Mother’s Day, Weddings, Scouting, Casting and More…
Good morning! I’m starting this sunny morning with a hot cup of hazelnut coffee. A Happy Mother’s Day to all the Mother’s out there. I’m taking the momma’s in my life to the movies today as it was deemed a bit too chilly for the park picnic or a few out the outdoor ideas. I’ve been so enjoying seeing the green that is springing up everywhere. Plants sprouting, squirrels building and birds are singing. Our chickens have been loving it and happily kicking out the eggs on a regular basis. Already some of the herbs like chives are growing steady. I’ve been getting the grill ready for some grilling and chilling. I had to fix one fence that divides off the raspberries and I still have a bit of property work to do. Having the ability to go work on the property while pondering decisions is helpful. So let’s get into some of the updates from that world.
Film Updates-
- The first draft of a business proposal for three films between CDI and Katharsys Media is done and being refined. These are three genre films with Lynn Drzick (In the Woods) directing.
- The first polished draft of RETURN TO ALGONA is done and sent to the parties in Algona we are working with. If everything follows plan we just might be filming that in 2027. The story is a powerful look at how time had marched on from WW2 to 1968 and the Vietnam War. It also has many lessons and examples that are applicable to what is happening in our world today.
- Following that script I now plan to finish up on MBF2 and the Wild Faith 3 script underway. Both of these don’t have a plan to shoot but better to have them waiting in the wings. I’m really happy with how both of these follow up stories are coming along.
- Wild Faith Christmas – Shane Hagedorn and I traveled to ICFF in Florida and had a great trip representing our film. From our nominations we won for Melissa Anschutz’s role as Hester! Before we left Florida, we heard that she had also been nominated for the RED LETTER AWARDS for Best Actress taking place outside Nashville, TN in August. We are nominated for Best Picture, Best Supporting Actress Addy Paddy, Best Supporting Actor Dean Teaster and Best Actor Shane Hagedorn. This train is a rolling and we are so grateful to everyone loving this film. We will work with our theatrical partners at Dreamscape Productions and see if they can book any additional theatrical showings but the film releses to streaming on 11/03/2026!
- ROM COMS MUST DIE is having its first kick off showing May 18th at the Sun Theater in Williamston. The full public is invited and tickets are $10 cash at the box office that opens at 6:30 with sNyte
- Adam Topwnerhow at 7:00. Come out and enjoy this comedy with many of the cast and crew. June 11th Adam Towner and I will be appearing on The Baron & Sindee Nyte Show that livestreams 7pm EST. Other theatrical bookings will start with a proposed Q3 streaming release.
- AI Jesus: The Secret of the Kingdom Chip is having a full review on Monday with our composer/sound designer before a producer’s review. The end credits are being built and soon this film will be ready to start some theatrical bookings. We’ll be heating up the PR on this film very soon. I think audiences will find the film heartfelt and will stimulate many discussions.
DEVELOPMENT: Moving soon out of development and into pre-production is DEVIL’S PASS. This adventurous tale is an 1800’s piece brought to CDI by Dan Searles. We will be working with Dan’s company and again McGraw Multimedia. John and Eldon McGraw will be directing and heading up the camera, grip & electric departments. We’ve worked so well with them on the last two feature films and I’m excited to launch them with this motion picture. We’ve set our shoot dates in September and we’ll be again shooting in Michigan. We’ve been working on placing some of the keys and early casting. There will be many upcoming announcements as we bring more good folks onto the film. We had an amazing scout trip last Thursday and found all our locations and more. Some locations are so cool that we might re-stage a scene at a different location for cinematic reasons. If your company, business or brand want to align with us we’ll soon be approaching our sponsors and product partners that help all these films get done. It took several months for CDI to agree to supervise and produce this film. Things have to come together the correct way and I’m happy that it did. So many moving parts and you have to have excellent communications. The schedule is being worked upon and soon I’ll have a rough actors day of days that helps with the casting process. We have an IMDB and Facebook page that we’ll keep adding updates to. We will be doing some local casting once we get done the road just a little bit more.
WRAP UP:
I will say that one of my most interesting experiences I’ve had was last Thursday at the scout. I had driven to John McGraw’s house and we were going to drive from there. I go to get into this car and the handle bewildered me. It was a TESLA. I got in and the entire roof is transparent and that car DROVE us to pick up Adam Towner and out to the scouting location. I’ve always said, “I don’t know” about driverless cars/trucks. But as I moved to the backseat giving up the shotgun seat to mister Towner, I was amazed. It backed out into traffic and started us on our way. The power and pick up to this car with no oil or standard brakes again left me speechless. Now having experienced it, I have to rethink my feelings on that entire process. I truly felt for the first time in my life like a JETSONS moment. Look it up kids, it is an old cartoon. But I could see the day of owning one. It can take you right to its own refueling stations and…just incredible.
I also wanted to mention that on Friday we attended a beautiful wedding as CDI’s Melissa Anschutz’s eldest son tied the knot. It was a beautiful venue and after was an elegant cocktail hour and dinner. Being there with several of the CDI old guard to celebrate with Melissa and her family was just wonderful. Congratulations to Alex and his new bride Catrina. We work hard and it was so nice to just have a little time to relax, laugh and enjoy each other’s company. I even got to try out a few wardrobe pieces I might wear in the upcoming film. Yes. I will be acting in Devil’s Pass but we’ll leave those updates to another date. I’ve got a fresh coffee and I’m going to go eat a few eggs, shower up and get ready to go spend time with the moms. Until next week- be good to one another and don’t just DREAM but DO!
Coffee Cheers!
DJ
Summer Saturday Rundown
It is another Summer Saturday in the Michigan and I’m sipping the morning java and writing you a few of my thoughts of the past week. I will try to bring something forth that might help some of you others walking this path. I do have a few story’s from the week and I will perhaps pick one of them to try to teach a lesson.
The Oversell – I know in films about filmmaking you always see the slick Willie producer trying to tell everyone what they want to hear and keep their stories straight. This may be funny in the movies but those people aren’t real and once you burn bridges it rarely ends up happy ever after. Be honest and let it roll from there. I know various projects that worked in half-truths at best and I can’t stress enough that once you lose that credibility you are really in trouble. So don’t paint castles in thin air saying you have so and so on board if you don’t. I had a few situations where things were being said to try to appease someone and after a simple communication the jig was up. FALSE INFO. So someone comes across as either A) A liar or B) Clueless to the Truth. I don’t think either of these things play well into the perceptions of how someone runs their business. So if packaging something be honest and don’t oversell. Because that person may be able to pick up a phone and directly confirm your story and if it doesn’t vet out, you lose.
I also had a situation this week where someone claimed that my schedule was in conflict with a project that wanted me to work on it. Right now I speak for myself. I know my schedule and what conflicts or does not. To have someone put words in your mouth screams agenda. I’ve seen people in casting positions (not experienced ones) try to push one talent over another. In this case someone had someone in mind for a lead because they thought somehow it would better their standing. So other options to that same role were buried. It is just a sad disservice to whomever hired that individual but that was all exposed and now this individual has that little check next to their name. Checks against someone don’t erase easy because someone rarely changes who they are or how they operate. I honestly don’t put too much energy into such matters because if someone placed these unqualified people in power that usually means a series of bad choices will be made. Too many bad choices equals a bad movie. If I’m asked for materials and I take the time to send them all I expect is for them to be seen by the right people. I don’t mind being turned down if something was truly evaluated. I lost another role a while back because I just won’t pass for a gaunt lab assistant. Not without a large paycheck to just focus on that and I shudder to think of what it would do to my soccer game:) You might look like another character or be the wrong age or race, all acceptable. But I book off my reels all the time and to hear someone say, “they don’t want to see reels.” WRONG. I’ve produced many films and reels are the best sell. Like if you were looking at hiring a PRO player on a team. Try outs are great but game footage is golden! Agents with a stable of actors without reels shy away from sending reels.
OK. Onto the more positive. Serbia media was blowing up on inventor TESLA’s birthday and the film I’m attached to officially changed the name of the film from THE MAD SCIENTIST to TESLA. I think it was a great move and I’m excited to be part of the movie telling the story of my favorite inventor.
We saw the PR release this week on the German, Austria, Switzerland deal going down with WICKED SPRING, DARKEST NIGHT and LOCKED IN A ROOM.
DARKEST NIGHT is now on VOD (Amazon Instant) and releases on DVD on the 16th of July here. You can see a sneak peek and so take a watch and leave a review of your experience.
http://www.fangoria.com/new/exclusive-clip-darkest-night/
This month we also have WICKED SPRING and FIGURE IN THE FOREST playing on Parables TV!
ASHES OF EDEN marketing is firing up and in the weeks to come we will have new posters, trailer and other exciting updates. The film is in post and is just way beyond my expectations.
SUPERMODEL SHOWDOWN series has been in editing and is truly a fun watch. We are starting to look at marketing for this project as well. I think lovers of reality TV will enjoy this show.
Other than that it has been doing yard improvements – and attending the 4H auction, picking berry’s and working the new driveway. I’m also happy to report the garden is producing the 1st beans and tomatoes will soon follow. I’m greatly enjoying my summer as I finish these projects up and develop new ones. I know I will be back in front of the camera again when the time is right. But until that time I will keep on with the business work and enjoying my day-to-day. We also start the second half of the soccer season on Sunday and I’m excited for that. I get to put my new gear into action! I wish you all a great weekend!
DJ
Mad Scientists, Holiday Miracles and Management
This week was wonderful with our first hints of spring and the sun bringing us our 1st 80 degree day. We got lots of yard work done getting the garden ready and such. We lost our 1st soccer match to the ex champs last Sunday but we played well and it was great to be out running full field. That was until Tuesday when the sore caught up to me but by Weds I was ready to go again. As the 80 degree heat was hitting I was lamenting the fact that my hair was heavy and long almost midway down my back. I was excited by a few upcoming projects because I would be trading the long hair for a short period haircut such as on the “The Mad Scientist” film about inventor N. Teslsa. That shoots in the early fall and so I was thinking I might be stuck for a bit looking like the missing member of ALABAMA. But maybe not…:) Read on.
Tuesday I had a great meeting with some other Michigan filmmakers at the new office. We shared a few bottles of home wine and had good discussions on the biz and I gave encouragement as these fine folks travel rocky roads I’ve been on before. It’s hard to be a working artist especially at the start. It is where many die along the road way like a filmmakers own Trail of Tears or Oregon Trail. Anyway, when I came in for the night after our meeting I saw that another filmmaking buddy from Michigan had reached out about a role in a film he was directing. It was a smaller role but upon reading it I liked the character and thought I could bring something special to it. It also would provide a first opportunity to come work with him versus just our informal meetings over hard cider. The best part – a haircut:) So tonight and Tuesday I will be participating in the storytelling of Holiday Miracle. I’m playing one of the child lead’s father. I almost did a role like this on the film, THE IRISHMAN playing the father who leaves the boy at the orphan’s home. The difference was some new casting director was trying to place a bunch of hoops for me to deliver just a handful of powerful lines. All I ask is for someone to look at my work and respect it. If you know I can do something just present the offer and if I connect with a character I may do it. But I will not be jerked around by casting folk on a power trip. Needless to say, The Irishman was a pass for me. That said, this opportunity reminded me of that but the director/producer friend knows my work and presented an opportunity professionally. No BS. No hoops. Just an offer. I’ve carried films as the star and I’ve also been a supporting spoke in a hub of artists working together to tell a story. As a producer I can tell you all roles are important. One bad casting can ruin a scene. A few bad scenes can ruin a movie. So everyone is important right down to groups of extras. So I want to thank Joel Paul Reisig whom I’ve known for several years now for professionally offering an opportunity to work together. He is another one of the DOERS in our industry and for that he has my respect. Let’s tell a story. I’m looking forward to meeting his team.
On Other Fronts-
The national PR on “Darkest Night” is really heating up and will as we approach the July release. It is now for PRE-ORDER on amazon.com and other outlets.
We are doing some FX planning work on one upcoming western-era film. Also progress on “Soul Eater” the prequel to “The 8th Plague” as we are now gathering our foreign partners. I talked this week to actor amigo Terry Jernigan who plays Buck and I can officially say he is on board. I also talked with Eric Williford who produced the original and is now directing his own material. It is great to re-circle the wagons and talk about future collaborations.
“Ashes of Eden” is closing in on the rough cut edit and again I’m amazed at the scenes. This film will surprise many in the range of the powerful performances. Great job Shane Hagedorn on the edit work.
“Supermodel Showdown” TV show and “Donors” are in post being assembled and scored under my supervisor Dennis Therrian.
I’ve also been in beginning discussions with a personal management company in Hollywood. My entertainment attorney is out there and I’ve had agents out there and it looks like I may once again dive into that realm. Why? Basically many Hollywood’ers think I’m ready for prime time and keep wanting to know why I’m not working the larger studio films. I guess with my tolerance for bullshit being low that has kept me content with the independent scene vs mainstream Hollywood. But with this powerhouse firm handling the BS I could start doing a big picture or two a year. The nice part is I don’t NEED the work. That keeps coming and as I’ve focused more on foreign productions the offers are just growing. But with 3 new Star Wars films and several great comic book films still to be made into blockbusters I just might have to throw my hat in the ring on a few of these. Is Hollywood’s studio system ready for DJ Perry? Maybe, I guess we will see.
Other Roles –
I will be filming with Larry Simmons on his follow-up film to our “Locked in a Room” that has been a steady best seller on Google Play via Echo Bridge Entertainment since the release. More on “Panic in 703” as we get closer into production.
Okay friends, I’ve got a day full of stuff today to do before I go play on set with some fellow Michigan artists. Tomorrow I look forward to another battle on the soccer field and I’m feeling lean and mean. So once again I say, let’s get it on:)
Enjoy the day and thank you for stopping in for a read.
DJ
DJ Perry's Official Blog 'Clawing My Way to the Middle' 