Running Hurdles how about you?

Forgive me Father its been over a month since my last confession,I mean Blog.One follower asked me this morning hey how come you haven't blogged lately regarding the film.Truth is that social media can be somewhat over whelming and more so when you realize that everyone else is over whelmed with social media themselves.Fact of the matter is that as an indie filmmaker you are generally a staff of one.Not complaining but when you're in the trenches people have no idea,because in reality I have no idea what goes on in the life of others.

So here goes.....

I wrote the screenplay.Held auditions.Traveled to Georgia and filmed footage from the actual camp.Rewrote script to fit our kids who showed up at the auditions.(Who am I to say they couldn't be in the film) They stepped up and raised their own bar of expectations.They deserved the chance to shine, and shine they do.We shot the film over 14 days.We did a rough edit and layout in 1 week.We handed off the rough edit and all files to our LA editor and composer in Denver last week in August.Worked full time in constant communication with both our kick butt editor and composer.

I flew out to LA a second time to do some tweaks before handing off the finished film to our distributor in Nov.Don't get excited about LA I slept on an air mattress in a friends 12x12 studio apartment.Not as glamorous as it sounds.  :) )  3 1/2 wks later he passed away from Pancreatic cancer.(He thought he was on the mend from a bad case of the flu)

So I started to try and make a new plan.Then I was invited to screen at the Tx Christian Film Festival in Feb.Meanwhile working to get the captions correct by sitting down with two interpreters to go over captions transcripts,then back to LA with editor to make some tweaks to support with the captions,
and finalize credits which was complete on Feb.4th,2013.A few of us attended the film festival on Feb 17th and we came home with an award.(audience loved our work) Oh I forgot. got posters laid out and printed.

Write press releases and trying to find time to take a breath.So while we are still getting press out I developed a free discussion guide which will be given away with an ASL chart for alphabets with every DVD purchased.(This is available on the website.) This came about after watching the dialog and questions that followed the festival screening.The ASL chart came about when I read about a deaf young man getting attacked because nobody could determine he wanted a bottle of water blessed,and that he wasn't there to throw it on the speaker.
Even finger spelling could have kept this from happening.I was appalled.

So I spent hours and hours working on schedules and ironing out details in order to set media screening events.The cast and crew get to attend as well,and yes seating is limited.(sorry about that)
The purpose is to get the right exposure and support and fan base,and media quotes to reach out again to distributors.Theater spaces are not free,so we had to negotiate the best cost and it had to coincide with Mike Glenn's professional schedule as well as the theaters schedule.Plus an angel came forward to cover the cost of the theater.Not just a case of not wanting to show the film to anyone.

As a result of great exposure and applause and cheering and audience response at film festival another angel came forward and paid for the MPAA rating(Hoping for PG).The paperwork alone took 5 hours.Then you have to label 2 DVD screeners and they can only be delivered to the LA organization between certain times each day.Our film is now in the Que to be rated.Once they screen and rate it those DVDs will be destroyed.

Simultaneously I spent 3 days going through all production stills and had to make it work within the boundaries of the template for the artwork design for the DVD case,and then the design for the actual DVD disc which will be a nice treat.(Then spent 1 more day working with my graphic artists to make it all work perfectly.)Now it took 4 more days to get the initial DVD order negotiated and order placed and then they have their own work flow process and all of the artwork had to go through their art dept for proof of color and design.Then we shipped two master copies overnight for them to create a glass master.Now the order should hopefully start production tomorrow.

Then I had to sit down and provide info for selling on the website which includes pricing and bulk orders including shipping and taxes and many other details which I won't bore you with,that is if you are still reading.

Meanwhile we have to follow up with potential guests for RSVP's for screening in Denver and Atlanta.Also we are reaching out to non profit groups who have an interest in screening the film and selling DVDs as fundraisers for their organizations.

Then we are going to flood the office of distributors both theatrical and television/cable and VOD
to raise the awareness of this great story and film.

People ask how can I help?Or can I help?

Everyone can help by spreading the word and asking your friends to join the fan page or to tell others
who have non profits who would like to raise some easy money for their organization while supporting the Mike Glenn camps.

I tell you all of this because I get emails or calls asking what is going on with the film? Do you realize how many hurdles there are to get this far just since August.There are films which never even get this far,let alone get in line to be rated by the MPAA or even released on DVD,etc.Some films take 2-5 yrs to even get this far.Some with huge budgets and others with relatively no budget.We are the latter.

I worked as an actress on a friends film 2 yrs ago and its not as far as we are with Spirit of Love.
My point is the Journey is not over Its just Beginning!