Despite a cancelled flight that delayed my arrival by five hours, I finally made it to Austin, Texas late yesterday afternoon.  First impression of the town: Funky..in a good way.  Second impression: Am I really in Texas?  I look forward to exploring the town more in the coming week…that is, when I’m not filling my head with all things film and writing related.

I’m here for the Austin Film Festival.  The festival also features a conference for screenwriters, so I’ll be taking advantage of many of the panels offered.  Today I’ll be sitting in on Complex Characters: A Conversation with Lawrence Kasdan.  Yeah, LAWRENCE KASDAN – the guy who wrote RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, and BODY HEAT.  I will try to resist the temptation to rush the stage and gush over how formative THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK was for me when I saw it (oh so many times) as a young lass.  It introduced me to sharp, dynamic storytelling AND Harrison Ford!

Later this weekend I’ll be attending a panel featuring Michael Arndt (LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE, TOY STORY 3) discussing Endings: The Good, the Bad, and the Insanely Great.  Apparently this panel was a big favorite at last year’s festival.  I know I’ll learn a lot and it will help me as I eye making a few adjustments to the ending of BENEATH THE SURFACE.  I fear I’ve hit critical mass with the melodrama – it must be removed!

And then there are the films…so many interesting-looking films to check out.

But, I must  get to the festival’s opening event, so I’ll have to update y’all later. (See?  The Texas is already rubbing off on me!)

I experienced another whirlwind trip to Wisconsin to attend the Driftless Film Festival last weekend.  My co-producer on BENEATH THE SURFACE, Nick Langholff, is a co-founder of the festival so I wanted to be there to offer my support and see some good indie films.  Like me, Nick grew up in Wisconsin and shares a deep affinity for our home state – we want to make movies there!  The Driftless Film Festival takes place in the southwestern region and covers a number of small towns in the area, including Mineral Point, Spring Green (home of Frank Lloyd Wright’s architecture school Taliesin East), and Baraboo (former headquarters of the Ringling Brothers’ Circus).  I covered a lot of ground over the five days of the festival as I drove from town to town (thanks, Alicia, for loaning me your wheels!), but I couldn’t have asked for nicer weather or prettier scenery.  The gorgeous autumn foliage was complimented by temperatures in the high seventies.  Granted, it probably makes sitting in a darkened movie theatre a tougher sell when it’s so perfect outside, but I’m glad I found the balance in both.

A little fall foliage with your films?

In addition to seeing one of my LA Film Fest favorites again – AN ORDINARY FAMILY – I encountered a new documentary that I thought was just tremendous: THE INTERRUPTERS.  THE INTERRUPTERS was made by filmmaker Steve James who is best known for his Oscar-winning documentary HOOP DREAMS.  In his latest film, James explores the work of a Chicago organization called Cease Fire which attempts to “interrupt” street violence before it happens.  The subjects of the film are men and women who grew up in some of Chicago’s most violent areas and became active participants in the gang culture there.  Most of them have served time in prison for the activities of their youth and they are now looking to break the cycle of violence that still consumes their neighborhoods and cruelly claims the lives of young people.  Through mobilizing, communicating, and building relationships within the community, the members of Cease Fire attempt to diffuse escalating tensions that can arise over the simplest of gestures.  It’s dangerous work but they’re doing what they can to bring hope back to often hopeless areas.

It takes a village

James’ film is powerful and provocative, made all the more so by the dynamic subjects who channel their guilt over past offenses into positive actions for the future.  One of the main players in the film, Cobe Williams, attended the Driftless screening and answered questions about the movie and his work with Cease Fire.  In watching Cobe engage with my fellow film goers, I was reminded of the influence that cinema can have on an audience – the work of Cease Fire certainly touched the people who were at the screening and brought an awareness to a cause that deserves plenty of attention, recognition, and support.

Thanks for coming to Wisconsin!

For more information about THE INTERRUPTERS and Cease Fire, you can check out this link: http://interrupters.kartemquin.com/ 

And if you’re able to catch a screening of the film, GO!  I predict you’ll be hearing about it again come Oscar time.

One of my recent discoveries has been the Marc Maron podcast.  Little did I know what a lifeline it would be for me as I logged in miles on America’s highways.  I heard about Maron through my brother-in-law, Jeff, who is a fan and, coupled with a recent article I read in Entertainment Weekly, I was curious to check him out.  Who is Marc Maron?  He’s a stand-up comedian and writer who has worked regularly and successfully throughout his career but hasn’t quite achieved the widespread recognition of his contemporaries such as Robin Williams, Sam Kinison, and Louie C.K..  That may change.  A couple of years ago, he started a podcast called “WTF with Marc Maron” which features him interviewing comedians and funny people twice a week from his garage in glamorous Silver Lake, California.  It’s been the #1 podcast on iTunes numerous times.

Roadway Ride-Along

What I love about his interviews is that they’re thorough and frank – no publicist is reviewing questions beforehand to edit what topics can be tackled.  It’s simply honest, reflective, and FUNNY discussion.  Because Maron targets comedy people, he and his guest speak a similar language and can laugh and commiserate over the simultaneously soul-crushing and satisfying world of making people laugh.  And laugh I did.  Maron’s interview with the sweet and surprisingly humble Robin Williams reminded me of why Williams has had such a monumental impact on comedy.  And Maron’s own self-admitted foibles and insecurities generate lively exchanges, especially evident when he interviewed a favorite writer of mine, Jill Soloway, who happens to be close friends with his ex-wife.

You can find his podcast on iTunes and his own website: http://www.wtfpod.com/.  Most of the interviews are free, but a few are considered “premium” so you have to pay a couple of bucks for them.  They are well worth it, though.  One of these premium interviews is the Robin Williams one and in addition to the aforementioned funniness, you also hear Williams reveal in chilling detail the moment a few years ago when he fell off the wagon after decades of sobriety.  Another favorite is Louie C.K.’s interview (a two-parter); Louie’s description of the birth of his eldest daughter and the epiphany he experienced over his new role as a parent is surprisingly poignant.  I appreciated Amy Poehler laughingly calling Maron condescending for trivializing her brand of improv comedy to simply being about “wigs and hats.”  And Andy Dick’s total candor over his sexuality, battles with alcohol, and encounters with his biological parents is also fascinating…and refreshing.  You don’t see these kind of uncensored interviews on any late night talk shows.  And you come away from them feeling like you have a much better sense of what makes the person tick.

More than Mork

But I am especially grateful for Maron’s interview with one of my favorite comic actors, Ed Helms.  Ed Helms deserves his own post, but I’ll keep this mention to the point for now.  On my way back to Los Angeles, I was driving through Arkansas and taking in the surprisingly gorgeous scenery (who knew?) on a particularly beautiful, sunny day.  As I made my way down the interstate, with wonder-dog Lucy snoozing in the back seat, I passed a pick-up truck that featured a bumper sticker that read: I’M NOT PREJUDICED.  I THINK THE WHITE HALF OF OBAMA SUCKS, TOO!

<SIGH>

Now, the purpose of this blog is not to get into political discourse, but I have to say that I was stunned to see such blatant racism and disrespect for our President.  What a sorry, shameful display.  A melancholic cloud settled over me.  I tried to remind myself that I can’t lump all Southerners into one box and there are Dixie democrats out there, and, hey, Bill Clinton was born in Hope, Arkansas, right?!?  And as my friend Doug later pointed out, at least we live in a country where were have the freedom to express our opinions.  True.  But I still was bummed out.

So I turned on the Marc Maron podcast where he interviews Ed Helms, who happened to bring his banjo with him to Marc’s garage. (If you watch THE OFFICE, you already know that Helms is a pretty talented musician.)  Marc Maron plays the guitar, so the two of them opened the podcast with a brief jam session on their respective instruments.  And there I was, cruising along the roadway listening to two guys make entertaining music on the fly.  You know what?  The banjo is a really happy instrument.  I think it’s incapable of making a gloomy sound.  So I instantly felt better.  My faith in humanity was restored.

Thanks, Marc and Ed!

My Savior!

I took a bit of a detour on my road trip back to La-La land so that I could stop in Longview, Texas.  Why did I venture into the world of God, guns, and burning-like-crazy wildfires?  Well, a number of years ago my friend Jillian Reilly and I wrote a screenplay based on the true life story of Marolen Mullinax.  Our subject, Marolen, lives in Longview.

A little background first: Jill and I met at Northwestern and became fast friends.  After college, Jill headed off to South Africa and spent years both there and in Zimbabwe working for non-governmental organizations with a specialized focus in HIV/AIDS-related issues.  Through her work, Jill came to hear about another American woman in Romania who was making groundbreaking inroads caring for HIV-postive orphans.  That woman was Marolen Mullinax.

Jill and I have always shared similar interests and the same sense of humor, which has made for loads of memorable, entertaining experiences.  One of the things I love about Jill is that as intelligent and well-informed as she is, she’s also one of my favorite pop culture cohorts.  We have enjoyed Project Runway marathons together as well as suffered through many a bad movie.  And in doing the latter, we often lament the lack of good female roles available out there in movieland.  So when Jill heard about Marolen’s story and relayed it with me, we saw it as our chance to share a woman’s amazing experience with a wider audience.  We flew to Texas to meet Marolen and see if she might give us permission to tell her story.  Luckily for us, she did.

What’s the story?  Well, it began in the early nineties when Marolen left her home state of Texas to live in Romania.  This was soon after the dramatic fall of Communism and the oppressive rule of Nicolae Ceausescu, and the country was in crisis.  The world was discovering that tens of thousands of Romanian children had been abandoned to poorly-run state institutions – and many of the kids were HIV-positive due to unsanitary blood transfusions.  One of Ceausescu’s decrees had been to create a “worker’s army,” so he outlawed abortion and required women under 40 to have five children.  When it became untenable for families to sustain additional children, many of these kids were turned over to state orphanages that were ill-equipped to handle such an influx of children.

Collateral Damage

Marolen was in her forties, twice-divorced with two grown children, when she saw the coverage about these forgotten children on the news one night.  Although she knew nothing about Romania, let alone HIV/AIDS care, she felt compelled to help.

She linked up with an organization that was providing housing to a handful of HIV-positive children and they sent her to Constanta, Romania to live with and care for the kids.  Needless to say, it was an extremely challenging experience.  Marolen was confronted by an environment that was hostile to both her, as a foreigner, and the sick children for whom she was caring.  But this Texas rose has some thorns and she wasn’t about to give up.  While she was instructed to simply give the children a comfortable place to die, she made it her mission to help them live.  She was extremely resourceful when it came to providing adequate food and medicine to the children and she built relationships with sympathetic locals who helped her in her cause.  Major organizations got wind of Marolen’s successes and, with her assistance, replicated her methods in similar orphanages throughout the world.

She gave them a House of Hope

In writing our script, Jill and I decided to create a fictional character who is based upon Marolen.  We felt this would free us (and Marolen) in our storytelling, yet we were also determined to include as many actual experiences as possible since they’re so remarkable.  Marolen has been involved every step of the way and we were extremely relieved when she gave our script a thumbs up.  Now it’s up to us to get it sold and get her story out there.  C’mon, Sandy Bullock!  This one’s right up your alley!

Wouldn't you like another book end to go with that?

And a special thanks to Marolen for letting me and Lucy stay with her on our drive back to LA.  I’ll make it up to you when you come out to Hollywood for the film premiere!

NEXT UP: I don’t know.  And, in fact, I’m not going to commit to this “NEXT UP” nonsense anymore unless I really have something on my mind.  For now, I’ll just go with the flow. (But my next entry may discuss my newly discovered love for the AMC network!  MAD MEN and BREAKING BAD – who knew?)

Well, tomorrow it’s time to hit the wide open road again.  Unfortunately, I do not have my trusty co-pilot, VP Babs, along for the trip back to La-La land.  Yeah, her actual day job doesn’t allow her the benefit of taking another cross-country road trip.  (What inflexible task-masters, huh?)  Barb, I will think of you as I listen to more audio books while munching on pretzel crisps and Jujyfruits!

Road Trip Requirement

Of course, Lucy will be my number one passenger with her consistent contributions of sleeping and snoozing in the back seat.  If only she could master learning how to drive in the same way she knows how to “sit”.  I know that she is going to experience serious Madison withdrawal considering all of the attention she’s received since she first set her paw here.  Our accommodations have been top-rate (HUGE thanks, Peter & Amy!) and my nieces are certainly the best dog-walkers in town.  And who can deny the luxury items Lucy received courtesy of Grandma Brenner?

One Pampered Pooch

While my search for financing has stalled a bit, I have found that writing is the best medicine.  I started a new script while here and I’m hoping to have a Frenzy-ish September in LA where I can complete my first draft.  I was also encouraged to learn that BENEATH THE SURFACE placed in the top 10% of the Austin Film Festival Screenplay competition – out of 5,800 entries.  As a “second rounder”, I can attend a couple of writing panels/workshops offered only to those of us who placed in the contest.  So, I’ve made my arrangements and I’ll be heading to cowboy country at the end of October.  (Here’s hoping Austin’s not still on fire by that point.  Gulp!)  I’m excited to finally see the city that has often been compared to Madison due to its creative streak and fierce progressiveness, as well as meet and reconnect with more talented filmmakers, learn some new information about screenwriting, and see a bunch of inspiring independent films.  Hee Haw!

Nothin' like a little BBQ sauce with your cinema!

NEXT UP: Speaking of Texas, Meet Marolen Mullinax!

As I enter the final week of this Wisconsin visit, I am shocked at how quickly the month has flown by.  And I’ve been a bit discouraged by the slowing momentum of Deliberate Productions to get more financing in place for BENEATH THE SURFACE.  While I have made immense progress during my time here to ensure that my nieces will look after me in my golden years (remember all of those visits to the ice cream store, girls?), it appears that the investor hunt will continue…and continue…and continue.  Let’s just hope I get the financing secured before I am wearing dentures and sensible shoes.

I start to feel like these posts are a broken record of the challenges I’m encountering followed by the much-needed you-can-do-it-pep-talks/reminders that most filmmakers go through these ups and downs.  So I apologize if you feel like you’re sharing a bi-polar journey with me.  Hey, at the very least you’re getting an up-close-and-personal look at the triumphs and frustrations of the filmmaking process.  Well, it’s not even filmmaking yet – it’s fundraising.  And that was always bound to be the biggest obstacle, wasn’t it?

For some reason, Donald Trump is the person I’ve been thinking of lately when I’m looking for the fortitude to keep calm and carry on.  Now I’m not really a fan of the Donald and his antics (particularly when they focus on faux birth certificate accusations), but these days I can appreciate how the force of his personality has enabled him to achieve his tremendous success.  You get the feeling that those around him are simply living in the Donald’s world – if anyone can brush off rejection it must be Trump.  Granted, I don’t think achieving success and treating people decently are mutually exclusive, but there’s something to be said for possessing unadulterated nerve.  One of Trump’s philosophies is, “Sometimes by losing a battle you find a new way to win the war.”  Yeah, it’s always about perseverance and continually looking and moving forward.  And in a world that is remaking FOOTLOOSE and DIRTY DANCING, surely there’s room for a lil’ ol’ film called BENEATH THE SURFACE, right?

Really, Hollywood? REALLY?!?

So that’s why EP Dad and I continue to strategize over how to best present this investment opportunity.  By constantly absorbing the highs and lows and recalibrating our game plan, my hope is that we’re getting that much closer to reaching our goal.

"If you're gonna think anyway, THINK BIG, DLB!"

( But, first, it’s time to take my nieces out for a quick ice cream!)

NEXT UP: Los Angeles Goals

Since VP Babs lives across the pond, she doesn’t get to experience the same viewing fare as us lucky freedom-fry-loving patriots.  So when she was home last week, we got caught up on what I think is the BEST sitcom currently on network television, PARKS AND RECREATION.  Why do I like this show?  It’s funny.  It’s smart.  It features a cast that, unlike most television shows, doesn’t look like it belongs in a J. Crew catalogue.  And, for me, the series does an expert job of combining humor, intelligence, absurdity, and heart into entertaining 22-minute episodes each week.  Give it a look if you haven’t already!

<SORRY!   Link removed due to malware!>

In revisiting episodes with my sadly-deprived sister, I could better appreciate why this show works on so many levels.  While it’s easy to notice and admire the hilarious writing and silly-yet-authentic performances, I also realized that there’s a subconscious force at work that enhances the final product: PRODUCTION DESIGN.  Whether a scene is taking place at the grim, bureaucratic lair of City Hall, the sweat-meets-booze-fest embodying the local night club the Snake Hole, or the comfortable, homey-home of sweet nurse Ann, the attention to detail is incredible.

For, of course, the office of begrudging bureaucrat, latent Libertarian, and full-fledged Alpha-male Ron Swanson would be defined by grey walls and football paraphernalia:

On the Pyramid of Greatness?

And manchild Andy Dwyer would crash at his buddy’s Brady Bunch-era house where he would later host his wedding ceremony (wearing his finest Colts jersey, no less):

Wood Paneling and Fake Plants? AWESOME SAUCE!

And, yes, anal-retentive, government-obsessed Leslie Knope would have piles of “Idea Binders” lining her office:

I've got an idea! Or 5,000.

So kudos to Ian Phillips who is credited as Production Designer on most of the episodes in the series.  He’s a reminder that every creative collaborator matters on a production.

NEXT UP: Under the influence of Wisconsin cheese – where will it lead me?

Yikes!  I’ve let far too much time pass since my last entry.  Forgive me, faithful bloggy readers! (i.e. Alicia, JF, Kevin, and Moniqueeee!)  As many of you know, I made my latest trek back to Wisconsin via my trusty Prius.  It’s been a long time since I embarked on such a road trip.  In fact, the last time I covered so many miles on America’s interstates was when I was a young, idealistic lass venturing out west with EP Dad and the goal of conquering Hollywood.  Guess I’m still taking the scenic route when it comes to that “conquering” thing, huh?

For this voyage, my traveling companions included VP Babs and everyone’s favorite high-strung dog, Lucy.  The goal was to get to Minneapolis in three days so I could drop off VP Babs to see some old friends and reunite with her hubby – and Deliberate’s CFO – John who was flying in from across the pond.  We were on a tight schedule and had a lot of ground to cover.  This is my way of apologizing for not having more scenic photos to share.  But here’s a little looksie at some of what we did experience.

DAY ONE: South Pasadena, California —> Albuquerque, New Mexico

It’s about a twelve hour drive from LA to ABQ, so we were up at 5:00 a.m. and hit the road at 6:30.  Even at that godforsaken hour, we were all pretty excited.

Actually, Lucy doesn't seem all that excited, does she?

We made good time through California and Arizona.  I particularly loved driving through New Mexico – what a gorgeous area of the country!  And it just so happens the state offers excellent tax incentives for film productions.  I may have to set my next screenplay there.

Had I taken more scenic photos, one might look kinda like this.

We rolled into Albuquerque at around 8:30 p.m. and checked into our comfortable Hampton Inn room.  The evening ended with a delicious (and well-deserved, if I do say so myself) margarita and meal at a local Mexican restaurant.

Yeah, I'll hold down the fort while DLB gets her drink on.

DAY TWO: Albuquerque, New Mexico —> Witchita, Kansas

Turns out New Mexico’s beauty is in direct opposition to the…uh…scenery (and I use that term oh-so loosely) to be found along Highway 54, a little two-lane number that takes you through the Texas panhandle to Oklahoma and, finally, into Kansas.  Lots of flat, brown farmland broken up by the occasional small-and-I-mean-small town.  Thank goodness we could indulge in the miracle invention that is…THE AUDIO BOOK!  Who knew? (Okay, probably millions of people, but I always seem to arrive late to these technology-related parties.)  So I’d like to take this opportunity to thank Adam Carolla for making what could have been a total vehicular slog a lot more entertaining.

His rant on "LA Food" and goat cheese is worth the price of the download.

DAY THREE: Wichita, Kansas —> Minneapolis, Minnesota

The drive up to Minneapolis was fairly uneventful.  Throughout the journey I kept Lucy in her dog crate in the back seat, but I did let her sit on my lap for the final two hours of the drive.

When she wasn’t staring out the front windshield…

"Are we there yet? Are we there yet?"

…she was staring at VP Babs.

"Shouldn't your hands be at ten and two, Babs?"

After a fun night in Minneapolis, Lucy and I made our way down to Madison which provided a final beautiful drive.  And now we’re settled into the comfortable home of my brother and sister-in-law for the next few weeks.  Lucy can take a rest while I get back to work on behalf of Deliberate Productions.

"This works for me. Now get down to business, DLB!"

NEXT UP: The Details (Yep, God is in them!)

My day started out at a breakfast meeting with a successful LA casting director – let’s call him CD.  He’s a friend of my friend, Moniqueeeee, and I’ve met him on a couple of occasions, usually involving barbecues in Monique’s backyard.  He’s a smart, sweet guy and he’s worked on a lot of productions, big and small.

Bonding Over Burgers

I  confessed to CD that while I’ve wanted to meet with him for a while, I’ve been reluctant to do so because talking about creative elements like casting gets me too excited.  And it feels like I’m putting the cart before the horse since I’m still in the early stages of this adventure.   For how can I attract a cast if I don’t have all of the money raised yet?  Yet having a name or two in place might help raise those final dollars, right?  Ah, the age old conundrum of indie film financing.

How does this work?

Ultimately, though, I’m really glad that I talked to CD.  It never hurts to get the advice and insight of a person who has been immersed in the filmmaking world for a long time.  We discussed the benefits of getting recognizable actors versus finding those unknown gems who are waiting for that right picture to provide their big break.  We talked about the Screen Actors Guild Ultra Low Budget agreement and some of its more useful stipulations.  I learned about the term “portal-to-portal” which applies to out-of-town talent brought to a location for a shoot and the way in which their “shooting” hours are tallied (basically not from the moment they arrive and are dismissed from the set but, rather, from the time they are picked up and then dropped off at their hotel).  And, of course, we blathered on about actors and actresses we like. (I did most of the blathering – CD’s a very articulate guy.)

However, I realized that the main reason I’m happy I chatted with CD at this albeit early point in the process is because when I meet with people like him who not only share my creative sensibilities but are also decent human beings, I feel like I’m getting that much closer to assembling an incredible team who will be critical in helping me make a wonderful film.  And that’s what keeps me going.

We'll find that dream cast!

NEXT UP:  DLB & VP Babs = Thelma & Louise (Alas, no Brad Pitt on the horizon, but there is wonder dog Lucy!)

As usual, the readjustment to life in South Pasadenie always takes some easing into until it finally feels “normal” again.  My inner clock has been wildly out of whack this week, due partially to a lingering cold that’s traveled with me to SoCal and also my recent tendency to have that first cup of morning coffee at three o’clock in the afternoon.  Subsequently, my nights have extended into owl territory and while I’m still productive in the mornings, I find a blanket of fatigue shrouds me right around lunch time.  I must pull myself together! (And, of course, by the time I do I’ll be heading right back to Wisconsin.)

It *is* just for breakfast as far as DLB is concerned!

I took a moment to look over some of my previous posts as I reflect on the state of Deliberate a year into this adventure.  I confess there are times when I begrudgingly blog, desperately hoping that something mildly entertaining or interesting will fly from fingertips to keyboard.  Yet, I’m ultimately satisfied to be chronicling this process because it not only forces me to write and reflect on a regular basis, but it’s also providing a record of what is proving to be a pivotal chapter in my life.

That said, I figure I’ll just spew out some more of my not-so-deep observations regarding the journey so far, what I’ve learned, and what I’d do differently:

1) PLAN AHEAD: One of my early posts discussed the importance of having a business plan and I can only emphasize that TEN-FOLD again.  I am very grateful to my friend and fellow filmmaker Athena Lobit for offering me early pointers and advice on this part of the process.  And Executive Producer Dad sent me a book that became invaluable: Filmmakers and Financing: Business Plans for Independents by Louise Levison.  Doing your homework about the different facets of the business and solidifying your investment plan to the point where you can articulate it to a variety of people only increases your credibility.  And when you’re a first-time filmmaker like me, you need all of the credibility you can get.

2) LOVE YOUR LAWYER: I dragged my feet a bit on bringing on a lawyer, which is one thing I would do differently.  For lawyers are an inevitable part of this business and you may as well get them on board sooner rather than later.  While my LA Lawyer (Stuart Markowitz) was initially helpful, a stroke of serendipity landed me an AWESOME Wisconsin lawyer.  And since I’m planning to shoot Beneath the Surface in Wisconsin with Wisconsin money, it was essential that I have an attorney based in the state.  I believe it was over the holidays that Dad and I were having coffee with a friend at the neighborhood Panera when a woman – let’s call her Lawyer Lady – introduced herself.  She had overheard our conversation about my film and a potential investor (whom she happened to know) and wanted to simply say hello.  In the course of our conversation, she mentioned that she was an attorney who specialized in entertainment and the arts.  What luck!  In a matter of weeks, she was drafting an operating agreement for me that would serve as the document committing investors to the funding of the film.  Now I know it’s not breaking news that lawyers aren’t cheap, so you must be prepared to spend some dough.  But good lawyers like LL are worth every penny.  While I may have lovely, lofty ideas about “creating cinema” and “making art,” the bottom line is that my film is a business partnership with a group of investors and the goal is to make it profitable.  A knowledgable attorney will draft the documents that protect and inform both the filmmaker and the investors.

Show meets Business

3) FESTIVAL AND FORUM FUN:  Yes, film festivals and filmmaking forums are fun.  And they’re also informative.  So go to them.  Be a sponge.  Absorb.  You’ll meet some talented, like-minded people, too, who may become future collaborators.

Absorbing all things Indie

4) CONNECTIVITY: I find that the majority of my time over the past year has been spent on relationship building – with investors, advisors, fellow filmmakers, future ambassadors (i.e. friends/family/former colleagues), etc.  You have to be social and you must be politely persistent.  If a setback occurs, allow yourself a little time to wallow and then shake it off and send that e-mail to that potential investor.  One of the speakers at the Producer forum I attended last October talked about how critical it is to power through the rejection.  Because rejection is the rule, not the exception.  Learn from it and move onward.

5) OWN THE THE TITLE: And that leads me to the emotional side of this whole experience – EMOTIONAL being the operative word.  Accept that you’re going to be on a roller coaster that offers excitement and terror in equal measures.  So do yourself a favor and own the title of being an independent filmmaker.  The early days were the toughest for me because there was still so much to be learned.  I knew I had the ability and passion to do this, but I had to figure out how to go about it and sometimes worried that my compass was faulty.  Obviously, I’m still figuring it out but the more I learn, the more empowered I become.  It reminds me of when I bought my first car.  I did so much research beforehand and knew just what to expect when it came time to negotiate with the salesman that I felt invincible.  I was armed with information (not to mention Kevin and Monique as my muscle).  I ended up with a beautiful Ford Escort at a very fair price.

We had a good run, Ellie!

But even beyond the data, stay surrounded by positive people (and pets, of course!).  Feed your soul with the family, friends, and experiences that make you happy.  Because there will be anxious times.  And lonely times.  And deeply frustrating times.  And it is only through your genuine advocates and, corny though it sounds, belief in yourself that you will find the mettle to continue.

NEXT UP: Cracking the Code