I am all a Twitter

I did it...I got back on that Twitter horse. I have been told by quite few people now that Twitter truly is a marketing bonanza. Perhaps I will find out. I have been exploring this whole concept of social media and it is quite exhilirating. So new, so fresh, so outside my scope of knowledge. Are you ever to old to learn? I don't think so.

Anyway why don't you follow my tweets and will follow yours. Is tha how that works?

Indie Film Fun

Yup it's fall and the ideas are flowing. I have a lot going on. Working on two major corporate projects that will keep me busy till Christmas. And then who knows how I will make a living. I could become an assassin, a hit man and well the corporate name kind of works. Anybody out there need someone rubbed out.

My new film "For the Record Featuring Bill Bourne" seems to be doing really well and you can buy your copy on my very own website. You should check it out...it is the perfect stocking stuffer...yeah I said it...why not all the stores do it. Order "For the Record Featuring Bill Bourne" now and ensure you get it in time for Christmas.

I now have a producing team together to make my first feature film. Its a comedy and a road movie titled "Stella's Dead and in the Back of the Truck". The producers are as follows:
1) Executive Producers: Jerry Krepakavich & Ben Babchishin
2) Producers: Diana Davis, Susanne Hunka and Elaine Elrod

The hope is to be shooting this late next summer or early fall.


I also want to do another short and just not sure which way to go. I have an idea for a 7 part web series and I would also like to do a musical in the vein of "Doctor Horribles Sing Along Blog" so not sure which way I will go but I will do something before Christmas. Hopefully there are some folks out there wanting to get involved.

Well I guess that is all I will talk about at this point. Time to get on with the day and hopefully get something done.

Ciao all, have yourself a great week!

I love Alberta, but sometime...?

So, who read the paper today. I am referring to the Edmonton Journal. The story I am wanting to talk about was written by a guy at the Calgary Herald (I suspect Calgary got it too). It is titled "Province to Review Funding for films". It talks about the fact that the province gave $55,000.00 to a Calgary company to do a documentary about the oil sands called "Dirty Oil". Stelmack was quoted as saying "He was livid that taxpayer dollars funded an anti-Alberta film"

WTF...okay who is as pissed off as I am, I want to hear it... Why the fuck does our government only see this province as oil. I haven't seen the film, I don't know if it is a fair and accurate story but I do know that environmental issues about oil are everywhere. The BP thing off the coast of New Orleans has pushed it to the forefront and now it is an even hotter ticket item. I sorry but if someone was going to do a doc about the Alberta oil sands called "Dirty Oil" wouldn't you rather have it be done by someone from Alberta who doesn't have any other agenda but calling attention to an environmental issue. And why is it that a documentary that could thrash the oil sands (again I haven't seen it and can't say) is considered anti-Alberta. A lot of people are concerned and they are voicing their concerns, we live in a free world and have that right. And now they are going to review how they fund films...does that mean they want to start censoring what they fund? Both Blackett and Stelmach denies this will happen but it is really what they are saying.

The filmmakers stated that $750,000.00 was spent in Alberta on this production from the Alberta Governments $55,000.00 investment. Doesn't seem like that bad of a return. Hmmm methinks it might be time for our great leader and his cronies to pull their heads out of their ass and start looking at other economical opportunities for Alberta outside of oil...I think the days of oil might be limited. Alberta is so much more, great people, incredible vistas, a proud heritage built from a backbone of agriculture and it also has oil...a small part of our identity that the current government considers our only face. Man does this kind of shit piss me off...In my opinion.

Man, am I glad summer is over

I know, your thinking WTF...this goof is glad summer is over. My problem is that during the summer I have no time for anything, including this blog. Its been forever since I updated it. Do I have stuff to say? I think so!

My new film "For the Record Featuring Bill Bourne is now available for sale on my website. Its a 72 minute musical Odyssey that follows Bill as he records his new record "free radio dance Band". Or was it called "See", no that's not right, wasn't it "Home". Funny stuff, there has been three changes to the title since I started a few months ago. Can't keep up. But I will say I am really proud of this film and I hope all of you that BUY it, like it too.

Next up? Not sure, I would like to do another For the Record, as well as a web series and I am still trying to get a feature done. No shortage of projects and I have been Tres busy doing other stuff like training videos and the like...so good summer just not enough time.

I hope to update this blog a little more and maybe we can get that filmmaker dialogue I talked about before, going?

Holy Shit, there is a lot going on!

So "For the Record-Featuring Bill Bourne" is done. Bill, some of the band, Elaine, Wes and a few others popped over to my place last week for an impromptu screening in my basement and everyone seemed to like it. Dropped it off at the duplicators this morning and it will be ready for purchase early next week.

Next, I am a huge fan of the Edmonton Folk Music Festival. It is truly a grand, world class event...and this year (this is blowing my mind) my Bill Bourne film will be available for purchase. Yup right there with all the other greats...For crying out loud, Levon Helm is going to be there...Van Morrison and this film will be selling alongside them, Tres Cool! Make sure you pick up a copy, perhaps 3 at 19.99 it will this years must have stocking stuffer. It will be at the CD/DVD tent as of Thursday or you can order it off the Hired Gun Website.

Finally there will be a public screening on August 19Th at the New City Suburbs (tentative). Tickets are 10.00, and you will be able to get an autographed copy of the show plus Bill will perform. Wanna know how to keep up with the updates? Visit the Hired Gun Website and subscribe to the mailing list.

Well that is it for now...ciao dudes! I'm trying a new catch phrase...let me know if you like it?

So what are we doing? How do we fix our slipping film industry in Alberta...and does anyone really care?

I do, I do desperately. I love being a filmmaker. I love telling stories, I love reaching people with ideas, and I love entertaining audiences. But it is a way of life that is rapidly declining. Alberta is in crisis...True That!

There is all this animosity toward the government. I understand this, and just a little while ago I would have been 100% there. But I am getting to know Edmonton's Film Commissioner Brad Stromberg (you said it Brad so now I own it)and he said something to me that literally made my mind snap completely full circle and it changed my thinking. I was very anti government and wanted them crucified, still do but I now know why I need to tame this anger. Brad simply stated "When you are in an election, you support the person you believe in, campaign for them, vote for them, tell other peoples about them...but the day after the election you have to live with one that won". So what I take that to mean, while the conservatives might easily be the spawns of Satan, we need to work with them and try and get the best we can out of them. Otherwise we will suffer. Look at the comments of Lindsay Blackett. Do you think he is still a supporter, still our Representative looking after our best intersts. I think he is pissed at us, and we are feeling his heat.

I guess my suggestion is that every one chill, try to get along, try to get as good a deal as we can, and then just a bit before the next election lets tell the voters about our industry and why it is worth preserving and see if we can't do what the Alberta Film Industry must totally do to save our way of life and that is make sure Alberta has a change in government.

Perhaps if we did this with a strategic plan in place we would have time to battle the true demon of our industry and that is the lack of support for Canadian Content.

Just some thoughts...please comment, lets see if we can turn this into a sounding board that comes up with some real ideas.

"For the Record-Featuring Bill Bourne

Our first trailer is out, and I think it is really good. We are calling it a trailer but it is more a music video with a little bit of a pitch. I don't want to make this a commercial thing, but yet I do need to sell them. That is tough balance, when as an artist do you become crass and commercial. You want people to see the work and at the same time you need to make a living. It is definitely a contradiction at times.

I have spent most of my career being pretty low key. Well, that is starting to change somewhat. I now want to have a bit of both. I am really tired of the conventional way of making television and film in Canada and have officially swerved down a different path. I hope people will join me.

I suspect it will be next week, or perhaps the week after...I will relaunch a brand new website for Hired Gun. It will have some of my films you can watch for free, the new trailer, my director's reel and you will be able to download for just $1.49, a documentary I did on power music couple Mae Moore and Lester Quitzau. So stay tuned for more news on the website.