Last Thursday night's screening went very well. Better than I had expected. I'm so appreciative of the 200+ who came out to show their support for all of us involved in the creation of Horror House. DVDs should be available real soon, and as soon as they are, we will share a link here and on the HH website (www.horrorhousemovie.com).
I'd also like to thank Fearless Filmmakers and Oak Street Cinema for hosting the event. The screening would not have happened without their support.
Onward and upward from here with future projects! Look for a new blog soon.
~ Justen
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
Thursday, October 09, 2008
Premiere
Roughly 16 months after shooting, Horror House is ready to be released.
Theatrical Premiere:
Thursday, October 30
9:00pm
Oak Street Cinema
309 Oak Street SE
Minneapolis, MN
Q&A with myself and others involved in the movie will follow the screening. DVD release will be simultaneous with copies available at the screening, just in time for Halloween! Hope you can make it!
Theatrical Premiere:
Thursday, October 30
9:00pm
Oak Street Cinema
309 Oak Street SE
Minneapolis, MN
Q&A with myself and others involved in the movie will follow the screening. DVD release will be simultaneous with copies available at the screening, just in time for Halloween! Hope you can make it!
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Still Kicking
Katie Hnida chronicles her journey in becoming the first woman to play Division I college football in the book, Still Kicking.
Only the title of the book has relevance here. Horror House is still kicking after being "in the can" for more than a year. We have signed with a sales representative and indications are that a Twin Cities theatrical premiere could be in the works for October along with DVD release shortly after. Nothing is guaranteed, but in this industry, nothing ever is. The important thing is we're moving ahead.
On a personal note, I have a handful of other projects brewing and I plan to start blogging on a more regular basis at a different blog location. I will be sure to post the new link here so the millions who read this blog can continue to absorb my consummate profundity each and every third month.
On another personal note, I am saddened that the Rogers Super Target no longer carries Totino's Party Pizzas. Why, cruel world? Why?!
~ Justen
Only the title of the book has relevance here. Horror House is still kicking after being "in the can" for more than a year. We have signed with a sales representative and indications are that a Twin Cities theatrical premiere could be in the works for October along with DVD release shortly after. Nothing is guaranteed, but in this industry, nothing ever is. The important thing is we're moving ahead.
On a personal note, I have a handful of other projects brewing and I plan to start blogging on a more regular basis at a different blog location. I will be sure to post the new link here so the millions who read this blog can continue to absorb my consummate profundity each and every third month.
On another personal note, I am saddened that the Rogers Super Target no longer carries Totino's Party Pizzas. Why, cruel world? Why?!
~ Justen
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
Anniversary
Hard for me to believe, but this day twelve months ago marked the first day of principal photography for Horror House. My stress level is considerably lower this year, but I miss the excitement of embarking on an ambitious project. Many small projects are on my immediate radar, but no features until at least next summer. If it were up to me, I think I'd do a feature a year or more. My stomach probably wouldn't appreciate it, but I've got an itch that needs to be scratched.
Reflecting today, I am certainly not where I hoped to be a year after we started shooting, but I'm further along than many, or dare I say most, who think they have what it takes to walk down this path. I say that humbly recognizing it is not just talent that got me this far, but my unwillingness to give up.
The Horror House audio problems have been remedied (Thank you, Adam!), and the color is fixed. The movie is ready for release, so now it is just a matter of convincing a distributor to release it! Things are looking good and I will update when there is news on the release front.
By the way, those who visit the website may wonder why the news tab is so outdated. I wonder that, too, and hope to have it fixed soon. :)
Happy summer to all!
~ Justen
Reflecting today, I am certainly not where I hoped to be a year after we started shooting, but I'm further along than many, or dare I say most, who think they have what it takes to walk down this path. I say that humbly recognizing it is not just talent that got me this far, but my unwillingness to give up.
The Horror House audio problems have been remedied (Thank you, Adam!), and the color is fixed. The movie is ready for release, so now it is just a matter of convincing a distributor to release it! Things are looking good and I will update when there is news on the release front.
By the way, those who visit the website may wonder why the news tab is so outdated. I wonder that, too, and hope to have it fixed soon. :)
Happy summer to all!
~ Justen
Friday, March 28, 2008
Forging Ahead
The updates have been rather mundane the last couple months so I've chosen to withhold blogging. That's not to say things aren't moving ahead with the movie. They are. Just in a mundane fashion.
I've been working hard with Jim, my sound guy, to finalize the audio mix. We finished last week, but there was a problem with the export so now it's troubleshooting time.
I continue to make tiny adjustments with the color of the movie. This is, perhaps, the mostest mundanestest part of post-production. That's quite an honor considering the stiff competition. I have learned an important lesson with color correction: Always do it in a dark room. I have made adjustments during the day only to be appalled by the look of said adjustments when the big yellow sphere commutes to China.
To complete the trifecta of glamourous happenings with the movie, I am researching and contacting distribution companies, hoping to find the right home for Horror House.
With a little luck, the movie will screen sometime in the next few months. Start checking the website for updates in May. I'll update here, too, of course.
I'm anxious to shoot the next movie...
~ Justen
I've been working hard with Jim, my sound guy, to finalize the audio mix. We finished last week, but there was a problem with the export so now it's troubleshooting time.
I continue to make tiny adjustments with the color of the movie. This is, perhaps, the mostest mundanestest part of post-production. That's quite an honor considering the stiff competition. I have learned an important lesson with color correction: Always do it in a dark room. I have made adjustments during the day only to be appalled by the look of said adjustments when the big yellow sphere commutes to China.
To complete the trifecta of glamourous happenings with the movie, I am researching and contacting distribution companies, hoping to find the right home for Horror House.
With a little luck, the movie will screen sometime in the next few months. Start checking the website for updates in May. I'll update here, too, of course.
I'm anxious to shoot the next movie...
~ Justen
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Happy New Year
No updates from the festival circuit. I've submitted to a handful since Sundance and Slamdance, but haven't received word from any as of yet and probably won't receive word for another month or so. In the meantime I am sending screening copies to distribution companies and sorting through the myriad other film festivals out there. My biggest goal is to simply sell the movie and I like my chances of doing so in 2008.
The movie, incidentally, is still not 100% complete. Jim Morgan (sound) and I plan to get together this month to finalize the sound mix, and I am still working on color correction, though I took a couple months off from Horror House for sanity purposes. I have self-diagnosed ADD and need to work on several projects simultaneously to stave off mental breakdowns. My success in doing so is debatable.
I will continue to update the blog sporadically as news warrants.
~ Justen
The movie, incidentally, is still not 100% complete. Jim Morgan (sound) and I plan to get together this month to finalize the sound mix, and I am still working on color correction, though I took a couple months off from Horror House for sanity purposes. I have self-diagnosed ADD and need to work on several projects simultaneously to stave off mental breakdowns. My success in doing so is debatable.
I will continue to update the blog sporadically as news warrants.
~ Justen
Monday, December 10, 2007
No Dances
Word from both Sundance and Slamdance was received and we failed to make the cut for either festival. I expected the Sundance rejection (though I held a small hope for a miracle) since Sundance has become a venue for established Hollywood vets to try new things with their 7 and 8 figure budgets. Slamdance, however, I thought could have been a nice fit for Horror House. They only accept movies from first or second time directors, which Chad is. But the cut of the movie they saw was not the right fit for them this year.
Onward and upward now as I continue to submit to film festivals across the world in hopes to find an audience and impress a buyer. I'll do the festival circuit for 12-18 months and if I don't find distibution in that time, I'll explore other routes until we sell the picture. I don't think we'll have any major problems selling.
I just read Bob the Gaffer's comment on the trailer. I certainly can't conclude from that particular comment what the anonymous follow-up poster concluded, but I can say with some certainty Bob is wrong about the acting. We had some very talented people involved, each of whom took on a persona quite different from their own. That in itself is a trait of a good actor.
As for the movie, it is what it is. It's a mockery of low-budget slasher flicks while being a low-budget faux slasher flick itself. Not everybody will like it, and not everyone is supposed to like it. My mom won't even watch it! ;)
~Justen
Onward and upward now as I continue to submit to film festivals across the world in hopes to find an audience and impress a buyer. I'll do the festival circuit for 12-18 months and if I don't find distibution in that time, I'll explore other routes until we sell the picture. I don't think we'll have any major problems selling.
I just read Bob the Gaffer's comment on the trailer. I certainly can't conclude from that particular comment what the anonymous follow-up poster concluded, but I can say with some certainty Bob is wrong about the acting. We had some very talented people involved, each of whom took on a persona quite different from their own. That in itself is a trait of a good actor.
As for the movie, it is what it is. It's a mockery of low-budget slasher flicks while being a low-budget faux slasher flick itself. Not everybody will like it, and not everyone is supposed to like it. My mom won't even watch it! ;)
~Justen
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Y
The question that keeps coming to mind as I decide what next to write about in this Horror House blog is why? Why should I write about any more of my experiences? Why should I give any more advice? Why should I speak of Horror House as any kind of success when in reality it has accomplished nothing so far?
This isn't to say I am not proud of the movie, because I certainly am. And I'm not implying that seeing a movie through its inception all the way to its completion is not a success, because it is a HUGE success. I just can't help but feel pretentious giving advice about the movie making process when I have no proof I did it right.
Were I to keep giving advice and insight I would become too much of a hypocrite. I am the first to criticize screenwriting teachers who have never sold or optioned a script, so for me to make claims that I know what I'm doing without having proof I did it successfully would put me into the very same category as said teachers.
So as of the middle of October I am going to take a little hiatus from the Horror House blog. I still have much to say, but I want the credentials before I say it. I'm sure I'll still chime in once in a while, but I may not hit the blog hard again until early 2008.
In the meantime, please feel free to contact me at hhshoot@yahoo.com.
God bless.
~ Justen
This isn't to say I am not proud of the movie, because I certainly am. And I'm not implying that seeing a movie through its inception all the way to its completion is not a success, because it is a HUGE success. I just can't help but feel pretentious giving advice about the movie making process when I have no proof I did it right.
Were I to keep giving advice and insight I would become too much of a hypocrite. I am the first to criticize screenwriting teachers who have never sold or optioned a script, so for me to make claims that I know what I'm doing without having proof I did it successfully would put me into the very same category as said teachers.
So as of the middle of October I am going to take a little hiatus from the Horror House blog. I still have much to say, but I want the credentials before I say it. I'm sure I'll still chime in once in a while, but I may not hit the blog hard again until early 2008.
In the meantime, please feel free to contact me at hhshoot@yahoo.com.
God bless.
~ Justen
Saturday, September 22, 2007
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
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
Friday, September 14, 2007
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
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
Thursday, September 13, 2007
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.
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.
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