary songs/artists projected for inclusion?</strong><br /><br />ND: I plan to milk Spent’s new CD release for at least one more track. I’m currently negotiating to use their hidden track, “Feel”, a powerful acoustic piece. The other tracks will essentially be contemporary pieces, however, it’s very important to me that they not sound “locked in time”. Many of the great films of the 80’s, and I apologize but I have to cite Scarface in particular, I feel are hindered by having a soundtrack or score that is very dated and to some people that can detract from the film experience. Now, a million film purists are going to lynch me for saying that, ESPECIALLY about Scarface…and I’m not saying they’d be wrong to do so. But it’s a matter of opinion and I personally prefer scoring that is just as effective fifty years ago as it will be fifty years from now (think Jaws, Lord of the Rings or the Holy Grail of film scoring….Star Wars…what if it had a cheesy electronic 80’s “space” sound like a Devo inspired soundtrack???).<br /><br />I hate to admit but I also do not plan to tap into the independent music scene to find other songs for the film. This isn’t because the talent isn’t out there, it really really is. It’s just that if I were to do this, I would be forced to wedge songs into the film in a way that would take away from what I’m trying to achieve. In the end, it’s all about what’s right for Bulletsong.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: What’s the scoop on the premiere? Any thoughts on month, location, orvenue?</strong><br />ND: Like I said, without a doubt I plan to approach Fred at the Kentucky Theatre. They have been a shining beacon to the Kentucky film scene. They treat independent filmmakers with great respect and I have attended several great premiers there (such as the Indie Movie Masters recent premier of The Sirens and Murderer) and it’s been a humble ambition of mine to experience that for myself.<br /><br />As for month…haha…isn’t that what we all want to know? Even I do. I will say that my goal is for a fall 2009 premier.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: Have you begun to think beyond Bulletsong towards your next major project as either a writer or director, or both?</strong><br /><br />ND: I have. Often times too far ahead. Lol. I can tell you with near certainty what my two next film projects will be. Later this year (AFTER I FINISH BULLETSONG lol) I hope to team up with Jason’s Wishnwel Films as well as Cineline Productions and Ever After Media to film a disturbing horror short (my first attempt in that genre) entitled, “Emily’s Closet” about a young girl troubled by the not-so proverbial monster in her closet. I have nearly finished the rough draft of the screenplay.<br /><br />My next feature project is, without question, “Messiah”. A very realistic yet incredibly disturbing tale of an abandoned child raised by a roving serial killer and the darkly Darwin-esque crusade he leads when he comes into his own. Though I have not begun the script, I have a very lengthy and detailed outline (remember my previous advice?) that encompasses nearly the entire film.<br /><br />I have ideas and notes for various other projects (a WWII flick about a Hitler’s youth entitled “A Thicker Water”, a western called “The Bitter Ends“, a zombie spoof entitled “Carole of the Dead”, etc.) but many are beyond my budget and others will simply just have to wait.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: Thank you for taking a few moments out for the IMM Blog. This hasbeen a great pleasure to interview you. In fact, you are our firstfilmmaker interview on the new blog! You have worked very hard and I hope that you see a lot of rewards out of this project.</strong><br /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339970504025971522" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 180px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJLsHOgLkw_CY_efKXOvXy_bWxeVjO6NHR1P8R_-YE66BOQN1TXMJ_qXwAyupMj4IxMe0Q_VgAo24LgBAUjSVC4ow5L4InXMRSZW5_XIcThlWCJnrPrCK2qCDHi00vi2NaEt7xFHE6qP8/s320/NateKatysmall.jpg" border="0" /><br />ND: The very first? Wow, guess hypnotizing people and slipping them a $20 bill can go a long way!!! Haha. Seriously, though I cannot thank the founders of IMM enough for the continued faith and support they have shown me. I’m not exaggerating in the least when I say what an honor it has been to be assisted in such a way and to work with them throughout the years. As a first time writer/director one of my biggest initial fears was that despite all my ideas and efforts, I would never garner the support I needed to make Bulletsong a reality. It has truly been a blessing.<br /><br />To anyone reading I want to encourage you to keep showing love and support of independent artists regardless of their medium or genre. There are so many talented musicians, writers and filmmakers out there who will never receive the shot they deserve because they go overlooked and unrecognized. Thank you so much for what you do!!!<br /><br />I also have to thank my Producer David Workman for the masterful work and assistance he gave during production. I will never make a film without him.<br /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339970883182832482" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 180px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT7MniTObPzDdik5po5UmK9fzK1Vs6phSYcAUr3qd7miOz8tV0ilXePI7vi6Hw41oc5YX_RV7Hd7eH4nQ7sVvDT5PVgnDk53YMQsVbe49pwzzHC5SBrMj92vPFfUnAqTmPLcKuS7eyjq4/s320/Dave-Sven-Brettsmall.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br />View the Trailer for Bulletsong!<br /><br /><a href="http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=56204663">Bulletsong Trailer</a><br /><object height="360" width="425"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><param name="movie" value="http://mediaservices.myspace.com/services/media/embed.aspx/m=56204663,t=1,mt=video"><embed src="http://mediaservices.myspace.com/services/media/embed.aspx/m=56204663,t=1,mt=video" width="425" height="360" allowfullscreen="true" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent"></embed></object>Indie Movie Mastershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00785883665824314268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7180580542236971341.post-70567940580381737342009-05-16T16:08:00.000-07:002009-05-16T17:08:02.647-07:00An Interview with Mike "Gonzo" Gonzalez, lead singer of Spent. A few words about the band, the new CD, and independent film...In many ways, good rock bands are often alot like a quality wine. Given appropriate time, they begin to reach their full potential. The unfortunate thing is that alot of talented bands don't let themselves go through the full process, imploding or self-destructing before ever hitting their stride.<br /><br />Time allows band members to develop a good chemistry amongst themselves. It also allows members to better know each other's tendencies as musicians and songwriters. A period of development can also result in the right lineup settling into place, as well as the improvement of the band's live act.<br /><br />Spent is one such act that I have had the great privilege to watch develop in such a way over the past few years. Having always exhibited talent, the band is really coming into its own. They are about to take things up yet another notch with the release of their brand new CD, "Scars".<br /><br />On the verge of their CD release party in Lexington on Friday, May 22nd, I was able to interview Spent frontman Mike "Gonzo" Gonzalez, regarding the band, the new CD, and even his forays into independent film acting.<br /><br />I have to say that some of the answers were surprising, but then again Gonzo is a very multi-faceted individual, and certainly not predictable!<br /><br />Fans of metal and heavy music should give the new CD a listen, and those in range of Lexington can take advantage of a great metal show this coming Friday night! Now, let's get to the interview!<br />-Stephen Zimmer<br /><br /><br /><p align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdao7MLJ1jb0RpOO9SgOVZ6sArYrrM9dyLYogg38bJacDxriscIESJlowwUWIL89JzH4iO_W4ZummFaFgZCMlcGnjg7dpyNQqR6zKBp_fBoVxxFz91c6OvjbW3QcCvuEgupjSp3kWryE8/s1600-h/SpentScarsCover.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5336569373060755858" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdao7MLJ1jb0RpOO9SgOVZ6sArYrrM9dyLYogg38bJacDxriscIESJlowwUWIL89JzH4iO_W4ZummFaFgZCMlcGnjg7dpyNQqR6zKBp_fBoVxxFz91c6OvjbW3QcCvuEgupjSp3kWryE8/s320/SpentScarsCover.jpg" border="0" /></a> <c> (Cover art for the new Spent CD, "Scars") </c><br /><br /><strong>SZ: Tell us how Spent originated, and a little about the band’s history.</strong><br /><br />MG: Testing my memory so early...geez. Well, it was SEVERAL years ago during our college years at UK. Myself and two friends(Phelps and Chad, our original drummer) had been talking about starting a band for months. Our dilemma was Chad didn't have his drumset in town. So, one day after visiting his family for the weekend Chad came home with his set. We started jamming out as a 3 piece. I then asked a mutual friend, Ken to come in for a little bit on guitar until we found a permanent guitar player. Ken still hasn't left. We played with this original lineup for several years and released one CD in 2003. Late 2005 we all decided Spent had run it course and walked away from the band. Early 2007 we decided to get back together but Chad said he wasn't ready to get back into the music world. So, with his blessing, we moved on and decided to add a second guitar player to come to the 5 piece band we are now. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6983oanTe-kNv83YMYfPzSIqkivOSr9UWHTgNlajEfPP4vgX8LRjCdbR5uYd0MmgTmZvbY-sBrzpeyhDi6o4ap7jzmNDjzQOXl-yJyCNiVir_CcHv5H4ISD4XV3-f6zJr3aPJ-Ow79rs/s1600-h/Gonzo.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5336569104431020610" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 233px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6983oanTe-kNv83YMYfPzSIqkivOSr9UWHTgNlajEfPP4vgX8LRjCdbR5uYd0MmgTmZvbY-sBrzpeyhDi6o4ap7jzmNDjzQOXl-yJyCNiVir_CcHv5H4ISD4XV3-f6zJr3aPJ-Ow79rs/s320/Gonzo.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><strong>SZ: What is the current lineup of Spent?</strong><br /><br />MG: Current lineup consists of 3 of the 4 original members:<br />Mike Phelps-Bass<br />Ken Mars-Guitar<br />Mike Gonzalez-Vocals<br /><br />We've added a second guitar player, Brian Stinnett and he's been with the band for over 2 years now.<br /><br />The newest member is Chris Morgan on drums. He's been with us for about 5 months now.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: What other releases have been issued by Spent to date, in terms of both CDs and videos?</strong><br /><br />MG: In 2003 we released our first CD, an 11 song full length CD called "American Pasttime"(yes, it's still available).</p><p><br />In 2008 we released a DVD that included 3 live songs, 2 videos and a trailer for a film that our current single, "Breaking Down", will be featured on.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: Tell us a little about the recording sessions for the new CD, in terms of the length of time that you spent in the studio, the individuals responsible for engineering and producing these sessions, etc.</strong><br /><br />MG: We started recording this CD over a year ago, if you can believe that, with Phil Weisenberger. The initial recording session was to get "Breaking Down" recorded for a film it's going to be featured on, "Bulletsong". We recorded that song over the period of a weekend. From there we spent a couple of months in pre-production and then got our drummer at the time to record all of the drum tracks in a weekend. Luke Stevenson, the drummer on the CD, was getting ready to move to Nebraska with his wife so we wanted to make sure we got the foundation down before he left. After that we periodically went into the studio and recorded one instrument at a time for the album as a whole. By the time we finished recording the tracks we had difficulty finding the right drummer to fit in with the band so that added some needless delay in getting this to you. We wanted to make sure that we could do a CD release and have the right guy playing with us so that we can really push the album. I think we've found that in Chris.<br /><br />Just to get back to Phil for a second, what an absolute pleasure working with him. The guy knows his stuff for sure but I think he was able to take our vision and really make it happen. It was a great give and take relationship and he really improved many of the songs. He recorded, mixed and mastered all the songs and I hope you think he did as great a job as we do. I can guarantee we'll be recording the next album with him.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: Describe the songwriting process for Spent. Are there any principle songwriters in the group? Or does the full band write the material together?</strong><br /><br />MG: I'd say the principal songwriter in Spent would be Ken. Ken, or Brian, will usually come in with a song idea and then the band normally adds/expands so that we've all contributed in some way. That being said, Ken is usually the one that tries to put the musical theory behind the songs and keeps them somewhat structured. He add the Spent touch that makes Spent sound like Spent.<br /><br />Lyrically, to this point, I'm the only one who writes lyrics. Phelps has contributed on some of our older songs.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: What are your goals for Spent in the upcoming year, following the release of the new CD?</strong><br /><br />MG: That's easy...write and record a third CD. Never wanted to stay complacent, we really want to get back into the studio ASAP. To be honest, most of the songs on "Scars" have been kicked around for a bit so we're ready to start writing and getting back in the studio. It won't be 5 years until the next disc, that's for sure.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: As an up and coming band, you sometimes get opportunities to open for well-established, major label level artists. Have you had any acts that you have really gotten a thrill out of opening for or playing with?</strong><br /><br />MG: To date, the show that's given me the biggest thrill has to be when we opened for 36 Crazyfists. One of my favorite bands and to be able to open up in our hometown as direct support was awesome. Straight Line Stitch was also on that bill and I became a huge fan of theirs from that show. Really cool bunch of people and just a thrill to play with.</p><p><br />Still waiting for the call to open for Sevendust or Killswitch Engage.lol<br /><br /><strong>SZ: As a lead singer, who are your influences musically?</strong><br /><br />MG: Wow, that's a really tough call. My musical interest really runs the gambit. As part of my top 5 all-time favorite musicians I have Prince and John Mellencamp. I listen to some salsa and spanish music, I listen to rap, R&B, pop, mainstream rock, metal, pretty much everything. I like to think that I try to stay as true to who I am as I can be. All this great music has influenced me in different ways so it's tough to nail it to just one or two influences. I know that's kind of a cop out but it's the best answer I can give you.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: Anyone that has seen Spent knows that you are anything but shy on stage. You exhibit a great energy and presence, which adds a lot to a live show. In terms of being a front-man and stage performer, do you have any influences in this specific area?</strong><br /><br />MG: I've seen so many great frontmen but no one has controlled an audience like Prince. I wouldn't say he's influenced anything directly but I don't think there's anything worse than going to a live show and watching 4 or 5 guys stand around. Especially at a smaller level when you're really trying to win fans over and make your band stand out over the other bands on the scene I think having that stage energy/persona is what sets someone apart.<br /><br />Some other bands I think put on a GREAT live show, Sevendust and Nonpoint. Helps that they have really rabid/loyal fans. I strive to acheive a fanbase that feels as passionately about our music as I do about theirs.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: You are also a film actor, with a starring role in the upcoming independent crime-drama from writer/director Nathan Day called "Bulletsong". Tell us about your role, any other acting roles you have had, and a little about your experience starring in an independent feature.</strong><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVcmnFXC5lgUqqCirio85l5ANUtMYUD8WcdA94Go2CApUz2P4816UVKTsl6GlvgTo5UQpWdVPDy64LOW-dyA_OcWyh7HD-1ioKpGSBDoeL4Bs6Gtq6JyLynu-u7EJunMyLLjxEdj_oT4E/s1600-h/Gonzo2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5336569533103463106" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 170px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 251px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVcmnFXC5lgUqqCirio85l5ANUtMYUD8WcdA94Go2CApUz2P4816UVKTsl6GlvgTo5UQpWdVPDy64LOW-dyA_OcWyh7HD-1ioKpGSBDoeL4Bs6Gtq6JyLynu-u7EJunMyLLjxEdj_oT4E/s320/Gonzo2.jpg" border="0" /></a>MG: I really don't have much experience in acting. Other than being Birdie in "Bye Bye Birdie" in a school play "Bulletsong" is my first real shot at acting. I've had a couple of extra roles(Murderer and Sirens) but other than that, nothing.<br /><br />I play the role of Cesario Mendez in "Bulletsong". Basic gist, I'm a father/husband who used to do some bad stuff but is trying to get my life right for my family. My best friend keeps bringing me back into things as he's a perpetual f-up and he comes to me to help him out. After agreeing to help him one last time we rob a gas station. After that, things go sour and a little girl is killed. Without giving anymore away, the girl's father comes after us for revenge. It's a story about revenge/redemption but I think the depth of the characters is something you don't see a lot in indie films. The director, Nathan Day, put a lot of trust in me with giving me this role. I certainly hope I've lived up to my end of the bargain.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: On the subject of independent film, Spent has music in "Bulletsong" (and did a music video for “Breaking Down” that included footage from the movie), as well as the short horror film "The Sirens" (Released on the Indie Movie Masters Festival of Horrors Vol. 1 DVD). Does having your music in independent movies help to raise awareness of the band and your music? Do you recommend these kinds of opportunities to other bands?</strong><br /><br />MG: I'd recommend any band getting their music in as many different arenas as possible. You never know who may be watching that might never have the chance to hear you before. We had a few sales the night of the Indie Movie Master Festival of Horrors screening just because our music was featured on it. Our motto has always been one fan at a time. So, if putting our music in a movie opens up one more person then it was certainly worthwhile. We take great pride and responsibility in knowing that someone is choosing to either watch or listen to us. It's our obligation to make sure that person is entertained. You've spent your hard earned money to see us or buy a CD so you should feel like you're getting your money's worth.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: Give us some more information on the CD release party. Time, date, set-length, and opening acts (if any).</strong><br /><br />MG: Gladly...never shy about promotion.lol May 22nd, 9pm at the Skylight Lounge in Lexington, KY. Our friends in Falling to Rise are playing with us. This will be our first show together but we've seen them several times and I think this might be the best combo, style wise, we've ever played with. Each other's fans should enjoy the entire night of music. We're looking at playing a little longer than usual but it will be a full on show for the entire night. So come out and be prepared to be rowdy. We hope that people walk away blown away by what they saw at the Skylight Lounge.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: Where will the CD be available following the release party? How can fans get it?</strong><br /><br />MG: As of right now, it'll be available via our myspace page (<a href="http://www.myspace.com/spent">www.myspace.com/spent</a>) and at all shows. We're planning to get the album added to iTunes as well.<br /><br /><strong>SZ: Is there anything else that you would like to share with your fans, and heavy music fans in general?</strong><br /><br />MG: I wish there was a way that I could honestly let each and everyone of them know how truly they are appreciated by every last one of us. We continue to do this because people continue to come to our shows and continue to show their love for the band. In every sense of the words, we could not do this without each of you. We've put a lot of hard work into this CD and are so very proud of the final product. We hope that you enjoy the CD as much as we do. Please continue to support and spread the word. Word of mouth is the best promotion in the world. Thank you for the loyalty and patience you've had with Spent throughout the years. The best is yet to come. Can't wait to get this CD into your hands. See you Friday night, May 22nd at the Skylight Lounge.<br /><br />Peace and horns up.<br /><br />(Below is the music video for "Breaking Down", which is on the new CD "Scars", and is also featured in the upcoming feature film "Bulletsong". The video was shot and produced by Jason Scolf of Wish'n Wel Films)<br /><a href="http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=33010102">"Breaking Down"</a><br /><object height="360" width="425"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><param name="movie" value="http://mediaservices.myspace.com/services/media/embed.aspx/m=33010102,t=1,mt=video"><embed src="http://mediaservices.myspace.com/services/media/embed.aspx/m=33010102,t=1,mt=video" width="425" height="360" allowfullscreen="true" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent"></embed></object></p>Indie Movie Mastershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00785883665824314268noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7180580542236971341.post-65876722355276351882009-04-26T10:51:00.001-07:002009-04-26T11:07:48.724-07:00Report on the Indie Movie Masters Lexington screening!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPhmOS0VFih0BKFGh3bC5dphdGYRU-aPasJE2TVx6oTQtnEgRpvaRas6SXysnd0mUpnSn-VO_n2O2W3ngIf3QEmCDSqRJdo-MK3oxhhsGhVw4y_QfjxOhzwGpn8OC1UcLiuz8JoEvuRAI/s1600-h/IMMBillboardnightsmallversion.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 160px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPhmOS0VFih0BKFGh3bC5dphdGYRU-aPasJE2TVx6oTQtnEgRpvaRas6SXysnd0mUpnSn-VO_n2O2W3ngIf3QEmCDSqRJdo-MK3oxhhsGhVw4y_QfjxOhzwGpn8OC1UcLiuz8JoEvuRAI/s320/IMMBillboardnightsmallversion.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329062757926482626" /></a><br /><br />We are a little behind on getting up a report on the movie screening back on April 9the at the Kentucky Theater, but here it is!<br /><br />Here's another image from the night:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDjN7wyCOFMeaJk-TT0n_kU_0qyPAnVHynAqlAPnHRzBB9W-qkdREX1aauqx5Xo573gCSgSFvTV-1REeMdfL9vo7OQSO1g8M6KR7GoPW7p6TcvbNCoZx5N6ftOdPA3l6Evvw6yZT0wVlM/s1600-h/IMMBillboardwithgroupsmallversion.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDjN7wyCOFMeaJk-TT0n_kU_0qyPAnVHynAqlAPnHRzBB9W-qkdREX1aauqx5Xo573gCSgSFvTV-1REeMdfL9vo7OQSO1g8M6KR7GoPW7p6TcvbNCoZx5N6ftOdPA3l6Evvw6yZT0wVlM/s320/IMMBillboardwithgroupsmallversion.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329061809237560194" /></a><br /><br />(from left, Jake Workman, Larry Vires, Stephen Zimmer, Dave Workman, Sven Granlund, and Matthew Perry)<br /><br />First off, Indie Movie Masters' Matthew Perry, Sven Granlund, and Stephen Zimmer went up on stage and gave out a bunch of free DVDs off of a drawing from ticket numbers, including DVDs from the heavy metal band Spent, the new Festival of Horrors Vol. 1 DVD featuring The Sirens and Murderer, Shadows Light, a couple copies of the novel The Exodus Gate, Stash, and a Zeppo Soundtrack.<br /><br />Then, as we like to promote and expose all manner of indie filmmakers, we showed trailers from Jerry Williams and Eric Butts' Zeppo, Mark Poole's Requiem for the Fallen, Aaron Champion and Justin Ford's No Town, Stephen Zimmer's Shadows Light, and the new trailer for Nathan Day's Bullet Song. We also showed independent music videos from Jason Scolf for Spent's Breaking Down, and a new music video from director Vince Bingham.<br /><br />The Sirens and Murderer were then screened. <br /><br />The night went very well, turnout was strong, and the feedback was positive. We saw alot of indie filmmakers that night, including Cherokee Hall, Nathan Day, Aaron Champion, Jason Scolf, Eric Butts, Jerry Williams, Greg Brock, and others. We hope to have all of these names on IMM titles in the future! (and in Aaron and Jerry's case, we will soon! ;) )<br /><br />Out in the lobby, we had exhibitors other than the IMM table, including Lori and Susan from ScareFest, the paranormal and horror convention returning to Lexington this September. <br /><br />Nic Brown, author, photographer, movie journalist, and all-around good guy and friend to indie filmmakers everywhere was present with a table displaying his novel Werewolf for Hire, Book One. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidWgpTudPfAMF8xB_DH5dWXACJVAemS-9O8hTidJ4SzWRck_tSs5U1OcjQePgZ2D0AnBTpIFI92pWiVWeqMAoYnITv0WceZsYZUo7S3GoXPzjgdE_NKOAGFZKGhk8jRilvu4y3TIOjQDY/s1600-h/werewolfforhireNicBrownsmall.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 128px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidWgpTudPfAMF8xB_DH5dWXACJVAemS-9O8hTidJ4SzWRck_tSs5U1OcjQePgZ2D0AnBTpIFI92pWiVWeqMAoYnITv0WceZsYZUo7S3GoXPzjgdE_NKOAGFZKGhk8jRilvu4y3TIOjQDY/s320/werewolfforhireNicBrownsmall.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329062868299227138" /></a><br /><br />Jerry Williams and Eric Butts were on hand with an exhibit for Zeppo, and Spent had a table with their CDs and DVDs. Alot of traffic and conversation around these tables!<br /><br />It is important to us to mention the exhibitors and trailers and music videos, as this underscores our philosophy; doing everything that we can to help promote and expose indie filmmakers.<br /><br />A sincere thanks to everyone who attended and supported the screening!Indie Movie Mastershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00785883665824314268noreply@blogger.com0