1. Why did you make Dreams Awake?

I love this question because it goes straight to the heart of it all. And as I sat, and sometimes paced back and forth, to come up with a truly honest answer, I realized that the answer was a complex one. Plus, I think the people who read this do deserve the real scoop, so I wanted to make sure I thought this out.

In the end “Dreams Awake” really came into being because of three different situations culminating in my life at a pivotal time.

The first thing was my own spiritual path. I have been a seeker, a searcher, a practitioner, or whatever you might want to call it, for quite a while now. I had some experiences as a child and a teenager I couldn’t explain that set me on this path, which is still a journey I am on to this day. I could easily write a book about this. And maybe someday I actually will.

The second thing is my relationship with Mt. Shasta. Forty years ago in 1972 on my first trip to that spiritual place, I fell in love with the mountain. I have been making trips there ever since. In fact, my wife and I got a second place up there a few years ago. It feels like my ‘spiritual home.’

The third thing is my career in the film business. For a number of years now I have been writing screenplays that were not getting produced. Yes, I have been contracted on several occasions to write scripts, and have had a number of other spec scripts optioned. I have been very close a number of times of getting a project into production, but there always seemed to be a hang up somewhere.

Anyway, as I got older and the production execs got younger, there came a time when industry ageism reared its ugly head. And the phones quit ringing. I was stuck, but I still felt I had plenty to write about and communicate.

So one day, while standing on my deck at our house near Mt. Shasta, I gazed upon the mountain and reflected how particularly beautiful she seemed right then. And then it hit me.  How come no one had made a movie up here? That set the mental wheels in motion, and it wasn’t long before I had the spine of a story. I spent the better part of the next two years fine-tuning the screenplay, and felt I was pretty much there after a number of drafts and polishes.

I knew what a mountain I was about to climb when I decided to produce and direct my own screenplay. I had been taking directing classes and by this time had directed four shorts.  But a feature? And one about the spiritual concepts that interested me? And where do I get the money? I looked around and drafted my wife to be the executive producer, asking her to be a treasure hunter. If she could find some buried treasure, I told her I’d take care of everything else. There seemed to be a lot of magic surrounding the film. And we were on our way.  About 18 months later we were actually in production.

The story of “Dreams Awake” resonated with me personally because of my own background and spiritual experiences with the mountain. Add the fact that an industry tried to tell me they had no use for me, and me feeling I had plenty to say about spirituality from my point of view and there you have it. So I guess in the end, you could say a combination of desire, opportunity, background, serendipity and a little bit of luck was why (and how) “Dreams Awake” was made.

2. What has the reaction been from viewers who watch Dreams Awake?

I guess like many films, we’ve had a mixed reaction, ranging from one extreme to the other.  But overall it seems we’ve had really great reactions to it. Of course, this film is obviously not for everyone, because in some ways we do ‘step on some toes.’ Meaning, we have had some negative reaction from people in the ‘traditional’ religious world, because they think we depict religion in a negative light. This film is probably not meant for them, but if they looked a little closer about what the film is actually trying to say, it certainly is not trying to dismiss spiritual (or religious) seekers. Only the institutions that could take advantage of their vulnerabilities. In fact, the film is really for the spiritual seeker. I personally think that all types of religious or spiritual persuasions or philosophies out there certainly have a place in our society, as long as it is serving its people in a positive way. But anyway, I think there are many more positive things to focus on in the film than this.

In addition, I have been heartened by the fact that we have received messages from people who don’t really have any particular spiritual view, or even much of an interest in spirituality, but who really like the film. Several have even communicated that it got them thinking about the types of things we explore in the film. I am probably most gratified about that than anything else.

And finally, there seems to be one intriguing thread for many of our viewers. I can’t tell you how many times someone has told that they had to watch the film three or four times before they really felt they ‘got’ it. That has been fascinating for me. And when I’ve had the opportunity, I certainly ask them about it. I don’t know if there’s any kind of consensus about why that is, but some just say that they think it is packed with several messages. Personally, I feel there is one major theme, and possibly 3-4 sub-themes, along with a few message nuances to support the whole thing. I could go on forever about the film’s thematic content, but I don’t think we have the time or space to do that here. I’ve actually began writing what you might call a ‘white paper’ on what the film is really all about. And I’m discovering a few things along the way myself by going through that whole process.

Anyway, for some backup reference material, here is a link to what some of our viewers have been saying about the film — http://dreamsawakemovie.com/beyond-film/datestimonials/

3. What did you learn about yourself as you made Dreams Awake?

Oh, I could probably write a book about all that too. But seriously, probably the main thing I learned about myself was just the fact that I could take so much on and actually do it. Of course, it takes the work of a lot of people to bring a film home, and I will always be immensely grateful to all the people who worked on our film. That is the icing on the cake, to get to meet and work with such a great group of people. I feel we were so lucky to have such a wonderful cast and crew, some of who will become lifelong friends.

But again, developing, producing and marketing a feature film is an absolutely tremendous endeavor for anyone to take on. Having been a writer for a good portion of my life and feeling how difficult that can be, but then learning that is nothing compared to being a filmmaker. I have a newfound and utmost respect for the immensely difficult process a filmmaker goes through to get his/her film out into the world. And never knowing if anyone will like it or even respond to it. What a leap of faith. I could easily say that making a film is a spiritual experience in and of itself. One I will never forget, and one I would love to continue doing. In a way, you could even say that this overall experience was been quite an awakening for me. It has certainly better equipped me to take on our next film, which I believe will be a real treat for our future viewers.

That leads me to one final point. One of the most difficult tasks for an indie filmmaker who is self-distributing (which many more like us are doing nowadays) is for them to truly find their audience. Obviously, we indie filmmakers have no immense corporate studio backing to help with that activity, thus requiring us to create a whole other operation. And whether our audience be 100 or 100 million, we can only hope we find them and reach them in some way. We do welcome anyone out there who feels they can help us in this grand endeavor of helping us find our audience.

And thanks Matt, for this opportunity to talk about “Dreams Awake.” I leave you with this quote by Henry David Thoreau, which is where the title came from. I’m sure he would have loved Mt. Shasta.

“Our truest life is when we are in dreams awake.” – Henry David Thoreau

‘Dreams Awake’ walked away with 2 Gold Remi Awards at WorldFest-Houston 2012 International Film Festival last Saturday; one Gold Remi for Dramatic Original and one for Screenplay. The annual event which ran from April 13 through April 22, screened 60 Feature films and 100 Short Films resulting in only about 5% of the 3,500 entries becoming winners.

Earlier in the week the director, Jerry Alden Deal and star Erin Gray conducted a “Question and Answer” session immediately following the screening of Dreams Awake which occurred on April 19th. The huge success of of Worldfest has catapulted the interest in Dreams Awake into additional film festivals which are scheduled in the upcoming weeks.

The Executive Producer of “Dreams Awake” Jane Berry Deal
The Director of “Dreams Awake” Jerry Alden Deal
Actress Erin Gray
Media Jay Deal

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Late last month we shot a teaser trailer for our next film project, “One Hand Clapping.”  We (I?) originally had the crazy idea to shoot it near the end of the SXSW film festival.  Not smart.  Most people were too busy to mess with it, so we had to push it back into the next week.  After some stops and starts in prep, we finally got it all together.  So for three days (20^th – 22^nd) we were in full production around the Austin, Texas area, predominately shooting in and around the small towns of Lockhart and Elgin.

It seemed everyone had a great time, and we had a wonderful cast and crew. Very hard-working and dedicated.  I would use them again in a heartbeat, which may be what exactly happens when we shoot the real feature there next year around the same time.

A quick note about SXSW, the now world famous film festival that takes place in March every year.  As large as the venue is, the festival has really outgrown itself.  It was near impossible to get into films, workshops, etc.  Combining the music and interactive with the film has made it way too big to enjoy.  I understand attendance was well over 50,000. Just not enough room for everyone.  I’m thinking twice (and thrice) before I ever attend again.

Within the past month we also got word that “Dreams Awake” will be in three film festivals.

The first one, to happen just next week, will be in Houston at WorldFest 2012.  This will officially be our world premiere.  And we were also informed that we will receive some kind of an award, a Remi Award they call it.  Named I understand after the famous western artist Frederick Remington.  I will of course attend, and afterwards conduct a ‘Questions & Answer’ session with the audience.  And we recently got the word that Erin Gray, who was the lead in the film, will attend and do the Q & A with me.  So if you’re in the Houston, TX area on April 19^th, come by and check us out.  It should be fun!

Then next up is The Honolulu Film Awards, which I only recently learned is actually a film awards ceremony and dinner, not an actual film festival.  At first I was a bit down that it didn’t involve any kind of screening.  But then they informed me that we were in competition with a lot of other films, and that we had won an award.  One called the Silver Lei Award.  That seemed cool, and I felt better.  Plus, I decided maybe it was time to take a few days off in Hawaii, so we will be attending that also.  That ceremony is on May 5^th.

Then just recently, we were contacted by the Awareness Festival that we had gotten into their festival.  But there was one hang up.  It was the exact same weekend as the Honolulu thing.  And we had already committed to it, plus we’d already booked our flight and hotel.  I felt some angst over it, but I guess it was a good problem to have.  We are now trying to figure out who can help cover that for us, as we have the option for a Q & A after the screening (on May 6^th).  I talked to Erin about it, but she is already out-of-town for another event herself.  Somehow we’ll figure it out.

I now wonder what other festivals we’ll get to go to this year?

JAD

In relation to the end of the previous Part 2 of this essay, the Catholic Church of course now denies that anything about reincarnation ever took place during these historic periods, and that reincarnation has never held any standing with the church.   I leave that up to you to believe or feel what you will.  So let’s move on.

Actually, in the 20^th century the concept of reincarnation evolved somewhat from the more traditional Eastern version.  In the east the notion of reincarnation has been looked upon in a more negative way.  By having to incarnate again, one has failed to achieve the spiritual goals needed to be free of the cycle of birth, death and rebirth.  Having to come back and suffer the consequences of the physical is looked upon as a type of failure.

Through the efforts of Theosophy, several ‘progressive’ Eastern gurus, and the New Age movement, reincarnation has gone from being a torment man must suffer to being a positive, eternal growth progression that the soul embarks on towards higher levels of spiritual existence.  Classical Eastern spirituality actually rejects the notion that such personal elements are involved in this whole cycle.  However, that element was influenced by this Westernized thought process.  Obviously, reincarnation has yet to be proved to the satisfaction of any mainstream science, as absolute proof is probably impossible to attain.

Probably the most extensive scientific research into reincarnation was conducted by the psychiatrist Dr. Ian Stevenson in the 1960’s.  When he found that traditional psychiatric remedies were too restrictive and didn’t help his patients, he became interested in spontaneous past life recall.  Over a number of years he interviewed over 4,000 children from all over the world who claimed they had memories of past life incidents.  His work was published in several psychiatric journals in the 1970’s, and his meticulous research methods shook up the traditional academic and medical world from its skeptical complacency.  It was one of the first times that an established scientist with reputation had produced some viable evidence for reincarnation.

He found that most past memories occur between the ages of two and four, but fade between five and eight.  Many reported violent deaths, and had birthmarks or deformities that related to how they died.  A number of their mothers reported having dreams in which they knew their child was a reincarnation.  The child usually had skills or abilities that had not been taught or learned.  Usually they had phobias that related to how they had previously died.  Most had very vivid accounts of specific events that had happened to them.

Even so, it seems that there can be no absolute proof of reincarnation, but also none against it.  Besides, how many of our spiritual and religious beliefs have ever been proved?  However, it’s obvious the whole concept of reincarnation is very complex and has continually evolved over time.  Now whether that’s because we’ve been learning more, or because we’ve grown more creative in our beliefs, I’m not sure.  Anyway, I have compiled some highlights of current schools of thought:

1)  There seem to be five main ways that people remember past lives; through hypnosis, dreams, deep meditation, triggered recall (an event-triggered waking dream) or spontaneous recall (a waking dream surfacing from nowhere).

2)  There seem to be four main ways that past lives affect a person’s current life; a) unexplained physical afflictions with no evident cause, b) recurring dreams or nightmares of the same events, c) a strong, inexplicable interest in a particular time period, place or event, or d) irrational fears or phobias, which are usually tied around an event that caused their death.

3)  Personality traits are carried over from life to life, but are also continuously growing, evolving and being added to our collection of individual traits.

4)  Several factors influence the whole reincarnation process; attachments or patterns, individual choices, lessons to be learned, experiences desired or a mission to be accomplished.

5)  There seems to be a wide variance in the time period between lives, starting from just a few months to several centuries.  Some feel if a person reincarnates too soon without learning or reflecting about their previous life, that they may jump into physical life because of a previous desire they didn’t unattach themselves from; such as alcohol, drugs, sex, money, power, etc, and that these cravings and appetites have become endless traps they must clear themselves of.

6)  Physical life may be the best and fastest way to learn certain lessons, thus we come back for more, until we get it right and can graduate from this series of lessons in this spiritual school.

7)  Reincarnation is not a way to avoid responsibility, but a way to correct our mistakes and grow in the process.

8)  Through the law of karma, we reap what we sow, and what we do to others will then later be done to us.

9)  Even though most people do not remember past lives, scores of people throughout history believe they have.  There are several theories as to why not everyone remembers their past lives.  It may be because we are focused on this life in the here and now and not the past.  Or possibly it’s built in not to remember much, because of the excess “emotional baggage” that we’d have to deal with and the complications that would cause.  Or maybe we are supposed to remember, but there is a flaw in the system.  Or maybe the part of us that reincarnates does not carry that memory with us when we come back, but resides somewhere on the other side, or dies with the body at death.  Or finally, maybe all the memories are just subliminally under the surface waiting for us to figure out how to retrieve them.

10)  There are several ways to try and develop your ability to remember past lives.  Past life regression, usually through hypnosis is one, but many have reported this as unreliable, either because of unprofessional people, or believe it just taps into subconscious desires and is difficult to prove.  Some people go to psychics, but that is probably even more unreliable.  The best way is probably a method of deep meditation, in which you can relax and get in touch with the innerscape of your being, allowing the process to happen gradually over time, not in some kind of immediate flashing, triggered series of events.

The idea of reincarnation is certainly a very intriguing and complicated system of how could life work, however you may choose to view it.  If this process is the law of the spiritual worlds, there certainly is no reason for us to fear death.  For we have already experienced it many times before, and we are still here.

I do feel that the overriding attitude to take with this is not to concern ourselves too much with it.  If it is, it is.  If it isn’t, it isn’t.  What we believe, feel or think will not change that reality.

Anyway, what we should actually concern ourselves with is living in the here and now, to create the best and fullest life we can.  Certainly the past can affect us in the present, and we should deal with it when it does have too much influence on our present life.  But it is gone and we should not live there.  If we live focused, strong and happy in the present, our future should be bright and secure, and hopefully full of promising adventure.

So, to finally finish this up, one of the main underlying themes of our new film project “One Hand Clapping” involves the possibility of our lives’ continuity, this broad and hard-to-prove (and hard-to-disprove) concept of reincarnation.  We hope you can enjoy this journey with us as we develop this project to compete fruition.

JAD

The Long Wheel, Part 1

The Long Wheel, Part 2

Maybe, but the fear of death and its ongoing anxiety has always a very universal fact, even though 90% of us believe in an afterlife (according to recent polls).  Thus making it a subject for ongoing inquiry and discussion, as it seems the real fear is the plain fact that death is the greatest mystery of all, at least in relation to our normal physical reality.

But let’s break down that fear briefly and more specifically, since there seems to be several factors at work here.  At least six that I can come up with right now.   It’s certainly not meant to be an all-inclusive list.  The first is the fact that we face death alone.  Being the social entities we are, this can be very disconcerting.  Even if we have family and friends with us at the time of our departure, we face that last stretch by ourselves.

Second, is the possibility we may have to face some type of judgment or karma on the other side, so that we won’t measure up and then have to deal with the consequences.  Much of this is considered speculation by some, belief by others and reality by still others.  Either way, it forms part of the basis of our fear.

Third, is just the opposite, that there is no tomorrow and that we will not exist at all past death.  The possibility of non-being can create a great deal of apprehension and seems to go against most people’s basic beliefs and feelings that our lives should not be reduced to non-existence.

Fourth, involves the great amount of loss we will experience.  We lose everything we have valued in our life.  These attachments, whether people, things or hopes for the future, they will all be gone to us once we leave.

Fifth, has to do with how we die.  Most people fear a violent, painful death, or a slow, debilitating death, preferring instead to go quick and painless, preferably in their sleep.

And finally, it seems to be about the failure of completing one’s life work.  Many people fear a meaningless existence almost as much as they fear death itself.  If they did not find their calling or complete their mission in life, their sense of failure adds greatly to their perceived finality of life.

I also want to mention what may be a possible underlying reason for all these factors; the simple plain fact that we do not know ourselves.  I don’t mean our name, our background, our family, our friends, our job, our possessions, our hopes or our desires, but our personal, unique and separate identity.  If we took all our life’s props away and were just left with ourselves, then …  Who are we?  Who are you?  If you don’t know, that will certainly add anxiety in your life.  So when we have to face death, we are forced to assess the meaning of our life.  Not knowing who we are at this point only makes the anxiety grow even greater.  I personally believe that once you know yourself, there is no reason to fear death, or life, for I feel that one fear is tied to the other.  Once we realize we have no exit from our existence, we should try to figure out who we are and what we are doing here.  For it seems that overcoming our fear of death, and thus of life, we can achieve a whole new perspective of the continuity of our existence.  Anyway, it is certainly something to consider, and only you will really have the answer for you in the end.

So now, let’s get to this idea of reincarnation, making a basic definition in order here.  In reincarnation, the theory is that there is an evolution to the growth process of a spiritual being’s existence.  Once you’ve graduated to the level of human life, for the most part you will probably stay there for quite awhile (possibly going beyond?). It supposedly takes many, many lifetimes to attain this level after having incarnated into lower life forms.  Also, there is a period between lifetimes on the other side, with a wide variance of time based on a number of factors.  Reincarnation actually means “a spirit which becomes flesh again and again.”  So, this is considered an ongoing process of birth, death and rebirth, allowing the being’s soul to evolve into higher forms of life.

According to several different polls taken the past couple decades, between 25% and 50% of people in America believe in reincarnation.  Even more amazing, a recent online poll found that more than 50% were convinced reincarnation was fact, another 25% who thought it was likely and another 15% thought it possible, making more than 90% of those polled felt reincarnation could be reality.  Certainly a very intriguing reflection of our current times.  However, the theory of reincarnation goes way back in history, and has been a part of most religions at one time or another.  Let’s take a quick history lesson.

Nobody knows for sure when and where this concept first originated, but the ancient Egyptians believed it, as well as the mystic Jews, the ancient Greeks, Druids, Gnostics, Neo-Platonists and most other mystery schools.  As far as religion is concerned, it has been a part of the Hindu religion since about the ninth century B.C., partially as a result of the growth of the Upanishads.  From there Buddhism, Jainism and Taoism adopted it.

Two religions where it seems to be conspicuously missing is in both Christianity and Islam.  However, there are some exceptions.  In Islam there is the Sufi mystical sect, also influenced by the Buddhists and Hindus, and who believe in it.  If we examine some past history in Christianity we come up with some intriguing stories.  Although there is some controversy here, as well as opposing views to the reliability of some historical accounts.  I will leave that final assessment up to you.

Approximately in the first century A.D., reincarnation was widely taught in most of the biblical and Jewish lands.  Among the earliest Christians, mostly in the Gnostic sects and the Essenes, it was a common part of the teachings.  After the first generations of Christians, between about 150 to 250 A.D., several of the early church fathers taught certain aspects of reincarnation.  One of the more famous ones was Origen, who became the center of ongoing controversy for several centuries after he died.

Origen was the first person since Paul to develop a theological system around Jesus’ teachings.  He believed in reincarnation and preexistence of the soul, which he taught could be found in both the Old and New Testaments.  It was his teachings in these mystical areas that later became heresy and were expunged from church doctrines.

About a hundred years later in the early part of the fourth century, another priest opened this controversy, causing an internal split over certain issues that would eventually affect the church’s stance on reincarnation.  To quell this growing split, it required that the Roman emperor Constantine intervene into church affairs.

In 325 the Council of Nicea convened for two months with Constantine attending, along with 300 bishops basically under his control.  Thirteen years before, Constantine had converted to Christianity, which would have a great effect on its spread.  With the Roman Empire on the decline, here he saw his opportunity to exert his influence of the growth of this new sprouting religion, as well as attempt to re-exert the power of the empire.  By intervening and helping establish new church creeds (still in force today), and exerting such dictatorial governmental policy into religious affairs, he would have a profound effect on the direction that Christianity grew, bringing about inconsistent and intolerant theological teachings.  This also marked the beginning of the end for the concept of reincarnation and a host of other related mystical concepts.  An interesting note to add here is, that at the same time the idea of reincarnation was being destroyed the idea of original sin was being created, paving the way for what would eventually be allowed to go into the Christian Bible.

However, it would take a series of events two hundred years later when Justinian became emperor to put the nail in the coffin of this “heretical” concept.  By this time the empire was crumbling and on the verge of collapse, with the Byzantine Empire replacing it, at least what was left.  With an edict that Justinius issued and all bishops signed in 543, and then in 553 with a church council convening to condemn heretical writings, which included reincarnation references, the idea of reincarnation disappeared from any church teachings permanently.  Basically, it conflicted with the proper understanding of redemption and allowed the church to increase its power over the people it supposedly served.  Salvation now had to be accomplished in one lifetime.

To further codify and embed its position, the church in both 1274 and 1439 declared that after death the soul promptly goes directly to heaven or hell and does not venture into physical bodies again.  Despite all this, several noted clergymen over the centuries were influenced by Origen’s knowledge, as well as several Christian mystic sects, and continued to teach the possibility of reincarnation.  But because they were violently persecuted and slaughtered, they were forced to go underground.

JAD

The Long Wheel, Part 1

The Long Wheel, Part 3

I began the first draft back in the early 90’s, and it has been rewritten the past twenty years at least eight or nine times.  Also during that period it has been optioned by three different production companies.  Some of the rewrites were because of that.  The others were on me, because I kept tinkering with it, never satisfied with how and what I was trying to communicate.  Obviously, none of those production companies ever got it off the ground, and now it is in our laps to attempt that long tough process.  In a sense it has been reincarnated.  And yes, I may have mentioned before that reincarnation is a part of the thematic fabric of the story.  Sure, on the surface it is a family drama, but some metaphysical elements are involved in driving the plot.

Which brings me to another little story about the history of this screenplay.  Several years ago I had to fly to Texas unexpectedly because one of my brothers passed away.  I hopped a quick flight from the west coast and because of some seating problems I got bumped up (happily) to first class.  I sat next to a guy with a cowboy hat on.  We talked small talk a bit, and eventually he asked me what I did.  After I told him I was a screenwriter, a big grin grew on his face.  He just happened to be head of production for one of the mini-major studios.  That’s when we got into an interesting conversation about film.

Eventually I got around to telling him about one of my scripts that had previously been under option, and that the rights had reverted back to me.  Of course, that script was “One Hand Clapping.”  After I told him about it, he was very nice and accommodating and told me to send it to him, and he’d have it covered.  For those not familiar with that term, that means he was going to have someone read it and give him ‘coverage,’ meaning an analysis.  Of course, he was having it covered for their company to see if it would fit into their particular slate.  I of course said I’d send it right over to him after I got back to Texas, not really expecting much from it.  Because I’ve been around this biz long enough to know how it can and cannot work.  I was hopeful but not expectant.

The one thing we did not talk about was why we were each on this trip, other than a mention.  Apparently he had lost a family member and was going back to Texas for the very same reason.  Of course, one does not talk about death in polite company and or on planes with near strangers.  I only mention this tidbit because of how this story progresses.

Anyway, once I got back home I send the script right over to him.  I decided not to really think about it, and just go with what I had been currently working on.  A couple weeks later I got the script back, with actually some very good coverage.  However, the letter also said the subject matter did not fit within the type of films they develop, produce, or distribute.  Nothing in it really surprised me.  The person I had met on the plane kept the door open and told me to call him about it if I so desired.  I so desired, curious what he would say.  A very intriguing conversation ensued.

So I called him up and we talked a while about general things, and then I cut to the chase.  I asked him why they really weren’t interested in the project, as if to shrug off the pedestrian reasoning of their rejection letter.  He chuckled a bit, seeming to enjoy the sparring.  And he got real quiet for what seemed like a long time.  I decided to brace myself because I felt a tsunami brewing.  Then he said it.

Actually it was a good script, he said, but too damn depressing.  I was surprised by that, because of all the people who had read it, no one had ever said that.  And by then it had been quite a few people.  He went on to say that no one really wanted to see a film about death.

Death? I was stymied for a few seconds.  Then I remembered a film that was currently out that was getting all kinds of critical acclaim.  It had been distributed by this same company, and it was pretty violent.  In fact, it seemed a least a hundred people were killed in it.  Now there was a film about death.  So I threw his film at him to see what he would say.  He said right away, ‘but that is death as fantasy.’

Then he went into this involved dissertation about ‘big studio films’ and their ‘death as fantasy’ for their audience.  He explained that they sell death as a stylized fantasy not as down and dirty reality.  Even if it seems like they depict it that way, the way they present it desensitizes audiences to the reality of death so it doesn’t seem as if it is real death.  And he went on to say that indie films, such as the type of “One Hand Clapping” deal with death in a ‘too real’ way.  I was blown away because I had never heard this before.

As I finished up with him, I reiterated that in the script we don’t talk about death as depressingly as he presented it.  In fact, we presented the concept of reincarnation as a hopeful sign that there is no ‘real death’, only the death of a temporary vehicle for the spirit.  He just laughed and said no one believes in reincarnation anyway.  And that was just a fantasy.  Wow, I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.  He just talked about presenting the reality of death as a fantasy because no one really wants to see death as real, and he then turned it around by saying my screenplay was too real about death because our solution was mere fantasy.   Hhhmmm…

JAD

The Long Wheel, Part 2

The Long Wheel, Part 3

Now that “One Hand Clapping” is trying to ‘wake up’ it is going to need to be fed to completely come alive.  And that means greenbacks.  Those little pieces of synthetic fibers, paper and ink we give so much value to in our world.  Too bad we just don’t have a gold mine somewhere we could dig up, and presto we’re on the way.  And isn’t it funny that paper money was first introduced centuries ago by the Chinese, as an alternative to coinage.  And don’t they have most of the money in the world, or carry most of the debt, or at least it seems like it.  Everything it seems we buy nowadays is from China, which of course has been going on for quite a while now.

Anyway, back to getting more funds for our next little film.  We recently had a finance meeting to map out our fundraising strategies.  A wakeup call realizing we are involved in a climbing marathon for sure.  Just in case most of you don’t know it there are two main types of investors, passive and active.  We had to decide what we wanted to do with the film, and which direction to go here.  Essentially, passive investors invest their funds, but are not involved in the company or its decision-making in the creation of the film.  Active investors, who usually invest larger amounts of money, are involved in the day-to-day decisions of the company.  That means more chefs in the kitchen.  A good idea?  In most cases, I would say no.  However, there can be some advantages to this situation.

Certainly, if an active investor has deep pockets, and also has a knowledge of the business, that could be a plus.  And since I do think you need several views of a situation to really know what you are looking at, that situation can be a real plus.  Just as long as it doesn’t become a long, drawn out committee-type affair in the decision-making processes.  You obviously have to weigh it all out here.

Now with passive investors, which on the surface does seem more palatable, it can actually get more complicated.  Here you are selling pieces in smaller increments, and thus need more of them.  Plus, since they are ‘passive’, as in they have no say in any of the company’s decisions at all, there are no worries as far as that goes.  However, when you are selling to passive investors that means you are selling a security.  And that involves the Federal Government via the SEC (Securities & Exchange Commission), and the state governments where you plan to offer the securities package.  Confused yet?  It gets muddier.

For a small indie film company like ours it gets fairly limited how we can offer these securities.  We certainly won’t (and don’t) want to do a public offering, so it would be a private offering, usually under the Regulation D rules.  There are three different categories under this particular rule.  There are a number of strict rules you have to follow to be in compliance here.  One of them could be particularly difficult for us (and others in our situation).

Here it is:  Whenever you approach someone to sell them a security (unit or piece) of the film, you must have had a preexisting relationship with them.  Meaning you cannot advertise, or pitch to, or contact anyone you do not know about this.   If you do not know too many people, especially investor types, you are plain out of luck.  And if you do not follow this rule, you can get in major legal trouble with the SEC.  Now like I said, there are other rules, but this is one that can stop lots of filmmakers.  In fact, I have seen filmmakers ignore this, either out of ignorance or throwing caution to the wind.  I really don’t advise it.

The conclusion here.  Just putting the financial deal together can be very complicated.  And this is before you even try to go out and get the $$$$. Or maybe we could find other simpler ways to fund this project; Pre-sales? Crowd-funding? Loans? Begging? Rich Uncle Louie?

Or maybe someone out there has a gold mine that has a few shiny nuggets left to mine?  Or, maybe some of you are expecting pennies from heaven sometime in the near future?  Oh wait, we have to have a pre-existing relationship with you first before we can do anything like that.  Ha, okay, let’s fix that.  Anyone out there want to do lunch? …

JAD

Script.  The screenplay is pretty much ready to go, even though of course I continue to tweak it, because a script I write never actually seems to be ‘done’ to me.  In fact, just recently I had a completely different idea for the opening scene.  But I think what we may do is shoot both of them and see how the edit goes.  Of course, we have all heard about shooting multiple endings, but what about shooting multiple openings?  Well, we shall see, as I might be overruled if the budget can’t accommodate that.

Cast.  We have been throwing around casting ideas for several weeks now, and that is getting fairly tricky.  We have a large male cast, along with a couple female roles.  We need a late ‘70’s male, and three brothers aged 49, 45 and 40.  The female supporting roles include one in her late ‘40’s, another in her early 40’s, and a third in her early ‘30’s.  And in addition, we need an 8-year-old boy.  But to top it off, we need the three brothers at other ages in flashbacks, as young children and then as early teens, and the oldest male in his ‘30’s and 40’s.  That makes casting a complicated piece of work.  But we just see this as a great challenge to undertake, and so we need to get to it.

Finance.  This is always a very rough and tough mountain to climb, especially now with the current state of the economy.  And also, because the budget of this film will be more than twice that of our last one.  (the script is currently being broken down and budgeted, and then we will have a better idea of where we are)  That will put some serious pressure on us to find the right people who are willing to give up their hard-earned $$$ to fund not only a risky film project, but one with our film’s particular themes.  However, we feel they (You!) are out there somewhere.  The real trick will be finding them, communicating what we are trying to do, along with a little bit of romancing (sweetening the deal) along the way ;-)

Location.  Yes, we will be shooting this film in Texas, which means making several trips there to firm up our locations.  Locations are very important to me, because they serve the production design and thus the backdrop through which the story is told.  And story is what it’s all about in the end.  In fact, I will be heading to Austin, Texas to attend SXSW in March.  We will be checking out possible locations in small towns around Austin; Bastrop, Smithville, Taylor, Lockhart, etc., where we can still get some 1950’s and 1960’s looks for our multiple flashback scenes.  If anyone wants to connect up with me at SXSW, go here and message me – http://social.sxsw.com/users/52604

And finally, if anyone wants to contact me concerning our new project, you can find me here:

Linkedin — http://www.linkedin.com/in/jerryaldendeal

Facebook  — https://www.facebook.com/jerryaldendeal

Twitter — https://twitter.com/#!/JerryAldenDeal

JAD

So now add a little bit of serendipity and you have what recently happened to me.  A couple weeks ago I went to a presentation about online distribution.  I gathered a few nuggets that I hoped would help us with our online operations.  And of course, one of the topics passionately discussed was the growing problem of piracy.  I of course listened, but didn’t take it too seriously.  I figured the type of person who would like our film would be someone who wouldn’t do this to us.  Famous last words.

The very next morning, my web operations guy (and my brother) informed me that we in fact had been pirated and that our film was streaming on several sites.  A real mix of conflicting emotions flooded me.  One was definitely anxiety, like my pocket had just been picked.  And then he told me how he found out.  A person who had streamed it off one of these sites had the audacity to ask us for a key to the “Dreams Awake Portal.”  When he was told to put the code in from his DVD, he admitted where he had watched it.  Totally amazing.  That guy has some brass ones, I have to admit.

Anyway, we decided to go ahead and do the normal FBI and IPR reporting, and also contacted the hosting companies involved, all in relation to what we can do according to The Digital Millennium Copyright Act.  But realistically, completely stopping piracy is an impossible task.

So, back to the issue at hand.  Actually, there is a part of me than can relate to the opposite side of the piracy issue that I now find myself on.  For I too have always had a bit of an anarchist streak in me.  And also, I think this all taps into the same zeitgeist the “Occupy” movement tapped into as it has sweep everywhere these last few months.  The giant corporate structure that has engulfed the world the last several decades seems to be a lightning rod for this type of behavior.  In fact, these pirates may believe that these bigwigs are the real pirates, so they feel justified stealing from them.

Anyway, here is a message to those who choose to pirate our film.  Indie filmmakers like our team are not a part of that huge corporate structure.  Nor are we a part of the big studio system.  We shot our little film on a small budget, provided to us by a small number of people.  And also, the principals in our small company were a part of those small investors.  You diminish and devalue all the hard work, time, energy, effort and money that over 100 people put into this very demanding and stressful enterprise, and make us feel like what we have created has no value to you.  (How about showing us we are wrong?)

And please, do not make it harder for us to make our next little film.  I believe if you are the type of spiritually-principled person who would like our film, then pirating (theft) is not really a part of who you really are.  If that is so, and you just happened to have enjoyed a free version of our film (but yet do not have any access to all the wonderful extra material within the “Dreams Awake Portal” – http://dreamsawakeportal.com), then how about right now you do the positive thing and donate a few dollars to our new, exciting little film we currently have in development, “One Hand Clapping” (http://www.onehandclappingmovie.com)?  And also, we may just give you access to our “Dreams Awake Portal”.

Right below is a donate button where you can put in whatever amount you feel is appropriate for you.  And may all of you have a truly wonderful New Year!

JAD