Its 12:52, January 1st of 2010. The new year, the new decade (Not really, but I won't get into that now). 2009 was a good year for END, it got finished, it got screened and it got out there. It hasn't done quite what we thought yet but I know great things are still in store. 2010 is a new year and great things still lie ahead for our film and all that were involved with it. Mark my years this time 2011 we'll all be looking back at 2010 in awe at what's transpired. I guarantee it! Happy New Year and hang on. The ride is only beginning.
01 January 2010
18 December 2009
The Boss Test
My boss kept making inferences that she wanted to see END and I kept delaying letting her see it. Finally, I bit the bullet and let her borrow the DVD. It’s not really that I didn’t want her to see it, it’s just a nerve wracking thing to let your boss see the fruits of the craft you’d rather be doing, especially if they don’t like it, what can you really say? “So you remember when I refused to work overtime for like 6 months? It’s because I was making that movie you didn’t like…” You don’t really want that coming up in a review.
So at some point in late October or early November I lent her the film and when I didn’t hear anything back from her I kind of assumed that she hated END and didn’t know how to tell me. I work with artists, we have opinions and we know creativity so my boss could be a good or harsh critic.
Yesterday, my boss rushed over to my desk and sat down. I have already been laid off by this company once this year, so when a boss desperately wants to talk to me my mind doesn’t always go to positive places. Luckily, I wasn’t getting laid off again. As it turns out my boss finally watched END. I am very happy to say that she loved it.
The feedback my boss gave me was incredible. She went in not knowing anything about the film and the only person she knows associated with it is me. I left the conversation feeling very uplifted. The single best comment she told me was that she forgot she was watching a movie made my someone she knew, after a little while she was just watching a movie. That definitely put a smile on my face.
My bosses feedback reminded me that I knew END was a different movie when we set out to make it, but a movie that I knew there was an audience out there for – we just have to find a way to get it in their hands.
So at some point in late October or early November I lent her the film and when I didn’t hear anything back from her I kind of assumed that she hated END and didn’t know how to tell me. I work with artists, we have opinions and we know creativity so my boss could be a good or harsh critic.
Yesterday, my boss rushed over to my desk and sat down. I have already been laid off by this company once this year, so when a boss desperately wants to talk to me my mind doesn’t always go to positive places. Luckily, I wasn’t getting laid off again. As it turns out my boss finally watched END. I am very happy to say that she loved it.
The feedback my boss gave me was incredible. She went in not knowing anything about the film and the only person she knows associated with it is me. I left the conversation feeling very uplifted. The single best comment she told me was that she forgot she was watching a movie made my someone she knew, after a little while she was just watching a movie. That definitely put a smile on my face.
My bosses feedback reminded me that I knew END was a different movie when we set out to make it, but a movie that I knew there was an audience out there for – we just have to find a way to get it in their hands.
02 December 2009
Sundance
The hardest thing about being an artist that is just starting out is that there are no guarantees. When you make a movie for a studio, or if people know who you are then it’s pretty certain that your film no matter how big or how small is going to garner some attention. People are going to see it, festivals will premiere it, theatres will exhibit it.
On the other hand, films like our little film have to fight, push and shove to get any sort of attention. Our actors may be phenomenal, production value beautiful and story exceptional, but without a name or a studio behind it we have no guarantees. In a market where over 9,800 films applied to Sundance, a film shot in eight days on no budget, without famous names and or connections is like a needle in a hay stack. No one has found our needle yet.
I don’t normally talk about the festivals we don’t get into because I don’t really believe in dwelling on the negatives, but if you couldn’t already tell this one hurt. We didn’t get into Sundance. I’m not really shocked, in a way it’s kind of expected.
Out of 9,800+ films only 200 could be selected – that’s only about two percent of the films submitted. I can’t even imagine what it must be like for the programmers to have to chose films out of a selection like that, the pressure has to be enormous; however, I am sure that the films that made it to Sundance this year are phenomenal and more than deserve the honor. It’s still one of my dreams to someday get a film into their brilliant festival, but sadly, END will not be that film.
I wanted to take a moment and congratulate the filmmakers whose work made it into the festival this year and I look forward to seeing what unique visions each of them has. While they prepare for the cold weather and excitement of Park City, I will continue trying to get people to sort through the haystack and see END and all of the passion, talent and heart that everyone involved put on screen.
07 October 2009
Carry On Wayward Son
Despite our best efforts, Christopher & I are having a tough time getting END seen. When you combine the economic crisis and the ever-changing face of independent film you’ll understand what we’re going through. Fewer films are being picked up because studios want guaranteed returns, and indy film is expecting more and more of its projects to have recognizable faces or names in them. It’s a hard market right now and I am beginning to understand more and more why you always hear indy filmmakers talk about the years they put into getting their film recognized.
I have always believed that great artists aren’t created by easy circumstances, and this is definitely not an easy situation; in the end however, I think we will all come out more accomplished artists for the difficulties we have to go through now.
Christopher and I are not giving up on END and we want you all to know that. We are going to keep pushing the film until we can’t figure out how to push it any further, and that time is not yet. However, we would greatly welcome your prayers, positive wishes and any other mojo you care to throw our way while we continue this fight.
08 September 2009
This too...
So we didn’t get into FRED, but we knew that was still a possibility and we made it REALLY far so that in itself is a victory. Sure, it would be a much better victory to have actually made it into the festival, but we’re not going to dwell here.
There are thousands of independent films being sent to festivals right now; all of them just like us are hoping that the screeners and judges will see through any flaws or budget issues with their film and just recognize the care, hard work and fantastic essence that their movie actually has and select it for their festival. Every festival wants something different. So far no one has found END to be a great fit for their festival but that doesn’t mean anything about the quality or importance of our film.
I am still confident that festivals and distributors will want END; when we made END we made a very unique film, one that’s never really been done for this genre and that is going to take some people by surprise. However, END will have a great ending – this I know.
There are thousands of independent films being sent to festivals right now; all of them just like us are hoping that the screeners and judges will see through any flaws or budget issues with their film and just recognize the care, hard work and fantastic essence that their movie actually has and select it for their festival. Every festival wants something different. So far no one has found END to be a great fit for their festival but that doesn’t mean anything about the quality or importance of our film.
I am still confident that festivals and distributors will want END; when we made END we made a very unique film, one that’s never really been done for this genre and that is going to take some people by surprise. However, END will have a great ending – this I know.
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