And now for a scene that's eerily remniscient of my first wedding night

March 26th, 2006
And now a scene eerily reminiscent of my first wedding night…



So Acolytes of Boo, when your faithful narrator last wrote here, we had just made an all new cut of the film Horrors of War. A presentation was made to our executive producer, who was neither impressed nor moved by this new cut in the slightest. It was not better according to him, so we will not have the opportunity to present the new cut, contrary to my previous post, IS being referred to as the “Director’s Cut” with approval of co-director John Whitney (so would it be more proper to say “Directors’ Cut”?).

I wrote a mini-version of the infamous Orsen Welles letter to Universal for TOUCH OF EVIL to our Executive Producer, detailing in the various ways why I feel this cut is superior. It was rejected, but that’s okay. It’s business and I understand his perspective. It would be incredible awkward to send or re-send a new cut of the film to prospective buyers that already have a cut. To be honest, the foreign markets really don’t care about character or story, they do just want guns, explosions, and monsters. It’s the domestic North American & other English speaking territories that I think this will hurt us to not present this new Director’s Cut.

Just so everyone knows all is not lost, I think we’re within a few short weeks from announcing our North American DVD release. What people need to realize is that there isn’t instant money, it takes time for delivery & contracts to finalize, and even then checks aren’t immediately cut to us. Patience peeps. As much as Brandy rags me, I have had the patience of a saint because this is zooming into my 3-year anniversary of brining Horrors of War to life. You can’t be a feature filmmaker with ADD, kids. It won’t and can’t work. Unless you’re already established, no one will stick with your project longer than you. Never.

Now, without rancor or malice, I intend to get the Director’s Cut seen as much as possible. My main option left is to start doing public screenings, also called “four walling”. This is where we rent a theatre and screen it our damn selves. I’ve already started with booking in Columbus (last night), Cincinnati, and Youngstown to cover our home state.



This past Friday, seven from the cast & crew from Horrors of War went to Cincinnati to tape a show called “VIEWFINDER”. This is a 30 minute show on PBS there and they focus on “tri-state filmmakers”. I was on the show with Bret  & Linda in 2004 for the 48 Hour Film Project and Always Late. The host Alphonzo kicks ass. He should be national because he’s relaxed, enthused, and charismatic.

I road down with Greg Sabo, and we all had a great time doing the show. What I love best is that it was well represented by everyone. John & I did our bit first, then Phil & Greg showing another side of production, then Jason, Joe, and Jason represented the acting side. It showed that our movie was not “a film by” with the usual director(s) taking all the credit. We demonstrated a unity and group mentality, which is my core faith in filmmaking as a collaborative process.



We were treated with great respect and applauded for the accomplishment that is Horrors of War. These people all seemed to grasp how hard it was to make the movie we made. The mountains we had to climb and the realities that what we did was recognized these people in the media.

Of course that’s in Cincinnati, not Columbus… I seem to have a lot less problems getting national & international press than I do local press. I sent out DVD press kits along with printed press kits to all the local media, especially the arts papers. We made a movie where virtually everyone in the central Ohio film scene participated to make it a higher quality film, and we used exclusively Ohio talent, and yet it’s not really worthy of print.



Now, the main paper, the Columbus Dispatch gave us a solid mention (no pictures, but I won’t complain), the “Other Paper” also gave us a small mention. The Columbus Alive, the entertainment/arts paper completely snubbed us. Nada, nothing. Of the TV news, Johnny DiLoretto gave us an amazing mention on the news. After snubbing Spike Lee’s INSIDE MAN, he recommended people see our movie instead. Now THAT was freakin’ classy and sweet. I am a little disappointed we didn’t get more press support, but I think we did very well with getting public awareness going. It’s nothing to feel bad about.

Last night was the first ever public screening of HORRORS OF WAR. I had no idea what to expect. I knew we’d have at least 100 people, thus doubling the money for the theatre rental, but beyond that, there is no guarantees. I knew we’d have some support from cast & crew, but they had their free screening. There’s no accurate way to predict attendance. It’s been my experience that at least 50-60% of the people who tell you they will attend never do. Robert Towne once wrote something in a script that I’ve found to be a universal truth – “People are unreliable, but at least that makes them predictable”. ((A free Best of Sonnyboo DVD to first person name this film))



We sold out last night. Much to my surprise, there was a line out the door, we had to start 15 minutes late because people were still buying tickets. At 7:20 the box office declared the film sold out and starting turning people away. The theatre was packed, even more so than Look At My Shorts or the cast & crew screening. ((FYI, as a former theatre manager “sold out” means when you get within 10% of the maximum, its declared sold out.)) It was a 400+ seat theatre.



It was elating to have a good crowd. Screening the “Director’s Cut” to a paying audience had a satisfaction in that it played much better to an audience. It is a grimmer story with more drama than the apparently more comedic original cut. My proudest moment? During the scene with Sgt. Gary (Dan Kiely) and Claire (Megan Pillar), you could hear a pin drop. No one twitched, no one moved, no one whispered. It was a meaningful, deep moment and I had the audience. No special effects, no gun, no monsters, no explosions, not even music to sell the scene. Just actors, and all natural light, and I was able to have an audience feel exactly what I set out to do.



We’re doing screenings of Horrors of War in Cincinnati and Youngstown. Even after last night, I am skeptical about attendance since I am not as known around the film communities in those areas, but I can rely on that fueling my marketing pushes to try to get similar attendance. The aforementioned episode of VIEWFINDER will help us immensely in raising awareness in Cincinnati.

I have decided to push my next feature. I was originally going to shoot in JUNE, but I’ve decided to dedicate myself to proper & full promotional efforts for HORRORS OF WAR. To me, the biggest mistake in the independent film world is thinking that finishing the film is the end. It’s not. It’s not even the halfway mark. This is a marathon, and we’re just getting started. I feel a moral obligation to the investors, the cast & crew, and myself to take Horrors of War all the way. Beyond a DVD deal, I need to see this movie sell some copies too.

I don’t just want to cash a check, and go “Whew! SUCKERS! Moving on…” and it’s surprisingly tempting to be lulled into that. I’m sick of this movie. I’ve worked on it for nearly 3 years. I want to move on desperately, but I gave my word. I said I would see it through and I will. I made a promise and I intend to deliver. I’m not like a lot of yahoos who make a million promises and deliver on 1 out of 7 & then expect credit for it. Never make a promise you can’t keep.



I have a dark comedy with only one location and a limited cast as my next project. I think I’m doing things a little backwards. I was supposed to do that first, then try the ambitious period war film with locations, tanks, extras and explosions…

That’s all I got in my now. I’m off to see a showcase with the lovely Brandy as she acts. I know it’s acting because she’s wearing a dress. She doesn’t own one, so I know it’s “acting” and a “character”….I love this chick.

Later Dayz Acoloytes,
Piotr Johann Rosputin

Oh, and watch this is raw B-Roll footage shot by Zac Sabo whilst shooting in Logan Ohio on Horrors of War


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DRINK IT UP! www.Sonnyboo.com

Love is Stronger Than Justice

March 10th, 2006
Love is Stronger than Justice



Yet another film festival/screening for the local film community has come & gone. This time, the size was enormous. Even bigger than last time, we had a 4 hour program & much to my dismay, we turned down several movies. A “Look at My Shorts III part 2” is already planning for April. My hope to have this be the last one I was involved with has turned into another commitment to administrate one more. Seems I can’t cut my ties as easily as I’d hoped from the short film world.

There were several standout movies. Of particular note was C. Alec Rossel’s THE BAG, and Louie Cowan’s A COLD BLOOD, written and starring Dan Kiely. There was all kinds of brouhaha over being 4 hours and the play order. I don’t care, I’m so sick of everyone’s ego I could vomit. When we first ran over, I gave up my single 2 minute short without hesitation. I make movies for the sole reason of seeing them with a bunch of strangers in a dark room. Losing that opportunity took no time for me to decide. Not everyone is willing to do that.

Soon we’ll have announcements about the next one, and how we can show some of the films that didn’t make it or have been made since. I hope I have even less to do with this one.



Last weekend Brandy & I went to Cleveland for Johnny K. Wu’s premiere of a music video for Sweden’s Bimbo Boy. Brandy was in the music video, along with several Horrors of War alums (like Christine & Chandler Chapman, and Joe Shaw, etc.). Before hand, we ate at C&Y, a Chinese Restaurant Johnny introduced us to after Indieclub one week. I love that place.  I spent the evening in a gay bar where I was not hit upon and that was strangely disappointing.

Johnny Wu is the coolest. There are no two ways about it. He and I have a lot in common. Spending a day up at Casa De Wu not too long ago trying to work out a technical issue with an unforgiving quicktime file, I witnessed just how similar his place and lifestyle is to my own. The way filmmakers congregate to our place and work with out equipment, the support structure, and even the drama in the film communities. Johnny has far more tolerance and more generosity than I do. I wish I were more like Johnny K. Wu. Especially in his ability to kick ass, both literally and figuratively.



I don’t know why. I have no real answer. I got a whim, and I did it, okay? I wasn’t even bored. I just got a weird urge & I followed it.

I re-edited Horrors of War.



I’m burnt out on the topic, I’m sick of talking about it, thinking about it, marketing it, and what do I do instead of watch Jon Stewart host the Oscars? I re-edited the thing I’m most sick of. Granted, it didn’t take long, approximately 5 minutes.

I had some weird thought in the back of my mind that said that a re-structuring of the entire timeline of the film into a linear story, as opposed to the “final” edit being a non-linear story. After the cast & crew screening I had this nagging feeling that we lost people with the jumping around.

So I originally was going to just re-structure where the original scene (the one that was never intended to be in the film & where Osbeck & Micah play different characters entirely), goes in the film. I told Phil my idea & he said, why not go all the way & try going back to the original scripted version? I said sure, and proceeded to do it within minutes. There is one exception to this. I left scene 30 in the post opening credits section. There was too much entailed in moving that scene with score, sound mix, and even picture edit cross dissolves that can’t be “undone” at this stage. Everything else was a simple cut & cross dissolve of sound & it was perfect.


This is NOT a “director’s cut” because I edited it alone on a whim without my co-director. It’s what I’m calling the “linear edit”. What I did was go back to the way the script went. We start off with a flashback of D-Day, into scenes 2 & 3, then the opening credits (exactly as intended), then we go out into scene 30, but it then goes into scene 4-29, and 31 to the end. There were intentional character arcs and storylines that got muddled when we went non-linear, telling the story in a flashback here, showing the end first. No matter how many dates & places and “six months earlier” title cards we used, it was NOT making sense. Now it does, and much to my surprise the film is much stronger now.

We went non-linear story after the horrid aftermath of screening the rough cut to our executive producer (see prior Blog entry). Scenes 2-3 were very weak at that point (I take my full responsibility as a director). After pickup shooting, and re-editing the scenes enhanced, we never tried to re-insert the scenes as they were intended. Tony, our executive producer also insisted we use the original scene, which was hard to justify. That scene is still in the new cut, but it takes place later, and makes more sense as a “tease” to a potential sequel (although I have no interest in seeing or making or even allowing a sequel to be made).


To be honest, the more I’ve scene the original scene in the film, the more disappointed I am in the lackluster sound mix on that one scene. It’s too thin. We had managed to make it seem bigger in my own sound mix (although borrowed elements from other films, so it was NOT an option to use that mix properly in the final film). I really feel like it seems smaller & thinner than even the number of guys we had. There was a theory that “if you can’t see it, you shouldn’t hear it” which is ludicrous. Sound makes the picture bigger, not just what you see. Now I’ve added music & some minor sound FX enhancements.

Horrors of War is the BANE OF MY EXISTENCE. It’s not a bane because I don’t like it, it’s a pain in the ass because I’ve spent two solid years (almost 3 total) with this and I’d like to be free of it, but I can’t until it’s out there, until a formal release. I dig the movie. I like it a lot, including the flaws and all. I especially like it better now. This new cut, which has been looked at by Greg Sabo, Jon Osbeck, John Whitney, and Phil Garrett, is vastly superior. I’m hoping we can convince our executive producer to accept it as the new & final (for now) cut of the film.



Here’s a secret just for the acolytes of Boo… I think we’re going to have a sneak preview or two of the finished film soon. I’m hoping to convince my cohorts to do this so we can gauge an audience reaction, and give people a chance to see it on the big screen (again), but the public, outside of just cast & crew.



We recorded the Horrors of War commentary tracks this week too. It went from 6:00PM to 4:30AM. I got only one pass, but then again I had my notes & did my homework. Whether we get multiple commentaries or not, my vote is to have one track with intermixed commentary so that it always stays interesting and lively. Each of our tracks by themselves aren’t all that exciting, but taking a “best of” pass will make a really great track, at least in my not so humble opinion.

We were asked why we went into the studio and recorded our own track (and similarly why I’m tackling all the behind the scenes docs myself), well I’m trying to create value for our DVD sale. If we have pre-made, professional grade extras and a studio quality commentary track ready, that’s less work (and thus expense) a distributor can charge us for on the back end. They could & would pay for it, but then we’d pay for that 3X over in the payouts. Since I have access to a studio and a nice professional recording facility, why not use it now?

That’s all I’ve got now. I still don’t feel a 100% and I feel much older than what I am right now. It’s a horrid feeling that I’m hoping to shed as I prepare my next feature that I intend to shoot this summer.


The stars are aligning and I have something special in mind. My first solo feature film effort. This will be interesting. More on that as it develops. Stay tuned my faithful listeners.

Adios Muchachos!
Senor Pedro Juan Rosalez
You amigo on the web

Oh, and watch this not public yet video of the visual FX work from Horrors of War


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DRINK IT UP! www.Sonnyboo.com

Health & Consequence

Sunday February 12th, 2006
Health & Consequence



I have gout. It’s been fun. On some days I hurt so bad a bed sheet on my big toe hurts like it’s been smashed by a semi.  Once the ER visit was over and I got medicated, my left foot had already swelled to 4 sizes too big for a shoe. Then after two weeks, I had another attack of the gout this past week in my right foot and used my last pill from the prescription that miraculously helped out to where I can walk again now, but with a limp.



The birthday of 2006 was fairly uneventful, but nice. Brandy took me to a nice lunch at CapCity Diner and Phil got on ABC/FOX Channel 6/28 News and pumped Horrors of War. Freakin’ sweet.



Spent Friday all day at Johnny Wu’s house in Cleveland working on encoding an uncompressed Quicktime MOV to DVD without hassles. He had managed to make the file look good where I could not in a test, so I needed to go to one of the only peers who knows more than me about MPEG2 encoding that won’t charge me phone sex line rates to get answers.

Johnny Wu’s house is not unlike my own. During the day, Christine Chapman was editing her latest short RUBBLE, Donald Gregory stopped in, and multiple journalists blew through to ask questions about the LOOK AT MY SHORTS III FILM FESTIVAL, since Johnny has started to hype it on the Northcoast. Now I think truly Johnny Wu and his house being a hub of filmmakers mirrors he way people congregate & edit projects here at my house week in, week out.



What’s next? I keep getting asked a lot what am I going to do next now that Horrors of War has finished. Well, the truth is Horrors of War is finished as a movie, but the work is only half done. The crowning mistake most filmmaker make, if they ever get to have a completed feature, is not following through. There’s more to successful filmmaking than just making the film. If you’re not your film’s #1 fan, who else is going to be?

Promoting a film is a full time job. I’m still editing and shooting web docs for the movie’s eventual DVD and currently releasing them online. These are very effective promotional tools. There, I’ve said it. Yes, of course they are promotional tools and not just informative and educational pieces. The educational ones bring people to the site that otherwise would not come to a WWII Sci Fi Horror movie’s site. Proof of concept? On the Internet, an ASC Cinematographer I’ve never met or even emailed, linked some people to our web docs on editing because he said they were the best explanation on the basics he’d ever seen. Sometimes you get a twofer, promoting and helping at the same time.

Continuing to promote with the new EPK’s, a real nice DVD affair with web docs, TV appearances, clips, trailers, and 18 minutes of raw B-Roll (so TV news crews have something raw to work with in their edits), these will go to printed press worldwide, and regionally to TV news. We’re still finalizing the printed press kits that will accompany the DVD EPK. Good material opens doors, great presentation blows them off the hinges.



Julie Washington from the Cleveland Plain dealer asked me at Johnny Wu’s who taught me how to do all this, EPK’s, write press releases, and promotion. She was sure I had a background with a PR firm or at least several Journalism classes in college. The truth is I failed one quarter of Journalism 101 when I was a sophomore at Coronado High School in El Paso TX. I have no idea, other than using some deductive reasoning on how to find a story angle within the production or release of a movie.

It was a huge compliment from Julie and thus far my marketing efforts have been largely successful. I have heard recently from TJ Cooley that he and many others don’t like my self-promotion techniques. While I respect the opinion (and respect the forthright nature of TJ to say it to my face in person), it works for me and I’m not really going to change how I do things since it’s been effective.



I strongly believe that if you’re not your own cheerleader, no one else is going to get in line to do it. It’s like the films & filmmakers involved every year with Look  At My Shorts – when they feel like not promoting the festival, it projects an image of “Well, if the people making the movie aren’t enthused about people seeing the movie, maybe it’s not that good…” and then they don’t get all that jazzed about seeing the movies. What a shock! OF course the flip side is always from your peers making assumptions “Well if they like they’re own movies enough to promote it, then they obviously think they are better than me! Screw those arrogant dickheads…”. Assumptions. When you make assumptions you make an ASS out of U and MPTION.  ((crediting my sources – Shane Black from his $4 million screen play for The Long Kiss Goodnight))

You don’t have to be arrogant to like and promote your own movies, and if you’re more concerned about what other filmmakers think than getting a lot of people to see your movies, then you probably will have a hard time dealing with the realities of the business of filmmaking. You’re more likely a hobbyist that worries more about the sewing circle perception of you than making an audience base for your film projects.

Be forward thinking as well kids. If you have printed press and TV news appearances, this legitimizes you as a filmmaker. Your self-proclamations of being a filmmaker are great, but with newspaper writers and reporters calling you a filmmaker can at least make potential investors take you more seriously. Someone other than yourself views you as a filmmaker, and that is worth gold. You may think that it’s arrogant, but I don’t care as it helps me immensely with a meeting where I am trying to convince someone I will promote the movie they are investing in, I can show proof that I do promote and have done so effectively.

The reason no one takes the film scene seriously in Columbus lies mostly in it’s own self reflection. If you don’t like what you’re doing or are afraid to promote it, then no one else will jump up to do so.

To answer the original question (What’s Next?) The answer is another feature film to be shot in 2006. Stars are aligning pretty well to make that a reality.




The New Look at My Shorts Film Festival is 2 weeks away from today. We’ve definitely found a home with THE SCREENS. After the Horrors of War screening, and the capacity audience, it wasn’t hard to negotiate a good price. The Continent theatre has plenty of free parking, it’s right off the highway, there are shops, bars & restaurants nearby, and the theatre itself is really nice. In the current multiplex saturation and downed box office trends, theatre managers should be welcoming alternate programming and ideas.

My experience thus far has been that Jeff Frank of the Drexel theatre group was very supportive of several of my earlier endeavors with screenings. His main theatre, the ARENA GRAND was home to the screenings of NEW WORLD and the first LOOK AT MY SHORTS FILM FESTIVAL. We had to turn away 65-70 people at the door because we were over capacity in the small 110 seat theatre, and that included near violating codes with people sneaking in and sitting on the floor or in aisles or in handicap spots with folding chairs. We paid the rental cost of the theatre and they made all the $$ from the concessions from a sold out show. How do the managers repay us when we want to do LOOK AT MY SHORTS II? How about more than double the theatre rental costs. They’ll never ever get my money again. Jeff Frank is supportive, but no one else on his staff seems to be.





For LOOK AT MY SHORTS II, we went to STUDIO 35 and their one screen, old school independent run theatre. They didn’t seem to take us seriously because they didn’t show up until 10 minutes to start time and 50 people were waiting to get in. We paid extra for the marquee, which didn’t say LOOK AT MY SHORTS until 20 minutes after the movies started. This festival played to a 350+ people crowd and their bar & concession sold tons of food. When I went to them for a follow up, they wanted to charge us double for half the time, claiming that it cost that just to turn on the lights. I was a manager at movie theatres for more than 5 years, so I have some idea what the costs are, and that ain’t it. They’ll never get my money ever again either.

So now, we’ve found a good fit. A nicer theatre than all the previous ones with by a large margin the best projection from digital sources, and with management that understands that there is a market for independent, home grown entertainment.  Everybody wins.



Well, that’s all I got in me right now. No news from the SciFi Channel. This might shock people, but I think you’ll probably read about it from me in more than a few places when we hear something, even a rejection. We didn’t make it into the Fangoria Weekend of Horrors in Chicago. Anchor Bay controls the screening room and we’re not with Anchor Bay. That’s okay.

-Ross
2006  THE YEAR OF THE BOOTASTICAL JOURNEY THROUGH TIME

The Sonnyboo Reader

The Sonnyboo Reader
Jan 2006 edition

I haven't done one of these in a long while. Post production on the feature have superceded any short film work or promotion, and yet things still happen in the world of Sonnyboo & the short films. It's great when marketing of films become self perpetuating. I'm happy to see that people are interested in the old works as well as the new.

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IFILM.COM is playing the trailer for HORRORS OF WAR.
http://www.ifilm.com/ifilmdetail/2354099

On Monday, January 23rd, they will be adding it to the home page of Ifilm.com where they average several million hits per day. This is another major coup for Horrors of War and we are proud that we got approached to have the trailer on their site in every format there is on the web.

Post production compelted in December 2005 for the first feature film Horrors of War, see http://www.horrorsofwarmovie.com for more.

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NEW SCREEN TV is showing several Sonnyboo shorts on their channel in Orlando Florida, starting with THE LINE OF MASCULINITY on January 25th @ 7:PM

http://www.newscreen.tv/Pages/Schedule/a_week/3_wednesday.html



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GOOGLE VIDEO

Google Video has selected & are now playing several Sonnyboo.com shorts

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-210262691513088825&q=sonnyboo


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CNET.COM's DOWNLOADS VIDEO

CNET's Video Downloads has selected & are now playing several Sonnyboo.com shorts

http://video.download.com/3800-11164_53-8410.html?tag=vdl_cntnt_col1_rslt_name


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POPCAST.COM

Now broadcasting 4 channels of Sonnyboo entertainment.

http://www.popcast.com/channels/Sonnyboo_Classics
http://www.popcast.com/channels/Horrors_of_War__movie_info
http://www.popcast.com/channels/Sketchcetera
http://www.popcast.com/channels/The_Sonnyboo_Dramas

Popcast is a Peer to Peer torrent based exchange of shows & "channels" of videos on the web. Joe Johnston, creator of OHIOFILMVIDEO.COM is behind this ambitious project called Popcast.com

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More WEB DOCS & INDIE FILM TIPS

http://www.horrorsofwarmovie.com/webdocs.php

Tips on editing, ADR, and more, plus some honst looks at the process of making a feature film with DVD style content.


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UNDERNEATH CINCINNATI

Sonnyboo's THE LINE OF MASCULINITY has been selected as one of the "2005 Best of Underneath Cincinnati" and will screen in competition

2005 Best of Underneath
Friday, February 24th, 2006 @ the Contemporary Arts Center
Doors open at 6pm, show starts at 7pm
Tickets are available through the CAC box office or call (513)345-8405
$10 in advance, $12 at the door

http://www.underneathcincinnati.com

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INDEPENDENT FILM CHANNEL's MEDIA LAB

http://medialab.ifc.com/index.jsp

Several Sonnyboo shorts will be in competition with the IFC MEDIA LAB, and congrats to John Whitney for having his short PASSION selected as one of the shorts to be used as promo on the network and also on the site for IFC. Kudos for a kick ass short.

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DRINK IT UP! www.Sonnyboo.com

The Day or Two After

Monday January 16th, 2006
The Day or Two After



Saturday night we did the cast & crew, non-public screening of Horrors of War in it’s final state from the digibeta master tape no less at the Screens movie theatre. It was a rocking good time. My mother said she was proud of me… of course to several other people, but not me. Hey, it’s progress.  



John Whitney and Jon Osbeck did the intro for the show. I was in the projection booth starting the movie & turning down the house lights. I had two distinctive flashbacks. The first was back to my movie theatre projectionist days that don’t seem like it, but were over 15 years ago. The second was to a rather unpleasant memory in May 2002 when I screened NEW WORLD and had to sit in the projection booth the entire time and miss the experience of watching a movie with an audience. At this level, even now, this does NOT happen every day. Getting the opportunity to see your movie on the big screen with an audience needs to be relished and savored. I ran down & got into the theatre, but the memory is now a little marred because I wasn’t in the room when my own goddamn movie started.



I sat in the front row alone and watched Horrors of War for the first time in a long while. I don’t think I will ever be able to divorce myself 100% from the making of it, but this was pretty close. I was far more aware of what people were feeling and reacting to. From making some characters empathetic and others detestable, I feel we really did the story justice. There was a lot more laughs than I remember, but maybe you get a little numb to jokes because they aren’t funny to you after 1,193 viewings in a little window inside Avid. Brandy’s scene was excruciating to watch for the first time since we shot it, since there was the emotional context of the audience seeing my Brandy get attacked unexpectantly.



At the end, I was supposed to make remarks as well, but I was in the projection booth. I grabbed Dave Lee, a friend of John Whitney’s and showed him how to raise the lights when the end credits finished. To him I will not forget this small favor that seems nothing, but means the world to me. I was able to be there when the lights came up and walk down to the front of the theatre.



First Phil spoke and got some thanks out. We had a room of 300+ people. Then I tried to make with the funny & say I was shy and don’t like public speaking. I actually don’t but no one will believe me. All I said, and I had planned this for weeks was, “We did this.” I said it over and over again, each time louder. “WE did this.” Of all the arrogance I am accused of, I spoke from my heart and wanted everyone to know that I didn’t make this film, even though it says “a Whitney/Ross film” that it was OUR film. WE all did this. I don’t care if someone was a PA for one day, they contributed. It doesn’t matter if they showed up once and never came back, they were a part of the making of the movie. Scott Spears drove home to me that film is a collaborative art, and I believe that this is very true. A feature film results from the collective contributions of many and that is what shapes it into the final mold.  We would not have had the movie we have if not for the generous contributions of everyone involved.



I have a paranoia (thanks to The Derek) about any public speaking I do now. The Derek overslept & didn’t even make it to the screening, but I was still overly sensitive about saying anything. I wanted to convey my gratitude, but I also wanted everyone to feel pride in what we did. I put all my feeling and heart into saying over and over – WE DID THIS. I got louder as I got no reaction until people started to applaud. I am proud of the movie and everyone involved.



For the most part, I truly believe we exceeded most people’s expectations for the film. I don’t know what they were expecting, but it was definitely better than they thought it would be. I have been happy with the movie for a while. I’m not delusional, it’s still flawed. I’m not blind either, as this movie will be a hit on DVD and maybe the Sci Fi channel, but not going to be some huge indie theatrical cult-hit like Clerks or anything. It’s a good, fun B-movie, and that’s what we set out to make, and that’s what we have. I couldn’t ask for more.

Many people said some weighty things to me.

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Quote: from ______ on 1:22 am on Jan. 15, 2006

“Do you see all the people in this room? You made all their dreams come true.”
[/quote]

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Quote: from ______ on 12:20 am on Jan. 15, 2006

“When you first approached me about investing in a movie, I won’t lie to you, I thought you were nuts. I never thought you could pull it off.”

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Quote: from ______ on 2:22 am on Jan. 15, 2006

“There were a lot more explosions and pyro than I thought a low budget movie could have.”

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Quote: from ______ on 12:59 am on Jan. 15, 2006

“You really did it. Everyone else talks about making movies and you actually do it.”

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Quote: from ______ on 1:15 am on Jan. 15, 2006

“I think these people would have followed you anywhere. You are the reason they worked so hard. They made this movie for you.”

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Quote: from ______ on 11:39 pm on Jan. 14, 2006

“I thought you said what needed to be said. There’s always the fear that when you thank people, you’ll leave someone out or someone will inevitably feel left out, but you made everyone feel like they were important.”

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[quote] Quote: from ______ on 4:14 am on Jan. 15, 2006

“You were like a basketball coach getting everyone psyched after the state championship game and we all won.”

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That’s a WHOA for me on all counts.



We went on over to Rush Creek Sports Bar to hang out after and have some appetizers and drinks. Well over a 100 people came over and continued the buzz and celebration. I made my way around the room a bit and talked to most people as best I could.  I hope no one feels snubbed or left out.



My mind is still a bit blown, as is my voice. I knew I had some level of closure because I was able to sleep in past 12:Noon, and I haven’t slept past 9:AM in months. I went over to my family afterwards, only to find both my parents raving about the screening to disinterested siblings of mine. It was surprising, even though it was my own birthday party (an early one).  



Summing up, cast & crew screenings are always skewed. It also doesn’t matter. Sitting in a dark room with a bunch of strangers watching a story unfold 24 frames per second is it’s own reward. I feel sorry for the people who don’t get it or don’t have THAT as their primary motivation, since they will never connect with an audience well.

-Ross
2006  THE YEAR THAT THE BOO GOES BIG

Holiday Hilarity & Hubris, as well as alliteration

Friday December 23rd, 2005
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.

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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.”

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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.”

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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

an ode to Rob Hogan/Bob Cochran

let's explore "fact versus fiction" one step at a time...

a. Did you actually hold & "get paid well" being the director of Photogrpahy on a $1 million feature called "Blue Note"/"Blue Notes"/"Blue Night"? ((FYI the names changed 3 times on your own postings by YOU and no one else)) - If so, what was the name of a producer, director, actor, or production company
associated with the fim?

b. Did you actuallyhave a job as Unit Production Manager on a "$1 million feature" called Amanda Jean, Movie Star, If so, what was the name of a producer, director, actor, or production company associated with the film?

c. Did you optioned screenplays to producers/production companies? If so, what was the name of a producer, director, actor, or production company associated with the sale/option?

d. Did you act as Assistant Director on a film known as One Night in September? If so, what was the name of a producer, director, actor, or production company associated with the film?

e. Did you ask Amanda Hunter for $3,000 funding for her movie, then write that already had $2,500 after she fired you? If so where that money went, if in fact it did exist + as a bonus, where the detailed budget is, how these dollar amounts were actually arrived at?

f. How do you go from publicly acknowleding & apologizing to Holly & Louie to "it was their own fault" in less than 6 weeks?

g. TRUE or FALSE - "I've been in talks for the last two weeks with a cable channel that was going to show the film", as written also to Amanda and who was this mysterious "Cable Channel"?

h. Did Rob Hogan actually study entertainment law, as stated to more than one person?

i. TO AMANDA HUNTER, MAY 2005
>>>"I have spent the last five months working on pre-production and promoting the hell out of this film to every media outlet that would take my call. In this one act you are seriously >>> damaging my relationship with companies that I have spent years trying to form a partnership with."

Where is the proof? Define "promotion" and show some form of evidence, please. Did you really do any promotion at all? Who did you call? Which "media outlets"? I'm a prick & it doesn't take me years to develop a relationship with any media outlet, and I barely qualify as a professional filmmaker, and I am certainly an amature at marketing. I can say from practical experience that if there is no press mention anywhere, then there was no attempt. It isn't that hard to get promotion. If you you really made any phone calls, there'd be proof.


It shouldn't be hard to verify anything that's true. I will as already stated, publicly apologize to you & kiss your fat as in front of a crowded room if you come through & verify every single one of these. Like any resume in the real world, you have to give more than a name of a movie. Let's say you wer trying to get a job in the film industry, people would want to check
the references. So let's just check your references. If it's all true & none of it is a lie, then why not answer? Why not show proof?

And also, Mr. Courageous, I have agreed to answer honestly & truthfully to any questions you have for me as to what I have or have not said or done. Yes, I have made fun of you, in regards to making claims like "I worked for many years doing commercial video work and freelance independent films".
Show some evidence it's true. I have told people to look at the sheer number of projects started & not finished by you, and use that as a basis for judging whether or not they want to work with you. People draw their own conclusions. Quit blaming the "old guard" as if there is some mythic drama
surrounding your inability to produce a quality movie and everyone knowing that. Your warped perceptions of me, as you put it "false messiah" or "figurehead of Columbus film", are views you have, and I didn't make them. I'm no higher or better than anyone else, even you.

Rob, you're living in a really bizarre imaginairy world with an evil nemesis and unicorns in your head if you truly believe that anyone is trying to stop your filmmaking. We all want to lunacy of lies & exagerattions & nonsense to stop. Talking to the writers for local publications like The Other Paper and
Columbus Alive, and even the Dispatch, they all know who you are & they do NOT take the local filmmakers serious because they research the bullshit you say, see that it's not true, then think we ALL do it, when SOME of us are actually making real movies & not having to exaggerate to do it.

Horrors of War (official trailer)

 

 

H O R R O R S     O F       W A R

At long last... the one, the only - the official trailer. CLICK HERE

2 min, 47 sec - Windows Media




cinematography by Greg Sabo & Scott Spears

Music by Bill Wandel

Directed by Peter John Ross & John Whitney

Produced by Philip R. Garrett, Sean Reid, & Peter John Ross

Executive Producer  Tony Kandah

Written by John Whitney & Peter John Ross and Philip R. Garrett

Additional Title Animation & Graphics by   Space Junk Media


see  the official site for more info. CLICK HERE

Hope you dig on this. I'm trying to win the award for "busiest wannabe filmmaker, 2005"

JoBlo.com kicks ass

JoBlo.com says some really great things about Horrors of War!

"Think SAVING PRIVATE RYAN meets RE-ANIMATOR meets DOG SOLDIERS, i.e.- a buttload of fun and good times! How cool is that? And after checking out the trailer, I'm sold- this one is gonna blow the other DVD completely away!"

How's THAT for a kick arse quote?

and my favorite quote:

"SonnyBoo, in a genius on screen collaborative move, has combined the true-life horrors of the Nazis in WWII, and the fictional horrors of zombies and werewolfs in their latest feast called HORRORS OF WAR!"

click here to read more

UK magazine features SONNYBOO!

 

DIGITAL VIDEO TECHNIQUES features Sonnyboo.com in it's Dec 2005 issue and on the cover CD!