Film making: Integrity and protecting yourself

This has nothing to do with current film Demonica that I am working on 

Its interesting and a learning experience to see who supports you in your film making and passions, who takes you seriously, and who pretty much disregard you in any and every way and yet they feel you need to support them and at times bow down to their dreams.  Its also very interesting the backstabbing and lack of integrity that goes on in the industry after people say they will do something regardless of verbal of or written contract.  I have been raised where integrity is key in life, and unfortunately I like to believe i can trust people on their word but mainly you find, while you can trust a few, people who don't have integrity in the first place or able to think for themselves will use you and lead you along for their benefit and their ego, to make themselves look good and professional until you wise up and realize the time, career and talent, were just being used.  This is often the case for eager and inexperienced individuals who wish to break in only to find dreams broken by people to careless to really care about the person from the beginning.

When you have this self awakening its often discouraging and heartbreaking and you just want to give up.  Move on find 5 to 10 people you can really trust and move forward with them as your support circle and team.  You may feel you are starting from the ground up, obviously you never had the foundation you thought you did. While this can be a cutthroat dishonest industry, there are the genuine players and for those who don't play nice, file it away in your professional mental toolbox, and remember it when they come to you later and decide how you want to handle it professionally. As a beginning or even experienced industry professional research the people you are going to team up with and find out their successes and failures, while people may have opinions or comments and sometimes what to destroy someone, be smart to follow your gut and really weigh what people say good and bad and form your decisions. There is usually some truth behind what people say.  As you gain experience, watch with a keen eye business dealing and be smart before you enter into verbal or contractual agreements.  I recommend having contracts for everything from conception of any project with someone who agrees to work with.  Insist and protect yourself while not allowing in one to shiest you. If people can not live by or honor your reasonable request in a timely matter that should be your golden ticket that something is wrong.

Keep putting yourself out there for every 100 no there is 1 yes.  Have faith, and keep putting yourself out there, do not give up on your dream as your break will co

Prescribed Films- Indie Filmmaking Holding True to its Name

After being in Utah for 3 weeks for filming 2 commercials and a short film, casting for my film "Take Stand," two table reads, a photo shoot, shooting my Indiegogo campaign video, securing donations for Silent auction, speaking to a group against bullying and suicide and walking the Red Carpet for the premiere of the new Soap Opera "Proper Manors" [www.propermanors.tv] I find myself  in a strange new world, another planet, galaxy or even possibly what could be the gateway to the twilight zone. This place, which can only be entered into through some rift in the space time continuum in Iowa that really creates a reality that my no means know what the concept of normality is, this vortex or gateway is called Prescribed Films.

Prescribed Films is a indie film group and company that supports the concept of no or low budget feature film making. While the group consists of very talented and highly qualified crew and Talent and looks like a regular film set, in reality has been the metaphorical rabbit hole of film making turning my concepts and training upside down, twisted and kinked, to the point that these filmmakers are sane compared to the quote unquote filmmakers I am used and by no means are they conventional.  I had to learn very quickly what to eat and what to drink in order to survive this truly unique land of wonder.  Prescribed films is about being a family and not being defined by particular labels or ideas of film making while having fun and treating each day on set as an opportunity to run with the bulls or run among the stallions as this is about having fun, adventure, and for the mere thrill of being part of something greater than one person but about the ability of the team and family.  I had to quickly adjust to quirks lack of seriousness , while giving myself a just let go enema as I needed to quickly stop being a tight assed, anal retentive cunt who takes her job too seriously.  Every director has their on way of doing things and as was described to me we have many professional quality people who work with prescribed films who refuse to work on any other films besides prescribed unless they are very similar to the mission of Prescribed in order to avoid the politics, egos, and annoying I am all that attitudes.

While I have worked on many film sets this team this family working on "Demonica" is by far the greatest set I have ever been on.  I don't mean this as a slam to the wonderful people I have worked with in the past on various project.  If a film shoot can get me to not me an uptight tunnel visioned filmmaker especially as the Script and Continuity Supervisor by day 2 then there is true magic on this set.  While my continuity eye is key for this film, I am doing unconventional means of script supervisor paperwork and such and its okay. I hate to say it especially when I'm very OCD about stuff like this, that I don't have to be perfect. Just have to be who the director needs me to be.

While I am overzealous I am learning to relax breathe and take it easy.  I do not have to do everything and I( just need to enjoy the adventure.  Prescribed Films is a wonderful group to be working with and I am greatly blessed, honored, and privileged as a filmmaker to be working with this group and invited into their world.  This feature production is a journey on opening the mind and just flow and I know I will be learning a lot from these great filmmakers.

What is worse than Demons, Demons on roller skates.

 (picture is a general stock photo of me filmmaking in Utah nothng to do with Prescribed Films)

The directors Jason Bolinger and Insane Mike Saunders owned up to March of this year the Insane Asylum, a cult movie, collectable, and horror emporium in Ottumwa, Iowa.  If you are looking for a old cult or horror VHS or DVD let me know and i will see if he still has it for sale still as the still have merchandise available.

When I move out Iowas my place place is going to be a tribute to all film making.   Prescribed Film members also have nicknames that we go by and usually something that is associated with our live as people and filmmakers.  My film nickname is "Phoenix" as it is part of the logo for my company as well for me represents empowerment, strength, renewal and healing, life, and the ability to rise above and and overcome.  So as a filmmaker I am Phoenix.