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
Strong Week of Developments
Cool photo that I found inspiration in this week.
Hello my friends. I find the blog worldwide breakdowns very interesting. These are the countries my leading readers are hailing from. 1) The USA. I would hope so but you never know. 2) Australia. Hey Mates. I’ve never been down under but would love to one day. Mad Max/Kings Road/Miller…I’m looking at you. 3) Denmark. I LOVE this country. Always will. 4) Germany. I’ve had a lot of releases here. Wonder what their favorite is? 5) India. Namaste. Thank you. 6) Philippines. Like family. Great hospitality. 7) Ireland. Never been but will one day. Irish/Scot blood runs through me.
Okay. I was just enjoying where everyone is tuning into from. It has been a good week. Okay. That is modest, the week felt ultra productive. I think once you set a destination it becomes easier. A target to focus upon. In our business it starts with a solid blueprint (script) interested key talent and crew to make your proposal package. I think many chase money and when someone does say YES, at that point they start looking at details. I look at the details first knowing if they say yes, I can do this. I have the team that can make this happen. Again I see too many people saying yes, to endeavors they are not qualified to handle. And if they mess up it just becomes one more poisoned well. I personally would love 3-4 Michigan film entities making films and a few TV series rolling. That might lead to some good roles and guest star moments. So I really do wish all those around me the best. I’ve just seen over 20+ years so many good contacts ruined by bad business. I’ve actually reached a point in my career where the bad business makes us look better. But some drop out of the film game all together and everyone loses. So DO THE WORK. GIVE YOUR BEST.
Let me see where to begin.
The new CDI website is under construction. I will be uniting all the films and product to a central place where audiences can find what they are seeking. This new platform will eventually help other filmmakers out there. It will explain itself in time – stay tuned as THE TRIBE is on the move.
Here is the interesting side note… I was just having an unplanned chat with one of our vet members going back to the late 90’s. I was trying to explain where I was with everything. There is potential all over the board and I’m looking five years down the path and trying to chart the best course. But it actually feels fun. The final product is actually making it fun again. Make the wrong alliances, associations, partnerships or agreements and you lose time. Time is LIFE. The saying Time is Money is smaller in value to the other. Time is LIFE. I work as concise as I can and encourage the team to do so because another story is always in the womb. I have no less than two films I’ve given myself as a role in a world created by artists. The management in both cases – WAIT. Accountability – I’ve also WASTED time in my journey so refrain from a defensive stance. I’m saying IF you’re truly doing it for the art don’t hinder the endeavor with people who are not serious. How serious you say? Serious to me is when actions speak and words are not even needed. So be more careful with your foundations. Work out all the details before you accept investment. I know artists whose years have become consumed with production entanglements and endless legal loose-ends. That will rob you of your time, your LIFE. That space & time dance where you can create art for audiences if you choose. Just make good choices. Allow it to be fun.
Knight Chills
OK. So when CDI was a tribe consisting of three crazy artists – myself, Jeff and Juanita Kennedy – we hatched many great ideas. Much inspired by our mutual love of classics especially in the fantasy, Sci-Fi, Horror, Pulp genres. See STRANGER THINGS was my childhood. The love of the vibe that is that Golden-Age of Nerds whereas by playing Dungeons and Dragons you could also be a Rebel. Because much like young Rock and Roll, they (mainstream) did not understand it and feared it. “Knight Chills” is a classic tale, an urban myth almost of the bullied nerd. Retold in a world that now people are trying to recreate. STRANGER THINGS does that and my amigo Myke Michaels is up for an Emmy for his work on that show. But the film was shown in many circles over the years including Special Edition releases and box sets. It was released legally and not in several foreign territories. The film was common talk on Comic Con circuits. Hey, I didn’t believe “In the Woods” truly had a drinking game until I saw a theater full of people doing it Rocky Horror Picture style. So my vet of the Comic Con circuit David Hayes was a fan of the film. We joked about him doing a book until finally we made it happen. I wrote three other scripts that all took place after the first. Each one a small budget likely as we tried to harness and contain our imaginations. BUT graphic novel and comics…
Some of our early content is a perfect fit. KNIGHT CHILLS is the first and it will be for order in stores and also E-Book I believe. I know they are going to be selling on the Comic-Con circuits and we’ll be doing some cool promo. PR will go out next week but for all of you. Here is our new front cover.
I also think this could be a jumpstart for the original film for new licensing and the sequel script is written and director talks have taken place.
THE QUEST TRILOGY
Forty Nights continues the roll forward as Chasing the Star enters the home video orbit. DVD’s were being mastered to prep for the warehouses and Sept. 5th release. Now this Friday following a development meeting we were all treated to the first teaser to The Christ Slayer with temp sound/music. What the…! Holy…! Speechless… Play that again please. And another time. It pummels you with emotional power. What moments given by the cast and what power captured by the crew. I’ve been feasting on the Summer Movie Trailers so my taste are high. (Production Value)
I’m proud to once again have our collective names put on a story invoking much emotion. Right now its being used just for a few business things but audiences, cast, crew will get a first strong showing of the Official Teaser. But the few who’ve seen it can attest – it makes all the hard work worth it. It almost makes it fun again.
Wild Faith sits in a good place right now. Strong interest as business talks keep moving ahead. The talks are centered on the first season of the TV show. The interest is there on a few fronts and once we have the additional trailers and final film to show I feel that the tv deal is a real possibility.
Looking forward to working with this guy as an actor again on M.B.F. – The last time was ‘An Ordinary Killer” a few years ago. Mr. Anthony (Tony) Hornus is our director.
Man’s Best Friend is Officially going to go by M.B.F. – we’ve had a surge in business since announcing this project. The foundation of the house is almost in. Another great meeting this week is showing us a clear path. The response to the script has been on-point, luckily:) Some people are being reached out to about availability. Casting Calls will be going up. I’m excited about telling this story. I think it will strike a chord with many people.
Okay, I’m off to eat some lunch and I have to get ready for a soccer match in this balmy heat. The garden has been kicking and I’ve enjoyed the results. I had fresh BLT’s yesterday. I didn’t grow the bacon:) The masses have enjoyed the Irish Stout and I’m soon to make my batch of mulberry/rhubarb wine.
Have a great Sunday and rest of the week.
DJ
DJ Perry's Official Blog 'Clawing My Way to the Middle' 