Am I On the Right Track?

GlimmerGhost

Well-known member
I'm still pretty new here and I know most if any of you guys don't know me yet, but I thought i'd ask for some guidance on to the right track or aproval of the track I am about to take.
I have the equipment and i could keep making shorts here in cleveland, show them to my friends and submit them to film festivals. But I dont really want to play around anymore, you know?
Instead of flying off the handle without clarity though, I've devised a plan; and i'd like to explain it now in hopes to get some words of wisdom.

In about 3 weeks I am going to rejoin the Merchant Marine, after 4 years, as a Civilian contract engine utility. The pay is awesome in comparison to what I make here, I'd be making around $4600 to $5500 a month with room and board payed for.
My wife has opened three bank accounts for the purposes of placing money in each one for the different funds of the short film I wish to make.
I'd be gone for 4 months. The short is 9 to 12 min long.

Currently, Puerto Rico is going through many hardships, but one thng that it should not be suffering from is the lack of films coming out of there. While Alejandro Amenabar was changing the way people thought movies were supposed to be like in Spain with "Thesis" and "Open your eyes", Alfonso Cuaron was changing the way Mexico made their movies with "y tu mama Tambien"
Brazil with City of God and so on and so forth. Yet Puerto Rico is still either making movies about the Chupa Cabra or Making MC Daddy Yankee the spokesperson for young filmakers on the island with reggaeton videos. And i'm not slandering rap or reggae, but what the hell did the native indians know about rap or reggae and we arent making movies about them.

So my plan is to get the funds, come back and network here on DVXuser with the permission and help of the moderators, go to PR and make a short that dosent nessesarily open eyes but at least captures the right people's attention. With that short and (hopefully) some festival recognition I can shop it around the island through many connections I already have. And make a feature film that talks about something worthwhile. Something relative to the situation, something that DOES open peoples eyes. I have something, if you can picture "motorcycle diaries" and "the sea inside" you just saw a shadow of a glimpse of my vision.
Does it sound like a fantasy? Maybe. But Can it be done? Also a maybe.
Now the question is... am I on the right track? Only the more experienced can enlighten me. i am open to suggestions.
 
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Is the silence a confirmation? I feel like sandler in click... pushing the ff button and missing out on my family to acomplish my dreams.
 
Sounds fantastic to me -- I'd love to head off to Puerto Rico and do a movie! I think the fact that you are going to spend a few months making sure you have a decent budget is great. Are you hoping to recoup the investment or merely use the short to generate financing for a feature?
 
I'm hoping to generate the funds for a feature. My cousin is a pretty famous boxer, fought Vargas, DelaHoya, Trinidad, Mosley and Whitaker just to name a few. His wife is one of the investors of the most important bridge in PR. She can get me a meeting with Banco Popular, Santander and Chase. Then some of my mothers friends are in the radio biz and they can get me hooked up on the local celebs. But mostly its about making a short that catches anyones eye long enough to read the Feature script. After that I know I can hook them.
By the way Owen, nice Job on the Reel Dreams Logos. I am definitly jotting your name down.
 
GG - I'm all for ya, bro. So, is part of your plan to recruit fellow DVXrs to go to PR with you to get the short done?
 
You got it, I'm all for a DVXuser Union :) no but seriously, imagine making a feature that gets world reckognition made exlusively by DvXuser's? It would mean one more acomplishment that couldnt have been done without the help of this great site.
And on a softer note, it be great to crash the town with the crew after shooting every day.
 
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