“Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.” ― Sun Tzu

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Advanced Updates and Accolades

I’m sitting here letting the coffee lull me awake. It has been a full week and I had many developments both personal and business-wise. I’ve been in our home state of Michigan and Winter has released its grip but the chill remains. We had a lot of rain last week which led to morel growth in our area. Yesterday while doing some yard work I found my second group of the tasty mushrooms. The one I found yesterday is the largest I’ve discovered to date.

IMG_3165 The garden till is next this week so we can get seeds and plants into the ground soon. The hops are already growing like crazy with the black raspberries right behind them. This week I’ll be doing some work on the office which has been a phase by phase endeavor. I enjoyed a little meeting on Cinco de mayo with a few film friends enjoying RYE of HORUS provided by one of our sponsors at Sanctuary Spirits. (Pause) Okay, just had to take a time out as my brown furry boy was chasing a wild rabbit living near by out of the yard. That plays positive for keeping the garden safe. Today I’m excited because we’re kicking off our first soccer match today. I took the winter off to heal the aging body but I might have to work the subs more often. It’s an age 30 and over league meaning you can turn 30 during the season. That means doing battle with 29 year olds and such. In my weekly doings nothing challenges me like a power match whereas two teams are working to dominate a game. Individual battles whereas two people fight for the space, the possession of the ball and to score. No thoughts of business and such just a meditation of motion, action and teamwork. It comes in handy when confronted with film issues and you need that added push. I know how to fight towards a goal. To earn something not to be given something – where you have to take the ball away. The other team will never give you the ball. Life will not usually give you things you must earn them. All good lessons to learn. Okay, let’s talk film.

Film Updates

Roughs

Wild Faith 

This cool western tale is now in music and sound design. About 40 minutes of dialog clean up and sound FX have been put into the film. Our designer and composer Dennis Therrian is loving the process. He loves the story, the acting and is feeling inspired. Development on the TV series is also moving forward. I would love to start shooting shows in 2018. A little hard work and that just might happen.

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The Quest Trilogy

These three films rolling out with BMG are just starting their journey and I hope we’ll be watching them for many years to come.

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The Christ Slayer (Third in the series)

We’re about an hour into the first edit and our director Mr. Nose is extremely happy. I want to get the first trailer in motion in the coming weeks. I’ve almost wrapped up all the final production business leaving only post work.

GR announcement

Chasing the Star (Second in the series)

The second film that follows the adventure of the magi just finished a week run in Royal Oak, MI and now is in Grand Rapids, MI at the Celebration Cinema for a week. This movie uses many artists from Michigan including Grand Rapids own CHOP & HUE who did our wonderful VFX space sequence. Our director Bret Miller calls GR home as well. So if you missed Lansing or Royal Oak enjoy an evening in GR and watch “Chasing the Star” this week.

one with god

Forty Nights (First in the series)

The first in our series released April 4th to DVD with remastered sound and visual. I will also drop it here ahead of the PR this week. At the International Christian Film Festival in Orlando, FL “Forty Nights” won MOST INSPIRATIONAL film. We were nominated for 4 awards but this nomination was the one I wanted to see us win. Why? Because our goal always is to inspire people with our storytelling but it also represents all the artists. Working together they created a film that was noted as being the most inspirational. Proud once again of our team. Next year they want Chasing the Star and The Christ Slayer after that. The Trilogy is doing what we had hoped. One of our EP’s was there to accept and attend the festival on our behalf.

Wrap Up

This week also consisted of development and work to prep some of the CDI library for new distribution. I was happy to wake up this past week to communications that a History class in Indiana (I believe) was watching “Wicked Spring” in class to show the humanity of soldiers during that horrific war. Some 17 years later and the film is still inspiring and teaching. This film is one of the films slated for a Special Edition release. We almost did this before but decided to wait and put it through our new deal. I will keep everyone informed. Once again I appreciate you spending a few moments with us on your Sunday to reflect back on the week.

Be good to one another!

DJ

Trilogy Updates and New Developments

A rainy yet peaceful Sunday as I eat some peanut butter toast and sip it down with my coffee. This past week was full of good developments and opportunities. Let’s jump into some of the updates. First, “Chasing the Star” has moved from Lansing, MI Celebration Cinema to Emagine’s Royal Oak, MI in Detroit.

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After that the film will travel back to Celebration Cinema in Grand Rapids, MI for a week – where after that? We’ll see.

GR announcement

As you watch this film it would be great for you to travel over to http://www.imdb.com and search “Chasing the Star”  VOTE and leave a REVIEW if so inclined. I enjoy seeing what audiences connected with. We have a couple of quality reviews coming up this week on the film. One really made me smile and was sent by our distributor Sat morning.  Another highlight for me was watching “CTS” on the sixty foot high IMAX screen in 5.1 – sitting in the recliner seats. So nice, it was also the screening my parents attended.

Forty Nights

This upcoming month of May will have members of our team traveling to Florida for the ICFF festival where “Forty Nights” is up for several awards.

Larels Landscape Noms

The remastered movie is now available on DVD and streaming.

Here is one of the featured new sites at Wal-Mart.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/DVD-Forty-Nights-April/995054944?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=6335&adid=22222222227079705856&wmlspartner=wmtlabs&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=192134104056&wl4=pla-303298065745&wl5=9017262&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=114431391&wl11=online&wl12=995054944&wl13=&veh=sem

OR our friends at Christian Book

https://www.christianbook.com/forty-nights/9781945788123/pd/638930?dv=%7Bdevice%7D&en=google&event=SHOP&kw=dvds-0-20%7C638930&p=1179710&gclid=CjwKEAjwlpbIBRCx4eT8l9W26igSJAAuQ_HGhgMxZAYnsijPBVpthMpQGGXhZYkin6_op-O0BF0IhBoCAw7w_wcB

I also know we’re prepping for foreign sales with all the films. I see some of our foreign readers commenting and I sincerely wish to get our products to your territories. Same as “Chasing the Star” if you’ve seen the film please go to http://www.imdb.com “40 Nights or Forty Nights” and VOTE/REVIEW.

The Christ Slayer

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The third film in the trilogy is now in full editing. We’ve also been adding to the post-production team in the arena of VFX. We’ll be making some announcements on all that in the coming weeks . A first poster and trailer will arrive at some point here soon. We’re also going to be launching a new QUEST TRILOGY website in the coming weeks. Exciting stuff.

WILD FAITH

This has been an exciting project to move down the line. A VFX team is brought together. The “picture cut” has moved on to music and sound design and in a few months we’ll have our finished film. In the meantime the series spin-off is having serious talk. Lots of development work is being done on this endeavor. Hard work usually = progress.

DEVELOPMENT

Several additional projects are in development. I’m writing daily on new material. We’ll be making some announcements later in the year about the direction of some of these new projects. Aside from that I’m excited about getting the garden going and soccer starting next weekend. It will be time to tie up the cleats and kick some gr(ass).

I hope you all have a great end to your weekend and a great week ahead.

Be good to one another.

DJ