Outstanding Memorial Day Tribute Film!

If you haven't seen or heard about this yet, REVEILLE is by far and away one of the greatest short films to appear online. It has reached over 3 million viewers worldwide and continues to impress!

If you do nothing on this holiday weekend, you must watch this film! If you've seen it already, watch it again. It is a great testament to what it means to be an American.

See it on youtube, google video, or film4vets.com.

Star Trek Review

Last night I went to see STAR TREK. This movie is a throwback kind of film that goes for pure entertainment value. I was glued to the screen with the jaw-dropping visual effects, and plenty of action. The acting was decent so it didn't take away from the story (Nothing I loathe worse than a great script, exciting story, awesome effects and a crappy acting job). J.J. Abrams did a good job of directing (although the jerky camera did get somewhat annoying near the end). Chris Pine (Capt. Kirk) is on the verge of being the next big-time Hollywood actor.

If you went to see WOLVERINE last week, and came out disappointed (like me), then definitely go check out STAR TREK. You'll be rewarded with a much better film.

See the trailer here.

INVESTING SERIES - #2 Financing Movies

At the start of this blog, I mentioned I would cover a variety of topics including screenwriting, producing and investing. This is the second in a series of topics on financing and investing in movies. (Missed the first article? Read it here.)

Okay, so you get the general idea about investing, right? Lots of rules required to keep your head above water. The SEC also wants to make sure that investors aren't blindsided by ruthless con artists who will do whatever they can to swindle them. Previously, I wrote about the investment package. That would include the PPM, the Business Plan (or Prospectus) and the last piece is how you structure the offering.

Offering Structure

What does that mean? LLC, C-Corp, S-Corp, LLP, GP, etc., etc. It's the umbrella underwhich the movie is housed. This is where the novice filmmaker's eyes gloss over and they start daydreaming. "But I'm a filmmaker", they say, "I don't need to know anything about financing movies". Sure you don't, that's why you probably won't ever get your film made. Sorry folks, you're delusional if you think I'm going to be like everyone else and tell you, "write a great script, attach actors, and the money will flow". Here's the reality, as an independent producer, the structure is the real gold. Sure, it's nice that the script is good...it's even better that you have a direct connection to a certain actor...however believe me when I say, if they're not an A-List actor, your investors won't be that impressed. Unless you're independantly wealthy, or have a rich uncle or something like that, it will be a challenge to get money.

Here's the best advice that I can give, the more prepared you are when talking with investors, the better your chances of earning their trust, and ultimately gaining their investment in the picture (and more importantly, you). If you don't know the investor, then you're probably dealing with someone who is a "professional" investor. These guys are shrewd businessmen and don't part with their money easily. One of the easiest ways to get them on your side is the compelling argument in your favor...the movie's package. You show them the answers to all of their questions, and they're likely to invest.

How the film is structured is up to you, and a qualified attorney, to answer. Different structures have their different advantages. Personally, I prefer the LLC as a structure, due to the fact that any investor is a limited partner. That means, they're limited in the decisions of how this movie will be produced. Actually, in most situations, they have no say at all. They are also limited in their investment....meaning what they invest is all they are liable to lose (in the unfortunate event that somehow, someway your magnificent film doesn't make any money...but that won't happen to you, right?).

There is still more involved in investing in film, so for those of you that haven't had your hopes and dreams dashed yet, then stay tuned for more.

NEXT TIME: Is Slate Financing Dead?

Screenwriting Contest

On a whim, I decided to throw my hat in the ring on an upcoming screenwriting contest, along with my partners over at Brothers' Ink. This should be interesting. The contest is in two phases: Round One goes from April 17- 25 and the winners of that round are chosen to compete in a Second Round starting in June. I've never participated in a writing contest, so this should be interesting to say the least...of course I've already said that.

More to come.

INVESTING SERIES - #1 Financing Movies

At the start of this blog, I mentioned I would cover a variety of topics including screenwriting, producing and investing. This is the first in a series of topics on financing and investing in movies.

The Gist
Filmmaking is only made possible by those that invest in it. As a filmmaker, I can tell you, I'm really in the fundraising business. Investing in film can be fun and exciting, profitable, and simple...not always easy. There are so many ways to structure a project or package that it could make your head spin. I'll keep this pretty simple to start with.

Investing in film can be just like investing in any other product, security, commodity, or private investment. There are rules involved with those that want to invest. So, you can't just start asking everyone out there to invest in your film. Since there are rules and regulations, you need to consult an attorney (preferrably an ENTERTAINMENT attorney). A good Attorney will make your life a lot easier by helping you set up all of the forms (see PPM) needed to register your investment. The following are a (short) list of the essentials in any investor packet:

PPM
What is it? PPM stands for Private Placement Memorandum and it will be your friend when you are talking with potential investors.

Business Plan or Prospectus
The Business Plan is just as important as the PPM to help get your investors. Fact is, the PPM has all of the legal mumbo jumbo, while the Biz Plan has all the glitz and glam of a marketing slick. That's the intent. You want them to want to invest in you and your film....so you add all the frills such as the projections of the film, comparables of other films like yours, your marketing strategy, and a cashflow projection (how you'll spend their money).

There is a lot more involved in this, but I won't go into it just yet. Check back soon for the next post.

"MOVING DAY" COLOR CONTEST

We put together a contest for those that got a MOVING DAY "Chair" at last week's Phx Film Festival (right). This figurine is the first marketing piece we've created for the film. The contest is for people to paint their chair, take 3 photos of it, and email back to us at contest@karmacreek.com.

Here's an example from one of our resident artists, Duane (left), just to get the motors running.

Below is another example from one of my partners in crime at Brothers' Ink, Adam Devaney. He took a stab at this, and here's what he came up with:

So, now it's your turn to come up with something special. The winner gets a very special reward. Stay tuned for more details.

2009 Phoenix Film Festival Recap

Well, the '09 PFF is in the books and I have to say that this year's festival was not that good. This year, more than ever, it seemed disorganized, frenzied, and lacking in a lot of areas. With that, I place the blame for the slide in quality squarely on the Festival Directors. For starters, this year, there seemed to be less space allocated for the fest. They got rid of what I thought was the gem of this Festival, and what seperated it from a lot of those "wannabe" festivals, and that's the tent. They settled on a "Party Lounge" across the parking lot. It was loud, cramped, and lacked a lot of seats. Finally, it seemed that they were more interested in keeping their sponsors happy than the festival goers.

They also missed the boat on bringing in top flight talent. They need a real shot in the arm that only an A-lister (or a high B-lister) can bring. Not that I didn't appreciate the talent that did show up. They brought in funnyman Bill Engval, Lisa Simpson (Yeardley Smith), and Virginia Madsen. Sadly, though, that's just not enough to elevate the PFF to an elite Film Festival. So I implore Chris and Jason to "bring it" next year, so the PFF doesn't continue it's slide into obscurity.

"LOCKER 13: Down And Out" at Atlanta Film Festival

"Down And Out", our first segment for LOCKER 13, has been selected to this year's Atlanta Film Festival. We have been very selective with whom we've even submitted this segment to, so to receive a selection from your "short list" is an honor. I'll be honest, I know nothing about this festival, I just know it's in Atlanta...sad isn't it? But, it's supposed to be a darn-good festival, and I feel we'll be in the running for festival awards. Keep your fingers crossed.

LOCKER 13 Film Project - Part Four

In previous posts, I wrote about LOCKER 13, our exciting anthology feature film and how it began. Throughout the course of production, I will write about our project and what we're up to.

Krista Allen. You've heard of her, right? She's the girl in the elevator in LIAR LIAR. Ahh...now you remember her. What's she up to these days you ask? Well, my friend, she just finished shooting THE AUTHOR for LOCKER 13. This is our 3rd installment of the anthology film, and it rivals the quality of the first two (I've even heard by some that it's the best one). I do have to say, though, I am a bit biased, because this was the segment that I produced.

We shot this segment in LA, just a short while ago, and we were just recently delivered a rough cut of it. This one is about a ruthless assassin who is wanting to find out who hired him for his latest assignment. Along with Allen, it stars Rick Hoffman (Cellular, Hostel) as Armando, Carmen Perez (He's Just Not That Into You) as Marcia, and Marina Benedict as Rachel.

This film is shaping up quite nicely, as we forge ahead....three down, three to go.

Stay tuned.

"MOVING DAY" COMING SOON!

MOVING DAY is coming soon! This is my first attempt at stop-motion animation. I enlisted the help of the up-and-comers over at Karma Creek Pictures to produce this puppy. I love stop-motion. I think that it is truly a lost artform. One of my favorite movies of recent years is NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS. I thought that movie conveyed a style all of its' own. Not only that, the technical aspects of the film are flawless. Here (above) is the first pic of Chris, the hero of the story. This figurine was created as a possible marketing piece for the film (more later).

More to come.

"LOCKER 13: Down And Out" at Phoenix Film Festival

Our first LOCKER 13 segment, Down and Out, will be appearing at this year's Phoenix Film Festival. We are happy that it will be at our "hometown" festival. There are certainly more flashy and better festivals out there but PFF is a decent festival, although they have taken a few steps backward last year. They cater to the filmmaker, and all-in-all, I feel they have a pretty well-run, organized event (however they have to improve on last year's output).

Also appearing at this year's event, Jason Marsden's ANIMATED AMERICAN. We go back a ways now with Jason. We first worked with him on SUICIDE CLUB two years ago. We've since been busy working with him on LOCKER 13. He just finished directing our 3rd installment, THE AUTHOR (more to come), and has been writing and producing for us as well. We wish him all the success with his short, and everything else he's working on.

So, be on the lookout for two highly-entertaining and polished (short) films, Down and Out and Animated American at the PFF in '09.

The A3F 48 Hour Film Challenge

Recently, I helped out some friends and participated in the Almost Famous Film Festival's 48 Hour Film Challenge. Those of you unfamiliar with it, the 48 Challenge works this way, Friday night at 7pm you're given the theme, the main prop that has to be used, and a line of dialogue that has to be said in your film. The film cannot exceed 5 minutes. From there, you have to have your cast, crew, location, and editing ready to go. Then you're given roughly 48 hours from then to return a completed short film (Sunday at 7pm). I wanted to take a moment to break down the "Award Show/Top 20 Screening" experience for you:

For the Newbie

The event as a whole? It was a good experience, and for any of you fledgling filmmakers, it's a great opportunity to hone your skills, and do a little bit of networking as well with others just like you. It's fun, and a good way to challenge yourself. We did a musical, and I gotta say that was a whole new experience for me. The screening is fun for someone just starting out. It feels like you're the star of the show when your film fills the screen. My grade: B+

For the Veteran

For me, being involved in film for a while, it seemed a bit drull. At times I felt like I was wasting my time....lost in thoughts like "I could be home indexing my file cabinet, or alphabatizing my DVD selection, but instead...I'm here". It seemed to be a lot of novices and beginners joining together to applaud their respective efforts. Again, I wasn't there for me, though, I was there to support my colleagues....at least that's what I kept reminding myself throughout the whole screening. Curious, but why does it seem that all of these events have a political slant to it? By that I mean, that someone has to get the nod for an award because of past relationships moreso than the actual piece they presented (or in our case, get snubbed). The event as a whole, I got to work with some up-and-comers who showed me what skills they had and what they needed to improve on, and I worked with some people that I probably won't work with again, but that's part of filmmaking....learning who you want to go to war with. My grade: D

LOCKER 13 Film Project - Part Three

In a previous post, I wrote about LOCKER 13, our exciting anthology feature film and how it began. Throughout the course of production, I will write about our project and what we're up to.

B.B.O.N.E.O.

That's the acronym for The Benevolent Byzantine Order of the Nobles of the Enigmatic Oracle. Say that five times fast. We couldn't so we simply call it BYZANTINE. Bruce Dellis, an accomplished writer, director and producer, penned and helmed the second segment of LOCKER 13. Set in 1920's Phoenix, This quirky, edgy piece compliments the entire feature better than I could have ever imagined. With an excellent cast including Bart Johnson from the HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL films, Curtis Armstrong from REVENGE OF THE NERDS, David Huddleston from THE BIG LEBOWSKI (you can also see him in our first film, REVEILLE), and a supporting cast of thousands....well more like ten to twenty or so, this chapter explored what goes on behind closed doors in secret societies.

Continuing to gain momentum with the project, we forged ahead and moved on to the next segment...

LOCKER 13 Film Project - Part Two

In a previous post, I wrote about LOCKER 13, our exciting anthology feature film and how it began. Throughout the course of production, I will write about our project and what we're up to.

With the buzz circulating around Hollywood, we became well-received with a lot of well-known actors and crew. Our first segment, Down and Out, starred Ricky Schroder as Tommy Novack, an aging boxer who was looking for a career revival, Tatyana Ali as Lucy, an escort that grows real feelings for Tommy, and Jon Polito as Don Dillon, Tommy's blunt manager. It also marked the first project not directed by a Brothers' Ink partner. This segment was directed by an up-and-comer, Matthew Mebane. Matthew and his wife, Maria, are an incredibly talented duo that share a real passion for filmmaking. They inspired us to bring them in to the project by shooting what some of us say is one of the best short films ever made in Tackle Box.

Matthew brought in close friend, and mentor, Russell Carpenter to DP. You may know Russell's work from a little film called TITANIC. He just happened to win the oscar for that film. We were very honored to have an industry icon of his stature involved in our project.

More to come.

LOCKER 13 Film Project - Part One

LOCKER 13 is a feature film that I am currently involved in producing. This vignette film stars Ricky Schroder, Krista Allen, Tatyana Ali and Bart Johnson, among many others. I liken this film to a new slant on TWILIGHT ZONE.

Our production team, BROTHERS' INK, began the concept to this film last year and unveiled our marketing plan at the Phoenix Film Festival. The idea was rather simple, have our cast, writers (script), music and crew submit online to create a movie. We received an overwhelming response and found that the project grew from its humble beginnings into something much larger and more involved. It's so cliche but bears saying here, but it's all about who you know in this business, and with the word of mouth spreading rampant among the industry, this person talking to that person....suddenly, people were talking about us...in HOLLYWOOD.

WELCOME!

Hello and thanks for reading,

This is the first entry in my blog. This blog is about me, and life as an independent filmmaker in Phoenix. I will be writing about various topics involving film including screenwriting, producing, investing, and whatever else comes to mind.

Thanks again for making the journey with me, this should be fun and hopefully educational.

more to come.