Every Big Goal is Achieved By A Series of Smaller Goals! – CDI UPDATES!
Good morning everyone out there. I want to once again thank all the readers from around the world. I see a lot of friends from the asian territories stopping by, welcome! It is sunny today in the Michigan and actually we’ve had a great stretch of good warm weather. The world is popping with green and I love the morning birds including a few neighborhood roosters. Our chickens have been loving the warmth and we’ve getting about five eggs a day. I’ve been spending my afternoons doing improvements on the property in-between business calls. I put in a plank walkway going around the fort office from a home improvement article I saw. It came out looking really good. I’ve also been grinding up some brush from tree trims to mulch. Also the under deck area I’m organizing and planning my retaining wall. I love getting out into nature and working in the dirt. I’m trying to bring back my hops that were relocated when the new deck went in. I’ve enjoyed having my morning coffee on the deck and also doing some of my daily stretching. We lost our first soccer match 6-3 which should have been closer but sometimes the ball doesn’t bounce just right.
I’ve also been adjusting to wearing glasses and also cataracts which has one that is advanced enough that the clarity in that eye varies by light and other variables. I’ve been taking my glasses off for my above mentioned soccer matches but I’ve decided I need to get some prescription “rec specs” for playing soccer. Might get them with glare guard to help my game. I’ve now talked with several friends who have dealt with this and even had the corrective surgery. Getting older is a privilege but a challenge to deal with this and that. I think I’m going to get a larger computer monitor to help versus just my smallish lap top screen. I share these things so folks know that while life is great I too also have challenges. I was wishing an old business associate a happy birthday and discovered he passed away in 2023. Again enjoy the journey. I am on the cusp of my June birthday month and I’m content. Another trip around the sun almost complete. Enough of these things and onto the artistic updates.
UPDATES:
- We have a marketing meeting for WILD FAITH CHRISTMAS with our home video distributor this week. We will try to do a few more theatrical showings in the Fall before we release to rent/buy on 11/3/26. The film will be represented at the RED LETTER AWARDS in August. We still might have a festival or two still in us but we are excited to make the film available to the tens of millions who enjoyed the original WILD FAITH. Just on the distributors ETV (YOUTUBE) the film has about 50k views short of nine million. Across all platforms I’m at a loss to even wager a guess at the audience but I’m deeply appreciative.
- ROM COMS MUST DIE is almost all delivered to home video and so we’ll get our streaming/DVD dates soon. But we are going to be releasing into theaters all Summer and even doing some fun brew N views. This movie was very well received and I just need to try and plug into the horror/comedy audience that I once knew well. We are doing a great TV show interview on June 11th called The Baron & Sindee Nyte Show on Youtube livestream at 7pm EST. I will be on there with Adam Towner mu co-star. If you have a review site or podcast and would live to talk this film that makes fun of our beloved film industry, reach out.
- AI JESUS: The Secret of the Kingdom Chip – We gathered at the Pine Studio to watch and listen to the film with the first full pass on all music and sound design. The score is just great but with Dennis Therrian‘s work that surprises nobody. But also the sound design was so good. It brings you right into the scene and the score amps up your emotions. The performances were powerful across the board. And the subject matter is so thought provoking. AI is entering into all areas of life and this film will have discussions stimulated. It is a film for everyone as all perspectives are addressed. The scientific non-believers, priests, nuns and everything in between. Technology. Religion. Government transparency. It is all there. We will likely look to do a big premiere in the coming weeks. This could easily be director Anthony Hornus‘ crown gem. Follow the Facebook page for all the updates! All our films have FB pages to follow. You might want to go back and watch THE QUEST TRILOGY (Forty Nights, Chasing the Star and The Christ Slayer) just to give some background. This film loosely is a follow up but not part of the trilogy.
- DEVIL’S PASS is no longer in development but pre-production. This collaboration is a unique western. Traditional in the values with a unique twist. It will be captured in a kinetic high action way by the McGraw brothers directing. We had a great meeting over crew and cast. We are still filling in the blanks on both but the blanks are getting fewer by the week. WILD FAITH alumni Darby Hinton has joined the cast and we’ve even bringing one of the last main cast members from BONANZA out of retirement Golden Globe nominee Mitch Vogel. You can see all the additional cast and crew on the IMDB page. Again all the films have IMDB pages. We have a meeting this week which we’ll be announcing some casting and crewing needs soon. This is for locals in the mid Michigan area. CDI always works with sponsors and we’ll be getting that process going soon.
DEVELOPMENT: Development is always underway and on many fronts from Algona, Iowa to Kalamazoo, Michigan. With several directors and showcasing several stories in various genres. I have a few business plans to review. I also have a few meetings to collect feedback on with funding potential. We are working now to line up 2027 productions. I’m also going to return to script writing as I have a few in process. I took a meeting on another possible book to script endeavor but we will see if that advances or not. I will take this time to thank all our investors and sponsors who make these stories possible.
WRAP UP: I’m going to wind this down and go enjoy some more coffee with donuts. It is the Fullmoon which is when I allow myself to eat something unhealthy. Aside the from the 24 hours usually stretched over two days, I stick to almonds, berries and healthier snacks. But I do love donuts. Trivia: My favorite even while they are all good is the double chocolate. I hope you all have been enjoying the first half of your year. I hope you are meeting your goals and crossing off your TO DO’s. Every big goal is achieved by a series of smaller goals. So get after those goals and make those dreams happen. Until next week- coffee cheers!
DJ
Welcome February! Looking at Updates and Exciting New Developments!
Good morning, Happy Feb 1st from frosty Michigan! I’m sipping the hazelnut coffee and I just let the chickens out retrieving one egg. Friday I was feeling the tinges of a head cold but I’ve about beaten that back. I’ve stayed quite healthy but the sub zero temps and being around a few small groups might have set it off. I think the fact that I had such a busy week and I sometimes go into work-a-holic mode. Once it gets nicer outside my time can be divided but when it is freezing staying chained to the desk is easier. I’ve got all the movie end of year tax stuff submitted to our firm. I even got my materials for my personal taxes out the door yesterday. My task I was putting off while recovering the last few days is splitting some logs for the office wood stove. I will get it blazing today and fill the bins. There is something about a good fire that focuses the mind, lifts the spirit and warms the body. I will give a run down of some of the highlights for the week and talk about what the week ahead holds.
- At one minute past midnight audiences got their first look at the director’s theatrical art for AI JESUS: The Secret of the Kingdom Chip and a link to the first preview. READ HERE WITH LINK TO THE TRAILER!
https://www.prlog.org/13124831.html - The above film AI Jesus has locked up their visual and it is moving into music and sound design with Dennis Therrian. This is one of my favorite parts of the process whereas the music magnifies what you feel on the screen. While not a direct follow up this movie has tie in’s to CDI’s The Quest Trilogy, a heroic journey series of stories that you can watch now. In order they are FORTY NIGHTS, CHASING THE STAR and THE CHRIST SLAYER. Please do watch all three!
- ROM COMS MUST DIE – I’ve been pulling the final pieces together on the end credits. This coming Friday we will be doing a watch of the full film. Once locked we will add the end credits and create the file for theatrical and home video delivery. We would love to see it hit theaters around April 1st (no fooling) and home video will be Q3 before Halloween.
- Behind the Scenes of ROM COMS MUST DIE edited together by Jeff Behrendt will release on Valentine’s Day Feb 14th!
- WILD FAITH CHRISTMAS just wrapped up a theatrical run in Algona, Iowa. We will be running theatrical showings up to our Q4 pre-holiday release. This 2nd film follows the action of WILD FAITH streaming now.
- HARSENS ISLAND REVENGE our 1920’s action/romance adventure has started its run on streaming services and I’m getting weekly fan mail from that movie. It was really fun to film and our CDI team did a wonderful job. Pop over to one of the streaming sites and take a watch!
- I’m really excited about the new update to the CDI website thanks to David Gries. You can check out the new website which is still being tweaked and proofed but is looking great! It is at http://www.cdiproductions.com
- In addition that the wonderful website update we have a CDI Highlight Reel coming from Adam Towner. He was given a task and we allowed his creativity to flow and flow it did. We will be releasing this soon but it is to celebrate 30 years of CDI.
- We are exploring a few Dennis Therrian music videos for some of the songs created for HARSENS ISLAND REVENGE and WILD FAITH CHRISTMAS as well as a CDI co-production of another music video from our friends with Shallow Rising, a song called BLIZZARD. We will let you know when that releases. But Yes. CDI does music videos so reach out if you would like us to consider producing yours. We can work with several budget sizes.
- We do have a few commercial projects in development as well as a documentary or two. We have artists that excel in all these different areas. So again reach out and let’s see what we can do for you.
- I had a few great conversations on some feature film development both large and small. I will save some of this talk for another day as I don’t like to discuss too much until it becomes more solid. Also with some of my end of year work coming to a close I can turn more attention to development.
- Last Sunday I filmed on a short film in my home town. It was actually shot on 16mm and it had been a while since I was performing on actual film. The day was a snowstorm and freezing but all went well save a drained battery in my jeep that had to be jumped thanks to great production assistants on set. My battery just needed a charge as it might have came off the lot with a low battery charge. But that is all behind me and I’m looking forward to seeing what these passionate filmmakers created. A rule is often the harsher the weather conditions on cast and crew the better it looks on camera.
WRAP UP: Today is the full moon which is my 24 hours of cheat eating a month so donuts are in order. I’ve been subbing in on my brother’s indoor soccer team and it is getting my running legs back in shape. This will make it easier when outdoor season starts. I had one of the two remaining wisdom teeth removed this week so I’ve been dealing with that. In a few weeks they will do the other one.
This week we will start work on the theatrical poster for ROM COMS MUST DIE and have a meeting over submitting to a few festivals. The AI Jesus film will start expending the marketing based off the new trailer. I’ll be working to place the last few marketing supporters behind this unique story. We are working to expand our sponsorship base and build off the incredible brands we work with now.
I’m going to go refill ye ole coffee cup and prepare myself for some log splitting. I hope you all have a great start to your month. Can you believe that the first month of 2026 is in the books? I want to say RIP to Roger Moore who worked wardrobe on our Ghost Town movie. He stayed on when the theme park was open performing gunfights with Robert Bradley. Also we lost a few legendary artists with Catherine O’Hara and Demond Wilson whom I reached out to before on one of our past films. As I’ve said before we are taking the torch and we’ll keep creating. I hope all of you will do the same. Until next week my friends, coffee cheers! – DJ
DJ Perry's Official Blog 'Clawing My Way to the Middle' 