Taking Big Steps

When tackling in long term large project or goal, or, in my case my dream of being a mental health advocate and artist (writing/filmmaking) there a comes a point where you will have to take a leap of faith. Start putting action behind your words. Well over the last forty-eight hours my writing and producing partner and I have taken two huge steps so that our work will be taken seriously.

First we bought this:

And the next day we did this:

We have done things by the skin of our teeth. Shooting with low tech and editing low tech. But we realize if we want to be taken seriously in this world we have to do what we did with our writing and that was just figuring out how to find a way even when it seems like there isn't one.

For the last 5 years Letters to Daniel has been a fixture in my life. As blog, as memoir, as documentary and now for the passed four years as a screenplay that we wish to produce. Everyone tells me your work needs production value. It's not the lack of story or the lack of acting. It's the look of the film on screen. That look that says yeah, I paid good money to see this and this is how a movie is supposed to look. In other words, it doesn't look cheap.

Letters to Daniel isn't just a movie that me and my friends said hey, lets go out back and make movie that no one will ever see. Not that anything's wrong with that. That's how I stumbled into being a director myself. No, Letters to Daniel is a part of me. It's my heart and soul and I dare say I would do just about anything to see it made.

Simply making Letters to Daniel a reality has been a challenge. When you have no money, and I mean you have no money and you go without eating to invest in your films then I guess I've done that. My disability is only 647 dollars a month. So you get creative. What can I do without? Do I really need that vacation I was talking about taking? How will I make it to the festivals to represent my current batch of work? And the most crucial part of the equation, who's willing to help? Does Cinderella really need a new dress or can slacks, a blouse and sneakers pass for black tie ready?

I have to pick and choose which festivals I go to. August is a no brainer. Indie Gathering and AOF by hook or by crook. Everything else is open to debate.

So what is to become of Letters to Daniel? We push to get it made. Get tired. Get frustrated. Sit it down. Circle back and push some more. Meanwhile we learn how to use the new equipment. If you're reading this and would like to read the memoir or the script contact me through Letters to Daniel page and I get back to you pretty quickly. Until the keep on keeping on.