Keeping the faith

I just had a conversation with another filmmaker friend of mine who is in the midst of launching her own Kickstarter campaign for documentary film. She asked me to give her some pointers and I said the important thing is that you have to have faith in your project and be willing for it to be the first thing you see in the morning and the last thing at night. Your project needs to be something that you'll not only fight for, but also do some good old-fashioned begging for.

I keep thinking of that as I drag my butt out of bed on this gorgeous Saturday morning in Alameda and plop down in front of the computer again. I'm not gonna lie, it's hard to keep it up creatively when you have a pregnant wife, a wee person on the way, a new full time day job to prepare for the wee person, family commitments, and friends that make up a happy, vibrant life needs your attention as well. But all I have to do is rev up the final cut pro and start attacking the last rough cut and I remember why this film helps me keep the faith.

Right now, we are prepping the rough cut for our screening soiree tomorrow night. I'm putting in a temp track and testing the cut, doing basic color correction because you never really screen a rough for anyone who isn't actually working on the film. I can't help but think ahead of how amazing it will be to finish the actual sound work with a professional post crew.

One of the most exciting parts of finishing a film is the sound design and remix. We have this amazing opportunity to work with EJ up at Skywalker Ranch and hopefully have a subsidy from them to use their mixing theaters and possibly use their theater to have the screening benefits next year. Only catch: we need raise more money because that kind of amazing opportunity can't come for free.

Someone asked me if we could just finish the film ourselves and I said yeah, we could. That's what we planned to do. But using the creative juices of one of the top sound designers and have the backing of a place like Skywalker Ranch is going to take the film to a whole other level of production value. With better festival visibility,  the story will reach more people and then we CAN attract people like Geena Davis and her institute to partner for our screening benefits next year and raise more money for the victims of domestic violence.

So, I keep the faith. I'll open my office door so I feel the cool fall air while I edit. I'll keep writing those emails, asking people for any money they can spare. Because I realize that the time I put in now can do so much more than I ever imagined when I first read this script. And it can actually help other children, like our baby on the way, to lead a better life. To have a chance.

Want to find out more ways you can contribute?

Contribute $250 or more and make it tax deductible: San Francisco Film Society Fiscal Sponsors page 

Contribute directly to appleseeds for any amount or bid on one and only tarot read by Megan Breiseth: appleseeds website

 

5 days to go and 20 min Skype perk for just 40$! Hazar!

Ashley Perryman Quach dreaming of Skyping

Been thinking about contributing but keep asking yourself, "who are these people anyway?"

Been wanting to contribute more but keep asking yourself "What is their favorite film? I wonder if they want to hear about my screenplay idea? And what REALLY happened the day Robyn met Angelina Jolie....hmmmm"

The answer to all those is, in the correct order. (let's see how many times I can put Skype in this)
1) 20 minutes, Skype and apple juice should tell you all you need to know about us
2) what's yours? Tell us on Skype.
3) yes!
4)....heh. Skype and you shall know all!

5 DAYS to go and so close... give now if you can and if you have, give a little more because you may want to know about us but we also want to meet you! Because without you, this film would not be getting made. That is the bottom line!

40$ Skype with us and help us reach our goal!!

With all our hearts we thank you!
Appleseeds team

about Duendefilms West production of appleseeds: 

Please visit our indiegogo page to find out how we are trying to make a difference both in our short film and the screening/benefits to follow to raise money and awareness around issues of domestic violence and gender representation in film and media.

Casting Update: Alexis Boozer joins the cast for short film "appleseeds."

Hazar!!

So very excited to announce that Alexis Boozer is heading our cast for our short film appleseeds.

Alexis Boozer

I first met Alexis when we were shooting the second season of the web series We Have To Stop Now.
Working with her was such a great experience and I was so impressed with her work that I immediately thought about her for the lead role in this film.

We need an actress able to convey a very complex range of emotions with very few lines. We need to see her struggle, strength and her fear, through every glance and movement. Alexis was able to convey a really rich, complex character in just a few minutes of screen time in the web series, so I can't wait to see what she does with this role.

As a director, I couldn't be happier that she can join us in this film and also be part of the screening/benefits we plan for the fall of 2012. We are using this film as a centerpiece for panel discussions with female leaders in the entertainment industry to explore the representation of women and girls in film and media. We are very happy that Alexis will join those thought leaders and help raise money and awareness for women at risk, domestic violence and abused children.

Alexis also stars in the award-winning series, Leap Year.  Check this out the show's second season premiere on HULU premiere on June 18th. The First season is available now on HuluPlus here.
The show has garnered all sorts of awards including Winner of NATPE 2012 Digital Luminary Award and Winner of 2012 Silver Telly Award: Best Comedy. Alexis was nominated for 2012 IAWTV Award Best Female Performance (Comedy). Don't miss this show!

 - RDettman

Join our team and support us at indiegogo here.
Check out Alexis's facebook page here.
Check out her website here.

Study finds that females are more likely to be put in sexual, violent scenes

Really interesting study on the representation of females in film and media. Every role sends a message to young girls and teens. Every image tells a strong story: what story are we trying to tell with these numbers? How can we change this trend in the film industry?

 Journal of Adolescent Health - April 2012

"Women continue to be under-represented in film overall and twice as likely as males to be seen in sexually explicit or violent scenes, according to a new study from the Annenburg Public Policy Center. The report analyzed 855 top box-office movies from 1950 to 2006, with co-author Dan Romer noting surprise at "the same representation of women today as was prevalent in the 1950s. With women increasingly playing major roles in all walks of life, Hollywood appears to remain in the mindset of a much earlier era."

Continue reading: jahonline.org

Join Duendefilms West and their campaign for 'appleseeds" the film. All proceeds from screenings donated to local and national organizations to stop domestic violence.
Check us out at www.indiegogo.com/appleseeds