So much to share! PART 1

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.

Thank you all for your continuous support!

Thomas

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