I submitted my new DVD of short films in 39 combined film festival entries. Luckily most European fests have no entry fee and most of the smaller fests I have a relationship with, so I can get the submission fees waived. It pays to give things like royalty free music away and other handy things on my site. It helps pave the way for a return favor from things like film festivals. Countries I have submitted to this round include Poland, Spain, Portugal, Sengala, India, Japan, Canada, the UK, and even Nigeria.
To commemorate the completion of these shorts, I made a DVD cover and I really dug it lots. Again, taking inspiration from the Jazz albums of the past, this time specifically the orange and yellow against black of an old Thelonius Monk album, I dug this creation, which I wish I could take more credit for, but alas it wasn’t as much me.
Aside from that, I now stand at the almighty crossroads. Sadly, Jack Butler won’t be playing his amazing guitar with the devil at his side at my crossroads. I have to decide how to proceed with my options as a filmmaker. Artistically, there are a few options, but which one to take? I have another short, something that combines my sense of humor with more of the darker dramas that are in my soul, but it’s still another short with limited appeal, gross income, and marketability. I have my initial plan to proceed with the bigger investors and take the time to work out the bigger ticket features. And there’s the possibility to take some of the money already on the table and make a cheaper feature, but with no name stars and incredibly small odds at a financial success and career advancement.
I haven’t made up my mind yet, but when My Sexy Girlfriend Veronica™ heads to South Carolina for a week, I want to go into seclusion for a hefty writing session, locked in a hotel room alone with the laptop in a cabin with no internet. I just need to know WHAT I’ll be focusing on. So I have all of a few short weeks to determine how I’ll be spending the next 18 months (at least) of my life. Can anyone say “Horrors of War 2”? YIKES, that would be tragic.
Today was my first real recovery after the big annual work project. I enjoyed some special time with “V”, but mostly I rested and even watched the first Blu Ray I got with the PS3 (Spider-man 3, a lot better the 2nd viewing, albeit still flawed). I don’t get to watch movies like I used to, but I want to get back to that, at least somewhat. Right now I average one feature film every two weeks and that’s kinda bad.
That’s it folks!
Peter John Ross
