"I am still in the land of the dying. I shall be in the land of the living soon." - John Newton
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This is a BIG deal for me. My feature script is completed and ready to be developed into my first feature. But I shouldn't expect much interest. As all those who clamour over creation are few. But all of those who expect to eat the fruits of your labor are readily seen, climbing in through your back window, pilfering your pockets as soon as they test that the gold is real. Oh, well.
"Welcome to Paradise," as they say.
But, I know there are many of you who ARE interested. Many who wonder what I've been doing. Many who covet the creation experience. Yes, I've had two children in the past three years. Yes, it's been fun and stressful. But the kind of stress that is good for the soul.
During Violet's growth in her mother's belly and after she was born, I wrote my first feature script, Blood Covenent, aka. The Double Edge. And as my son was about to be born and he was brought into this world, I wrote this new feature, convinced it will be enormously more producible than my first script. I've had some great inspiration for another lost script, thank you Linda Roser.
But this one stuck. Probably because I live right next to a park that helped to motivate this script. A park with a skatepark and tons of kids. It's like so many places I've known in Florida. Just laying about waiting to be discovered. Even when seeing them you dont discover them. Even when visiting weekly. There is something in them that is intangible, and intransigent. A part of the natural beauty of Florida which refuses to become like any other place. It's certainly not a paradise, but it is very much like one. If only our people weren't such travelers and strangers, we might see the beauty around us. But we are busy, as though we were stranded on a desert isle, stuck, in the struggle to survive life.
As is the beauty of these characters in my script. They are caught in the struggle to survive something that used to be so apple pie. Something called high school. The only way to survive, in reality, isn't to struggle. But to stop and notice the grain of the wood. There are beautiful things everywhere we go. Now, to survive them. To outlast them all. To become the wind, the sea, the trees ourselves, is to see if your island can survive you. Will it?
The film is called FLORIDIANA. It is made up of random people, places and things that I've discovered in Florida, and so far it's my best chance to make a mark, for a micro-budget price. I'm now starting to package it for fundraising and Pre-Production.
Want to be involved? Your best bet is to weigh in, make yourself known, and keep reading my stuff. If you are an aspiring actor, please rely on the casting process. Do not try to get cast before it is time. If you are crew, please let me know what you can do, provide me with your reel, your resume, or your link to your work. Thank you for your interest.
So, here's some of my upcoming development process.
PHASE I.
Incl. Steps 1-11.
1. Register & Copyright Script.
DONE. WGAW Reg. Number 1838546. Copyright pending.
2. Logline
Four teenage delinquents living in Florida have a difficult time finding their place in the world, but together they learn to be good neighbors.
DONE. WGAW Reg. Number 1838546. Copyright pending.
2. Logline
Four teenage delinquents living in Florida have a difficult time finding their place in the world, but together they learn to be good neighbors.
3. Synopsis
This indie drama follows the friendships between a charismatic skater, a homeless artist, a social outcast, and a homeschooler in their senior year of high school.
For many, the prospect of finishing high school is a relief, except for these four kids in Florida who fully expect they will not graduate. Hunter uses the thrills of skateboarding to distract from the wreckage of his abusive home life. Donovan has lost his sense of community. When he no longer feels welcome, he makes a new life in a new neighborhood, and he gives himself a new name. Apollo is a sheltered and homeschooled kid whose obsession with filming skaters threatens to effect his grades. And Terra is a mysterious artist who lives in public parks and hides the stigma of her homelessness from her fellow high schoolers.
For many, the prospect of finishing high school is a relief, except for these four kids in Florida who fully expect they will not graduate. Hunter uses the thrills of skateboarding to distract from the wreckage of his abusive home life. Donovan has lost his sense of community. When he no longer feels welcome, he makes a new life in a new neighborhood, and he gives himself a new name. Apollo is a sheltered and homeschooled kid whose obsession with filming skaters threatens to effect his grades. And Terra is a mysterious artist who lives in public parks and hides the stigma of her homelessness from her fellow high schoolers.
For these four, high school has been a burden, but when Hunter, Donovan, Apollo & Terra meet for the first time in their senior year, their lives are changed forever, through the simple act of helping each other.
4. Mock-up poster.
So, this is where I am right now.
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TO COMPLETE NEXT
5. Complete 1st Top Sheet & Prospectus
This is basically the first part to help raise funds. A quick summary of funds needed and the summary of the film production proposal. Hard numbers are achieved with the Full Budget. We will probably end up making 2-3 of these eventually.
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TO COMPLETE NEXT
5. Complete 1st Top Sheet & Prospectus
This is basically the first part to help raise funds. A quick summary of funds needed and the summary of the film production proposal. Hard numbers are achieved with the Full Budget. We will probably end up making 2-3 of these eventually.
6. Set up limited corporation?
If we are moving along nicely we may feel like setting up the business sooner rather than later. If I meet a producer and possibly a Line Producer who seems interested early on, I may start the business right away. If I still need to find a few people, I may wait to register the business.
7. Hire Line Producer/Production Manager?
If I can find one of these quickly, I will get the business rolling and then, immediately hire a LP or PM to start working on the budget, scheduling, breakdowns, and legal forms, etc. I may have found one already. ;)
8. Complete 1st Full Budget
I can do this, but i'd prefer if an experienced LP did this for me. I'm working on it now.
This would be the whole business plan, required to help raise the funds to make this film right. So far, I'm looking at about a $500,000-$750,000 budget. Probably Non-union but possibly SAG/AFTRA interested.
10. Complete 1st Electronic Press Kit
I like doing this work fairly early on, since it is like a press-ready version of the business plan. I think it's good to start thinking about how others should see our project fairly early on. Which can also help me write a better pitch.
11. Write & Practice 1st Pitch
With all of the advantages of this project well defined and how to sell it to others well established, I can now form a great pitch for investors, distributors, & other industry types.
So, there we have it! Right now we're moving along ahead of schedule!!!
So what do you think? This is just ONE of 10 phases for this film. And there are no doubt, things I have forgotten. Production comes in at Phase 8. So, its gonna take some blood, sweat and tears until we get to Paradise.
Wish me luck!!! What do you think of my next steps?
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