StratPlaya
Member
Hi fellow CineManiac.
As I sit to write this I am in the middle of post-production on my soon to be released feature: Splashed.
I thought I would pen my experiences to offer my kindred CineManiacs some inspiration and possibly even some form of roadmap to craft ideas into movies that can touch lives.
Now, with that mission statement, you are probably wondering, "does this idiot really have anything to offer me that I don't already know?"
Honestly, not so sure I do…
But I offer you my trailer so that you can silently sneak away and check out my bona fides yourself to see if this might be worth your investment. Here it is:
(go ahead, you know you want to)
That is just a sampling of my no budget shoot. (By "No budget" I mean, of course, no budget to me. There were many kind people who helped greatly and generously - you know who you are).
I'll be honest, I made many mistakes in the production of this flick. I made many, many compromises that crushed my poor little heart and made me never want to work in film again; and, by sheer coincidence/providence, I even stumbled into some success that guaranteed that I would.
I will candidly offer both the good and the bad to you.
I do this in the hopes that my tears and my triumphs might be some of the fuel, fire and knowledge that you need to make your own cinematic dreams come true.
About me:
• I love to write.
• I have written 7 feature-length screenplays to date (writing 8-10 right now).
• I have produced and directed many shorts, but…
• I never shot or directed a feature, and…
• I NEVER WANTED TO!
Why, then, am I doing this?
Because I realized something: I am just another wannabe screenwriter.
Without either a produced screenplay, or a purchased screenplay, I am just one more schmuck grinding out countless hours of "seat-time" in the hopes of "something" happening to me.
And, when this project began, I was getting to that breaking point where I had to either fish or cut bait -- know what I mean?
Have you felt that gnawing in your gut that has you wondering if you really have "it"?
Have you noticed those lingering looks from your lovely and (very) supportive spouse who is obviously growing restless with your pipe dream / hobby?
For me the grace period was running out, and I knew something had to be done -- maybe you are there right now…
As I saw it, I had two prospective strategies to dissolve this growing tension: 1) get one of my screenplays sold, or 2) get one of my screenplays produced.
In my view only one of those two options had any degree of certainty.
While I could go both full-force and whole-hog with a marketing plan, I would have no certainty that my efforts would end in a sale.
I did, on the other hand, know that I could shoot and edit something together. And that even in the loosest of terms, the final product could be described as a feature length flick… whether it would be good or not is left for others to say.
That is why, oh kindred spirit, I am sitting in the back bedroom of my house, attached to a 9 year old Mac Mini (don't laugh) - editing in the wee dark hours before work into the wee dark hours after work -- with short breaks for snacks (some healthy, some not so much) -- and the occasional 20 minute power nap.
That fire in my belly spilled over into a full-blown 82 1/2 minute action feature that I have now spread across 3 hard drives.
Editing those bits and bytes has me racing in a fervid pitch towards a completion date at the end of September this year. A mere 8 weeks away!
Can I do it? Follow and see.
And yes, I did say Splashed is an Action flick (in case you couldn't tell by the trailer).
No, I did not choose action because "action flicks sell well in foreign markets," nor because they appeal to a broad audience.
I chose action for a more nefarious reason…
I wrote and shot an action flick because deep down, in the dark places that no good and civil man likes to admit, I crave the efficiency of violence.
I love to see a warrior spirit triumph over the forces of evil in this dark and sinful world.
I love to see a villain fall to his well-deserved death and to see the hero stand gasping, bruised and bloodied -- yet victorious.
So I wrote an action flick because, gentle reader, I love action flicks.
I love the feeling of a dark theater exploding to life with adrenaline pumping thrills.
Perhaps I should be more apologetic about that, especially as a writer.
I mean, shouldn't I want to write crafty character explorations that mine that tender territory between the Id and the Ego?
Perhaps. And maybe someday I will.
But hey, I know action is not highbrow, it is not sensitive, nor couth.
But I do believe, in my heart of hearts, that action flicks can be both culturally relevant and thought provoking -- and I screenwrite to that end.
Anyway, I love action films. Love watching them. Love writing them, and have written a few.
But I noticed a tiny problem with every single one of my action screenplays: They would cost $40 million or more to make.
And, sad to say, I am not rich.
I have no Hollywood connections.
I am an unknown, writing in an obscure corner of Sacramento.
So the thought hit me: "Hey stupid, why not write a movie that you can actually shoot?"
And ten months later, here I am wrangling every drop of juice out of the Adobe Creative Suite to put that feature onto screen.
I want to, if you would indulge me over the next few weeks, offer you an overview of my process, my education, and my philosophy, all framed within the stories of my pain, fears and triumphs.
It may not be polished. It may not be crafty. But I will try to cover everything of value. And you will get to sense the palpable tension as I close in on a release date for my film.
If there is anything that you wish to see covered, please feel free to ask.
Now, why am I here talking to you? I've got to go shuffle audio files around.
And you… you should be writing, or shooting, or something...
Till we talk again.
- Sean
As I sit to write this I am in the middle of post-production on my soon to be released feature: Splashed.
I thought I would pen my experiences to offer my kindred CineManiacs some inspiration and possibly even some form of roadmap to craft ideas into movies that can touch lives.
Now, with that mission statement, you are probably wondering, "does this idiot really have anything to offer me that I don't already know?"
Honestly, not so sure I do…
But I offer you my trailer so that you can silently sneak away and check out my bona fides yourself to see if this might be worth your investment. Here it is:
That is just a sampling of my no budget shoot. (By "No budget" I mean, of course, no budget to me. There were many kind people who helped greatly and generously - you know who you are).
I'll be honest, I made many mistakes in the production of this flick. I made many, many compromises that crushed my poor little heart and made me never want to work in film again; and, by sheer coincidence/providence, I even stumbled into some success that guaranteed that I would.
I will candidly offer both the good and the bad to you.
I do this in the hopes that my tears and my triumphs might be some of the fuel, fire and knowledge that you need to make your own cinematic dreams come true.
About me:
• I love to write.
• I have written 7 feature-length screenplays to date (writing 8-10 right now).
• I have produced and directed many shorts, but…
• I never shot or directed a feature, and…
• I NEVER WANTED TO!
Why, then, am I doing this?
Because I realized something: I am just another wannabe screenwriter.
Without either a produced screenplay, or a purchased screenplay, I am just one more schmuck grinding out countless hours of "seat-time" in the hopes of "something" happening to me.
And, when this project began, I was getting to that breaking point where I had to either fish or cut bait -- know what I mean?
Have you felt that gnawing in your gut that has you wondering if you really have "it"?
Have you noticed those lingering looks from your lovely and (very) supportive spouse who is obviously growing restless with your pipe dream / hobby?
For me the grace period was running out, and I knew something had to be done -- maybe you are there right now…
As I saw it, I had two prospective strategies to dissolve this growing tension: 1) get one of my screenplays sold, or 2) get one of my screenplays produced.
In my view only one of those two options had any degree of certainty.
While I could go both full-force and whole-hog with a marketing plan, I would have no certainty that my efforts would end in a sale.
I did, on the other hand, know that I could shoot and edit something together. And that even in the loosest of terms, the final product could be described as a feature length flick… whether it would be good or not is left for others to say.
That is why, oh kindred spirit, I am sitting in the back bedroom of my house, attached to a 9 year old Mac Mini (don't laugh) - editing in the wee dark hours before work into the wee dark hours after work -- with short breaks for snacks (some healthy, some not so much) -- and the occasional 20 minute power nap.
That fire in my belly spilled over into a full-blown 82 1/2 minute action feature that I have now spread across 3 hard drives.
Editing those bits and bytes has me racing in a fervid pitch towards a completion date at the end of September this year. A mere 8 weeks away!
Can I do it? Follow and see.
And yes, I did say Splashed is an Action flick (in case you couldn't tell by the trailer).
No, I did not choose action because "action flicks sell well in foreign markets," nor because they appeal to a broad audience.
I chose action for a more nefarious reason…
I wrote and shot an action flick because deep down, in the dark places that no good and civil man likes to admit, I crave the efficiency of violence.
I love to see a warrior spirit triumph over the forces of evil in this dark and sinful world.
I love to see a villain fall to his well-deserved death and to see the hero stand gasping, bruised and bloodied -- yet victorious.
So I wrote an action flick because, gentle reader, I love action flicks.
I love the feeling of a dark theater exploding to life with adrenaline pumping thrills.
Perhaps I should be more apologetic about that, especially as a writer.
I mean, shouldn't I want to write crafty character explorations that mine that tender territory between the Id and the Ego?
Perhaps. And maybe someday I will.
But hey, I know action is not highbrow, it is not sensitive, nor couth.
But I do believe, in my heart of hearts, that action flicks can be both culturally relevant and thought provoking -- and I screenwrite to that end.
Anyway, I love action films. Love watching them. Love writing them, and have written a few.
But I noticed a tiny problem with every single one of my action screenplays: They would cost $40 million or more to make.
And, sad to say, I am not rich.
I have no Hollywood connections.
I am an unknown, writing in an obscure corner of Sacramento.
So the thought hit me: "Hey stupid, why not write a movie that you can actually shoot?"
And ten months later, here I am wrangling every drop of juice out of the Adobe Creative Suite to put that feature onto screen.
I want to, if you would indulge me over the next few weeks, offer you an overview of my process, my education, and my philosophy, all framed within the stories of my pain, fears and triumphs.
It may not be polished. It may not be crafty. But I will try to cover everything of value. And you will get to sense the palpable tension as I close in on a release date for my film.
If there is anything that you wish to see covered, please feel free to ask.
Now, why am I here talking to you? I've got to go shuffle audio files around.
And you… you should be writing, or shooting, or something...
Till we talk again.
- Sean
