Bitter Michigan Cold – Finishing 2024 and Prepping for 2025

(GW Burns capturing the cast and crew in action on Wild Faith Christmas)

Brrrrr…today is bitter cold in Michigan! The crunchy snow beneath your feet and the cold bite on exposed skin. I was letting the chickens out this morning and they were even unsure of this arctic weather. I’ve been thankful for the eggs they are kicking out and that has been a warm nutritious start to each day. We are just days before Christmas and we draw even closer to the end of the year. I enjoy giving gifts throughout the year as I find treasures. I’ve been preparing for the coming of Father Christmas with some love gifts this year. We have a few different Christmas gatherings and thankfully they are spread out. It is hard when you try to cram them all into a day. I feel very blessed in that I have most all of what I need and I have few wants. I do want to keep creating these wonderful stories with my fellow artists and sharing them with the world.

(Tickets went on sale Dec 20th for our run from Dec 23-26th in Lansing, MI)

2024 has had some great developments that I’ve been recapping in many of my updates. I had a busy week prepping and sending out checks to our investors. The indie film scene can be hard as there are many places you can invest funds that might make bigger and faster returns. But few investments have the impact that the films do. First is allows artists to be artists and create. It allows a story or a piece of history to be recorded and not forgotten. The power of the storytelling can put a thought, smile or light into a viewers life. I watched a great Tyler Perry WW2 drama based on true events much like our SILENT NIGHT IN ALGONA. Our film has the same emotional power but was made for a small fraction of what that film was made for. I bet our film was close to their catering budget. I will work steadily forward to try and grow our budgets but as I’ve noted it is hard work. I’m so thankful to our supporters both those who fund, sponsor and watch our films. We move slow and steady forward and that is a good thing. I cannot take big risks that could bring big rewards but can also bring things to a halt. I would like to do a least one really big budget adventure at sometime in my lifetime. I’m sure it will be so. I will treat it with the same care I do the smaller budgets. But as I stated I feel blessed to be able to do what I do. The next phase of work will be the end-of-year taxes for the films. Again this is the work that keeps the wheels turning. This year we might make some moves to streamline some of the process so I can focus more on my strengths of writing, developing and managing production. Oh, yeah and acting.

(Tickets went on sale Dec 20th for our run from Dec 23-26th in Grandville, MI)

Acting-wise I have two great roles about to be presented to audiences. I recently had several people reach out to express their love and appreciation of other characters I’ve brought to life. As of yesterday I had some compliments on ole’ Gil Gilles (Best Years Gone). Other great fan (e)mail and even a phone call to congratulate me again for Col. Lodell (Silent Night in Algona). I love bringing these characters off the page. Coming up this year people will meet WW1 veteran AXEL in Harsens Island Revenge and get to spend time again with Ben Lily in Wild Faith Christmas. But to be able to create these roles a team of people put in a lot of work. I’m in development right now on Amos Edison “Edison” the frustrated filmmaker. The position of the character is known by many. The few that get to direct one feature film but they have a hard time getting that second one off the ground. It is going to be a funny insightful movie.

(Harsens Island Revenge – coming in 2025!)

Random Updates!

1. The above mentioned WW2 drama SILENT NIGHT IN ALGONA played a few theaters in Iowa and now will play my home town Lansing, MI and Grandville (GR), MI December 23-26th. It is a newly remastered version from the original theatrical run. I’m looking to step out Monday (Dec 23rd) to sneak into a theaters and enjoy the film on the big screen at Celebration Cinemas. I’m looking at the 11:55 showing and there is also a 3:20 in Lansing. Look on their website for Grandville, MI times and for the other days. You can also buy/rent the film on Amazon now but if you can experience the big screen do so.
2. Harsens Island Revenge is undergoing final polishing of color correction and combing through looking for anything that could cause issue in QC (quality control). Filmmakers know what I mean. We are taking these last few days of 2024 to do just that as no desk business will happen but our director is using the time to polish. We have a deal memo for our home video deal and we’ll be discussing the size of the theatrical run in the first days of 2025. What is coming is an epic piece of historic fiction!
3. WILD FAITH CHRISTMAS is right about at the hour mark in the edit. I figure it will be completed at the start of the new year for review. After notes there will be a second edit pass and moving to lock picture and start post sound/music work in February. This steady forward is so we can look to have the film hit theaters Nov 1st, 2025. The team knew we once again had something special and from the edit, we do.
4. I’ve got no less than three possible script writing gigs lining up and they could all lead to production work as well. We’ll see which ones develop into solid deals. I’m still working on the Wild Faith TV series adjustments writing the 8 shows to take place now after the second film. I do have a few personal scripts I’m also working on and one of them is a really powerful story that has me excited.
5. Thank you to David Gries who has been doing some updates to our http://www.cdiproductions.com website. Fans can also follow our IMDB, Facebook and Instagram page #tribecdi as we try to keep ways for fans to follow along. Also this blog. Feel free to share it with others. The EBAY store where CDI merchandise will be made available is also up now on the website. Hit STORE!
6. I am going to try and get some updated acting reels and we will have a new CDI highlight reel coming early in 2024. I often neglect my own acting materials for the CDI materials and I’m good with that but once and a while I need to update. Thank you to GW Burns for the snap new headshots! He is the man to go to for capturing that personal essence.
7. All the CDI films make good family watching from the biblical trilogy FORTY NIGHTS, CHASING THE STAR and THE CHRIST SLAYER to LOST HEART, MBF and even BEST YEARS GONE. I invite you to watch them all. If you enjoy one of them pass that note along to family and friends. When it is cold nothing like watching a good story with family and friends.

(Merry Christmas from the entire CDI Tribe!)

WRAP UP: The Lions play football today and I’ll likely multitask and use that time to organize some personal end-of-year tax stuff. I’m going to see my brother and a few friends later this eve and tomorrow might go see Silent Night in Algona at the Celebration Cinemas. I have to try and set dates on our next film in Jan/Feb 2025 which I also might try to do today/tomorrow. I want to again say how appreciative I am that all of you keep checking back in here weekly. I hope each and everyone of you have a good Christmas. We have one more of these visits in 2024 before we transition to 2025. I’m ready for the new year and ready for the new challenges, success and moments. Happy Holiday season. Time to go refill the coffee cup and make some eggs!

Cheers!

DJ