GET YOUR TICKETS NOW!

So here is the little logo that every filmmaker wants to see on their film page. Two little olive branches. I could have created this in photoshop and made up a few festivals, but alas, we went the hard way and it was worth it. RIIFF has given us a prime screening time in their line-up, Friday, August 8th at 7:15pm. There's a short film for a half an hour right before our so we very well might start at 8/8/08 at 8pm. Now I'm not superstitious, but hell, that's exciting!

Follow the link below (or copy and paste into your browser) to buy your tickets and please get them early. I guarantee we'll sell out. And please, leave a couple hours free at the end. We don't know where yet, but we'll have a little after party to celebrate.

http://riiff2008.withoutabox.com/festivals/event_item.php?id=17525

WE'RE IN!

Alright, here we go. I can proudly announce that THE FULL PICTURE will be premiering at the Rhode Island International Film Festival sometime between Aug. 5th and 10th. I'll update the blog when I know more. In the meantime, you can check out the festival's information at

We're very excited about this opportunity as RIIFF is a top 15 festival and has a great reputation amongst filmmakers. My able Executive Assistant -who just happens to be my wife- and I will be making the trip back east. There's also a chance some of actors will make the trip so look out for us in The Ocean State. Giddy up!

DOES THIS WORK?

I need to pick a photo doing director stuff. Does this fill the bill -unshaven and making weird gestures?

AS WE GET READY, A LITTLE RELIEF

"The Full Picture" is shot, edited, scored and sound designed. All that we have left is color correction which will be completed before our first screening. Until then, here's a little something I wrote for our press packet. Hope you like it.

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In the script, I had written a scene at Stow Lake, which is more like a polluted pond in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. In the scene, Mark (Daron Jennings) falls into the lake when his brother, Hal (Josh Hutchinson) throws food scraps on the ground, causing a dog to lunge in Mark’s direction. Unsure of the city's policy for swimming in the goose-shit infested lake, we did not inform the Park Ranger of our intent to dunk our good-natured actor in the water. With a water hose and a fresh pair of clothes at the ready, we ran the scene and luckily nailed it on the first take. Seeing the commotion, the Ranger ran over with a panic stricken look on his face. In his hand, he held a paper that read, "In case of contact with Stow Lake Water." On the page was a laundry list of maladies that could befall anyone that was to ingest even the slightest amount of the murky water. We kept a close watch on Daron for the next 24 hours and to our relief, he was fine. But the scene, well, it was a little over-the-top for the kind of film we were making. So, much to Daron’s chagrin, his little dunk will be only enjoyed on the “deleted scenes” section of the DVD. At least he knows the signs of infection should he ever fall into Stow Lake again.

Welcome.

Welcome to the FULL PICTURE BLOG…the making of a true Indie film.

Project Greenlight has nothing on me. If you want to experience what it’s really like to make an independent film, here’s your chance. Over the next couple of years, we will film, edit, screen and attempt to sell a feature length movie. Many have attempted such a feat; few have succeeded. Only time will tell what will happen. Let’s get started!

3/25/06
Excitement fills the air. I have begun the hiring process and believe I have found some talented and honest people. But I don’t want to write about that. Not yet. The start date is still flexible so until that is locked down and the crew has signed in blood, I’m not going to assume anything. Instead, I want to give a little back-story of how far this project has already traveled.

THE FULL PICTURE began as a simple writing exercise in December 2001. I had been laid off as a Banquet Server at the Ritz Carlton due to a downturn in business following 9/11. Still carrying a hefty credit card bill from my first film, I needed to find work quickly. The following week, as I was scrounging up change for next month’s rent, the Ritz-Carlton valet department asked me if I would help them through the busy holiday season. They needed someone to sit down at the bottom of the parking garage and shuffle cars around so they could be accessed quickly. However, they added regretfully, there would be a lot of “downtime”. Seizing the opportunity, I took the job and brought a pen and paper to fill the supposed “slow” hours. By the end of December, I had written the first act of my play, later titled, Big Mouth.

Big Mouth was a story inspired by a family in my hometown that went through a messy, public divorce. The sensational details of their separation captured the attention of our sleepy suburban town. But as quickly as the story flared up, it also went away, and life returned to business-as-usual. What intrigued me about this story was not the divorce itself, nor the public attention it received, but the time to follow. I wanted to examine what happens to such a family fifteen years after their embarrassing moment in the spotlight.

About midway through writing Big Mouth, I felt like I had something. I started work-shopping scenes in an acting class I was taking at The Shelton Theatre here in San Francisco. I decided that I was going to direct it and in August of 2003, I rented out the Actor’s Theater for the play’s debut. Big Mouth was a hit, selling out all but one show in its short run. The story worked. And more importantly, I was convinced that it deserved a larger audience. I went to work immediately adapting the play into a story to fit the screen.

One year later, I had written THE FULL PICTURE and donned my producer’s hat once again. I constructed a business plan to raise the funds and started a LLC. And that’s where I am today. It hasn’t been easy getting to this point, but believing in the material has kept me motivated.