This was a small project that, as films tend to do, grew rapidly as we began production. I decided on this project for several reasons.
Trailer
Trailer
By the way, the "steps" left of the title in red in the poster, represent the stairs in the film going down into "darkness".
A little background on the film. I've been working up to making movies of my writings for years. I've studied cinema, screen/scriptwriting all through my university years, toward my degree in psychology.
So I looked over my published and unpublished writings and chose one that did not require massive special effects, crew, talent, or locations.
A little background on the film. I've been working up to making movies of my writings for years. I've studied cinema, screen/scriptwriting all through my university years, toward my degree in psychology.
So I looked over my published and unpublished writings and chose one that did not require massive special effects, crew, talent, or locations.
I chose a true crime story I wrote in 1983 after an abnormal psychology class. In selecting that story ("Gumdrop City"). Spring of 2019 I wrote the prequel screenplay, then acquired the talent...the actors, the location, and then we began shooting principal photography. We shot through that summer. and finished in late summer. I went alone into post-production through the fall and winter.
I never expected to win any award but hoped I would at least get shown at a festival. This "learning" experience, has become much more. I will say however that I put a lot of work into this project and I was pretty pleased with it. The film came out much better than I had ever expected.
Was it perfect? Was it as good as I had wanted? No. Is it ever? In doing all of the post-production myself, I had to learn more all the time about the software I was using, the techniques of an editor (which I have some experience in going back to old celluloid films). I read a lot during production and during post-production.
Did I make mistakes? To be sure. For one? I would like a crew. My first day of shooting nearly gave me a nervous breakdown. But by the end of that first day, I had gotten my stride. The actors seemed to enjoy being on the production, so I guess I wasn't a nightmare to work with.
I learned a lot about directing, running the camera, the lights, the sound, and rewriting on the fly, on set. Then in post-production making the story work even and ever better. I acquired a composer for the soundtrack. Andrea Fioravanti, in Italy. I also had a young singer/songwriter, Alex Dewell on the soundtrack.
I also used some music from Nikolas Hayes, from his CD years ago. I used my first short, eight-minute horror film he had acted in, "The Rapping". A trifle I produced just to prove I COULD even shoot a film. And yet it won an award and was also shown at The Midnight Film Festival in New York. Perhaps I'm on a roll here.
Was it perfect? Was it as good as I had wanted? No. Is it ever? In doing all of the post-production myself, I had to learn more all the time about the software I was using, the techniques of an editor (which I have some experience in going back to old celluloid films). I read a lot during production and during post-production.
Did I make mistakes? To be sure. For one? I would like a crew. My first day of shooting nearly gave me a nervous breakdown. But by the end of that first day, I had gotten my stride. The actors seemed to enjoy being on the production, so I guess I wasn't a nightmare to work with.
I learned a lot about directing, running the camera, the lights, the sound, and rewriting on the fly, on set. Then in post-production making the story work even and ever better. I acquired a composer for the soundtrack. Andrea Fioravanti, in Italy. I also had a young singer/songwriter, Alex Dewell on the soundtrack.
I also used some music from Nikolas Hayes, from his CD years ago. I used my first short, eight-minute horror film he had acted in, "The Rapping". A trifle I produced just to prove I COULD even shoot a film. And yet it won an award and was also shown at The Midnight Film Festival in New York. Perhaps I'm on a roll here.
Concurrently, I am also working on seeing my true crime biopic, "The Teenage Bodyguard" into production along with producer Robert Mitas the head of their Originals department at Voyage Media. There is also a new podcast from the Pacific Northwest Scene of the Crime people, titled, "Enterprise".
I am also doing a final edit on my manuscript for a sequel to my first ever published book, a collection of my short stories, that will be titled, "Anthology of Evil II". That ending novella in the first book, "Andrew" led to the creation of my next book and masterwork of fiction, "Death of heaven". My new book will also have an ending novella this one titled, "The Unwritten".
In the midst of all that, I received this email from the Cult Critic Movie Awards.
The Official Notification Email:
Congratulations! We are so excited to announce that your project is an AWARD WINNER at the 32nd monthly season of the Cult Critic Movie Awards.
The full list of selection is about to be released on our website (http://hlc-cultcritic.com/) and will also be published on our social networks.
We'll email you shortly your laurel and certificate, and rate your project on IMDb page (If applicable).
Please note that all the monthly Award Winners are automatically NOMINATED for the prestigious JEAN LUC GODARD AWARDS. The final result will be published on September 2020.
You may follow the detailed coverage of this season on Cult Critic film magazine (http://hlc-cultcritic.com).
Cheers!
We'll email you shortly your laurel and certificate, and rate your project on IMDb page (If applicable).
Please note that all the monthly Award Winners are automatically NOMINATED for the prestigious JEAN LUC GODARD AWARDS. The final result will be published on September 2020.
You may follow the detailed coverage of this season on Cult Critic film magazine (http://hlc-cultcritic.com).
Cheers!
Will there be a next project? To be sure!
Also, remember the Scene of the Crime podcast, "Enterprise", which is based on the story my true crime screenplay, The Teenage Bodyguard, is based upon.
Also, remember the Scene of the Crime podcast, "Enterprise", which is based on the story my true crime screenplay, The Teenage Bodyguard, is based upon.
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