Holiday Hilarity & Hubris, as well as alliteration
Today we dropped of a digibeta tape, the final sound mix, and the final FX shot to Lyon Video to get a Horrors of War master tape made for the JAPAN distributor. We’re all so fried at this point, that we aren’t even going to be there when the final bits are done. We just want to see the movie with a little distance. Phil & John & I are at the end of our wits with Horrors of War and all the technical and glitches that have caused so many delays. But who cares? On Wednesday we’ll pickup the tapes and make good on our contract.
On January 14th, 2006 we will show the movie on the big screen to the cast & crew. The cast & Crew screening is a private, non-public showing of the film. It’s an Invitation only showing because it will affect our film festival and premiere status. I can’t wait. I’ve gotten so many emails over the last 6 months asking when this screening will take place. Now it’s a reality.
After that, we’re hoping to do the WORLD PREMIERE. We’re aiming for the FANGORIA CONVENTION in Chicago in March. It’s a genre film that will play well with genre fans. We’ve also got an “in” with CINEQUEST FILM FESTIVAL in San Jose, and that’s a prestigious film festival, but have a history of non-arty screenings too. Either would be good, but both would kick ass.
As the trailer for Horrors of War has been making the rounds online, I’ve been hearing a lot of great compliments and even some good criticisms. One of the more common themes that gets perceived as a criticism, but is a compliment to me is that it looks like a “B” Movie. Well… DUH. It IS a B-Movie. My intention was to make a movie like the Saturday matinee’s on Channel 43 WUAB with SuperHost . The action/adventure pictures that opened my mind to imagination and fun. It’s NOT a serious dramatic piece, it’s a World War II action-Horror-Sci Fi movie, so how intense do you think it should be?
I’ve started work on the Electronic Press Kit, a DVD with tons of material, including the trailer, some scenes, the documentaries, TV appearances, and even B-Roll (raw “behind the scenes” footage because TV news like to have raw footage to cut as they like in their stories.
I haven’t even sent one of these out into the world or issued a press release since June, and we have already started getting a ton of mentions. The mentions on Fangoria and JoBlo.com have spawned over 15 more press stories, including The Horror Channel
I’m blown away by the support & interest the movie gets from people I don’t know. It’s pretty amazing. The concept gets people excited. I had this feeling, an instinct that the story I came up with would connect with the public, but I had no idea just how well. I am very happy, and also still surprised.
2006 Will yield many many screening opportunities and the promotional wheels have barely begun to turn. I’ve set in motion an avalanche. I will do everything in my power to see it come down the mountain.
Speaking of promotions, here are some interesting quotes from emails sent to me recently in regards to Sonnyboo.com and my own reputation online.
Quote: from ______ on 1:22 am on Dec. 21, 2005
“You are getting some kind of name around this business. I am out here in California and have heard your name around a lot now.”
Quote: from ______ on 11:18 pm on Dec. 13, 2005
“Several people including some interested film makers as well as a film commision employee here in California know about you. I’m guessing it is the name SonnyBoo. People pass that name around.”
Holy COW! That’s heavy duty. As I struggle to finish my first feature, and figure out how to keep afloat, this kind of feedback both excites & scares me. Never in my wildest imagination did I think that my efforts were this successful.
I’ve removed the Sonnyboo Free Downloadss of word templates. I need to allocate the bandwidth to newer endeavors like the WEB DOCS for Horrors of War. These new and informative videos are indeed promotional, but also educational, so I’m going with these instead. I already got a complaint from someone via email. I found it funny that this guy got really, really mad at me for not providing the templates for free anymore. As king of metaphors, it was like going to the house of a former librarian and telling him he’s a prick because he won’t get him a book for free anymore.
Brandy & I saw Peter Jackson’s King Kong last week. It was good, and possibly too long. I remember distinctly on the DVD’s for LORD OF THE RINGS Peter Jackson saying that if he had released the long versions first, no one would like them. I thought he was nuts. Now I agree with him. I did also get the PRODUCTION DIARIES on DVD and those kick ass. I already have them from the web, but they look great & are very inspirational.
Many things are happening…
I have 4 channels on “ POPCAST.COM ”, run by Joe Johnston, owner of OHIOFILMVIDEO.COM, which will hopefully die forever.
CNET
shows a few Sonnyboo shorts and continue to get a lot of views.
IFC film challenge has approved several Sonnyboo shorts. From reading about it on this here site, John Whitney has already been invited to have his short “Passion” play as a promo for the contest in commercials and on the channel.
Here in Rossdonia, I have entered into the public records of our region a new scientific theory of mine. I snore. This is a new development in my life in the last few years. It causes many a sleepless night for Brandy. Using deductive reasoning and empirical data, I believe that Brandy is the cause of my snoring.
I submit to you that Brandy’s ex did not used to snore. After being with her, he began to snore. I did not used to snore. After sleeping with Brandy, I began to snore. There are men who have never slept with Brandy & they do not snore. Therefore, my hypothesis is that sleeping with Brandy causes snoring.
That’s all I got in me right now. I want to get these freakin’ Holidays over with. Family & food, two things I need less of in my life.
-Ross
-2005 - THE YEAR OF ROSS 2: THE UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY
