Juggling a New Ball that's Not So New!

Now that the extreme push for Vengaence Trail's theatrical premiere is over, not that there aren't tons to do to continue to promote it, another project in development has percolated to the top, again. 

PREY FOR MASON is a teen thriller feature that Brandon Riley and I have been developing for years. A year ago, we signed with LOOR.TV and last September I shot a proof-of-concept short version called "Pray v Prey." Yesterday, a teaser for "Pray v Prey" launched on LOOR TV to earn finishing funds.

LOOR TV is a gamified, streaming and crowdfunding technology for non-woke movies. They are the punk rock of faith-adjacent indie film, something I call Edgy Faith. The creators at Loor are somewhat anarchistic and nomadic, film producers without a home. Subscribers exchange their cash for Loot and choose which projects rise to the top. The quality is excellent!

As you can see from a cast and crew clip from set, we had a lot of fun making it. 

And, as you can see from the table read, those actors loved the feature film screenplay.

Ian Max

WORLDWIDE THEATRICAL PREMIERE DAY!

April 23 was a banner day. Check out the photos from the Red Carpet.

And credit where credit is due:

• Judi Stiner Gray helped me plaster the Memphis with posters and set up the event.
• TB Oatis helped with cash sales at the door.
• JC (Joseph Miller) played magnificent cello - support him @jaycello.
• Lawrence Evans brought his photography crew.
• Ty Stinson shot BTS video.
• Anfra Boyd hosted the Q&A live on The YAMS Show.
• K Toomer a.k.a. Fat Jitsu printed the t-shirts.
• 901 Print Shop printed the posters and Bingo cards.
• Stickers & Banners printed the banner.
• LaDell Beaman of Heal the Hood Foundation loaned me his banner stands.
• Malco Cordova presented the movie in glorious picture and sound.

And here's the banner. Follow the QR code to see what all the images are about:

What did I learn?

• Ask for help. Memphians are generous people.
• Form a brainstorm group of people who have host film events, to learn what I don't know.
• Anticipate people leaving before the credits finish, and get their exit interviews on video.
• Consistency. One event is a loss leader. Many events and movies is a career.

What did I do right?

• I made sure everyone had fun. 
• I gave the star actor/producer, Keven Russell McCaulley & wife Rhonda the VIP treatment.
• I invited everyone to walk the Red Carpet and take pictures with me.
• I focused on audience interaction with the Bingo Cards, the photos and video, and the Q&A.
• I also had fun.

What's next for Vengeance Trail? 

• Send pictures from the red carpet to each attendee. Done tonight.
• Fix some lip sync issues I noticed, especially when Sheriff Emery interviews the Gilkey Brothers.
• Gather all the stunt people on Zoom and talk shop for BTS video.
• Launch the soundtrack on Spotify.
• Design DVD and Blu-Ray art and menus for AlliedVaughn.com to print on demand.

What's next for Eyre Films?

• Prey for Mason funding/streaming on Loor.TV drops this week.
• Writers group expects pages for a new monster comedy.
• Write a long-overdue newsletter.

Good night!

Ian Max

STAR in ATTENDANCE!

(Day T-1 Count Down to Worldwide Theatrical Premiere on April 23!)

Tomorrow's screening will be a chance for our audience to meet one of the stars, Keven Russell McCaulley. Not only is Keven one of the initiators, financiers and historians of Vengeance Trail, he also played the bounty hunter/hitman Garvey. Come out and hear more from Keven tomorrow evening! 

Here's a clip from today's test screening at the theater (Keven Russell McCaulley as Garvey, Garrett W. Roberts as Jack the Barkeep, Jeff Dolan as Sheriff Emery):

As a former law-enforcement officer from California, and an equestrian and historian, Keven brings authenticity to his roles. Acting has been a hobby of Keven's since 1992. You can find his work on IMDB as Keven Russell and as Keven McCaulley. Stay tuned, because now that he's retired, Keven has been auditioning lately.

And when Vengeance Trail makes its money back, Keven would love to make more movies.

Hope to see many of y'all tomorrow!

Ian Max

MOMENTUM!

(Day T-3 Count Down to Worldwide Theatrical Premiere on April 23!)

I can't keep up! People are responding on social media. A second review came in. And, Thursday's talk show was rehearsal for Sunday's talk show! Now, to incentivize more ticket sales.

I really love what Film Threat wrote. They understand the limitations and intent of the original movie, and appreciate it for what what it is, a fairy traditional, old-style morality tale. 

Tomorrow evening, Memphis' Anfra Boyd will be hyping the movie, with a possible surprise guest. Tune in at 7pm Central HERE. She calls her show The YAMS (You Are My Sister) Talk Show!

Today's accomplishments:

• Finished updating my wardrobe and my wife's wardrobe for the premiere.
• Purchased prizes for best costume and the Bingo-style interactive movie-watching game.
• DCP delivered and ingested successfully. I will see a test screening on Monday.

Still lots to do:

• Automate ticket response email.
• Incentivize my kids' high school friends to come.
• Borrow stands for the banner.
• Confirm all the talent for putting on the event: cellist, stills photographer, videographer team, box office.
• Watch the test screening. Learn the system of the movie theater.
• Start post bios of cast and crew.
• Post social media links to all the businesses around Memphis that displayed the poster.

And after the screening:

• BTS videos with the stunt team and animal wranglers.
• Video from the Worldwide Theatrical Premiere.
• DVD and BluRay authoring through Allied Vaughn.
• At least 3 more Rotten Tomatoes reviews.

Time to rest the eyes and brain!

Ian Max

What I Learned From a Movie Premiere Last Night.

(Day T-8 Count Down to Worldwide Theatrical Premiere on April 23!)

Last night I attended a Memphis born and raised (by On Location: Memphis) short film "5th Step." The 5th Step refers to the Confession Step in the 12 Step Alcoholics Anonymous Program. Without giving it away, Angela Green created a lot of mystery and twists with the theme of confession. And it had solid acting and production value. For a micro-budget with strategic plans of growing Memphis as a film production hub, and a sold out attendance, I continue to enjoy transplanting to Memphis and seek to help the city succeed!

Angela graciously sold me promo space before the movie, which you can see here. I was especially excited for the audience enthusiasm for Vengeance Trail.

VIP EXPERIENCE

The premiere for "5th Step" had two tiers of tickets, General Admission was $20 but included a popcorn and fountain drink and the Q&A after the screening. For $45, VIPs got photographs on the red carpet, wine and cheese with a violinist, and a private mingle with the stars and filmmakers in the theater before the doors opened for General Admission. There was certainly enthusiasm from locals to sell out this VIP experience.

However, another premiere screening I went to, for the movie CRAPS, everyone got to mingle together inside the theater. I think there was a VIP experience, but I don't know the particulars. 

For Vengeance Trail's worldwide theatrical premiere next week, I'm treating everyone the same, but they have to purchase their own food and drink from concessions. We will have the red carpet experience, a cellist creating mood music, t-shirts for sale, Q&A with two actors and two producers. And prizes for best Wild West costume!

The primary goal for the screening in 8 days is to create a full house, enthusiastic environment to capture the energy of the crowd and their responses to the movie for marketing. So much to do, and so many tickets to sell.

MEMPHIS MEMPHIS MEMPHIS 

At last night's premier, I also got to interact with Linn Sitler and Sharon Fox O-Guin of the Memphis & Shelby County Film and Television Commission. I asked them for advice about getting the press to come to my screening. They asked me a very important question; "Was it shot in Memphis?" Ahh, I get it! Memphis is fiercely loyal and they support their own. What makes my movie premiere interesting, outside the friends I've made here and Westerns fans? Well, I live here now, so that makes me a Memphian. It's also the reason I'm hosting the first theatrical exhibition here. 

Wait a minute! I've neglected the most interesting detail for local Memphians: the premiere is a first, and I chose Memphis, so let's celebrate! Next Tuesday, April 23 will be the...

WORLDWIDE THEATRICAL PREMIERE of Vengeance Trail, in MEMPHIS!

I'm adjusting all the materials, writing a press release with this important detail, and resubmitting the new story to all the press that ignored it first round. Excited and energized, and a little frazzled!

Ian Max

How to Officially Get on Rotten Tomatoes! 

(Day 12 Counting Down to Memphis Premiere on April 23!)

It's a scary thing, going public. One thing I've learned about self-distribution is to make sure your movie is discoverable online. It's been on IMDb for a minute, lol. Where else do you expect to see movies?

Rotten Tomatoes requires 5 approved critics to review your movie!

Outside of cast and crew, family and a few neighbors, no one that I know has seen the movie. People have been impressed by the trailer, but that's putting the best foot forward. Now that I'm going all-in on a public screening, I don't want to disappoint. That day is fast approaching, on April 23.

Maybe that's why it's so important to do table reads with a screenplay, to start interacting with an audience. 

So, I went through the movie one last time, to fix some audio and color issues I've noticed. And I've just paid two critics to review Vengeance Trail, the best version I am able to release. Can't wait to share their reviews, and find 3 more critics.

To do:

• Continue plastering the town with posters. I'll be driving 100+ miles today.
• Figure out a Press Release on a budget.
• Iron out last minute details for the big event.

Ian Max

Western Authenticity in the Screenplay, Shooting and Editing of Vengeance Trail!

(Day 16 Counting Down to Memphis Premiere on April 23!)

AUTHENTICITY! Let's talk about seeking historical accuracy, and A.I. tools.

Vengeance Trail happens in the late 1800's in a fictitious west Texas town. Al Frisch and Keven Russell, the originators and keepers of the story, are Wild West aficionados. Al wrote the screenplay and played Mr. Robbins. Keven played Garvey and will attend the Premiere on April 23 in Memphis. 

At least one time on set, an actor thought a line sounded awkward and asked if he could say something more modern. Al would light into that person with a rant that could be heard back at base station, and Stephen the director would have to mediate and soften the blow. But the point was made: Al cared about the historical accuracy of his dialogue. Also, Al's wife Sue cared about the historical accuracy of the costumes. Attention to detail is evident all throughout the movie.

Two weeks ago, Keven watched the new Vengeance Trail, version 2.0 if you will. Here's what he said: 

The only issues I see, and don't know if they can be fixed now, is [some lines with hard to understand words] and in the scene when they are upstairs in town making a plan with Jim on the table and Jim says; "they stopped in front of the Sheriff's STATION," which is a modern term  and he should say OFFICE instead.

Normally, this line could be fixed with a recording studio session with the actor in a process called ADR or Automated Dialogue Replacement. Since the actor is no longer available, and would likely sound differently all these years later, I would collect thirty seconds of the character speaking in a similar tone from the same scene hopefully, as a voice sample, and upload it into a voice cloning software like PlayHT.

Then I would type in the new line of dialogue and do a comparison. The software gives multiple tries with the same line of dialogue, for different speaking rhythms, and now they've added emotions you can experiment with. I would likely then swap just the word "office" for "station," but to get the rhythm right I'd type in the whole sentence in order to get the one word right. I'd might have to swap the whole phrase for it all to sound right. Fortunately, in the edit there's no lip sync to worry about.

However, in this case, I went through all the takes and found that the actor used the right word once. Solution! Swapped it.

I know PlayHT works pretty well, because I already used it in Vengeance Trail. I'm waiting to see if the writer or producers notice, lol. An editor has his tricks and secrets, just like a magician. I did discover that I had to use a voice sample of the actor speaking with the same energy. If I mixed high-emotion dialogue with low-emotion, the output would be uneven and way off. But if I matched the same emotional energy in the sample, the output was actually quite usable. BTW, I think the lip sync will give it away more than anything, because I didn't get that quite right.

So, try out Play HT for yourself!

Ian Max

 

18 Days of Vengeance Trail - Countdown to Memphis Premiere on April 23!

Today's BTS insight: Key use of Video Enhance A.I. to blow up the original footage.

Before that, the gnarly task of recapturing all the old footage. Stephen and I couldn't find all the hard drives with footage and the EDL (edit decision list from the editing software). 

So, I borrowed an old DV deck and rescanned 70 Mini DV tapes. That’s 35 hours of footage. Then I cut those 70 clips into all the camera takes from set -- thousands of them -- and started matching them to the trailer. I couldn’t find all the footage, so I substituted shots.

Then I used Video Enhance A.I. software by Topaz Labs, on special for $150, to convert the footage from 480i to 1080p, a magnification of 250%. If you want more details to help for your own project, let me know. Check out this Vengeance Trail Up-res Comparison.

The last three years has been a labor of love, all for a library movie that's not proven to have found an audience yet. But everything in me says it's a decent movie with good production value, way better than our first DVD effort. And, I'm not tired of watching it. 

As Christian Toto just said: 

I am super excited to see Vengeance Trail on a big screen with a bunch of rowdy people, a shared experience the way cinema is supposed to be! Thanks for joining me on the journey.

Ian Max

P.S.  I'll be taking tomorrow off.

19 Days of Vengeance Trail - Countdown to Memphis Premiere on April 23!

I picked up 100 posters to place around town. I'm very pleased with the quality and turnaround time from 901 Print Shop. 

Nearby, was an RV dealer that I had frequented for a while when caring for my father-in-law's camper. I thought about the foot traffic they would get from affluent types who might like Westerns. I wrote a note on the back offering one free ticket if they would publicly display the poster. Inside, they were friendly and interested, but had to ask corporate for permission. Either way, they said they'd share it among the employees.

This got me thinking. I need to ask mom-and-pop stores to display the poster. And, if I give away a ticket for each poster, that's potentially $2000. I will save that as a backup plan and see how many store owners will display the poster for free, willingly, and how many are ruthless entrepreneurs. 

Also, if each poster leads to one ticket sale, and I post all 100, I'll quickly and hopefully need to book a second  screening time. What a good challenge that would be -- first-world-problems!

So, now to brainstorm about 90 strategic places to ask for the poster to be displayed. On the way home, I saw this Western clothing store billboard:

So, I'm brainstorming a list:

• Western and boot clothing stores.
• Restaurants.
• Theater troops.
• Stores within a mile of the theater.
• Veterinary and animal feed stores.
• Equestrian stables.
• Motorcycle dealers, for those steel steed riders.

Then (NOSTALGIA ALERT) I'll plot a large loop around the county, like I used to do in Los Angeles in the 90s with a stack of headshot Lithographs, a copy of the Shoot Sheet from the Stephen J Cannel Building in Hollywood, and a Thomas Guide Street Directory. 200 miles later I would have snuck onto 5 sets and met one stunt coordinator. And the ratio of getting hired that way was one in a hundred, ish.

Ah, memory lane!

Ian Max

21 Days of Vengeance Trail - Countdown to Memphis Premiere on April 23!

Today, I reached out to all the Memphis news sources I could find with the search "submit story to Memphis news":

• ABC-24 
• ActionNews-5
• WREG
• We Are Memphis
• Fox-13 News - responded
• Memphis Metro News
• Happening Next: Memphis - paid $5 for story placement

Now, I'm working on some movie notes for one more pass on my edit, mostly lip sync issues that I missed, so I can submit Vengeance Trail for review to Film Threat. They have rates from Zero to $500. I'm going with the $100 option.

The nice thing about Film Threat is they are approved by Rotten Tomatoes, which requires 5 approved reviews before they post your movie. Here's the list of critics approved by Rotten Tomatoes.

Anyone have any suggestions on movie critics that love scrappy indies?

Tomorrow: I've got to get posters printed and into a few select stores around town. I'm thinking of giving a free ticket or pair of tickets for each storefront that lets me place a poster for a couple weeks. Thoughts? I'll be posting my results so we can all learn.

Then, I'd like to start posting bios of the cast and crew. Stay tuned!

Ian Max

22 Days of Vengeance Trail - Countdown to Memphis Premiere on April 23!

I wrote my first guest article today, and it's already live. Thank you, Christian Toto!

To accomplish tomorrow:

• Double check all my links.
• More interactions with Western Movie fan groups.
• More local Memphis attractions posts.
• Find local press to do a story on, now that I have my EPK.
• Reach out to Indie Film Hustle podcast, now that I have my first guest post.
• Final tweaks to the edit, with notes from one of the EPs.
• Submit the movie to Film Threat for review.
• Find a local poster printer, then visit local Western wear stores.
• Write my quarterly Eyre Films newsletter and highlight Vengeance Trail.
• Go through my notes on marketing and distribution and see what I've forgotten.

If you are self-distributing your movie, please say hi in the comments and link us to your movie!

Ian Max

23 Days of Vengeance Trail - Countdown to Memphis Premiere on April 23!

Finally got my EPK (electronic press kit) created. Anyone out there able to give me expert advice?

I need to start sharing this to media and bloggers soon!

I also need to get to bed early tonight, because I wasn't firing on all cylinders today.

Ian Max

26 Days of Vengeance Trail - Countdown to Memphis Premiere on April 23!

It's Good Friday, so I'm going to take a break to spend time with the in-laws. 

Here's a segment of a videos I made for a Vengeance Trail Crowdfundr campaign last year:

Today, I did get some good feedback on some technical issues in the movie. And guess what? It's on my hard drive so I can fix it and re-upload on Vimeo, and the movie will be even better when it's projected on April 23. 

Ah, the life of an indie filmmaker.

Ian Max

27 Days of Vengeance Trail - Countdown to Memphis Premiere on April 23!

Sometimes an ROI (return on investment) takes many years! How to have integrity with movie investors' money!!

Most independent movies don't make a profit (60-82% don't break even, in our budget range), which is a simple reality with a complicated response. Filmmakers like to create art, but don't want to learn the business of selling the movie. Vengeance Trail wasn't profitable on its first round, but that doesn't mean it can't find future audiences as a library movie. We made mistakes -- Vengeance Trail started out as a student film with low financial risk, but we didn’t have movie stars and we had some technical issues that made it difficult to attract distributors back in 2006. We also didn't shoot on film or on a digital camera resolution that would have 'future proofed' the movie. Then, we didn’t sell enough DVDs to make the investors their money back, despite touring America's cowboy and Single Action Shooting Society (SASS) Competitions for a year and getting shelf space in Blockbuster and Walmart. Ultimately, the financiers wrote off their losses years ago. This fact has bugged me for 15 years, until new technology came out to solve almost all the technical issues. Now, it's time to raise awareness and find a new audience, for Vengeance Trail and more Westerns to come! 

What I accomplished today:

• Submitted an ad to HappeningNow.com/Memphis. They wanted a link to a Facebook event, so I created that and already have some comments and interested parties. Sign up now!
• Spent the morning working on a t-shirt design that can double as one of the logos on the 8'x8' red-carpet banner I will have printed. The first version was short on dpi and the printshop had to stretch it, so I went overkill on the resolution and my computer had a hard time keeping up.
• Did a Facebook search for "Western movie" and HOLY SMOKES, there's at least 100 fan groups. I started interacting with a few.

Got to finish the EPK, because that's the starting point for publicity. I asked Chat GPT:

Hi Chat GPT, how are you? I am a movie producer finishing up a low budget Western action feature film. I would like to know what marketing materials I should create and a timeline for releasing them.

Hello! I'm an AI language model here to help you. Congratulations on finishing up your low budget Western action feature film! Marketing materials are crucial for promoting your film effectively. Let's discuss some essential marketing materials and develop a timeline for their release. Of course, keep in mind that this is a general guide, and you can adjust it according to your specific needs and circumstances.

1. Official Trailer: Prepare an engaging and captivating trailer to generate buzz and excitement among your target audience. Ideally, release it around 2-3 months before the film's release.
2. Teaser: Consider releasing a short teaser trailer or clip a few months before the official trailer to build anticipation and create intrigue.
3. Poster: Create an eye-catching and visually appealing poster for your film. Aim to have it ready around the same time as your official trailer, so it can be used in promotional materials.
4. Behind-the-Scenes Content: Capture behind-the-scenes footage, interviews, and production photos to share on your film's social media channels and website. Begin sharing this content sporadically several months before the release to keep your audience engaged.
5. Social Media Presence: Establish active social media accounts (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.) dedicated to your movie. Regularly share updates, news, trailers, and engage with your audience. Initiate this at least 4-6 months prior to the film's premiere.
6. Website: Create a dedicated website for your film, containing essential information, updates, trailers, and links to social media accounts. Make sure the website is live early in the marketing campaign.
7. Press Kit: Assemble a comprehensive digital press kit including film synopsis, cast and crew information, production details, high-resolution images, and any other relevant materials. Distribute this to online publications, bloggers, and journalists at least 1-2 months before the premiere.
8. Film Festivals: Submit your film to relevant film festivals to gain exposure and potential awards. Research submission deadlines and create a strategy to maximize your chances of acceptance.
9. Premiere Announcement: Once you secure a release date or screening location, announce it to the public via social media, press releases, and other promotional platforms. Timing for this announcement may vary, but it is typically a few months before the premiere.
10. Online Ads and PR: Consider running targeted online advertisements and partnering with PR agencies to spread the word about your film, ensuring maximum exposure.

Remember to always adapt your timeline to fit your specific release plan and budget. It's also crucial to continually assess and adjust your marketing strategy along the way based on audience feedback, engagement, and other relevant factors. Good luck with your film marketing efforts!

Good advice. On it!

Ian Max

29 Days of Vengeance Trail - Countdown to Memphis Premiere on April 23!

Each day, I'm going to post a little behind the scenes on: The Making of Vengeance Trail, or The Remaking of the Movie using Artificial Intelligence. As well as an update on progress planning the theatrical premiere on April 23 and sharing connections local to Memphis, TN.

You probably didn't get a chance to see Vengeance Trail the first time around. Who remembers Blockbuster? Blockbuster and Walmart is as far as Vengeance Trail got distributed, so I'd love to meet someone who saw it on the shelf and rented or purchased it.

If you like period-accurate Westerns, you're going to love this classic tale of good vs. evil! Nominated for the 2006 Golden Boot Awards "Best of the West." Al Frisch of Hollywood Guns and Props has all the props, costumes, screenplays, and even some horses and standing sets, to make many new Westerns. 

Tomorrow, I'll tell of how a film professor persuaded a historian and collector that Western movies can't lose and that he and his students could make a $10K feature with the resources of two Western buffs and their friends. Lot's of dreams were on the line!

Today's challenges:

• Start the process of building relationships with Memphis influencers by polishing and updating the EPK (electronic press kit).
• Then, I can approach media and bloggers for guest articles.
• Create the art for the t-shirt from the poster art, and send for a test print.

Which t-shirt design do you prefer? 

Today's Successes:

• A Memphis podcaster wants to interview me, stay tuned.
• I submitted the premiere screening event to HappeningNext for $5. 
• I negotiated with The Auteur Club for them to show my promo April 14, in return for showing their promo before Vengeance Trail on April 23.
• I booked a talk show with Anfra Boyd: April 21, 7pm Central on YAMS TALK RADIO.
• I also booked Anfra to live-stream the Premiere. She will bring so much energy!!!

Time to enjoy my family and get to bed on time!

Thanks for your support!

Ian Max

30 Days of Vengeance Trail - Countdown to Memphis Premiere on April 23!

Over 20 years in the works, Vengeance Trail is going to receive its first theatrical exhibition. I'm so excited to see and hear it on the big screen!

If you haven't followed the journey so far, Vengeance Trail started out as a student film, then grew. But, as you can imagine with a bunch of first time filmmakers, me included, plenty of mistakes were made. After several years, the movie was released in Blockbuster and Walmart, but it only made a fraction of its budget in return. I was always bummed that the investors were never made whole and the movie didn't find a large audience. When artificial intelligence tools became available, I started to wonder if the movie could be rescued and improved. And now, this epic-feeling Western, shot on a prosumer miniDV camera, receives the royal treatment at a theater in Memphis!

Now that the movie has been digitally enhanced, follow along on its self-distribution journey. For various reasons, traditional distribution isn't the best option for the movie. The first theatrical screening of Vengeance Trail happens 29 days from today. This daily blog series for 30 days will chronicle the journey to throw a memorable event.

What we have:

• A bonafide, feature-length movie! See the trailer at VengeanceTrail.com.
• Venue, a 165 seat theater at Malco Cordova Cinema Grill, on April 23, 2024 at 7pm. 
• Food and drink available at the event.
• Movie poster from which we will have t-shirts made.
• Stars of Vengeance Trail attending.
• Invites to be a guest on a podcast and a movie review website.
• Local advisors who have hosted theatrical premieres.
• Potential talent to live-broadcast the event.
• Potential musicians to entertain before and after the movie.
• Sound system for Q&A - the theater provides a house microphone.
• Camera and lights for the red carpet.

Needed:

• Update the EPK (electronic press kit).
• Printer for banners, posters, t-shirts. Lead time and quantity decisions. 
• Design completion for banners, posters, t-shirts.
• Possible DVDs, BluRays and 
• Decisions on a website for collecting ticket sales and emails for the future; Eventive vs. Kinema.
• Lock in musician and hosting talent for the event.
• Write a first draft of a guest post article for the movie review website to give notes.
• Decide how many posters to print, based on price-break and budget for inventory.

Today's successes:

• Two Memphis filmmakers, LaDell Beaman and Rex Oatis, have recommended sources for a red carpet backdrop for guest photos. Stickers & Banners drop ships within 24 business hours, and an 8'x8' vinyl banner is $98 plus S&H. I can borrow stands to hold the banner up. Another option is Central Imaging & Printing, which excites me because I really want to hire and spend locally, so I'll compare their quote when I get it. 
• I met Memphis Wrestler, K Toomer aka Fatjitsu, for the second time on Saturday. He and I were invited by LaDell to present our careers (stunts and professional wrestling) at a Heel the Hood Foundation Memphis event, and he prints the t-shirts for Memphis Wrestling at such an affordable price that there's actually still room to make a profit. So, I'm going to have him print a sample shirt with the following image as a test. 

Hope you like learning filmmaking with me!

Ian Max

Terrorist Rehab Center in Saudi Arabia?!?

I saw a documentary last night at a Libertarian film fest that came to Memphis (https://anthemfilmfestival.com). THE UNREDACTED follows a handful of Guantanamo prisoners sent to a rehab center in Saudi Arabia. It was really interesting to see jihad terrorists humanized. 

Guantanamo detainees are released into a year long program of de-radicalization in Saudi Arabia, with the eventual goal of finding jobs and starting families.

The movie got canceled by mobs at Sundance, SXSW, and everywhere else, so this was the only public screening so far, besides a screening at San Quentin Prison. Read about the journey and public outcry here: https://www.theguardian.com/film/2022/oct/23/jihad-rehab-documentary-making-unredacted-saudi-arabia 

The Q&A with the director Meg Smaker was fascinating. Her journey as a firefighter, to seeking to know more about the Middle East after 9-11, to moving to Yemen and learning Arabic, to working in Saudi Arabia and building relationships that led to filming interview with 150 terrorists, to narrowing it down to a handful of rehabees during the program and for a short while after, until her access was removed.

I did not think I would believe these terrorists could be rehabilitated so I didn't plan on seeing the movie. Then I learned how the movie was cancelled, predominantly because a white, non-Muslim woman made it. It seemed like a rare opportunity, and I'm against cancel culture.

These terrorists were teenagers when they were recruited to jihad training camps. They spent 15+ years in GITMO prison, with no access to the outside world. They were not charged with any crimes, nor did they go to trial. When they were released, they had no experience with the Internet or smart phones.

I don't agree with everything Meg said, but some things ring true: These men are searching for purpose and belonging. There are four motivations for these men joining jihad training groups; Cause or duty, Economic, Peer pressure or family, Adventure. I can relate to the person who seeks adventure. In fact, these four motivations are the same for American teens who join the US Military.

Some other thoughts by Meg:

The most powerful force in world is storytelling, because stories shape how we think and spend. 

Hollywood gatekeepers lack courage and principals. 

You can argue politics and facts but not a personal story.

The Diary of Anne Frank made 6 million Jewish deaths in Germany tangible. 

Vets connect with this movie because they miss the camaraderie of soldier life and feel more in common with enemy soldiers than the people who sent them to war. 

Cancel culture: The answer isn’t to cancel discussion, it’s to come up with better ideas. 

The inmates at San Quentin they saw themselves in the terrorists' stories. 

Saudi Arabia claims their rehab center is 85% effective. Meg talked to the head of the FBI in Saudi Arabia who said the US tracks all Gitmo prisoners who have been released and that 80-82% do not return to fighting. 

The reason for their success of the program is that a family member in Saudi Arabia must sign for them at the risk of getting jailed in their place if they skip country, and family shame is a huge motivator there. Also, after graduation, the Saudi government provides a house, car, job help and up to $30K dowry so they can get married because the likelihood of a former terrorist returning to terror diminishes when they have their own family. This is unaffordable in America, or for larger groups of criminals.

Torture in Guantanamo did the radicalization, at least against America. 

Empathy in America has been dropping. Every one of us has capacity for extreme good or extreme evil.

Rehab isn’t sexy, it takes time, longer than a political term. 

Thoughts?

Ian

Are Billboards Still Valid? - Indie Film Advertising

First time for everything. I noticed a digital billboard near my house that said BLIP, so I looked it up. Blip Billboards sells freeway billboard space by the moment with a self-service model. And since I'm sharing the space with many other advertisers, the costs are super reasonable compared to committing to a billboard 24/7 for a month. 

I created an ad for Vengeance Trail, to start building awareness in my hometown for a theatrical screening at the end of Summer. I signed up to spend $20 per day and yesterday was my first day.

Each impression lasts 8 seconds and I got 117 blips. The billboard I chose is at the corner of two interstates. The goal is to get people to remember VengeanceTrail.com

Here are some more analytics:

The proof will be when I get a sale from someone who's not on my friends and family network.

I'm experimenting with Twitter and Facebook (Meta) ads as well, but the learning curve is steeper. Anyone have any experience? For the first while, I will be spending all my pre sales on grassroots advertising until sales take off.

Ian Max

Crowdfunding is for Interacting, NOT Begging

I have lots of friends. Some of them like my movies. Some want to support me no matter what the movie. Some are just fine-feathered, patrons of the arts. But I don't have a million friends! Yet!

Crowdfunding often seems like begging friends and family for a favor. But pretty soon, those favors are used up. I don't want my social media to have daily reminders of my projects. Where's the value added?

Business success comes from creating and delivering value!

Now, if you like Westerns and want to see more Westerns, then the value-add is me helping ensure more Westerns get made. Quality Westerns, morality tales, battles between good and evil.

So, here's a crowdfunding effort to Pre-Sell my Western, Vengeance Trail - to finish creating the extra value allowed by new digital tools, and deliver it to the world.

And interact with the fans! So, leave a comment and I'll respond.

I just want fans of Westerns to learn about Vengeance Trail and tell their friends. And, if enough fans are found, my friends at HollywoodGunsAndProps.com and I will make more Westerns.

I will be sending out an EPK (Electronic Press Kit) and finding bloggers and podcasters who want to discuss the movie and the making of Vengeance Trail. If you know any, please send them my way.

Thanks, Ian Max

TBT: Vengeance Trail, and How Violent Is It Really?

I'm hoping to launch Pre Sales of my Western, VENGEANCE TRAIL, on June 1.

So, I've been asking friends for feedback on this Sneak Preview. One friend said:

Ian, I watched it. Just a quick thought...there is a lot of shoot 'em up [in the trailer]. A lot. My sound was low as I was watching so I noticed it quickly, especially towards the end. I'm not sure if that's your intent, I know it's a Western...but just a heads up. Otherwise, I am mighty impressed!!!! 

Great note! Yes, I hadn't remembered there being so much shooting when I was last familiar with the movie, when we shot it in 2002-03 and released it in 2006. It's one of those things where, recreating violence on set, whether it be blood effects or stunts, can be fun and funny in the context of a group of friends making a movie, but when put together with dramatic storytelling, sound effects and music, becomes a sobering depiction of, well, violence.

Yes, Vengeance Trail is violent, but it also has heart. It's a traditional morality tale with period accurate sets, costumes, and dialogue. Will we make a less violent version by changing the color of blood from red to brown and cutting back some of the language? Not likely at this stage. But I'm open to suggestions.

Also, initially I had no intention of creating a new trailer from scratch and just wanted to match better footage to the existing trailer and give it a little upgrade. Since I couldn't modify the length or structure of the trailer due to the music being mixed with the dialogue and effects, I replaced some title cards with new footage and did the best I could. In retrospect, I do notice how much shooting there is, and that it overpowers the dramatic conflict of the story. 

Here's the current trailer, an upgraded version of the original. Here's a tamer version, because certain distributors have rules about violence.

Now that I'm planning a marketing and pre sales strategy for Vengeance Trail, I'm considering creating new trailers, behind the scenes insights using stunts outtakes and horse moments, and upgrading the documentary about the vintage guns that's on the DVD. But this all takes time and I need to start the sales funnel in order to hire an editor.

As another friend responded:

Make the audience/customer the hero of the story. 

What is at stake? 

Why should the funder back this project? 

What is the urgency?  

What's in it for them? 

What is your call to action? 

Howdy, Western lover! What are you going to watch after you’ve binge watched Yellowstone and all its spinoffs? Hollywood Guns and Props has all sorts of props, costumes, and screenplays just laying around. Think of all the other Westerns we could have made if we’d made a profit with Vengeance Trail the first time. Purchase the digitally upgraded Vengeance Trail in advance and be part of the excitement of helping release amazing Westerns to the world.

Hope you enjoy Vengeance Trail! Please put your notes in the comments.

Ian