Getting in the Game – A DVD Box Set Quest

Rainbow Sangria, mixed by Tipsy BartenderThe life of my military homecoming film “ABYSS: The Greatest Proposal Ever” must go on after its Red Cross run, if this movie stands any chance at growing an audience.

I wonder if repackaging the DVD into a bundled experience of sorts would make it more appealing to men and women who have a hard time wrapping their head around supporting a 20-minute, low-budget buddy drama, produced by an indie writer/director who they never heard of until now.

So I’m toying around with the idea of making a boxed gift set that contains a drinking card game featuring questions about friendship, weddings, relationships, jobs and conflict, all based on themes in my movie. I picture this game serving as a good ice breaker during social gatherings while also providing opportunities for people to discuss funny and even hot topics while learning about, and hopefully understanding, the perspectives of those in their inner circle.

On the most basic level, players in my movie game would pick a card from the pile, read the question on that card aloud, and then guess what the other person’s answer is to said question. If the answer is incorrect, then he or she must drink one shot but if it’s correct, then the other person must do a shot. Seems simple enough, right?! What I’m having trouble figuring out, however, is whether the questions on these game cards should be in multiple choice or yes/no form.

Would you loan money to your best friend, for his or her wedding plans?

Would you loan your car to a friend for 9 months?

Would you pay to bail a friend out of jail?

If you joined the military, in which branch would you serve?

G is for Guessing GamesOne of the reasons for going the gaming route for creating a DVD box set also comes from an understanding that casting a smaller, yet targeted, net might be more beneficial than trying to promote my movie to every Tom, Dick and Harry who enjoys home entertainment.

If I do this card game thing, I figure the film’s ideal market could include groomsmen who are planning bachelor parties, people hosting surprise birthday parties for their besties, and summer BBQ gatherings.

Oh the joys of trying to get more (or find the) people to watch indie films! *sigh*

Which types of questions do YOU think are better suited for game play, yes/no OR multiple choice?

What was the last drinking game YOU played?

The Fire Relief Fund: My Red Cross Film Tour at a Glance

So I went on tour with my film not too long ago, hoping to sell a lot of DVDs while raising awareness for disaster relief and building an audience for future work. Adjustments had to be made along the way and this initiative raised more than $100 for the American Red Cross. The experience taught me some things about fundraising, charities, people and communities. Here is an overview of what went down to provide blankets, a hotel night stay, groceries, toiletries and/or other immediate needs for a handful of people who are displaced by home fires that claimed everything they owned.

F is for Fundraising 

That's all I have for today. How is YOUR Tuesday going so far?

Sunday Synopsis: Gratitude, Moving Objects and What It’s Like to Be Involved in Cool Shit

A production crew member at work on the Rocky Balboa spinoff 'CREED' filming on Temple University's campus.After much procrastination on a growing to-do list for the A to Z Challenge (we're at 1,000 participants and counting! Yay!), I'm supposed to be catching up on editing videos for an upcoming surprise you'll see soon enough. So how did I find myself on here blogging today? For starters, I know it's about time since there hasn't been a new post in a few days.

So I figured this is a good day to discuss how much we take our jobs for granted, or rather, how we sometimes fail to recognize the perks of whatever field we find ourselves working in. Sure there are stressful times and annoyances that are part of a job we don't particularly care for, but who can name any field that doesn't come with its own set of challenges, right?! Unfortunately, filmmaking hasn’t contributed to the bulk of any money I earn.

Making less than $400 in the last year alone, which turns out to be around -700 or so, at minimum, when factoring in the expenses I racked up (in other words, no profit equals no revenue, but I digress…) tells me I have a lot of work to do in the motion picture arena if this thing is going to pan out for me. So anyone able to make a comfortable living – or even enough to pay a bill or buy groceries for the month -- by landing jobs on productions with some kind of budget that makes these things possible, are lucky to work in an environment where there is no stringent dress code and you can be anyone or do anything that you wouldn’t normally do in the real world.

This weekend I was watching an actress's vlog where she and the crew of an action webseries, about espionage, were on set wrapping a 20-day shoot. As she filmed her last scenes as a femme fatalle, teased the cinematographer and exchanged jokes with the sound guy during lunch breaks, it dawned on me how much of a blessing it is to be able to work in an industry where you get to play make believe all day.

Sylvester Stallone's Rocky franchise continues with 'CREED' starring Michael B. Jordan (Fruitvale Station).Depending on what role or position you're in on any given production, you can dress up, perform stunts, travel, play with gadgets and basically run around town acting like a fool while meeting new people and forming relationships (albeit brief) with these strangers -- many of whom you may never run into again. It’s like a never-ending celebration of Halloween, Mardi Gras and the Fourth of July on steroids.

Making movies, television, commercials, music videos, or other content in the audiovisual medium brings with it a set of crazy responsibilities while also putting you through a roller coaster of emotions. When you step away from it for a minute and view it from another side, however, it's kinda awesome.

The stress for, say, a production sound guy is different than that of someone working on an assembly line at an automobile manufacturing plant, or even a doctor performing open heart surgery. Each person involved in the assembling of cars has challenges of making sure all the parts on the finished product is working. If there is a recall or people stop purchasing them, then the company doesn't make money, people start getting laid off and then there is no fun in a situation like that. In the surgeon's case, his (or her) stress and challenges carry a whole other level of importance because it's a life or death situation with the patient's future literally in his hands.

Heart surgeon's get to be heroes who make it possible for people to have a chance at a better, and longer, quality of life. Those working on airplanes, trains, automobiles, bicycles, etc. are helping other people get to their jobs -- or to the hospital for that surgery -- faster than they would on foot. All in all, this stuff makes the world go 'round in the sense that they aid, in one way or another, our ability to carry on with our day-to-day existence as efficiently as possible. These things are awesome, making the medical and manufacturing industries just as cool as many other fields.

Since I'm no expert engineer and would probably faint at the mere thought of rearranging a person's internal organs, I think I'll stay in my lane for now and remember to appreciate the privilege of playing pretend, when and where I can.

No matter whether YOU work full-time, part-time or seasonally, what are some awesome aspects of YOUR industry (or industries)?

*Note: Just a quick heads up…the Monday Movie Meme will likely go up late tomorrow now that I’m going to have to make up for lost time on those video editing tasks ;)