After hard work, I hope to sale my film online: Chapter 3

Anyway I rewrote the screenplay, actually wasn’t even finish when I start shooting, my screenplay was only 60 pages, because I wanted to shoot the film quickly as possible before anyone was going to quit on me, but must of all to have the film done and start sale it on my website or on amazon.com.
I had a better plan then last time and than again still not perfect. I build up some rumor online way before I was going in to preproduction, I slightly change the title ‘Rules” eliminate the “the” build up a website with a teaser without the real footage, actually I was able to use some of the footage I shoot it in 2006. Putting the site up and do a little PR marketing online I was able to gain some exposure before the production, spread the rumor and get the IMDB credit, and keep my promise to all cast and crew to be on the list.
Now my movie was looking pretty good, got the website with poster, photos, story, and trailer, now is time to shoot. One think I didn’t do so well, I didn’t realize I need to stay connected with the audience was interest in my movie and I didn’t know how either. I was unaware about the existence of facebook.com or seriously consider youtube.com as access to stay connected with the audience, I did put the teaser on youtube but no interaction or give more video update about the progress of my film; I might still thinking as the old fashion filmmaker.
Like always this was an adventure, we kept changing the schedule because some people still was flaking on me, but this time I had a good solid few team members, I was able to rely from my friend Megan, Keith, some other friends and the head director operation of the club company. No matter what difficulty we run in to we managed, from those flaky people, shaking locations, technical issues, and lots time flying buy and as well dealing with some individual trying to break a part my dream. Sometime I thought I was baby seating, tried hard not to lose control, and comeback in the same state of mind when I was working at the nightclub. I thought that wouldn’t be pretty on a film set. Even thou my character Pietro Reed Giordano was the reenact of my old character and my old job, dealing with nightclub patrons and the old mambo jumbo frustration I was going trough, as well I was telling my life experience in the entertainment industry from bad, good and odds.
I need to say this time I shot this film with unexpected help from peoples, and I was able to get my old friend Jay to invest in the film, because I didn’t have any money. I told him I was able to produce a movie and put it in the market for only four thousand dollars. He didn’t want to believe it. I show him a business plan, showing the expenses and the marketing strategy, I did and I shot the film in only three weeks.
We shoot not even every day, because was difficult to keep cast and crew on the schedule for free, so we kept changing things around and constantly rewrite the story on set as we where filming. Through the year I did put another thousand dollars more or less out of my pockets to finish edit the film; I did all the graphics, editing, websites, animation, and so many other things you can even imagine. I attend twice at the AFM (America Film Market) promoting and ultimately try to find a distributor hopping to get some money upfront. I enter one film festival (AOF International Film Festival) and get nominated as best fight choreographer, but I run-out of money and I wasn’t able to submit the film on any other film festival available.
Film festival are expensive and you don’t even know if they will accept your film, and if they don’t then you lose your entry fee, It’s a competition and even ones they accept your film you don’t even know if you pick-up a distribution, sale the movie or someone will hire you for another movie. By the way, I did put RULES on facebook as well, soon I find out this was another opportunity to spread the news, with not much result.

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Chapter 2; continue my long story, might be worth to reed it.

Lets comeback talking about how I thought to develop my film, unfortunately I had hard time to find people committed as I was. After spending only three weeks on writing my very first feature film screenplay with my best English, I start putting together in only few days a small crew. I was able to get the nightclub location for free; I bought some equipment with my own money and start auditioning for the main cast. I schedule my shooting days but on the first couple days, only few people show up on the set. I was missing lots element and a true help; also never have a mentor in this field.
I was thinking to quit right there, which usually I never think to quit in anything, my good friend Keith the DP told me “Lets stay and shoot what ever we can” and I sad “I will never have this movie done if people keep flake on me” I had no elements, no money and time either.
After that day I chose to stop and rethinking what I should do, this was the first time I almost quit, got discourage for not having the skills to put together a good team. I toke a break about this project and kept going working at the nightclub, but after one year, I really lost my mind for keep working as security. I start hate those people coming at the club with an attitude, getting drunk and taking drugs, thinking they are the big shot in the city and thinking they can treat people with disrespect. I don’t drink at all, smoke or eating junk food, and dealing with those kind of people I lost my human sensitivity, I become hard to them and to myself, for me was easy to pick a fight punish some of those people and pretend like nothing happen.
I really was looking for a fight almost every night and build up more anger than ever I had in my life. A year later I had the strength to quit the job, realize I was getting close to kill someone, end up in prison or someone was going to kill me and end up in some green field, either way for me wasn’t going to be a happy ending and getting faraway from my real America dream.

I chose to rely only on few clients I trained at the gym, but not even after a year I left the nightclub, I lost everyone and start leaving out of my little few thousands dollars saving, I kept promises to myself not to ever comeback working as security for any nightclub. I tried hard to find some other job, I sent probably hundreds resume or application, and I’m not kidding, I was looking everywhere to work, but without compromise my acting career, and then nothing.
A year later I decide to pick-up my film “the Rules” I left in 2006 and sad “I‘m going to make my film no matter what and sale it online for a few bucks” doing the same thing I did in 2007 for my second exercise video. I spent only few bucks I had for online adverting on goggle and yahoo, and I sold couple hundreds copy of my exercise DVD, I realize the system was working, but not much for the exercise video. I sad “well the exercise video is very hard to sale because need lots more exposure than a movie, and the audience is less from the audience love to watch movies.” With this in mind in 2008 I start rewriting the script, change the concept, reestablish crew and cast, stay more focus who to pick for cast and crew, which still it’s hard to make the perfect choice anyway, specially when is about asking people work for free.

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