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Sunday, July 26, 2009

Notes from a Filmmaker: Monday, July 27th, 2009

I've become a Digital Ghost
Current mood: anxious and curious

There has been many technical achievements throughout my lifetime that have changed the way I live. Cell phones, internet, personal computers all changed the world but the result of those is what actually compelled me to write. Social networking started off for me as fun, then social then networking. As of Sunday I had over 1300 friends on my facebook page. Mostly people interested in my films or radio work. Far from our goal audience but much more organized and benifical than the leagal pad and clip board that used to hold contact information. I posted upcoming events as well as pictures of past events. It actually found it's way into a more dominant promotion tool than my website (www.cypherproductions.com). Unfortunately...

As of last Tuesday I was a digital ghost. I woke up and everything was gone. No friends, pics, promotion dates, or a profile. I was lost. It struck me how strange it was that my profile actually felt like a piece of me. For three days I wondered how healthy was this? Binary code, not connected to my nervous system seemed to be an extention from me to the world. It didn't seem to be...it was. With that thought I realized I had to reconnect. Heathy or not I was not going to loose my part of the emerging collective unconsciousness. And that is what is was. The internet has become a visual representation of our human collective huncosciousness. You can find the thoughts and ideas of a large crosssection of the world, with minimal effort at a momments notice. I had to get back.

After three days with very little progress with facebook (one email return a day) I decided to start a new account and cut my losses. Well it's almost been four days and I have a third of my contacts back. I'm pretty happy about that. Unhealthy or not I'm gonna run on into the digital future with as many people wanna come.

The screening on August 29th is almost sold out but...






Tickets for this screening are still available through Paypal. Click the Paypal button for fast, secure purchase! Guest names will be held at the door. I'm looking forward to paying off this film's cost and making money with it. People seem to really enjoy the movie. I can't wait to make another one :)

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Notes from a Filmmaker: Tuesday, July 7th, 2009

Take the next step..."but there's at least three different landings?"
Current mood: open

Things are going incredibly well.
The film is selling well online and we're selling tickets for the NYC theatrical debut!
The people who see the film love it. The screenings have been so amazing. People have come up to me afterwards
just to let me know how touched and moved they were. I am so amazingly touched by them.

A woman from Scotland and her friend not only discussed the movie in detail...
they touched my face and began telling me how pleasant it was.
That my success was going to be linked to my smile and kind persona.
I can't say I have had many experiences like that.
Most people touching my face are either violent, sexual or a loved one.
I was so touched that these women were moved by me and my film I could only repeat,
"You have no idea what that means to me".
Honestly I didn't either. There was no comparison.
A pure, almost primal reaction from all of us, with no motivation. They didn't want
anything from me. They had already seen and bought copies of the movie.
They didn't even want to touch me, lol. It just happened.

Rare interactions with strangers are amazing.

Last month or so I made a random phone call to a number I had believed to
be Melvin Van Peebles, with the intention of getting him on
Ron Bennington Interviews. Long shot but hey...I was having a great month.
A man answers the phone and after I give my spiel...
he questions me ferociously.
But with a hysterical tone that broke my professional phone voice.
After a long belly laugh I gather myself and ask, "I this Mr. Van Peebles?"
"Shit, who'd you call?", he says. It's true. Who else should it have been.
Over the next few weeks we've become friends. Melvin gives me advice
when I ask and when I don't :)
he's such an amazing force in my life these days. Last week I went to see his
show and was amazed!!! This man ran shit on this stage for the entire duration. He sang, he danced
and man did he make me blush a couple times. This cat's gonna be one hell of a trip.
I am so grateful to know one of my idols. I used to watch movies on Melvin. Not movies by Melvin...
but movies made about his life! This man gave me that imaginary advice you get from TV heroes.
Now...he's on the phone :)

I'm doing what I love and am once again getting joy from it.
I seem to be able to manifest the reality I desire. I guess the main thought I have is, What to do?
I need to push this film but I need to get another budget. Life can't just be the promotion of a project.
It has to include the creation of the next.

There's no waiting for a budget to show up or an investor to call.
I have to storyboard, budget and plan as if it will happen.
Not wanting to sacrifice "LNIB's" promotion I have spent a lot of time on it
but at the same time preparing "Haven".
Countless storyboards and paperwork. It's gonna be a wonderful feature film.

Now that it is all done though...I want to produce "Awaken".
Now that my life has turned so much, I am drawn to a more positive script.
So now I'm budgeting and storyboarding and yada yada all over again.
At worse I have options to show someone looking to invest.
Hope to have great stories to tell after the August screening!