Friday, January 2, 2009

STASH ! Another great upcoming indie movie(2)


10) Tell us more about the film?

Bud's a good ole' boy brought up on Bluegrass and Moonshine. While supplying the surrounding counties with its Marijuana supply, Bud has a hefty growing operation. However, this is not Bud's only secret. He has a much darker one. One that lies trapped under his cabin in the rural hills of Eastern Kentucky. What will happen when two people stand in the way of everything Bud has worked for? How much blood will have to spill?


11) What are the elements which make you feel that your movie is different from the movies being made these days?


I think STASH is different because it blends many genres into one package. You got dark humor, drama, crime, exploitation and horror. I think almost anyone of age can get into this film. It brings it home for the hardcore fans. We got tons of nudity and good old fashioned violence reminiscent of films from the 70's and 80's.


12) Did at any time you thought that the project is overcoming you and it should be postponed?


Yeah like everyday. No seriously it was very stress full, and seemed very bleak at times, but we kept pushing on.


13) What was the budget of the Movie?


Te budget was $5,000. Most of that was for food and transportation or building sets. We also got genre staple Debbbie Rochon in the film.


14) Did the film got over budgeted?


What precautions you had taken to keep the movie with in the budget? Actually it got under budgeted. We were planning on staying under $2,000 but with the film going way over schedule it escalated.


15) How were you feeling during the shoot? Were you nervous, Excited or any other feeling?


I was totally excited the whole time. To me there is nothing better than the feeling of being on the set. When you're seeing your vision come to life on the monitor, and through that viewfinder it is very rewarding. Of course there will be tons of stuff that will go wrong. It's just how you take what you have to work with and make it happen.


16) What was your tone on the sets?


I think most people will tell you that I am very laid back. There is no attitude or any of that bullshit that goes on. I I like to work which the actors before they ever hit the set for the first time. We would rehearse every scene in advance before the shoot. Everything would already be blocked out and we would be ready to go. I can't stress enough how important that is. It's not the time to work on the performance when the camera is rolling. Get in get the shot and move on. My personal slogan on the set is "Let's Shoot This Bitch!"


17) Tell any interesting incident which happened while making this film?


The basement we shot Bud's chamber in was haunted. While the producer Billy W. Blackwell was working on the set by himself, without anyone else in the house and he heard an old lady say Hello.

18)What was the format the film was shot on?


We shot the film on the Panasonic DVX-100A. We shot everything in 24PA mode and I edited it on my PowerBook G4 on FCP 4.5


19) When you saw your final cut for the first time did it meet your expectations? Tell us about the first time feeling when you saw your final cut?


Well since I was also the editor I watched it unfold from the very first frame. I think I had a different view on it. It was a very rewarding experience watching it after all the ADR, score, folley and final credits were put in. Just being able to watch it from beginning to end and saying "This works."


20) What is your distribution planning of the movie? How you got the distribution deal?


I would say under planning in my case. Please have all of your materials ready before you go looking for a deal! I underestimated the workload tremendously. I sent my screener to only two distribution companies. I had guidance from my good friend and fellow filmmaker Tim Ritter. Tim was a pioneer in shooting straight to video horror movies in the 80's. Some of his cult films include TRUTH OR DARE, KILLING SPREE, CREEP and TWISTED ILLUSIONS. Tim was very truthful and honest about this whole process. First off he said don't expect to make any money on an indie film at this level if you spend more than $2,000. He told me of his horror stories of his experiences with bad distributors. His information was invaluable. I learned that if you want to get your movie on a larger label say Lions Gate, you will need an Attorney and Errors and omissions insurance. This alone your looking at over $12,000 just to get one of the big companies to even look at you. This was more than our entire budget. I also learned that many smaller Distributors have the same or better distribution than the big guys. You may also get lost in the shuffle at some of these companies and be shelved for years. OK you spent all of this money and now you're getting shelved! Yes it happens all the time. I sent my screener to POP cinema since Tim already had worked with the company before and said they were very honest and upfront. I got a call about a week later and they said they wanted our film. I was extremely excited to get a deal at all these days is a huge deal, with the oversaturation of films these days. So we got the deal and was told we would be released under their new label BLOODY EARTH FILMS that will be releasing modern day Grind House type films. It was a perfect match. Going back about being under prepared when you do get the deal. Make sure you have some great people to keep up with your paperwork. You will need all the release forms from every actor that is on the screen, or on the set. You should have your actors sign these the first day they walk on your set, or you movie will never get released. I also had to create a Music and Effects only master for foreign releasing. This took forever because I had to go back and recreate some room tones and new folly and it was a big pain. I will go about that different in the future and work on my M&E mix at the same time as my main mix.


21) When the movie is getting released? Any chances of the movie of getting released on Theatres?


STASH will be released nationwide on DVD march 10TH from Camp Morion Pictures Bloody Earth Films. No theatrical release.



22) In which countries the release of the film is decided. And in which countries you are still planning to release it?



Well right now it will only be released in America, but we are currently looking at a European release, and Japan.



23) Now as we know this film is completed, do you have another project in mind If yes what is it? If so what is it?



I have a couple of projects I'm working on right now. I have a documentary called HAUNTED KY: SPIRITS OF THE BLUEGRASS. We followed around many Kentucky Paranormal Investigators, and have visited some really great locations like Wavery Hills in Lousiville Kentucky. Hope to have that film released in the Spring. Recently completed a feature script with friend Gregory W. Brock called TO KILL A JANITOR. It tells the story of a janitor named Edgar Powell who returns from the grave to seek revenge on all that has done him wrong. A very much 80's slasher film. We have many genre names we are working on for this film, and are currently seeking inventors. Recently released on DVD is SEVEN SIGNS. This is a documentary about music and myths of the American south. I shot this film along with Blake Judd of Judd films, it was directed by JD Wilkes of The' Legendary Shack Shakers fame.

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