You can actively support local Film-makers

Now it's easy to get involved in supporting local film-makers!

Thanks to Jith Paul, we have a quick link to donate to the film Me, my Mom, and a Whistle.
http://mmw.jithpauldesign.com/



Now that emerging artists and small independents are competing for the same dwindling pool of government funding monies as Atom Egoyen, Norman Jewison, and David Cronenberg, we've decided to OPT OUT of the traditional funding model.

We're looking for cash donations from people who believe in independent film. While we're hoping to get $20+ per person, we'll take whatever you can find in your couch cushions! I figured that if everyone on the friends lists of the cast & crew donated $20 each, we could make this film, AND PAY EVERYBODY!

If we get enough, we'll reward thhe people who were so kind and supportive with a party & a screening!

cash flow sheets and fund raising

I'm sitting in an empty office, in the rain, coffeeless.... sigh.

Who knew such a collaborative venture as film-making could be so lonely?

And I've sprained my brain on cash flow spreadsheets, and still can't find the missing $10k. Precisely $10,000. You'd think it would stand out.
But I've compared the budget and the spreadsheet until my head hurts, and nothing. It's probably in a formula somewhere.... sigh.....

At least I have proof positive that there is a "math center" in your brain. It's on the top, just to the right of the Brocha divide, and just where the top of your head starts to slope back into the back of your head. Ouch.

In the meantime, I may have a couple of new product placement deals, some cash investment, and a star. Things just keep getting better!

The previous post....

was meant to go in my homesteading blog (http://theleadingedgeofchaos.blogspot.com/) and not here. Sorry for the confusion, but Me, my Mom, & a Whistle has no chickens in it. But it does have a chick or two, human ones.... sorry, bad pun.
I'll post something decent soon, I promise.

the 12 hour auditions over, now the hard part....

So, we had the call backs-chemistry test yesterday. 12 hours + 30 actors = few decisions. Sigh.....

It's an odd complaint, but so many of the actors were so good that we still haven't narrowed it down much. Some people did better than they did at their last audition, some did worse. A couple of choices seemed obvious, and we have first and second choices for several roles, but the leads are still wide open.

While the director was down from Toronto, we made a few other decisions as well; such as how far I can go to negotiate a deal before having to check with the other producers, how much I can "give away" to get the film made, and which distributor/ marketing firm we're interested in going with.

So, a good day. And a good place to take a weekend off, if you call planting tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, & many other veggies to be a day off!

Final auditions! (I hope)

So, the "final" auditions are tomorrow. My back is nervous, another 10 hours standing up filming auditions. At least I've been there often enough to find that jewel of a restaurant; cheap, but oh so good. It's a greek hole-in-the-wall place by the Parkdale Mkt. $7 buys a chicken pita, greek salad, and pop.

As for the auditions, it was really hard to whittle it down to a maximum of four contenders for each role. While some choices (to keep or let go) were obvious, some were really agonized over.

But it should be fun, and as we're testing for chemistry between the leads, it could be surprising.

While we may not have decided on yeses yet, those unfortunate enough not to be chosen, should be getting their no's next week.

The book rises again....

So, I finally heard from the publisher (they've had it for 50 weeks!) and they apologized for the delay. Gotta love British understatement. LOL

So, they love the story, they love the characters, they love the 'voice'. They hate the ending. :(

But, at least they're willing to work with me on it, in the fall. (next time we're both free to take on more work). So, I'm still on "the list" for Cutting Edge Books, and still listed on Amazon.ca. (under a pen name)

Audition Day 2: the dark comedy

So, while the auditions themselves were fabulous, the day started out as a nightmare... or a comedy, depending on perspective.

It started at 6am, it was cold, damp, dark.... shit, the power's off! No furnace to take the damp and chill off. Also no, shower, no brushing teeth, no flushing toilets, and OMG.... no coffee!!

"NO problem", says the director (who's staying in my guestroom. "We'll just leave early and stop at Tim Hortons on the way into town"! (Did I mention award nominated director? I really want him to be impressed with me and my professionalism.)

So, we head out into the pouring rain to race to Timmies. The local one has big bathrooms, we can wash our faces and brush our teeth! But the overnight rain has made the director's car sink ankle deep into the muddy yard. We're stuck.

No problem, there's three of us, two to push, one to steer. But no go. No move. Lots of mud on my leather trenchcoat, hands, and glasses though.

Called CAA. Wait for an hour, so much for leavng early and stopping at Timmies. Now we're calling people to tell them we'll be late, please wait for us. Standing outside the locked office, in the way, in the rain.... Should make for very happy to see us actors!

Tow truck arrives.... except, it's not a tow truck. It's a great huge flat-bed truck, trying to back into my driveway beside 2 cars (one stuck, one without keys) and a truck (also no keys at the house).

So, the truck backs onto the yard to reach the stuck car. The truck is much heavier than the car and... (can you see t coming?)... gets stuck in the mud.



So, we were lucky that the truck cab wasn't on the grass and was able to pull the back end out of the mud. But to do that, he had to move the truck so that it was directly crossing the street, blocking traffic in both directions.

This was unsafe, so he turned and backed up, and moved forward until he had most of the truck parked along the verge and the hind end in the driveway. Two problems, 1) the chain is too short to reach the car, and 2) he took out my mailbox! My poor battered and bruised mailbox is now firmly stuck under the truck, with its cement filled (200lb) milk jug wedged between the front and back wheels.



So, we drag it out, find extra chain to attach to the tow truck and eventually drag the car out to the nice, firm, hard-packed driveway. Without holding up too many cars as the truck is now at 90 degrees to the road. Again.

Then there was the small mix-up where the driver thought we were using my CAA card (because its my house) not the director's CAA card (because its his car) and got a bit testy about non-listed cars.

But everything was eventually cleared up and we were on our way, only an hour late, still no faces washed or teeth brushed or time to stop for coffee!

But fortunately, there was a coffee pot at the office, and eager actors to run and buy us breakfast while we made ourselves human in the office washrooms.

We also got caught up quite quickly, and saw some amazing auditions. So, all's well that ends well. Right?