Producing is NEVER Easy, Acting UPDATES and COMMUNICATION as a KEY
(Just some of the CDI Tribe working on Harsens Island Revenge)
Good morning my friends. I’m sipping the hazelnut coffee and getting a later start due to ‘springing forward’ here in the USA. I’m not sure if they do that everywhere but some like it and others do not. I’m pretty indifferent to it all. I was pretty exhausted at the end of my week from grinding the mental gears. I think the added cold front coming in gave my sinuses a bit of a run but hot tea kept all that at a minimum. Many times you get only the highlights in my blog that show the final outcome. Meaning we did this or that but you don’t always get the in-between or the struggle to get that particular thing done. I’ve been grinding my gears trying to align many things for what we be an added 10-20 seconds in one scene that includes close ups in a period bi-plane with a beautiful wood cockpit that may or may not play on camera. As our Harsens Island Revenge script is written there is a WW1 opening to show Frankie’s (Our lead character) role in WW1 and how it shaped him. A 2-3 min sequence that also makes a statement about war and that war in particular.
(Again just some of CDI Tribe working towards the ‘Silent Night in Algona’ release)
To have the luxury to kill from afar keeps ones morality at a distance but having to kill up close is a different matter. Much like the dark ages where men killed each other up close with arrow, sword, axes and spears the dreaded WW1 was one that still used horses being fazed out by tanks slowly. Also many battles ended in sewage-filled trenches fighting with bayonets and trench knives. That is the horror that sticks with many of those soldiers. To be that close and see the immediate results of ones actions whereas you see the enemies lights go out. I think as they die a piece of the killer dies. A connection of sorts. I’ve been working for weeks to try and first get the location set up and the particulars around it. Add the players which have been hard to get. Not the leads but the ever-important extras who need to be equipped properly. WW1 has been the hardest to find on a budget, all the time periods to date. The best thing which we’ve done in the past is to hire passionate folks who reenact and put together their own kit. Our luck on that and the communication with those connected has been difficult. Add that we are up against a ticking clock to use the military base we had chosen. Why? Ten days prior all members have to be cleared and we are down to days to submit info on folks we have yet to find. Finding the folks alone isn’t hard but having them period dressed and equipped is and so this week we’ll decide if 1) We keep our shoot at the Alpena base 2) We reset the shoot elsewhere likely closer to mid MI giving us an extra week to find the gear and extras. 3) Kill the opening or strip it down to our just lead in WW1 having a slew of fast memories that brings us to the present 1920’s.
(On Set- Harsens Island Revenge)
It can truly be insanity at times and even with the best planning things fall apart or change. And this is all being done on a very tight remaining budget that is precious money that could be used to help launch the theatrical run after the film is complete. Now the film as it starts now is great and kicks off with some action so maybe we are good. Our composer at the first watch loves how it opens. AND we are trying to trim runtime but our proposed efforts is adding runtime. I think you are all getting the gist from my little peek into everything that goes into producing up this films. This is 3+minutes and we produced up 2hrs+ already. So when you see a bullet point of mine on here every week please do not assume any of it was easy. It is not. It gets done because of the talented people involved. People who care about the story. I don’t like to lose and I had to realize that we are in a WIN/WIN situation because the film is already great. We are trying to add sprinkles onto the top. The cake is going to taste great sprinkles or no sprinkles. And the audience will never know that sprinkles were an option.
(Boats that are 100 years old now)
After 2 hours+ of grinding my gears yesterday on something that wasn’t going to reveal itself, I had to just let go awhile. Maybe it is what makes me good at what I do? But yesterday I had to go and just organize in the office for a couple hours. I’ve got many things in motion for the CDI company and the more organized I am the more gets accomplished. Some music. Some organizing. Some chill tea and I regained my balance. Today I have a few conversations and by Weds of this week we’ll know if we are Alpena bound or if we are taking another direction.
(100 year old+ Planes)
Every direction has pros and cons usually ties to money. But in life just like filmmaking people can get frustrated when things you thought were taken care of, tied up, crossed off – start to unravel or come back at you. When you have to readdress something again in the present it takes from your future. Planning and development stop when you have to fix a crack in the foundation. So this 2-3 minutes has been very trying. It can be made harder but lack of communication. I swear we live in an age with more communication and we have become worse at communicating. People put boundaries on their times they work but that is not what we as successful filmmakers do. Now granted not everything is always as time sensitive as I sometimes feel it is but just knowing that it is on someones radar is satisfying. Message received. 10-4. On my list. I don’t like when people don’t acknowledge receipt of a communication. Even if busy. Let someone know because we live in a world of messages going into SPAM etc… COMMUNICATION. I just finished a great series THE BEAR about running a restaurant and it is all communication. “Yes chef” “Behind you Chef” “Corner” – and in soccer the team that communicates is the team that wins. A team with less talented players who communicate better can beat a team with more talented players if they win the communication game. “You have support” “Square” “Give and go” “Keeper’s ball“….My rant is just because I felt the endeavor unraveling despite hard work. In a project even asking “What can I do?” “What still needs to be done?” these things lead to success. And you have to always keep striving to improve.
(On set Harsens Island Revenge)
ANOTHER SIDE-the ACTOR
So above really is about producing up a film or in the case above just a few pick-up pieces. Actors who only act don’t often concern themselves with all that goes on behind the scenes. I can recall working years ago on one of our westerns in NC and while battling with catering and SAG I’m getting calls about an actor friend not liking their boots. Actors tend to just be concerned with their little focus but producing introduces you to the wide world of what it takes to put on a show. Even crew members only see the presentation and as I’ve said before, it is near impossible to pitch a perfect day. You hope the 95% right buys you grace for the 5% that goes wrong. Thousands of things that go right in a day due to the hard work of a few but cries of anguish if catering does a subpar job on vegan side meal or someones magnetic key deactivates on their hotel room. We take accountability but third party and a tech malfuntion should be covered by earned grace. Those incapable of grace are removed on future projects for their own good. Film shoots are more closely related to war versus vacation even when the places we shoot are beautiful.
(Old Men soccer champions)
So on the actor front my new agent sent me an audition for a pilot TV series. I’m use to reading a full script to absorb the character and roll but this is a few sides. I had this talk out in LA with friends who work often out there. I asked it they request or direct their agent towards shows they like? They said they pretty much read everything so their agent doesn’t drop them. I questioned what if you don’t like the show? The story? The Script? Doesn’t matter apparently to many. I wanted to do this read since it was the first thing my new agent sent over. Also I was going to be forced to do an upload and use the actor’s access portal. A good test. I did my read and damn, pretty good. I guess it should be after all these years. I was successful in my upload. I did get a few good notes on how I could subjectively improve the eye line and questioned would a tripod be better. See how the hee-haw that actors go through is the stressful time consuming parts. Second guessing and stressing and I don’t participate in that. I politely declined and said that what I presented I was comfortable with and if the production quality was not up to par I was find with it not being sent forward. The read was actual well liked and sent forward but after I felt a strange feeling likely opposite other actors. SHIT what if I actually get the role. Will I like the script? What if it does get picked up? I have a film lining up this summer that I know the script is good and the role is great. I have soccer season ahead and I’m looking forward to that. I would have to move a dental cleaning off the pilot shoot. WHOA partner:)
(Acting is still my top passion)
I wanted to start looking at some outside projects but I’ve avoided series in the past. WILD FAITH TV series would be different but maybe even after a season I might not enjoy that. I like finishing something. WRAP always makes me feel accomplished. Well, I just figure I will play the hand. Realistically I might not get the role as they’re many great actors and what folks like is subjective. If I do the pilot it still has to be picked up. This is just a few funny thoughts in my head. I enjoyed the practice of the read and technical upload but not knowing the full script/scope/creative team behind it is another place for me. I do believe just like all my outside projects that I will do what projects I’m meant to do. KARMA in India is where I met Carl Weyant, who just directed Harsens Island Revenge. Eric Colley and Hallie Shepherd and Paul Proios on G.P.S. (Watch on TUBI). So I’m going to just stay open to what is meant to be. I’m just staying good and busy but when away as an actor it is much easier and I’m still able to do producer/writer work.
(BEST YEARS GONE DVD Wrap)
Speaking of writing I saw that Benedict Fitzgerald writer of The Passion of the Christ passed away. I almost had an opportunity to work with him thanks to a friend Isabella Hirt but I was busy with BEST YEARS GONE. Which I’m happy to report can now be seen free with ads on Youtube’s FREE4ALL which is Twin Engine Global‘s new streaming service for non-family and faith films which is Encourage TV. Staying with the topic of writing I’ve been enjoying doing the polish on a script looking to film next winter. I think the funding is there and it is very unique but will be a lotta fun. It is a period piece and will be a lot of fun for all the actors. My second pass is working the descriptions and dialogs for pacing, flow and proper language. I had some talks this past week again about literary representation having had many produced screenplays now doing quite well in the marketplace. We will see said the wise man.
(A published un-produced script of mine on Amazon)
The literary side is developing nicely with several of the CDI projects publishing script and making of books and novels where it applies. I’ve been discussing the deal and discovering extra pieces and pictures to make these releases special. With the backup RAID now functioning we will be able to move into more theatrical and perhaps soundtracks. I will be looking for the right person to run the CDI merchandise site on commission.
(The actual 1920’s not an easy thing to recreate)
To tie into the above and circle back to Harsens Island Revenge – the making of by Adam Towner is looking great. We got a peek when watching the first cut of Harsens Island Revenge which was just amazing. Boats, planes, cars and buildings all helped to create the 1920’s. The world was brought to life by our artists on both sides of the camera. The performances all around are so strong with our young leads David Reardon and Cassie Dean doing such a wonderful job. It reminded me of some of the epic films of days past but with a modern capture bringing the world out of black and white and into full color.
(Silent Night in Algona – watch it if you have not)
This has all been good for me to just let some of this flow out and put order to my pick up shoot options. I have a few phone calls to make to discuss these options. It will all work out as we have some of the best artists within our creative tribe. I will go boldly into the new week and just deal with the cards we are dealt. I want to end by sending the CDI thoughts out to Anthony Hornus and family who lost his mom this past week after a long illness. For many of us our parents are a strong support system. Last time I spoke with her was at the SILENT NIGHT IN ALGONA Owosso, MI premiere and she was very proud of her son. We are all proud of Tony too and I’m deeply sorry for his loss. He will always have his TribeCDI with him. I hope everyone has a productive week. Until next time- coffee cheers!
DJ
Full Debrief On CDI Films
Good morning everyone! I want to welcome and thank all the readers from around the world. I’m sitting comfortably in my Lazy-Boy chair with my hazelnut coffee. Below is just a partial list of where all our fellow artists friends stopping by last week were from. The entire world is pretty united by what we’ve all been facing. I always said it might take an ‘Independence Day’-like alien attack to unite everyone but instead we got a virus. I was disappointed to see the issue weaponized politically over the last couple months. But there is no political spin to the actual science. I have friends that like to look at the stats and minimize the impact. But right now the death toll in the USA is as if our city of Lansing, Michigan was just destroyed or disappeared pending how dramatic you want to be this morning. Now this large nation has many cities and hey it’s just one BUT if it was your city that becomes an issue. And we might lose a few more cities worth of people before this passes. So if we can unify our actions and if this new batch of vaccines rolls out we might find our way back to something resembling normal.
But…we should remain aware of health and safety. We should plan for future unified responses. Federal, state even down to local we were not quite prepared and life accountability was being placed on officials. That’s different than leaning for or against taxes or new laws. So political affiliation aside I don’t fault officials for doing too much. Too much is often better than not enough but in this case every bit of over-cautious (a good thing normally) is causing economic hardships. It is a no-win situation because you cannot manifest a perfect. And on both sides politically they await for each other to misstep so they can blow that up into the next headline. Needless to say I’ve been personally disappointed in how much conflict we’ve participated as a nation. “I told you so” and “cancel” culture mentality is not helpful in growing cooperation. Information is often given with insult that results in the passing of knowledge falling on deaf ears. Most people don’t know that part of my college degree was communications at MSU. Most people are just horrible communicators and don’t even know it. They rush to social media lobbying trying to build support for or against a person’s words or action versus privately and respectfully communicating behind closed doors. With nobody else to hear there is no temptation of grandstanding. Given feedback is exchanged in an environment of respect where the person is respected enough that the meeting happened privately.
EXAMPLE: At CDI over the years, the need to meet with someone for course correction on set has arisen. If you respect that person which you should, you address any issues in private. I’ve seen way too many sets where problems are addressed loudly with finger pointing and throwing people under the bus. How do you think that effects that person and their respect for the company? How does it ultimately effect performance?
These are the things that people fail to grasp. When they want to achieve the same success at running a set as CDI it is done based on principals that starts at the top. A loud mouth, insulting CEO, producer, director or what-not will bring toxic devastation to a project. I’ve seen way to many production companies getting along by using up passionate volunteers and trading them up for the next batch. You are always starting over. Your quality is not increasing as your people’s experience and confidence grows. DEVELOPMENT is a key to success. Not just YOUR development but the development of a tribe of people. Look beyond ME to WE and you’re starting out on the right path.
OK. Film updates. Hmmm…do we have any? Maybe a few:)
BEST YEARS GONE – Much of the writing above could be applied to the above writing. We had been funded and ready to shoot this film since March. Much like some of the world leaders in government and business, I was faced with hard choices about when to set sail, safely with the best chance to succeed. Nothing save possibly experience gave me any added insight but like everyone else this Covid was/is a new variable. But I was the last one held accountable for the ship, cargo and crew. We started months earlier reading, studying and developing our safety protocol. The producers including Nate Robertson who is also our 1st AD took this job very serious. I appreciate him because a failure on his part is personal and painful but a failure to me is more direct. I’m responsible for everyone’s actions including his. So to have Nate and all the producers work so hard to prep a safe project meant the world to me.
Beyond that 75%+ of the crew are returning warriors with maybe another new 25% coming on board their first CDI film. I want to thank all the cast and crew for playing by the rules which included masks and face shields, sanitizer, distancing, morning check in’s and individually catering and craft. Over the years I’ve been on projects that were hindered by colds, flu and such. So the idea was no matter your individual feelings about Covid this was about WINNING. Note the goal of “winning” was getting safely to port with all our cargo (film pieces) safely. We also did pre-test and weekly test between our shoot blocks that we spaced slightly to give time to adjust and rest crews a touch more. There are many things we did not like with the added spacing but it worked for this film. We did manage to keep two positive Covid folks from bringing that on set. Two crew members had to await test results when they were exposed on off days between blocks. I’m happy to report the positives are now healthy and the caution hold on two crew came back negative. But our battle plan worked and we have the entire film IN THE CAN. We use to really use that term when we shot film.
Congrats to Shane Hagedorn our director for his calm leadership through it all. Travis Haywards led his department with a friendly demeanor knowing a few short years ago he was the young artists. I remember taking him as 2nd AC with our FORTY NIGHTS camera team a handful of years ago and now he was the DP. Another example of CDI development priority. Every crew member was truly a joy and that is rare as many of you will find out. We’ve found new artists that I’m sure will be ready to roll with the TRIBECDI when the time comes. Check out http://www.cdiproductions.com and SUBSCRIBE TO THE TRIBE. The film is exciting filled with humor and heartfelt relationships. The movie is about family, dreams, love and faith and has an automotive race car theme running throughout it. We’ll be announcing this week the addition of the films editor which is Nathaniel Nose, best known for his directing and editing on Part 3 of The Quest Trilogy, The Christ Slayer. The film will surge forward in post-production and we will look forward to bringing it to you in 2021!
We’ll follow the lead-in above to THE QUEST TRILOGY. A new campaign is launching for the holidays that puts the series in the proper order. The series is much more enjoyable when you watch in the proper order of FORTY NIGHTS (#1), CHASING THE STAR (#2) and THE CHRIST SLAYER (#3) and there is a NEW OFFICIAL “THE QUEST TRILOGY” trailer we’ll be highlighting this coming week.
Our #2 film CHASING THE STAR was listed as Pureflix’s second recommendation for Christmas films. I’ve heard people say that did not like how dark the film was. But under King Herod those were the times. The Magi order as depicted is the order seeking a celestial messiah to save mankind. No elves, jingle bells or snowman but an honest look at a possible internal conflict the three wise man faced. We know the nativity statues worldwide but what do we really know about these men? Very little. So we work to put a face to those men and their quest. Here Pureflix has invited you to watch-
https://insider.pureflix.com/movies/best-christian-christmas-movies-2020
And The Quest Trilogy will also be coming to Pureflix as a series in Feb 2021 running to Easter 2021. Enjoy the NEW trailer here – please share it with family and friends.
IF you enjoy these films do drop us a review at http://www.imdb.com, Amazon.com or anywhere you can. I hope your family enjoys this trilogy of films.
MBF: MAN’S BEST FRIEND – This film keeps growing an audience. I was at the bank doing some business deposits when the teller told me she had cried watching MBF. She noted it was such a beautiful film and she had been telling friends and family about it. If you’re proud of our military brothers and sisters and love dogs this film might be just what you are looking at.
WILD FAITH – This fun and powerful film has been seen by millions of people. Those millions love the world seen at a simpler time with a story of love and faith amongst the Murphy family. Right now we have a handful of companies interested in seeing this film roll out next year as a series. The first right of refusal partner has the proposal and I’m looking to get a green light before the 1st of the new year. If so cameras could roll in Feb./March on HASTINGS. These stories will follow the same tone as the feature and we’ve got a good gameplay forming up. PS: Happy Birthday today to director Jesse Low!
LOST HEART – This amazing film is our new 2020 release. On Nov 7th and 21st we streamed our filmed cast and crew premiere event as well as the film itself for two nights free. After some great national PR topped off with our stars (Melissa Anschutz, Don Most and Victoria Jackson) traveling to Nashville for the Mike Huckabee show, the film will start its licensing run and roll out. The event was filmed and edited by Nathaniel Nose who did a wonderful job capturing the beauty of our state. It continues to highlight Collective Development Inc. as a Michigan company and Lost Heart as our new release. We will plan to stream the event perhaps on the CDI website and CDI’s FB site next week. I would also like to see the event end up on the DVD. IF you watched the film one of the two nights please do go VOTE and leave a review on the LOST HEART http://www.imdb.com page and feel free to request it from networks and retailers. Thank you for allowing us to do a special premiere and share with all of you. Another great film that I’m so proud of. I watched last night with my mom and I will call my dad who also watched the film last night. I’m happy they are both here to see it.
WRAP UP – I’m going to wrap all this up. We’re having the first light snow here in November and yesterday I did some winterizing. I have a few more things to get taken care of. We harvested the last of the ground veggies from the garden. I might bottle up the new wine next week. I finally have almost all my stuff unpacked from filming. We’re going to do pie-drops this week but just gonna lie low with Thanksgiving. We don’t want to get any family sick. I had a pair of close family come down with Covid. One said, he would rather have the flu four times over and said if he had been less healthy I might have been carrying a coffin. This victory of getting BEST YEARS GONE shot and into editing leaves me feeling satisfied. I was looking forward to the holidays and will still work to make it as special as possible but like our film set, safely.
Be good to one another and we’ll talk next week. Have a great Thanksgiving by being thankful you have your loved ones with you. Stay safe and be kind to one another.
DJ
PS: I spend a good part of an hour trying to delete copied blocks of text and was too afraid to add photos. I need to roll this WordPress back to non-blocks. I thought I lost this morning’s update so you are getting no pics or corrections but you’ll get the info.
REFLECTIONS on a Unique Season – New CDI Updates!
New readers from Denmark, Thailand and other countries around the world – welcome. I’ve got my hazelnut coffee here by my side and I’m sitting down to give you a few updates on this Memorial Weekend. In my home state of Michigan it has been a bit of a challenge most recently with the rain causing multiple dams to break and at least one town needing to evacuate. Also our virus restrictions have eased some and my hope is that we don’t have spikes leading to a tightening down.
The American way of freedom and rights has been put to the test on many fronts. As a capitalistic society we have long put profit ahead of health and safety. Now because of an increase in communication and perhaps compassion? -the health of individuals is carrying weight because those that put wealth above health are being exposed and being held accountable. But for many their immediate livelihood also effects their health so we have a challenge is seeking that balance.
I don’t look down on people with less formal education because while some can recall all kinds of knowledge others have a knack with mechanics, electronics, skilled labor that also is important. What I see is that many just don’t understand virus transmission. Also those seeking proper information are being confused by opposing information made worse when a political agenda is attached. So people get frustrated and just get to a point of F#@%@%#@ IT!
Others need to fill their lives with conspiracy and such and those things have happened down through the ages. But friendly speculation can turn deadly when people take this as truth. I enter every conversation knowing I could be wrong. I try to ’empty my cup’ and learn from every interaction I have. I fear that in America during this election year that we’ll not get any relief until after the new elections. I read of people complaining because stores are trying to accommodate everyone’s concerns. Someone who refuses store rules should be out, my opinion. Just like NO SHIRT, NO SHOES, NO SERVICE. People not following directional arrows because they are proving a point should be asked to leave. That business came up with rules that was best for them based on recommendations.
Now we’re working on our policy and rules for working with CDI on our next film BEST YEARS GONE. We’re financed and ready to roll once we feel we can safely handle production and work within guidelines. Now if someone on the crew did not want to work under these set conditions they would not be hired. I don’t care if you think 5G towers did this and so-and-so says masks do nothing. If the policy is a mask on a hot set – you wear or we don’t hire you. A sickness of any kind can really stumble up a business or project. Those accountable for finishing the project need to make the best decisions and safe is better than sorry, as mom use to say.
We are currently targeting August to film but stand ready to push a month or two if needed. Things are looking better but if people start going total disregard – we could see our situation go backwards. Either way we will move forward with caution. We are soon to announce another cast member who recently worked with the tribe on LOST HEART. We’re happy to have them in the TribeCDI family. Stay tuned for more cast and crew updates and we’ll start announcing some of our sponsorship partners as well.
LOST HEART – The music and sound design is almost done and mixing will be next. The color correction and VFX are also close to being done. We have a few surprise announcements also but we’ll wait for the ‘ink to dry’ as I like to say. We’ll be exploring how we want to premiere the film in the coming days. I’m really excited for people to enjoy this wonderful story and you will – soon!
I’ve had wonderful fan mail from folks watching MAN’S BEST FRIEND, WILD FAITH and The Quest Trilogy (Forty Nights, Chasing the Star, The Christ Slayer) and so while spending time with your family please enjoy the hard work of our artists.
DEVELOPMENT UPDATES
We’ve been hard at work here at CDI and soon we’ll be launching ‘COLLECTIVE COLLECTABLES‘ our merchandise division. The CDI Music Division and we continue to explore the animation opportunities. If you have skills and a reel from me a line – I want to see what artists are doing.
I’m happy to say we’ve made great strides on the ‘HASTINGS‘ TV series and our WW2 film for 2021 is over half financed. I believe we’ll have all our commitments by the end of summer if not sooner.
WRAP UP
Be kind to one another as we navigate through these times. Channel your energy into what you can control. Adversity can create great new opportunities. You are forced out of your comfort zone and from that new place great ideas can spring. But the key to success is to be a doer. It is not enough to have a good idea you must vet the idea and if deemed worthy – do it.
Until next week. Zen your space. Be mindful of others. Create don’t hate!
DJ
Mother’s Day Wishes and Stacking the CDI Slate
Hazelnut coffee cheers and welcome to all our new readers from the France and the European Union. Let’s also start by wishing all the mothers out there Happy Mother’s Day. I sent my momma good wishes this morning and will drop off a gift later and spend a few moments with her. We’re now several weeks into this stay-at-home order and I’ve been extremely productive. My entire neighborhood has been working on their yards building, trimming, raking, grooming and it’s a good use of energy. When I get my fill of computer and calls I go work the yard. I’ve been prepping the garden. A few potted plants are already in and the first rhubarb stalks have been harvested for upcoming wine making. I need one more things before I can make a batch of beer. Funny thing is I haven’t had anything with alcohol since our shut down of state a few months ago. But I will look forward to raising a few glasses once we can socialize again. Let’s see…
Momma tribute – I’m so appreciative to have had the attentive mother I had, unless is was General Hospital time:) She was active in all our school activities and taught us many life lessons. Love and appreciate any of your mother figures in your life.
FILM UPDATES:
BEST YEARS GONE – This ship is fully financed and sitting in the harbor waiting to sail. We’ll make an assessment on Friday and communicate with our cast and crews. I believe our targeted window to shoot will be August but that depends also on the state of things. But our director Shane Hagedorn and DP Travis Hayward can work on their shots. We producers are working on setting everything up including some final casting and crewing. The character prep has been great fun and I’m so looking forward to telling this funny and heartfelt story – soon:) We will be announcing a few more actors and crew in the coming weeks. We’ll be ready to move ahead soon using common sense and safety as our guide.
LOST HEART – This amazing tale filled with humor and heart is nearing the finish line. The music, sound design, VFX are all coming together and very soon we will have a finished film. I love comedy and I’m excited that this film We’re in talks to add some additional drop music to Dennis Therrian’s incredible score. Also have a fun cameo from another star. I will know more about the release roll out very soon.
MAN’S BEST FRIEND keeps expanding and the reaction by the fans has been humbling. If you have not seen this film make the effort. It is a good representation of the challenges many of our military veterans deal with. And dogs:)
THE QUEST TRILOGY – FORTY NIGHTS, CHASING THE STAR, THE CHRIST SLAYER – I did a great in-depth interview for ‘Faith on Film’ due out this month. These films are good watching at anytime but our strongest window is Thanksgiving to Easter. These films are expanding into more foreign territories. If you see them in your country send me a pic of the poster art of DVD covers, trailers. It is great to see them in all different languages.
WILD FAITH – This mid-western just keeps growing an audience. We’re in talks on the TV series with many entities and even in discussions about starting a western studio. The TV show HASTINGS will follow the on-going adventures of the Murphy family and friends. I’m excited about this TV series and I think we’ll have more to report soon.
ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENT
We have a 2021 WW2 project that is coming together nicely. I had talks with a foundation that is going to be financing part of the budget. I’ve already had a few people step up and want to be involved as an investor and we haven’t even approached them yet. I will be doing the writer (me) and director (Anthony Hornus) process in the coming weeks. This is another beautiful story and will allow the CDI artists to play in yet another time period.
A documentary film and a few other features are in development. The animation division is being geared up and we are evaluating our scripts and looking at teams of animators. If you have strong animation skills feel free to drop a line. I’m moving forward in my writing on the developing SciFi film and maybe a few other pieces:)
I wanted to also put a shout out to musician/writer Ronnie Lee whose book ‘For Generations to Come’ will be releasing later this year. I gave some feedback while working on the audio book version and endorsed this artist. I’m reading an authors copy and it is such a great read. It make you feel like your are there. It has lots of pictures that helps bring things to life.
Our merchandise part of CDI will be growing this year also. Looking into drop-shipping on eBay and more. I’ve even got a call this week with a puzzle company to talk collaboration with CDI product. I’ve used all this time to get caught up, organized and prep to move ahead. We’ll have a few film projects lined up and ready to go.
I’m going to get on with my day. As always I’ve enjoyed my time with all of you. Again much love to my mother and to all the mothers out there. Stay positive and lean on love vs hate.
Coffee cheers!
DJ
Purpose and Persistence – Movie Updates
I’m told it is national coffee day, so my hazelnut coffee is to be recognized, cheers! The past week and the days leading up to it have been jam-packed with activity. On a personal level I’ve had a fill of loved ones facing health struggles including a dear Uncle of mine. Last weekend we got to visit and share a few laughs as he was always that family storyteller I looked up to. Sitting in his chair or around a fire up in Harrison we were always treated to mysterious and exciting stories. His tales of Bigfoot and strange lights in the sky can be seen as an influence in my writing like ‘Lost Heart’ which sadly he will not see. He is nearing the end of this journey and soon to start a new one.
Others who have not lived the same full life are facing challenges that make us ponder our purpose and value while living our relatively short time. I’m proud that I outlasted all the slings, arrows, naysayer and doubters to do what I love to do. If my time here were to end early, I’m happy and doing what I always dreamt of doing. I work with some amazing people and I think in our own way we are helping.
The Movies
I’m not a person who puts high value to trophies and awards knowing that some are just vanity. But the awards that recognize the team work are the awards that matter most. The ‘Inspirational’ and certain individual awards to others like Josh Perry, stepping outside the limited views of society to be nominated for “Best Supporting Actor” makes my heart sing. Filmmaking is NOT an individual thing but a collective thing, hence Collective Development. Being that we’re not submitting to these festivals our distributor is, we have surprises every handful of days. Lets look at a bullet point of some of the updates.
FILM UPDATES
- Hollywoodivine International Film Festival will happen next weekend and we have (3) films MAN’S BEST FRIEND, WILD FAITH and THE CHRIST SLAYER nominated for ‘Best Film’ – two of those for ‘Best Director’ and ‘Most Inspirational’ – All three of our film’s leading men were nominated being yours truly, Shane Hagedorn and Carl Weyant – just incredible. Lauren LaStrada again for “Haddie” in ‘Wild Faith’ – Josh Perry as mentioned above ‘Best Supporting’ – All three films nominated for ‘Best Cinematography’ – two nominations for Jesse Aragon and one for Patrick Dowdle. Lastly the amazing score of ‘Wild Faith’ by Dennis Therrian.
- Wild Bunch Film Festival will be happening on the same weekend. Ben Lily, Hester Thickett and Emmett will all be in attendance with Darby Hinton, who is my ‘Best Supporting Actor’ competition from another western film. I LOVE the genre and I’m looking forward to representing the film that garnished 13 nominations including again Dennis Therrian’s score. Other nominations include Best (Film, Faith Film, Produced Film, Best Lead Actors (Shane and Lauren), Best Supporting Actors (Melissa Anschutz and I), Best Narrator Trace Adkins, Best Children Actors for both Joe and Xylia and Best Director. If we win anything or nothing it will be a good moment representing the CDI TRIBE!
- In Randolph, VT the 1st Green Mountain Christian Film Festival will take place Oct 18-19. I think all three films MBF, Wild Faith and The Christ Slayer will play. Among the nominations announced thus far I was granted a ‘Best Supporting Actor’ Nomination for ole Ben Lily in ‘Wild Faith’ – along side Burt Young from ROCKY fame who is an Oscar Nom and whom I met a handful of years ago at Norby Walter’s Night of 100 Stars. ‘The Christ Slayer’ is nominated for a ‘Most Inspirational’ with more nominations to come this week.
- LOST HEART editing is underway and we should be climbing to the 30 min mark and we’ve had some PR from Creative Motion and a few other publications. Look for PR to really hit hard 1st of the new year.
- I’ve had such powerful and heartfelt responses from those watching ‘MAN’S BEST FRIEND‘ and I cannot express how much that fills me with joy. I took a moment this week to read some of the wonderful reviews on our IMDB and Amazon page. I know that you can’t please everyone but overall I think the film is finding its audience. Thank you. The DVD is suppose to arrive this week on Amazon and once it does we’ll be sharing that with all of you.
- The book THE HORSE OF MY DREAMS by Revall/Baker Publishing is now out and you can read two of my stories in there. You can get online or at your favorite bookstore. It will make a great Christmas present. Mom no need to get one Santa might have you hooked up this year:) I might do some book store readings or some other PR we will see. I have more books coming that will feature a few of my stories.
- BUY HERE: https://www.amazon.com/Horse-My-Dreams-Stories-Horses/dp/0800727185
- We are almost done with a second abridged version of a ‘book video promo’ we did for a publisher. It has been a lot of coordination but in the end it will be worth it.
- Development talks continue as we prepare for 2020 and what CDI will produce in the years ahead. We have some collaborative meetings in the weeks ahead and we will be charting a course soon.
I’m going to wrap it up here. Again if you haven’t seen the films in our library please do take a watch. You can also look at more of the film details on http://www.cdiproductions.com
Have a great end to your weekend and a wonderful week ahead.
DJ
FINAL Countdown to Location Pre-Production and MORE…
Good morning everyone. I first want to start my wishing my mother a Happy Birthday! She has always been supportive of the journey I’m on with storytelling via film. She is spending time with her significant other and we’ll have a nice dinner when I return from filming LOST HEART. My brother and wife are overseas on a wonderful vacation to Ireland. Tomorrow is my father’s Birthday and we just had a nice dinner with him. I gifted him a 1 gal beer making set. I do beer and wine 5 gal at a time and often share it with family, friends and film amigos. He can get the experience of what I do but on a small scale. I’m lucky to still have both my parents with me on this life journey. A few close friends have lost their loved ones recently and my thoughts are with them.
My dad to my right and Johnny Demarco on my left
So I’ve been pre-packing all week so that I can travel north for a month producing and performing in LOST HEART, our next CDI film. We’ve been announcing new talent coming on board and still have a few to announce. Here is the amazingly talented singer/actress Taylor Dupuis and I guess I can say the same about Victoria Jackson. Many will remember her from her Saturday Night Live run and the slew of TV/films that followed. They both play wonderful parts in this comedy drama.
Once this is completed I will have a week of rest and to set post in motion before a week-long vacation up in the UP of Michigan. We will be taking the dogs so they can have a few adventures also. My young furry boy Finn has been my shadow, especially during the fireworks. I know he will do well as the little man of the house.
WILD FAITH is now out on all formats digital and DVD. I’m told that in the fall it looks like it will do an exclusive run on one of the Subscription VOD platforms. If you do watch the film and enjoy it please do leave a review at the site be it Amazon, Wal-Mart, BestBuy or wherever you purchased plus on http://www.imdb.com – All this is in hopes that we’ll be doing a sequel script or on-going TV series. Thank you to all of you that have reached out to tell me how much you enjoyed the story. Keep the word of mouth going as I think the film message is needed in this day and age.
THE QUEST TRILOGY – Ahead of us in the first season whereas all three films are released and can be seen together. It is meant to be watched as FORTY NIGHTS, CHASING THE STAR and THE CHRIST SLAYER. I’ve noted that some people who watched only part 2 where slightly confused because they had not seen part 1. It is a trilogy whereas the angels and devil create a story thread throughout the three films. Many films do not examine what the events do/did to the angelic folk. They are great adventure stories that can be enjoyed anytime of year. Treat yourself to the watch. I know Amazon has all three but can be found on many platforms.
MBF: Man’s Best Friend – This powerful film will start rolling out into select theaters with myCinema in August. Home video in the fall. I know we’ve been very focused on the other CDI films but I think this movie might surprise and grab audiences. Wounded military vets and adoption dogs are the main themes. I will say that this role scared me at first. That doesn’t happen very often but when it does that is a good sign. I play a wounded Marine Paul Landings. While I’ve played other soldiers in films, many of them are from past wars like the Civil War. I know this film was made with a lot of help from military vets and I wanted to represent them well. I think I did and I’m so proud of the work all the artists did on this film. We will be planning a premiere in the town where we filmed. It will most likely be in late August or early September when we host the premiere. I should also start to have theater dates from around the country.
NEXT Sunday my blog update will be from up North as we prepare to capture the LOST HEART story. Thank you all for following along and I will be sharing some great pics in the coming weeks. You can follow the LOST HEART facebook page or http://www.cdiproductions.com landing page for LOST HEART.
Have a great week ahead and be good to one another.
DJ
Happy Mother’s Day – May CDI Updates
Happy Mother’s Day to all the nurturing ladies out there. It is a slightly chilly Sunday coming off several wet days here in Michigan. The lawn needs a second mowing and I still have to till the garden ground.
This past week has included lots of development work on LOST HEART our next film. We have the last three units to assign before we move into full pre-production. We’ve had several talks and I think the last three will get claimed soon. It also helps that we will be dispersing money back to previous investors. For me, once we lock up the business we can focus on the creative. I had some schedule discussions this week with our 1st AD. It looks like we will shoot July 16-Aug 1st in N. Michigan. In about 2 weeks (or sooner) we’ll start bringing on cast and crew. The bank account is open and I’m awaiting the check book. Once we green light to pre-production the ball will really start rolling. We’ll also be announcing some of the great companies and businesses supporting us with sponsorship. It will be an exciting week ahead for LOST HEART.
We have also had some development discussions on KNIGHT CHILLS 2 which has been in talks for a while. This would be a collaboration and I’ve been working to set up the distribution aspects of the film.
Original KNIGHT CHILLS poster – “Scream” style.
THE QUEST TRILOGY – The entire 3 film series in out on Amazon Prime. You all can now watch all three back to back. FORTY NIGHTS. CHASING THE STAR. THE CHRIST SLAYER. Please do enjoy this extended biblical adventure. I’ve said before that the style was influenced by the Star Wars original trilogy. I look forward to hearing from more of you that have seen all three. They do stand alone but create a greater picture when all three are viewed. Congrats to part 3 THE CHRIST SLAYER for taking 2nd place BEST FILM at the International Christian Film Festival in Orlando, FL.
- I have several sources talking to me about a new series of biblical adventures. We will see what the future holds.
WILD FAITH is now out on Amazon and other platforms for digital purchase. In June we’ll see digital rental and July will be the DVD release. Best Buy, Wal-Mart, Family Video and several outlets will be carrying this fine film.
- Again talks are happening about the possible TV series
MBF: Man’s Best Friend is finishing up color correction and sound design. A work-in-progress link was sent to the theatrical company for evaluation. I was watching the film now with all the dialog balanced and it is really engaging to watch. Music will be starting soon and we’ll also begin working the new full trailer.
This week I’ll continue my conversations with the possible agent for literary and talent. I’ve also had a few independent script writing opportunities arise. I will be exploring that. I’ve been pulling together my materials both as a writer and as talent. I’ve enjoyed the response from all of you to mountain man Ben Lily and of course ole J.C. from THE CHRIST SLAYER. I’m looking forward to making a deal so that some of my future negotiations concerning acting and script can be handled by a 3rd party.
I’m asking my readers here to take a watch and leave a review. You can comment here as well. I’m going to wrap things up here. Eat a little something and we’re taking the mother’s to the zoo today. I look forward to a fun day of family stuff before back at it tomorrow. I have to work on writing out checks and dispersing to our backers. I really do love writing checks. To our artists, our backers – it always feels good. Again I don’t think I’ve ever been able to pay an artist their true worth but we do compensate and create.
Keep plugging along and we’ll chat again next week.
DJ
Top 10 Film Updates “And at the end of all your rainbows may you find a pot of gold”
Top of the morning to you all on this frosty, spring-like Michigan day. It is also St. Patrick’s Day and being that I’m largely Scot/Irish I’ll be toasting to your health today.
“May you have all the happiness
and luck that life can hold—
And at the end of all your rainbows
may you find a pot of gold.”
My college alumni team Michigan State University advances in their Big 10 Championship and will play U of M today. Go Green!
I also subbed in for the last indoor soccer game last week with my new team. Nice guys and I look forward to a fun season. It was good to run the engine hard and get those running legs working again.
(He WAS so small — about 50lbs and growing)
My little boy Finn is growing like a weed and giving us joy every day. Now the ice tundra is leaving us we can enjoy a lot more yard time. I especially enjoy the outdoor meetings at the fort that includes dart playing.
Today we will have the mother’s over for corn beef and cabbage and I’ll be drinking a few PB&J Porters from my friends at Elk Brewery in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
To the film updates…how about a TOP TEN for the BIG TEN tournament today.
(Mr. Trace Adkins)
- The cat is out of the bag (what a bad saying) Mr. Trace Adkins has joined our WILD FAITH movie endeavor. You can read about it here. https://www.prlog.org/12759600-country-music-stalwart-trace-adkins-joins-collective-development-incorporateds-wild-faith.html
- The first of the theatrical screenings announced in Grand Rapids, MI – Get your tickets here. This is remastered and should be a great viewing experience. https://celebrationcinema.com/film-info/woodland-mall/wild-faith
- May 6th is the WILD FAITH DVD release and I’m hearing in Walmart in June or July. Did I tell you how much I love the cover art? I do.
- We have just gotten word on The Christ Slayer that will be showing at the International Christian Film Festival. We’ve been nominated for 4 awards that we’ll PR this week. 1) Most Inspirational 2) Best Film 3) Best Director (Nathaniel Nose) and 4) Best Supporting Actress Melissa Anschutz – I’m super proud of our cast and crew. DVD and Streaming available now – in theaters starting April 19th.
- Upcoming director of LOST HEART Jesse Low and I are so close to a final script. I have a review once I finish this blog. It is really fun script – emotional and funny.
- LOST HEART Location scouting and vendor talks continue while our producers work to lock in the final investments. Northern Michigan is such a beautiful place. It will be great to have it in front of our cameras.
- Also with LOST HEART we’ll be announcing the addition of two knuckleheads to the cast, Mr. Shane Hagedorn and some guy, DJ Perry:) We’ll both be playing supporting players in this fine story.
- MBF: Man’s Best Friend has a locked picture edit and is moving into sound and music with Dennis Therrian. The story is really moving and I’m thrilled by the final story.
- Once MBF is moved over to sound the final VFX and Color Correction work will begin. Once that is complete we will cut a new trailer from the edited and color corrected footage.
- Last week I recorded two commercial voice over pieces. It went great and I hope the client is happy. I know the director was so we’ll see. Again, feel free to approach me with a project just come with an offer. This is not a hobby for me it is how we put bread on the table and wine in the glass. (Actually I make wine)
(Looking ahead to the new roles)
I’m going to wrap this up so I can refill the coffee cup and get to my LOST HEART review. Have a great end to your weekend. Be safe and have a productive week ahead.
DJ
Theatrical Kick off and Award Nominations – Updates
Good morning. I want to do a welcome sip of coffee to our new readers hailing from Singapore and the United Arab Emirates. WELCOME. This past week was a whirlwind of organizing theatrical roll-out, development work and more. We also have some announcing of nominations on a couple of our films.
Multiple radio shows, podcast and more the last week to promote the start of our theatrical season with “Wild Faith” our (mid) western. Here is a link to one of them-
Showbiz Weekly
https://player.fm/series/michigan-business-network/all-star-team-creates-wild-faith-show-biz-weekly
More promotions can be seen at the social media site and/or the website
https://www.facebook.com/WildFaithMovie/
http://www.wildfaiththemovie.com
Our first theatre dates are March 16th-22nd at Celebration Cinema in Lansing and Grand Rapids, MI (Woodland).
International Christian Film Festival – This is the Oscar’s of the family/faith genre. Last year we had “Forty Nights” our 1st installment in THE QUEST TRILOGY nominated for Best Film, Best Lead Actor (Rance Howard), Best Score and Most Inspirational (which we won). Watch on Amazon Prime and other platforms.
This year the second installment “Chasing the Star” about the journey of the magi was nominated for Best Film, Best Score, Best Screenplay, Best Lead Actor (Garry Nation) and Most Inspirational (again) and so we’ll see.
But…like having two children on competing teams – “Wild Faith” our western was also entered this year. It is nominated for Best Film, Best Lead Actor (Shane Hagedorn), Best Actress (Lauren Lastrada) and Best Director (Jesse Low).
There is strong competition not just amongst our two films but from amazing talent like Ray Liotta, Judge Reinhold and Ashley Judd. I’m honored to be amongst the nominated films and to have two “children” gathering such attention is humbling. So Collective Development Inc. has 9 nominations and that’s something to be proud of.
You can watch “Chasing the Star” right now on Amazon Prime and several other participating platforms. “Wild Faith” will play theatrical events all Spring/Summer (I want to play a drive in) and will release to home video in the Fall on the run up to Christmas. If craving a good tale from the 1800’s please take a watch on our “Wicked Spring” also playing Amazon Prime and participating platforms.
The 3rd installment in THE QUEST TRILOGY – “The Christ Slayer” will be complete in August and play theaters on the run up to Christmas. Our distributor has the home video release set to target Easter 2019.
A busy season of releasing. But that also means we need NEW product. We’re a touch behind my ideal timeline for our next film “Man’s Best Friend” (MBF) but the account is open and money flowing in. We need the last few units committed before we move forward because once we start we finish.
In additional to that we have several developing projects. I had meetings right up to end-of-the-day Friday which will without a doubt bring new endeavors to the CDI tribe.
Other developments –
I’ve never acted in a music video. I was there when it all started MTV that is – and I like to see that the art of storytelling against a song is still going strong. Maybe not like in the heyday of music TV but still alive and kicking. I was approached about being hired to participate in a music video. They provided their earlier work, the work of the artist and a professionally written script. The subject matter holds some meaning to me and it felt – right. So I gave my interest and this coming week I’ll participate in my first music video front of camera. I’ll talk more about it once they are ready. Not my song or production so I’m letting them PR as they will. I’m sincerely excited about the project. I had just said a few weeks ago, if interested in me for something come with a professional proposal. It also worked amazingly with my schedule. It’s only a one day obligation so it really was a perfect storm. I’m looking forward to it.
The writing and deal making will continue this week. I’m excited that first cast and crew will get to see their combined work watching “Wild Faith” on the big screen. My family, friends and fans can also enjoy the film starting this week. (Friday) It’s always good to see one of our movies of with my parents. I think it helps justify all the worry they had in me as a dreamer building those “castles in thin air” teen/young man. It shows that I’m truly happy and doing what I was most passionate about in life. And for that I feel like the luckiest man alive on some days.
I’m going to continue to enjoy this day and rest my mind for the crazy week ahead. I’m not a person that needs all the hoopla of camera and red carpets but I will participate on these few occasions to collectively toast our finished story. I see it like a graduation party whereas we’re sending our “movie child” out into the world hoping it will do what it can to make our world a better place.
Thank you for all the support and I do hope you’ll give us a chance to entertain you.
Happy Sunday!
DJ
Mother’s Day and More Updates
Welcome Poland, France and Australia. They’ve been following the blog and even readers are now hailing from China. I’m excited that so many artistic individuals are finding a community around ‘Clawing my way to the Middle’ blog. I’ve just gotten back in from running around including visiting my mom which has been fighting a cold. Actually many around me have been sick from my sister-in-law, niece, nephew and the list goes on. A party for my step-sister who just became a doctor MD was shortened due to illness. I just try to keep moving past it all and so far (knock on wood) only slight sniffle or cough first thing in the morning and fine after that. No soccer today because of Mother’s Day. I’m going to get to see an old friend of mine who flew in today but only because his mom is sick. So I’m going to finish this up and I think go till the garden. This week we worked on finishing the flashing and chimney cap on the office/fort plus some wood trim in the bath. It has been somewhat cold and wet the last few weeks but sunshine is on the way this week. I hope those of you able to- shared a few moments with your mothers or took time out to think about them. Let’s look at some of the week updates.
Forty Nights
The big news on this front was the winning of ‘Most Inspirational’ at the ICFF in Orlando, FL. This is a great nod to all the cast and crew and as storytellers we could not ask for more. If you’ve seen the film and it did indeed inspire you in some way please do go to http://www.imdb.com (40 Nights/Forty Nights) Vote and leave your own story. I do know that foreign sales lie ahead.
PR Link
Chasing the Star
This film has just concluded the last run in Michigan (For now) at the Celebration Cinema in Grand Rapids, MI so thank you very much! We’ll be discussing taking the film out of state prior to the Sept 5th national release on DVD/streaming/VOD with Bridgestone. We’ll be announcing the new DVD artwork soon that BMG developed.
The Christ Slayer
Editing continues as we close in on a rough cut. As I’ve noted before we’ll be working on the poster and first trailer.
Wild Faith
The sound design and dialog clean up continues. I hope to meet this week over the poster art.
Development – I’ve been writing and working hard on setting the slate for the upcoming CDI projects. I’ve also been pondering what acting role I might enjoy next. I’m also in talks on a few possible work-for-hire writing endeavors. I’m always open to discussions on writing, acting and such. Just please make sure you’re funded:) I feel like I had a topic I wanted to discuss but for some reason I can’t recall it. I’m remember it half way through tilling the garden up.
Be good to one another and have a great day and week ahead!
DJ
More Screenings, Movie Updates and Mother’s Day!
Stormy N.C.
That first wonderful sip of hazelnut coffee on a chilly morning is O’ so Good!
I returned from our N.C. trip which took me first to the mountains and the second to a city of cement. It was a good trip to take a breath between these films and get a view of where I want to go.
Melissa Anschutz and DJ Perry in BESTSELLER
“Bestseller”
While there in N.C. we saw the start of the national roll out on our thriller “Bestseller” and I encourage you to add this taunt thriller to your collection. If you are opposed to language and intense situations this film is not for you. If being scared while watching a film is your thing…
BUY HERE
“40 Nights”
Following the capacity church event in Yuma, AZ at Champion Church (Seen above) The Good Shepherd Church in Beverly Hills, CA got their 1st watch of “40 Nights” on the big screen. I’m waiting to see how all that went but if it went anything like Yuma, I can imagine the experience. Do you want to license the film for an event? Reach out directly perrydj@aol.com or contact us via the http://www.40nightsthemovie.com page.
Additionally
We had an in-depth review by BIBLE BLOG and here is what they had to say.
http://biblefilms.blogspot.com/2016/04/40-nights-2016.html
This forthcoming week we’re finalizing artwork on “40 Nights” soundtrack. The beautiful score by the amazing Dennis Therrian will soon be for purchase. We’re also releasing a new promotional clip from the movie to help bring exposure. It will be a good week ahead.
Featured Sale Site of the Week:)
https://www.fishflix.com/christian-movies-40-nights-dvd.html
“Chasing the Star” the second film in the QUEST TRILOGY
Editing has been underway as we push towards a first cut. We’ve also just reached an agreement to partner with CHOP & HUE to once again provide the opening into for our film. Also a teaser trailer and 1st official photos will be rolling out to social media and such in the days ahead.
We’ve also been having a few development meetings over upcoming projects. We know the third film in the trilogy “The Christ Slayer” will be shooting in the spring 2017. As for which projects move ahead this year we’re close to a few announcements there. It is Mother’s Day and I want to thank my mom for giving this dreamer the best childhood. That is what fueled all that I do now. I love you and I’m so happy to have you. To all of you out there remember those who brought you into this world with a dream of making the world better – we’re trying.
DJ Perry's Official Blog 'Clawing My Way to the Middle' 