Pistoleras Movie Diary

A Good Excuse

2007-12-12T11:17:00.000-08:00

It's not like we've been just laying around these months:
www.thecommunemovie.com

Hollywood is Listening!

2007-07-03T07:20:00.000-07:00

Lis' fabulous script just won 2nd place in the Action category for the annual Fade In Magazine screenwriting contest!

How effing cool is that?

She's one of only three women to be mentioned this year in case you were under the impression the Hollywood Boys' Club is a thing of the past. Doing our part to bust up the Club and kick some ass!

We're told the winners get page space in Variety, etc and get a spark of attention around town. Of course the site is full of "How winning the contest started my career" testimonials. We're working on a plan to leverage any attention, meetings, etc. for the good of the film and our careers.

Fingers crossed, champagne popped. Pistoleras won't be ignored!

Viva!

Our Girls Kick Ass!

2007-06-21T07:50:00.000-07:00

In preparation for their roles as our four heroines, our lead actresses have been taking the IMPACT basics self defense course that inspired the training sequence of this movie. IMPACT teaches full-force self defense techniques against fully-padded assailants so that the body trains in an adrenalized state...like it would be in a real assault situation.

Lis and I took the class last fall and I've gone on to take more advanced courses and become a training assistant in their program. That's how important I think this is for women.

Sunday, Lis and I watched proudly as three of our four leads had their graduation which consisted of three fights each. I felt my body twiching with each kick they landed, each hit thrown, like I wanted to help power their strikes. And I was moved to tears watching these tiny girls beat the crap out of a big padded man. The universality of that fear of attack by a man never leaves us. I think it's hardwired into women. Our girls and all the fighters that day were a total inspiration.

While you're waiting for the film's release, how 'bout getting yourself into an IMPACT class and get that confidence that comes from knowing, no matter what, you can defend your life.

Mutant Swingers From Mars

2007-05-18T07:04:00.000-07:00

From my friend Bill Cunningham at www.D2DVD.Blogspot.com:

http://headbangersblog.com/2007/05/10/movies-for-metalheads-sex-machine-white-slave-collection-swamp-zombies-a-secret-handshake-ghost/

Thank you all for taking a look at the link and please spread the word about Christopher Sharpe's cool little flick that's winning the hearts and minds of pulp moviegoers across the globe. I am proud to represent this movie (distributed worldwide by Anthem Pictures) as well as the upcoming scifi-horror-comedy MUTANT SWINGER FROM MARS featuring Jack White (of The White Stripes in his first movie role).

MUTANT SWINGER FROM MARS is writer-director Mike Kallio's love letter to Ed Wood, swing music and cinema cheese. You can watch the trailer on YouTube .

All rights to MSFM are currently available.

Hey Cinderella

2007-05-03T16:22:00.001-07:00

Ah, we heart Carlos Carrasco.

Just working on beefing up a scene of his in "Pistoleras," and felt the urge to share some work of his from the cult hit "Blood in, Blood Out." Don't worry boys, it cuts out right before he demands some chun chun. Popeye is one scary mofo.

Will Ferrell Movie Plot Generator

2007-04-12T19:23:00.000-07:00

Totally worth a click.

Pistoleras Love The Fuzz

2007-04-04T23:09:00.000-07:00

Just got home from a screening of "Hot Fuzz" from the creative team that brought us "Shaun of the Dead."

Two words.
Bril
Liant.

They hit the blend of humor and gratuitous violence that we are shooting for only goofier humor. Superb soundtrack featuring Jon Spencer. Cameos from everyone from Steve Coogan to Bill Nighy to Cate Blanchett.

In the Q & A, I asked how they pitched this project since it's clearly a great concept but what's the logline? Director Edgar Wright answered that they already had funding in place after Shaun so it wasn't a pitch as such. Oh well. Didn't find out any secrets about pitching Pistoleras but it was enough that he remembered me when I went up to him at the after-gathering. He was happy I noticed a small detail. For when you see it, which I know you will, note that after Timothy Dalton mentions a life drawing class and his table dancing clerk, in the next shot there is a framed drawing of a naked chick in the background. He wished us luck on the project and me pulling my old chicken-out, thanked him and walked away.

"But No! I can't leave the evening like this! Again" I thought. And it would have been WAY too dorky to go back over and give him a card or ask for a blurb. So I waited to talk to Edgar's creative partner and the film's star, Simon Pegg. Just as I made my way to Simon, he walked off, strike two!

But just then, I found I was standing next to the film's other star, Nick Frost. I told him the film was brilliant, which it is. And then just got to hang around and joke for a few minutes. At last, a natural moment to talk Pistoleras. He seemed to dig it. His advice to not go over an R rating was to use plenty of red, red fake blood so the violence is more laughable and cartoony (my words). Excellent plan! So yes kids, I finally pulled a producer move and gave him the Pistoleras card, being careful to point out the graphic novel cover on the back which he totally dug. I joked that the card hand-off was super LA cheesy of me but I had to. He agreed it was but laughed that it was his first card of the night and told me I give good card. Tell mom, I'm so proud! With any luck he'll actually check out the website and so forth. The important thing is a proven filmmaker now knows about Pistoleras and who knows where that could lead.

All in all, a super-cool evening. I highly recommend the movie! My guess is "Hot Fuzz" will outstrip "Shaun's" success easily. Well-acted, fab script, well-crafted story, funny, carefully placed details - clearly made by a crew who loved this project. Hmmm, where have I heard about a project like that before?

The House Band

2007-03-26T10:50:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite things about this town is how connections begat connections. Lis and I took the IMPACT self defense course (featured in Pistoleras!) and met Erin, a newly published author. I went to her book launch party and met her friend Lynda Kay. Lynda Kay turns out to be half of a rocking band described as the White Stripes of country: the Lonesome Spurs.

Something about their sound just felt right. Lis and I went to see them perform this weekend and were totally inspired. Instead of using one of their songs in the soundtrack as I'd discussed with Lynda Kay, we're now rewriting a huge sequence to include them as the house band thus featuring way more of their music. They will add such flair to the whole thing, we're stoked.

If that weren't enough, Lynda Kay's bandmate Danny happens to live near one of our preferred locations in the desert and has a ranch. We're headed out to scout it as a possible location next week. The kismet of the movies!

With that, we're rolling in full pre-production getting ready to start shooting by the end of April. Insanity here we come.

Pleased as punch

2007-03-09T19:05:00.000-08:00

Can I just say how brimming with pride I am that I talked Heidi into loving cocksucking Deadwood????

And now we both want Dan to be in Pistoleras!

Post-Reading

2007-02-26T11:32:00.000-08:00

The reading was a smashing success. What a great group of actors we have here. I love working with actors and seeing what they bring to a role and how they interpret something in a way that's new to me. Also, it's a much needed gut check to hear people's enthusiasm. We sometimes get caught in the "but it didn't win anything in that contest" mindset. Then I remember how doubtful it is that, say, Resevoir Dogs ever won anything. The key is to keep to the vision and believe when no one else does. The best part about Pistoleras is that people do believe. Everyone who gets involved with the project is passionate about it.

Chatted with our fabu lawyer last night and she says our investor memorandum is all legal so a few more polishes and our that'll be good to go to. Then we'll be that much closer to bringing this passion to the movie-going masses.

Reading is Good for You!

2007-02-23T11:00:00.000-08:00

The second ever staged reading of the Pistoleras script is tomorrow. Should be very cool. We've got the actors attached so far as well as some we're considering for various parts. Lis has made some great changes to the script - the ol punch up. Very much looking forward to seeing it live.

Also check our myspace page for the sweet new and improved theme song! Thanks, Jenn and Steve!

The Wheels are Grinding

2007-02-06T08:50:00.000-08:00

After a long, getting-duck-in-row period, it feels like things are finally starting to move again. We got a near-finished version of the business plan out to our lawyer friend. I also sent one to a pro-bono counsellor from SCORE whose specialty is indie film. When we get sign off from them, we'll finally be able to move ahead with the fund-raising push and get this puppy in production.

I spent the weekend breaking down the script into a scheduling program so we'll be able to get a realistic idea of how much time we'll need for each location, from each actor, etc. I enjoy all the detail management stuff. Our intention is for this to springboard us into our film careers. Never thought AD would be the path I'd take but I could see digging it.

Onward.

Chicken on the Fairway

2007-01-23T11:04:00.000-08:00

That’s twice now that I’ve failed to get to Clint. This time was even more frustrating because several times I could literally have touched him. Once his ball bounced out of the fairway so I ran over and stood next to his ball. Couldn’t get my camera out as the marshals would have pounced. (It was officially a no photography event), and when Clint came over and stood right there I couldn’t talk to him or slip him a Pistoleras card because, well it’s golf isn’t it? You can’t talk!

Once I was next to his wife and thought of speed-pitching her and passing our card along but I chickened out. Later as Clint made his big course exit, he was in a pod of six armed officers and did his usual no autographs thing. So that was that. Now I knew going into it that this was not the best way to get to a celeb when you have a project. If you get to them they look at you as a fan and are not inclined to listen through business ears. I know, I know. But I’m still totally disappointed in my complete lack of balls. Not in a Freudian sense either. So I guess what to take away from this is I have to throw caution to the wind and get over being intimidated by celebs.

In a random, baby steps side note I did get to someone…but did I ask him if he wanted to contribute to the soundtrack? Noooooooooo. Not that his music is a fit but it would have been fun to have a meeting, right?

Dang. Please tell me if you see poultry feathers on me again.

Blondie

2007-01-14T17:11:00.000-08:00

I cancelled a trip to see my dad in Palm Springs this weekend in hopes of getting to Clint Eastwood when I heard he'd be speaking at a Golden Globes foreign language films event here in Hollywood.

Lis and I busted ass to get our new Pistoleras business cards made and I printed out a film synopsis and mission statement just in case I got a chance to tell him what we're up to. OK I brought a script too...just in case.

See, I don't expect him to become involed or back us or anything. I just want him to know about us. Since for me the film is so inspired by his role as Blondie in Leone's trilogy, it's like I want his blessing. Kind of in a dad way, I want him to be proud of us.

I got myself to the 3rd row. It was such a trip to hear him speak from like 15 feet away. Here was the icon I've seen all my life. Right. Here. My stomach turned flips as I tried to prepare for whatever small opportunity for a handshake might present itself.

Raised my hand during the Q and A but wasn't called on. Got myself on the aisle for the walk-by, but they walked him down the other aisle. Ran to the parking lot only to see his limo door shut and him drive away. Cue forlorn western music as our heroine drags ass to her car with a purse weighing five tons with the script and everything in it.

My dad called to say Clint's playing in a golf tournament out in the Springs next weekend so guess where I'll be? Rad, I'm officially a stalker.

Champagne Pitch

2007-01-01T08:54:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the year of the Pistoleras!

I'm in NYC for the holidays and it's been interesting. Less jaded Hollywood attitude. In fact, the movie biz seems like a novelty here. Me Likey. It so happens that mom lives in the Ground Zero area so there are lots of financial types about. Every night we've been out and have meet friends who either have money or know someone who does. I've been pitching Pistoleras right and left and gotten good reactions. No one seems phased by the 10k unit price either. How much of these positive meets will translate into dollars remains to be seen but it's a good start. At the least it's good practice for me.

Last night I was told that a multi-millionaire who "is bored and looking for something fun to invest in" was going to be at the local bar. Naturally he didn't show up well into our second bottle of champagne but I got him on the dance floor and managed to pitch him Pistoleras. We talked several more times over the evening and he had some good follow-up questions which I choose to interpret as interest in the project. So we've learned that I can deliver a solid, animated, engaging pitch even fueled by bubbly! I guess that's where the Irish heritage comes in handy.

So, out of business cards and bracelets, I'm heading home tomorrow to get back to real life, polish the business plan and send it out to all these new, maybe money connections.

The funniest part of the evening was his girlfriend getting mad at me for getting his contact info. She accused me of trying to steal her man.

"It's just business, sweetie, seriously." And it was. And that's also the best part. I had a blast the whole time so this business is pleasure.

Xmas Pistoleras

2006-12-27T08:14:00.000-08:00

Spent xmas out in rural New Hampshire with my uncle's family. Talk about light years from LA. It was refreshing. My two little cousins are in middle and elementary school. Gave them both a red Pistoleras bracelet and taught them "Ready Stance" and how to shout "NO!" if a stranger hassles them.

Brings it all home that this is why we are doing this. What would it be like for them to grow up knowing they could defend themselves and they had a sense of self worth?

I say that's worth fighting for.

Leading Man

2006-12-20T19:23:00.000-08:00

I've been totally sitting on recounting our lunch with our fabulous leading man. Can we say his name yet? I better check with the lawyer. But suffice it to say, he seriously rocks. A Emmy winner, he was

on time, first good sign
passionate about the film to the point of talking about helping us fund-raise
articulate about his character/script notes
genuinely touched by the gift we brought him
totally cute (!)
and he bought us lunch (!!)

I know that's not the way it usually works in this town but I am tempted to say "If all our producer meeting are like this, I've picked a great life!" Soooo I'll say it anyway. I love this job!

Better than this, he'll nail the part of our lead baddie. I know it. He IS that second mouse.

Signing off for two weeks in NYC with mom with thoughts of a grueling but kick-ass desert shoot in our future. Bring it, Universe, we're ready!

How cool is this?

2006-12-12T03:49:00.000-08:00

"This is not another teen movie. PISTOLERAS delivers a knockout female empowerment message--its heroines make Charlie's Angels look like the Girl Scouts."
--Erin Torneo, co-author, The Bridal Wave

Riding the Wave

2006-11-29T13:54:00.000-08:00

I spent Thanksgiving week in Mexico, as one does. The days were filled with the usual mix of beach sleeping, trashy book reading, tequilla over-indulging and scoping out the new tourist knick knacks this year has to offer.

As the steady stream of beach vendors slid past our lunch table one day I mentally checked off the crap that's sucked me in over the years: Mexican blanket, check, fish-shaped mobile, check, loads of cheap silver, check, festive sarong, check, festive basket, check, traditional painting on bark paper, check, mexican wrestler mask...wha?!

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, the newest item of note available to American tourists is a genuine mexican wrestler mask. I actually squalked when I saw them. The vendor heard me and sauntered over.

"Nacho Libre?" He offered.

Nacho Libre? As if! Pistoleras, mi vato! I restrained myself from buying all our costume needs right then and there but it's good to know we've tapped into something in the public mind. Once again, the Universe says we're on the right track!

Oddly, moments later, we saw a big powerboat in the harbor with the name TENACIOUS in gold on its transom. Was Jack Black here too? He might have some good wrester hook-ups for us.

Vendors

2006-11-28T12:39:00.000-08:00

The very word sends shivers down my spine.

Since August, Team Pistoleras has had a movie production meeting every Tuesday afternoon. And everytime I go over the list of things to do, the hold ups are caused by vendors who don't do what they say they're going to do.

And I found this in corporate life, too. You can give them respect, titles, copious paychecks, and they'll still have you on your knees begging and sobbing like a little bitch.

God dammit.

Our line producer says I'm great at delegating, but I swear to Beetlejuice, it always feels like we end up doing everything ourselves and they get everything for nothing.

This is my fantasy:

Hipsters

2006-11-16T07:37:00.000-08:00

So I go to drinks last night with some old work friends that I haven't seen in ages. I'm in Pistoleras-chic of course and this gets everyone on the subject of our movie. My super-stylie friend, Rob, is in this cool T shirt with a faded looking cowboy motif.

"Oh yeah," Mike chimes in, "Western stuff is all the rage these days. Rob always knows what's cool with the kids."

Naturally, Rob is the guy we always check with for trend updates. Has his finger on the pulse as they say. So the conversation progressed: Western is apparently the height of cool. The Von Dutch of this year.

So check us out! We're the cool kids.. The trendsetters we never managed to be in High School! The Universe is setting Pistoleras up to rock.

Is that noise I hear a celestial angel choir? Or my tea pot...

Graphic novel artwork

2006-11-13T12:25:00.000-08:00

Check out this amazing cover by comic artist Charles Yoakum. We're going to use it for the cover of our Investor Pack!

Ratings!

2006-11-11T15:09:00.000-08:00

I'm totally curious to see "This Film Is Not Yet Rated." As we are on the verge of making a film which will eventually get a rating I figure it's good to know what we're gonna have to deal with.

We got some potentially controversial stuff going on afterall. Aside from the radical notion of women standing up for themselves of course! I recently pitched the project to a corporate entity that shares our goal of teaching girls that their lives are worth fighting for. It would mean a lot to us to have them involved.

"It's got some racy, some raunchy parts that...might scare off certain investor types," I fudged. "I mean, it's a Spaghetti Western after all and those were pretty gratuitous and violent, you know." The good news is the company head was totally into it. But the fact remains, certain types like, say the MPAA, might not be so much.

So here's my thought. If we in fact get something pushed as far as NC-17 and then have to wrestle with the MPAA and revise our cut to get an R...thats a good thing. Right? I'm thinking potential PR. No publicity is bad publicity and all that. Am I off?

All stuff we're thinking about as we get ready to story board and visualize scenes.

NANOWRIMO

2006-11-05T23:31:00.000-08:00

I finally joined NANOWRIMO.org this year, because, well I clearly don't have enough on my plate, so why not write my first novel.

I'm adapting the PISTOLERAS script into a novel. The goal is to have written 50,000 words (175 novel pages) by November 30th. They won't be pretty and polished, but I'll have a first draft to work on over the holidays.

All part of the plan to take "Pistoleras" into every medium. Heidi's working on the kick-ass soundtrack.

Happy Birthday Pistoleras!

2006-11-02T14:30:00.000-08:00

Slept three hours because I was up writing. Locked the script down today.

Heidi and Tara are giving it today to a movie star and an A-list composer.

Holy crap. I'm not invisible anymore. People are reading my work.

Freaky.

Tomorrow we send it out to friends for blurb requests. Aaron is back in NYC raising the money.

Rock on.

November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month

2006-11-02T01:52:00.000-08:00

Sooo excited about the latest, hopefully last draft of the screenplay. The plan is to lock it down tomorrow and send it out for blurbs. Fingers crossed!

Beauty Bites Beast

2006-10-31T09:07:00.000-08:00

So part of our overall plan has been to get in contact with people with similar goals as ours - people trying to reach similar demographics and make a difference. One of those people at the top of the list for us has been Ellen Snortland, women's advocate and author of the amazing Beauty Bites Beast.

In her work to bring self defense to all women and get the message across that their lives are worth defending, Ellen was a major inspiration for us. Imagine my thrill when I worked an intro through a friend yesterday. I piggy backed off that and wrote Ellen an email explaining what Pistoleras is about and the difference we want to make with young women everywhere.

Not only is Ellen psyched about the project and wanting to talk further. She's recently produced a documentary about training a group of factory worker women outside Tijuana who were being repeatedly raped and sometimes killed. These women have now been trained to defend themselves and have changed their lives! I'm thinking: kick-ass (literally!) DVD extra and what a great person to have in the Pistoleras corner!

Keep it up, Universe.

Now Hear This

2006-10-29T12:04:00.000-08:00

I was checking out the excellent website for Open Plan Film's "Eve of Understanding." Looks like a great film. Looks like they did everything right. Won lots of awards. And I've never hears of it. So it's becoming increasingly clear that we can shoot the most kick-ass movie in the world but if no one knows about it...it's the tree falling in the forest with no one there to hear. Personally, I want to make the kind of tree they cut a hole for cars to drive through and people come from miles away to take pictures of it.

By extension, obviously this awareness has to start now to get funding and get this puppy off the ground. Right. So let's rock. I'm drawing on my broad but thin marketing experience of the last ten years doing, you know, what your parents call "real jobs." Frankly, maybe that thinness will help us in the end because we're not bound by how things should be done. Still, I feel a little like I'm reinventing the wheel. Have to add that skill to the resume when all is said and done.

At the moment we're kicking ideas around that involve PR stunts, tapping into like-minded communities and groups, and of course, talking to everyone we know and everyone they know. I keep thinking someone is going to come hold our hands and say "here, just do x, y and z and all will be well." and then I remember...this
is
indie
filmmaking.

Welcome! Come on in, the water's fine. Sink or swim, baby!

Marshalling Forces

2006-10-18T08:49:00.000-07:00

It has been a long crazy ride so far and we've only just begun! I feel like this whole thing will be a crash course in film making and I know we are up for it.

I think the most inspiring thing is that everyone we talk to gets excited and wants to be involved. Yesterday's production meeting yielded a potential Line Producer who seems like a great fit. Granted it's a guy and we are really pulling for majority female crew. But he would be willing to wear a skirt so that counts for something. He's a perfect example of someone who comes into the sphere of me and Liz not knowing much about the project and leaves offering services and enthusiasm. We have got to start using this magic power around rich people!

Psyched for the No Budget Film School this weekend. With that and the final script next week, we will seriously be ready to roll on this puppy.

Just this morning on NPR, a report from the Rome film fest said that Scorsese has pledged to restore and save one classic Italian film per year. This year's choice: Leoni's Once Upon a Time in the West. As far as I'm concerned, a shout-out to the enduring allure of the Spaghetti Western. We're next, Marty!

Phew!

2006-08-21T11:37:00.000-07:00

The reading went great.

We ended up having nine people, which was perfect because I only had time to make seven copies at Kinko's ($55 ! Bend me over why doncha...). So two of us shared scripts, and actually the parts were divied up pretty well. We have a large cast for an indie film, but it worked out fine.

Got some good feedback, and I'm scheduled to finish the next pass at the script this week. And it should be the last pass before things get changed during shooting out of necessity.

I finished my first draft of the Pistoleras website and think it looks hot. Great collateral.

Charles Yoakum finished his first pass at the character sketches for the graphic novel and they are bad-ass. Very exciting.

Heidi found us a great villain hat for tomorrow's promo shoot (a teen girl's leg crushing a cowboy hat). Can't wait for that. Hopefully it will turn out to be an image we can brand the film with. We're using "The Hiketeia" image as a jumping off point, so it's going to have to be somewhat cool looking.

Sharri says she has a stunt leg for us. Will be intersting to see which model/actress is willing to work a few hours for free with us in Runyon Canyon. And then afterwards we're having another production meeting. So far things are getting done on schedule.

Eff Me

2006-08-19T13:59:00.000-07:00

I haven't showered, eaten, taken my morning pills, made 15 script copies, or vacuumed, and I have anywhere from nine to fifteen people showing up in less than an hour.

Awesome.

Table Read

2006-08-19T02:29:00.000-07:00

Having an informal table read tomorrow with fellow Pistoleras producers and some of our brightest film friends. The idea is to get some last feedback on the shooting script before Sharri works up the budgets and we incorporate and start fundraising.

Of course it's 1 am and

my house still isn't clean
last changes aren't made to the script
after that's done have to email script to 2 1/2 cent photocopier for readings but
don't know how many copies to get because according to the "Maybe" list on the Evite, we're going to have anywhere from six to fourteen people at my round table that seats eight and...
Sharri, Anna and I are all still up at 1 am emailing each other stuff about digital classes to take and testing out our new yahoogroups account
Clearly it's time to sleep.

Do indie film producers ever sleep?