Updates a Day Early Due to Easter! My Gift to You All!
(A beautiful shot from Part 3 of The Quest Trilogy “The Christ Slayer” )
It is later on a Saturday and I’ve decided to start putting my update together as tomorrow is a busy day being Easter. So this past week was busy and I was tired once Friday came along. The week prior ended with my lil brother’s birthday and that was a fun celebration. Monday was back to business with a meeting with Travis Hayward and Adam Towner. It was to both cheer accomplishments (Their local festival win) and plan the next steps with Rom Coms Must Die (RCMD) feature marketing. The film is soon to address additional VFX and sound design before music and mixing. We’re working on the first look trailer and poster art for RCMD So that will be exciting also. I also got to enjoy their short film that won the local festival.
Good meeting mid-week with Shane Hagedorn and our friends at Dreamscape Productions about the theatrical release of Harsens Island Revenge. The film starts its theatrical run in Alpena, MI at Sanctuary Cinemas this coming Friday and will play for a week or so. How long depends on interest in the area. The Owosso, MI showings will start May 17th at the NCG and we’re guessing a week or two there as well. We are also looking to see if it will release in other NCG’s so if you have one near you call and request the film. Lansing, Grand Rapids and Detroit will likely be the next showings working with Celebration Cinemas and Emagine.
Speaking of theatrical showings, on Friday I went to the opening of WAS ONCE A HERO a unique western that friends Darby Hinton, Shane Hagedorn and Rebecca Holden acted in. Actor, producer and writer Dan Searles played the shopkeep in Wild Faith Christmas. If you get a chance to see it please do. It is now in Lansing, Grand Rapids and other locations. Wild Faith Christmas is about 60 min into the color correction. Dialog clean up is complete and sound design is also almost done. Next up is the music score which is where the film really comes to life. This follow up to our WILD FAITH is heading to theaters this holiday season.
Thursday I started the day by watching a director friend’s memorial for his dad who passed away. I had to stay home and be ready to receive a truck load of props from Wild Faith Christmas. I’m still putting stuff away. I had to reschedule a later meeting with an actress/producer friend but that happens especially when little children are involved. Friday as noted I had that screening but also had a good meeting over possible acting, writing and producing work for CDI. I just finished the script I had been working on which might film in Spring 2026 pending on chips fall. I’m in talks about several books to script and I’m hoping to lock one of them. I do enjoy writing and it is something I really embrace. The feedback so far on the script I just completed is strong.
I was waiting for many folks to get past tax deadlines but I’ve got several film projects in development. I’m going to give a few folks a first right of refusal on funding. We’ve had to turn away a few people on the last couple films and I don’t like to do that. Funding can be really hard and so we’ve got a good slate of projects from smaller to larger in budget. I’m really hoping to be filming this summer followed by fall and spring. We have the resources and manpower now to handle more films. It takes time to develop people and get them into the CDI flow. I’m also going to be talking with a few management folks about music videos for bands. We have the new Shallow Rising video releasing soon and will be shooting some promo for a music concert venue soon. We really like the music videos also they are a lot of fun.
Today in Muskegon our IN THE WOODS writer/director Lynn Drzick is meeting and greeting fans of our classic monster movie film. The Blu Ray is released and these are all steps for a possible follow up film. Next week I have an interview on Monday for Harsens Island Revenge and a podcast on Thursday. Friday we’ll get to hear what audiences think of the film! I have another podcast (Premium Podcast:) that we are trying to get on the books. I hope to have to good development follow up meetings next week too. So on the movie front things are busy as usual.
WRAP UP:
I’ve been loving being outside and doing the yard clean up. It is starting to come together. I spread the red clover seed and have some other herbs starting to sprout. The chickens have been doing pretty good with 3-5 eggs a day. I was doing well with my office organizing until two wagons full of props arrived. The Paw Paw/Rhubarb wine has gotten good marks from folks at our meetings. I’m still exploring the idea of using the lumber from the old deck to build a greenhouse. The new deck will soon need to be sanded and stained and I’m trying to prep for that. I’ve also been trying to clean on the shed which the squirrels invaded once they found we had chicken scratch in there. They are pretty determined when they wanna be. Flowers are popping up all over and my brother already found a morel on his property. We usually get them so I’m keeping an eye out.
I’ve done some PR on asking and encouraging people who enjoy the CDI films to watch The Quest Trilogy where we make a go at the biblical dramas like what we grew up on with ole Chuck Heston. They can be found free with ads and please do watch them in order. Part 1 Forty Nights, Part 2 Chasing the Star and Part 3 The Christ Slayer. I hope you all have a wonderful Easter and a great week ahead. We are enjoying the days getting warmer we actually had one day 78 degrees or so. I hope you enjoy getting this a day early. I just didn’t want to be rushed tomorrow because we have a full day. There is the first flea market of the year down the road also. Those are always fun. Soccer is also right around the corner starting in May! Until next week!
Coffee Cheers! Tea at night for me!
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
DJ Perry's Official Blog 'Clawing My Way to the Middle' 