producer

Well, that was an experience

Maximum Z actor, crowdfunding, determination, encouragement, excitement, experience, filmmaking, perseverance, persistence, post-production, producer, screenplay, screenwriting, script, short films , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Last weekend was the shooting of my short film SHECKY, and it was definitely something most memorable. That’s me in the middle with some of my more-than-capable crew.

For the majority of two consecutive days, four actors, sixteen crew and two behind-the-scenes photographers occupied my house. Thank God my cousin was able to take the dog for the weekend or that poor animal would have lost her mind.

My wife and I did what we could to take care of everybody in the best possible way (i.e. food and beverages). A good part of it was purchased, some was donated, and some was homemade. Helpful tip – feed them well. They will notice and it will be appreciated.

When you write a script, there’s a good chance you probably don’t think about all the aspects involved in the actual making of the film. And believe me, there is A LOT. Probably a lot more than you realize.

Lighting and sound equipment, and the related insurance. Props. Set decoration. Wardrobe (which the actors provided). The aforementioned food (also A LOT) and related items (breakfast, lunch, snacks, plates, cups, coffee maker, drinks, etc). Hard drives to store the info from memory cards used during shooting. I most likely saved a chunk of change by using my own house for the location.

And paying your cast and crew. This is not something you want to skimp on.

Believe me – IT ALL ADDS UP, so definitely make sure you can afford it. You’re a producer, and that’s your job: to take care of all of that, and probably a lot more.

It’s probably safe to say that all those “behind the scenes” scenes you’ve seen in movies and TV are just the tip of the iceberg. Producing your own film, even if it’s just a short, is a HUGE undertaking. The closest comparison is organizing a wedding. Leading up to the actual filming, I made it clear more than a few times that this was my first time as a producer, so to please bear with me.

Everybody was great, patient, and very understanding. They were all experienced (except for one PA who was also a first-timer) for which I’m very grateful. Over the course of the weekend, just about everybody came up to me to say that they really liked the script and were excited to be part of the project.

As for the actual filming, it really is mind-blowing to see characters, scenes and dialogue you wrote literally come to life in front of you.

That being said, there’s also a lot of “hurry up and wait” while the crew gets the equipment ready for each shot and scene.

But then everything’s good to go and the director says “Action”…

Magic.

I gave myself a few days to recover (including dealing with some kind of sinus infection), and am now gearing up to launch the crowdfunding for post-production – another world of which I have a lot to learn. I don’t know how that’ll go, but am hoping for the best possible results.

Would I do it again? My initial response is “Lord, no.” But I suppose once this film is completely and utterly finished, I might consider it.

Emphasis on “might”.

One down, a gazillion to go

Maximum Z determination, education, film, filmmaking, perseverance, persistence, producer, productivity, screenplay, screenwriting, script, short films , , , , , , , , , , ,

Just two weeks to go until we shoot my short film SHECKY, and there are a lot of things I need to take care of. It’s a list that feels like it never ends, or at least like every time I check something off, two or three more take its place. I’m doing my best to deal with a few items each day.

I suspect it would be very easy for things to fall through the cracks, instantly rendering them as forgotten – which means they would inevitably be needed in some kind of vital capacity or else the whole thing is shot to hell.

Which is why I’m doing everything I can to stay on top of that list and keep things moving.

It is my objective to have as much stuff ready to go for that first day of shooting so that when everybody shows up we can get right into it.

It’s exhausting and challenging, and definitely a crash course in learning how films are put together – even if it’s only a short.

Like when we start out as screenwriters, there’s a lot I don’t know, so I’m taking the time to learn as I go. Mistakes will be made, questions will be asked, and I’ll learn from all of it.

Each day involves adding a few more items onto the list, or maybe a new expense (which also seem to keep showing up). It’s always good when I can check off one or two things as “taken care of”.

All of this is part of the gargantuan effort to see this thing get made. Confidence and support from the cast and crew remains high, so I’ll keep working on reducing the number of items on the list. Don’t know if it’ll ever get to zero, but I’m sure gonna try.

-Donations are still being accepted to help with any and all SHECKY-related expenses (hello, post-production!), so let me know if you’d like to chip in. Every dollar helps, and perks and tier rewards from the crowdfunding still apply.

Just put “SHECKY project” in the subject line and I’ll send you the appropriate links (Venmo or PayPal).

Thanks!

Let’s make a movie

Maximum Z actor, comedy, crowdfunding, director, film, post-production, producer, screenplay, screenwriting, script, short films, thriller , , , , , , , , , , ,

First and foremost, a huge thank you to all the donors to the crowdfunding for my short film SHECKY. We hit 50%, which has helped:

-secure the location

-book the actors

-assemble the crew and equipment

Production is set for the end of the month, but you still have the opportunity to help with funds for post-production. Even if it’s just a couple of bucks, every dollar makes a huge difference.

Like with the crowdfunding, perks and tier rewards are available, including script notes, professional feedback on your film or acting reel, along with the opportunity to be a producer on the film.

“A new homeowner discovers he’s being haunted by the ghost of a comedian telling the same terrible jokes over and over, who refuses to leave – or stop.”

If you’d like to be involved with seeing this thrill-omedy become a reality, contact me here with the subject “Project Shecky” for the details and Venmo link.

Thanks!

A last big push

Maximum Z actor, crowdfunding, director, filmmakers, independent films, notes, podcasts, producer, screenplay, screenwriting, script, short films , , , , , , , , , , ,

This is the last weekend for the crowdfunding for my short film SHECKY.

“A new homeowner discovers he’s being haunted by the ghost of a comedian who keeps telling the same terrible jokes over and over, and who refuses to leave – or stop.”

The campaign may be winding down, but there are still plenty of ways to support this indie film project: the usual donations and tier rewards – just click on the link above to get all the details.

But there are also some perks you might want to consider, including:

-$125 – script notes from me

-$250 – be a guest on my podcast The Creative Writing Life to talk about yourself and your work (available on both Spotify and YouTube)

-$250 – if you’re an actor, Trevor Nagle, who plays one of the two SHECKY leads, will do a critique on your reel, a self-tape set up consultation, or an audition coaching session

-$500 – for filmmakers, award-winning director Ally May will give you notes on your reel, offer tips on filmmaking, or give you notes on your script

We’re also offering producer credits, complete with onscreen credit:

$500 – Associate Producer

$1000 – Executive Producer, which also includes one ticket to attend a screening of SHECKY at a local film festival

Just to get an idea of the quality of talent involved with this project, here’s Ally talking about her involvement with the project.

And here’s Trevor.

The entire team behind SHECKY is really excited to see it happen. Your donation, no matter how much, will be a huge contribution towards that.

Happy to make your acquaintance?

Maximum Z agent, comedy, crowdfunding, manager, networking, producer, query letter, screenplay, screenwriting, script, short films, social media, thriller , , , , , , , , , , , ,

A quick reminder – just over a week left on the crowdfunding for my thrill-omedy short film SHECKY, so there’s still time for you to kick in a few bucks if you haven’t already. And a major thanks to those who have.

I’ve been pretty diligent in posting about the crowdfunding all over my social media platforms, so I’m checking them all several times a day. After initially checking my own stuff, I’ll do a quick skim of what else is going on out there.

One thing that seems to be popping up more often is a slight uptick in interest in spec scripts from reps and producers. Many are from already-established writers, but there’s also a slight increase in writers connecting with said reps and producers via social media.

Goodness knows I’ve tried doing that, but with very limited results – if you can even call it that.

On a similar note, Facebook has been posting more “Connection recommendations” that include a lot of writers and reps, plus a handful of producers. I’d considered trying some of those, but figured they probably prefer to keep their personal and professional lives separate (or even totally apart), so opted to not take that path.

I’d posted about this and got several responses back, including “You’d be better off using LinkedIn, X/Twitter or Instagram.”

Yeah, tried those too. Most of those connection requests go unanswered, with a handful accepting.

One odd exception is a few lit agencies following me on Instagram. Those responses tend to range between zero and none.

No matter what the platform is, I make a point of just being friendly (“Hi. Hope your projects are going well”) and not immediately starting with “Hi! Nice to connect! Read my script!” I hate when people do that to me, and suspect industry folks hate it even more.

I interact when I can and try to keep it respectful. Bad impressions have incredible staying power.

I haven’t tried using any of these for queries due to past experience of zero response, but you never know. Just need to do some research to see who might be the most receptive. It might be a longshot approach, but trying is better than doing nothing.

With so many other projects in the works, I’m not querying as much as I used to. One of these could even potentially attract some attention, thereby nullifying the need to query at all.

In the meantime, it’s all about the short film and having fun developing my scripts.