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

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First snow and HO HO HO!

The hazelnut is flowing and outside it was snowing. After shooting in Yuma, AZ it was a return to MI and walking right into Thanksgiving and now Xmas season is here! I was so busy in Yuma that I had little time to shop and thankfully since I got stung by $120 over weight fee with United Airlines. That is in addition to the $20 bag fee each way. So I have to explore 1) take smaller suitcase 2) buy socks, underwear and such there and leave them and 3) ship all gifts home at a fraction of price. All lessons learned.

We are now in post and footage on “Renovation” is being logged, sound sync, and passed to Flint Frame for a trailer cut and FX work.  2010 will bring some major marketing. Meanwhile Cecil Chambers and I have been trying to clean up after the old “Wild Michigan” set up and prep for a new set up. “Holly, Jingles and Clyde” with Michael Valverde is building strength and additional packaging for “A State of Hate” and “Timberwolf” are also underway.

On IMDB I’m looking at the projects listed and I am going to make some choices and respectfully bow out of a few projects. Either time conflict with other projects or the role is not really worth landing in the middle of a larger project/role. If they work out fine but with financing being hit and miss we will just have to see.

In additional to the http://www.cdiproductions.com I’ve got a couple of movies in 2010 about set. One is an acting gig which I cannot talk about until I get out from under the NDA (Non Disclosure) and they hit with 1st PR but it is a studio pic. Same with the 2nd movie but I actually had a hand in writing several of the early script versions on the 2nd project.

I was also told that on one of the projects people (actors) were using my name to try and gain access to casting. Most of these folks I had never met, maybe exchanged an email, maybe a phone call or we were shared cast mates on a yet to be shot film. Either way the producers contacted me and I had to explain. See in the old days the PROPER way of doing things was via the “Godfather” and “Godmother” calls. You called in a favor and someone “set the table” if they wanted to back your name. But in this new age of social networking where people have a thousand “friends” (Why they are not called associates is beyond me) it makes it easy for folks to fib and say “so and so are my friends” and that leads to these new issues in this age.

Old Hollywood frowns on this fib way of networking. If you say someone is your friend they damn well better be. And it would be so much better to have someone call, email and set the table if they truly are your friend.  So I’m going to ask the new group of actors, filmmakers to be aware that there is a PROPER way of conducting biz in Hollywood and if you get caught in one little fib it can ruin you in certain circles.

My name was used and I understand the desire to get ahead in a very tough industry but it must be done properly. So I told some of these producers I would address this in my blog here that gets read by many aspiring actors and artists. So there it is. Also I’m told that Hollywood doesn’t really use the STAR METER to pick to many folks now because actors with a slew of extra credits are finding ways to list on the major films and reducing their IMDB rank. This “Scam” is on Hollywood radar and so they are now heavily looking at distribution for that actor.

Okay enough of the lecturing…just trying to help and pass along some info from the inside.

Fun links

Wild Michigan visual synopsis (For investing purposes)

http://web.me.com/dennistherrian/site_2/Wild_Michigan_Promo.html

Upcoming site of some “Behind the Scenes RENOVATION”

http://www.channel1yuma.com/yumanlife.htm

Pepper will be starting a new series of Leading ladies from “Renovation” featuring Chandra Wood our hardworking hair/make up key on the film. I thought since she did such a wonderful job and had such a great smile that I would add her to our Leading Lady section. She surely was a star to all of us actors.

See http://www.djperryfanclub.com Leading Ladies next week!

Here is a 1st wrap of “Renovation” PR! More to follow…

http://www.joblo.com/arrow/index.php?id=19512

Look for a trailer maybe around Xmas.

In wrap up let me just say that I hope everyone is having a good season spending time with friends and family and being thankful for that time. I know as 2009 comes to a close and 2010 opens, new opportunities will be born and new stories (movies) will find their way into being.

DJ

Happy Thanksgiving…DJ Perry

Friends,

I will bypass my usual rant about my Native friends who always have a slightly different slant on the historic aspects of the day but we will focus on the meaning. For me in this moment it is only a week since I left the circus in Yuma, AZ and my family of friends got larger. Much laughter and hard work and for a group of us we were doing as we were meant to do as storytellers. It has been hard with the way of things but yet we push on.

I’m looking at options to get a few future projects launched. I’m encountering the first wave of new situations that include conditions. The give and take that happens with participation. We are entertaining a few outside the US productions. That could limit my cast and crew and so that makes for some very hard decisions. I do appreciate that we are becoming international and that our possibilities extend around the globe.  I will enjoy the holidays and see how these first chips fall and make the decisions that have to be made with the elder tribe’s input.

The wonderful part is that we have fires being lit under several projects. We had a major BUMP in the road on one project that stemmed from straight up dishonesty. I’m happy to say that dishonest entity is no longer doing business. A dishonest business or individual should be worried as our friends are many and our ability to quietly TCB is great. (TCB is Elvis and “taking care of business”)

I’ve been blessed with the Oct. releases of “An Ordinary Killer” and “Blood Ties” both selling their way into the market. Dec. 15th is the DVD release of “Book of Ruth” and my sincere hope is that Pureflix finishes all their wrap up business so we can all be happy in a project well done. I saw a rough cut and was very impressed by the work. Good work on both sides of the camera. BOR family I miss you all as well!

“Karma: Crime, Passion, Reincarnation” had a great festival premiere in NYC on the 15th but I wish I knew more of how audiences liked it. It is a cool unique thriller for sure.

The in-house slate of directors of Kennedy (Wild Michigan), Hornus (A State of Hate) and Teaster (Timberwolf) prepare for 2010 and we have a few new directors seeking a home with CDI http://www.cdiproductions.com  Most recently Robert Gwinn dir. of “Renovation” by association joined the tribe and talks with directors Michael Valverde and Renee O”Conner could see future growth. Director John Regan “The Flock” has been talking to me about “Sherwood Horror” (Think Robin Hood and think Vampires) for several years now and so we are looking to see how we could best package it up. It really is coming down to what HIS name as a director can package up. Most likely that would be produced under CDI. You can follow updates here…

www.sherwoodhorrormovie.com

They also covered this project in the magazine Creative Screenwriting.  Nov/Dec issue. It’s a cool article.  Page 13.

Here are a few PR Links on “Renovation”

http://www.channel1yuma.com/yumanlife.htm

http://www.yumasun.com/news/gwinn-54052-yuma-money.html

http://www.yumasun.com/articles/film-50310-movie-site.html

We will be starting to feature “Renovation” Leading Ladies on Pepper’s fansite.

http://www.djperryfanclub.com watch for new UPDATES!

Well I have to slowly get around to go to Pa Perry’s for Thanksgiving. I hope each and everyone of you finds joy in the thankfulness of what we have versus what we do not.  One day of health is priceless, remember that.

DJ