Here is another great article that’s most recent about the premiere! Shit now I have a full time job Googeling articles! I’m a sucker for work aint I!!
Wire Service Canada
Canadian Free Press Release Service
May 17, 2011 – 09:08 PM
Entertainment
The $5000 epic zombie film by writer, producer and director Thomas Newman had its Canadian premiere at the Rio Theatre on May 15 and the sellout crowd was treated to not only the cult classic film Bong of the Dead, but also received giveaways, and prizes.
Members of the cast and crew including makeup special effects and co-producer Mike Fields, and actor Mark Wynn were on hand for the movie premiere.
May 17, 2011 Vancouver, BC Canada – Since the feature length movie Bong of the Dead received notice that it made the Cannes Independent Film Festival lineup, the press, fans and members of the film industry have been lining up to get a piece of the film and the visionary director Thomas Newman. Newman has been very busy since the premiere with TV and radio interviews on top of a flood of fan interest for his zombie movie.
It’s been some time coming, but Thomas Newman finally premiered his epic $5000 one man, one camera film on May 15th at the Rio Theatre in Vancouver. Even prior to the screening in Vancouver it had actually played at the prestigious Cannes Independent Film Festival in France for two separate showings as part of the official selection for the 2011 ceremonies. It has also been receiving rave reviews from critics abroad and fans alike who have accepted the film with open arms and are already screaming “Cult” favorite after only one screening! These reviews are from credible resources such as the Rue Morgue Magazine who go as far as quoting in their full page article about the film – “Bong Of The Dead has Cult hit smeared all over it!” The filmmaker went even as far as tracking down the iconic king of pot humor Tommy Chong who said after a private screening, “This is a sure winner!”
The hugely positive reaction to his movie has finally put the filmmaker in the spotlight after spending two years in his basement in post-production compositing hundreds of shots. This is work normally done by entire companies – but it was done by one man and his pimped-out Mac computer.
When asked if he was surprised at the sudden interest in and success of his hard work, Thomas Newman stated, “Actually no not at all to be quite honest with you. I’ve been planning and plotting this film and its success from day one before I even had a script. Everything I do for this film is planned to the finest detail. I always said to people that I needed to go for a home run first time around and I believe I did that.”
As a result May 15th has been a date on a lot of Vancouverite’s minds. People who have been following the filmmakers work and progress via Facebook, Twitter and other such social mediums showed their support by lining up outside the movie theatre on a rainy Sunday evening during one of the hometown Vancouver Canucks most important playoff games! Fans showed up as zombies and victims and then there was Thomas Newman in his flashy Bong of the Dead t-shirt.
And the rumors are true, the premiere was such a success and the demand for another filming has been so great that a second screening date has been booked! Bong Of The Dead will be playing at the Rio Theatre again on August 18th 6:30 PM! More ticket information is available on the main web page.
Fans interviewed after the premiere were stating that they were genuinely impressed with the great stylistic directing by Thomas Newman who definitely pushed the limits of digital technology and created the best with what he had.
About Bong of the Dead
Learn more about the film by visiting the official website at www.Bongofthedead.com
Since the web is so complex sometimes people who read my Blog may not be reading my Tweets or visa verse or you may not even know the articles exist. Ive decided to post any cool article I find on my movie on the world wide web by posting it here for those who missed it or never thought it existed to begin with! Enjoy!
WIRE SERVICE CANADA
It has arrived. The feature-length zombie movie by Thomas Newman has been completed, and on a budget of only $5000.
Rave reviews are starting to roll in.
“The Citizen Kane of zombie films.” – Alex Browne – The Peace Arch News
Writer, producer and director of Bong of the Dead, Thomas Newman took a chance of a lifetime to complete his first feature film. Being a veteran of the special effects industry, Thomas was able to turn his love and passion for film into a movie which is now being sought after by multiple distribution companies from across the globe. The process of creating an entire film and compositing over 350 shots himself by hand – frame by frame is typically usually the work of dozens of people. Driven by passion and fueled by his hunger for success he was able to overcome many personal and technical hurdles throughout the last two years. Along the way turning the movie into what it is today.
Zombie movie fans will love the new website and can find all the information on the movie including the cast and crew.
Official website for Bong of the Dead
Obviously I’m having a crazy week now that my movie is finally completed and its doing its thing via festivals and press etc! I feel like a mother whose just released her baby into the wild. I’m anxious, excited and nervous and scared all at the same time that people are going to tear it up! BUT… so far its been incredible reviews left right and center! I cannot believe my eyes at the way the world has responded to BOTD but I kind of knew they would! Im not trying to sound arrogant Im just stating the fact about being a dreamer. Heck that’s what dreamers do…we dream the best possible scenarios and work towards making them come true. Whats the point in having a small dream? Dream big or wake up and get a regular job and be ordinary! I tried that but I was dreaming so much that I ended up sleep walking and actually becoming a zombie myself! Not for me sorry.
Ok so on May 3rd Tommy Chong gives a wicked quote to use for my movie….
“This is a sure winner!” Tommy Chong.
Then on May 5th my agent sends me an email from Cannes committee which says this:
“We’d love to include Bong of the Dead in our programme (which should
be ready by the end of this week). Feel free to use our Official
Selection logo (attached).”
http://www.cannesfest.org/OS2011.htm
Before that I had Alex Browne of the Peace Arch news say in his article “The citizen Kane of Zombie movies!”
2 days ago I found out that Michael Moore on of my favorite documentary filmmakers will be watching BOTD himself in consideration for his festival the Traverse City Film Festival! Not a committee but actually himself! I’m honored! Maybe a future project there…”Bowling for Bud!”.
Today May 9th Mike Fields drops off a copy of Rue Morgue magazine which is one of the biggest and most wildly spread Horror genre entertainment magazines known to man! They wrote the article that I’m going to go public with in the next few hours hopefully. In the article they said,
“Bong Of The Dead has cult hit smeared all over it!”
The Rue Morgue
Yup…that’s gonna be on the new poster as soon as I get clearance! LOL Soon I’m going to need a bigger poster! It feels so good that all the long days which blend into nights which blend into infinity are finally paying off! People are genuinely loving my first film and that to me means I have an audience to make movies for! That means the world!
I love the amount of momentum the film is picking up as I get closer to my directorial Debut and movie premiere! Speaking of premiere it looks like my good friend and sound Producer Andres has hooked me up with an official red carpet ceremony for the premiere! We’re talking big lights, red carpet and velvet ropes! Its all been put together as a generous donation by Javier Badillo who is one of the Rain dance film festival affiliates! Thank you Andres and Javier for the awesome gift! I hope you can all make it to the premiere for Bong Of The dead on May 15th at the Rio downtown! More info at www.bongofthedead.com
I guess I’m totally behind in delivering the good news as it rolls in but I honestly did not have the time. If you noticed from any of my previous blogs they are usually written in the late hours of the night or late early mornings when all normal people are sleeping. This is my first day light blog I think. Anyways, I have to break it up into parts because so much has developed for Bong of the dead that to fit it into one blog would make it ridiculously long.
Anyone whose read my other blogs has seen the emotional roller coaster ride Ive been on since day one of taking the step towards making my own movie with barley anything but passion. I’m happy to say that by holding true to myself and my views I have been able to accomplish what most filmmakers are still discussing in stuffy cafes with their peers. I wrote a script, filmed it and secured global distribution! What more can I ask for? Well I want to make more movies which is what its all about for me. As they say in Hollywood, “You’re only as good as your last picture”, or I think that’s what they say. In any case I am trying hard to not be stuck in the moment and to always be ahead of the game so that I may be able to jump right in should the opportunity present itself.
May is a crucial time of the year not only for Bong Of The dead, but also for zombies and zombie enthusiasts alike. May is the official Zombie Awareness Month! This is according to the Zombie research society who ask that we show our support by sporting a crossed gray ribbon. I shall do my bit! Since we are in May now I am officially less than 2 weeks away from my directorial debut and film premiere for Bong of the dead! I never thought I would be writing those last words but I guess we have finally arrived at our destination. Since Ive hired Rob Straight from Horizon Motion pictures great things have begun to happen for BOTD. I received news the other day that my movie will be presented not once but twice at the prestigious Cannes Festival on May 14th! WOW! That makes me very happy. I will then be premiering BOTD in Vancouver the very next day on May 15th at 6:30 PM at the Rio Theatre for a local audience. Then further down the festival line in September Bong OF The dead will be screed at TIFF! As if that were not enough good news I was also approached by the Traverse City film festival which was founded by the legendary Michael Moore. They actually came to me instead of the other way around. That’s a sign of good news meaning that the world is finally paying attention. To top it off the Province News paper which is our local paper finally came through and asked me for information about the movie so that they can write an article about it.
It looks like so far BOTD has been featured in Rue Morgue Magazine, Girls and Corpses and two other local magazines that have a pretty nice size audience. I’m hoping all this new press will bring even more people to the URL and launch my Google numbers from 1 million clicks to 1 Billion!! Dare to Dream right?
Of course with all this new founded publicity comes more hard work! It seems that the work never gets any easier it just becomes more as Q&A’s start coming in from random horror websites and other such interested parties. Dont get me wrong I am NOT complaining! I have never been a slacker and hard work has never scared me! Unless its a useless dead end job at a manufacturing factory, or lumber mill, or any of the other horrible jobs I’ve ever had to do in the past just to keep my “normal” life on track so that I can continue with my “creative” life! It could be way worse! I could be sitting around and not having an agent who wants a sequel script, not being hounded by websites who all want to do an article on this $5000 epic film made by some gut in his basement. All that adds up to the fact that what I am working towards is finally happening. That is what I truly live for, that’s making movies!
I am so grateful that I have been able to walk this road and without studio support or a massive budget or hundreds of people helping me in order to make it easier. If the road was easy then I would not learn anything from my experiences because my hardships would be shared by hundreds of others who would worry for me in order to make my life simpler and lesson the blows. That to me would not be the right way to conquer something new that you’ve taken on. I believe you have to face the dragon yourself and slay it yourself in order to become a true dragon slayer. Now that I have walked it and learned what I have learned it has only made me stronger and somehow wiser. Ive literally played every major role in making a movie from pre to actual to post to business post or marketing as it truly is. Al these skills will help make me a better Producer and Director because I will know the risks I took and learn from them for all my future projects. The only difference is this time I will have the studio support but they cant ever say that I wasn’t on the front lines! Its kind of like the army general who everyone respects because hes actually been to battle and crawled through the trenches. His men will follow him anywhere because they know he’s proven himself as a soldier. Yes I know right a war analogy? Where the hell did that come from? Well lets not forget film making is much like war at times if you think about it. There are external battles when you’re making your film from weather conditions to people deliberately trying to screw you over down to Murphy’s Law where anything and everything that could go wrong does. Then of course there the toughest parts of the battle the ones with oneself! The self loathing, self pity and insecurities and self doubt. Those are the ugly ones. At every angle something is ready to blow up in your face and you have to think fast in order to lessen the casualties.
Still don’t think film making is war? Try making a movie!
That is it for my part one of the Blog for the 2nd of MAY! I have to go and do more towards the premiere of the film because I am less than 2 weeks away! If you are local and would like to come out and see this film finally then please follow the link below and join us on MAY 15th at 6:30 PM at the Rio Theatre ( http://bongofthedeadmovie.ticketbud.com/bong-of-the-dead-movie? ). If you are expecting to be at Cannes this year then you can see it there the night before on MAY 14th at 4 PM at the Riviera.
Ok so I know that my last blog was on the negative side so I want to formally apologize for getting negative at a time when I should be positive. I seem to have trouble with not being able to express myself without sometimes coming across as harsh or pessimistic. For the record I want to say that although I don’t approve of “The System” in my industry I realize that I have to follow it in order to succeed…..for now anyways.
I understand that distribution companies and agents all have their purpose in the whole scheme of things. I guess if you were to refer to it as the machine that “It” or “the system” is, then all the parts of the engine have their place in order to move the whole vehicle forward. I just hate starting out as the whole engine and body myself then after its said and done being reduced to a nut;). At the end of the day I’m still in a far better position than most first time filmmakers out there. I have distribution offers coming in! I mean that is a lot more than some others can say about their films. I should be happy and grateful that people are paying attention and that my work is getting noticed. I’m actually getting a lot of emails from random people who want to either congratulate me on my achievements and talk about how they really enjoyed the trailers and posters etc. The film has been featured on over 200 websites to date and climbing. I just landed a large spread in Rue Morgue magazine, Girls and Corpses and Fango is coming around finally after 2 years of me pestering them! All these things are more than any lone filmmaker can wish for. I suppose I should be grateful and jumping up and down with joy and not stuck in this funk!
I am also grateful for my Agents efforts and I actually genuinely like him. He answers my calls and my e-mails even though I’m not the only filmmaker he has on his watch list. Hes a tough old dog with a lot of experience under his belt and hes got a lot of fight left in him still and doesn’t bullshit me which is the most important part of doing business to me. I’m also happy to have friends in the distribution circle who are keeping an eye on me and give me advice when I need it. You space cowboys know who you are. Thank you for your words of encouragement during my darkest hours and thank you for always being there when I need your advice regardless if I ask or not. Especially thank you for catching my bad tweets with missing links and missing pictures now and then;)
I think its time I stop wasting precious time and good blogging space with whining and flip the script! I need to do what every other creative does when they enter the darkness….self destruct with booze and drugs until I’m in a self induced coma! Just kidding…I’m not much of a drinker. Nope, I think I will do what the next best thing is and that is keep going and doing whatever I can to move forward. Ive been working on my new Bong posters and now I’m about to cut a new demo reel for myself since I need to start looking for work while Bong does its thing. Its time I update my old demo reel and include my biggest achievement to date! I know that I will get out of this funk and the positive energy will come pouring back into me before I know it. Its just tough being in my position and trying to remain positive. I think I need to read “The Secret” again starting tomorrow!
Well I have to admit it has been a while since my last blog but things have been kind of crazy since I walked through the doors of Independent film distribution. You think making a movie is a lot of work especially when your stuck in the dark by yourself days in and says out trying to piece together the rest of your life one digital frame per second. Well my friends wait until you get to the distribution phase of things and you’re now trying to get the film into the right hands! Its kind of like trying to swim from one small island across to another without getting eaten by dozens of sharks who can smell you coming from a mile. Those who have walked or swam I should say, before me and are reading this probably know exactly what I mean by that analogy. I imagine that every aspiring filmmaker/dreamer out there knows that making a movie with blood, sweat and a whole lot of passion takes courage, faith and the ability to not give up. I wont lie to you I have had my share of days and nights wanting to close my eyes and simply crawl up into a ball and go into a self induced coma! That may seem a bit extreme but its not far from the truth.
I would have to say that one of the best decisions I have made during my process of trying to make it was finding a good sales agent. If you find the right sales agent or Producers Rep then they could be the life raft that will carry you to the other island keeping you safe from the sharks. If you you don’t know who the “sharks” are by my analogy then Ill just go ahead and say it. There are “distributors” out there who dont care if you cut off your right arm or if your mothers life was on the line in order to make your movie. All they see is a tasty dollar sign and they will do whatever it takes to get your movie for nothing and leave you with nothing. If you think that you can make more money by shopping your movie around yourself then good on you! However if you are not sure whats out there lurking for you then find a great Sales Agent and let them represent you. After all they know the business end of things and most importantly they have the connections! That said do be careful as to who you try to use as your rep because sometimes they have bigger teeth than the sharks in the water!
If there was one piece of advice I could give anyone who is thinking about making a movie is this:
Stop what your doing now and BUY “The Insiders Guide to Independent Film Distribution” By Stacey Parks.
This book is the holy grail of indie film making! If you want to succeed you need to get that book in your hands because it paves the road to success for you! I had a quick exchange of words with the author, Stacey and I have to say she is legit! The fact that she has had so much knowledge and willing to share it is incredibly cool. Thank you Stacey for helping me find several homes for my movie;)
Well I have a meeting tomorrow with my sales agent to see whats on the table and drop off some screeners for him. Im looking forward to the future and cant wait to get BOTD out there so I can jump into the next 4 scripts I have lined up!
After 2 years of hell and back I have finally manged to cut the official trailer for Bong of The Dead! Here it is so please enjoy!
( VIEWERS DISCRETION IS STRONGLY ADVISED )
I’m sure every filmmaker out there knows what its like when you struggle and try so hard for so long just to get your work noticed. Its not easy getting peoples attention these days unless you do something completely crazy that most people would say is not worth the effort for the slight possibility that it may still not get noticed. I say to hell with that “Its easier to not try the try at all” mentality! If you are as serious about your dreams as I am then there are no limits and there are no boundaries unless of course you harm another human or animal or do something so sick in the process that its simply morally wrong. I guess common sense which isn’t so common would come to play there. I know that I have sacrificed my home, wife and my health on many occasions just to get my movie done and in the process Ive been documenting it all on video accumulating footage for a documentary which I plan on releasing tilted “Dare To Dream”. Its about my struggles right from day one, actualy 5 years of footage of trying to make it even before I started Bong.
I really don’t know why I’m so obsessive with making movies or why watching them and collecting them makes me feel the way it does. Its almost like oxygen to me as in I need them to breathe and to live. Its also a great means of escape which we all need now and then in today’s fast paced world of credit debt, global tension and economical hardships. Im sure some of you know exactly what I mean when I say movies are like my life line.
Now that Bong is officially finished and I actually am in the marketing phase of things it seems that important people around the world are finally beginning to take notice. By important people I mean dream makers who have the authority and the connections to put my film in the light where others can finally see what I’ve accomplished for the past 2.5 years all alone in my dark basement studio. All the thousands of hours of neck cramps, leg cramps and carpel tunnel is finally becoming worth it!
Dealing with distribution offers is a whole other ball park when you’re used to trying to get a hold of them and instead ending up with the same generic answer of “Just send us a screener copy and we’ll let you know”. It seems that distribution companies are a tight nit circle of friends who pass information to one another and somehow they are all interconnected from all corners of the world. Of course most are in competition with one another but others have partners in corners of the world which help extend their reach. I am now getting emails, and phone calls from them instead of the other way around and its a great feeling that someone is noticing my hard work! However not all distribution companies are interested in the struggling filmmaker trying to make it scenario which is a major back story to my movie. Some simply want to buy the product, ie The movie and turn around and sell it for a profit and dont care whether or not Ive almost died several times trying to make the film. Others on the other hand love the idea that there is more to the film and that there is passion sweat blood and tears which have made the final product and they want to explore that aspect as well. I’m leaning more towards the companies that care about my story as a filmmaker and my movie at the same time. At this stage most filmmakers get taken for everything because they are so excited that someone is finally paying attention to them so they sign without knowing what they are actually giving away! I’m lucky enough to have been researching distribution offers and the dos and donts for the past 2 years way before I even shot my first scene. Best thing I ever did was invest in Stacey Parks Book “The Insiders Guide to Independent Film Distribution”. This book is the bible for indie filmmakers and if you don’t own it then you are already on the wrong path! Do whatever it takes to get a copy and read it then once you’re done reading it, read it again then repeat! I always had distribution in mind which is why I did a lot of the things I did during production and post such as creating various posters for the different corners of the world and translating my press kit to 4 different languages and so on.
Filmmakers need to realize that the days of having no options but to go with a distributor are over! Finally the little guy has a voice and has a very big friend in his court and that friends name is “THE INTERNET!” In today’s world we have so many online options for self distribution which makes it a whole lot easier to get found! We have Netflix,Amazon,Createspace,IMDB,Youtube,Without a box etc. the list goes on and on. All these companies are now a huge part of self distribution which is a common root for people like me and you. We no longer have to jump to the first offer that comes down the pipe because we can do it ourselves and its been proven. Look at “Paranormal Activity” which got rejected from every major festival and distribution was not knocking. A film which cost peanuts to make grossed 240 Million! Of course using a reputable distribution company will give you a more wider reach right from the start but heck if you self distribute and it blows up then distributors come knocking anyways.
I’m of the opinion that if you want to get your film noticed then do whatever you can to make sure its done rationally be it self distribution or taking the first offer on the table. If the deal is good and its what you want then go for it! That said if you are not in any hurry to recoup your expenses which is my scenario then take your time and do the festival circle and build clout, do the platform theatrical release in your hometown and generate press etc. Remember I only spent 5 grand on my movie so im not in a desperate position to make that money back. I plan on making sure that Bong not only becomes a success but that it also launches my name and allows me to be able to do more films. I am not a one hit wonder and I don’t plan on stopping anytime soon. I simply want whats best for the film and myself which is why I’m actually turning down some offers and asking others to hold off until I look at all the offers carefully. You should never jump into a decision that could affect the rest of your life without scrutinizing it to bits! Having a lawyer helps a great deal especially one who specializes in entertainment law. Now being a brokeass filmmaker means you probably cant afford one and neither can I quite honestly but Im lucky to have one through a family member so it helps a great deal. I have no advice on how to get one without going further into debt. I’m pretty sure you can get a one hour free consultation perhaps with a lawyer who actually cares. Pick their brains and see if its worth retaining one.
All in all I’m happy to be where I am right now where I can say yes or no or maybe to the offers coming forward. It lets me know that I’m on the right path and that there is great potential in my film. Remember though don’t be cocky just be realistic and honest. When I say be honest I mean be honest with the distribution comapnies you are dealing with and with yourself. Does your film have the potential to become the next “Blaire Witch Project” or “Open Water” or “Paranormal Activity” ? If you think it does and others who have seen it say it does then in the famous words from Fubar….”Giver!”
New trailer and website coming up soon so please check it out!
First of all I just want to say that I’m impressed with myself that I’m blogging 2 days in a row since the New Year and I have no reason to stop now! You can rest assured its not because I’m bored or don’t have enough to do as is. I guess I just felt the need to do this particular blog because I’m very excited today.
Last night I had made a small list of people to contact as of Monday and of course first on my list was “Call Robert Rodriguez”! Now its not like I have him on speed dial or anything so I had to find a legitimate phone number for Troublemaker Studio first! Luckily I have a friend who has an IMDB Pro account and he was able to provide me with the number and address within minutes. Anyhow I woke up this morning at 9AM and made the call to Texas which was 11AM their time and to my surprise a lovely secretary on the other end actually answered! I introduced myself and asked her if they had received my letters which I had sent 2 weeks ago and she asked who I had written them to. “Robert of course” I answered then she kindly informed me that he was not in the office at that moment but I was more than welcome to leave a voice message for his assistant then transferred my call. Once the voice mail kicked in and I heard the tone I left a brief message explaining who I was and I why it was important for Robert to check out my film and give me a few minutes of his time by visiting the website for Bong Of The Dead.
I will admit I felt nervous and scared about making such a call because I did not know what to expect. However I also knew that making such a phone call and reaching out to someone who has inspired me in my pursuit as a struggling filmmaker could be the best thing I could do for myself. At the end of the day whats the worse that could happen? In my letter I reached out to Robert Rodriguez and asked him to help me with my career same way someone had helped him way back when he was where I am today. I only wish that he would look inside himself and realize that he too was a struggling filmmaker once upon a time long ago trying to be heard and also had obstacles to overcome during his pursuit.
Ill wait a bit then try to call again and see if I get lucky and maybe I can tell him myself how I’m just trying to be heard and ask from one filmmaker to another if he would be willing to help me get discovered. I know I have what it takes, I just need someone who can make things happen notice!
