What Freaks Me Out – Playing the Waiting Game with My Movie #indiefilm

One of the things I’m most afraid of is not finishing my movie in enough time to make the deadlines for any of the 40+ film festivals where I want to submit it for a premiere screening; and completing this flick at all.

Post-production is taking longer than it took me to shoot this project, partly because I’m currently trying to shorten it up and make a version that meets my vision for it as closely as possible within the right amount of time. In the last few days, I’ve been back and forth through that old mindset of wanting to just throw a project aside and move on to the next thing – but -- there likely won’t be a next anything if I don’t first finish the one I’m working on now.

Speaking of the next best thing, there’s also nothing else for me to do if I’m not involved in some capacity of filmmaking. I mean, I went to school to study it, then started writing about it on the path to becoming one – or so I thought. No one can be a filmmaker without having made one, which means, until I actually have a movie in my hands that I can show to people, I suppose I’m just a writer – after all – that is what I do.

Today’s post is a mash-up of two prompts from Jenni, who wants participants in the 'Blog Everyday in May Challenge' to answer the question “What do you do?” and share the thing(s) you’re most afraid of. I could’ve just as easily written about other fears such as watching “Requiem for a Dream” or witnessing animals -- or people -- get hit by cars in oncoming traffic, but those things didn’t come to mind until I finished writing this post.

What do YOU do and what are the thing(s) you're most afraid of?

Making Movies with Lyssa Roberts – The Worker’s Union #indiefilm

Lyssa Roberts plays Mariah, a kindhearted city girl who depends on public transportation to get to her job in the short film, “Abyss.”

Lyssa was cast for this role because she fit the majority of what I had in mind while writing the screenplay. Her audition footage also received high remarks from members of the casting team who reviewed all of the actors and actresses interested in being a part of this movie.

She shares screen time with Mark Johnson, who plays Manny and is involved in a decision that sends Rodney Benson’s character over the edge. Here are some comments that a few casting team members had to say about Lyssa’s audition…

“She gave the role a bit more spunk” and “Plays the character smart.  Great departure from the rest”

We shall find out if viewers agree, when “Abyss” is ready for its movie premiere!

3 Things Movies Taught Me About Fundraising

My IndieGoGo campaign to raise funds for the film festival and television premieres of “Abyss” continues to be in full swing, with lots of work, sleepless nights and surprising sources of support. On Sunday, I started thinking about movies where people are collecting donations for a particular cause -- there are some Do’s and Don’ts that could be learned from fundraising campaigns on the big screen. So, it’s become the inspiration behind this week’s Monday Movie Meme: Show Me the Money!

Share on your blog or in the comments section, movies featuring some type of fundraising. The campaign could be a one-time occurrence or an ongoing effort led by one person or an entire group of people. Remember to link back to this post and visit the blogs of fellow Monday Movie Meme participants. Here are my selections for this week’s Show Me the Money theme, based on three things that movies taught me about fundraising.

DON’T - Lay Claim to another Man’s Generosity

As Seen in “Coming to America” Starring Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall

The scene where Akeem dumps a wad full of money into the collection plate at church is unforgettable, for reasons other than cash. You see, Lisa assumes that her hot-shot boyfriend Darryl gave this large donation to the church. Darryl a.k.a Mr. Scumbag himself, takes all the credit for that money, knowing darn well that he passed the collection plate to the next person without offering Lisa’s church one dime.

DO - Be Transparent with Donors on How their Funds Will Be Used

As Seen in “A Time to Kill” Starring Samuel Jackson and Sandra Bullock

While in jail, Carl Lee makes it clear to his pastor that he will reveal the church’s misuse of funds raised by the congregation. The pastor took a special collection for Carl Lee’s legal expenses and to help feed the jailed man’s family. Apparently, that money did not go toward those two causes and then the church had the audacity to bring in the NAACP with intentions of replacing Carl Lee’s current lawyer with one of their own preference.

DON’T – Choose a Market that is Difficult for You to Compete In

As seen in “Dodgeball” starring Vince Vaughn and Ben Stiller

The staff at Average Joes gym hosts an all-male car wash to save their business from being bought out by a conglomerate competitor. Unfortunately, their timing and location choices put them up against a group of hot women in bikinis that drove most of the traffic to their own all-girls car wash. After sizing up their competition and realizing that this gym fundraiser’s sole customer was a perverted trucker, the staff cut their losses and accepted defeat.

What fundraising campaigns have YOU seen in movies?