Early Autumn Update

The last few months have been draining. I don't want to over dramatize, but I'm spent with all the post-production work. Editing isn't an exciting process for me. I'd much rather be on set 14 hours a day than sitting at a computer for even half that.

But the hard work has paid off. The movie is done. Well, there are still slight tweaks to be made, but the current cut was sent off to Sundance today. I'll know in December whether Horror House will be screened next January in Utah. It's a long shot, but most success stories come as the result of a successful long shot.

Praying.

~ Justen

Rubbing Shoulders

I'm a sucker for massages. Calf massages are my favorite, but I'll take a massage wherever I'm sore. My lower neck and shoulders are usually prime candidates, so a good shoulder rub is usually quite nice.

But that's not the type of shoulder rubbing I'm talking about. I'm talking about rubbing shoulders with influential people in the industry.

This morning I met with Ali Selim, director of "Sweet Land" (www.sweetlandmovie.com). His insights were very enlightening and educational, and I am so appreciative of the time he shared with me. The content of our conversation is kept between the two of us, but I can't stress enough how important it is to seize opportunities to meet with those who have had success in this industry.

And find a good masseuse.

~ Justen

A buck two ninety eight too much

A high school friend's dad used to cite things as being "a buck two ninety eight too much" when he felt an item was too expensive. Every expenditure on a movie falls into the "buck two ninety eight" category. The trick is to keep things from rising into the "buck three ninety eight" or "buck four ninety eight" or "buck eight ninety four" categories. Independent moviemaking is as much about frugality as creativity.*

To make a movie you need a camera, an editing suite of some sort, someone to run the camera (maybe yourself), a director (maybe yourself), actors (maybe yourself, although it is difficult to hold the camera while you act - I know from experience), crew, food for the cast and crew (and yourself), and a shoebox full of money for the little things that come up every day on set (like when your lead actor spills coffee all over his shirt between takes - gotta wash it or buy a new shirt).

Things you'll want include salaries for cast and crew (no need to try to make them millionaires, but at least cover their gas for crying out loud), backup wardrobe (for the actor who spills coffee), insurance (I hate that this is as important as it is), legal counsel (there goes your future son's college tuition), lights and equipment rentals, makeup and hair supplies, more food, location rental money, set dressings, and last, but certainly not least, Monster Energy Drink.

What does all this add up to be? A buck two ninety eight too much if you're lucky. A sudden urge to rob a bank if you're not. And I haven't even mentioned anything about publicity or film festival entry fees. Even those things can add up in a hurry.

I'm not going to advertise the final budget for Horror House just yet, but I can tell you between legal fees and insurance, you're already going to be around 10,000. So why not just skip the formality of doing things legally? Robert Rodriguez got away without a lawyer or insurance and it worked for him. Hey, it could certainly work for anyone. It just doesn't seem worth the risk to me. Why? Now there's a lengthy blog that I don't think I'll get to. Others have written enough about the importance of protecting yourself. That reminds me, I have yet to blog about the scores of books and other literature I recommend for budding filmmakers. There are a buck two ninety eight of them out there.

It's storming. I love storms.

~ Justen

* Though frugality certainly can't trump creativity. Frugality, after all, is a matter in itself of being creative.