zodiac

things have been incredibly busy lately, which is a good thing. far better to be busy, then completely bored out of my skull. so, i've been able to get some feedback on the current version of the film, and it's really cool that everyone seems to be very excited about it. i've gotten some different reactions, but what's cool is that the few who have seen it, have had the film reasonate with them - i'd get a phone call a couple of days later, and they'd be talking about something else that kept them thinking. which is totally cool. fortunately, a couple of my close friends who were on the crew complimented the film on the technical side of things - as in they thought the film turned out beautifully. i think that since i've been friends with them for a very long time, and that we've always concentrated on the technical side - mainly the cinematography, that to get their approval is really grand. so, i think were at a stage where me and paul are comfortable with the current version of the film, confident that it'll do well.

so, me and paul are in the process of re-doing the website and also making a dedicated praxis website as well. this will take some time, but so far, i like the way everything looks. we've also started putting press kit materials together, and have hired a writer friend to help out. the initial way the film was described prior to the shooting, the film was represented differently then the way it turned out in the end. so, a new description and synopsis and a different way of describing the film is needed at this point. so, it's good to have friends who can write.

i've also started to plan the cast and crew screening at the afi silver theater in silver spring, which will be in a couple of months. i met with one of the even coordinators there, and it's going to be a really cool screening. the theater is such an incredible venue, and it'll be a really great way to screen the film before it's on to the festivals and such. we're going to have a nice after party and have a few drinks and celebrate the film in the right way. i think that both tom and andrew will be totally blown away by the screening, particularly seeing it on the big screen. i also have a couple of surprises for them, and bob too. but for now, we still have to buckle down and finish up everything else.

so over the weekend, me and paul got a chance to see the film ZODIAC. i was totally blown away by this film. it's such an incredibly well made film. i don't even know where to begin. even tho the film is nearly three hours long, it was so jammed pack with stuff, that it never dragged on anywhere, nor did it feel slow. there are some pretty intense parts, but fortunately, it's not a typical horror-flick. you definitely have to pay attention or you might miss something.

it's really nice to be able to see something once in a while that reminds me that you can still produce a well made film. something that can inspire and that can really get to people. i think that somethings i get so caught up in the logistics of production, that i forget what a well made film can do - really make people think.

one of my friends said that PRAXIS has a lot to offer if people give it a chance - it'll really make people think. i think that's totally cool.

buckle down

this past weekend was one of the best weekends in a while. the trip to new york was better than ever, and me and paul were able to show the current version of the film to andrew and tom. they were both absolutely blown away by it, and it's very cool that they're both incredibly excited about it. there are still a bunch of little tweeks that i need to do to the current version. but, the gist of the film is definitely there. for quite a while, i was a little worried that nobody would get the film - that it was too abstract. but so far, the few people who have seen it totally get it. and they're actually elaborating much more into the themes and meanings represented, while is total cool.

so, now that me and paul are back in dc, it's time to buckle down and focus on all the different things that we want to do with the film - final digibeta masters, organize the local cast and crew screening, update the website, put together the press kit, and start submitting the project into consideration for the festivals. it's going to be a lot of work, but i'm definitely trying to take each step one at a time. i'm confident that it'll all come together.

this weekend, i have a couple of other close friends - j, wes, and tim from the crew, and my friends morrigan and mike, they're all gonna come over to check out the current version of the film. i think it'll be good to have other honest opinions about the film, and how to tighten it up even more. tho, i'm confident that everyone will be excited about it as well. fortunately, we're planning to hire a writer friend of ours to help with the press release, and various synopsises for the film. we also have some friends who are going to help with the website stuff, and also organizing the screening too. so, it's all good...

so, i started playing around with movie poster ideas, and messing around with photoshop. i'd like to come up with several ideas, and to have all this material ready. i also enjoy the design aspect of this phase of production. i'll really have to think about the images, and how they represent the film, and if they do that in the best way possible. but it's also fun to play around with images and see what stuff you can come up with.

so, it's time to buckle down, but it's really cool to think that this film will do really well, and it'll definitely make a lot of people think. which, i find, is all really grand...

off to nyc

so it's off to nyc for the weekend, and i'm looking forward to hopefully meeting up with tom and andrew, and to be able to show them the current version of the film. it'll also be great to catch up with old friends, and also relax in the big city - even tho it is new york, and the part of dc that i live in is pretty much like living in soho...it'll just be a different city...and yes, it is possible to be able to relax in a big city....lol

i'll be cool to get some feedback on the film. after working on it for so long, and the years of life that it's take to produce it, i think it's sometimes hard to step back and wonder if anybody will get it. fortunately, my partner paul gave me some very honest and direct feedback last week, and i'm really happy to have that kind of feedback. i really like the way the film has turned out thus far, and i'm eager to see it on the big screen.

over the next couple of weeks, i've got tons of work to do. between organizing the screening, and producing all the publicity materials and re-doing the website, - it's a little bit overwhelming...but i'm going to take things one step at a time, and really focus on all the little details, to make sure that everything represents the film in the best possible way. the last thing i want to do is slap something together and make it look half-assed. basically, everything that i do, and everything that's put out there represents the film. so, i think it's important to remember that, and to keep it on a professional level as much as possible.

lately, i've been really looking closely at different movie posters, trying to develop a couple of different ideas for the movie poster. as with all press materials, i think it good to make up a couple of different ideas, and to have those ready for potential distributors and such. even if they decide to go in a different direction, at least you have a couple of things ready, versus not having anything at all. so, i've been keeping a sketchbook with different ideas and also looking at other movie posters and any other image that i think looks cool. i kind of like this creative part of promotion. and it'll be fun to come up with these promo materials.

i'm also considering putting together a soundtrack and a book deal. if possible, i'd like to coordinate the release of these materials at the same time as the release of the film. even if the book is produced on small press and the soundtrack on a small volume, i think it would be cool to have these things produced. i genuinely think that PRAXIS has a lot to offer, and all these other thinks could add to the success of the film.

in the meantime, it's off to nyc...