TAMPA FILM BLOG

The real deal about the Tampa indie film industry by Tampa film expert C. A. Passinault

Related Blogs by C. A. Passinault:

C. A. Passinault Blog - Tampa Photographer Blog - Tampa Photography Blog - Tampa DJ Blog

Words and pictures by Tampa indie film expert C. A. Passinault, filmmaker for Tampa film production company Dream Nine Studios

I am not a crazed film fan. I am an indie film professional. I have a backbone. I have professional opinions backed up by experience and credibility. I don't play politics. I don't kiss ass. I respect my readers enough to tell it how it is, and that's exactly what I am going to do.
This is Tampa Bay's best, and most professional, Tampa indie film blog! I am going to inform Tampa indie film professionals about what they need to know. I wouldn't have it any other way, and neither would you.

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Sunday, June 28, 2009 - 8:00 AM - Tampa Indie Film Log for Filmmaker C. A. Passinault

Some Down Time For 2009 - Preparing For 2010

Some of you are going to love this. Others, not so much.
I’m taking a break from Tampa indie film, for the most part, for the next six months. That knocks out the remainder of 2009.
The reason? I have to work to do with my photography business, as well as sales and marketing. This will take up most of my time. This is a critical step, and it is needed, however, because there are some protocols which I am developing which will support what I am doing in Tampa indie film. The catch is that the benefit will not be right away.
When my photography business gets to where it is needed, the sales and marketing efforts supporting it will be translated to support my Tampa event planning and stage production companies. Those service companies have to be up to speed, because I won’t be able to do a single Tampa film festival without them, let alone four different Tampa film festival properties. Eventi Events and Eventi Stage should be getting to where they need to be sometime in 2010, which will keep my current Tampa film festival schedule on schedule.
Of course, there are other complications, too. I’m also working on a video game festival, which is a lot different than a film festival. The video game festival should have no bearing on the film festivals, and may even serve to enhance their marketing. I do plan on cross promoting other events with each of my events, even if they are not directly compatible. As long as the target audience is served, that would be the rule of thumb.
So, I’ll have limited time to cover Tampa indie film this year. This will be much like the lull before the storm, while I use the downtime to build my resources. Sure, I’ll make some time to attend, and to cover, a few film festivals, events, and happenings, but it won’t come close to the scale of my future endeavors.
So, for now, I’ll keep updating the Tampa Film Blog whenever I get the chance. I’ll also post news about Tampa indie film here, and will allow professional Tampa filmmakers to post announcements and news here. So, Andy Lalino, if you wish to promote your efforts here, you are more than welcome to. Unlike some people, I won’t stop you from promoting yourself on here, or on my web sites. I am sincere about supporting Tampa indie film and the efforts of genuine Tampa filmmakers.
At any rate, I’ll be investing in two more Tampa indie film-relevant domain names shortly, although it will be a few years before either one of them will see much use (isn’t that the usual when it come to me and my thousands of projects). I will also take the time to work on some other Tampa indie film-relevant things. I have a few reviews in the can (some films and film festival reviews), and will be overhauling Tampa Bay Film in the next few weeks. I will also spend some time adding more indie films to the Tampa Bay Film Online Film Festival and activating the rest of the films in the online film festival first generation archive (current rules state that every film available for selection on the online have a screen-grab thumbnail for the menu selection system). Oh, and progress on the online film festival is good. The third generation Tampa Bay Film Online Film Festival will debut in the spring of 2010, using the current one as a foundation (same site, same directories, same menu interface, and a fully operational second generation indie film archive). The third generation Tampa Bay Film Online Film Festival will be a revolution compared to what we have now. It will use PHP and databasing elements, and will eventually host indie films with our own custom flash-based delivery system. At first, however, it will use PHP databasing and embed codes, which will eventually give way to us hosting indie films.
Oh, and did you know that the fourth generation Tampa Bay Film Online Film Festival is also spec’ed out and is in development? The fourth generation Tampa Bay Film Online Film Festival will be incredibly advanced, and will make video sites like YouTube look primitive in comparison (the only thing holding me back from doing it right now is having the technical skills to execute the idea, but that will only take time to learn more advanced flash and databasing applications). The fourth generation Tampa Bay Film Online Film Festival will be like comparing night and day when compared to the current second generation one now in use. Don’t expect to see it until at least 2011, and it could, realistically, launch in 2012.
That said, let me say that I am very proud of the current second generation Tampa Bay Film Online Film Festival, which has been very successful, and will serve as the foundation for what it to come. It is very effective, and is far from obsolete. The third generation online film festival will add functionality and make it easy to add films by utilizing databasing, using a refined version of what we have now, and the fourth generation will further build on the massive foundation by adding a new interface, as well as further improve the existing interface and add a ton of new features.
Oh, and changing subjects, adding to my previous Star Trek post, I did manage to see more Star Trek: New Voyages / Phase II episodes, and the latest were very impressive. James Cawley is now a passable Kirk, and the Sulu Episode, “World Enough and Time”, is a must-see. The series really has legs now, and that episode is one of the best Star Trek episodes that I have ever seen, counting all of the series. Impressive stuff, and I recommend that all Tampa filmmakers watch it immediately. Forget the J.J. Abrams reboot Star Trek movie, which is an insult to the franchise and insults the intelligence of the fans. This series is the real deal, and it adheres to Canon; it’s almost like all of the people who worked on the television Treks rebelled and are now working together to do this underground series so that they can continue the story of Star Trek and keep it true. I respect these people and what they are doing, as it is really good work. Hell, I wouldn’t be surprised of Paramount/ CBS were to give these guys a deal and commission a new original series Star Trek for television. Wouldn’t that be ironic?
Oh, and where is the Tampa Star Trek series? Who knows. I am still hearing rumors, and with the latest rumor that my friend Chris Woods is going to play Chekov (not true, it turns out), I really don’t know what to think.
We can all hope, however.

Click on the links below to download the Star Trek: New Voyages episode "World Enough and Time". The downloads are in a weird type of zip file, and you will also have to download the WinRAR program from the supplied link to decompress the files so that you can play them (there is a FREE EVALUATION VERSION of the WinRAR program that I used, and you do not have to buy it or anything else). If you cannot play the files using your normal media player, use this media player program (the ultra-cool VLC Media Player, which is free and open source!), which plays most video codecs (My friend, model and actress Harmony Oswald / Harmony Layne, was happy when I sent her this program in an e-mail. She was finally able to view a video file for a movie that she was in, after all other media players failed. Trust me- the program works. Also, use at your own risk. I assume no liability for use of any programs or playing any files linked to from this blog or any of my other sites. This is more as a courtesy to you, and does nothing for me, so I assume no liability. Always run a scan with your updated and current anti-virus program before unzipping or running any files that you download!).

Star Trek New Voyages Episode 3 WORLD ENOUGH AND TIME (MPEG4/AVC H.264)
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4
(4 * 100 Mb, use WinRAR to reassemble the original MPEG4 file)

Watch it. It's some of the best Star Trek ever created. It's well worth the download and set up (if they would run it using an embedded viewer, I would proudly play it on my online film festival). Sorry that it's not simple to watch the episode.
 

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Monday, June 22, 2009 - 11:00 AM - Tampa Indie Film Log for Filmmaker C. A. Passinault

Tampa Star Trek Production Rumors

This post contains speculation about unconfirmed rumors. Officially, there is no Tampa Star Trek production, but the author wanted to explore the possibility, and the potential.

The past few weeks, I’ve been hearing a lot of rumors regarding a new Star Trek series, set in the original series, that is preparing to enter production in the Tampa Bay area. The series, which would consist of an ongoing number of episodes produced, would start filming sometime later in 2009, and would pick up where the original series left off.
It’s been done before. There are several Star Trek fan series in production in the United States, mostly produced by trekkies. The assorted series are produced on shoestring budgets, much like traditional indie films, and are distributed on the Internet. Of them all, however, the top series would have to Star Trek: New Voyages / Star Trek: Phase II. Although the online series had a shaky (but ambitious and promising) start, the series, starting with the episode “To serve all my days”, is actually getting as good as the original series. In my opinion, New Voyages co-creator James Cawley, who portrays Captain James T. Kirk, is not a good actor, but recent episodes have cast some talented actors with good performances. I was impressed with the performance of actor Andy Bray (no relation to my friend Sarah Bray, obviously), who portrayed Pavel Chekov in the episode To serve all my days, and did a much better job playing the character than the original actor, Walter Koenig, who was shoe-horned into the episode as “old Chekov”, reprising his original role; that was impressive, and speaks volumes about the acting ability of Mr. Bray. So, could anyone out-Shatner William Shatner, and nail the Jame T. Kirk character better than Shatner? Unlikely, so far, and in my opinion, James Cawley created this series to “role play Star Trek”, and doesn’t even come close to doing a passable job as an actor, let alone approach the acting ability of Shatner (as controversial as that acting is, as well). Well, at least the Star Trek role playing project is coming to life on its own as one of the best works of Star Trek (independent of the IP owners) to come along yet.
To Cawley’s credit, he did built a damn fine recreation of the Enterprise bridge in a barn, and the sets look good. He even got the attention of Wired a few years back, and the series has a substantial fan following and press coverage to date.
Which brings us to the Tampa Star Trek Rumors. To date, I have heard several interesting stories about this project, and although I am unable to verify that it actually exists, the potential is much too interesting to pass up reporting. Among the rumors, I heard the following.

Please note that these are unverified rumors, and are not facts. I am merely speculating and expressing opinions here, and nothing more.

Rumor: The Tampa Star Trek series, much like New Voyages / Phase II, would be set in the original series, picking up where it left off. The rumor goes on to say that a group of Tampa indie filmmakers were behind the production, much like the Tampa Film Network produced the ill-fated Quiet Place a few years ago.

Rumor: A U.S.S. Enterprise bridge set is being built in an abandoned building in Ybor City. Several other interior sets are being built at another Tampa film location. I would love to see these sets, if they exist.

Rumor: Tampa actor Joe Davison is supposed to be cast as “Scotty”. To be honest, I would love to see this, although I am uncertain if Joe can fit in Scotty's uniform.

Rumor: Paul Guzzo is supposed to make his acting debut in the pilot, playing an Enterprise red-shirted security crewman in a landing party scene, and the Cardassian leader (I’d love to see that!). After Paul's groundbreaking performance as a heartbroken security guard in his highly acclaimed feature film 99, I suppose that he was perfect for the part of a red-shirt. As for Cardassians, they are noted to be arrogant assholes in Star Trek canon, so no acting ability is required there.

Rumor: The Enterprise beams down a landing party to a chaotic planet which is in a state of anarchy. They are quickly attacked. The planet is portrayed by a Ybor City location, which fits, in my opinion, and also in my opinion they could do this scene without any stunt people. All that they would have to so is hang around Ybor with a film crew and a group of actors dressed in Star Trek uniforms, and the attack would happen naturally from all the drunks and criminals who hang out in Ybor.

Rumor: The story involves the Enterprise encountering a Cardassian warship from the future. The Enterprise subsequently gets hammered and has to retreat, no match for a Galor-class Cardassian warship from the Next-Generation era. My question is: Wouldn’t the Borg be more fun, and less work for makeup?

Fact: Someone forwarded me the story for the pilot and some screen grabs that they claimed were from the effects team (the picture of the Cardassian and the New Voyages screen grabs were not in those samples). The story is excellent, and the special effects / CG work is incredible (if that’s indeed what it is- check out the pictures for yourself).

Rumor: This is will be ongoing series, released on the Internet much like New Voyages.

Well, take it for what it is. This is interesting stuff. Some have brought up that a “fan series” couldn’t be sold, because the production team would be creating works based on the original intellectual property owned by another company. That’s a given, but there are still some intriguing things about such a project which would make it worth doing. For example, such a project would attract a lot of attention (and controversy), because it is a creative work for a property which has a massive fanbase. It would serve as a great marketing vehicle for actors and filmmakers.
What about the legality of producing such derivative work? Well, New Voyages already solved that issue.

From Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Trek:_New_Voyages):

CBS (and previously Paramount Pictures), which owns the legal rights to the Star Trek franchise, allows the distribution of fan-created material as long as no attempt is made to profit from it without official authorization, and New Voyages enjoys the same tolerance.

Can you see the buzz potential for this? I certainly can.
As a filmmaker, and a writer, I can say that I have plenty of my own intellectual property to keep me busy. I own enough original material right now to keep me busy for the rest of my life. This said, I would be open for a fan-series, which I could never actually sell, as long as I had an expert knowledge of the source material and it would serve as a marketing/ promotional project. Although I am not a Trekkie /Trekker, I do have expert knowledge of the property and Star Trek canon (much like other works of fiction which I get into), and I could do Star Trek justice (even New Voyages has technical flaws which go against canon- in a recent episode, for example, there is an accident in engineering, and one of their “engines” is out, leaving them the use of “only” one engine. Sorry, guys, you meant “nacelles”. The Constitution-Class Enterprise only has one engine, which drives warp coils housed in two nacelles).
If these turn out to be rumors, and it doesn’t turn out to be a real project, I would be open to doing a Star Trek series myself. I’ll just leave it at that for now, and I’ll see how this pans out. At any rate, this should make a lot of Tampa filmmakers think.

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Friday, May 22, 2009 - 8:00 AM - Tampa Indie Film Log for Filmmaker C. A. Passinault

Certain Tampa Filmmakers Having Trouble Casting Films

It came to my attention today that certain Tampa filmmakers are having trouble finding actors for their films. First, allow me to be the first one to say that I am very sorry for the inconveniences that you are experiencing. I could imagine how frustrating the casting process can be when no one seems to take you seriously. For myself, I don't seem to have those issues. I currently have the largest roster of professional actors, talent, and models in the Tampa Bay market. It's too bad that my refusal to refer any of them to you is only the beginning of your problems.

If it is on the Internet, I am aware of it. I am also able to address it quite effectively if I decide to.

What's that? Having problems keeping your casting notices online? Tips? Well, first of all, stop using a freebie networking profile as your "business" web site. Invest in a professional web site. Maybe, then, more of the actors who you are soliciting will take you seriously. How do they know that you are not some creepy guy with a video camera looking to exploit them in the name of "art" when your credibility is in question because you obviously have not made any investments into your career? Isn't it depressing when you realize that many of the people who are working to remove your ads are the actors who you are trying to solicit for your films? There are a lot of scams and con artists posting on certain free web sites, and how can anyone tell you apart from the scams? Also, did you piss someone off, by doing something underhanded toward them and proving how unprofessional you are, who has the capability to undermine what you are doing?

Today is the beginning of phase two. It will be an ongoing operation to bring balance to the Tampa indie film scene.

Karma is a mysterious thing. So is the credibility of anyone who takes shortcuts. There is no use crying over the milk dribbling from the broken bottles in the crates. You made the mess, and now you simply must drink what you can before it soaks into the dirt; down in the dirt where you belong.

Oh, and in a related note, I will be launching two more indie film-relevant web sites in the next month. They will become fully operational by 2011 to support what I have planned.

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Sunday, May 17, 2009 - 11:00 AM - Tampa Indie Film Log for Filmmaker C. A. Passinault

No More Actors For Selected Tampa Indie Films

For some reason, I tend to meet and network with the top actors, models, and talent in Florida. I have a roster of the very best actors and talent in the Tampa indie film scene. I've demonstrated this over the years by referring several top actors to Tampa film projects. I referred actress Roxanne Kowalska (Evensen) to The Pledge (which was not a direct referral, but the filmmakers met the actress, through me, at one of my auditions), "actress" Lowie Narvaez to The Pledge (Lowie, like Roxy, was one of my best models from 2001-2002, although I had issues with her ability as an actress. Again, some filmmakers met Lowie and Roxy through me, and after I they became involved with a film the parents of both of the then-17 year old actresses wanted to give me a power of attorney regarding their participation with certain film projects, which I declined due to it being a conflict of interest on my part- especially since it was never a direct referral. I ended my friendship, and my professional ties, to both girls due to some conflicts regarding participation with film projects which I did not wish to get involved with; it was their mistake and loss, and certainly not mine), actress Harmony Oswald as the lead in The Quiet Place and actress Sarah Bray as the lead in Spaventare.

I've had mixed experiences referring actors to Tampa indie films. Lowie and Roxy proved to be disastrous referrals, since I never directly referred them and had no control over what was going on (although The Pledge wasn't as bad as I feared; it is the principle of the matter). Harmony was a good referral for The Quiet Place, but the film itself was a disaster, in my opinion, and certain people tried to take advantage of my trust by trying to discredit me and by attempting to get Harmony to work on other films. Harmony and I are good friends, and she is well aware of the issues that I have with certain filmmakers and the full story on what is going on. Sarah, too, was a good referral, as Chris Woods is one of the best filmmakers in the Tampa indie film scene, and he has earned my trust. I did not have much enjoyment working on Spaventare, and I actually hated the experience, but it really had nothing to do with Sarah or Chris. Let's just say that others brought their attitudes (Terence), and misconceptions, to the set, and I left that night in a rather annoyed mood. I'm sure that Sarah, who is one of my best friends, knew that I was annoyed as we drove back to Tampa. Ahem- I don't forget anything. Suffice it to say, I will no longer be working on film sets where I am forced to work with certain people. I really don't have the problem on the sets, and I really try to get along. They are the ones who are determined to make things far more difficult than they have to be.

Now, I still have no problem referring actors to good indie film projects (as few good films as there currently are) and filmmakers who have earned my trust (as short as that list is). The list, however, is short. I would not hesitate to refer actors to Chris Woods, Andy Lalino, Shelby, or Marcus, but I would have serious reservations on referring actors to anyone else. I've heard a lot of complaints about a lot of Tampa filmmakers. Many so-called Tampa filmmakers don't respect actors, and a lot of so-called Tampa filmmakers are only out to exploit actors in their films.

I've seen a lot of poor judgment, too. I've seen actors who get involved with films which do not do their careers any favors (actors only have to ask me, and I will give my opinion regarding whether a Tampa film is worth being cast in or not. Many actors now do, and many listen to what I have to say, and follow-through on what I recommend). I've also seen Tampa filmmakers who don't have a clue how to evaluate actors in an audition, and who can't cast their films. Many roles go to their friends or to girls who sleep with them when they are promised a starring role in their film. So, you have miscast films with aspiring actors, bad acting, and a lot of issues surrounding the production of the films.

Recently, I have been meeting, and networking with, an increasing number of professional actors who are everything that a Tampa filmmaker would want, or need, to make a good film. Since I don't run a talent agency, and I am not an agent, I don't make a dime from referring anyone to any film projects, but that does not matter because I would refer actors to good film projects as a professional courtesy, and I meet these actors through other means (not by promising them auditions or roles in films, by the way). One large part of meeting great actors has been my Tampa headshot photography company. The actors find me. They get the headshots that their careers need (and my headshots are the best in Florida, in the opinion of many of my clients), and we talk- a lot. Just about every actor who I work with stays in touch, and uses my resource sites. Many of them, too, become professionally associated with me, and we become good friends.

This is a very good reason why is doesn't pay for a filmmaker to get on my bad side. If I don't know you, I give the actors the tools that they need to evaluate you and for them to make up their own minds. If I know you, and experience has helped me form a qualified opinion about you, the actors are informed, and many of them take what I have to say very seriously.

I'm busy with some things at the moment, but this summer, I will be mobilizing my actor resource web sites to help actors address Tampa films. Actors will become educated about the Tampa film scene. I will also be friends with more and more actors. At this moment, I have several actors on my speed dial who many filmmakers have been inquiring about. My advice? Don't bother. I will only refer actors to the best Tampa indie films, and for now, there are not that many. Don't bother trying to go around me and bother them by contacting them directly, either. The actors will ask me about you (I they already don't know), and I'll tell.

I will also have a team monitoring the Internet and working to undermine any audition notices or casting solicitations which we determine are not in the best interest of actors (don't even try to post on my audition boards, either). For many of you, it's going to be very tough to get the word out on your crappy film projects. Many actors will be spared the inconvenience of working with you because they simply won't ever be aware of you to begin with. My people and I have this capability, the ability to edit certain corners of the Internet, and we will be working to make things better for professional actors.

Many Tampa filmmakers, obviously, have lost my respect, and it's going to have dire consequences on their ability to cast. I am concerned that, if these unprofessional filmmakers slander me, discriminate against me, and try to rip me off, that they will do it to actors, too. If they try to do it to me, they will certainly do it to you.

This said, my lack of support for certain filmmakers will hurt their projects and their careers. That, alone, is a nightmare. When I have people actively working against you, however, it makes in much worse. Let the talent boycott begin. Within two years, my allies and I will have full control of the Tampa casting market, and many Tampa filmmakers are going to find it difficult to find good actors for their mediocre films.

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Friday, May 15, 2009 - 9:00 PM - Tampa Indie Film Log for Filmmaker C. A. Passinault

Film Projects Begin

I bought another DV camera today. It is a 480P standard resolution camera. I was able to procure it early because I’ve been booking actor headshot photography shoots and modeling portfolio photography shoots a lot lately, and was easily able to buy it. It has a true 16:9 aspect ratio mode, but no 24p. It shoots in 30p at DVD resolution. I wouldn’t shoot a feature film with it (although it is possible), but it will be great for experimental filmmaking and building my portfolio of short films. The portfolio of short films, which will be featured on the Tampa Bay Film Online Film Festival, will be critical for investor pitches so that we can obtain funding for more ambitious feature films with the latest technology. At any rate, I should be able to make this entry-level DV sing, just like I was able to work the first digital camera for my photography business.
I’ll be testing it this weekend. I have a shoot with an actress / model on Monday who could possibly be one of the best actors in Tampa Bay (who is unknown to Tampa filmmakers because she acts on the stage). I’ll get with her and see if she can help me test it out. It’s been a long week, dealing with my media contacts, working on service contracts for my photography services company (the contracts that my clients signed last week will probably be the last time that those versions are used).
I opened more youtube accounts today to use as channels/ video file storage. I am also obtaining four more domain names shortly, and will be deploying seven more web sites over the summer. This will be a good year for web site, especially with development of my second generation flash-enhanced and database driven web site classes underway.
Ah, this weekend, I also have to do a lot more. I have to import my Dream Nine Studios graphic sets into Premier and start working on stock title sequences for films. I have to proof the latest copy of my Frontier 4 novel (which is almost done), work on the layout of my modeling book, finish some service contracts, and get ready to redo some of my computers. What I really need to do, next week, is to get my main C. A. Passinault blog back online, because I’m starting to ramble on about things that are not really relevant for my specialized blogs, such as this Tampa Film Blog.
Back to indie films. My first experimental film shorts should start appearing next month. Reverence should be filming at the end of summer, and will be finished by fall. Films like Reverence are showcase shorts, so I can’t tell you when I will release them and make them available. Reverence may not be debuted until next fall! First, however, I need to put together a boom, build a steadycam, and obtain some lights.
Ok. I need to go now. Oh, regarding the It List on the last post, it’s about to be expanded and adjusted. I’ve received a lot of feedback lately, and some changes need to be made.

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Sunday, May 10, 2009 - 5:00 PM - Tampa Indie Film Log for Filmmaker C. A. Passinault

The 2009 "It List" and A Potential Tampa Film Future Prediction

Moving on. I’d like to become more constructive with this blog. Sure, I have my share of people in the Tampa indie film scene with whom I will always have differences, but I do not see the point of stating the obvious or attacking anyone. They’ve been defeated.
I will, however, reserve the right to evaluate anyone or any project done in the name of Tampa indie film. That means that Experiment 7 is on my agenda as a film to review, as soon as my network of contacts secure me a copy. I will also be writing up a review for the 2009 Tampa Film Review film festival (the single one that they had in January), a review covering the entire run of The Tampa Film Review, a review of 99, a review of The Quiet Place, and I may even publish the behind the scenes article about The Quiet Place (Which I finished last year, and it’s around here somewhere).
Currently, the hot war in the Tampa indie film scene is over. It began in December of 2007, and lasted until early this year as the Tampa India Film Clique unraveled and became fragmented. We are now entering a cold war in the Tampa India film scene, with remnants of the old order being largely ineffective, and mostly annoying, and Tampa Bay Film and our Indie film allies now dominant. Even Tampa film clique propaganda sites such as a certain film blog have been rendered ineffective, and this Tampa Film Blog is now over ten times the size, with a hundred times the web traffic and growing. There is no way that anyone in the Tampa film scene can approach our Internet dominance, or our influence. Perhaps a certain blogger should abandon word press and learn now to design a real web site.
It’s sad when people realize that they have been beat, and give up. It’s hard to respect a quitter. Their loss is the Tampa film scene's gain, however, and this is a victory for everyone. We all deserve to celebrate.
We have paved the way to the future by undermining the negative agendas and the politics holding back the Tampa indie film scene. We paved the way with conflict. We will conquer, however, with peace.
I am thankful that I entered the Tampa indie film scene as a lowly photographer (so it seemed), helping out with projects, and that no one realized who I was and what resources I commanded, not the least of which were a powerful fleet of web sites and the thousands of people who read the content that I write. With my cover, I was able to figure out who was real, and who was not, in the Tampa indie film scene. The cover may have worked too well, too, as the unethical people in the indie film scene, and their misguided friends, underestimated what they were going up against when they started the fight with me.
They started the war? Indeed they did, and I have proof. They started it, I finished it, and many of them paid with their careers. It’s just a pity that people will slander you and tell others that you are crazy when they discard the facts, and the only thing that you are guilty of is standing up for yourself and fighting back when someone violates your rights. I didn’t roll over and go way like so many others did when the Tampa indie film clique ganged up on me and started a fight. I took them all on and put them all in their place.
As a result of the conflict, a war of ideas and words, I now sit here with the most powerful resources in the Tampa indie film scene, and I am investing in more. We now have the way paved to a new future, where a self-serving, lying clique cannot undermine progress. Progress. This is what we have ahead of us, now.
Alrighty. On to more positive things.
I had a talk yesterday with Nolan (before a certain film festival organizer frustrated me and set me off), and invited him to join with me in speculating on what the future of Tampa indie film will be like. Since study of the past is a good indicator of the future, I spent some time reviewing what has happened in Tampa indie film until now. At this time, I will do two things. The first is my first “It List”, a list of the movers and shakers of the Tampa indie film scene. I will be doing this every year at the start of summer, kind of like a middle-of-the-year progress report. I will also be publishing The Year In Review of the Tampa Indie Film Scene, at the end of the year, on Tampa Bay Film, much like Chris Woods used to do on his Icon web site. This will occur every year, starting this year, and will serve to document the history of Tampa indie film, beginning from the aftermath of the great Tampa indie film war of 2007-2008 (I will also work on a historical document covering Tampa indie film from 2000 to 2006, which should close the gap, as there really wasn’t much of a Tampa indie film scene to speak of in the 90's, or before that.).
The second thing will be “Tampa indie film in 2014", which is what I predict the Tampa indie film scene will be like five years from now. I invited Nolan to participate with the speculation of what where Tampa indie film is going, since he is well versed in what is going on to date, and he is more than welcome to compile his own “It List”, too, if he wishes. If he does a write up, I will be more than happy to publish what he comes up with here on the Tampa Film Blog, on Tampa Bay Film, or both.
For now, here is my take.

The “It List” for 2009
The following are who I consider to be the main players in the Tampa indie film scene for 2009. They are the ones to watch, and who are accomplishing a lot. This is not necessarily a 1-10 list, and could be updated at any time. These are merely the top people at their game, and who are on the radar in the Tampa indie film scene. These are the ones who have earned my professional respect, and the respect of the Tampa indie film scene.

1. Andy Lalino and Andew Allan, The Film Ranch.
Andy Lalino and his filmmaking partner Andrew Allan are, in my opinion, at the top of the Tampa indie film scene this year. They have accomplished some amazing things, and currently stand a good chance of putting Tampa indie film on the map.
Lalino was the filmmaker behind the award-winning short film Filthy, which blew me away, as it was was a brilliant film. After taking a few years off, Andy and Andy teamed up to form The Film Ranch, and began making some ambitious, and incredible, feature films. Last year, they made Brain Jacked. This year, they made another feature film using state of the art equipment. These guys are talented, skilled, and may just be the main players of the Tampa indie film scene of tomorrow.
Oh, and Andy Lalino, any time that you want to promote your projects on the Tampa Film Blog or on Tampa Bay Film, let me know. Send me your write-up, and I’ll publish it. I have absolutely no problem allowing people to promote worthy projects. I support Tampa indie film.

2. Shelby Mcintyre
The king of documentaries, Shelby does some incredible work. Strip Club King, made with the help of editor and filmmaker Chris Woods, is a great piece of work. I look forward to seeing what else Shelby has in store for the future.

3. Marcus Koch
Marcus Koch is pretty much the best makeup effects artist in the Tampa indie film scene. He is also a great filmmaker. Marcus Koch is the one responsible for the brilliant 100 Tears. 100 Tears is one of the best horror films ever done in Florida. As it stands, I will gladly add to my indie film library.
I saw a music video that Marcus did, too, and it was the best music video that I’ve ever seen come out of Florida.

4. Chris Woods, Icon Film Studios
What can I say about Chris Woods? Chris Woods is one of the most talented, and one of the best, indie filmmakers in Tampa. His feature film Bleed was an accomplished film. Sever was brilliant (despite reminding me of the hours that I spent playing the first Resident Evil on the Playstation). To live is to die is one of my favorite Tampa short films, and it would have been one of the best had it not been for a new Chris Woods classic short- the film Spaventare. Chris Woods is back, after taking a few years to work on other projects, and Spaventare is one of the best short Tampa films of all time!
Chris Woods recently told me about a treatment that he had for a new feature film. He told me the story. Trust me when I say that I really want to see that film made, and that Chris Woods is a filmmaker to watch as he is currently planning a feature film which will turn heads and set a new benchmark in Tampa feature filmmaking. It's going to be one of the best Tampa films ever made, and it's already on its way with an incredible story.

5. Rod Grant
A really, really talented actor, I consider Rod Grant to be the best male lead in the Tampa film scene. He’s done some excellent films, and has demonstrated impressive range with the characters that he portrays. He has come a long way since his role in 99, which he told me was one of his first roles. Rod played the lead in Film Ranche’s Brain Jacked, and I hear that he did a great job. He also proved to be impressive in the Chris Woods short film, Spaventare.

6. Somali Rose
Somali is a great actress and a model. She has done a lot of interesting, and varies, feature film roles. She’s also been a great help for my projects, and did a great job with some television news stories that I referred her to. Somali, who was recently featured in Brain Jacked, is an “it” actor who will go far.

7. Bridget Stahl
Bridget Stahl is a talented actress who is also my good friend. I met her several months ago when she booked me to do her actor headshots. I seem to meet a lot of professional actors through my job as one of the top headshot photographers in Florida.
Bridget has done a lot of solid roles as a featured actor. I am looking forward to working with her in some of my films, including the upcoming Reverence short film.

8. Sarah Bray
Sarah Bray is another actress friend who met me when she booked me to do her actor headshots back in 2004. We’ve been friends ever since.
Sarah has been on MTV television series and has a degree in theatre. She is a professional thespian who is a qualified acting instructor. She was absolutely brilliant in her leading role in the recent Chris Woods film Spaventare, opposite actor Rod Grant, showing actors just how improv should be done in film.
Sarah is very talented. She is also a model and a writer. I consider her to be a better writer than I am, as she is very witty and expressive, able to compose some of the best articles that I have ever read
In my opinion, Sarah is a better actress than Amanda Beck was in the Chris Woods film Bleed, and that’s high praise, because I also respect the ability of Amanda as an actress.

9. Krista Grotte
I first met Krista when she auditioned for the original Reverence feature film in 2002. As a casting director, I remember reading about her film Filthy on her headshot resume, and wondering what kind of film that was. I remember being impressed with her acting ability back then, but my auditions were long, and she had to leave early.
Since then, Krista had done quite a few films. I was particularly impressed with her performance in Alarum, a short film that she did with Rick Danford and Enigma Films.
Krista, who was recently a lead in The Film Ranch film Brain Jacked, is another “it” actress, and one who should go far.

These are the best of the best, my friends. They are the very best that the Tampa indie film scene has to offer. Want to be on the “It List” next year? Do well in the Tampa indie film scene, and you just might make the cut in 2010! I probably won’t make the cut then, but I could be a contender in 2011. I have a lot of work to do.

Now, while we are on the subject of the future, here are my predictions for the Tampa indie film scene of 2014. Nolan, are you there? You are more than welcome to add your predictions, too!

The Tampa Indie Film Scene
May 2014

1. There will finally be a professional Tampa indie film community, leading the Tampa film scene and making progress. Many of the current Tampa filmmakers will not be involved, and some new faces will take active leadership roles. I will have a prominent position in that Tampa indie film community as one of Tampa’s best and most influential filmmakers.

2. Big Tampa film festivals will finally respect Tampa filmmakers instead of humoring them and using Tampa filmmakers as cheap labor and token figurehead sell-outs. Tampa film festivals will finally feature Tampa films over big-budget Hollywood films and films made elsewhere.

3. My film festivals will set the standard for Tampa film festivals. The Tampa Film Showcase monthly film festival and professional networking event series will be the best place for the Tampa film scene to go throughout the year. My annual film festival will be among the top film festivals. The Tampa Bay Film Online Film Festival will be a standard, too, with a massive indie film library and “attendance” which will still beat out all the Tampa film festivals combined (if not in the United States).

4. The main players in the Tampa indie film scene will be the Andy’s and their Film Ranch, Chris Woods, Shelby Mcintyre, Marcus Koch, myself, and many filmmakers which are currently unknown.

5. Hollywood companies will come to Tampa to look for films to buy and distribute, not to use Tampa as a location for one of their film productions. Tampa films will be as respected as the larger budget films made in Hollywood.

6. Online film distribution will be mainstream. Many Tampa filmmakers will sell their films as downloads, and some will market and distribute their films themselves.

7. The Tampa Film Blog will still be the dominant Tampa film-relevant blog. Other blogs from the past will be gone.

8. New types of films will be made, and not films which are defined as indie films today. New, creative types of films genres will emerge, and new ways of marketing films will benefit Tampa filmmakers.

And that, my friends, is the future. At least, the future, in my opinion.

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Saturday, May 09, 2009 - 11:00 PM - Tampa Indie Film Log for Filmmaker C. A. Passinault

Why Tampa Film Festival Organizers Need To Promote Effectively

I actively search for information about Tampa film festivals. If I cannot find the information, it is highly unlikely that others will be able to, also. No wonder attendance is so low with certain Tampa film festivals!

Well, I won't be making that mistake with my own Tampa film festivals. Any film festival organizer who specifically markets to local filmmakers and cliques of "fans" on Myspace handicaps themselves. A film festival should also be marketed well to the general public, with the target market being fans of the indie films that you have selected for your play list. My film festivals are not dependent upon the small Tampa film scene to support them. They are marketed to the general public with real web sites and other marketing investments. My target audience will easily, and instantly, be able to get the information about what is going on. While information will be published on Myspace for maximum promotion, Myspace will be an afterthought, as it should never be used as a primary way of marketing. The real deal will be the web sites that my film festivals have.

As you can guess, I am (still) very annoyed right now! I tried to get a hold of Danford (again), and once more I had to leave a message on voice mail. What I am particular displeased about is the lack of courtesy where he did not return any of my calls in the past month and let me know what is going on. It really messed up my schedule for June, and I had no way of checking up on the film festival which I had scheduled my time to attend. I am also annoyed that it takes longer, and takes more work, to prepare to cover film festivals. I cannot pick up and go at the last minute any more. I have a busy schedule, often scheduled out as far as a month, and I now have certain, um, security protocols to address each and every time. People have to know where I am going and when I will check in. I have to have people with me as well as people with me who are not obvious. These things take planning, and time. It's no longer simple to be a free spirit and to simply do what I want to. I have some serious responsibilities.

As I told Paul Guzzo once regarding the now-defunct Tampa Film Review in my film festival reviews: If you fail to plan your film festival and do not make it into a worthwhile endeavor, you disrespect your guests. This is the golden rule of event planning. Respect your target audience, and demonstrate that you respect them, by planning an effective event, and by doing everything possible to promote it and to make it a success. What's next? Do professional event planners have to invade and demonstrate how Tampa film festivals should be done?

Also, let it be known that, if any Tampa film festival series is discontinued, then I will be inspired to write a review about the film festival as a complete series, in addition to the reviews which I have already done on individual film festival events or years. I will be doing a review of the 2009 Tampa Film Review, which was only one event. I will also be doing a review of the Tampa Film Review covering the entire event series, with all of the film festival events. The score of the Tampa Film Review series as a whole will be lower than the 2009 Tampa Film Review event, because it ended on a high note.

It will be so much better when film festival standards are set in the Tampa market, because it will displace the chaos of poorly planned, ineffective film festivals.

I also like one of my slogans that I found tonight on the Tampa Bay Film site, which I had forgotten about. "Is that film festival any good? We tell you if it's worth it". Food for thought.

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Saturday, May 09, 2009 - 5:34 PM - Tampa Indie Film Log for Filmmaker C. A. Passinault

WTF Is Up With This Film Festival Schedule And Switch Branding?

@#$@#$&&#$ RICK DANFORD! Great promotion and marketing of your film festival! His latest film festival schedule pisses me off! I called him TWICE in the last month about the next Ladies Of The Night film festival on June 6 (which he told me about a few months ago, with Roderick securing the venue at USF and the date set), and he didn't bother calling me back. Then, I go onto his Enigma Films web site, and I see this teeny, tiny, easy-to-miss link on his news section for something called "Dark Delights" (Rick, please stop using Myspace for your film festival "web sites". Myspace is full of malware, and I am rarely on it- those freebie web 2.0 networking sites SUCK, and are no substitute for a real web site; you get what you pay for, and the credibility usually goes with your investment.), and any legitimate business should focus on professional web site, as well as professional maketing (I suppose it is ok to maintain an annex presence on such sites if you have the professional web site already covered). When are you people going to learn that if it is worth doing, it is worth investing money and effort into? Start by building real web sites for your film festivals! At least Rick has a web site for Enigma, and one for the Halloween Horror Picture Show film festival). What's this? A debut on Wednesday, May 13, 2009, 4 days from now? The Beach Theater, 45 miles away over the Skyway? THANKS FOR THE HEADS-UP! I can't cover that, without any warning, and my June 6 calendar RSVP is now useless. I also cannot cover June 5. What's this? Friday, June 5, at 11PM? 11PM? A cash bar for a film festival? Who drinks at a film festival? I certainly don't- I don't drink at all, as I like to stay sharp. Count me out................ what happened to USF, Ladies Of The Night 2, and June 6?!?!?

......... 6:10 PM - Ok, it just so happens that my friend, actress, model, acting instructor, and entertainment industry expert Sarah Bray (The lead in Chris Wood's latest short Tampa film Spaventare) called me mid-blog post, just now (and so did another actress, Daliah, looking for head shot photography services during my thirty minute talk with Sarah- and yes, another head shot shoot booked). I told Sarah what I was venting about on my blog, and we discussed it. I'm sending her and her friend to cover it, instead, but I can't do it. It'll work for me quite well, however, because Sarah is very smart, and very witty, having worked, and thrived, in the competitive Hollywood film industry (she is also on my "It List" for this year, which should be posted here tomorrow night- I was writing it last night, but ran out of time this morning). I also consider her to be a better writer than I am. So, Danford, if I finally get a hold of you, can you get them on your list?

This is turning out to be a crappy year for Tampa film festivals, and it looks like, while Tampa Bay Film will have coverage, that there is a good chance that I physically won't be able to attend any due to scheduling conflicts, and a lack of film festivals in general. At least I have one of my best people on this one, which almost fell through the cracks. Delegation is the key, people.

I pretty much wrote off the large Tampa film festivals this year, because of the multi-day and multi-venue schedules (I've since come up with a strategy to cover these festivals), opting to cover the smaller Tampa film festivals, which seem to be vanishing. Next year, we will be covering the Gasparilla International Film Festival, LIGLFF/ CLIP (Is this the same film festival? Maybe we'll cover it/ them, or maybe not, since I really don't understand gay and lesbian cinema, and don't see the point of one which exists to show such specialized films. Are there really enough gay and lesbian movies to support a film festival dedicated to that genre, or do they show other types of movies?), the Sunscreen Film Festival (I've heard through my contacts that several modeling scams attended this year, and I find that unacceptable, but, hey, they can't control who attends their film festival. My models will be there next year to counter the modeling scams and show people the light; I'll attend with a team from Tampa Bay Film, and I'll send in a team from Tampa Bay Modeling and Tampa Bay Acting. Regarding my film festivals, I would never allow unethical people to promote their services at any event of mine, because I would be responsible. Ugh, modeling scams - opportunistic bastards! These modeling scams have been getting very aggressive in their marketing lately, and I see it as a sign of desperation over of all the money that they are losing because of my modeling resource sites.), Ybor Festival of the Moving Image, the Motion Film Festival (I was going to attend this year, but something came up), and others that may occur. This may be a slow year for Tampa film festivals and film festival coverage, but we'll be able to use the downtime to assemble some highly organized resources, and cover everything starting next year. The reviews will be accessible on Tampa Bay Film annex site Tampa Film Review, published on Tampa Bay Film, and referenced from the Tampa Film Blog and my other web site resources (as well as the two brand-new Tampa film support web sites that I will be obtaining this summer, which will make an armada of six Tampa film-relevant sites; I'll be adding three more Tampa film festival sites next year, and that will make a fleet of NINE Tampa film-relevant sites- Yes, I am very serious about Tampa indie film). We'll also be covering my own Tampa film festivals, which should start debuting and running late next year. With, or without, the cooperation of these film festival organizers, we will be covering Tampa film festivals, and we will be giving them fair reviews. If you don't want to have a review of your film festival done, just don't bother having one. The Tampa film scene deserves to know what is going on, and how well things are being done. They deserve to know if a film festival (or any film festival, regardless of name, done by a particular film festival organizer), is worth their time to attend. Filmmakers also deserve to know if a film festival is worth submitting to and supporting. In the grand scheme of things, however, film festival solutions are coming. I have four Tampa film festival properties in development with my event planning and stage production companies, and my film festivals will set the standard for which all film festivals will be judged by.

I gave the last Ladies Of The Night Film Festival a good review, I think. Oh, and Danford, what's up with the 2009 Halloween Horror Picture Show? Are you going to have one this year, and if so, are you going to allow the Gasparilla International Film Festival to jack your branding? Last year, there was only a Gasparilla Film Festival banner (the producing sponsor, I suppose- are they buying up all the smaller film festivals? If so, NOT GOOD! Gasparilla will not buy my film festivals out, because I'm not selling), and no Halloween Horror Picture Show branding that I could find! Check out my review for Halloween Horror Picture Show 2008 for more. Hmmmmmm..... Halloween Horror Picture Show 2009.... You know, if Danford decides to give up (and I am against him giving up on something with so much promise), and he doesn't do one this year, I'm going to give it one hell of a write up. I'll even review it. I'll get together with some models and some of my other friends, and we'll have our own Halloween Horror Picture Show 2009. I'll review that. And no, most of you can't come. It's invitation only; a private parody of an extinct film festival, if you will. Hmmmmm.... I may be onto something here. Maybe we can spoof the Tampa Film Review, too, now that it is over, and it's a failure. I can get a small group of Tampa entertainment industry experts together with models, actors, and talent, and do private "Tampa Film Review" film festivals (I already have the site, too!). We can then review indie films and our own film festival viewing parties, and make it a monthly get-together. Ahem, that's invitation only, too, and not a public gathering; we won't market it, and most of you can read about them after they happen. At any rate, I may be onto something. I will have to consider it.

God. I'm going to acquire a reputation as a complainer. Whatever. If people in the Tampa film scene would do things right, they may find that I wouldn't complain so much. Hey, I'm the outspoken one, the one who doesn't play those fake politics, and who writes what I am thinking. I'm being real, and you always know who you are dealing with when it comes to me. Don't worry about me, though. Worry about the thousands of others who come to the conclusions that I do on their own, who aren't obvious because they don't write and they don't publish web sites, and who remain unseen as they tell their friends what they think. Those people won't complain, at least as far as you can see, but they will vote with their feet and stay away, and that should be what you should be concerned about. Please take my criticism as constructive, as it is not my intention to attack, or to trash, anyone. In this case, I am extremely frustrated with all of this, and the lack of communication is simply inexcusable. I actively look for film festival information and indie film information, and if I can't find it, how in the hell is your target audience, who isn't quite as good using the Internet, supposed to? Get the word out, and let me do my job. The reality of the situation is that, ultimately, I am very supportive. Just give me something worth supporting, and market it properly.

It's now 6:50 PM. My phone quit ringing for now. It's time to run into Brandon and get some errands done. Later tonight, I will finish composing the Tampa Film Blog post that I started last night, and will then work on Independent Modeling. Tomorrow, it's mothers day, and later, I am planning on checking out the new Star Trek with some model friends. Oh, and I have some shoots on Monday, too, and another television interview to do later this week (I need to call the reporter back on Monday). Gotta run. Lates.

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Saturday, May 02, 2009 - 10:40 AM - Tampa Indie Film Log for Filmmaker C. A. Passinault

Lisa Fan Grrl .Com?

Hmmmmm.... My web peeps just sent me some info which I find very interesting. It seems that Lisa has snagged another domain name, a domain name that I released a few weeks ago.
Why did she .com it? What is her motivation? I told Joe at a film festival not long ago that I was not going to renew it, and that he was welcome to it. Is she holding it for him, or is she collecting domain names for some other reason?
Lisa, if you keeping it for Joe, please forward it to his 100 Tears Myspace profile so that it retains the search engine boost that I gave it. It’s losing value the way that you have it now. Please give it to Joe or Marcus. That’s why I let it go.
I wonder what other domain names in my possession that she wants. Well, I’m keeping TampaFilmReview.Com. It’s mine. Mine, I tell you! Oh, and it has nothing to do with The Tampa Film Review, either. Read the disclaimer if you don’t believe me. Um.... I still believe that I am going to hell for that one.
LOL..... Funny drama around here.
Lisa also .commed my name, which is..... well, weird, to put it simply. She is either my greatest secret fan (doubtful, because she thinks that I am evil), or took it for some other reason. Someone told me that she .commed my name to keep the peace because she heard of a scheme surrounding it, so that’s cool is she did it for that reason. Perhaps she is .comming domain names to keep another Tampa indie film war from breaking out. I suppose that is cool.
Lisa, if you keep collecting domain names, keep in mind that you’re going to need some serious cash flow to keep them. I know, because I have some BIG Internet bills for my armada of fifty powerful, industry-crushing web sites. It’s expensive, but - bwa ha ha ha haaaaaa - it’s worth it.
Oh, and if anyone wants to but TampaModelingAgency.Com and TampaTalentAgency.Com (like all the agencies and their web masters do), I’ll sell them for $120,000.00 - EACH. I own lots more like that, and they are valuable properties. Who needs stocks when you have a strong portfolio of domain names?
Anyway, I was just wondering what was up. I would have called Lisa, but she would have probably screamed “You are the evil one!” and slammed the phone down on me, silencing me forever, I guess. Well, for now, I am left wondering.
Oh, yes.... Experiment 7 (Experiment7Movie.Com .... God, Joe sucks at web sites. You can't run movie sites off of Myspace, buddy!)..... It could be mine! Someone had better .com it before I snag it! Then again, I could be joking, but can anyone risk finding out? (Note 06/27/09: One week after this post, Joe finally bought the domain name. At any rate, if I were a bad guy, I could have snagged it easily, and Joe would not have it today. Joe, I don't hate you and I am not out to get you. The proof is that you were able to buy a domain name that I predicted a week before you got around to obtaining it. I just want to see Joe pay attention to detail and do things right. Also, this served as another example that certain people are reading my blog; it's well-known that a large group of people monitor this blog and share their opinions about every post among themselves. This private group discussion is forwarded to me, which greatly amuses me, and it's obvious that I'm not popular with those people. That's cool; at least I'm real about who I am and voice my opinion).
It’s good to be evil, or at the very least, to be perceived as such.
P.S. I was offered $10,000.00 for Independent Modeling once, but that’s not for sale. I’ve been spending a lot of time getting that up to speed lately, and it is a very important project right now. Bwa ha ha ha!

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Thursday, April 30, 2009 - 4:00 PM - Tampa Indie Film Log for Filmmaker C. A. Passinault

Weeding

It’s been a busy month. I’ve been working on infrastructure and have spent a lot of my time on Independent Modeling. I will be doing a lot with the Tampa indie film scene and with Tampa Bay Film in May, however, and will return to form.
As I ponder what needs to be done, I am thinking of different things. For starters, about how weak most of the Tampa indie film scene is, and how this is going to change.
Now, I really don’t want to go bashing anyone, but there are some things which need to be said, and there are things which need to be done.
I’ve been involved with the Tampa indie film scene since late 2005. Since then, I have met most of the people who make up the scene, and know just about everything which is going on (many people talk to me, and I am a damn good listener). I was smart about how I became involved with the Tampa indie film scene, and over the years, I cut through a lot of the B.S., and know how all the players really are. I’ve experienced discrimination, and have been slandered. Unlike most, however, I fought back, and had the resources to do so. Just about everyone who started trouble with me have come to regret it, and they will continue to regret it in the future, not because of what I will do to them, but because I won’t have anything to do with them. Hey, they did it to themselves, and have only themselves to blame.
Those who backstabbed me, and who caused me trouble, are idiots. They certainly messed with the wrong person.
You see, I’m going to be the best thing going on in the Tampa indie film scene. I’m still working on completing the foundation of what is to come, and, unlike others who have claimed that they are helping the Tampa indie film scene, I actually am sincere about my motives. What is most amusing to me, however, is that many of these so-called Tampa filmmakers screwed themselves. They underestimated me and what my people are working on. It’s a lot like meeting someone at a party and disliking them because you are jealous of them for some reason or you are intimidated by them because you perceive them to be competition. Because you don’t like them, you are rude to them and spread rumors about them. You regret it later, however, because you realize that you made a mistake by attacking someone who is a potential employer, and you messed up the job interview without realizing that you were being evaluated the entire time.
I’m not going to go out of my way to do anything to anyone who was unprofessional with me. I’m not going to go out of my way to help them, either, even when they are begging for my help. I’m a firm believer that you reap what you sow. Although many of these Tampa filmmakers don’t realize it yet, they need me a lot more than I need them. As a matter of fact, I’ve evaluated them for a while now, and have determined that I’m better off without them. I have not been impressed with them, and am convinced that, if the Tampa indie film scene were to continue on without some serious intervention, that it would not be any better off in the next five years. You will still have the same crappy films being made, and the lack of progress because so-called filmmakers play politics and work to undermine each other.
For the most part, it is time to reboot the entire Tampa indie film scene and cut our losses. It is time to cut off all the trouble makers and discourage their efforts as filmmakers by leaving them on the outside. It is my dream to see these fakes fail and give up, because they are only out to help themselves at the expense of others, and are making the Tampa indie film scene look bad.
That’s not to say that everyone needs to go. I have a list, and although that list is a short one, those on that list have earned my respect, and will receive my full support, as well as the support of the infrastructure that is being built.
Now, I am sure that most Tampa filmmakers will not have a clue about what I am about to publish here, especially with the lack of business skills that they have exhibited over the years, but they will not be able to compete against what is coming. This market is about to expand, and the filmmakers who don’t have what it takes will find themselves outnumbered. They will be outnumbered by a new generation of filmmakers who will learn by the examples set by me and my people. This new generation of indie filmmakers will use the Tampa Bay Film site as their bible, and they will be unstoppable. It is inevitable, and new blood must be brought into the film scene; revolution and growth is impossible with the current dead wood clogging up the Tampa indie film scene.
I have no desire to sell them film classes or to run a film school. I will be too busy making films and working indie film to teach it, and I will teach by default by leading by example. I will also ensure that this new generation of Tampa indie filmmakers will be independent, and they won’t be dependent upon me to succeed.
Some of you may be wondering how this is possible? Allow me to explain.
I am going to expand the Tampa film scene by revolutionizing it and the way that it works. I will inspire new filmmakers to get involved by utilizing Blue Ocean business tactics (look it up, if you are able to comprehend business).
One of the complaints that I often receive about the Tampa Bay Film Online Film Festival is that many of the indie films featured on it are not from Tampa. Currently, that’s unavoidable. If I were to stick to “Tampa films only”, it wouldn’t be much of a film festival, and it would cripple it as a indie film marketing and promotion platform. While is does put an emphasis on Tampa films, and this will work well in the future, at the current time, there just aren’t enough Tampa indie films available to carry a film festival. Also, of those Tampa films that are available, few of them are any good. This will change, but not without a lot of work. Not without revolution.
So, what’s up with all of those indie films on the online film festival from all over the world? Well, for the most part, many of them can be done here in Tampa. The primary reason for including them is to inspire Tampa filmmakers to make great films, and to open their eyes to the possibilities of filmmaking.
I’m going to say it now. Indie filmmaking is no longer expensive, if you know what you are doing and you are smart about doing it. I’m even going to prove it. In a few short weeks, I will be ready to do what I’ve been planning on doing for the past ten years. It will only cost me pocket change, too. For less than $1,000.00 in equipment, I am going to put together some short films which will be of higher quality than most Tampa indie films that have been done up to this point, and they will be impressive enough to land some investors in the future and enable feature films to be made with the best equipment available. This strategy has served me well in my photography business, and I sell a lot of shoots based on the work in my photography portfolio. Want to know a secret? When I first went pro in my photography career, back in 2001, digital cameras were expensive. I invested in a 3.3 Megapixel Nikon, a consumer camera, for $1,600.00 (the camera was $1,000.00, 64 meg CF flash cards were $150.00, and the other accessories were also expensive). In just over a year, I paid off my investment and shot circles around just about every Tampa photographer. As a matter of fact, there were photographers who were shooting with $5,000.00 pro SLR digital cameras, and they were pissed off when they found out what I was using to take their business away. I not only took better pictures than they did, but I outsold them. Today, although digital cameras are now cheap and photographers seem to be a dime-a-dozen, I still dominate the Tampa photography services market, although my consumer camera wore out long ago, and I am using pro-level cameras.
I have a feeling that history is about to repeat itself.
I’ve done the research. I’ve paid my dues long ago. I have the resources, such as the best actors (as I have demonstrated several times by referring top actors to Tampa film productions). I now have the equipment that I need, and surprise, it wasn’t as expensive as they say that it is. As a matter of fact, I will be doing some revolutionary film projects for less than I invested with my digital photography equipment all those years ago.
I have other things in the works. Interesting things that I cannot go into detail over, yet. I have two more Tampa film-relevant web sites in the works, and have four film festival properties in development (all of the film festival properties are being designed with the Blue Ocean strategy in mind, and are not dependent upon the current Tampa film scene at all; current being the clue word. They will all succeed even if everyone in the current Tampa indie film scene did not support them). Just like photography, I will seize the Tampa indie film scene, and will dominate in every category. I will help filmmakers who deserve my help. I will assist with the creation of the first professional Tampa indie film community. I will own the best film festivals in Tampa. I will inspire other filmmakers by producing some of the most creative films ever done in the Tampa indie film scene. I will also support these efforts with the full resources of all of my companies and business assets.
I am serious about Tampa indie film, and supporting a film scene which demands respect. Would you rather have Hollywood come here to do their motion pictures, and to compete with Tampa filmmakers for resources, or would you prefer to have Hollywood distributors come to Tampa looking for Tampa indie films to buy?
I thought so. The irony, however, is that, despite my claims that “I will be the one”, that most of this will come about by the efforts of others, inspired by some things that my people and I do. I can’t do this alone. I’m going to need the help of talented filmmakers to put the Tampa indie film scene on the map. It’s just that I don’t need the help of most of the filmmakers currently in the Tampa indie film scene. Most of the current filmmakers have mismanaged and sold-out the Tampa indie film scene, and have no place in the future market. The future belongs to a select few now present, and filmmakers who have yet to begin.
What do I want? What everyone should want. I want the Tampa film commission to respect Tampa filmmakers. I want large film festivals who use Tampa filmmakers as cheap labor, and which exist to attract the competition of those filmmakers to the Tampa Bay market, to go away. I want to see a variety of innovative, and quality, Tampa indie films which inspire respect. I also want to see the Tampa indie film scene grow and stand on its own two feet. I believe that the Tampa indie film scene should innovate and create its own Hollywood East, and not to depend upon others to make it happen. We don’t need Hollywood to come here. We need to build our own Hollywood East, and attract those who are looking for films to buy instead of selling out to attract our competition here.
The Tampa indie film scene, so far, has failed. It’s time to do something different. It is time to get rid of the self-serving fake filmmakers, and to attract new talent for the upcoming revolution.
It’s time for change.
I’m weeding. You should be weeding, too. Choose who you work with carefully.
At any rate, it’s back to work for me. I’ll be adding more films to the online film festival in May. I also have the money to invest in the best marketing material for Tampa Bay Film. My photography and design services company will be creating some new marketing material for Tampa Bay Film (the same resources that go into the best modeling composite cards in the modeling industry will be used to create the best marketing cards ever seen in the Tampa indie film scene). I will also be stepping up efforts to cover, and review, Tampa film festivals, and will be attending with teams to add interviews at those festivals, much like Scream @ The Wall has done. Expect those video interviews to be available on Tampa Bay Film in the near future. We will have that interview capability at the end of May, 2009.

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Sunday, April 26, 2009 - 6:00 PM - Tampa Indie Film Log for Filmmaker C. A. Passinault

Take Two

Alright. I now have enough cash to invest in an HD camera and then some. It’s just that my computers can’t edit the HD footage.
The issue that I had with my computers before, with hard drives full of pictures, has been solved. I invested in a large hard drive, and I am moving all of the files to it. In a few days, I will wipe that computer and redo it, preparing it for editing work. I’m also buying a huge hard drive to archive footage.
I’ll be doing experimental films in May. I’ll have a boom, and everything else that I’ll need to shoot Reverence and the other shorts. I’ll be in position to tackle Reverence in the fall. For my first indie film projects, I’ll probably do some nature documentaries. I’ll take my gear on long hikes and make some interesting short films out of it. I have an extensive knowledge of plants, animals, and nature, in general, so it should come naturally.
The catch is that I am going to buy the camera that I already had and took back. I’ll be buying the 480P standard resolution camera, again. Obviously, it won’t be the exact same camera that I had before, but I did love it (maybe I can get this one in black, instead of the silver that I had). I did footage tests, and the footage from this type of camera is excellent (see the test footage on the Tampa Bay Film Youtube channel if you’d like to see for yourself). I even did some footage tests at night for a scene in The Point, and the results were impressive.
I may even invest in a nice tripod, too, which I’d be able to use with my other cameras (oddly, I’ve never used tripods with my photography cameras on location. I shoot as well as I do without such things, but it would be useful for things such as landscape photography and long exposures- for filmmaking, you do need a tripod, or at least a monopod). Oh, and I will be building a steadycam mount, too.
At any rate, my computer, once redone, can easily edit the footage, and storage of the video files is no longer an issue. With my film portfolio-building strategy, this set up is all that I need, and it is still feasible to do feature films with a standard definition camera- it’s just that I’m going to miss the 24p that the high definition camera would have had.
I have two screenplays for short films which are almost done. I have an army of actors and others waiting to help out. I have even more projects on the way, too. It looks like when I am not doing photography, business, and web sites, that I will be working on indie films. These are good times. I especially look forward to what can be accomplished with the bare minimum in equipment.
I’ll be using my filmmaking gear for other projects, too, and not just indie films. Keep an eye on my resource sites this summer, and you’ll find out what some of those projects are.
Gotta run. I have to buy a book on Premier tomorrow and finish working on this computer. After I set things up, I have a lot of editing to practice.

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Wednesday, April 22, 2009 - 9:00 AM - Tampa Indie Film Log for Filmmaker C. A. Passinault

When Will It Happen?

I always hear this question. The question which I have to counter with is “Do you know enough about business to comprehend the importance of building a foundation to support the continuing ende