Good morning to all of you out there. I’m sipping the morning java and I’m looking forward to sharing some thoughts on the past week, the season and the future. First, I have to say my focus is a bit more relaxed due to some big things coming off my TO DO list. The #1 thing off my list was the release of SILENT NIGHT IN ALGONA to home video. The DVD and streaming has been extremely strong and I think as the word gets out even more folks will enjoy a watch. With this newly freed up focus I found some of the ugly aspects of the world come more into view. My heart hurts watching all the war footage. All of this because wise people cannot make good words with one another and learn to live together. Killing over land and territory that we are all only borrowing. Mother Nature can take it back at anytime by earth, air, fire or water. Also killing others because of different beliefs is baffling to me. Even here in the USA we have strife between political parties. Immigrant issues, political corruption and again hate divided along ethnic, religious or political lines. And we are a great country doing the best we can but we can do better.
(Thoughts of a childhood friend Alan Drake gone to soon)
My opinion is that social media has hurt as much as it has helped. Every sad story is like a constant light snow of negativity slowly building – growing heavy on our hearts. At this time of year we also remember the loss of loved ones no longer in the rat race of life. I drove by a beautiful cemetery last week traveling to the dental cleaning. To so many this phase of existing is over yet we still remember the good times we shared. Yesterday was the funeral anniversary of someone dear to our family. And I think of past relatives aunts, uncles, grandparents, friends whose passing dates I cannot even remember. Maybe I choose to not remember those dates as those memories cause too much pain of loss. But I think each and every one of those people who loved us so would plead with us to not burden ourselves with so much sorrow. To not live in regret of past missteps or with anxiety of the future. To work hard to be good to one another. Friends, family, laughter and fellowship with our fellow life travelers is the most fulfilling. So much negativity poison out there that we drink willingly. But we can be healers for ourselves and one another. LOVE. It is the key. UNDERSTANDING is the path. UNITY can be the result. Start by loving yourself with all your flaws and missteps. Understanding others who do or say things out of pain or to hide pain. When we stop being hurt by every misstep of others and can see their pain we can achieve unity.
My meditations on 2024 have brought me many insights. I’m already making adjustments to my self that I feel will make me a better person. I think I’ve always done that which has brought me to where I am now. I don’t regret any of my past as again it led me to where I am. It is my journey. But clinging onto old fears, insecurities or patterns can hinder or slow growth. I know we all fight these battles in the mind from time to time. But I think we can put peace in our heart and mind by our actions, thoughts and deeds. Like I’ve stated before I’ve studied martial arts for a good part of my life learning to be a warrior. But as I travel this back half of life I want to focus on being a healer. I don’t want to hurt people as they hurt themselves enough. I do believe that as a storyteller I do allow myself to be a healer. In my screenwriting I feel like I can write a story parable that can promote healing and a positive change in perspective for people. It is why I don’t find as much fulfillment in stories of just pure escape. A powerful story can help improve, enrich and encourage people with hope. I have the fan mail to prove it the power of a story and it is humbling and fills one with appreciation. Appreciation that you can help others heal via a story.
SILENT NIGHT IN ALGONA – IF you have seen this powerful film working its way into the world marketplace and it has moved you please do share it. As noted if you rent/buy from a streaming site or buy a DVD say from Amazon– leave a little note like the one above. http://www.imdb.com is another great centralized database you can vote and leave a review on. Just search our film and you can add your words and thoughts. I can tell you for the artists it means the world. It makes their sacrifice of being away from home for weeks all worth it. The months of post work overcoming technical issues – worth it. This film has such beautiful themes in it that addresses many past issues in the hope we can avoid repeating mistakes. But once again Jewish hate is on the rise. Muslim hate. The stigma of a group of people being defined by the actions of a few once again unfolds. I do encourage people to take a watch on this true event story. Love. Understanding. Unity.
Harsens Island Revenge – Based on the book of the same title- this cautionary tale once again taken from past history will illustrate many important life lessons applicable to the now. The film is being edited together and in the new year we’ll capture our last few pieces and start music and sound design. Above is a gift from our friends at Pepsi who joined us on this adventure and will continue to travel with our storytelling tribe. So many good people brought together for a positive reason. Lifelong friendships formed with each telling of a story.
KNIGHT CHILLS – Above is Jackson Kennedy who when we filmed all those years ago was maybe 3-4 and is now 29 years old, married and a professor. I had such a wonderful visit with him the day before Thanksgiving. This was also the start of Collective Development Inc. that was started by his father Jeff Kennedy and I. Jeff is now enjoying retirement but I will always be eternally grateful to he and Nita Kennedy who believed in my dream. Thanks to them I am living my dream every day. The film was released on Blu-ray on Oct 31st and is now widely available for purchase. It has lots of great extras that would be extremely entertaining to fans and educational to young filmmakers. We’ve had some exciting meetings over continuing this story with a sequel and we’ll see how that develops.
Speaking on development–
WILD FAITH: HASTINGS – I had a good meeting over this at the end of the week. I would love to see the ongoing story of the Murphy family told. HOT ROD LOVE is being prepped for presentation soon. We have our first committed investor and sponsor. That sponsor will be our friends from Pepsi joining us again for this comedic female empowerment story of drag racing in the 1970’s. Several meetings in 2023 over a new Iowa film SPIRIT LAKE MASSACRE, we’ll keep moving that film development along. There is also another new opportunity for CDI production work. I’ll be heading to AZ for a few days at the start of the new year to take a meeting over this opportunity. I’ve also been doing a little bit of screenwriting here and there as time allows.
WRAP UP:
(My book editor Callie Smith Grant passed this year and I will miss our wonderful collaborations)
I’m going to wrap this up and maybe go do a touch of final shopping and a little wrapping like a Christmas elf. I know this time of year can be stressful and even lonely for some. Try not to give into the stress of trying to make things perfect. Just enjoy the end of the year – reflect and toast on those no longer with us save in our hearts. Let those still with us know they are loved. Nobody to spend time with maybe volunteer or adopt some elderly. There are homes full of folks who would enjoy your company. I know this from years ago as a Cub Scout. We use to go sing Christmas carols and spend time with those in assisted living. My father took us to deliver Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners to the elderly. The Special Olympics, Animal shelters…I’m going to try and commit to more charitable help in 2024. I even had a meeting a few weeks ago with a dear friend about helping us at CDI get more involved in causes. The sad lies in that you cannot help/fix everyone and everything but you can make a difference with a little kindness and a little time. I recall when we shot AN ORDINARY KILLER in Owosso, Michigan, we participated in a food give away. That was very fulfilling to all involved. I know this is the season that most people reflect more upon helping others but it should be something we practice year round. My next blog will be on Christmas Eve. And after that New Years Eve. Ponder and write down some of the changes you want to see in yourself. And be part of positive change for others. What can defeat all the negative in the world with no exception? LOVE.
Good morning my friends, I’m sipping the hazelnut coffee on this wonderful Sunday. I want to welcome all our new readers from Mexico, Netherlands, India, Canada and more. I’m up good and early as I have a day that keeps moving right until bedtime. I had a very good week of organizing and getting things done. A few meetings and some additional winterizing. That is what we have to do here to prepare for the ice and snow. I fixed the fence gate and split wood by axe attacking a stack of logs this past week. I paid the price the next day of overworking. Stiff neck and lower back but I got those worked out. I had one day where I was moving half speed at best. But I will need to get those muscles working to get through the winter. The wood stove will need to keep the logs burning.
(Fellowship of filmmaking – Tony Hornus center with Travis (Left) and Cody (Rt) on set. )
The Christmas tree is up and this past week a few outside decorations went up. I do love the colored bulbs. I don’t enjoy traffic and crowded stores and try to go at off times. We have three family Christmas gatherings in a row and so I’ve been also being a little elf wrapping away. I have a few good meetings this week that will also be part celebration and planning for 2024.
(Coming together to tell stories – myself, Don Most (center) and Carl Weyant (Rt) director)
Yesterday, I want to recognize that a friend, family and mentor passed away a year ago yesterday. I’ll always remember because I was in Algona, Iowa for the premiere of SILENT NIGHT IN ALGONA. We had done a radio show on a very snowy morning. This friend was going to have a medical test done and his heart stopped. I got up from resting my eyes knowing we had a pre-party followed by the premiere and lastly an afterglow at the VFW. I awoke from my short nap to find out this horrible news. It was this town’s beautiful day and story. It almost felt like WHOville at Christmastime, so I kept this news mostly quiet. He was really interested in seeing this WW2 era story. Now, Dec 1st this year was our home video release and I once again recalled again how badly he wanted to see this new film. Dec 9th marked one year without him. He is greatly missed – Dan the Druid.
(Just some of the CDI Tribe – multigenerational – back right John McGraw has been with the tribe the longest of the folks in this pic save me)
* NOTE: I had just put my phone in my vest pocket – I’m not packing heat:)
Let’s look at some of the exciting updates this week.
UPDATES
With the December 1st home video release of SILENT NIGHT IN ALGONA (SNIA), years of work before shooting and a few since of premiere release came to an end. From the point financial backers entrust you there is a somber seriousness that goes along with that responsibility. I’ve noted before that due to several variables this film was one of the hardest ones to finish in many years. But, with the national release I can exhale.
The SNIA pre-sales ranking for DVD’s on Amazon has stayed strong and we just got our November totals and it is our distributors top performing film. We had just shy of 3,000 people purchase the DVD as a keepsake or as a gift. Businesses purchasing for employees. Gifting DVD’s to nursing homes so that residents can enjoy the sights and sounds of an early day with a smile. Hospitals? Prisons? This true event film can truly lift the spirits. I am so appreciative of all the good folks who have watched and shared how special the film is. Especially those who have reviewed it on Amazon or http://www.imdb.com – we love to read about your experience watching this story and it encourages others to take a watch. Many of the film’s cast and crew have reached out to express their joy at being part of this film. Our kudos to all of you. Filmmaking is very hard work and many people don’t seem to grasp that. A huge effort of coordinating so many artists and variables. It just means so much to all of us to have everyone accept the film as they have. We make these stories for all of you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
A fan favorite is WILD FAITH, a family western, ah- mid-western. It just celebrated flying over the 8 million views mark at Encourage TV. (Free w/ ads search it out) They are just one of many platforms showcasing this and many of the CDI films. CDI even has their own playlist on Encourage TV. But with each passing year our fans for Wild Faith increase. We are still very interested in the TV series. We just have to align with the right partners. In 2024 we just must get all those pieces to line up. Persistence is one of my strengths.
2024 should bring some new life to the KNIGHT CHILLS franchise. A sequel has been talked about for years with various interested filmmakers. A sequel? The video game? Book reissue? Merchandise? I have a good meeting on Monday where part of the discussions will be on Knight Chills.
Harsens Island Revenge (HIR) updates- I had a great update with our director Carl Weyant, as he was heading to the airport to be with family. The film at the time of our discussion was just shy of 50 minutes edited and he said it was pretty damn tight. He was just so excited by the performances and the way the story all pulls together. Good script eh? 🙂 A teaser trailer and the film edit will be worked on and when Carl returns in January of 2024, we should have a rough edit to watch. Good talks with our composer have started but will become even more involved in 2024.
Additional HIR– I’ll be working with Tony Hornus on looking to cast our (5) WW1 German reenacts to film our opening. We’ll also bringing back in David Reardon and Bejo Dohmen for our final shooting of our opening scene in Feb. if everything goes according to plan.
WRAP UP: I’m enjoying the Christmas season and thankful for the time with family and friends. I’ve been organizing and reflecting. I’ve been calling up old friends and associates to check in with them and share a laugh. I’ve been trying to recharge. Having something like ‘Silent Night in Algona’ get to market thus fulfilling my main responsibility. “Create the best art possible within the business perimeters and getting it to market.” From there, how it is received depends on the audience and the distributors.
Let’s talk on that a beat-
Many distributors are puppy mills for films. Horrible deals that will rob filmmakers versus develop and grow with them. Work smarter vs harder, I say. Distribute less content but ones worth more revenue via quality. Every major company that embraced its brand worked hard in customer service to build customer loyalty. They care about what people think of their company. CDI is like that. Many we do business with share that idea. I know our new Pepsi contact and team takes great pride in their brand(s).
Some exploitation distributors just wreck and rape, harsh word I know but a very good illustration when you look at how artists love their “child” films. Once the exploitive distributor ship has taken on too many legal hits they scuttle the company. So reputation of the distributor matters and I can attest that it can make a lot of difference between living in the past or future. A good partnership like what we just shared on the launch of ‘Silent Night in Algona’ is golden. To have a chance at creating something great it takes more effort versus just going through the motions. Having everyone aligned towards a common goal with content that is truly uplifting woven within a true story of goodness. In a world where we are reminded daily of senseless shootings and never ending wars, a film that gives HOPE is like gold.
To bring it full circle, the saying “you are wealthy by what you can give away, not what you have” is a powerful saying to ponder. When you’re giving to others you’re also living in a season of being blessed. Apply this to distribution – Once a distribution company has good content flowing in from fair development practices you will see great growth in the distribution branch. To grow yourself you must have healthy story providers. A company quickly gets known for the quality of their content. They can become greater than the sum of the parts/films if they choice wisely. CDI (www.cdiproductions.com) is also greater than the sum of the parts/films. A creative incubator – knights of the creative round table – tribeCDI THUNDERDOME! Okay. I need to back that down. But each film is a handcrafted piece of art made by many artists who care sincerely about storytelling. About legacy. I’m going to wrap it up now. I’m going to a memorial later and after spending time with my brother and a few friends. All our journeys will one day end here. Spend time with family and friends and keep expanding that circle of sincere. People don’t easily trust kindness. But people also feel/know sincere. That is a word I think I relate too. SINCERE. Now you can sincerely be a pain in the ass too. But I think I’m quite sincere in most all I do. Is a sincere effort same as best effort? I think if you give your best you are sincere in the effort. I will have to ponder and we’ll talk more about that on a different day.
Be sincere and good to one another. Until next week.
The hazelnut coffee is flowing so nicely this morning. It has been a fall fest around here as we moved past Halloween and into the holiday months. I enjoyed the lead up to the spooky holiday. Pumpkin carving and hanging with my brother’s family and seeing my niece and nephews costumes on Halloween were the best. He was an elf and she was a dragon. That love of fantasy sword and sorcery continues. On Nov 1st the ‘Rocking Rhubarb’ was bottled. We tried it in one of our meetings on Friday and it was met with good marks. It will get even smoother in the bottles. The apples are all picked by us or the local squirrels in the area. The chickens are molting and egg production is slowing. On Friday I was swinging an axe cutting logs into smaller pieces of kindling for the wood stove.
I also had the pleasure of meeting with two upcoming filmmakers this past week. One makes films with his brother and a best friend while also running a commercial video production company. It was nice to just spend some time and allow him to ask any questions he might have. I’m looking at seeing where perhaps we can assist them. The other meeting was with a fine local gent who has produced his first feature. It has played the theaters and is now working to get into the home video market. The hoops can be great as I can attest to. Many filmmakers likely could not pass quality control. Also many have worked on their craft/art but the business end is what they lack. It has taken me almost three decades to obtain the experience I have. For many filmmakers the funding is still the hardest part. And the real challenge lies when someone says yes, and you have to execute. CDI (Our prod co) is again about creating the best art inside business parameters.
What does that mean? It means managing cast and crew and enforcing creative lines. Many production companies struggle because if the problem is at the top it is hard to correct. If you have an owner always ‘line stepping” on his creative that will breed a host of issues. It is only stepping in to manage a situation on a business front and allowing your appointments to creative do their craft. I’ve spoke before about how as a screenwriter, once the director/writer meetings are over the writer steps out. If you are careful to pick the right creatives there is no need to micromanage. So take the time to pick the right variables/ingredients/cast/crew and your job will be much easier. Also have a very strong script before you move to execute it. Let’s look at a few projects that followed these principals.
SILENT NIGHT IN ALGONA – This project was a hard one due to several factors. Shooting out of state is always a challenge. The COLD WINDS of Iowa really showed us what bone-chilling cold was. After a strong theatrical run we finally prepped for our home video release. We started our marketing meetings with the distributor. SNIA was one of the flagship projects that our distributor pushed at AFM. I will get a full rundown of how things went this week. We know that it broke into the pre-sale Amazon DVD rankings at top 100 and quickly moved into the top 50. Our main PR won’t even start until December 1st which is our official release date for streaming and DVD. I was informed that pre-sales were stronger than a few properties heavily PR’d. The campaign push is GIVE THE GIFT OF HISTORY. I’m looking forward to seeing what foreign territories and broadcast partners are coming on board.
I think in this time of strife in our history, a film like SNIA will be well received. It is about another really dark time in world history WW2. And it showcases a camp that was empowered to watch over German PW’s. A beautiful and inspirational act/event happened that is really encouraging. It shows that we too can find unity, love, compassion and understanding even in our own dark times. SNIA is the best run for a Christmas classic save maybe The Quest Trilogy (Forty Nights, Chasing the Star, The Christ Slayer). We are all excited to be part of millions of people’s holiday season. The film can/could stand up just as a military drama but has a wonderful holiday theme. Thanksgiving and Christmas are seen from various perspectives. The Townsfolk, guards, and German PW’s perspectives are all examined. I’m so proud for the town of Algona. A small community with a big story. Many people and even companies are giving the gift of the DVD. Many companies do holiday gifts for their employees and what better gift? I hope that batches of DVD’s are bought and given out to folks at retirement centers and teachers use it to stimulate discussions. We are excited for the German people to see a film that isn’t just about a scolding of their past politics but celebrating something else. HOPE. Hope for a better world. The film has a voice and lessons that can apply to now. The comparisons of Camp Algona during WW2 and say Guantanamo Bay are very different. We can only hope as storytellers to remind and challenge people to do better. Once you do get a chance to watch the film please do go to our IMDB.com page and leave your feedback. It’s not a perfect film as I’m not sure one exists- maybe Raiders of the Lost Ark:) If you haven’t been hit by a slew of our PR here is the pre-order link. Buy one for yourself and anyone who might enjoy this story. ORDER HERE: https://www.amazon.com/Silent-Night-Algona-Anthony-Hornus/dp/B0CL7DFYSK/ref=sr_1_1?crid=TN24S4D0WPUY&keywords=silent+night+in+algona&qid=1699193228&sprefix=%2Caps%2C236&sr=8-1
Harsens Island Revenge – Aside from a pick up scene in Feb. 2024 and (2) VFX shots the film is done capturing footage. We had our director and McGraw Multimedia out with a first person drone capturing beauty and landmark establishing shots of the actual Harsens Island. We’ve had a few people inquire as to why more wasn’t filmed at the island and that is fine as most don’t understand the process of filmmaking. A full cast and crew plus extras came to about 200 people. Getting enough extras for scenes to participate on an island would be difficult. Lodging. Hospitals, Walmart, Gordons Food, Home Depot, and access to Camera/Grip and electric needs. All these are logistic reasons because of a ferry running at certain times being the main issue. Now add in how modern has crept into the island with each sign and renovation. The point is we did some PR to explain this but some were still not satisfied. But again, they’re not accountable for a budget or have the experience in filming a juggernaut like this film. But I respect the questioning- READ ABOUT IT HERE: https://www.prlog.org/12991986-harsens-island-revenge-moves-into-post-production.html
KNIGHT CHILLS – While Harsens Island Revenge represents our most recent CDI (www.cdiproductions.com) film, KNIGHT CHILLS was CDI’s first film. It shows the immense growth of our company. I still find it hard to believe it is such a classic to some but it is a living lesson to doing it yourself. Nobody can stop you from being a storyteller on film, a filmmaker – just do it. Learning how to produce the show is part of the equation and doing to proper BIZ is the other. Many get lost on the latter because it is far less sexy than the SHOW part. But the show will not flourish without the biz.
Much like Knight Chills above from the CDI library is being brought back to market, we’re going to keep at it. We will look to update and move one to two films into the market. We get Ghost Town back in Feb 2024 and we might look at setting up a big 2024 Fall release. That film had issues with our middle man/company (You can look it up) and Lionsgate. We are going to be setting up a special edition to release with Desktop Entertainment. These talks have happened but the deal is not official. I cannot assign it until the other agreement expires in Feb. But we’ve been working on a new trailer and prepping elements. The other might be FROM VENUS, if director Jeff Kennedy is up to helping provide some extra content. This would be with our partners at Saturn Core who did Knight Chills. Did you know Sir. Kallio from Knight Chills makes an appearance in FROM VENUS? FIGURE IN THE FOREST and AN ORDINARY KILLER are in talks to be brought back to market.
But looking ahead at new content-
HOT ROD LOVE is entering talks with track owners again. We had issues with our main location and had to shift gears. Pun intended. This 70’s comedy has some great lessons embedded into an ensemble of fun. We’ll have some talks in the next few weeks with creative keys and potential backers. I know that many of the sponsors and product partners love the idea of advertisement in the 70’s, groovy. We had some traction before but without the right place to film started to lose time. Certain stories need to be filmed at certain times. But things are looking really good for this film which if I have my way, summer 24 cabers roll.
(From earlier in the year now almost 8 million on Encourage TV)
HASTINGS TV Series – This beautiful season one, 8 show endeavor has many pieces lined up. We even have places being offered to build sets on. The town of Hastings would still remain our main location but the series would allow some travel. This spin off from WILD FAITH would be our love letter to those early Disney-like movies and tv shows that had lessons woven within. If you haven’t watched Wild Faith and met Emmett, Thelma, Ben, Hester and more – take a Watch-HERE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0LCdlq-BK0
SPIRIT LAKE MASSACRE – Another powerful story from the state of Iowa. The amazing story was brought to me by the Donald Tietz Charitable Foundation to develop. The script is some of my best work and is again about perspectives. We’re going to spend several months talking to various organization and individuals about getting partners behind this story of actual events. These happenings are told in a brutal honest way with inspirational and thought provoking history captured keeping it from being lost to time. PRESERVING HISTORY is a worthy endeavor.
Associated CDI projects– possible. These occur when someone has their own funding and they control that aspect but lack and want experience that comes with CDI. But, we as a company have to consider their experience. In many cases it’s easier to just raise our own funds and execute production successfully as we do. Too many variables that we can’t control and the quality can fall drastically.
Script Writing is an on-going process. I bounce between pet projects and those slated for production sooner versus later. SMOKE & MIRRORS was a feature film and after our short concept film, I’ve been doing a page one re-write. The Halloween season gave me a nice backdrop for writing. I’ve also being reviewing books to once again choose one to adapt to a script. I think I’ve landed on the one that ‘feels’ right. If talks go proper and a deal is made I might start working on that project in Jan. 2024. I will work on writing daily on Smoke & Mirrors and my pet project scripts until the end of the year.
Outside projects– Yes. I’m open to acting offers and have thought of bringing an agent once again to field those occasional offers. I had an offer just before filming Harsens Island Revenge but ‘Axel’ was already firm in play. But for the most part I’m good at representing myself on these outside projects. I’ve had some wonderful adventures in storytelling with some amazing artists so I do love the occasional outside project. But to leave means not just my personal but my business doings also have to be attended to. So it just depends on the team and the story, and compensation to a certain degree.
WRAP UP:
I’m smelling bacon and eggs and the coffee is getting low. We had to fall back with our clocks so that has the routine slightly wonky. The Detroit Lions are taking a rest this week. MSU actually won a game yesterday. WINS all over. Estate Sale stop by and I got a dozen or so Conan the Barbarian books for $4. WIN! I’m going to do some yard clean up and winterizing before seeing my brother and a few amigos later. Next week/tomorrow – I’m right back at the movie work refreshed and recharged. Make sure you get a dose of nature and laughter to recharge your batteries. I love the holidays and we have much to feel grateful and appreciative for. As the air becomes cold I look forward to calls and meetings around the fire to discuss new grand adventures!