Our "Golden Foot" is Walking to a Theater Near You

Hey film fans! Our little golden film, "Golden Foot" is walking around Florida visiting festivals!

It is a 20 min. comedy short about a narcissistic foot model who must resolve with his mother after a strange selfie addiction afflicts her! Yep. Did you get that? We made a short film about a self-absorbed foot model and a disease brought on by selfie addiction... And what have YOU been doing with your life?... I thought so. :D

We continue to bring comedy, laughs and quality filmmaking to Florida! So, here are the current screen times and locations on the books...

1. Silver Screen for Short Films - August 8th, 7pm, Villagio Cinemas, Tampa, FL.

2. Tampa Bay Film Society - August 21st, 7pm, Holliday Inn Express, Oldsmar, FL.

3. CENFLO - Central Florida Film Festival - September 7th, 11am, EPIC Theaters, Mt Dora, FL.

4. CENFLO - Central Florida Film Festival - September 9th, 1240pm, EPIC Theaters, Mt Dora, FL.

5. TBUFF - Tampa Bay Underground Film Festival - December 9th, 1125am, Britton Cinemas, Tampa, FL.

6. Dunedin International Film Festival - January 12th, (time tbd), Dunedin, FL.



We will continue to update this post for future dates and changes.

May the Foot Be With You!!!
~Jon

Also please visit our Facebook page here.


Some Updates:

8/8/18 - WINNER of the Silver Screen for Short Films Audience Choice Award!!!

8/21/18 - Successful screening @ the Tampa Bay Film Society on Aug 21st to a packed room!

9/9/18 - Successful screenings in Mt Dora at the CENFLO festival of films!

Putting Our Best Golden Foot Forward: Our "Golden Foot" Cast!

I just want to give a shout out to our wonderful cast for "Golden Foot"! It was a wonderful experience to work with you all! I apologize to anyone who wanted to be part of the cast but couldn't. It was a joy to meet and work with each of you!!

I wasn't sure how well everything would go during production, but as soon as we got filming things really kicked into 5th gear! I was very pleased because there were wonderful surprises and great inspiration for me everyday! And now I sincerely miss working with you all now that we are screening the film. So, allow me to glowingly showcase each of you here a tad!

After all, these guys worked hard and deserve to be shown off! In fact, I already know that a few of you have found feature film work as a result of meeting others on this film! I am glad I could be a part of anyone's success! Especially for people that I like so much! You've been a joy to work with!

Let's start with our lead protagonist, Daniel Cooksley, actor extraordinaire!!!

1. Daniel Cooksley - playing Sergei Bogdonovich aka. "Golden Foot".
Daniel showed a surprising amount of responsiveness when finding the middle ground for his character. I was sometimes resistant when he asked me pointed questions. But every question he asked was astute, helpful, and necessary to getting to where we needed him to be for this role. And it shows! Daniel was a powerful collaborator who I'd be honored to team up with again, if the opportunity arises. I pray it does! Thank you so much for making this experience memorable and fun, Dan!!!
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1354708/

2. David Flood - playing Charlie.
Dave is a consummate professional. He never complained once. He never avoided or shrunk from the challenge. He is always there 100%. And he is a natural actor! He just GOT the role immediately, and did emotions from zany to serious at the drop of a hat. David, I am so honored I got to work with you man!!! It was just such a great experience for me, and I hope we can work together again some day!
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1492708/

3. John Borland - playing Andrei Bogdonovich.
John is always available to play a role to help out a friend. He's ever faithful to show up and knock 'em dead! He can do roles that many would consider impossible, or difficult, AND he has fun doing it! Thank you John for being a friend to me and making this film stronger and much more fun because of it! "Like PROBIOTIC," my friend... like probiotic, indeed!!! :D
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7962611/

4. Cristoff Marse - playing Stuart, Patricia's agent.
Christoff kind of blew my socks off. And many of you who were there when he performed know what I'm talking about. I even told him that after he performed and I was taken aback by how instant he was in getting the role. After clarifying his role all he needed was how much (emotionally) to do it. He landed on the ground like a super hero and placed all of this intensity and humor into every breath whenever the camera was rolling. It was magnificent. I truly feel that lightning struck that day. And I hope it does again!  Thank you for your power, intensity, and beauty, Christoff! Still amazed!!!
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4934258/

5. Mary Jane Heath - playing Patricia Bogdonovich, Sergei's "mannequin mother".
Mary was like a fast friend who is always on your side. She always gives you something you never expect and never expected you needed until she gives it to you. Then you know you'll need her help again. I just love her so much for being such a talent, but especially for her friendship!

Just to give you an example, that "poem" she says to little Sergei during the flashback sequence? That was entirely her. Not the script. Our contribution was something like "Don't worry your footy will be fine. And you'll see- one day you'll become famous- blah blah." And she turned that into magic. Because that's right folks... Mary Jane is magic. NO other explanation! Thank you, Mary!!! :D
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1021602/

6. Susan White - playing Dr. Debra.
Susan was such a powerful friend to have on set, because she was always available to say yes. And when you ask her to jump she asks "How high?" She just knocked our socks off straight-off during casting. And we knew that her brand of humor would be perfect as the subtle straight-faced "Doctor" with silly instructional videos about mannequins. She was perfect. And more than that- she played against a mannequin and did every crazy, ridiculous thing we came up with on the spot. I am so grateful for that.

On top of all of this I have to give her a big huge "THANK YOU" for providing her house to us free of charge for a full 24 hours of straight shooting. She opened her home to us and we tried (probably in vain) to clean up our mess afterwards. I bet there was still popcorn we threw somewhere in the house a week later. Thank you for putting up with us, and still giving us all a perfect performance on the day! I had so much fun and I hope it was a memory-maker for you too!!! ;)
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5317604/

7. Linda Roser - playing Female Assistant.
I love working with Linda and I've even written roles for her before because she is such a talented local actor, I wish there were more challenging roles for her locally. Her comedic timing is bar-none incredible, and her facial expressions are infectious. Thank you so much for gracing us with your presence and allowing our "Russian foot model" to reject giving you an autograph- with so much rudeness. It was perfect! Thank you, Thank you!!! =D
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4558350/

8. Chris Plourde - playing Male Assistant.
Chris is my bro when we can hang out, which is becoming rarer, because he is so popular in the local film and commercial scene. I appreciate everything you do for us brother, in front and behind the camera! When Chris is in "go mode" it is really helpful because he pushes us all forward! But I especially love his range and his willingness to do more. I don't think an actor like him will ever be out of fashion. He will always be in demand because he is willing to do the work and willing to be a powerful voice on set wherever he goes, because he's doing it all as a gentleman and a scholar. You da man Chris!!! Thank you!!!
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7161702/

9. Andrew Durliat - playing Photographer. And Ellah Durliat playing "Little Footy".
Drew does work a lot. And I miss him sometimes because he's not always working with me (shoot!) :/. Why? Because he's here, and there, and everywhere, helping so many local productions! How did he contribute? He got us little Ellah as "Little Footy". Thats right- we used her foot in a shot. Thank you Ellah! :D He also made our locations happen, and he made pre-production happen very smoothly because he was always saying, "what else do we need?" So he made a great photog as well because he had experience knowing what they do, and he wasn't about to hold back when he showed up on camera. Thats what comedy is about brother! Make 'em want more. But most of all, thanks for being a friend and being so helpful to us! You made it happen brother!!! Thank you for being there for the team!!!
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm6747828/
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm6797231/



And last but not least... TA DA!

10. Jillian Kinsman-Barrett - playing "Footy" in the opening closeup shot.
Thats right. We got a really fantastic actual foot model, Jillian, to get the opening foot shot to show just how glamorous Sergei's foot was. LOL. The foot shot seen later (in the Footy Bed) was Daniel, however. LOL. I felt that in the opening shot this would make his foot look really glamorous- and I think it worked! Thank you Jillian for adding your professional touch to everything you do! :D
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1817261/



You cdcan currently see our film playing in Florida film festivals, and you can see it listed on IMDb here. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5510880/

So again, thank you to everyone in front of the camera who made this film happen smoothly and made it a joy to shoot!!! You guys ARE GOLDEN!!! So lets watch how well our little short does, and give it the attention it deserves!


May the Foot be with you! And with you as well!!! :D

~Jon

Davina Reid Cast in Lead Role for "Floridiana"

My first casting is a shoe-in. In fact, Davina Reid has been in mind from the very beginning of the writing process for "Floridiana". She helped inspire me to create the lead character "Terra", one of four characters that make Floridiana so powerful and personal for me.

Davina has a whole lotta credits and experience, not just in film but in theater as well. So, we are very honored to have her as the very first actor cast in the feature film "Floridiana". Thank you for your tirelessness and kindness to our little production!

Here are her IMDb credits.
Clown Demented (2010) - When I first worked with Davina
Reginald (2011)
Sleeping With Frank (2011)
Blonde's Girl's (2011)
Christmas Snow Angels (2011)
Mr. Engagement (2012)
The Eyes of God (2013)
Pawnz (2013)
The Bench (2015)
American Hostage (2015)
True Crime With Aphrodite Jones (TV) (2015)
Murder on Frog Pond Drive (2015)

The “Floridiana” Short (aka. To Make a Long Story Short)

Hello my long neglected Floridiana Fans!

Let not yourself be troubled, the film project is still chugging along. Not as quickly as I’d like, but it is what it is. And one of the larger parts of my goal-set on the way to making the Floridiana feature is coming to a head very soon... the Floridiana short film! 

“But I thought you were going to make a feature silly! Not a short!”

Yes, this is true. However, I’ve learned that in the indy filmmaking world, part of building support and finding the funding we need to make an acceptable feature is making a proof of concept (in the form of a short or a trailer) BEFORE shooting the feature. This CAN help build this kind of support you need and can make your quality soar much farther than what otherwise would be possible. Don't start worrying that this is me realizing I've bit off more than I can chew and I'm backtracking! By no means. I already knew I was way in over my head ages ago! LOL! I know that this is just part of the game as an indy filmmaker. There is however, tons to learn from this.

For example, I've seen lots of indy projects find Kickstarter funding 'finally', but only AFTER running many larger, failed campaigns which were too ambitious for their team to support. Either they didn’t have the fanbase, or the amount they were asking for seemed to be exorbitant or unreachable for some reason. So, what do they do? They ask for less. And eventually as they pare their budget down they finally get funding. But it's barely enough to make a passable film. 

The fact is films are incredibly expensive, that is, if you want to be in the ‘professional film market’. But in the indy market it can be extremely cheap. And unless you have the equipment already, or the cast and crew base already established who are willing to work for free, making this micro-budget film is near impossible. Because these films represent a commitment already made to invest thousands of your own dollars, as well as thousands of your own minutes, to a lifestyle or a side-business that is supported by other dollars, entirely independent of a film project’s dedicated investment funds. This is the only reason a micro-budget film of any consequence can be made… other dollars, such as investments in equipment, training, time, and human resources, are necessary, and often have already been made. Additionally, this, by itself, is no guarantee that this micro-budget film will have any sort of craft, talent, or sense of story embedded in the finished product. In fact, it is almost a sure thing that it will be devoid of it. Because good talent costs money. A sense of good craft takes time to develop. Costing months and often years of training and dedication. A good product will cost a great deal, no matter how you slice it.

So, how does one build an investor's confidence to take the plunge and invest in you, the filmmaker, to create a professional product? You must impress on them that you are a professional first. And the best way to do this is in the form of some high quality, professional product. Show them the good outcome. Show that proof that a high-quality, professional work can and will be created, and by doing so, show that if investment is made, an even better product can be produced as well. A short subject can accomplish this with a fraction of the cost of a feature.

And this model has already been followed numerous times. So, we can see that this is a common avenue by which directors and producers find more substantial funding. An example of this can be seen in this article here: http://bit.ly/2i9HoOX . And articles on shorts that have been or will be made into features are here: http://bit.ly/2huO2OJ & http://bit.ly/1gCRjD3 .

This is not a long shot. It's been happening for a long time in the film industry... 

To make “a long story short”: 1. Write the Feature, 2. Make a short, and then, 3. Make the Feature. 

So this is what I intend to do. I’ve clearly got the script finished already. But now I need to determine my plan to make, not just any random short, but a short film that exhibits the ‘proof of concept’ of the feature film idea very accurately. In other words, it gives a small taste of what the actual feature would look like, feel like, and be about. You can do this by making a traditional short, making a trailer, or making a proof of concept which contains the tone or showcases the main idea behind what inspires the feature film project. 

Is it the 'world-building', like a sci-fi/fantasy film might need? Or is it a new film production concept that inspires experimentation in the medium? Typically, though, a good feature isn’t formed around technical ideas. It’s formed around story and characters, just like any other successful feature film. Film investors know that their money will be best spent on good writing, huge talent, and competent directing, which will best help produce films with an emphasis on strong story and compelling characters, not on just new, fun ideas. But having both is definitely a plus. So, don’t leave out these new ideas. But, especially, don’t leave the story at home. Show it off as much as possible! But for now, do it in a short format. Get to the small grain of your idea and try to distill it into this short product.

So, for Floridiana, I will be writing, directing, and producing a trailer, and possibly an additional clip, showing an essential scene from the Floridiana feature script. The idea is to get the short to have the same tone, style, and quality I am aiming for for the feature film. If I can accomplish this, I just might have a chance to get this thing fully funded. And that would be an amazing feat! 

It would be an honor just to work on the short and clip with people. But to make the fully funded feature with my local filmmaking friends along-side would be just fantastic! In the very near future, I’ll be providing more details to get involved! 

Thanks for reading and being there for me! And soon, we might be on set really making stuff happen!!! Wish me luck!

2016 Film Development Update for Liberty No. 5 Pictures

Hello my friends! So many things have changed since I last updated you on my company's development projects awhile ago. That is, until I announced Floridiana just days ago. So, what has happened to my other projects? Well, I'm about to tell you...

I have fewer current projects slated since I am getting closer to focusing exclusively on Pre-Production and Production for my first picture, Floridiana. I am also working on getting funding for Blood Covenant/The Double Edge. I will act as Producer/Writer on this picture. But what of my past projects?

The Logical Diary has been scrapped. This one was a very ambitious project dependent upon an idea to make a year-long struggle to make a short film every month for a year. And then combining those 12 shorts together to make an anthology feature. Certainly an engaging and original idea. Yet the story eluded me. Not to mention the most important feature, the inspiration for this project, faded. Also, I can accept now, that I really don't have the time to produce such a demanding project.  I think its a good idea for someone who wants to build support for their feature by making numerous short projects culminating in one large push for a feature film release. But, the true issue is that the feature film is enormously more valuable than even 12 shorts. So, why not just focus on making one feature? It would be easier to focus on one story and have one moment of principle photography rather than a short every single month for a year. But, thats just me. Traditional feature filmmaking would be more valuable in this case.

The Good Grief has been for the most part scrapped. This was a passion project for me dealing with my college years and accepting myself as an artist. It was great to work with Linda Roser the short time we worked together on it. But, I just had too many things calling me away, story-wise. I am still interested in continuing the basic idea with a different story. Especially if it means working with Linda again on this film.

The Darkened Door was basically just an idea, and it still is. I had a few conversations with Davina Reid about this idea, and she gave very positive feedback. But I haven't written it yet. And I'm still not secure about the plot or characters yet. It is, also, not as high a priority as many of my other scripts and ideas. But I'm still attracted to it's neo-noir thriller tone. 

In This Sign Conquer is a strange conglomeration of story ideas that deal with war, loss, wealth, poverty, and religious extremism. I have taken about 4-5 old ideas and new ideas and shoved them together into a concoction of mystery, revelation, mysticism, and moral death. And I'm still not sure what to do with it. Ah, well. It may be some time before I return to this one.

Adaptation ideas such as C.S. Lewis' "Out of the Silent Planet", George MacDonald's "The Light Princess", "Day Boy/Night Girl", "Lilith: A Romance", "The Shadows", and ancient and legendary tales such as "The Nibelung" are still on the drawing board, but I have decided that they will best be served by attempting to get support and recognition for other films FIRST. And then, attempting to get these projects FULLY FUNDED in order to do these classic stories justice. You don't want to mess up a CS Lewis, JRR Tolkien, or George MacDonald tale. To be honest, I'm a major fan of these works in general and would cheerlead any of them getting directed by anyone who I felt could make these films best. Meaning, I may end up attempting to source an adapted script and then possibly helping to produce these works. These will certainly require a full-sized fantasy/sci-fi budget in order to bring these vivid, VFX-laden dreamscapes of wonder to the big screen. And it will need a full marketing budget to take advantage of the nascent fanbase out there who would gladly go to these films in theaters. So, this is still a major goal I have for the future.

Beach Baby is still in the works. In fact, it is the next script I am developing, God-willing. It's another local tale that must be told, like Floridiana. Except it takes place in the late 50's, and hopefully, some A-list talent will grace Beach Baby, even moreso than Floridiana. It will require a bigger Production Design budget and VFX budget in order to recreate 50's Florida.

Pirate Planet! is my first bigger budget project, which could end up being a ton of fun. It's a pirate adventure in space. I've already written an entire backstory, a Pirate Planet Bible ("The History of the Pirate Order"). What more do I need to say? It will be tons of fun... BUT it will require a LOT of VFX work, character design, costume and production design. But it will be enormously rewarding. Especially since it can lead to a larger story exploring the universe of the Pirate Order and High Space culture!

There are a lot more, such as The Wake, The Light of My Early Years, Redshift, The Inheritance, Mirum Lux, The Knight's Pilgrim, The 1%ers, and the mother load, The Triumvirate. I am ever hopeful that all of these are still in my future. And my current projects will hopefully bring them further into my reach. So, I look forward to completing Golden Foot, and Floridiana, and I look forward to producing Blood Covenant/The Double Edge first. Then moving on to bigger things later, such as Beach Baby. :)




A. PROJECTS CURRENTLY IN DEVELOPMENT:
1. Floridiana (In the role of Writer-Director/Producer)
2. Blood Covenant/The Double Edge (In the role of Writer/Producer)

B. PROJECTS CURRENTLY BEING WRITTEN:
1. Beach Baby
2. Pirate Planet



C. PROJECTS BEING DEVELOPED IN MY CURRENT FILM JOB:
A lot of projects being developed in my job working for an Executive Producer to help develop projects for fundraising. But I am bound by an NDA, so I can't talk about any of them.

Once I get a few of my current projects completed, I will be finding time again to write on these other projects and will be finding new opportunities through an agent or through offers of work to direct or write. I'm maturing into this and happy about where I'm going. ;)

FLORIDIANA: 1st Phase of Development

"I am still in the land of the dying. I shall be in the land of the living soon." - John Newton
~

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.

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 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.

-------------------------------------------------------

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.

9. Complete 1st Business Plan

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?

Discovering the Phases of Successful Crowdfunding for Indy Filmmakers

So, in my journey to make a feature film I've been noticing all the different types of projects that get crowdfunded and seem to grow. As it comes to indy, no budget-to-low budget projects, the ones that seem to grow are the ones that do so through multiple PHASES. In other words, start small. Don't try to make a feature right away- but instead put something online- anything. Ask for money at a certain point- or get support to help you with SPECIFIC goals. These goals are one puzzle piece in a larger, bigger project. But each piece is what you focus on NOW. If you have a snag, either you change how you relate to the bigger project or you change projects, at least temporarily.

One puzzle piece at a time.

So, Ive been learning this lately trying to apply it to my currently germinating projects. As a result, here's the theory...

1. Write a treatment for a FEATURE.
2. Begin to write the feature script. (Right now I'm working on "The Good Grief" primarily)
3. Write a PROMO TRAILER script for the feature project.
4. Shoot the promo trailer.
5. In process of writing the feature- write a SHORT which is a snippet, a distillation, or a powerful scene in the feature, (but doesn't give away the ending).
6. Use promo trailer to help fundraising for the short.
7. Shoot the short.
8. Finish the feature script.
9. Use short to help fundraising for the feature.
10. Shoot the feature.

You can see that each phase is about rolling any support for your smaller project into a larger project.

As a filmmaker, you must make sure that this initial IDEA is interesting and good enough to build this amount of hype and prolonged interest. Otherwise, someone like me would get bored and want to move on after the first project.

What is your feeling about this? Do you think its a good idea to 'break up' a larger project into numerous smaller ones? Or does this make it seem even more complicated to you?

Developing My First Feature: Part 1

The Current State of the Writing
Since writing my first feature script "Blood Covenant" I have played with almost ten different ideas for a new feature script. This time I am working on a "producible" feature, since filming "Blood Covenant" would take probably over $2.5 million to make after all the stunts, gun play, SFX, VFX and locations took their toll on the budget. This may be something I will be able to tackle after a few smaller-budget features and more diverse funding can be acquired.

So, looking back, let's see... what were some of these feature ideas? Beach Baby, Bad Day, Perla, The Logical Diary, Mirum Lux, The Awakening, Redshift, The Light Princess, Caterwauling for the Prize, Traveling Without Moving, etc. There are probably others I have forgotten about since then. Other grains of ideas that did not even get working titles. Most of these are still being developed and written but many of them are also not producible for me now.

I really enjoy working on adaptations as well, (mostly for fun) like "The Light Princess" a classic fairy tale by George MacDonald and "Out of the Silent Planet," the first of a series of sci-fi novels by author C.S. Lewis. I really wish these projects would get made and have a unique vision for them. So, what's the best way to ensure that I enjoy these but to write my own versions? And if they are not to be made, at least this can be done for my own enjoyment. These would obviously be large, expensive, popular projects, especially in the Christian Sci-Fi/Fantasy market. The same market that ate up the Narnia films and possibly many of the YA book-to-film properties that are popular now.

What Is It About?
Well anyway... back to this "producible" feature project. Right now we are in the very beginning stages. I am a few days away from solidifying the beats of the film. I mostly use Blake Snyder's Beat Sheet for this. But, as soon as we start collaborating it will, no doubt, experience many changes.

This latest idea deals with a college student going through a journey of self-discovery to become an artist. She gets no support from her family, teachers and friends, accepting one faithful friend. Everyone assumes she is on a foolish ego trip to try to become rich and famous. No one is willing to listen to her doubts and perspectives about her life or career, except for this one friend. This sounds dire and depressing- I'm sure, but actually, this is a light comedy. This is basically about my own stupid life. Yep. ;)

But these kinds of stories work in real life. This isn't really about me, you see. If you can see the comedy in life's cruelties you can accomplish much and speak to people in a universal language. Comedies don't often accomplish this cross-cultural impact, but all artists, I believe, have a common experience in how they became artists. There are, I believe, very common, understandable feelings about why and how they became artists. And often, they are profound and humorous. At least I find that they are.

Style and Genre
Attaching myself to the American Micro-budget "Mumblecore" film movement may be a helpful thing. Since much of the inspiration for the film are Noah Baumbach and Joe Swanberg films, this may be achievable. Baumbach is not necessarily a mumblecore filmmaker, but his oft-utilized muse Greta Gerwig is a mumblecore regular. Exhibiting much of the ethos of a mumblecore filmmaker herself, Gerwig remains ensconced in the current American Independent film market.

Noah Baumbach

And as the lead character, "Elizabeth" is inspired by Gerwig's seminal creative and fun yet aimless and youthful persona. Gerwig has become one of my muses as well, apparently. But, uncharacteristically, as a Tampa Bay filmmaker, I am one of the few indie filmmakers here to attach myself to this movement. Typically, the local fare is action, horror, family & mainstream comedy. Rarely have I seen a successful attempt at art house comedy or drama in this local market. I find this surprising since these films are much easier to produce with little to no budget- which is exactly what we have here in the Tampa Bay film market.

Instead we are trying to make action, even sci-fi with little to no success. This is not for lack of trying or lack of talent. But they may be mostly unsuccessful because it costs $ to make good action/sci-fi. Believe me, I want to make these genres as well. And if i have a choice, sci-fi/fantasy would be my genres of choice. But every genre has something to appreciate and enjoy. Each has its own challenges as well. And, if I ever make sci-fi/fantasy, my primary objective is to build it atop a substantial foundation of good drama, character development and story-telling, not VFX, choreography, stunt work and other technical concerns. So, this light drama is my initial play ground for acheiving that goal.

Research
So, some films to watch to prepare for making this film. "Frances Ha", "Happy Christmas", "Tiny Furniture",  "Damsels in Distress", "Drinking Buddies", "The Squid and the Whale", "The Art of Getting By", "Lola Versus", "Nights & Weekends", "The Dish and the Spoon", "Kicking and Screaming", "Hannah Takes the Stairs", "Mistress America", etc. And I have seen the first five of these so far. Admittedly, Woody Allen, Dogme 95 and New Wave films are a bit of an inspiration for much of the mumblecore movement as well. So, some of these can be referred to for inspiration as well. And possibly, some JIm Jarmusch may be in there as well.

Current Budget and Team
Again, Mumblecore is unique in it's strong collaborative and micro-budget ethic. This works for a beginning filmmaker like myself. It brings great things within reach. Remaining consistent with this ethos, I am forming a collaborative team with my wife, Rebecca Croft, Luke Sokolewicz, Linda Roser, Davina Reid & a few other people. I am hoping a few more people will get on board too- Daryn Murphy, Lynne Hansen, John Borland and Andrew Durliat just to name a few.

This movie will be starring Linda Roser and Davina Reid with plenty of room for guest actors to come in and make their mark. It is initially inspired by a short script my wife was working on a few years ago called "Antisocial Butterfly." But we had to fill out the story into feature film length and we want to involve Linda and Luke in the writing process along with me and my wife. This should make it very dynamic and enjoyable to create.

Revisiting the Style and Inspiration
I have been inspired lately by movies like "Frances Ha" and "Happy Christmas". Especially in their art house and elegant minimalism. American high school/college self-discovery films are especially engaging in their characters and plots as well. In tone and visuals- the French New Wave as well as American Indie films have great impact. This should contribute a great pacing, a light airy retreat from our troubles.

I love the natural light with black and white to bring a very classic, elegant, and yet a minimalist feel to it- almost an impressionistic eye to balance the emotional, expressionist and honest intellectual dialogue and themes of the film. Yet, I also wish to make a "Floridian Christmas" film. Visually there is plenty of things to dig up there. At least that is an exceptional location. So, this necessitates color for the Christmas lights and sunsets you get here in Florida- bringing more life into the colorful characters as well. B&W may be revisited in the future, as it is a great inspiration for me.

Greta Gerwig in Frances Ha

The Plot?
But, what happens in the film? That is what we are trying to work out. I have my ideas, but as soon as I am finished editing my short "Golden Foot" we will be able to do more writing. We really want to make a fun, inspiring and engaging film for the local market here- and hopefully it will be cheap to produce. Wish us luck.

Is this the kind of film you'd like to see from us- or do you have any different ideas for films for us to produce?

How to Achieve While Others Are Trouncing All Over Your Silly Shoes

Our short "Golden Foot" has been really great to shoot despite some of the issues we had in pre-production. Those things are past now and I am happy I tried and succeeded in resolving disputes as quickly as possible. This has really been an invaluable experience for me. Believe me, this doesn't mean I'm soft on people when my vision is at stake. Especially, if I can cull together a consensus about how to achieve that vision with other key players. After all, a director's job is to have vision- often a strong one- and then know how to achieve that vision.

Hopefully, I can use my experiences here to help cooperate better with producers in the future though. I know what difficulties producers have to go through because I am a producer as well. Achieving consensus on the most important aspects of the story and on potentially the most expensive parts of production are essential. Making sure the director has a strong ethic and is trustworthy is just as important. These are things I care about greatly and I strive to tirelessly maintain this ethic.

Making sure you are there because you are 'right' for this project should be the first thing that gets realized, or you might end up fighting a losing battle. And being 'right' for a project doesn't mean you are getting a paycheck that you like- it means that your vision is communicable and achievable in this environment. The environment that needs to be present for this to happen is a budget and the key players which will enable your vision to come to life. Without this, a discordant note may always plague meetings and collaboration- even if you don't notice it at first.

If you notice these weaknesses in time- all is not lost. But, realize that a lot of work is forthcoming. The great thing is that a budget is always something you can work towards together, but if you don't have those key players you need, a worthy budget will only further accentuate the failure of your key collaborative relationships.

Once I have a good idea of what is achievable and what it will take to make this film, maintaining my cool and sticking to my guns becomes more important, whether I'm facing criticism from my most trusted confidants or from any level of business associate. But, also, you must learn how to choose your battles strategically. As they say, "...If you're moaning because your feet keep getting stepped on, maybe you need to take off the clown shoes."

...This means that maybe you are taking too many things seriously or being unrealistic- which can only give off the impression to others that you are being melodramatic- even, ridiculous about non-essentials. So, have some priorities that make sense to your cohorts. At least clowns know that they are ridiculous- their job is to be ridiculous. But, yours is to know your limitations- know what's important and know what can be unloaded for the sake of making a better film. Because it's actually not about you ...it's about actually making the film. After all, making a product is REALLY what will earn you more respect in the future. Then, if you wear clown shoes to work, people will assume you have some sort of method to what you are doing and they will question your quirks much less. They may even assume brilliance!

And, of course, this goes without saying, but- know when to seek guidance or when to listen to advice. You're going to get plenty so- get used to it. Of course, we must always listen to others. This is essential! And I'm not talking about standing there while others talk- I'm talking about actually hearing and considering what others say in a conscientious manner. It is the heart of collaborative filmmaking in my view.

All these things that they don't teach you in school- how to be kind and how to actually work with people while other people aren't actually being kind to you. These things are essential to being a professional in the business. But lots of people just get told that they are "great," so they accept it ...until it really matters. Then they wonder why nobody will give them the time of day. Because we are paying attention to the lies and niceties instead of the reality. The reality is you must prove yourself FIRST... and do it while smiling and getting kicked in the rumpus at the same time. That isn't actually unfair. It's actually the way it works. When someone congratulates you or is nice to you- it doesn't mean they really think you are the best, it just means they are being nice. And others being nice says more about who they are instead of who you are... Remember that.

Short "Golden Foot" Currently In Production

"Golden Foot" is now shooting! Yes, it is January and, so, that means our film was postponed. The consequences of working with a large organization can be- it doesn't know your needs and so, it can't always know how to provide for them. Choice words get spoken by people. Innocent, honest needs get misinterpreted by those who pay the bills, etc.

But, all in all, this film is a very low risk labor of love- going from a mini-budget to micro-budget in no time for the sake of keeping the script intact. 'Everything else' is provided for by me and the writer/producer Luke Sokolewicz.

Having good producers on board is definitely a must- just like having a good director. I know this having mostly been a producer- that it is a thankless role that most people do not understand. People think of producers as "Mr. Money Bags" and out-of-touch ego-maniacs- but generally it is quite the opposite. Often, behind the "Mr. Money Bags" image is really an innocent risk-taker who believes in the arts and the story-telling above all else. And they are willing, more than others, to go out on a limb to provide for this honest story-telling to take place without interruption.

But, with that said, a new partnership was forged with "The Sunscreen Film Society" as a result. And we are so honored to have them as our sponsor!

Shooting will continue through weekends in January and we have already wrapped a few actors.

Here's some of our great crew...


The key players:

Jon Croft - Director, Producer - IMDb
This is about me so I will try to keep it short and sweet. But I am very honored to be blessed with this role here on "Golden Foot". Before I became a filmmaker, I was obsessed with concept albums, so I did songwriting, made music, wrote stories, I delivered medical supplies for cash... then I started doing video production, wedding videography, and then eventually... started participating in making short films in whatever position I could find. I produced a feature in 2009. Then I wrote a feature. Now, I'm a director of shorts "Death Do Us Part" (2012) and "Golden Foot" (2015). I can't believe I am where I am today!

Luke Sokolewicz - Writer, Producer - IMDb
Copywriter by day. Award-winning screenwriter by night. He was recently awarded “Semi-Finalist in the Sundance Table Read My Screenplay Contest for his sitcom pilot, “My Polish Family.” His short, “Max’s Floor Waxes” was also an official selection at the Tampa Bay Underground Film Festival. His writing is fueled by a passion to make hilarious films with an uplifting message.




Joe Davison - Producer - IMDb
Producer/Director/Actor Joe Davison's award winning films "100 Tears", "As Night Falls", and "Experiment 7" have all been released over seas in various markets. His films "Mr. Engagement" and "Frost Bite" are set to be released very soon. Having also written five books, created the show "Nerd Shuttle" and the Game App "Poofender" he stays very busy, but this doesn't stop him from being charitable and working with non-profits, having founded "Robots for the Cure" (seeking a cure for Lupus, Crohn's and Barth's Syndrome) as well as the 4200 member-strong organization Florida Film Network. Joe is a powerhouse of creativity and ingenuity and a great addition to any team.

John Borland - Producer, Actor
John is a lawyer, legal consultant, writer, and filmmaker, living and working in St. Petersburg, Florida. He decided to get fit before and during 40. He loves the outdoors, swimming, horseback riding, and natural living. He is an occasional vegetarian and loves life. 




Crew:

Daryn Murphy - Director of Photography - IMDb
Daryn is an independent filmmaker living in Largo, Florida. He was born in Long Island, New York before moving with his family to Florida in 1988. Science Fiction and Fantasy stories are a passion that drives him through all of his creative endeavors whether it be writing novels or screenplays, shooting and editing film, directing and working with actors to make projects come alive. His current focus is producing an award winning web series called Time Keeper, which took home Best Fantasy/Sci Fi Series from Miami Web Fest, separately received nominations for Best Actor and Best Cinematography and just started the festival circuit.

Raffiel Newsome - Assistant Director - IMDb
Currently Raffi is finishing up his Associates in Film Post-Production at the International Academy of Design & Technology. Ever since he was young he had a fascination with every aspect of filmmaking. He strives to daily to achieve more, work in the industry, and hopefully become an innovative Music Video Director and Independent Filmmaker.

Andrew Durliat - Location Manager - IMDb
Born and raised in Toledo, Ohio and moved to Florida after college to pursue acting, Andrew then took a break to work on houses. He then got back into acting after his 2yr old daughter Ellah wanted in on acting as well. He currently manages her and has worked on 5 short films of his own in 2014.




Keep us in mind. Next week we will showcase our amazing Cast!!! These guys have powered through a tough shoot and made us so proud!!! And after the shoot we will be editing for a good few months- so we will have updates coming on all our progress!!!

May the Foot be with you my friends!
~Jon

Working on New Short Film "Golden Foot" with the Florida Film Network.

The Florida Film Network has chosen the winner of the 2014 Operation Logline contest and I was chosen to direct the short film that will be made from this logline. The winning logline and script, written by Luke Sokolewicz, called "Selfie", is a 19 page comedy about people who get turned into mannequins if they take too many selfies. Since the title is so popular now, we changed it so that it's about the lead character who calls himself "Golden Foot"- a foot model who is self-absorbed and oblivious of his failings.


This should be a ton of fun to produce and direct and I am working with the team we have doing pre-production. Our budget is virtually non-existent so we will be asking favors if we want you involved in the production- we could still use a few people on our team as well as a location and a female mannequin. 


So far here is our team...
Luke Sokolewicz - Producer, Writer
John Borland - Producer, trying out for the part of "Andrei"
Joe Davison - Producer
Jon Croft - Director, Producer
Daryn Murphy - Director of Photography
Robert Hernaiz - Production Sound
Andrew Durliat - Production Assistant
Dana Wahlbeck - Production Assistant


Shooting is scheduled for the weekends of January. If you are part of the Florida Film Network or if you are interested in taking part we may need your help! Please send contact information to my email (libertynumber5@gmail.com).


You can find the Florida Film Network in these various places online.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/floridafilmnetwork/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/131839490350276/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/floridacastingcall/
http://www.floridafilmnetwork.com

"May the Foot Be With You"

"Golden Foot III" - by Stefan Laengler

Stefan Laengler Art