NEW ‘CDI’ FILM UPDATES! – November 19th, 2023
This is a truly chilly Michigan morning. Thankfully I was able to get a hot pot of hazelnut coffee flowing. I want to welcome my new readers from India, Philippines, Bangladesh and Canada. I’ve been busy getting things rolling in promotion with SILENT NIGHT IN ALGONA and we’re also chugging along on HARSENS ISLAND REVENGE post-production. I’ve had several meetings over the course of the week. MSU, my alumni actually won a close football game yesterday and we’ll see in the Detroit Lions can keep their momentum.
This week I kept up with the winterizing of the yard. We’re going up North on Thanksgiving so we’re having a holiday gathering at my dad’s today. We enjoyed watching the SILVER BELLS holiday tree lighting fest here in Lansing. From our house we could watch the drone show and the fireworks show put on by one of our “Harsens Island Revenge” sponsors, ACE Pyro Inc. It was a great display.
- Met with our BMG Global team on the roll out of PR leading up to the December 1st DVD and streaming release of SILENT NIGHT IN ALGONA. I know Amazon Prime and Vudu are a couple of the streaming sites that will carry the film. Many more streaming platforms will be releasing it I just need to track those links down. It will make a great gift and shared watch with family. PRE-ORDER the DVD here- https://www.amazon.com/Silent-Night-Algona-Anthony-Hornus/dp/B0CL7DFYSK/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2OKCPJN0M4XQ&keywords=silent+night+in+algona&qid=1700399845&sprefix=silent+night+in+algona+%2Caps%2C94&sr=8-1
- I met this week with an old friend discussion charity work with CDI. It is something we’ll move into more of as we continue to develop and grow the company.
- I also had a meeting with Adam Towner this week over our CDI back up RAID that is being assembled. Once that is active we’ll have easier access to our footage for promotional work. One of the the things I want done is a Behind the Scenes video for Harsens Island Revenge to release in December and a CDI highlight reel to drop on Jan 1st, 2024.
- I also took a meeting over a possible CDI associated TV show. It was more consulting at this point but it could turn into something more solid leading into 2024.
- Met with our production designer GW Burns over CDI merchandise. One of the cool first run items is a collection of Christmas cards featuring locations and vehicles used in Harsens Island Revenge. You can view the cards and order from GW directly at https://www.facebook.com/GregWBurns
- I also met with our John “Tiger” Mashni, our fellow producer to prep for end of the year tax work and also film dispersement to our backers either in Dec or Jan. This also includes state filing fees and other business to-do’s.
- A beautiful thing is that BMG Global/Encourage TV has created a PLAY LIST for those wanting to watch one CDI film after another. We will be adding The Patchwork Girl from Oz to the list also. Here it is! https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2Tn2MhKrkFOCsmKZaxoZCT1R5GEOEL3E&si=KgpKfZOfJOAc91Ne
- And while a tad different, the animated CDI associated film THE PATCHWORK GIRL OF OZ is a wonderful watch for the entire family. It features many of your favorite characters. WATCH NOW! – https://youtu.be/qLaw6zOAsw0?si=ThELZd33DsDJqXJv
- Climbing in the ranks of films is CDI’s maiden voyage film KNIGHT CHILLS. It actually has a YULE time plot line which I will not give away. The film has been brought into high def and the audio has been remastered. Also many great extra features old and new. Give the gift and maybe a red rose;) BUY NOW! https://www.amazon.com/Knight-Chills-Tim-Jeffrey/dp/B0CJ5WBSZR/ref=sr_1_2?crid=BFQA5294BLA6&keywords=Knight+Chills&qid=1700401692&sprefix=knight+chills%2Caps%2C133&sr=8-2
- HERE is the final SILENT NIGHT IN ALGONA home video release trailer from BMG Global – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_D35qZCUlc
WRAP UP: So as you can see from above it was a busy week. While all this is underway we’re taking a hard look at development. It is nice to just have a clear head without any character building currently happening. I do love that process. But right now after months of keeping myself more or less clean shaved, I’m enjoying the wild beard. Plus it is helping with the cold for sure. I’ve been getting after log splitting and tonight I’ll have the wood stove kicking.
The fort’s fireside provides a great place to brainstorm and to move business along. I’m looking forward to many more over the winter as we find the spark for new upcoming projects. We have several properties in development. We’ll seek to capture that momentum from our upcoming releases and exciting post production updates. Who is excited to see a Harsens Island Revenge behind the scenes video or teaser trailer? They will be coming. In the meantime you watch follow us on Facebook and watch all the great photos rolling out.
As it gets cold it is a great time to revisit your CDI favorite films like The Quest Trilogy, Lost Heart, Wild Faith…If you want to watch director Anthony Hornus’ last film before SILENT NIGHT IN ALGONA releases watch MAN’S BEST FRIEND. I’m going to finish off the coffee and look at getting into some bacon and eggs. I hope you all are having a great harvest season. We are reaping the rewards of past efforts and it feels great. I want to once again thank all our backers, cast, crew and sponsors and most of all, our fans. Have a great week and we’ll chat next week. We might actually get some snow mid week so get out those warm clothes.
Coffee Cheers!
DJ
Quiet Sunday Reflections – Enjoying the Journey
Hazelnut coffee is flowing on this chilly November morning. I want to welcome our new readers from Italy and Canada among others. It has been a very busy time for myself and CDI. CDI http://www.cdiproductions.com is our production company. I’ve gotten lots of winterizing down this week including closing the fountain down and storing some of the yard decorations. CDI totes are also packed away awaiting the next big adventure.
For those that know that I make beer and wine – the newly bottled ROCKING RHUBARB was tried by myself and Transportation Capt. Dane DeFord and it got the thumbs up. Crisp and cider like with a tart bite followed by sweetness. Nature provided and it will be enjoyed over the winter months. I’ve had a steady stream of meetings by the fireside wood stove. Many project plans start around that wood table and around that dancing fire. Many have manifested into full flown completed projects.
Let’s look at the two projects front and center right now.
SILENT NIGHT IN ALGONA for some reason continues to be work getting it to market. It was a very technical films with two languages being used and many VFX including a child’s multiple dream sequences. We’ve made hundred of adjustments and our hope is that everything locks into place and stays. We just had a new round of QC questions. But we started to drift from technical to subjective. We did not use some cold computer translations we used translators. We tried to translate as they would have in the 20’s versus modern. We condensed and summarized some translations so they fit properly on the screen without distractions and yet give time to read them. A few singing places we did not translate because artistically it worked better.
Like all things creative it’s trying to mind your boundaries. If an occasional “Easter egg” intentional or unintentional (EXAMPLES – In Raiders of the Lost Ark – R2D2 and C3PO can be seen drawn on the walls in the Well of Souls. In Star Wars – You can freeze frame a scene and see actor Kenny bake inside the R2D2. Not QC’s place to call these things out. Mind your boundaries. I enforce that with our team working with marketing. They know their marketing job better just as content creators know more about the production. So this week we’ll do a last look at the file that has been assembled and it will be heading out to streaming platforms to prep for Dec 1st. DVD’s will also start to be created and ship to warehouses. It has been a long journey and it is almost over. Once in the marketplace it will be there for many years to come. I want to thank everyone involved. So CLOSE!
We also are going to talk with all our Algona business friends. A DVD would be a great holiday gift for employees, members of organizations, gifts for volunteers and such. Also we want to help get the DVD’s for sale into the museums, Fridley concession sales of the DVD? Grocery stores and more in the state of Iowa could carry the DVD. I think this film could be a new Christmas classic. You can help make it one!
I’m loving the bi-weekly marketing meetings and so appreciate the BMG Global team for all they’re doing to make this film live up to its potential.
Actual Old Club as it appeared in the 1920’s
Harsens Island Revenge – The updates for the week include an awesome report on editing. Several scenes are cut and our director is thrilled. We’ll do a watch once the 1st half hour or so is edited. The Harsens Island footage is being reviewed and we got some good pieces for one of our action sequences and some good establishing shots. Many modern things had to be shot around or disqualified a place for use in the film. I discussed in my past blog why we did not use more of the island. But those who didn’t understand just don’t understand filmmaking and that is okay. I don’t fully understand many other vocations. We are looking to shoot our 2nd VFX piece and I’ll be talking more on that. It includes a few of our model boats. I’m also lining things up for our one WW1 pick up scene.
We have been having fun releasing official pics of several of our actors. We will also be picking our some TOP photos to offer for sale. It can be printed to canvas or on mugs or whatever one wishes. That will look to go live this month. We might start work on the BTS with our own Adam Towner. Advance discussions on a teaser trailer that will be cut by our director. The theatrical poster using our new elements might also be put into motion. 2024 will be an exciting year for this film.
(Should CDI make another biblical trilogy?)
DEVELOPMENT – I’ve spent a good amount of time in study, thought and in talks about developing properties. This can take years and even once a green light (GO) prep, shooting and post can take two years. Six months to prep for release and release – it is a journey. So we’re looking at projects that are already underway and some are just beginning at the script stage. I’ve discussed some of these projects in past blogs. While CDI makes it seem easier to fund and launch, they are all difficult. Funding is always the hardiest part for most projects. But that said, we have several avenues we’re working on.
(Brainstorming at the CDI Fort/Think tank)
WRAP UP: The season of holiday watching has started. I’ve already fielding several new fan emails about BIGFOOT, UFO’s and JESUS, WILD FAITH, FORTY NIGHTS. BEST YEARS GONE – Can you believe a Gil Gilles fan club has been started. Look for it on FB it is there. This is a great time to watch or re-watch your CDI favorites!
(Have you met Gil in BEST YEARS GONE?)
I’ve got some busy work this week as our distributor is moving from checks to direct deposit. I am not a tech fan and sometimes begrudge change but I’m trying to roll with it. A small effort and this will save me deposit work later. Tax season is around the corner and so we’ll be prepping for that.
I’m going to wrap it up here and do a little advanced work for next week. I just had some of our eggs and a nice breakfast scramble. Might have to refill ye ole coffee cup. I want everyone out there to know that every week of your life will bring TO DO’s. There will be TO DO’s in your box when your time is up. Enjoy that journey again. I truly do enjoy all the good artistic folks we have on these amazing endeavors. I also sincerely appreciate all of you out there. Thank you for supporting what we do here. Until next week – be good to one another and keep chasing that dream.
Coffee Cheers!
DJ
Happy 4th! Crazy 8 Updates (NEW Trailer)
(Gil Gilles and Sylvia say have a Happy 4th and don’t drink light beer!)
Good morning and Happy 4th to you all! I’m sipping the hazelnut coffee as the morning started chilly but is suppose to get warm today. This day is about the Independence of the ole USA. A pretty incredible nation has been created but it was messy and not an easy task. The trials and tribulations continue but I will say having traveled many places in the world that we have it good. I didn’t say ‘perfect’ but good is something many of us have been able to build upon. This past week we had some storms bad enough with tornado sightings that many took to their basements. I’ve been studying WW2 for our upcoming Nov film and can’t imagine dealing with air raid warnings and yet many countries still do. The great thing is that anyone can grow up to make a change. That opportunity, not promised but it can be earned, found, imagined. I have to admit to liking the competitive space race amongst the private sectors. Add a dash of national space race and I really think I might get to enjoy space travel in my life time. Instead of just sitting on their earnings they are pioneering and that is exciting. The UFO report was released minus the national security aspects given to congress. That is also promoting much talk and speculation but I think the good thing is that the mystery objects could now provide recognition vs ridicule for scientist.
It has been good to be engaging in family and friend get togethers again. Catching up on missed birthdays and such gatherings. I hope all of you have enjoyed some of these gatherings and better appreciated the company of one another. Our own property has hosted a few gatherings and I enjoy keeping it rustically groomed and harvest the bounty of berries and such found on the property. But the other day after mowing 1/3 the yard the mower and I got caught in one of those downpours of rain. It just did not want to start after that and I tried all kinds of “online” tricks and such. I literally pulled the start cord 300 times trying to get it started. I got a little obsessed followed by #@!#^%$ which had my arm feeling like I had down super sets in the gym with one arm. That morning after a few sips of coffee the challenge set in again. I marched out and with my left arm (fresh and strong) but 50 increasing pulls yanking the rope out of the machine with a roar. Mechanics and technology are not my strong suit. Apparently wrecking shit is. The long short was a decommissioned mower whereas maybe the motor kept for a go-cart but a new mower was ordered. It is sitting here and I’ll be putting that together. It is an electric vs gas after going that direction with my weed whipper. The gas one always had be tinkering vs whipping weeds.
Let’s look at some of the top ten updates from the films here at CDI
- Plans might be soon underway to have ASHES OF EDEN joining BESTSELLER with a new BMG Global campaign. This was the first CDI collaboration with Shane Hagedorn who recently directed the upcoming BEST YEARS GONE. Did you see the trailer? Did it grab you? Make you laugh? Join us and follow us here at the FB site and watch the trailer. https://www.facebook.com/Bestyearsgone/videos/942523879863374
- More WW2 casting sand crewing choices and we will look to start putting agreements under folks end of July/start of Aug because we have an Aug scout trip to Algona coming together. We met over the agreements because film projects are really a web of interconnecting agreements. SILENT NIGHT IN ALGONA follow along on Facebook for all the new updates.
- BEST YEARS GONE premiere events are forming up and I have theatrical talks in the next couple weeks. We are going to do a badass spectator drag race and outdoor screening of the film SEPT 11th you are getting advanced notice. A theatrical premiere will also happen in Owosso, MI at the NCG and I will let you know on dates soon but it will also be in Sept maybe the 18th, 25th? Not sure yet. Stay tuned! We plan to film and broadcast this all out at a later date like we did with the LOST HEART premiere at the Double JJ Resort.
- BIGFOOT, UFOS and JESUS – A fun title for a fun film that also includes some serious drama. That said, it will leave you feeling uplifted by the time the credits roll. Take a look for yourself because seeing is believing:)
- MANS BEST FRIEND the surprise awards at the ICVM were talked about last week but yesterday at a family gathering I was sitting with a just retired motorcycle mechanic. Nearly 7 feet tall (really) and use to be with a biker club and is polite as you get. Often quiet and soft spoken he told me he saw my movie MBF. Now his best friend is his dog who hangs in his garage as he creates and fixes. He said it really got to him and that he thought I did a really excellent job as Paul. I told him while the law might often regard dogs as property, dog owners know better. They are family that make each and everyone of us better. To be frank, that one kind comment letting me know our story had touched his heart was better than any award. The awards do tell me that many have enjoyed our story and been touched enough to recognize it. We are thankful and for those unaware, the next WW2 film in Nov will be directed my MBF director Anthony Hornus. I know once again we will create something special with a small army of artists and supporters.
- SMOKE & MIRRORS VFX should be almost complete. I hope to see something final soon. I’ve also been finding some time to work on this feature. After doing the short I broke apart the feature script and I’m reworking it based on some things I saw while filming the short derivative.
- FOR THE LOVE OF CATCH – Some of you know my life long love and practice of the martial arts. Inspired by my education of Catch-Can by Curran Jacobs we set out to trace the origins of the art. And to showcase the branches of the art as it extended into college wrestling and professional wrestling. Also the doc showcases the colorful factions that are reviving the art because of their love of it. Today at 1:00 pm the 1st trailer will be released to the public. It will release on the ‘For the Love of Catch’ Facebook site and Curran Jacobs (our director) social media sites. It will go PUBLIC at 1:00pm is my understanding. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkISvIrv4hU&list=FLDu-wRzCwru4EOPLvW0HClg&index=2 I’m very proud of the work that our team has done on this documentary. So enjoy the sneak peek.
- WILD FAITH / HASTINGS – So I watched this film for the first time in a while as I polished up the coverages of the TV series. I was reminded of the beautiful camera work and music and the wonderful world we created with the Murphy family and friends at the heart of it. The TV series brings many of those beloved characters out more while introducing new ones. I’ve set up and had a few great conversations that has brought things closer. I have continued talks this week but I think my goal of having the series green light by the end of the year just might happen.
There you go – your Crazy Eight Updates! I have a new mower to assemble and I’m going to do a few yard things. Okay maybe nap in a hammock. I hope you all continue to have a good time with family and friends. Be thankful for being able to spend time with them again. Relax. Laugh. And after a good rest get back to your tasks with a renewed focus. Just keep walking your path and you just might surprise yourself with how far you travel.
Until next time.
DJ
DJ Perry's Official Blog 'Clawing My Way to the Middle' 