Saturday, August 31, 2013

Big hurdle

Well, I didn't make the finals of Shriekfest.  Ah, well.  It was great making the semis.  Shriekfest is a great festival.  And I WILL make it someday...That didn't sound too creepy did it?

Anyhow, since I didn't make it to Shriekfest this year, I decided to use the money to invest in Coming Distractions.  I bought a new camera, so that when I start gathering funds, I have a big part of it already.

Went with the T5i.  My professors recommended the T3i, and my photographer friend recommended the T4i because of the autofocus-in-film-mode.  My store doesn't carry the T4i, so I bumped up to T5i.

Now I just need $20,000...locations...actors...a sound guy...and a DP because I think I'd mess thing up if I did it myself...

Okay.  Time to relax.  I gotta get up at 5:45.  BLAH.

Later.
-Justin

Thursday, August 29, 2013

Updates and stuff

Still not dead.

So much has happened since my last blog post.  Where do I begin?

I participated in the 48 Hour Film Project with a team of my good friends.  We had two days to write, produce, and edit a short film.  I was the writer on my team, and our team won FOUR awards!  We got the Audience Award, Best Director, Best Actress (the super talented Ashley Skweres), and BEST FILM!  We're going to Filmapalooza in March.  So now I gotta slim down and look sexy for the big fest.

I've made it to the Quarterfinals for a few festivals with Orchid.  Fade In Awards, Writers on the Storm, Creative World Awards...

Two days ago, I got a phone call from Denise Gossett who runs the Shriekfest Horror Film Festival.  Orchid made the Quarterfinals!

Then today I got another message (my phone conveniently went out), and Denise let me know that I made SEMIFINALS!  I am so freaking excited!  My little giallo that could is doing so well!

Using this as fuel for my other projects.  I'm working on the romantic comedy, as well as getting things together for my own independent project.  Coming Distractions is gonna be my next passion project, a film made of faux-trailers.  Like Grindhouse.  It'll follow a movie theater screening and the audience while they watch all sorts of trailers while waiting for their movie to start.

I've set some money aside for a camera, but that'll go to traveling funds if Orchid makes the finals of Shriekfest.  Then once I get the romantic comedy finished, I'm gonna finish the script of Coming Distractions and start trying to raise funds.

Okay. I'm gonna enjoy this moment.

Later.
-Justin

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

I'm not dead

I know.  It's been a while.

I've been accumulating all sorts of gialli, but haven't been sitting down and watching them.  I think I'm about due for another giallo marathon.

Also, Orchid has been making the contest rounds, doing well in a few.  It made Quarterfinals in the Writers on the Storm contest, but didn't advance past that.  It made it to the Quarterfinals of the Fade In Awards, but the Semis haven't been announced yet.  Still waiting to hear from a few more.  Also got a lead or two film Inktip that got a bite.  I'm trying to remain realistic, so I don't wanna be all super excited for nothing.

I'm considering doing something on my own with Orchid, as well.  Some days, I think about a graphic novel.  But I can't draw.  Or afford to pay someone else to draw.

More possible would be to make a fake trailer for it, like Grindhouse.  Or find a way to gather money and just do the whole damn thing.  Starting to look into those avenues right now.  I'd need a shit ton of money for gels.  Or sleep with a professor at school so I could borrow them from the theater ("I'll do that swirly thing you like for a set of violet").  Indie Go Go, perhaps?

Anyhow, I am still writing, too.  But this isn't a giallo.  I'm working on a romantic comedy with a friend of mine.  A nice departure for me, but a bigger challenge as well.  I sometimes wanna throw a fedora on somebody and hand them a razor.

When I finish this script, I plan on writing another giallo and revisiting She Has Rebecca's Eyes.  Still bridging some gaps between storylines in that and trying to figure it all out.

Okay.  I'm gonna relax a bit before I gotta drop my car off for inspection.

Later.
-Justin