Sunday, August 21, 2016

New Contributor for FilmInquiry.com

Hey Fans, Friends, and Fun-Killers!

I will now be a Regular Contributor with the online Film Magazine, FilmInqiry.com

The awesome and interesting news just continues to pile up around here. After starting this blog back in June, I have tried to remain very regular as far as the schedule I have kept. I wanted you to know that I was reliable with the MADNESS I was SPEWING. And that's the other thing, my madness in the form of rants and raves about not just making my movie, but movies in general has been consistent too.

As most of you who are friends on FB or followers on Twitter are all-too-aware, once something is written I push it in your face like there's no tomorrow, which in the form of persistence and tenacity is one more trait that editors find desirable, should they actually like your writing.

It turns out that those in charge at FilmInquiry.com enjoy my mad rants and raves, and I in turn, really enjoy their magazine. The look, feel, and most importantly the APPROACH really APPEAL to me. Instead of just one more EW knockoff out there barely grazing the surface of the movie-making world, these guys work to dig deep.

CLICK on any of the links in the story--OR JUST CLICK THIS PIC-- and you will be taken directly to this awesome site and film magazine!


Articles in the magazine examine everything from the process to the ethos and morality of what is put on the screen in modern and past cinema, as well as purely on theory of movie-making on a nearly infinite number of levels. I am very interested in continuing to explore and reveal the REAL PROCESS we are going through as we produce "The END of FUN".

My posts for them, over there, will continue this exact same process of discussing the mechanics along with the theory and influences that drive my decisions. However, now that I know I am reaching a wider and more focused audience, the posts I write for them will likewise be more focused, and probably meander less (OK, stop clapping-- I can hear that all the way over here in Clairemont!)...

I plan to write one very short and basic post to begin, and just introduce myself and catch people up with where we are currently. That will be followed by an in-depth interview with rising star Julia Rosette who plays "Jade Silver" in "The END of FUN".  After our first table read in early September, I will also interview multi-talented Tara Tosten, who plays "Kari K".

My goal is that everyone involved should benefit. FilmInquiry and their audience will benefit by meeting these amazing actors while still on their way up. The actors benefit by getting on the radar of this publication, along with their readers, and just increasing their exposure overall. "The END of FUN", and I as its creator, benefit on all those same levels.

Our deal is that I must publish TWO of my posts, minimum, per month (more if I like-- and I usually write 2-3 per WEEK here! lol) through them FIRST. Following that, I can post back here as well, and of course link back to them there. And then I will be shoving even MORE in your faces on Social Media, as I spread the word for ME, TEOF, and FilmInquiry.com!

By the way-- just a little tease.... Keep checking back here for AN ALL NEW LOOK and FEEL VERY SOON!!!

P.S. DON'T FORGET: Our fundraising is underway NOW! Please visit www.KaraokeNoir.com right now and pledge just a small donation! GRAB ONE of our EARLY BIRD SPECIALS!!! The Girls' Tanks look awesome!

#TEOF #FilmInquiry #KaraokeNoir

Friday, August 19, 2016

Public Display of Affection (PDA) for our Supporters at Kickstarter!

We have OVER 20 different REWARD levels at out Kickstarter which is easily found at www.KaraokeNoir.com. EVERYONE who pledges to donate $5.00 or more receives a PUBLIC DISPLAY of AFFECTION (PDA) from our whole cast and crew at "The END of FUN"!

We start by giving them an immediate SHOUT-OUT on all of our Social Media (Please like our Movie Page at www.Facebook.com/ENDofFUN or follow us on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/ENDofFUN) and thanking you through Kickstarter as well. Then, finally we will keep this list as an ongoing DIGITAL MONUMENT to all you KickASS supporters who helped us Kickstart this movie!

Look below for the list!


WE Have BIG PUBLIC LOVE FOR THE FOLLOWING SUPPORTERS for HELPING US through KickStarter!

Listed in order of donation

  1. Nils Bruewer
  2. Caroline Carver
  3. Rodrigo Vieira
  4. Steven Ciceron
  5. Eric Peake
  6. Jack Turner
  7. George Wilson
  8. Scott Casey
  9. Dan Koven
THANK ALL OF YOU VERY MUCH! YOU TRULY DESERVE OUR PUBLIC AFFECTION... and EVERYTHING THAT GOES WITH IT!!!

At least ONE of those folks also qualified for ASSOCIATE PRODUCER LEVEL! A later post this weekend will begin that list!


#TEOFfriends #TEOFpda

Wednesday, August 17, 2016

Press Release: Crowdfunding for Karaoke Noir Thriller "The END of FUN" begins at www.KaraokeNoir.com

**This is the press release that I wrote... and sent out yesterday (8/15/16) to every TV channel, Newspaper, Magazine, major blog etc in SD...

Robert Christopher Smith          Independent Filmmaker
(714) 579-5157               KaraokeCrime@gmail.com
www.ENDofFUNmovie.com (Blog)                    www.KaraokeNoir.com (Kickstarter Page)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

World’s First “Karaoke  Noir” Movie Launches Crowdfunding Campaign at www.KaraokeNoir.com

Robert Christopher Smith and a cast of over 30 (counting Background Actors) are scheduled to shoot “The END of FUN”, which is the world’s first ever Karaoke-Noir movie beginning on September 24, 2016 and wrapping about two weeks later in early October. The movie slams a Romantic Comedy into a Hardcore Crime Thriller as no other movie has before, and will be shot entirely on location in San Diego, California, with the bulk of the movie taking place at and being shot at local karaoke bar “The Carriage House” at 7945 Balboa Avenue, SD, CA 92111. Because this is a 100% Independent Feature, the movie is being funded entirely through a campaign recently launched on KickStarter and easily found at www.KaraokeNoir.com . People wearing #KaraokeNoir T-Shirts will be popping up all over San Diego to remind everyone that this crowdfunding effort is underway.

Please contact the screenwriter/director who is also starring in the lead male role of “Johnny Jones”, Robert Christopher Smith, directly by cell at 714-579-5157 or the email for the movie at karaokecrime@gmail.com. For more background information, please visit the blog which is regularly updated at www.ENDofFUNmovie.com or KaraokeCriminal.com

The plan for this movie is for it to be submitted to film festivals upon its completion, with “South by SouthWest (SXSW)” being the first target, directly followed by Sundance and then a variety of smaller festivals all over the West Coast, and possibly around the world. The movie stars Robert Christopher Smith, the writer and director as “Johnny Jones”, Julia Rosette as “Jade Silver”, Tara Tosten as “Kari K”, Rodrigo Moreira da Rocha as “Scab”, and Julia Bodey as “Cammy”. Finally, the movie will feature the American Debut of Kayky Brito, a Brazilian Actor with 17 years of experience in TV and Movies in his home country.

The Casting Director for “The END of FUN” connected with Kayky early during the audition process, and although it required a lot of work since he has been busy in a play and with promotional work now that the Olympic games are going on down in Rio, finally did have several productive conversations that resulted in Kayky’s playing a featured role of a character named “Dollar”. Brito is already popular all over Brazil (as is his sister, Sthefany Brito), and there is a lot of interest in seeing him break through in American Cinema. Both he, and the whole team behind “The END of FUN” are excited about his participation and the mutual benefits resulting from the collaboration.

****************************************
Robert Christopher Smith (Writer/Director/Lead Actor)
“The END of FUN”
714-579-5157 (Call/Text)
Kickstarter: www.KaraokeNoir.com







Tuesday, August 16, 2016

What ELSE should you watch? Try "Sole Proprietor" with Alexandra Hellquist!

So, as MOST REGULAR READERS of this blog ALREADY KNOW, I not only wrote the original story and screenplay for "The END of FUN", but am going to direct and star as "Johnny Jones" as well! But what MANY do not realize is that I really still have about ONE HUNDRED OTHER JOBS! I do everything from acting as a producer and securing OUR FUNDING at www.KaraokeNoir.com , finding and locking down locations, to hiring folks behind the camera for makeup, wardrobe, and the actual video and sound crew too!

But one of the most interesting and unique roles that I took on was that of Casting Director.

In this role, I spent an ENORMOUS amount of TIME reading and watching a variety of submissions from actors for the roles of "Kari K", "Cammy", "VV", "Scab", "Dollar", and many others. The most challenging of all these was "Jade Silver" and there actually was about 5 minutes very early on where I panicked a little about whether we would ever find ANYONE who FIT this ROLE! After placing an ad on Backstage.com, which again is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, I finally began to become exposed to a few actors who seem to fit the role, and then finally met and hired JULIA ROSETTE who simply seemed to BECOME JADE!

However, there were a few other very positive experiences during that casting process. Most NOTABLE OF ALL these actors and experiences was ALEXANDRA HELLQUIST.

See REVIEW for "SOLE PROPRIETOR" under the picture!

Alexandra Hellquist was absolutely the coolest and most helpful person I have talked to PERIOD during the development of this project who is not directly involved with our current production in any way. In "SOLE PROPRIETOR", Alexandra STEALS EVERY SCENE as "Sophie"!
Alexandra Hellquist as the pool champion Tessa Chin, in Extant Arts' Corner Pocket 
Photo Credit: Ellen B. Wright 

REVIEW of "Sole Proprietor"


The look, feel, and sound of the JUST RELEASED movie, "SOLE PROPRIETOR" is very professional (several links to buy the movie follow this review).

Director and Star, Dan Eberle should feel proud of the movie he put onto the screen as his final cut. At almost dead-on 90 minutes, that cut felt to be the exact right length. The movie felt lean, taut, and easy to follow, even with the consistent and stylish use of flash-forwards and backs. 

The soundtrack by Matt Rocker (who also puts in some time in front of the camera as "Shitbag"), was never over-powering,yet always maintained a subtle lead to the viewer connecting  senses of sight and sound very effectively all the way through, and only rising up where really necessary, during the climactic scenes in the third act, for example.

Cinematically, the noir aspects of the movie were solid and consistent too. As a fan of the genre, and of making NOIR  movies myself, there were several shots in which the playing of light and shadow really impressed me. Particularly was the introduction of a dirty cop named "Greer". His appearance, complete with bloody bandage is set in a scene lit perfectly and is one that will be very memorable to all audiences for the movie. It is one that I will be showing others, for sure.

Eberle gathered a great cast, and made an ENORMOUSLY important decision in bringing Alexandra Hellquist in as "SOPHIE". Wow, no kidding-- from the first time she comes on screen, she simply takes over the movie, as I'm quite sure MUST HAVE BEEN the INTENTION. 

To say the screen presence of Alexandra Hellquist is MAGNETIC would be quite an UNDERSTATEMENT . As Sophie, she electrifies the audience and manipulates them into taking quite a ride, right along with "Crowley (from the Internet)". While everyone in front of the camera delivered amazing work, she has really created something special with this character. Sophie is SMART, STRONG, SAD, SEXY, SOPHISTICATED, SLY, and STUNNING. 

If you enjoy noir-thrillers that grab you right from the beginning and DO NOT LET GO until the last frame, you should check out "Sole Proprietor" immediately!

You can buy/rent at the following links:

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/movies/details?id=jFBcM95DV88

VUDU: http://www.vudu.com/movies/#!overview/785530/Sole-Proprietor

If you go to Amazon.com Instant Video, you can NOT only BUY/RENT, but READ my 5-Star review there too!

You can also WATCH the TRAILER BELOW and buy/rent it at YouTube!




We hope you WATCH and ENJOY "Sole Proprietor"!

HOWEVER-- Please do NOT forget we are still in the process of making our own movie, "The END of FUN" and would love your pledge (no matter how small-- $1 would help us more than you will ever know-- LITERALLY EVERY $ Makes a difference! www.KaraokeNoir.com

Rant OVER! Thanks!

#AlexandraHellquist #DanEberle #SoleProprietor #TEOFfriends

Sunday, August 14, 2016

#KaraokeNoir = Breadcrumbs to the Fundraiser! (Marketing Launch PART 2)

www.KaraokeNoir.com (This will take your directly to our Kickstarter fundraising page. Please pledge your donation today! Even $1 will make a HUGE DIFFERENCE on our overall SUCCESS! Thank you in ADVANCE!)

WTF is Karaoke Noir? WTF is a Karaoke Crime? Are YOU a Karaoke Criminal? 
#KaraokeNoir

Did you MISS PART 1? (CLICK HERE and get caught up NOW!)

I keep asking people:

#1) WTF is "Karaoke Noir"? And the answers I get are ALL OVER the place from completely misunderstanding the question to completely ignoring it to...COMPLETELY NAILING IT!

#2) WTF is a Karaoke Crime? Again, the wide variety of answers will tickle you. FEEL FREE TO UPLOAD and SHARE YOUR OWN!

#3) Are YOU a Karaoke Criminal? Have you ever committed a Karaoke Crime? It really seems like the majority of people have committed some type of karaoke  crime in their lives... HAVE YOU?

BELOW, you will FIND MORE VIDEOS!

FIRST-- Are YOU a Karaoke Criminal? Have you ever committed a Karaoke Crime?















SECOND-- MORE of WTF is "Karaoke NOIR"? (CLICK HERE and get caught up NOW!)










THIRD-- EVEN MORE of WTF is a "Karaoke Crime"? (CLICK HERE and get caught up NOW!)








MORE COMING SOON! (I am carrying my phone around to catch answers to these questions just as faithfully as I used to carry paper around to write the story and screenplay for "The END of FUN"!) 

Stay Tuned!
Please Pledge your Donation and HELP us make "The END of FUN" at www.KaraokeNoir.com (EVEN $1 will help tremendously -- LITERALLY EVERY $ Counts!)

 #KaraokeNoir #WhatISKaraokeNoir #WhatTheFUCKisKaraokeNoir #KaraokeCrime #WhatISaKaraokeCrime #KaraokeCriminal #WTFisKaraokeNoir #WTFisAKaraokeCriminal

It all Starts with #KaraokeNoir at www.KaraokeNoir.com Marketing Launch PART 1)

www.KaraokeNoir.com (This will take your directly to our Kickstarter fundraising page. Please pledge your donation today! Even $1 will make a HUGE DIFFERENCE on our overall SUCCESS! Thank you in ADVANCE!)

WTF is Karaoke Noir? WTF is a Karaoke Crime? Are YOU a Karaoke Criminal? 
#KaraokeNoir

WTF is Karaoke noir?
WTF is a karaoke crime?
Have you ever committed a karaoke crime?
Are you a karaoke criminal?

These are the questions PLAGUING Americans right now. (NO, Really! They are! Didn't you know? Well....you are totally out of it, man! You are the ONLY ONE whose mind is not literally SPLITTING into SPLINTERS over these deep, meaningful questions.

The ANSWERS are SIMPLE, but probably NOT what anyone has EXPECTED...

A "Karaoke Noir" is simply a dark, tale filled with crime and a classic femme fatale, but centered around the world of Karaoke. Think "Crime Noir" meets "Musical"-- THINK "Singles" meets "Blue Velvet"...think "Duets" meets "True Romance"...

A"Karaoke Crime" is crime that utilizes karaoke to perpetrate (or assist in the perpetration) of any crime. BUT, this really seems to be a matter of opinion (See Videos Below!)

A "Karaoke Criminal" is either someone who utilizes karaoke in the commission of a crime (or to assist in the commission of a crime) OR it is anyone who sings Nu-Country songs (Of course, that is merely my oh-so-humble opinion...This is a highly personal, and sometimes volatile topic!)...

TRUTH? It is all about #KaraokeNoir because the crowdfunding for our movie is being done on Kickstarter at www.KaraokeNoir.com. As part of our marketing campaign for our movie, I have gone out for several weekends and spoken with TONS of PEOPLE and asked them for answers to questions for which they were completely unprepared. SOME are MORE CLEARLY UNPREPARED than others.

ALL the VIDEOS are FUNNY, but some are just flat out HYSTERICAL! I am deeply in debt to every person who answered these questions and allowed me to use them as part of this campaign! SO FAR, nearly EVERYONE who has come in contact with our production has been VERY EAGER and ENTHUSIASTIC to assist us!

The ENTIRE CAST and CREW for "The END of FUN" is deeply in debt to all of you (and to SO MANY OTHERS!). Thank you everyone for all your help. ENJOY THESE VIDS! Spread them far and wide!

VIDEOS
WTF is Karaoke Noir?








WTF is a Karaoke Crime? 







MORE COMING SOON! (Including the answers to "Are YOU a Karaoke Criminal?") Stay Tuned!
Please Pledge your Donation and HELP us make "The END of FUN" at www.KaraokeNoir.com (EVEN $1 will help tremendously -- LITERALLY EVERY $ Counts!)


 #KaraokeNoir #WhatISKaraokeNoir #WhatTheFUCKisKaraokeNoir #KaraokeCrime #WhatISaKaraokeCrime #KaraokeCriminal #WTFisKaraokeNoir #WTFisAKaraokeCriminal

Wednesday, August 10, 2016

Brazil's Best BRING IT for us as "Scab" and "Dollar"

***PLEASE SUPPORT OUR KICKSTARTER: www.KaraokeNoir.com  ***
IF you cannot donate, PLEASE Share the link!

The story of casting Rodrigo Moreira da Rocha as "Scab" and Kayky Brito as "Dollar" may certainly be the most interesting of everything I experienced during that process. As I have stated before, while a very challenging endeavor, casting turned out to be a boon to me for a number of reasons. I repeatedly became acquainted with folks who, whether they were right for this particular movie or not, developed an instant rapport with me and seemed to share similar artistic visions and goals. I was especially thrilled when I would engage with those very focused, yet easy-to-get-along-with artists who not only shared common sensibilities, but also seemed like I simply must find a way to get them into this movie. That was the case with Rodrigo Moreira da Rocha, and how we first connected is a story in itself.

Because I have several Brazilian friends in real life, and really enjoy the parts of their culture that I have been exposed to (I LOVE to eat, so FOGO de CHAO was my first focused Brazilian experience many years ago, and I still love eating there just because the food is so awesome and the experience is out of this world), as I wrote the story and screenplay for "The END of FUN", the idea of Jade Silver's Ex-boyfriend "Scab" being Brazilian became fixed in my mind. This was one detail of which I was pretty inflexible, even building the fact that he is Brazilian into his "nickname" of SCAB.

This idea was so inflexible that it was literally part of the casting call "Brazilian male, etc." I knew what I wanted and really wanted to GET WHAT I WANTED! (Wow, did a writer really just write that sentence?) I wanted Brazilian actors with Brazilian accents. Over the six or so weeks that I looked at auditions, I saw and communicated with some AMAZING ACTORS all over Southern California--who, while amazing were super-California (anytime someone even attempted to sound Brazilian, it was much more of an East L.A. Gangbanger type--missing it completely if they did try). However, also during that entire period, I was having regular ongoing conversations by email, phone, and text with Rodrigo Moreira da Rocha. And that had all started with the specificity of that casting call for Scab, "Brazilian  Male".

RODRIGO!

Rodrigo, while born in Rio de Janeiro, has been in and around the entertainment business in the United States since the age of 15. With the aid of his amazingly supportive and nurturing mother, he successfully entered the MODELING WORLD in NEW YORK CITY. From this city, his lucrative career found him traveling ALL AROUND THE WORLD, expanding his mind, his knowledge of languages, culture and people. In the end, his desire to focus on acting and art brought him back to LOS ANGELES.

Rodrigo Moreira da Rocha is not focused only on his OWN success, but is very committed to helping many others achieve success in the entertainment world. Combine this attitude with his passion and skills-- NOT very hard to see why he is a great collaborative partner.


As we got to know each other better, we discovered that we both had strong passion for art, movies (crime movies in particular and both of us being crazy about the Godfather!), and helping others around us achieve success. He is one of the rare few people that I have met in this whole world, especially rare in the creative businesses sometimes, who strongly believes as I do that our success is interconnected with those around us. The MORE SUCCESSFUL ONE BECOMES, so do ALL the OTHERS BECOME SUCCESSFUL.

It really is just lucky for both of us that during those first few days of casting that I saw not just one, but two different Brazilian actors pop into my INBOX from BACKSTAGE. I quickly reviewed the profiles of each and then promptly sent both INVITATIONS TO AUDITION. As I was sending the first, I received an email from Rodrigo explaining that he was helping his Brazilian acting friends and supporting and assisting them as their agent, manager, and contact person in Los Angeles-- which is helpful because many like Kayky Brito who spend time going back and forth know they can rely on Rodrigo to take care of them here if they are away. He let me know that he had sent me not one, but two submissions back to back.

Rodrigo is trained in several style of fighting, and when he focuses his stare as "Scab", there is a cold intensity to his eyes that WILL NOT let you LOOK AWAY.


By that time I read this, though, I had already sent the second invitation, and he had even replied to that saying "just sent you an email explaining..."

Honestly, one of the first things to get my attention about the situation was Rodrigo himself. He was focused, knowledgeable, quick to reply, and just on top of his game all the way around. The more we discussed "The END of FUN" and how appropriate the various actors he represented would be for the role of Scab, the name we kept coming back to was Kayky Brito. After sending them both the script, both Rodrigo and Kayky became more intensely interested and locked onto the idea of participating in some way, NO MATTER how we had to work it out! This attitude, work ethic, and flexibility was something else that convinced me we should work together and became the foundation of a mutual respect between us.

As I  write this, the Olympic Games are going on in Brazil right now. Promotional opportunities, along with a paying role in a play had lured Kayky back to Brazil and was keeping him incredibly busy as he and I tried to connect by SKYPE and finally have him audition for a role in the movie, whether for Scab or someone else. Throughout all of this, Rodrigo and I stayed in touch. Throughout all of this, Rodrigo continued to look at the script, and especially the "side" I had sent for Kayky to use in the audition. Throughout all of this, I explained to Rodrigo how I envisioned Scab and he would explain his understanding of the character.

Throughout the last few times we spoke, I thought to myself in kind of a joking manner "Well, shit. Worst case scenario, I will just have Rodrigo play the part." What you have to know is that by this time, we were becoming friends and he was offering us help on any level that we needed it REGARDLESS of who was finally cast as Scab. Again, this type of collaborative spirit is exactly what I look for when creating art in a team project like movie-making. Rodrigo, and as it turns out KAYKY TOO, has this in spades, and just proves his passion and helpful attitude over and over again.  So, anyway, finally during the conversation before I actually got to have Kayky read and audition, I very much by accident let what I had been thinking actually slip out to be said aloud.

"Hey, depending on what happens with Kayky, would you consider getting back in front of the camera for me and actually playing the role of Scab?" Rodrigo's eyes about popped out, and he said to me "WHAT? Are you kidding? Man, you already know I'll do ANYTHING to help you make this movie!" And we really didn't talk too much more about it until after I met with and auditioned Kayky, who is also amazing, friendly, talented, focused, and really just awesome all the way around.

KAYKY!

Kayky and I had a great conversation on SKYPE and we read over parts of the script together. I was REALLY BOWLED OVER by the energy and skill he put into reading the part of  Scab, and it was even more amazing since just minutes earlier and for the entire previous weeks, he had only been speaking Portuguese which is his native language. He asked me if I was at all concerned about his having an accent, and I told him that I had absolutely counted on it! We both had a great time with him in the role, but I had heard Rodrigo do it so many times that I also wanted to hear Kayky read a completely different part so that I could listen and focus without the direct comparison.

As BRAZIL ALREADY KNOWS, Kayky Brito has an energy and presence that simply JUMPS OFF the screen. His "DOLLAR" will knock you out!


He read the part of "DOLLAR", Scab's primary sidekick and we really both just cracked  up at his delivery of a few of his lines and especially as we imagined him delivering them to Rodrigo as Scab. The more we talked about it, it really became kind of an organic decision that the THREE OF US MADE TOGETHER, and in just the strangest way possible! However, I do not think ANY of us could possibly be HAPPIER! The "Dollar" that Kayky will bring you is tough and cruel, but funny. I like the character so much more that I am actually expanding the part, just knowing Kayky is in control!

 And the rapport between him and Rodrigo's "Scab" is not manufactured in the least way. These guys know and love each other, and are ALREADY REHEARSING together by phone and internet!

Like everyone on this production, Kayky brings a great spirit, work ethic, and amazing attitude to everything he does as an actor. Watching a professional like Kayky work is EXCITING!


Kayky Brito brings amazing acting talent and experience that he has cultivated across 17 years of Television and Movies in his native Brazil to our production. He is a great looking actor who is easy to work with, funny, focused, passionate, and DESTINED FOR STARDOM in AMERICAN CINEMA.

I am BEYOND EXCITED to announce that KAYKY BRITO will make his AMERICAN DEBUT in "The END of FUN". Just ONE MORE GREAT REASON to go tell EVERYONE YOU KNOW about this movie!

**PLEASE DONATE at our Kickstarter: www.KaraokeNoir.com and SHARE THE LINK!

#KaykyBrito #RodrigoRocha #TEOFCast #TEOFScab #TEOFDollar #KaraokeNoir

Tuesday, August 9, 2016

Crowdfunding LAUNCHED with KICKSTARTER at www.KaraokeNoir.com

www.KaraokeNoir.com

OUR MOVIE, "The END of FUN", which I have been ranting and raving about for several months practically non-stop now NEEDS YOUR HELP! Movies like this, with stories FAR OUTSIDE the mainstream, just WILL NOT be considered by the HOLLYWOOD system! Now, as I have said in previous posts, not only do I really like some stuff that is churned out of Hollywood, but would gladly accept at least one or two of their paychecks (...as I'm sure would most of my cast and crew)! The ENTERTAINMENT and the MOVIE WORLDS are certainly big enough to account for and accommodate both.

THIS MOVIE? "The END of FUN", while relatable, easy to understand and follow, as well as being full of many fairly standard cinematic elements (drama, comedy, action, heroes, bad guys, etc.), simply tells a story that needs to be ITS OWN THING. It needs to be TOLD IN A WAY that ALLOWS it to be its own thing.

INSTEAD OF INTERFERENCE from STUDIOS and PRODUCERS, everyone involved in this cast and crew TRULY wants to bring you our COLLABORATIVELY CONSENSUAL UNIQUE, MAD VISION. This movie will purely represent the EXHAUSTIVE EFFORT of a collection of the most PASSIONATE ARTISTS in front of and behind the cameras to be found ANYWHERE in Southern California, or maybe the whole damn world.

We want you to TRUST us, NOT a bunch of non-creative guys in SUITS only focused on how to get your picture on a cup at a fast food joint! But for that to happen, we WILL need your HELP!

The web address above is the EASIEST way to ACCESS our Kickstarter CROWDFUNDING PAGE... if you are ready to get started and really don't want read a bunch more of my howling at the creative moon! However, if you are a repeat visitor and reader, by all means, read on for more details and exact steps you may choose to take!

ALL OF THE PIECES...
We have now hired ALL of our primary cast-- a group of actors so talented that you will simply never forget their characters nor their performances. We will be making a VERY EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENT with more news on casting tomorrow. As you saw in yesterday's post, we have been putting together an amazing crew that will be headed up by Jessika Mikus as our Director of Photography and Assistant Director. We have LOCKED DOWN our LOCATIONS, and you soon the whole world will get to meet THE CARRIAGE HOUSE in its first starring role as "The CarryOut" in "The END of FUN"!

EXCEPT YOU!
EVERY PIECE is in place...EXCEPT the FUNDING! And, that dear friends, family, fans, and FUN-KILLERS, is where you come in. And BELIEVE IT OR NOT...Just READING these words makes you nearly as important as every one of those folks who are going to work like slaves with me to bring this vision to life FOR YOU!

Simply reading about our project-- and even having the smallest DESIRE to HELP means the WORLD  to us!

HOW CAN YOU HELP US REACH OUR GOAL?
FIRST? Just go to www.KaraokeNoir.com. This will take you to our Kickstarter Crowdfunding page.

THEN? Make a donation! It's easy. ANYONE can click on the $1 "F.O.T.W. Reward/Donation" and once you are there, you may donate any amount you want from $1 all the way up to fulfilling our very reasonable goal of only $13,000. (See pic below and CLICK on it if you want to be taken IMMEDIATELY to our Kickstarter page!)

All of us hope to see MANY people take advantage of the F.O.T.W. ("Fly On the Wall") level since it really allows you to donate about any amount you want, and as little as one dollar. Make sure you also look at the other rewards, though. Some like the T-Shirts will be EXCLUSIVE and limited to 30 or 40 and then...GONE FOREVER!!! 


OR? Take a look at all of our other Reward and Donation Levels. We REALLY tried to OFFER a WIDE VARIETY of REWARDS and donation levels. (CLICK the picture above to be taken there immediately!). You will truly have our eternal appreciation for any donation you make, no matter how large or small.

IF YOU HAVE NO MONEY AT ALL? That is absolutely OK too. You are READING THIS, so that means you HAVE INTERNET. All of us on this production are very dedicated artists and just barely scraping by (*until we DO make it!), so we certainly understand, empathize, and sympathize with anyone who cannot afford to make a donation. If you do still want to help, however, all you have to do is SHARE OUR LINK www.karaokenoir.com on ALL YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA!

IF YOU BELIEVE this is an amazing project, PLEASE TELL OTHERS! Send them to the Kickstarter page using that link (www.karaokenoir.com)  or to our Movie Page on Facebook: Facebook.com/ENDofFUN and please "LIKE" us while you are there (tell your friends to do the SAME!). You can also follow us on Twitter @ENDofFUN and share that with your friends too!

Our Kickstarter page will be updated DAILY (sometimes several times per day) with EXCLUSIVE PICTURES and VIDEOS with our cast, just as THIS BLOG will! We really hope you will continue to stay tuned here and there BOTH!

WE DEFINITELY BELIEVE! We believe in the story and the screenplay. We believe in the talent we have gathered in front of and behind the cameras. We believe in our schedule and our budgets. We believe in creating something that is worthy of GOING to and WINNING at Film Festivals such as South by SouthWest in Austin Texas, which is our first goal. MOST OF ALL? WE BELIEVE IN YOU!

THANK You in advance for any and all forms of assistance you do provide for us at this VERY EXCITING TIME!

P.S. Need Tips on using Social Media to help projects like ours and just didn't get enough of me already? CLICK THESE TITLES! "We Need You: Marketing an INDIE part 1"    "What Can You Do to Help: Marketing an INDIE part 2"    "The World Is In Your Hands: World War Love (Marketing an INDIE, part the third)"

THANKS AGAIN!

#KaraokeNoir  #CarriageHouse #TEOFCarryOut #TEOFfunding  #FUNkillers

Monday, August 8, 2016

CREW NEWS! Jessika Mikus: Director of Photography/Assistant Director and Dan Koven as Music Supervisor!

HELLO Friends, family, fans, and fun-killers around the world! Our momentum has just continued to snowball and EVERYONE involved in the production of "The END of FUN" is thrilled!

JESSIKA MIKUS: Director of Photography
This past weekend we had several of our biggest pieces of news yet, and tonight I will start by sharing the very exciting news of our adding Jessika Mikus as our Director of Photography and Assistant Director. She jumped right in and started working immediately today before we even had a formal agreement made! THIS is the kind of ALLY WE NEED!

By the end of our appointment today, we had taken a very brief look at my pre-shotlist breakdown of the screenplay so I could explain to her how I planned to achieve my mad goals, and let her tell me exactly how unrealistic I may be! Instead, we both just impressed each other-- I impressed her with the amount of thought and consideration I had already put into everything from anticipation of possible issues to basic organization-- SHE IMPRESSED ME with her immediate ability to latch onto my crazy way of communicating. This can sometimes be a chore, especially when I am really excited-- but instead of being confused or off-put by my madness, she was able to keep up and also to gently nudge and guide me back on-topic whenever necessary.

Jessika Mikus is a passionate artist of many talents! "The END of FUN" benefits greatly from the addition of her skills behind the camera!

Her note-taking while we talked impressed me through and through. Note-taking is one habit of my own that I truly love, and very deeply appreciate and respect in others; especially those with a desire to collaborate on such an intense project. Instead of focusing on money, which she never mentioned until I insisted on having the discussion, her attention was simply on how to turn help turn my vision into OUR VISION. That secret ingredient that has made every person working so hard out there right now the right fit for this shoot which will be aggressive and maddening but even more rewarding once we have our movie done.

Even after I forced the discussion to turn to money, her attitude was simply unbelievable. Again, her focus was what we felt to be best for the production, stating simply "My passion is for this amazing movie. What you pay me isn't important. Let's just all support each other and make something magic!" This attitude made reaching a number that satisfied us both much easier, and our negotiation was as pleasurable as every other encounter I have had with Jessika to this point. Her amazing talent and attitude had me hoping for several days that she would turn out to be the right collaborator, and TODAY just PROVED that!

Jessika brings a hard-working collaborative spirit to the team along with several years of experience and formal training in her craft. Her quick thinking and access to resources will keep this production moving at exactly the pace we need to deliver a great, professional looking movie. Prepare to be impressed!

Please take a second to say "Hello" to Jessika below in the comments section! I know she will be stopping in occasionally to see what our fans are up to, and would love to interact with all of you.
THANKS AGAIN... AND WELCOME TO THE TEAM, JESSIKA!

DAN KOVEN
Dan Koven is more than an addition to this team. He is a brother to me personally, and the fact that we can work together in a very close way for the first time in about a decade and a half thrills be nearly beyond words (HEY! I said "nearly"-- you KNOW you don't get that LUCKY HERE!). While Dan and I both excel in the sales world, which is where we met back in 1999 at Fancy Publications, we both have had and shared our greater aspirations throughout this long-standing friendship.

His passion for music has already had an indirect impact on the movie you will someday see, and a very real and direct impact on you if you have checked out the PLAYLIST that I used while writing, or to the soundtrack songs. MANY of those songs were fed to me directly by this dedicated fan of a wide variety of music. He knows my tastes very well, and constantly exposes me to new stuff, and when some of that music takes-- like Bloc Party, the Kaiser Chiefs...or SLAVES-- it REALLY takes with me. There are times when I will listen to NOTHING BUT BLOC PARTY, or other bands Dan has shared with me, for days or even weeks at a time. When I finally had every MUSE album, there was a period in 2012 that I listened EXCLUSIVELY to the band for over 3 months, sometimes the same CD staying in my car's player for 2 or 3 continuous weeks, with me NEVER getting CLOSE to TIRED of listening!

During an EXTREMELY TRYING period of my life several years ago, some of the music fed to me by this friend above friends, was the only thing that kept me going. And stuff like "Cool Cool Universe" by IMA ROBOT or "The Resistance" by MUSE didn't just keep me going, it kept me SMILING. Everyone on Earth needs a Dan Koven in their life, and I am thankful every day for having the real deal in my life and someone I consider TRUE FAMILY regardless of the blood that flows through our veins. We are connected in ways that blood relations may only hope to achieve.

Having said that, let me be HONEST with you and say that while we are VERY CLOSE friends, Dan is also QUITE OFTEN my HARSHEST CRITIC. He has never said anything about my artwork to be intentionally cruel, but the "no-bullshit" nature from which he extends his opinions are CONSISTENT and always well-meaning. When other friends may blow smoke up each other's ass about creative work simply to keep the cross-masturbatorial relationship jerking, Dan refuses. He will bluntly tell me not only what he liked or loved about any particular thing I have shown him, but also what he finds poorly developed, trite, or just stupid. As narcissistic as I am, I RARELY AGREE with him, but I ALWAYS take his ideas, thoughts, and critique INTO CONSIDERATION as the project is revised, or as I approach the next one.

HOWEVER, I was very excited to let Dan read "The END of FUN" before ANYONE ELSE, even knowing he may come back and shoot the knees out of this project I had just fallen in love with the second the last word was typed. Several worrisome days following my emailing the ROUGH DRAFT (what I call the "love-note" version of my stuff), He finally reached back out to me. In typical Dan-fashion, he said "Are you sitting down? You know before I say anything?" At this point, I launched into a very self-defensive tirade explaining that if he did happen to hate this particular project, that unlike ANY TIME BEFORE, I would have to beg him to postpone the delivery of the opinion. I was simply too fond of the story to so quickly deal with anything that could upset me to the point that I would refuse to even revise and edit. He finally just interrupted my verbal diarrhea, "Bobby! Man, shut up for a second and listen! Sheesh..." and I did.

"Bobby," he said to me in a reverent tone I was not prepared for. "Bobby, this is not just the best thing I think you have ever written. Dude-- it's one of the best stories I have EVER READ! You have to make this into a movie. Don't fuck around. You know this still needs a little work. Do what needs done and make this happen." I was blown away. My skin had goosebumps and my eyes were shrunk-wrapped in tears as he gushed about my story and my writing. "ANYthing I can do to help. Man, I will." He promised me.

A few weeks ago, I decided to take Dan up on that offer and reached out to him concerning the rights for the songs my characters may sing as karaoke in "The END of FUN" as well as a few that play as ringtones or in a car, etc. Because of his passion for music and the music industry-- and even some time he spent blogging and reviewing a few years ago, he has built up a strong network of contacts in the business side of the music world. It was very easy for him to reach out to a friend and explain our exact situation and needs. His friend not only responded positively, but with a personal example that served to support our own thoughts, hopes, goals, and plans. He did however suggest to Dan that I hire a MUSIC SUPERVISOR just so I had a strong person dedicated to this task that he frankly referred to as a real time-suck. Now that I, and the movie overall, have reached the point in pre-production that we are at currently, taking on a job that is a time-suck simply is not practical.

When not listening to, or exploring for, new music, Dan loves playing games, watching movies, hanging out with his wonderful girlfriend, Trish or their ever-growing zoo. (NOTE: Zoo not pictured)

I agreed with Dan's friend that we needed a MUSIC SUPERVISOR to move forward sanely. Not only did  I agree, I ASKED DAN to be the guy for us. We talked about the entire situation very calmly and rationally, and as impersonally as we could, but in the end we were both more than intrigued, and were in fact EXCITED for him to do the job, and for him to JOIN this team OFFICIALLY, and start putting his passion and energy to work for us. Dan Koven is officially our MUSIC SUPERVISOR and EXECUTIVE PRODUCER.

Please take a second to welcome Dan onto our crazy team, down in the comments below! I know, he too, will be stopping by here and would love to chat with you guys!

WELCOME TO THE TEAM, DAN!

NEXT POST: CROWDFUNDING HAS STARTED!!!

#TEOFCrew


Tuesday, August 2, 2016

ART GOALS: Bill Sienkiewicz (sin-KEV-ich) and Dave Johnson for Movie Poster and Clown Face Design

BILL SIENKIEWICZ
If you ask any of my friends who knew me as a kid who my very favorite comic book artist was, they would immediately mispronounce the name, Bill Sienkiewicz. I honestly could not tell you the many ways that I actually mispronounced it myself growing up, even when correcting those other friends. I have no idea when I figured it out or how, but LOVE the fact that the artist makes it SO EASY for his fans these days to understand.

Just by going to his website CLICK HERE or on the picture below, you have instant access to his amazing, utterly unique artwork.

When I was a kid, I had to search high and low for ANYTHING I could find by the guy! (And that's not exactly easy growing up in the middle of nowhere, Kentucky...)

THIS is a screenshot from his ACTUAL WEBSITE! Click the pic and go straight there!

Please don't get me wrong, I loved a lot of the other GREATS who EXPLODED onto the COMICS SCENE during that transition from that late 70's through Mid 80's period that saw mind-expanding and/or scene-changing work from folks like John Byrne and Frank Miller. While I was into both the Uncanny X-Men under the hand of Byrne and DD under the writing and pencil of Miller, nothing compared to the utter and complete escape that Bill Sienkiewicz would provide when he took over the X-Men spinoff, New Mutants. I KNOW, though, it was his work on MOON KNIGHT that originally drew me to him as a fan in a permanent way.

As you may know, if you have been reading this blog for a while, I basically taught myself how to read out of an OVERWHELMING DESIRE to know what Spider-man was saying in the comics I would occasionally get hold of. My UNCLE TONY, whom I have mentioned previously as a BIG INFLUENCE on my comics reading was more of a DC fan. (CLICK HERE if you are just catching up on this blog!) So, as I would comb through his books looking for anything Marvel, I would constantly stop to at least look at Batman, Superman, and Green Lantern. The artist there that ALWAYS caught my eye was Neal Adams. His BATMAN kind of always just WILL BE BATMAN FOR ME!

When you examine the work by Sienkiewicz when his Moon Knight came out, you will notice much more of a Neal Adams influence than you would with other artists, or than you would, in fact, from Sienkiewicz himself as his style continued to morph, develop, and grow to become something distinctly and wonderfully unique. But it almost certainly had to be that Neal Adams connection that initially just grabbed my eyes and caused me to grab Moon Knight off the spinner-racks and continue to do so until a while after he had left the book.

I have read Moon Knight in many iterations since then, and really enjoyed a few-- especially the recent run by Ellis and Shalvey, but NOTHING ever hit me the way that original run by Sienkiwicz and Moench had.

By Source, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5266828

It was after this book, though, on New Mutants, that the look, feel, and style of his art really began to change quickly. As my friends would debate who the best Uncanny X-Men artist was, I would either just say "Byrne, shut up!" or "Who Cares? CHECK THIS OUT!" and throw copies of New Mutants into their laps. The book was just so different from what had originally drawn me into the X-World and its fairly typical, if more angsty, superheroics. Sienkiewicz and Claremont instead threw mysticism, mind control and a bizarre alien called Warlock at us, and my comics reading was changed forever.

The day one of my faithful DareDevil reading friends came over and handed me his copies of ELEKTRA: ASSASSIN, he didn't get them back for about two months, at which points I could afford and did buy my own copies.

During my first year of college, I was at my local comic store and the guy there one day said "Hey, aren't you the guy always saying you want more Sienkiewicz?" to which I quickly replied "Yeah. OF COURSE!" He guided me to the freshly released first copy of "Stray Toasters" with the caution "Good luck figuring it out", which I only barely heard or acknowledged. Instead asking constantly when the next issue came out until all were collected. I would read and reread the series many times. Sometimes not reading it at all. Instead, just poring over the artwork, marveling at the texture and the singular way it communicated its message across a comic book page.

ANYWAY-- As the years have gone on, technology has increased greatly. One stellar benefit of that leap in communication is the ability to connect with those whose  work you admire so greatly. As soon as I had the chance, I began to follow his work online and follow the artist in places like FB and Twitter. My 12 Year old self is very jealous! My 47-year old self agrees very heartily with the artist about many things, and one of those is his opinion about modern versus classic movie posters. This was actually a topic of discussion in an earlier blog post. CLICK HERE to catch up!

To that end, today I sent a message to Bill Sienkiewicz proposing that he design a movie poster for "The END of FUN" based on a basic concept that I ranted about briefly before asking several important questions regarding his desire, cost, rights, etc. WORKING TOGETHER with Bill Sienkiewicz would not only be the realization of a lifelong dream for me, but a MAJOR COUP for this production as it moves forward. The concept that I imagine, as it would be executed by this MASTER would add to and appropriately support the cache and style that we are already cultivating for "The END of FUN".

PLEASE EVERYONE cross your fingers for a positive response and good news from Bill Sienkiewicz. In the meantime, please visit his website and tell him we sent you! CLICK HERE!

DAVE JOHNSON
Dave Johnson, while not as connected to my childhood also plays an important role, not just in my comics history, but in my understanding of what exactly IMAGE COMICS could accomplish the further they got away from superhero comics. Image was everything to me for a few years in my 20's the way Spidey was in those preteen years. Image is such a UNIQUE and VARIED publisher today, that many people may not realize the wonderful and delicious cheese that first populated the pages of books like YOUNGBLOOD, WILDCATS and CYBERFORCE.

When Erik Larsen's corner of the imprint published "SUPERPATRIOT", I was, like many others, in basic IMAGE-BUYING fever. This book put a stop to that in many ways. The uniqueness, the composition of Dave Johnson's work really stood out from the other superhero stuff that was just flooding the shelves. There was a bombastic nature to his work, and occasionally, while very different from the art of Bill Sienkiewicz, would contain the same wonderful sense of impossibility made to seem utterly real.

Please CLICK HERE to LIKE Dave Johnson's FB Page! or CLICK HERE for his DEVIANTART page! Tell him "Bobby at 'The END of FUN' sent you!"
THIS PIC is from his FB PAGE:  https://www.facebook.com/117901334982711/photos/a.652442284861944.1073741826.117901334982711/717452088360963/?type=3&theater

I loved seeing him work on "RED SON" by DC, which I would have bought no matter what, but seeing those superior covers was definitely a real draw. Dave Johnson is, in fact, one of the only artists who makes me commit what I consider to be THE cardinal sin of comic buying....BUYING A BOOK ONLY FOR ITS COVER!

I will never name the book(s) purchased, but can promise that it was the cover by Johnson that finally caused me to pull the trigger. I feel very lucky that the man does not seem to waste his time on sub-par projects, so have never been disappointed (yet).

Today, I sent a request to Dave Johnson to design the face for our "Naked Clown" in "The END of FUN". Like with Bill Sienkiwicz above, having this opportunity would be a literal dream come true. SO-- ALL Friends, family, fans, and fun-killers out there, cross your fingers and toes! Pray to your god, gods, demons, and or devils! Just help us GET THIS GUY ON our clown's face! (Did that sound a little weird? Yeah, it sounded a little weird...)

It would be an amazing honor to work with either or both. Should either or BOTH ARTISTS say yes, the quality of our production WOULD only continue to rise, people! KEEP THOSE POSITIVE THOUGHTS COMING!

CROWDFUNDING STARTS NEXT POST!!!
#TEOFMoviePoster #TEOFRealMoviePoster #TEOFClownFace

Monday, August 1, 2016

INCREDIBLE First Meeting with Julia Rosette "Jade Silver" and Tara Tosten "Kari K"!

In case you are tuning in here for the first time...I LOVE PULP! One of my favorite songs by them is called "Do you Remember the First Time?" One of the only things I LOVE MORE than PULP is our movie "The END of FUN"! While, as you may have seen on Facebook, Twitter, and here, the casting process has been exhausting, it has also been light-years beyond rewarding. I will NEVER FORGET THE FIRST TIME meeting Julia Rosette and Tara Tosten in person!

With this being my first budgeted feature, it was vital to me to form direct connections with all my lead actors from the very first day the were brought on board. I wanted each of them to know that I would shepherd them through this process just as surely as I would the movie as a whole. During the casting process, I met and talked with a lot of actors who will not BE IN THIS MOVIE, but still seemed like very strong contenders for future collaborations.

The OFFICIAL VIDEO is very cool, BUT because the lyrics were a little too racy for those oh-so-conservative--really?--1990's ("I don't care if you screw him..."), they were compelled to release a "clean" version, too. That video, while amazingly cool, is from the lamer cut of the song. Directly beneath this you will find the longer better version, and under that is the edited version but with a much cooler video...



So...the BETTER VERSION of the song is found above, but the really, really neat video is right...HERE!


MOST IMPORTANTLY, I met, spoke with, and saw the auditions of Julia Rosette and Tara Tosten, who play "Jade Silver" and "Kari K" respectively in "The END of FUN". While these two actresses could not be more different in so very many ways, there are several in which they are absolutely identical. BOTH ARE TALENTED and WISE so far beyond their years, that without sitting in the same room you would never successfully guess the age of either.

Like the Sun and The Moon, both these actresses are equally beautiful to behold. Yet like both those objects of CELESTIAL MAGNIFICENCE, these two INSANELY TALENTED INDIVIDUALS have so much more going on BELOW THE SURFACE that only after you leave appearances behind, do you literally scratch the metaphysical surface of WHO THEY ARE!

Tara Tosten and Julia Rosette will draw audiences into seats with their incredible beauty throughout their long and successful careers, but it is their SKILL, COLLABORATIVE EASE, PERSONALITIES, and SCREEN PRESENCE that will drive the conversations as those same viewers leave their seats and never ever forget them!



Being pleasing to the eye on screen is only one thing Tara and Julia share in common. Both are incredibly professional, well-prepared, curious, and love to contribute and collaborate throughout the whole process. As we sat and read through the screenplay for the first time, both offered suggestions that very seriously make the script tighter and the story better. Having them around seems to somehow make me smarter and even more creative.

Their differences are nearly as important as their similarities, though. Tara is shorter, while Julia is taller. Julia has long dark hair while Tara's is shoulder-length and strawberry blonde. Tara plays her "Kari K" as bubbly, energetic, and bold while Julia approaches "Jade Silver" as more sultry, mysterious, and calculating. It is only through the unique combination of BOTH the differences and the similarities that such a VERY POTENT SYNERGY has developed, and nearly immediately, between these two.

In fact, there was a welcome synergy between the THREE OF US as we read over the screenplay, discussed it, along with our roles and the story overall. I would not realize how lost I was becoming in the part, and in the story, until occasionally we were interrupted by others from the cast who were invited to stop by. During those instances, the "spell", the mental connection, the creative cabling that was joining us would temporarily sever.

While startling, this was never annoying to me on this particular day, because the temporary breaking of our bond actually did serve to keep reminding me of exactly how linked we were already becoming during just this first read, and with the focus only us three lead actors.

 As Steven Ciceron and Stephanie Jackson joined us for a while, Julia and Tara had the opportunity to become more familiar with featured actors local to San Diego. It will be a few weeks before we gather the cast physically, as many rehearsals will take place online.

During our meeting, we not only read over the script and discussed the story and characters, but also began handling a lot of the less creative and more logistical aspects of our production. We were very easily able to establish an initial schedule for both our shoot and our rehearsals. After we took care of all the hard work, we ordered pizza and shot some very quick video clips that will be used later this week to launch our KICKSTARTER! Be on the lookout, PLEASE! 

By the end of our first in-person meeting, which officially took place on Sunday July 31, 2016 from 11 to 4:30ish, we all felt like we knew and understood each other a lot better. Getting to know both of these fellow creators was a true pleasure and I look forward to our rehearsals together as well as our time on the sets! By the end of that day we also felt very productive. And probably more than anything as we said goodbye to each other, the only thing we felt more than EXCITEMENT was EXHAUSTION! My heart went out to both Julia and Tara as they pulled away from our house in San Diego and headed back for L.A., and I headed to my bedroom for a brief nap.

I dearly LOVE the expression on Tara's face as KARI K, practicing her look of disgusted disbelief at her co-star Julia Rosette's JADE SILVER. There were MANY MAGIC MOMENTS already just on this very first basic "get-to-know-each-other" first meeting and read!

HEY! I didn't exactly get off easy... The only reason I took the nap was so that I could go and meet a fellow San Diegan movie creator (experienced actor, director, writer, producer, and more) about the possibility of helping on our crew (POSSIBLY as OUR ASSISTANT DIRECTOR) and possibly showing up onscreen as well. The effort was well worth it, as he passed several other contacts to me, further expanding my network and thereby deepening the bench of talent from which I may draw now and the future. MORE ON THAT IN THE NEXT POST!
FOCUS IS NOW ON CREW! Assistant Director, Director of Photography, Sound, MORE!

Stay tuned! AND for now drop a quick HELLO in the comments and welcome both TARA and JULIA to this production, and WATCH as their STARS begin to RISE QUICKLY.




Casting Announcement... Meet TARA TOSTEN...our Kari K!

While I have no interest in ever becoming a casting director, I do believe it is important for the director to be directly involved with the process. For that reason alone, I would have found this whole process of casting the lead actors for "The END of FUN" to be invaluable. However, the absolute most wonderful thing to emerge from constant contact with some of the most talented up and coming talent in the acting world has been building a network of gifted people that I feel confident about working with not just on this project, but on future work as well.

TARA TOSTEN exemplifies EVERY POSITIVE quality you could look for in a collaborator, and our movie "The END of FUN" became better the very second she agreed to take on the role of "Kari K". After running ads and notifications for our casting call for about 6 weeks, Tara nailed the role in her audition and made Kari K all her own in a way that no one else came close to with this character. Additionally, the raw energy and enthusiasm that just bubbles off her in waves instills confidence in me as a writer, her director, and as her co-star and collaborator. Audiences will walk away feeling impressed and rewarded from everything this actor puts on the screen.

Tara Tosten is extremely talented and has every other quality you could hope for in a collaborator from versatility and dynamism to a very extreme sense of focus. She is funny, intense, punctual, friendly, attentive and very open to offering her own amazing ideas to make the project better!

As with most of the collaborators on this project, Tara is very multi-faceted and skilled in a number of areas, which was simply one more thing that pushed over the edge and compelled me to offer her the role very quickly. After Tara submitted for and explained her interest in the role of Kari K and I awaited her audition tape, I watched her reels at Backstage.

Probably the most unexpected and simply jawdropping ability she showed was a fierce toughness in a reel dedicated to physical work and fighting, which caused me to go back and look at her resume one more time. I wanted someone who was cute, but tough; someone who could portray a Kari K as dynamic as I had written. Tara brought all that to this character and in bigger ways than I could have ever hoped.

Yesterday, I actually got to meet Tara for the first time in person (along with Julia Rosette-- who was cast recently as "Jade Silver" CLICK HERE). Within minutes of talking to her, I immediately began thinking aloud about the extremely wide variety of ways she could be put on the screen: cute neighbor next door, cop, bad guy, beauty queen-- this girl has A LOT inside her and it is NOT LOCKED UP. Her talent is like a wild animal that you would never trust anyone else to control!

Tara and Julia met for the first time in yesterday and immediately began discussing their approaches to the characters of Kari K and Jade Silver. It was an exhausting, but incredibly productive day that will be focus of the next post!


ANY Director, Writer, Actor, or collaborator of any type who has the opportunity to work with Tara should jump on it quickly. She is a rising star who I KNOW YOU WILL SEE EVERYWHERE SOON! I certainly look forward to it, and will be thrilled anytime her presence fills the screen for something I have written, directed, or am starring in.

THANK YOU, TARA TOSTEN! Please say "Hi" to Tara in the comments section below and make her feel welcome!

#TEOFCast #TEOFKariK