I know it's a bloody year later but so much has transpired. I won't even begin to get into it because it's best told in my unauthorized biography.

I know I have mentioned my comedy series in prior blogs, basically having started and then having to abruptly stop production due to a myriad of reasons but mostly due to financial backers backing out. Losing product placement deals with designers etc etc. So this continued happening over and over again ad nauseum. My script, having generated interest from peers and content acquisitions directors from online streaming companies, was ready and I wasn't going to give up. 

The good new : Last Sunday, October 15th I shot three scenes from the 75 page pilot script that is my comedy series and passion project three years in the making, Posers : The Fashion Faux Pas of Liv & Sal. The plot : Olivia (Liv) and her best friend Sally (Sal) move to New York City to pursue careers in fashion and are quickly regarded as B listers when their peers begin to suspect they don't have quite what it takes to make it big in the trendiest industry in the world. 

Coming from a background of raising equity and capital for projects, I felt I couldn't go back to my "film student" days of begging people to work pro bono and then of course, working on their projects without pay. Well, I swallowed my pride and that's exactly what I resorted to. And wow, was I taken aback by the overwhelming support of everyone on board who believed so strongly in my script. It was a truly fantastical experience. 

So now comes the fun part. Editing, promoting, and then more promoting because at the end of the day it's about having a built in audience all ready to screen the pilot and then essentially the first season before it's even greenlighted by such online global media giants such as Netflix, Hulu and Amazon. Is it hard work? Of course it is. But it's this or doing something trivial that doesn't matter and then dying with nothing to talk about in the afterlife. 

So stay tuned for more updates on the making of Posers : The Fashion Faux Pas of Liv & Sal which at this juncture is my whole life. And a great one at that. 

..but some of us are looking at the stars. 
                                              - Oscar Wilde

After a considerable amount of work done to broach the TV series world, mostly because I have had no real experience producing anything but short and feature films not being peddled to a cable, network or online streaming service , I have experienced my very first TV series world setback. One of my main investors, who I had been finessing for almost six months, politely yet abruptly backed out of our deal. Via text message. And no, the deal was not in writing. It was not set in stone. That was the next step. And I get it, shit happens. Get over it. This is the world of TV / Film. If you are a filmmaker and you haven't experienced any sort of disappointment thus far, you are just starting out OR you are an anomaly. And I hate you. Ha !! No seriously, I hate you.

Regardless of knowing that an investor's intentions can sour at the drop of a hat doesn't make it any less easier to deal with. And yes, I know the drill. And yet I am binge-watching Homeland and now a new entree favorite, Cinemax's Outcast in the hopes that all the pieces will just come together because I am a good person. Because I work tirelessly to make it happen. Because I deserve it. Ha !! Yeah I know...

This whole too-familiar scenario brings to mind the also famous quote from another creative, Orson Welles. You may recall this segment of his rant with regard to filmmaking "It's about 2% moviemaking and 98% hustling." Well, what you may not know is that there is much more to this quote that many would not be so keen on. 

"I think I made essentially a mistake in staying in movies but it’s a mistake I can’t regret because it’s like saying I shouldn't have stayed married to that woman but I did because I love her. I would have been more successful if I hadn't been married to her, you know. I would have been more successful if I'd left movies immediately, stayed in the theatre, gone into politics, written, anything. I've wasted a greater part of my life looking for money and trying to get along, trying to make my work from this terribly expensive paintbox which is a movie. And I've spent too much energy on things that have nothing to do with making a movie. It's about two percent movie-making and ninety-eight percent hustling. It's no way to spend a life."   - Orson Welles.

Thank you, Mr. Welles. I'll keep that in mind the next time I entertain suicidal ideations.

Geez it's February already. Those in the TV / Film industry know that January can be extremely slow. And this year was no exception. Thankfully things are starting to pick up and I am back on track with a few new twists and turns. 

Firstly, Radio Cheri has folded in terms of live broadcasting and now only serves as the testing and marketing arm of Zeno Radio. Sooooooo, well I've been offered to continue my show on KPISS.FM, another live internet streaming conduit out of Bushwick, Brooklyn but if I decide to accept, I would need a major format makeover. This station screams "hipster" from its programming and content to the actual tiny (crawl)space located in an unassuming alley, exuding the allure and charm of an artist's basement. On the same token, that being radio, I'm also in talks with WPAT 930 AM, an impressive 100,000 watt station, to start an entertainment segment on an already established show. Lots to think about. Will keep y'all posted. 

In other news, it finally dawned on me that New Media is the wave of the... present. I've been focusing so much of my energy on feature films that although it was like this quiet gnawing discontent in the backdrop, I've finally come to terms with Netflix, Amazon & Hulu. Hey, better late than never. So I'm developing an episodic. A comedy. Shoots this Spring. 

And finally, as of this moment I have two feature films on my 2016 slate. A non-fiction period piece that takes place in Cuba and something a little lighter that shoots this summer. Meeting next week with my co-writer. Life is good.

Although the feature Iris is far from being ready for a theatrical stint, we are wrapped and WHOAAAAAAA, what an experience !! I'd like to say it was all roses & orgasms but anyone who does what I do knows that this is not how making art works. Especially such an elaborate collaborative piece. Suffice to say (and I will spare everyone with the blood, sweat & tears cliche and cut to the chase) I am happy with what we've accomplished. I've actually successfully detoxed from the worst of it (I know, a luxury problem) and am now going through slight withdrawals from the familial bond that was created during the shoot. I did get off. Several times. And now...

.. I must do what every filmmaker whose heart can be found in the can alongside miles of painstaking footage must do, pursue the next project. Not that my time with Iris is over. Oh it by no means is. And I look forward to taking part in every step of the arduous and gratifying post production process. However now I must pound the pavement. Return to the hustle. Because somewhere out there is the guy, who knows the girl, who knows the people, who have the means to spark a new beginning. And to breathe life into something beautiful, that will effectively manipulate people's emotions, no matter how, is the goal, of any artist. 

Still in the midst of preproduction on Iris, the drama / thriller I co-wrote and will help produce, that begins principal photography in NYC in less than two weeks. Crew secured. Principals cast !! Auditions for supporting cast tomorrow. Tech scouting in the interim. Keeping it under budget. Sleepless nights. It's a pistol. We're all going crazy but we wouldn't have it any other way. 

Will we make it out alive? Stay tuned for more from the Iris diaries.

Screenplay finished !! There will be a few changes as we near the start of preproduction. Unfortunately I'm unable to disclose any details with regard to the storyline but suffice it to say it's a Drama / Thriller and as one of the producers on board, I'm really looking forward to breathing life into this one. Our tentative start date is October (but of course I will insist Halloween weekend is off-limits as we start scheduling).

So I'm taking the day off and watching ID Discovery which is where I draw a lot of my inspiration from. Oh yeah !!

As I grow my Make Art Make Money radio show listenership, I'm talking to potential sponsors so I can start offering some nifty perks in the form of giveaways, contests etc. If anyone has any great suggestions or would like to be a sponsor to promote or grow your brand, drop me a line via my Contact page. I'm also always on the lookout for talent to be guests on the show. So far this site has reached over 1000 views in just under a month since I launched it on August 1, 2015 and is growing every day so being a sponsor or guest is a great opportunity for exposure. And let's face it, it's all about exposing yourself;)

Thanks for caring,

David

Due to a lack of sleep for the past few days, I'm pretty much neither here nor there. Been working on a feature length screenplay that will hopefully start shooting in a couple months. The director and I have been working on it since February and after many starts and stops and tangential versions we're finally closing in on a final draft. Between that and freelancing and the radio show, I don't have a minute to spare. But it's what we, as artists, do. It's all about the hustle, baby. 

I've had a truly amazing time on my radio show connecting with old friends and making new ones. I hope you'll join me on this crazy journey as I go in and out of my mind. Please feel free to drop me a line via my CONTACT page with feedback, suggestions, queries or if you want to be a guest on the show. 

Oh yeah, and I need 3.5 millions dollars if anyone can spare it :)

Thanks for caring,
DK