Hello Alpena! On-Location Prep Has Begun-
As I stated last week in my blog we will be going to a Sat blog release while I’m away shooting because that is our day off. We found that to be better for crew because more is open versus Sunday and it allows them to get more done. Banking, laundry, mail outs and anything else that needs to be done when artists are away from home. Making a movie especially a period piece with a large supporting casts and such is not easy. Finding lodging for the army of artists is not easy. Finding someone to feed an army at odd hours is not easy. It takes a supportive community that also has the correct locations. We had some questions about filming on Harsens Island. We will capture all the beautiful landmarks of the island that do not betray the 1920’s time period. Why you cannot shoot an entire film like that on the island that is accessed by a ferry starts with lodging an army.
Wild Faith at The Ledges in Grand Ledge, MI
I think some imagine 3-4 folks shooting but it is more like a crew of 30. safety and having access to a hospital plays into decisions on where to film. Something breaks or you need something ASAP having a good selection of Home Depot, Meijers or Gormans is a good thing. A ferry ride to get to wherever and back adds LOTS of time. So I appreciate the questions, people just don’t understand the process of making a film. I would LOVE to film in Fayette, Michigan, at this old copper town, but it’s just too hard to stage an army. Time, time, time…a film crew has to move at a good pace to make their day. So we have to make decisions that are safe and keep us in our time/budget schedule. Those wanting more expensive or ambitious set choices I will give an escrow account for you to deposit money into. On Jaws they spent a whole day waiting to get a clean shot of the bay. We cannot spend all day to get one scene.
We producer are settling in but we’re already working. Catering schedules, software activations, transportation needs and the list goes on. But I get to spend a month solid with some of the best humans I know. Artists that work together to tell a story that will be remembered and hopefully cherished by many for years to come. I get to see some friends only when we film. The sacrifice is leaving family and loved ones for a short period of time. As I’ve gotten older that sacrifice is felt but part of what makes me is the adventure. So we’re about to tell another story. Now that we are all gathered together problems and issues get knocked down. CDI is a tribe of problem solvers. Solve the riddles each day and earn your piece of the puzzle.
SILENT NIGHT IN ALGONA – Many are excited about this amazing film rolling out on DVD and digital very soon. We’re down to one last technical fix for the streaming networks. The poster looks cool and I want to share it but the distributor hasn’t approved a release yet. We are also up for many awards at the Red Letter Awards and our lovely Algona coordinator Donna Kitzinger will be representing CDI, The Donald Tietz Charitable Foundation and the film. No pressure:) Have a good speech prepared in case we should take any awards.
KNIGHT CHILLS, was CDI’s 1st movie turning 25 years old. It is about bullying, which now has become a topic more to the forefront. It is also about the role playing scare of the 80’s and 90’s like Dungeons and Dragons. Which also has returned in popularity. Saturn Core put together the remastered film as a blu-ray with lots of extras with Vinegar Syndrome. It has a special edition 1000 piece run with new slip art including a great back art piece from artist Tom Miller. It moved almost 600 units in the first 6 hours. As of right now 903 have sold. On Oct. 30th the classic blu-ray will be available nationwide at Walmart, Best Buy and other major retailers online. It is fun to have this film be recognized as a classic. I’m excited that a film historian did a piece on the film’s place in history making it a classic. That word. 25 years. Hmmm…
THE PATCHWORK GIRL OF OZ– Released on Sept 5th on Encourage TV it has been enjoyed already by 1500 or so people. I’m sure this fun family film will be seen by millions who love the the OZ world. Please do check it out with your loved ones. Steve Young the film’s creator loves the OZ world and his passion shows. We all had fun working on the film and I truly love the musical score by Dennis Therrian.
WRAP UP: My focus is pretty contained to what we are about to launch. I’ve got a good amount of time in front of the camera on this one. I’ve got to tweak the nuances in the role but I like where it is at. Another cool role to add to the wonderful pantheon of characters I’ve been. This town has all the old wilderness charm that is Michigan. It is funny how they have their own stories of the Purple Gang and the rebellious times of prohibition.
Thank you for our new readers from India and Ireland and of course the USA. Wish us good luck as we start our week of intense on location prep. We are laying in the production foundations and filling holes before we set sail. This is going to be a fun one. It will be an exciting one. From our CDI family to yours- what we are shooting now you’ll get to enjoy in a year or so. We gotta keep telling them. So many great stories to tell and only a lifetime to do it in. Keep chasing your dreams and we’ll talk next week just before cameras roll!
DJ
HELLO CLEVELAND! Updates From Indie-Gathering and More…
I’m back in my comfy chair sipping on some hazelnut coffee having just returned from a dentist cleaning. I’m writing on this fine Michigan Monday after returning late last night from Cleveland, Ohio. Some of our BEST YEARS GONE team traveled for the 27th Indie Gathering International Film Festival. It was nice to be around storytellers and talk our craft. It was extra special because we were joined by Detroit filmmaker Harley Wallen representing ASH & BONE, a cool horror film that is a true tip of the hat to some classics. I have to say that actress Erika Hoveland gave a funny, disturbing performance in ASH & BONE and does an incredible job in BEST YEARS GONES, as Sylvia. It was cool to have Michigan filmmaking represented and Erika co-starred in both films. Shane Hagedorn, directed and co-starred in BEST YEARS GONE and also had a supporting role in ASH & BONE. Amazing to watch these films almost back-to-back and to see the range of Erika and Shane’s performances. I only appeared in BEST YEARS GONE but I’m humbled to say I received the festivals ‘Best Actor‘ award, for my Gil Gilles performance. Gil, Gil, Gil…he is truly a character and if you have not seen either of these films you can watch BEST YEARS GONE now on Amazon Prime, iTunes, Google and more. ASH & BONE releases in October. Congrats to Harley and his team. Congrats to all the folks at the Indie Gathering. We had some great Mexican eating also. Thank you Melissa Anschutz and Deskpop Entertainment.
Soon I will unpack and likely take a nap. The above film event in Cleveland kept me up past my bedtime. I’ve got a good sleep pattern down and closing down a bar mixer was already over my sleepy time but we had to pass on the 2am to dawn tailgate with grilling and games. If I was 24 I would have been there but…and I’m still tired. We talk about that often. Sleep. Many like to impress folks with how much midnight oil they burn. How hard their grinding. But I can say, that experience and life has shown me that good rest results in better quality use of time. You can say, I worked eight hours straight but how productive were you. Some can do the same work in three focused hours with good rest behind them. Even those meditations, sleep shut down for even 15-30 min can reboot you. Sometimes when flustered people will say, I don’t have the time to take a rest. What results is often mistake-ridden, half-ass work versus taking a few moments and getting better results.
I’ll get my rest on soon enough but I wanted to get some updates out to all of you. BEST YEARS GONE, might have 1-2 more special events planned but it’s now spreading out to different areas of the world on home video.
OTHER UPDATES:
- Going to PR the release dates and info on the premiere for FOR THE LOVE OF CATCH, once locked in.
- VFX, Color Correction, Music and Sound Design on SILENT NIGHT IN ALGONA is in full swing. Interested theatre chains are starting to give their interest. We have to lock down details on the Algona premiere this month. A new theatrical trailer will also be coming in advance of the premiere.
- HARSENS ISLAND REVENGE development work will continue in full. We’ll be looking to lock our dates for next year. Some scouting will happen this year also – so exciting to be able to tell this story. This is another epic period action/drama and it will be one fun ride.
- I am debating a few moves on SMOKE & MIRRORS, our short concept film. We might just post it for everyone to watch. It’s a really cool, stylized piece and I think folks will really enjoy it. We will get around to this feature script in the near future.
- BESTSELLER, the thriller from the mind of Chris Knight is playing to home video audiences. We have a few reviews and interviews coming up. This film really keeps you on the edge of your seat once things start rolling. If you enjoy these kind of spin-chill films, take a watch.
I’m not going to carry on and on today as I need to unpack and catch up on a few things, rest being one of them. I’m glad that I’m making the effort to slow down and enjoy some of the wins. God knows we’ve had our losses. But I’m really starting to realize that these things happen in their own time. I’m trying to be better at being happy for the personal wins. I’ve found in the past that personal recognition often came with resentment and some form of negativity from others. I found it interesting that after winning that ‘Best Actor’ award which was a nice metal medallion on some olympic-like neck strap. Without thinking about it, I just slipped it into a pocket and carried on. I did not wear it around. It wasn’t a decision with myself – should I wear it? Yes? No? I never thought that. I believe I was thinking about the second half of my burrito that the lunch waiter accidentally threw away instead of wrapping up. My acting might be good but my hand communicating isn’t. “Wrap it up in foil please,” came out as “toss it out” please. Okay, I’ve wandered. My point is, that if my getting recognized gets more eyes to watch our collective art or help projects get made, I’m happy. Does my ‘self’ need the personal recognition? It doesn’t appear that way but maybe deep down, I’m sure it does. The writer in me is really proud of all these stories. I’ve had a few nominations on my writing and I do recall that feeling good. Honestly, I did not expect to win. I mean, come on, it’s Gil Gilles. BUT, folks do seem to like ole, Gil. So from Gil and I, I want to give one more whole-hearted thank you. I’m going to go unpack and try to get my flow back in order. I’ll be back with you all on Sunday, our normal day. Until- Coffee Cheers!
DJ
DJ Perry's Official Blog 'Clawing My Way to the Middle' 