Had to take a break from working all day on a spec-script, for a potentially very large project. Figured I would hop on here and weigh in a little on the past weekend, and the weekend coming up, at MidSouthCon.
First of all, the verdict is in...DarkWoods Con is a winner. I think that Cherokee Hall, the Blackwells, and everyone involved did a fantastic job with organizing the show. The attendence was solid, there was a nice variety of exhibitors, and excellent guests.
Jeffrey Reddick, as usual, was fantastic to visit with, and we finally got to be on a panel together. Myself, writer Elizadeth Hetherington, the incomparable Nic Brown, and Jeffrey headed up a screenwriter/author panel that didn't seem to have any pauses. We had a great conversation with the audience, and the range of experience on the panel was where it needed to be to respond well to the inquiries. Jeffrey also indicated that he has a lot of irons in the fire now, and I can't wait to see how everything turns out with him in the near future. He's a great fellow and is one that anyone would want to root for.
I spent a lot of time in the dealer's room, talking to other guests, exhibitors, con attendees, and even a few that will hopefully become new readers of my work! My table was next to Schaeffer Tolliver and Justin Powell, who were manning a table for the Cineline guys. Worked out very nicely, and we had a front seat position for all the sideshow stuff from the Pickled Brothers. They are fantastic, if you haven't seen them, though it does make me queasy to watch swords being drawn out of mouths by audience participants and light bulbs being eaten.
Sam Flegal and his friend Matthew were on hand, and it turned out that we were both staying at the same hotel (though we didn't figure this out until the end of the con). Sam is a very talented artist, and is part of that extended Nashville and Tennessee family of authors and artists that have been very kind to me as I've gotten underway with the books in the past year. I was glad to see that business was brisk at his table.
And then there's Jacob Ennis, the mastermind behind Stash and the upcoming Red River. Jacob is a first rate moviemaker, and a good guy to boot, and I hope that he and I find a project to work together on one day. We discussed a couple of possibilities, so we'll see, but definitely keep your eye on him.
I had a few moments to talk with Michael Berryman, the guy who was in the original The Hills Have Eyes movie. Very nice, cordial guy, I must say!
Jerry Williams and Pat Bowling were there as well, bringing their craziness, as well as many others, such as the Infernal Dreams fellows, TJ Moreschi of Feathered Italian Films, Lee Vorvoort of the movie Gun Town, George Bonilla and the ZP International crew, and Vance and Elizadeth Hetherington (I got Elizadeth's book and am reading it, she's a very talented horror writer).
I also met Joe Garcia of the Fast Custom Shirts guys, and it looks like I have FINALLY found an artist-friendly source for t-shirts. (we're already preparing a few designs, so keep an eye on the blog)
Lots of new friends, a very good overall experience, and even a couple of Stacey Gillespie sightings (Kentucky's legendary indie film actor). Plus I got to see Billy Blackwell in his fancy new beard that he grew for his role in a new George Bonilla film...very nice!
Mark down DarkWoods Con on your calendar in 2011. Well worth it. Great Con and I think that they have something going that can really excel.
This weekend I'm back in Tennessee, in Memphis, for MidSouthCon. I'm on no less than 6 panels over the weekend, and I will be stationed at D.A. Adams table in the exhibition hall, so I'll be pretty easy to find. There are so many wonderful people in Memphis... H. David Blalock (The Jarl Himself), Herika Raymer, Kirk Stevens, Dan and Jackie Gamber, Kim Smith, Debra Parmley, Kimberly Richardson, and several others are based in Memphis who I have come to know and like a whole lot. The Con is very well run, and features some big names like Sherrylin Kenyon and Kevin J. Anderson. It will be great to catch up with a bunch of author and artist friends while I'm there. I hope to get to stop in and get some Memphis BBQ at a place recommended by author Angelia Sparrow...we'll see what happens! :)
Showing posts with label Dark Woods Con. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dark Woods Con. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Thursday, March 4, 2010
A Stroll Through the DarkWoods, and Some Updates...
I am looking forward to DarkWoods Con this weekend. Held in Pikeville, KY, this is the first year for this Con and it is being hosted and run by some very good guys and friends from the Kentucky film scene. I interviewed the main instigator, actor/director/producer Cherokee Hall on a recent Indie Movie Masters blog, and I can say that this is definitely going to be a great addition to the convention scene, especially in the region.
One of the highlights for me personally is that my pal Jeffrey Reddick is going to be there, and we are both on a screenwriter/author panel together on Saturday. Jeffrey is a fantastic screenwriter, and one of the things I've always admired about him is that he's come back to Kentucky (where he is from) to support the burgeoning independent film community here at events and conferences. It will be great to catch up with him and find out what kind of Hollywood shenanigans he's getting into next.
Other than that, I'll be exhibting and doing one other panel on independent filmmaking. Rumor has it that I'm next to the legendary Schaeffer Tolliver in the exhibit hall (as you may recall, among Schaef's many acting credits is his role as Hasan in Shadows Light), who will be hosting a table with Justin Powell, another good friend.
I've been working hard lately, readying two new short stories for editors of new anthologies, as well as turning in a couple of others to Amanda for an anthology she is putting together at Seventh Star Press. I've also been doing a bunch of work on the spec-script that is coming due in a couple of weeks, so keep your fingers crossed! I'm still itching to tell everyone what this script/movie project is about, but I'm muzzled for the moment! :)
I have been working on breakdowns and analysis of the "Viking Age" original screenplay I've mentioned before, and we hope to move forward strongly with that project very soon, once we have it analyzed through and through.
April will see the SantaBoy shoot, the new short comedy from award-winning writer-director Scott Sullivan. Production meetings are going on later this month, with a late April shooting weekend. We've got some excellent people pulled together for this project, which is being shot by cinematographer Aaron Champion, who is one of the biggest talents I've come across in the region.
Well, that's it for now...but I will be sure to give a report early next week on DarkWoods Con, especially regarding any crazy stuff that cult-film director and icon Jerry Williams does if he shows up in Pikeville!
One of the highlights for me personally is that my pal Jeffrey Reddick is going to be there, and we are both on a screenwriter/author panel together on Saturday. Jeffrey is a fantastic screenwriter, and one of the things I've always admired about him is that he's come back to Kentucky (where he is from) to support the burgeoning independent film community here at events and conferences. It will be great to catch up with him and find out what kind of Hollywood shenanigans he's getting into next.
Other than that, I'll be exhibting and doing one other panel on independent filmmaking. Rumor has it that I'm next to the legendary Schaeffer Tolliver in the exhibit hall (as you may recall, among Schaef's many acting credits is his role as Hasan in Shadows Light), who will be hosting a table with Justin Powell, another good friend.
I've been working hard lately, readying two new short stories for editors of new anthologies, as well as turning in a couple of others to Amanda for an anthology she is putting together at Seventh Star Press. I've also been doing a bunch of work on the spec-script that is coming due in a couple of weeks, so keep your fingers crossed! I'm still itching to tell everyone what this script/movie project is about, but I'm muzzled for the moment! :)
I have been working on breakdowns and analysis of the "Viking Age" original screenplay I've mentioned before, and we hope to move forward strongly with that project very soon, once we have it analyzed through and through.
April will see the SantaBoy shoot, the new short comedy from award-winning writer-director Scott Sullivan. Production meetings are going on later this month, with a late April shooting weekend. We've got some excellent people pulled together for this project, which is being shot by cinematographer Aaron Champion, who is one of the biggest talents I've come across in the region.
Well, that's it for now...but I will be sure to give a report early next week on DarkWoods Con, especially regarding any crazy stuff that cult-film director and icon Jerry Williams does if he shows up in Pikeville!
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
CoNooga, and March Madness!
Back in the groove after a great ConNooga weekend. This was my first trek down to Chattanooga, and it turned out to be a very pleasant trip as I got to spend a lot of time with my friend, author D.A. Adams, and Renee, as their table was right next to mine in the Exhibit Hall.
On the other side of D.A. was Mike D'Ambrosio, all the way from Philly, and a wonderful panelist and author. We go to a lot of the same conventions, so it felt like home to come in and be next to these guys. There was quite a Kentucky contingent there too. Across from me was the amazing artist Billy Tackett, a great guy who I am looking forward to visiting again at MidSouthCon (where he is the artist guest of honor), Imagicon, and others. One aisle over from me was quite a gang, starting with Jason Crowe and Roni Jonah of Feathered Italian Films. The Infernal Dreams camp was on hand, getting great interviews, footage, and mayhem as always. George Bonilla and ZP International, the amazing Nic Brown (a very good author, and head guy of B-Movie Man) and Tucky Williams (promoting the new project she's doing with the legendary Eric Butts, Girl/Girl Scene), and others from the Bluegrass state were there representing! ;)
I really enjoyed my co-panelists at this convention, and there were some amazing ones. Dan Jolley, Mary Kowal, Shane Berryhill, Joe Dickerson, Robert Freese, Bobby Nash, Christine Barber, and Andy Deane were some of the panelists involved with the topics I was on, and they were all so knowledgeable. What made it great for the audience was that there was a great nice balance between folks involved in major press, small press, and self-publishing, which made for some very useful insights and good discussion. Our moderator on all panels, Robby, did a fantastic job keeping things on course.
Andy Deane, who is with the international rock group Bella Morte, was both a great contributor, as well as incredibly entertaining. I referred to Andy as a "non-traditional" rock star, and he briefly stole my identify in one panel, which was fine by me, as Andy is in big demand by the ladies! I am reading his book "The Sticks", a horror novel/werewolf tale, which I will be posting a review on the SSP Blog Site sometime soon. Andy definitely rocks, and I hope to stay in touch with him for sure. Very good, genuine individual with a whole lotta talent.
I also wanted to give a shout out to Chris Bern, who runs the Fans of Christ group. A really super nice guy, who I enjoyed meeting very much. His group is not your typical church group, to say the least, and his table is definitely worth stopping by if you see him at a convention. I personally wish more religious organizations had the kind of approach and attitude that he embraces.
I was also very touched by the number of new readers that came aboard my crazy journey, and who took interest in my fantasy series. This was the first show that we had the new Exodus Gate hardcovers available, and they seemed to go over very well. I am looking forward to hearing from all of the folks that got either The Exodus Gate or Crown of Vengeance.
Whether new readers or panelists/guests like Chris Bern, Bobby Nash or Sean Taylor, I really love to make new friends at these conventions. For me that's the real highlight...as D.A. Adams says, it is a real "brotherhood" (and sisterhood, of course! LOL) out there on the convention circuit. Everyone is motivated and ambitious, but for the most part, most of the people you encounter regularly are the kind of people that are willing to give others help, a leg up, and support. That, to me, is what distinguishes this group in a big way. Everyone is rooting for each other, and tend to be self-competitive (I.E. Competing against oneself, as opposed to seeing others as "competition). Good things come out of a mentality like that, and I think there will be many individuals really making strides out of the Con circuit that I have been frequenting lately.
Now, it is time for March Madness...no, not the basketball tournament, but rather a 3 straight weekend run of conventions, starting with Dark Woods Con, in Pikeville, KY, MidSouthCon in Memphis, TN, and Millennicon, in Cincinnati, OH. It is going to be quite a run, but a very exciting one, and I will be reporting back on all of them. It will be my second visit to MidSouthCon, and my first to the other two (and the first one for everyone at Dark Woods Con, as this is the first year for that event!).
On the other side of D.A. was Mike D'Ambrosio, all the way from Philly, and a wonderful panelist and author. We go to a lot of the same conventions, so it felt like home to come in and be next to these guys. There was quite a Kentucky contingent there too. Across from me was the amazing artist Billy Tackett, a great guy who I am looking forward to visiting again at MidSouthCon (where he is the artist guest of honor), Imagicon, and others. One aisle over from me was quite a gang, starting with Jason Crowe and Roni Jonah of Feathered Italian Films. The Infernal Dreams camp was on hand, getting great interviews, footage, and mayhem as always. George Bonilla and ZP International, the amazing Nic Brown (a very good author, and head guy of B-Movie Man) and Tucky Williams (promoting the new project she's doing with the legendary Eric Butts, Girl/Girl Scene), and others from the Bluegrass state were there representing! ;)
I really enjoyed my co-panelists at this convention, and there were some amazing ones. Dan Jolley, Mary Kowal, Shane Berryhill, Joe Dickerson, Robert Freese, Bobby Nash, Christine Barber, and Andy Deane were some of the panelists involved with the topics I was on, and they were all so knowledgeable. What made it great for the audience was that there was a great nice balance between folks involved in major press, small press, and self-publishing, which made for some very useful insights and good discussion. Our moderator on all panels, Robby, did a fantastic job keeping things on course.
Andy Deane, who is with the international rock group Bella Morte, was both a great contributor, as well as incredibly entertaining. I referred to Andy as a "non-traditional" rock star, and he briefly stole my identify in one panel, which was fine by me, as Andy is in big demand by the ladies! I am reading his book "The Sticks", a horror novel/werewolf tale, which I will be posting a review on the SSP Blog Site sometime soon. Andy definitely rocks, and I hope to stay in touch with him for sure. Very good, genuine individual with a whole lotta talent.
I also wanted to give a shout out to Chris Bern, who runs the Fans of Christ group. A really super nice guy, who I enjoyed meeting very much. His group is not your typical church group, to say the least, and his table is definitely worth stopping by if you see him at a convention. I personally wish more religious organizations had the kind of approach and attitude that he embraces.
I was also very touched by the number of new readers that came aboard my crazy journey, and who took interest in my fantasy series. This was the first show that we had the new Exodus Gate hardcovers available, and they seemed to go over very well. I am looking forward to hearing from all of the folks that got either The Exodus Gate or Crown of Vengeance.
Whether new readers or panelists/guests like Chris Bern, Bobby Nash or Sean Taylor, I really love to make new friends at these conventions. For me that's the real highlight...as D.A. Adams says, it is a real "brotherhood" (and sisterhood, of course! LOL) out there on the convention circuit. Everyone is motivated and ambitious, but for the most part, most of the people you encounter regularly are the kind of people that are willing to give others help, a leg up, and support. That, to me, is what distinguishes this group in a big way. Everyone is rooting for each other, and tend to be self-competitive (I.E. Competing against oneself, as opposed to seeing others as "competition). Good things come out of a mentality like that, and I think there will be many individuals really making strides out of the Con circuit that I have been frequenting lately.
Now, it is time for March Madness...no, not the basketball tournament, but rather a 3 straight weekend run of conventions, starting with Dark Woods Con, in Pikeville, KY, MidSouthCon in Memphis, TN, and Millennicon, in Cincinnati, OH. It is going to be quite a run, but a very exciting one, and I will be reporting back on all of them. It will be my second visit to MidSouthCon, and my first to the other two (and the first one for everyone at Dark Woods Con, as this is the first year for that event!).
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