"Corrado" - A production blog

Status
Not open for further replies.
Okay so I lied when I said I had half the money when I booked Sizmore. It's sounds ugly, and although I could've said I was stretching the truth - or some other clever euphemism for lying through your teeth..... let's call a spade a spade here. It was a lie, and I'm sorry for it.

This is the way it went:

  1. Woke up one day, decided it was time to make a movie finally.
  2. Went out and bought grip / electric / truck, etc.
  3. Resurrected my old script.
At this point, about 2 months had passed from the day I woke up and said "movie", it was time to make the calls. I then:
  1. Called into Sizemore's office (the stuff about this at the beginning is 100% factual, all the dialog, etc. Except I had no money)
  2. They wanted to see the script
  3. I sent them the script, and accepted their rates
  4. I told them I'd sign contracts and have money to them within a week or so.
Then I went to my first lender, and asked for the dough, which I got. And the rest is just per the blog. My lenders had NO IDEA I was making movies or had an interest in doing so. None whatsoever. It came as a surprise.

Sound Risky?????? It is.

Can you talk that fast, amigo? Ask yourself if you can sustain that credibility. Cause you will need to to get into Hollywood, baby.

Some bullet points on my thoughts:
  • You don't have to have the money, you need to be able to ACT like you have the money. And you need to be able to GET the money. Or else you are a poser.
  • You need to do EXACTLY what you say you will do. The first time you renege, the first time you fail to do what you say, you will be outed as a charlatan. These people are hyper sensitive to bullshit.
  • I do not believe in positive thinking as a means to getting anything. I pray. And pray more. . However, I never at any point thought I would not get all the money. I never thought this move wouldn't get made.
It's just how I roll. I say I'm going to do something, and I do it. You can too.

I finally got all the funds for the flick about a week ago. There were some tense moments, but I kept on plowing ahead with prepro, cutting deals, making plans, booking people all the while KNOWING I was going to get the money. And now I have it. And I'm going to kick some ass.

I'd recommend not trying it my way, unless you have the utmost confidence in your abilities. If so, by all measn go for it. More thoughts:
  • Waiting until you have all the funds neatly piled in your account before you move forward will ensure you never make a film.
  • Momentum feeds on itself. One guy invests, others invest.Misery loves company.
  • Your first flick will cause you to give away the farm. After that, you'll never use your own money again nor have to repay. Stricltly investors at that point.
Yeah, I know, I'm reckless. I've heard that before. Flame if you will. It works for me.
 
Drew Ott said:
So what happens if you don't make the money back on the movie?

edit -- OK I see that part 2 is coming.
Click to expand...


I mentioned in my thread I have the ability to repay over time without counting the movie profits.

And I don't think about "what happens." I'll leave that to the rational people.:happy:
 
Hey Drew, I know, I scare people. I scare myself sometimes. But it's only bullshit if you don't do what you say you are going to do.

Apropo of the "what if it doesn't make the money" thoughts, I had a meeting over at a major production / distribution co. They make big flicks and called me in to speak of distributing Corrado. It's too small for them to buy outright, but a couple people there want to try and sell it for me kind of like brokering it for me through their contacts, 'cause they like the story and the people in it.

Their guess as to what Corrado is worth??????

Between $750K and $2 million on foreign. They don't do domestic. How cool is that? They had a full on spreadsheet with predictions, etc.

I've been ordered to cut a trailer before the movie, as soon as we are done filming and give it to them and they will pimp it around town. They also want me to come up with more ideas to presell. We'll see.
 
Last installment for the night:

I had to call and vouch for Sizemore Friday. Get this - my agent called and asked me to call CBS - the head of casting for CSI Miami.

I was told to provide a character reference for Tom. I phoned up, spoke to the lady, and was told that Tom was being considered for a guest role on CSI. I told them God's honest truth - that he's punctual, alert, coherent, and in my many convos with him, he's been great. Then she asked me my name, number, what I did on Corrado - director - and that was it.

What's this word coming to when I have to vouch for Tom to CBS??????
 
I had figured you borrowed the money, So basically you had some wealthy people you know, you asked them for a loan but you didnt say you were making a film until after you go their money?

I say good job to you sir, the bottom line is you did what you had to do to make it happen. You in your life have the ability to pay them back out of your pocket if you have to but its worth the risk.

Thank you for sharing all this info it is a great help to me as a strive to do what you are doing now.
 
i was about to post on here last night that the thread was dead for an entire day but those little nuggets of information above made it well worth the wait.

you said the funding issue would be anti-climactic but i am going to disagree. well at least the way it was written, delivered to us, it was a more than hearty resolution.

well i think its only two weeks til the cameras start rolling so absolutely best of luck.

and make sure to cut a kick ass trailer.
 
Yaboy - I told them I was making a movie with the money. It kinda got them excited. They just didn't know I was into film making.


Matthew...Thanks man!
 
taormina said:
Last installment for the night:

I had to call and vouch for Sizemore Friday. Get this - my agent called and asked me to call CBS - the head of casting for CSI Miami.

I was told to provide a character reference for Tom. I phoned up, spoke to the lady, and was told that Tom was being considered for a guest role on CSI. I told them God's honest truth - that he's punctual, alert, coherent, and in my many convos with him, he's been great. Then she asked me my name, number, what I did on Corrado - director - and that was it.

What's this word coming to when I have to vouch for Tom to CBS??????
Click to expand...

Now that's a trip......


This is one of those threads I look for when I wake up before I go to work, and at the end of the day after I've finished my two jobs. Wish I had the confidence to just do it like you have.
 
Adam I sent you an email to your gmail account today.

Give me a call ASAP, I'm up all hours of the night working on this feature at the moment so anytime is good
 
you said you got more money then you actually needed just to be safe... Well what is your projected budget? how much of the 350k you think you will actually use?

And if its not to much trouble how much of that is going towards paying your cast? if you cant answer that its cool....just wondering.
 
Adam your confidence is inspiring. It sounds like your assertiveness and self confidence have led to 90% of your success. Really inspiring.
 
Hey Adam, thanks alot for you wonderful thread! Also for clearing up the money raising.

One question about how you got the money. What relationship do you have to these wealthy people? What is your connection? Do you know them from previous jobs? Your previous dayjob? Or did you search for them?

I would really appreaciate some insight on that aspect. I wish you luck with your project! As many said before, you truly are an inspiration for all of us.

Even though I am quite sure that not many could come close to what you are doing, it only works because of your unique personality. Kudos to you!
 
The fact that you are personally backing the loan/investment really puts this story in another light. My hat is still (way) off to you for accomplishing all of this in the way you did, but I think you'd have to admit that that aspect of it is pretty unconventional. I'm sure very few of us here could do that without risking our financial lives, if at all.

Nonetheless, I feel pretty confident you'll come out a winner here, and I have massive respect for your self-reliance and ingenuity. Go get 'em Adam!

I'll be cheering you on like all the rest of us here, and will *absolutely not* miss your film when it comes out. I hope it's the best darn $350K movie ever made, and that it launches you in Hollywood...

Thanks again for bringing us this incredible journal!
 
I love this thread. I stumbled across it a few days ago and have been checking in daily ever since.

I think what you’re doing is amazing. The film sounds great and I hope you manage to take it as far as it can possibly go! I will be first in line to see it when it reaches England.

Please continue to update us on your progress, you’re an inspiration to me!

Good Luck!
Elinor
xox
 
Simon Höfer said:
Hey Adam, thanks alot for you wonderful thread! Also for clearing up the money raising.

One question about how you got the money. What relationship do you have to these wealthy people? What is your connection? Do you know them from previous jobs? Your previous dayjob? Or did you search for them?

I would really appreaciate some insight on that aspect. I wish you luck with your project! As many said before, you truly are an inspiration for all of us.

Even though I am quite sure that not many could come close to what you are doing, it only works because of your unique personality. Kudos to you!
Click to expand...

I got to know them from my old job where I did a number of deals with them. Even as well as I know them, getting people to lend that kinda jack really really tests your freindship.
 
Ted Spencer said:
The fact that you are personally backing the loan/investment really puts this story in another light. My hat is still (way) off to you for accomplishing all of this in the way you did, but I think you'd have to admit that that aspect of it is pretty unconventional. I'm sure very few of us here could do that without risking our financial lives, if at all.

Nonetheless, I feel pretty confident you'll come out a winner here, and I have massive respect for your self-reliance and ingenuity. Go get 'em Adam!

I'll be cheering you on like all the rest of us here, and will *absolutely not* miss your film when it comes out. I hope it's the best darn $350K movie ever made, and that it launches you in Hollywood...

Thanks again for bringing us this incredible journal!
Click to expand...

Thanks Ted. There really is no other way to do it for your first film. I did not want investors, I wanted lenders. After this, they're ALL investors.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top