HAPPY FATHER’S DAY and SOME GREAT CDI FILM UPDATES!
HAPPY FATHER’S DAY – To my daddy and my brother who is also an amazing daddy. My bro seen here with one of his two lil Perry’s Wes. A good day to show your appreciation to anyone in your life who fills that role. I plan to see my dad today for a visit and this week we’re taking a day trip with my dad to go visit some of his places he lived and hung out as a child. It was his dream to have a family and I think he did a good job. Conversely yesterday we attended a nice memorial for a family friend. She was a childhood friend of my mom’s and went to school with both my parents. It makes me think of my own close friends from my youth. I still talk and spend time with so many of them and I cannot imagine losing them. Sadly, we have lost a few over the years but that helps keep everything in perspective.
My allergy eye is still having good and bad days but it is improving or I’m getting use to it. I played my first game with my prescription sports goggles and despite being able to see MUCH better we still lost the game. But as I always say, I always win by way of workout. My legs have been heavy from a great battle where we had lower numbers leaving little time off the field. I’ve also been loving so much soccer on the field. I’ve sat and watched several games and often have it playing in the background.
I’m starting to do some trimming in the yard again as things are growing like gangbusters. I love the bounce of working around the property between business calls and such. I still did not get to bottling the home wine from last year’s berry picks. We have new berries starting to come in now. I still have some projects I want to complete but it is a work-in-progress. I plan to do some grilling today with some venison steaks and I think we are going to wander down to the flea market. Okay let’s get talking about some of our film projects.
FILM UPDATES:
- We just did our flights and lodging for the Will Roger’s Awards in October with Wild Faith Christmas. The same film is being represented in August at the Red Letter Awards where the film has ten nominations! This film might still have a few theatrical runs before the 11/3/26 streaming and DVD release.
- ROM COMS MUST DIE is starting to get advanced reviews before the 10/2/26 DVD and streaming release. I’m working on a brew and view set up or two and we are trying to get the next theatrical showings set up. I’m humbly surprised at the powerful 3rd party reviews giving it 9’s and 10’s. It is a unique story that makes fun of our beloved industry. Artists will really get all the inside jokes and the general audience is enjoying the wild and wacky ride. If you get a chance to see it in the theaters before the Oct release leave your own review on IMDB.com or elsewhere.
- AI JESUS: The Secret of the Kingdom Chip – is being delivered to our home video distributor. I need to get the wrap book digitized. I was going to do it end of last week but some RETURN TO ALGONA (More on this later) meetings took that time. Everyone has a reaction to this title. Sometimes good and sometimes hesitant but always curious. This film is a deep film wrapped in a funny external story that mirrors actual events. I never thought I would play Jesus again after THE QUEST TRILOGY but…so stay tuned. We’ll know if we’ll be rolling out to theaters working with our Dreamscape Productions partners this week. Join the FB page, watch the trailer and get ready to learn the secret of the kingdom chip.
- DEVIL’S PASS – We had a 3.5 hr schedule meeting last week to fine tune and debate scene order with our AD Adam Towner and our directors. We have casting underway and will be looking at some of the submissions this coming week. We have a few cool casting opportunities in motion and everyone is getting excited. We have a few crew roles open and the McGraw’s have been interviewing. Our biz paperwork has been distributed and as that comes back in we’ll be opening the bank account soon. We are working on our first few sponsors and that is always an exciting time. I’ve been personally enjoying the building of my character for this film. It is something vastly new for me and I like that. So casting and crewing is moving along. Schedule will be locked this week. It is going to be a cool moody world we bring to the screen.
DEVELOPMENT:
- RETURN TO ALGONA – Soon we will start closing in on our funders and sponsors for this follow up film to SILENT NIGHT IN ALGONA. Last week we took another step with a financial commitment from the PW Museum. We are going to be challenging several more individuals and companies to help us preserve this next chapter of this incredible story. The story has been read and loved by many of the returning actors. If you or your company want to be involved feel free to reach out.
- I’m trying to get things off my desk so I can do a complete comb through on the Katharsys Media/CDI three film package. We have two films developing with Curran Jacobs and a handful of other random films developing. I’m back to script writing on a pair of scripts. Both are follow up’s to films we’ve had some wonderful success with.
- RETURN TO ALGONA as previously noted is gaining some momentum with now over half the funds committed. The first film put Algona on the map and this second film will help cement that. I want to thank the Donald Tietz Charitable Foundation and the PW Museum.
WRAP UP: I could have followed up on more development but that is always a chess game. In a few weeks I’ll be in LA/Hollywood for a few days on vacation and plan to meet up with a few industry amigos. I’m still waiting on disbursements from legal so I can get those out the door. This week is my nephew’s birthday party. I have a birthday Tuesday June 23rd and I don’t have any real plans as of now. I use to do some big parties but now I tend to keep them more low key. I’m going to wrap this up now and likely eat a few eggs before off top the flea market and I visit with my dad. I will see my brother later today and I already mentioned the grilling and chilling. I hope all of you have a great day. I will be a year older when we chat together again. Be good to one another and a great BIRTHDAY GIFT to me is to WATCH A CDI Film. I do appreciate each and everyone of you. Have a great week and coffee cheers! Mmmmm hazelnut coffee!
DJ
The Sailor, The Wizard and Rock and Roll!
The weather outside is warmer and the snow has started to melt. The sun spent some time out and hinted at the coming of Spring. I’m sipping the hazelnut coffee and I’m waking refreshed. My mind has been full of numbers and reports and lacking creative. But the foundation of business always has to established first before you start to build the creative. That creative that is the rare air we breathe. I know all artists feel those urges to create, perform, write and collaborate. Artists aren’t normally financed like many jobs they survive endeavor by endeavor. When the storms of life roll around you it is easy to feel at the mercy of the elements. A sailor on the sea of fates. But the word sailor is the key. He knows the winds and when to raise and lower the sails. He knows to sail into or against the winds. He knows his ship, his crew and how to manipulate the elements to get to his or her destination. They don’t fear the adventure they crave it. If you want safe you stay land bound by the fire. But that is not what ships are meant for.
“You’re a wizard Harry!” A simple statement from a famous franchise of books and films. To be an artist/filmmaker you must remember that you don’t just allow things to happen to you. You visualize a goal in the imagination, hold the vision strong by faith and force it into being with will-power. Will-power also includes the hard work needed to inject that will into the chaotic storm of life. I’ve pondered what has made me successful after all these years and this is what came to me as an answer. If you find your self floating in doubt, unfocused you will not be able to generate the will power required for success. Having done what is required is what gives faith in the process. You cannot just work hard but you must work smart.
Yesterday on the Hallmark day of love remembrance I released the 30th Anniversary CDI reel and PR. I noted again in this day and age where many don’t read beyond the headline, a weakness we have. People need to slow down but the pace of life and energy tries to force us into a frantic state when slow and deliberate is needed. Here is the PR link and the reel link is within it.
READ AND WATCH HERE: https://www.prlog.org/13127348-collective-development-inc-celebrates-30-years-of-independent-filmmaking-with-highlight-reel.html
I want to thank everyone who took the time to give thanks. It was a beautiful tribute video edited together by Adam Towner. Let’s look at some of the CDI updates.
- Wild Faith Christmas is being delivered to our home video distributor and will be planning for additional theatrical showings before the Q4 streaming and DVD release.
- Rom Coms Must Die is finished and we have it being reviewed by home and theatrical distribution. We will be having a marketing meeting on Monday to plan a premiere. We are actively looking for a few festivals that would be fun to attend and promote. A theatrical poster is being worked on and I think people will enjoy this parody of our film industry. We are looking to have it in theaters this Spring and Q3 streaming and DVD.
- AI Jesus: The Secret of the Kingdom Chip is in the music and sound studio having dialogue polished, sound design and musical score. The name for some will leave an odd feeling as it should. This was taken and fictionalized from a real event. AI already dominates dialog and is not slowing up. I think the film will create an immense amount of conversation. I’m very excited for this film to release into theaters this Summer and to streaming and DVD Q4.
- The CDI website has been updated and is where you can find other CDI films to watch. http://www.cdiproductions.com please do take a look and watch the other films in the CDI catalog. Thank you David Gries for the updates.
- CDI’s Youtube Channel is growing and I want to give it some added attention this year. Search it out to watch some great content related to the CDI films. WATCH HERE: https://www.youtube.com/@TribeCDI
- This blog – if you are one of the many around the world who read this every Sunday do me these two little favors A) Subscribe and B) Invite someone else to subscribe
DEVELOPMENT: I’m going to be returning to some of my screenwriting. I have several that I develop between the paid writing gigs. I am very happy with the film scripts in the works. I’m excited about the high and low concept projects in development. High and Low could be applied to the budget required to do justice to the story. And some of these scripts have been in development for years. These projects happen because of financial backers. There is no trick to it. Often it is just good planning, good track record and good reputation. I’ve had many tell me that being part of these CDI films are some of the best endeavors they’ve ever been part of. I agree. But I’m biased. But you cannot NOT do the work and just sit in hope that something will happen. I’ve had conversations recently whereas the desire is there but the daily, weekly, monthly, yearly work to move towards production is just not being done. I live and breathe these stories.
WRAP UP: The eye appointment I had this past week reminded me that the years indeed are clicking by. I’ve been a touch mentally tired by the current heavy lifting I’m doing to try and launch a few larger endeavors. The rough seas that I talked about in our opening intro. But I had to slow myself and take a few deep breaths and remind myself that I am a sailor. I am a wizard. I am an artists not afraid to do the hard work needed to make things happen. I respect doers. But talk to any of them and if they are being straight with you they will tell you it is not easy.
In the wake of our 30 year PR I had a handful of screenplay writers reach out. A bit of research will show that we don’t require screenplays. But a funded screenplay is always a different story. It doesn’t mean we will automatically do it but it is what makes it worth looking at. The script is the blue print as we’ve discussed. If it is not up to par it will not translate to a strong film. This is often a hard conversation when you like/love and respect the artist. But even with one of our current projects close to green light the writer felt the 2nd draft was perfect yet now we are working with draft 5 and it is much stronger. Most of my own scripts end up being a 5th to 7th draft.
I’m feeling the power of Spring myself. The emotions that hinder us start to melt under our own confidence. But it is good for others to know that we all have those moments where the stone feels heavy to push. But we have a tribe at CDI and the more hands that push the resistance gives and the rock starts to roll. Rock and Roll my friends! Let’s talk next week and I hope we all have made progress with our endeavors. Coffee Cheers! DJ
DJ Perry's Official Blog 'Clawing My Way to the Middle' 