I’m Victor Greywolf: writer, low budget filmmaker and actor. One thing that I have noticed, especially with artists who have struggled with their works, is there are many myths about making it. Here’s how I’ve learned to cope with the situations, as I lived through them: Myth: If you are older than 40 and haven’t made it, you will never reach your goal Fact: This is a self-imposed limitation. You believe that filmmakers are only looking for the young (pre-teen to 25) crowd, and because you are in your 40’s, it is the end. That is nothing but a bunch of crap, and that is being polite. A lot of filmmakers cannot fill their demand for adults, especially in the older roles. Older roles are out there, and they are looking for you. You just have to know where to look. Look for roles in independent films or theater or even videos. People get things done when they get things done. You don’t know if the story is even true, depending on the source. What do you do? Learn how to question those stories. You are on your own journey. You are doing what you do. Eddie Murphy made it at 19, but Rodney Dangerfield didn’t make it until he was almost fifty. Fifty! You aren’t in competition with anyone. You will make it when you make it. Enjoy the ride and go with the flow. Myth: People say that I am a legend in my own mind, so I am not worth following. Fact: There will always be those who get you and those who won’t. Don’t let the fact that detractors are out there get you down. Sometimes, they are your biggest publicists, because they’re talking about you, right? People talk. Let...
It’s OK to Pay for Interviews...
posted by Cynthia Kahn
If you are one of those artists who believe they never should pay for interviews, you should reconsider. When a publication interviews you for free, you answer questions that serve the interests of their target market. You do not control the content. I agree that free publicity and fresh internet real estate are all good things. However, there are many advantages to paying a professional to produce a featured interview or post, because you can control the questions, answers and many aspects of promotion. Get Asked the Right Interview Questions First, decide why you want to be interviewed. There are many reasons why artists want to be interviewed and tell their stories. Do you want to be interviewed because you just released a new song or film or book? Are you going on tour? Are you launching a crowdsourcing campaign? Are you looking for management or to beef up your electronic press kit (EPK)? Answering the why not only influences what questions you want to be asked, but also what order you want the interviewer to ask them. People have short attention spans, so make sure the interviewer asks you the most important questions first. Next, decide who you want to target. How you choose to answer your interview questions can vary widely, depending on your target audience. For example, you may want to provide short answers if you are talking to new fans, but go more in-depth if you are talking to die-hard fans. You may want to use different language and behave more professionally if you are answering questions to for potential managers. Because you know the questions you’ll be asked in advance, you can prepare your answers, rehearse for your interview and give your audience a fabulous performance. Take Charge of Interview Promotion...
Victor Greywolf ~ Advice for Actors...
posted by Cynthia Kahn
I’ve noticed that a lot of people often feel very frustrated with acting. It is frustrating, I have to agree, but there are things you can try that will hopefully ease the tension and at least make the circumstances more pleasant. I’ve outlined some alternative ways to practice your art and become a better actor. Produce Your Own Films Look at acting or voice-over art as an outlet or venture, because that is what it is. Try honing your craft by making home movies or videos on a webcam. At least this way, you can produce films that highlight your talent and enjoy creating them. When your films are good enough, submit them to film festivals or lesser known venues. Instead of shooting in the big cities, try smaller cities. A lot of times, there isn’t as much red tape and they are more willing to work with you. Remember, smaller venues will be easier to work with than larger ones. You’d be surprised at how many movies are made in small areas. I am currently working on an audio book for filmmakers on a budget, and I’m already halfway through it. Participate in Community or Student Films Work as a production assistant for unknown filmmakers and directors. You never know when they’ll need additional actors. This could be your chance to get into movies. Be an extra; you may be seen in the final cut. Here are some other reasons these projects could be your big break: Someone is going to get a shot at fame and leave the production. Someone will have a falling out with the director for whatever reason and leave the production. Someone will decide that acting isn’t for them and leave to pursue something else, which gives you,...
Victor Greywolf ~ Have Fun Filmmaking...
posted by Cynthia Kahn
My name is Victor Greywolf. I am a writer, low budget filmmaker and actor. I’ve produced a hit one man show that won awards in three festivals and premiered in two. I also produced a biography documentary and two more stand up shows. A lot of people get inspired by watching movies on television or the internet, but some of us decide to actually give it a shot. Sometimes, watching a movie inspires you to pursue a dream of sorts, and that is what makes us who we are, as people. I was inspired by a lot of movies and television shows, and that is what got me to start making my own. A lot of people will tell you that you can’t make a movie on your own because you don’t have a known name or you are not famous or you don’t have millions of dollars or you don’t have the right political connections. For those of us who have done it, we know those excuses are nothing but a bunch of bull crap, and that’s being polite to the naysayers. Thanks to technological advancements, books and the internet, it is easier than ever to make a low budget movie. All you really need is a script, along with actors who are willing to work, for either free or low money. Most importantly, go out and just do the job! When your film is finished, research places to submit it. Try submitting to film festivals, since they are the latest craze. Film festivals give those in the movie business a chance to see your film. Also, look into film contests. I know a lot of artists are very frustrated. Being out there is hard, especially with the fact that unless you know...
Aaron Thomas ~ Dumar The Movie
posted by Cynthia Kahn
Aaron Thomas and I connected on Twitter. After I watched previews of his upcoming 2-part thriller feature film Dumar, I just had to interview him for the Amused Now Featured Artist Series. Dumar is the story of a hedge fund manager who was framed for fraud by his employer. Aaron wrote the film script. Originally a horror film that “just didn’t work,” he updated the script to focus on finance. Dumar Volume 2 releases in December, which starts at midpoint in Dumar’s story. Aaron decided to release the second half first, because he “wanted to do something different. I wanted the audience to be quite confused when they started watching it. Since it’s such a massive story that I want to tell, because it’s character driven, it felt more organic to start midway through.” Aaron Thomas’ Fruit District Group has several films and collaborate projects in progress. When I asked Aaron about his selection criteria for choosing projects, Aaron explained that he looks for character-driven stories. It’s essential that he finds “characters who have a lot to tell, characters who are in some way victims.” One of Aaron’s upcoming movies in pre-production is This Paper World, adapted from a book by the highly acclaimed author Jeff Lane. The story is about an 18-year-old college student named Jim Hunt who confronts his destiny. They recently launched an app to build buzz for the movie. Aaron Thomas explained that the app started as a trailer for the film. Aaron felt that he could get more from the trailer, so he partnered with a tech company to create the app. Jeff Lane is an online, new age author, with podcasts, novels, novellas and short stories. “Jeff’s had over 400,000 audio downloads, so it just made sense to continue his journey with his online brand and build his online audience.” Aaron takes advantage of the web and social media to promote his projects. He has a website for The Fruit District Group, a website for Dumar and multiple Twitter accounts. “The foundation of Dumar has been built online in terms of cast, in terms of location and just generally meeting people.” A lot of their soundtrack came from SoundCloud. “We want to continue this trend. That way, our fan base is able to see what we’re doing.” Even though Dumar will have limited release in the UK, most of the film’s audience will be online, because they have built an international audience. Aaron has an interesting approach to funding his projects. “At first, getting funding was a horrendous riot. It changed for me when I decided to fund my own film. I worked really hard. I did anything from cleaning warehouses to office jobs.” Aaron knew that he wanted to work with certain companies, so he reached out to them and made product placement deals, where he agreed to show their products in the film. Many companies want to associate themselves with the independent film business and it’s a growing market, “so it made sense to reach out to people on the same page as ourselves, it made sense to use brands that coincide with the project.” “Most of all, it’s just believing in the project itself, believing in the cast and the crew. Know that even at times when we were not able to have the budget that we want, we’ve got to work with what we’ve got. Stay focused. Have faith. Have faith in what you’re doing; have faith in your team. Work hard.” Aaron does plan to charge for viewing the film to recoup his investment. Production of Dumar Volume 1 depends on the success of Dumar Volume 2. The companies that Aaron has placement deals with will help with film promotion. This is organic growth in “an industry that says you’re nobody, even though you know that you’re somebody. It’s difficult, because people tend to listen to the industry a lot, but...
Jonathan Holbrook ~ STILL
posted by Cynthia Kahn
I’m blown away by the growing number of self-funded, independent web filmmakers. I met Jonathan Holbrook, creator of STILL: The Web Series shorty after I published my interview with Anthony Blaine about 4 Hire. Like Anthony, Jonathan is funding and producing the series himself with the help of his volunteer actors and crew, who he loves like family. In fact, one of the series’ stars, Dave Shecter, joined Jonathan for our interview. Jonathan describes his science fiction thriller as “a cross between The Walking Dead and Invasion of the Body Snatchers.” The series starts with news reports of something happening to the magnetic waves omitted from Earth’s radiology belt that caused strange sounds in the sky, beached whales and dolphins, and tingling sensations in people’s hands. These occurrences actually happened several years ago, and they were caused by electro-magnetic storms. In STILL, something “foreign” is transmitted inside those sounds, but Jonathan won’t spoil the plot by revealing what it is. From the previews, I can tell that the video quality is excellent. Jonathan produces corporate videos and commercials by day, so he has all the equipment for filming and editing the series. They film just outside Seattle, in Lake Stevens, Arlington and Everett, WA. In Episode 1, they actually shut down a street in Everett. Although Dave Shecter works a 9-5 job, he made time to act in six indie films last year. Dave says, “The others were pretty good, but this one really grabs you. The effects, everything is just amazing. That’s why I’m a part of it.” Jonathan tells us, “when you produce something like this, it’s usually 20% production and 80% marketing.” He spends a good portion of his day updating his social media accounts: Twitter, Google+ and Facebook, which he enjoys the most. To get more Likes with Facebook, you have to promote your page. All the actors have accounts and they share everything that’s on STILL. It’s a team effort. For budding filmmakers, Jonathan recommends attending film school to learn the technical aspects, like production design, production management and networking. However, “you can’t really teach creativity. It has to be inside the person. If you feel like you’re creative, but want to go further, it’s probably the technical side that needs work.” Jonathan attended the University of Washington film extension program. STILL is starting a Kickstarter campaign soon, so watch for it. The word is out, and a couple of stars want to come on board the project: Joe Porter, stunt man for Mel Gibson in Lethal Weapon and another movie actor. Rumor has it that a horror icon may also be joining the cast. The buzz is well-deserved. I can’t wait for the series release in October on Chronicle Factory. Amused Now Featured Artist Series To watch my video interview with Jonathan Holbrook on YouTube: http://youtu.be/jdPsVgXR7IA To watch STILL: The Web Series trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfeYBjb5NFg Jonathan Holbrook, Creator of STILL: The Web Series @STILLWebSeries Facebook Google+ Cynthia Kahn, Founder of Amused Now @Amused_Now Facebook Google+...
Anthony Blaine ~ 4Hire
posted by Cynthia Kahn
I met Anthony Blaine from Parallel Worlds Productions on Twitter, when tweets about his upcoming web series 4Hire caught my eye. The series is about 4 childhood friends who grew up together and became vigilante hit men who “right the wrongs where justice falls short.” Anthony and two friends, Jake Smith and Adam Apperson, came up with the idea over some tequila and appetizers at a local restaurant. They liked the concept of a bad good guy. Adam came up with the hit men idea. The show Dexter had a big influence on the project. Since initial concept, it’s taken the team over a year and a half to get where they are today. The project started with a small group of 10 people and has grown to over 140 volunteers. Their original Kickstarter campaign raised $1166. That money got the project off the ground. Other than that, the project is 100% funded through volunteer work. The team recently launched a new Kickstarter campaign to help push the project through to the final stages of production. Parallel Worlds Productions has taken what I like to call “Community Sourcing” to a whole new level. 4Hire has the overwhelming support of the entire city of Boise, ID. In addition to the volunteer crew, many businesses provided real-life sets for the series: a pawn shop, the Idaho capitol building and downtown Boise. The local police department allowed the crew to use their brand new Charger cop car in a crime scene. This community support takes crowd sourcing out of the virtual world and into the real world! “In this day and age, you have to be on everything.” Anthony uses Facebook, to keep fans updated and to post behind the scenes footage. He also posts to such well-known sites as Google +, Twitter and Instagram. Anthony posts to a site targeted to filmmakers called FilmBreak for short stories, films and documentaries. The site uses a rating system to decide what to films to promote. If you score above a certain number, FilmBreak will help promote your film to larger networks like Netflix or Hulu and studios like Universal and Paramount. The original plan was to release the web series as 4 short 10-minute films on YouTube. The last episode ends in a cliff hanger, leaving the viewer wanting more. The team is in talks with outside sources and may decide to release 4Hire as a short film. They plan to premiere a 45 minute short film locally, in Boise. “There are a lot of options for independent filmmakers to get our films out.” Parallel Worlds Productions wants to make money too, so they’re trying to decide what distribution options work best. 4Hire premieres in October, so Anthony should have Amused Now as a money-making option. Anthony’s advice to new filmmakers putting together their own projects is “Never say ‘No.’ If you think it’s too big, ask anyway. If you keep asking the right questions to the right people, you’ll find the answer you’re looking for.” Nobody can do this by themselves. This is not an industry for one man bands. “Keep at it. Don’t look back and say, ‘I should have done it.’ Go out and do it!” To make a living, Anthony does sub-contracting. A lot of the guys work day jobs and work on the film weekends and late nights. Scheduling has been one of the biggest hurdles. Everyone involved believes in this project. Anthony emphasizes that if you can instill belief with your crew and as they begin to see the final product, then anything is possible. All you need to do is work hard and ask for help. I believe him. To watch the complete video interview: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUvK977qm6g Amused Now Featured Artist Series Cynthia Kahn Twitter: @Amused_Now Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AmusedNow YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/amusednow Google+ ...
Matthew Modine ~ Actor, Filmmaker, Commie?...
posted by Cynthia Kahn
Everyone who knows me has heard me say, “Twitter has changed my life.” Well, my life expanded again this week. I cannot tell you how exciting it’s been since @Amused_Now met @MatthewModine. We discovered that both of us are working to create opportunities, so everyone can make a living pursuing what they love. Amused Now works through its blog and upcoming e-commerce site; Matthew Modine works through his short films, available now as a collection on iTunes. Matthew graciously agreed to a written interview with Amused Now about his films. We’re thrilled to share that interview with you: Cynthia: Matthew, you’ve starred in so many motion pictures, what prompted you into making your own short films? Matthew: Actors are storytellers. We do our best to embody the characters we play, bring them to life and tell their stories. For some actors, there comes a time when playing a role isn’t completely satisfying and they want to become orchestrators of the stories they tell. There are great examples of actors who have worked in front and behind the camera, from Charlie Chaplin to Woody Allen to Clint Eastwood to Ron Howard. Making short films is an exercise I do to try and master cinematic storytelling. Cynthia: How long have you been interested in filmmaking? Matthew: More than twenty years. I have also directed theatrical productions. Cynthia: Who are your influencers? Matthew: I’ve learned from all of the directors I have worked with. I’ve learned valuable lessons not only from the best of them, but also the least. It’s important to learn why something doesn’t work as much as why something works effectively. Every director wants to create something amazing and memorable. Something lasting. It’s rare when they do. And that is why we celebrate great...
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