The week has been a whirlwind so far, as it usually is after coming off a very busy weekend. We shot SantaBoy, the new comedy from writer/director Scott Sullivan, this past Saturday and Sunday. I was involved as a producer, first assistant director, and as part of the cast in a very special guest appearance!
The shoot went great. We wrapped ahead of schedule each day, and Aaron Champion did a fantastic job as the Director of Photography. He was using his new Canon 5D, with a set of 3 primes and one variable lense. Great shallow depth of field, film-like sheen, etc. The stuff really looks great, and I can't wait until the trailer is ready.
The Cineline guys were also on hand for the adventure, both Matt Perry and Sven Granlund. They did their usual wonderful job, and we had some excellent participation from Adam Miles, who worked as a camera assistant and wore several other hats over the weekend.
Dana Sullivan, who was also a producer on the project, really kept the environment nice...there was good food and drinks available for cast and crew, including a few Monster Energy drinks, for which she gets several gold stars from me (as those of you who know me are aware, Monster is the best of all energy drinks in the market, bar none!)
Major props to the cast as well, which included Scott Sullivan, Karen Boles, and Ashley-Rose Sullivan. There was not a weak link in the cast, and the performances were solid all the way through. Nick, the 12 year old star of the show, was very pleasant to work with and showed a real maturity in how he handled direction and the long shooting day on Saturday.
I'll post updates here on SantaBoy, as we hope to have a local showing before Scott heads out to immerse in the MFA in Screenwriting program at UCLA.
I've been scrambling to catch up since I got back, but suffice it to say that there will be several Seventh Star Press related announcements over the next week or so:
1. Will be for a new fantasy author coming aboard, a guy who is first-class and whose writing I think very highly of. He and I are really going to be able to team up at conventions and other activities to promote our work, and I am looking forward to joining forces with him. Can't wait for this announcement, which will be coming next week.
2. An announcement will be made on Amanda DeBord's new anthology for Seventh Star Press. This will be the first anthology for Seventh Star Press, and I'm personally excited as Amanda has been a great editor to work with.
3. The title and some release information on my new book, the 2nd book in the Rising Dawn Saga, will also be released.
We will try to space the announcements apart by at least a couple of days, but the flurry will mark a very exciting time.
That's it for the moment, but stay tuned, as things are moving forward!
Showing posts with label Scott Sullivan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Scott Sullivan. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Big crowds at Keeneland, and more book and movie notes!
Work is the key word for the week. Crowds have been enormous down at Keeneland, including nearly 34,000 yesterday. The crew has been doing a great job, and while there are always small glitches here and there, things have been running smoothly overall. Had a 40-1 horse win the Blue Grass Stakes, which is a big pre-Derby event. I liked that, as I'm partial to the underdog!
Don't worry, I've been working hard on book and movie stuff too! ;)
This week I will be meeting with Amanda regarding the final touches on the new installment in the Rising Dawn Saga. We have a title selected and anchored down, which will be announced very soon. Matt is well underway on the illustrations and cover art, and I hope to have some reports on that very shortly as well.
And speaking of Amanda, there's going to be a new anthology announcement at Seventh Star Press soon, which also has its title decided and anchored down.
On the movie front, we have a production meeting for Santa Boy, the new short comedy from award-winning director/writer Scott Sullivan. We go into production at the end of April, with Aaron Champion as the cinematographer, and the Cineline Production camp in full force on the production side. I know it's going to look good, and there's a real positive vibe in the air around this one as Scott recently got accepted into the UCLA MFA in Screenwriting program.
The next 2 t-shirts will also be unveiled probably next week, bringing the total to 4 designs, 2 from each novel (The Exodus Gate and Crown of Vengeance). I hope to have some individuals modeling them very shortly.
I did have one fun excursion last week, going to see my friend, actor David Haney, do stand-up comedy at the very respected Comedy Off Broadway venue here in Lexington. David had a great debut and I'm hoping that he'll be encouraged to move forward. (and I was honored to have him wear one of the new t-shirts during his routine!)
That's about it for now...time to get back to work!
Don't worry, I've been working hard on book and movie stuff too! ;)
This week I will be meeting with Amanda regarding the final touches on the new installment in the Rising Dawn Saga. We have a title selected and anchored down, which will be announced very soon. Matt is well underway on the illustrations and cover art, and I hope to have some reports on that very shortly as well.
And speaking of Amanda, there's going to be a new anthology announcement at Seventh Star Press soon, which also has its title decided and anchored down.
On the movie front, we have a production meeting for Santa Boy, the new short comedy from award-winning director/writer Scott Sullivan. We go into production at the end of April, with Aaron Champion as the cinematographer, and the Cineline Production camp in full force on the production side. I know it's going to look good, and there's a real positive vibe in the air around this one as Scott recently got accepted into the UCLA MFA in Screenwriting program.
The next 2 t-shirts will also be unveiled probably next week, bringing the total to 4 designs, 2 from each novel (The Exodus Gate and Crown of Vengeance). I hope to have some individuals modeling them very shortly.
I did have one fun excursion last week, going to see my friend, actor David Haney, do stand-up comedy at the very respected Comedy Off Broadway venue here in Lexington. David had a great debut and I'm hoping that he'll be encouraged to move forward. (and I was honored to have him wear one of the new t-shirts during his routine!)
That's about it for now...time to get back to work!
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!
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Hittin' the road...
It has been quite the adventure in Central Kentucky recently, with a nice dose of snow and cold weather to keep things interesting. Needless to say, 1 water heater down, 1 repaired water main in the neighborhood, and other such fun, I am rarin' to hit the road and go to a Con.
I will be making the trek to ConNooga this weekend, for 3 panels and other activities. I am supposed to have an author table next to D.A. Adams, who was kind enough to read Crown of Vengeance and do a blurb for it. We definitely mesh well, so it should be a great weekend.
We did finally get a hardcover version of The Exodus Gate up. Just go to the Seventh Star Press site if you are interested at www.seventhstarpress.com. They are just 25 bucks, and they look really sharp with the gold stamp, soft cloth hardcover, full color dust jacket, etc.
I hope to have some info shortly, as in this weekend, regarding the Kindle version of Crown of Vengeance. SSP is also re-upping The Exodus Gate's Kindle version as well, cleaning up a couple of knick knacks that alert readers let us know about.
Beyond this weekend, March gets really busy, with trips to Dark Woods Con in Pikeville, KY, MidSouth Con in Memphis, and Millennicon in Cincinnati Oh. Stay tuned for more adventures there.
On a side note, my friend Michael West, a very talented horror author, just had a short story anthology released called Skull Full of Kisses from the excellent publisher Graveside Tales . If you like horror well-crafted and inspired, check this one out. I ordered a copy from the publisher and it should arrive this week.
I also picked up Kimberly Richardson's Tales from a Goth Librarian while I was at Davis-Kidd for the recent booksignings, and Shirley Damsgaard's new one, The Seventh Witch. So I'll have a little bit of a full plate on some good new books!
Progress is going well on the "spec-script" project, and we are on track for the march deadline. I hope this works out so that I can talk more about it.
There will be some updates shortly on the SantaBoy project, which is shooting now in April (written and directed by Scott Sullivan, I'm working as a producer on this one), and the short film based on H. David Blalock's Ascendant novel.
I will be making the trek to ConNooga this weekend, for 3 panels and other activities. I am supposed to have an author table next to D.A. Adams, who was kind enough to read Crown of Vengeance and do a blurb for it. We definitely mesh well, so it should be a great weekend.
We did finally get a hardcover version of The Exodus Gate up. Just go to the Seventh Star Press site if you are interested at www.seventhstarpress.com. They are just 25 bucks, and they look really sharp with the gold stamp, soft cloth hardcover, full color dust jacket, etc.
I hope to have some info shortly, as in this weekend, regarding the Kindle version of Crown of Vengeance. SSP is also re-upping The Exodus Gate's Kindle version as well, cleaning up a couple of knick knacks that alert readers let us know about.
Beyond this weekend, March gets really busy, with trips to Dark Woods Con in Pikeville, KY, MidSouth Con in Memphis, and Millennicon in Cincinnati Oh. Stay tuned for more adventures there.
On a side note, my friend Michael West, a very talented horror author, just had a short story anthology released called Skull Full of Kisses from the excellent publisher Graveside Tales . If you like horror well-crafted and inspired, check this one out. I ordered a copy from the publisher and it should arrive this week.
I also picked up Kimberly Richardson's Tales from a Goth Librarian while I was at Davis-Kidd for the recent booksignings, and Shirley Damsgaard's new one, The Seventh Witch. So I'll have a little bit of a full plate on some good new books!
Progress is going well on the "spec-script" project, and we are on track for the march deadline. I hope this works out so that I can talk more about it.
There will be some updates shortly on the SantaBoy project, which is shooting now in April (written and directed by Scott Sullivan, I'm working as a producer on this one), and the short film based on H. David Blalock's Ascendant novel.
Saturday, August 29, 2009
A note from ConText and a little announcement...
Sitting here in the morning in Columbus Ohio, ready to start day two of ConTrek, a very nice speculative fiction literary convention. I've got a few panels to do today, which will be fun, as they focus on issues of translating books to film and vice-versa. In other words, I get to draw off both of those aspects of me under one umbrella!
I've been a little slack on my posts here. It's been crazy, just trying to get a good rhythm going with the Indie Movie Masters and Seventh Star Press blogs and podcasts, and I've been putting a ton of hours into the writing, as always! ;)
Matt is knee-deep in completing the artwork on the new novel. The title is going to be Crown of Vengeance, and it will be Book One of Fires in Eden. It is epic fantasy of a more medieval/high fantasy nature, though it does involve a few characters from the modern age that get whisked into this world.
As I've stated before, the plan is to have the sequel to The Exodus Gate, Book Two of the Rising Dawn Saga, out in spring of 2010, and we will try to maintain a schedule with books in the Fires in Eden series coming out in each fall and Rising Dawn Saga books coming out each spring.
The material is there, as both have been in development for years. It is just a matter of editing and polishing the material.
Matt also is working with one of my horror short stories, turning it into a graphic novel that is being put out in segments for a sequential art magazine. I have several horror short stories that just need some tweaking, which have a thematic continuity, and could form a nice singular anthology. Kind of a Clive-Barkeresque Books of Blood sort of vibe, as they are very macabre, and visceral. Matt and I have discussed turning a Volume One of these stories into a sequential art version, so stay tuned.
As far as film goes, I am committed to helping a very talented guy develop a horror feature. We've got a way to go before any greenlight, but suffice it to say that his story and concept are dynamite. We want to achieve a production value that is theatrical grade. I would be a producer on this project if it moves forward.
The fantasy short film that I mentioned a ways back is tentatively slated to be produced in early 2010. In the meantime, I am a producer on Scott Sullivan's new comedy short, Santa Boy, which shoots this December. Scott is a great talent and fellow and I am looking forward to working with him on it.
So there you go! A bit of an update with some new information. (Including my quiet announcement of the new book title, haha).
I'm off to ConText here shortly! Jason Sizemore of Apex, Michael West, Maurice Broaddus, Dan and Jackie Gamber, and all the gang are here, so it should be crazy and alot of fun.
I've been a little slack on my posts here. It's been crazy, just trying to get a good rhythm going with the Indie Movie Masters and Seventh Star Press blogs and podcasts, and I've been putting a ton of hours into the writing, as always! ;)
Matt is knee-deep in completing the artwork on the new novel. The title is going to be Crown of Vengeance, and it will be Book One of Fires in Eden. It is epic fantasy of a more medieval/high fantasy nature, though it does involve a few characters from the modern age that get whisked into this world.
As I've stated before, the plan is to have the sequel to The Exodus Gate, Book Two of the Rising Dawn Saga, out in spring of 2010, and we will try to maintain a schedule with books in the Fires in Eden series coming out in each fall and Rising Dawn Saga books coming out each spring.
The material is there, as both have been in development for years. It is just a matter of editing and polishing the material.
Matt also is working with one of my horror short stories, turning it into a graphic novel that is being put out in segments for a sequential art magazine. I have several horror short stories that just need some tweaking, which have a thematic continuity, and could form a nice singular anthology. Kind of a Clive-Barkeresque Books of Blood sort of vibe, as they are very macabre, and visceral. Matt and I have discussed turning a Volume One of these stories into a sequential art version, so stay tuned.
As far as film goes, I am committed to helping a very talented guy develop a horror feature. We've got a way to go before any greenlight, but suffice it to say that his story and concept are dynamite. We want to achieve a production value that is theatrical grade. I would be a producer on this project if it moves forward.
The fantasy short film that I mentioned a ways back is tentatively slated to be produced in early 2010. In the meantime, I am a producer on Scott Sullivan's new comedy short, Santa Boy, which shoots this December. Scott is a great talent and fellow and I am looking forward to working with him on it.
So there you go! A bit of an update with some new information. (Including my quiet announcement of the new book title, haha).
I'm off to ConText here shortly! Jason Sizemore of Apex, Michael West, Maurice Broaddus, Dan and Jackie Gamber, and all the gang are here, so it should be crazy and alot of fun.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Storms, Business, and Schedule Shifts!
A very interesting day, just like the past few days. On Tuesday, Lexington got hit with a deluge, though Lousville got hit even worse. They recorded over 10,000 lightning strikes in the Louisville area and had more water fall in a 3 hour period than any time in Louisville history. We are definitely having an unusually cool July/August period.
This week has had its share of adventures. I got an invitation to attend as an author to the Kentucky Book Fair in Frankfort, KY on November 7th. I am really excited that the selection board extended this invitation and I will be there for both The Exodus Gate and the new book that I have coming out around October.
On the film side, it has been frustrating in terms of scheduling. I am a producer on a new comedy short film from the very talented Scott Sullivan, and am also primed to direct a new fantasy short from a published fantasy author. Both projects were originally primed for the fall, but it looks as if we will be shooting the comedy short the first week of December and the fantasy project has been pushed back to early 2010. I am working on the development of a horror feature that I've been asked to produce...a very high concept, very sharp project from a very talented individual that I have alot of respect for, and I hope to be talking more about this one pretty shortly.
Other than that, mired in pages, pages, and pages of the final run on the new medieval fantasy novel. The work is going very smoothly.
I did manage to get the first Indie Movie Masters podast up last Friday, and this Friday it looks as if we are on target for the first podcast on Seventh Star Press's blog site (seventhstarpress.blogspot.com ). I am really enjoying doing the blog/interviews and the podcasts, and I've got a number of excellent guests that I want to have on them.
This week has had its share of adventures. I got an invitation to attend as an author to the Kentucky Book Fair in Frankfort, KY on November 7th. I am really excited that the selection board extended this invitation and I will be there for both The Exodus Gate and the new book that I have coming out around October.
On the film side, it has been frustrating in terms of scheduling. I am a producer on a new comedy short film from the very talented Scott Sullivan, and am also primed to direct a new fantasy short from a published fantasy author. Both projects were originally primed for the fall, but it looks as if we will be shooting the comedy short the first week of December and the fantasy project has been pushed back to early 2010. I am working on the development of a horror feature that I've been asked to produce...a very high concept, very sharp project from a very talented individual that I have alot of respect for, and I hope to be talking more about this one pretty shortly.
Other than that, mired in pages, pages, and pages of the final run on the new medieval fantasy novel. The work is going very smoothly.
I did manage to get the first Indie Movie Masters podast up last Friday, and this Friday it looks as if we are on target for the first podcast on Seventh Star Press's blog site (seventhstarpress.blogspot.com ). I am really enjoying doing the blog/interviews and the podcasts, and I've got a number of excellent guests that I want to have on them.
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