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A New Year. A Renewed Agenda. A New Era. - Reconsidering My Agenda

Thursday, February 10, 2011 - 8:02 AM - Tampa Indie Film Log for Filmmaker C. A. Passinault

Redrawing The Map Of Indie Film.

NOTE: The following post, as well as all current posts on the Tampa Film Blog, are my opinion. Please realize that I am expressing opinions, and not facts, unless specifically stated. Since I am doing a lot of criticism, criticism which is well deserved, I thought that I would clarify this for anyone who is ignorant enough to think that I am libeling people, as I am not. If you feel that I am libeling anyone, feel free to consult an attorney, and solicit their opinion. Also, note that I have an attorney on retainer, too, and they are damn good at what they do. Some might say that I have a stronger legal case against anyone who feels that they have some sort of case against me. I challenge people to disagree with me, and even publicly debate with me and try to prove me wrong, before they are stupid enough to overreact, take it too far, and commit legal suicide. Censorship is not the answer, people. I have the right to express my opinion, and the right to exercise the freedom of speech. So do you. As you see, I’ve opened the Tampa Film Blog for debates, and so far, no one has taken me up on the offer. What’s wrong? Do you realize that I’m right? Let’s stick to the topics and leave the actual slander and the baseless credibility attacks behind, shall we?
If people would actually make good independent films in the Tampa Bay area, I’d have good things to say. If people would have a backbone and stand up for what they believe in, and what is right, instead of compromising, I wouldn’t have a problem. What, you want me to be a mindless, spineless, kiss-ass cheerleader? Don’t we have enough of those? They are called followers, and they will ultimately do nothing for you, for me, or do anything else to advance independent film in Tampa Bay. I’m not a follower. You want me to endlessly praise and promote Tampa films which do not deserve it? I’m sorry, but I’m not in this for a popularity contest, and both the integrity and the credibility of this blog and my armada of Tampa Bay Film sites would be in question if I turned this into some political promotion machine. I certainly don’t respect anyone who enables the B.S. in the Tampa indie film scene because they are too worried about their public image, and, as a result, they help to hold back the progress of independent film in the Tampa Bay area; helping to enable those who do not have the best interests of Tampa indie film in mind. What I post on this blog needs to be said, especially when no one else has the guts, or the courage, to say it! We need to take a long look at where we really are, and where we need to go! As for myself, I am sick and tired about all of this ass kissing, B.S., politics, slander, backstabbing, and sabotage in the Tampa indie film scene. This is neither here nor there, and although I feel better about it since there are few Tampa filmmakers who are any good, I could care less if every current filmmaker stands against me and denounces me. Go for it. I’m pretty much over them, anyway, and am moving to support a new generation of Tampa filmmakers. I’ve written off many current filmmakers, and I move that we need a change. Many current filmmakers in the Tampa Bay area need to be put out of business, and this is for the good of independent film in the Tampa Bay area, especially since many have sold us out to outside interests under false pretenses. Since these so-called Tampa filmmakers can’t do anything about what I’m doing, I’m certain that they can’t take on an army of Tampa filmmakers who are coming; the next generation of Tampa filmmakers who innovate, think outside the box, and who are genuine about helping and supporting each other. This new generation of Tampa filmmakers will have a secret weapon, too; they will be armed with my ideas, will be utilizing my concepts, and will receive my full support. We will also support each other. May the war go on; I don’t care if it takes me the rest of my life, and you can rest assured that, at the very least, I will continue to write and build up the Tampa Bay Film site and their content. We will not be ignored, and the world will know the_truth. We will win in the end; most of the filmmakers who are foolish enough to oppose us will find themselves out in the cold, on the outside looking in. In the end, it is what they will do to themselves.

We have a lot of work ahead of us if Tampa indie film is ever put on the map. We’re not there. I have faith that we will, though. This post is dedicated to those of us who will be redrawing the map of independent film in the coming years. It is one of my goals to not only help put Tampa independent film, and Tampa filmmakers, on the map of independent film, but to help make Tampa indie film a trendsetter, and a worldwide leader, in independent film. Tampa filmmakers will finally deserve respect, they will get it, and we might actually have Hollywood coming here to look at our films and option them for purchase and distribution instead of treating the Tampa Bay area as some third rate location for motion picture production; the latter being bad for indie film in Tampa Bay, in my opinion, because large Hollywood productions coming to town to use the Tampa Bay area to make their films actually COMPETE with local filmmakers for limited resources.
I’ve been busy watching Tampa indie films and studying them for reviews that I’ve been working on. I’ve also been studying movies, and one that I saw last night taught me some things about filmmaking. It will have a profound impact on my filmmaking career, and I recommend that all Tampa filmmakers watch it, study it, and learn from it. More on that in a moment.
For starters, without going into the full reviews, as they are all quite large, I will share my thoughts on some recent Tampa independent films; you will know pretty much what the reviews will be about right here, without reading all of the reviews. It is recommended, however, that you do read the reviews when they are finally published on the Tampa Film Review Tampa Bay Film site, because they will qualify my opinions and my points. Those reviews will also be a part of the latest issue of Frontier Pop. I will link to all of the reviews from this post once they are online, as well.

100 Tears

After seeing this “killer clown” independent film at least 20 times, listening to the running commentaries, watching all of the extras, and compiling over 14 pages of notes, I’m working on the most comprehensive review ever done on this film. It's needed.
First, I will say that 100 Tears is not entirely a bad film. It actually entertains, and it is watchable, for a snuff / gore-porn indie film. 100 Tears is one of the better Tampa independent films, but that really isn’t saying much, especially when most Tampa indie films are not very good.
In my opinion, the worst thing about 100 Tears is Joe Davison. He wrote the film, turning out a flawed script, and cast himself in a lead part which should of demanded better acting performance than Joe is capable of. Should of is a good way to describe it, too, because Joe’s poor screenplay defined a lead character that really did not demand a good actor, but was still well beyond Davison’s range as an “actor”.
I will go on record as saying that, and this is my opinion, as a casting director who has conducted many auditions with hundreds of actors, that I would never cast Joe Davison in any role (Do NOT expect to see him in any of my films. I only work with good actors). I think that he is that bad.
As a writer, 100 Tears should be indisputable evidence that Joe can’t write well, too. In all things, in my opinion, whether it is writing or acting, Joe’s ego is writing checks that his talent cannot cover.
This isn’t meant to be a malicious post to slam Davison, though. I don’t hate him. I’m just telling it how I see it, and how it needs to be said, and I will write a little bit more about my opinions about Joe Davison in a bit.
Marcus Koch isn’t entirely out of the scope of blame, either, as he allowed Joe Davison to write 100 Tears, and they turned Davison's flawed screenplay into an independent film. Both Joe and Marcus should have hired a professional writer to write the script, and collaborated with the writer to put together a screenplay worth making a film out of.
The main problem with 100 Tears is the lack of exposition and characterization. Yes, that’s right, I said a LACK of exposition, despite Marcus and Joe claiming that the film had a lot of exposition. The characters are, at the most, one dimensional caricatures which remind me of cliched cardboard cut-outs, and their motivation is very hard to figure out. You don’t know where they are coming from! Are Mark and Jennifer a couple, or what? Why didn’t Marcus and Joe, even after the initial reviews complaining about the lack of chemistry between the two leads, go back and clarify the relationship of the two lead characters, instead of leaving it so ambiguous? Marcus HAS stated that he purposely wanted their relationship to remain ambiguous, as he didn’t feel that defining their relationship was important. Ok, if THAT is not important, then what is?!?! We are talking about defining characters, and what they mean to each other, for crying out loud. It IS critical to the story, their motivation, and the plot! He also stated that he did not want a sex scene, implying that such a scene would have been the only way to clarify their relationship (Do these idiots really equate love with sex? In their minds, does sex equal love? That’s sad! Love is more in what you do, and how you feel, and doesn’t have to be all about sex! Any relationship based solely on sex is doomed to fail, unless the participants are psychologically damaged and have some sort of weird co dependent arrangement going on. If Marcus thinks that sex defines a relationship, then he has more problems than trying to make films). Oh, ok. First of all, Marcus, you don’t have to get into overkill and have some sex scene or nudity to define the relationship of the two leads (and I commend Marcus for not including sex and nudity, which would have exploited the actresses, in my opinion, as there was no good reason to have such elements in this film. Then again, a sex scene between Mark and Jennifer WOULD have been funny. I can see it now. Mark: “Oh, baby.” Jennifer: “Will I be able to find it? All this fat makes you look androgynous, baby!” Mark: “Whelp, I can’t get it up right now. Maybe if you had smaller breasts and I could picture you as a man. We'll just have to use the strap-on and let you do all of the work!” Jennifer: “Not that we’ve ever consummated anything, dear, but this is my moment of weakness. This is your one and only chance!” Mark: “I’m sorry if I’m not much of a man!” Jennifer: “This is why I love you! We never have to have sex!” Mark: “Could we kiss, at least? I could pretend that you’re Dunkin!” Jennifer: “Not even. My actress alter ego doesn’t want to kiss you either, so we’ll only just move in toward each other again as if we’re about to kiss, and then cut to another scene before we actually do so the audience thinks that we kissed! Yes, you toad, I’m actually repulsed by you!”); a few short scenes could have done it, they should have been in the first act of the film, and they could have defined the characters more so that we, the audience, could have cared more about them and what happened to them. Second of all, while ambiguity, like everything else, has a proper place in film, use in defining your lead characters, who drive the story, is not one of those places. Man-up and admit that the writing and characterization were weak, instead of trying to spin it. I suppose that Marcus was more interested in catering to his friend, who wanted to write the film and star in it, and on the killing and blood, instead of respecting the audience enough to tell a good story. Yeah, his priorities were right, there! As a result, 100 Tears was no where near as good as it could have been.
Oh, and while I am thinking about motivation, there is a critical flaw in the film. I really can’t figure out the motivation of Gurdy the clown. Why does he kill? What is his motivation to kill? The film never seems to explain that. For the most part, Gurdy just randomly goes around killing people, the reporters obtain “clues” and track the killer clown down, the police detectives are useless, and a bunch of random people are killed simply to be killed. There is no point to Gurdy’s killing spree, other than to kill. Add to that another character also killing for no reason, and you get a murder spree with no plot behind it. There is a flashback scene which I think is some sort of attempt to explain Gurdy and his reasoning, but I didn’t see any motivation for the clown to become a serial killer. The entire premise of the film is pointless, and ultimately, mindless, much like the filmmakers are, in my opinion, I suppose.
Oh, and on the subject of characters, many of those characters were pointless, too. Also, I did find an actor in the film who was worse than Joe was. It was his wife! That’s right, the filmmakers cast their wives in speaking roles! Jori Davison was the worst actor in 100 Tears, in my opinion. Casting spouses was another mistake in a film full of mistakes.
As it stands, the best part of 100 Tears is the impressive opening credits, and a few actors. After the opening credits, it’s all downhill. As for the good actors, Rod Grant and Georgia Chris did excellent jobs, although Rod’s role should have been expanded (and I really do believe that Rod should have been cast as Mark), and Georgia is worth better roles in better films.

Unearthed

I finally was able to see Unearthed, which was a big deal in the Tampa indie film scene about eight years ago. I can’t really go into a full review at this time, because I wasn’t able to sit down and make myself watch the entire thing, but the film is bad. Really bad. Unearthed was shot with Canon XL-1's with really crappy lighting (or scenes shot at night with no lighting), and the result is a look that makes it look like it was shot with a VHS camcorder. Seeing this, I’m really, really glad that I did not try to make a digital independent film back then, at the beginning of the digital filmmaking revolution. You see, the feature film that I was trying to make around the same time, Reverence, would have also used a Canon XL-1 (or even a crappy GL-1, as one of my contracted production teams wanted to use). Although lighting would have made the film passable, I’m sure, the high cost of digital filmmaking back then would have made such an effort high risk. This is not the case anymore, thank God, as technology is finally advanced enough to change everything.
At any rate, I groaned when I saw Joe Davison playing a lead role in Unearthed (Unlike his films where he cast himself in the lead, Joe, here, was friends with the filmmaker, who I suppose owed Joe a favor. Either that, or Joe convinced the filmmaker that he could handle a lead role). Didn’t I see Joe Davison playing himself, as the same character, in Experiment 7 and 100 Tears, too?
With Unearthed, though, with it’s crappy look, washed out footage, scattered acting performances, extended music video sequences with hideous-looking naked lizard women, the casting of so-called model Xzanthia (the most obnoxious, annoying person in Tampa entertainment, in my opinion. I don’t want to work with her, especially after years of enduring her crap on the Internet. Hey, anyone want to do “professional” modeling shoots at a nudist colony? Not me, and not any models whom I work with!), and some weird person hanging from hooks in their skin (like in that movie "The Cell"), I’d have to say that I was very disappointed. Actor Kevin Hentkowski once told me that he thought that the script for Unearthed was better than my script for Reverence. While I respect Kevin’s opinion, and freely admit that the 120 page script for Reverence was not my best work (one of the reasons that I brought in friend, and professional writer, Rachel Eaglin to help me salvage it. Reverence being a mixed bag was not for lack of trying, however. It was very ambitious, and that extreme level of ambition ultimately crippled the script. I can write good stories and scripts, however, and you can read my short story for The Point, as well as my Born Beautiful stories, for proof), after seeing Unearthed, I have to disagree. The script for Reverence may have had issues, but nowhere nearly as bad as the script for Unearthed did!
The parts of Unearthed that I did see just plain sucked, and if it were my film, I’d still say that. This said, I have nothing but respect for filmmaker Craig Kovach. With Unearthed, he made a film which he obviously believed in.
I’ll have a full review on Unearthed when I am able to make myself watch the entire thing. At the very least, this attempt at making an independent film needs to be documented.

Experiment 7

Didn’t someone call this film “Excrement 7”? I did not come up with that pun for it, but it sure fits. Experiment 7, a very ambitious film by Tampa “filmmaker” Joe Davison, starts out impressive, but like 100 Tears, Joe’s writing and participation in a lead role that he cast himself in crippled the film. It’s all downhill after the opening sequence.
I will say this much for Joe: He is a go-getter. He manages to convince people to finance his movies, and manages to convince some talented people to help him with those films. A chain, however, is limited by the weakest link. I wonder, though, if Joe’s filmmaking career really has legs, and if he will be making films in the Tampa indie film market in a few years (I am certainly looking forward to competing against him. Comparing my films with Joe’s will be awesome!). I’m also wondering if the talented people who are helping Joe are really that desperate to work on films. Come on, people, where is your pride?! In my opinion, like the failed TFR monthly Tampa film festivals, and Joe’s films, these films succeed, for a while, despite themselves, not because of what they are, or even their promised potential, but because there is a market for something like them. When starving, people will settle for anything. When things come along which deliver more than what is promised, and are actually worth getting involved with, the third rate TFR’s of the world, and films like what Joe insists on making, simply go away, and are seen for what they are.
I’m working on a full review of Experiment 7. See more of my opinions about this interesting film at Tampa Experiment 7 Screening, only on the Tampa Film Blog!

Brainjacked

One of the better Tampa indie films that I’ve seen, Brainjacked is a decent film. I liked it. This said, I still don’t think it’s what we need to put Tampa indie film on the map, and I don’t think that they went as far with the film as they should have.
I would say that Brainjacked is an example of what the low end of Tampa indie films would have to be in a film scene that is on the map of independent film, and especially if that film scene is to be a leader in the worldwide indie film scene.
I’m going to give Brainjacked a good review, as I’m far from knocking it, and I liked it. I’d like to see more Tampa indie films like Brainjacked, at the very least. It’s just that we can do so much more here in the Tampa indie film scene, and we are going to have to. I’m holding my future indie film projects to the same standard, too.
With the Brainjacked review, I will qualify the statements that I’ve made here, especially with the opinion that they could have gone further with the film. Brainjacked was good, but could have been better. It should have been better.

A Grave Matter

Man, what can I say? This film is the worst independent film in the history of Tampa indie film! The second part of Terence Nuzum’s short film isn’t THAT bad, and there were some parts of it that I liked. It’s just that most people won’t get to see the second part, because the first part is so bad that it will lose them. They will stop watching.
In my opinion, Terence Nuzum should not make films. Period. What I think happened is that he saw Tampa filmmaker Chris Woods put together one of the best films ever done in Tampa indie film, Spaventare (I feel dirty even mentioning the brilliant Spaventare in the same paragraph as with A Grave Matter), and he thought that he could do a good short film, too. It’s just that, in my opinion, Terence Nuzum is one of the poorest filmmakers that I’ve ever seen, and his library of failed films speaks for itself.
I actually yelled at Chris Woods after seeing A Grave Matter, and seeing his name in the credits, as he helped out on the crew. I asked him why he wanted his name associated with such a piece of crap film.
There were two things, actually, that I liked about A Grave Matter. First, the music was pretty good. Second, I liked the creature. That’s it.
One of the worst things about Terence Nuzum’s latest film is the writing and the acting. The actors are absolutely terrible. Thinking that, perhaps, that I was over reacting to the film, I played the film for several entertainment industry professionals whom I work with, and one of them was one of the best actors in the Tampa indie film scene. They ALL agreed with my assessment.
Hey, it’s not my fault if Terence had a hard time casting good actors in his film. Or, is it?
All kidding aside, his cast sucked, and so did his script. That doesn’t mean that the film isn’t entertaining, though, even if it is for unintended reasons. There are so many cheese-loaded, ridiculous, badly delivered (acted) one liners in that film, that I was literally rolling on the floor in laughter.
The best line? A nerdy character over delivering the line “Someone has disturbed the crypt of Randal Craven!”. I played it for my actress over the phone, and she lost it. She was like “What in the hell was that?”. I played some more, and we laughed for a while about how terrible the film was.
Terence, please, for the sake of Tampa indie film, stop. Please stop. Might I suggest that you sell your camera? There is no hope for Tampa indie film, in my opinion, if all Tampa filmmakers were like Terence. As a matter of fact, if he were the best that Tampa indie film had to offer, I’d close Tampa Bay Film and all of my Tampa Bay Film sites, and I’d move. Far away.
Fortunately, though, it won’t come to that.

These are but a few examples of some of the films that I’ve been preparing reviews on.

Tampa Filmmakers

Don’t think that I’m down on all Tampa filmmakers, and I just want to tear apart their work. That’s not the case. If they actually DID do good work, I’d be the first to say it. There ARE some good, talented Tampa filmmakers, it’s just that they are currently in the minority.
I actually respect that Tampa filmmakers have the passion and the drive to go out and make the types of films that they want to make. That takes guts, especially when the results tend to be humiliating. The problem with some Tampa filmmakers is that they have no taste, and they miss the point of filmmaking. Yes, make the films that way that you think that they should be done, but at least tell a story which is worth telling.
I posted an article on Independent Acting back in 2002 about horror filmmakers, and about how simply making horror films is not enough. I don’t think that horror films are a bad idea, to be honest. It’s just that very few have the talent to actually do them well, and that’s not most Tampa filmmakers. Just because you get the idea to do something, and are able to do it, does not mean that it is a good idea to do so.
Take Tampa filmmaker Joe Davison, for example. He’s able to convince people to help him with his films, and he’s getting films made. Are the films worth making, though? Also, how much longer will he be able to do this? I don’t think that his investors are seeing much of a return on their investment, and I’m wondering if Joe will continue to be able to make films if his films keep on being less than they should be.
About the only good thing that Joe Davison is good for, in my opinion, is talking. He’s able to convince others to help. This could be his saving grace.
If I were Joe Davison, I would accept my limitations, and put my ego aside. I’d be realistic about what I could do. I would also make sure that I would be in the position to continue to do films in a few years.
First, I wouldn’t write the screenplays myself. That’s not to say that Joe wouldn’t be able to do the kind of films that he wanted to do, but that he would have to make the process more of a team effort if he wanted to make the films as good as they could be. So far, the team effort works well for Joe, except that the efforts of the team are undermined by the weakest part of the films: Joe’s scripts.
Joe should get good writers to help him out, and collaborate with them to make some excellent screenplays. With that material as a foundation, I don’t have any doubt that Joe Davison could make some good films, and keep making films.
Second, Joe needs to stop writing himself into lead roles. Two areas which reveal that too much of the writer comes out in the characters, and which denote that the acting is limited, are characters who all seem to be the same, and actors who act the same in each film that they are in. Joe is too much like Joe in all of his films. It seems that, to Davison, that simply changing the name of the character is enough to define the character. This is a disservice to the audience, to the talented people who help make the films, to the actors, and to the story in general.
Joe, there is nothing wrong with wanting to act in your films, or even playing a lead role. Just make sure that you are able to pull it off. From what I’ve seen, Joe should either be content to cast himself as an extra, or leave the acting to real actors.
So, there you have it. Joe Davison, in my opinion, needs to stop writing the screenplays by himself, and needs to stop writing / casting himself in lead roles. If he does this, I don’t see a problem with him continuing to make films. I don’t think that this will happen, however. In my opinion, Joe Davison has too much of an ago, and would not put it aside for the greater good of his films. That ego, in my opinion, will prove to be his downfall as a filmmaker. You can have an ego, Joe, but only if you can afford it. What’s the price? The price for an ego is the talent, and the skill, to back it up. So far, the only reason that any of Joe’s films are even watchable is because of the talented people who help him, and not because of Joe, IMO.
Prove me wrong, Joe. Pick up a camera and do a short film like Chris Woods did with Spaventare. I can’t see him doing half of the jobs well enough to make a film. Could Joe write, cast, direct, shoot as a DP, light scenes, and edit? I don’t think so. If a filmmaker isn’t that great in each individual field, how will they be able to delegate and coordinate team efforts in larger film projects? It’s one thing to delegate and tell someone what to do, but can you do it well if you can’t do the job yourself well?
Is Joe Davison a filmmaker, or is he someone riding on the coattails of the filmmakers who help him do his films? This must be considered. Come on, Joe. Do a short film like Chris Woods can. I bet that you can’t do it. I’d bet money on it. Could you even match what Terence did with A Grave Matter with the same resources?
I think of Tampa filmmakers, and while I can respect their passion for filmmaking, and their desire to make the kind of films that they want to make, I have to wonder if it’s worth it, or of their efforts are as balanced as they need to be. Are they passionate about filmmaking in general, which is a healthy attitude, or are the obsessed with making only one kind of film?
Hey, you can’t have it both ways. You can’t be a great filmmaker, and you can’t help put Tampa filmmaking on the map, if you are stuck doing weird little films that most people cannot relate to, or have no desire to see. I don’t see a single filmmaker, myself included, who is talented enough to be able to become a huge success just sticking to one genre of film. It’s the longest of the long shots.
It’s like modeling. Yes, there are a few super models who make it big who have a limited range of looks, but their success is the exception, rather than the rule. Most models who have productive careers are able to achieve a wide range of looks, as they are more marketable. These successful models have no chance of becoming super models, however.
The best filmmakers have a wide range of skills, and are able to work in a wide range of different genres of films. These are the filmmakers who will become the future of Tampa indie film, and I predict that when these filmmakers are out there doing creative, good films in a variety of genres, that turnkey filmmakers like Joe Davison, in my opinion, will look like poor investments, and they will become forgotten relics of the past.
Filmmakers, the main point of making films is to tell a story. A good story! If you can’t tell a good story, I hope that you can obtain the help of people who can, and that you give them the credit, at the very least.
I saw this movie last night, and it made me think. It was the Nicolas Cage movie “Knowing”. I thought that the movie was brilliant, but was really floored when I listened to the director’s commentary. Did the director explain every scene like most do? No. There is nothing wrong with that, as there is a lot of good information from such commentary (and, it would not have hurt if he had included one of those as well), but he did something different. He spent the entire commentary talking about characterization, character development, about motivation, about plot, and about telling a story. This, my friends, is what filmmaking is all about, and I recommend that all filmmakers listen to what he has to say! Filmmakers have to realize that making good films is all about telling a good story, and good character development is a critical component of telling a good story!
Oh, and another thing about “Knowing”. It was shot all digitally, using a Red camera. It looked good, too!
I think of myself as a filmmaker, too, and about my future making indie films. Do I think that I know everything about making films? Of course I don’t. Am I the kind of person who thinks that I can do everything better? No, not at all.
I’m still learning, and that’s the beauty of it. I like learning. Why do you think that I spent all of those years in the early 1990's working on television sets and on indie films? Why do you think that I spent even more years learning everything that I needed to know to support my aspirations as a filmmaker? I didn’t want to be a Jack of all trades and a master of none, which would have been the result of I had rushed into things. I wanted to take my time, learn each field, and to become professionally proficient in each facet of the filmmaking and the entertainment business. So, I can do a number of things well, and each one of them at a level where I could be a market leader in that field. Each profession that I’ve learned can be a stand-alone profession. Together, though, and supporting each other, knowing what is entailed in each profession, and knowing how to properly direct and delegate in each one, gives me an advantage. The time that I spent learning these things will prove to be my greatest advantage.
I can write, act, direct, edit, do lighting, do DP work, cast, do foley, do sound, and a number of other things. As a top professional photographer, my films will be shot expertly, and will look really good. As a DJ and an audio engineer, my films will sound good. As a writer, my films will have a foundation of a good story and well-developed characters. As a casting director, my films will have the best actors cast. I could go on, but I trust that you get the point.
Do I think that I am better than Tampa filmmakers? Not necessarily. I have a different set of standards than most, and frankly, I’m not impressed by the Tampa indie films that I’ve seen so far. We can do better. We’re going to have to do better, too.
In my opinion, Tampa filmmakers have not received respect because they have not deserved it. In my observation, so much has gone on over the years to undermine the efforts of Tampa filmmakers because they are not seen as capable of putting Tampa indie film on the map.
It’s not me, either. I really do support indie film in Tampa Bay. I’m sincere about it, too. It only seems like I’m the principle detractor. In truth, I am critical about what I see because I want things to improve.
I, too, wish that there were more positive things to write about. It’s just not where we are at right now, however.
As I am running out of time for this post, I need to arrive at a point. What I’m getting at is that, for Tampa independent film, that the only way to get on the map in the worldwide scene of indie film is to innovate. We need to redraw that map.
I’ll give you another example. You know those indie films which I am so critical of? Well, I have a secret. Actually, a number of secrets, but this one secret I will reveal here, now.
I intend to make new versions of at least two Tampa independent films.
The first film is a remake of 2007's The Quiet Place. Although Chris Woods is opposed to it, I will be taking the overall premise of the short film and will be writing a new script, with new characters, and a new story. It will be better (The original Chris Wood’s script for The Quiet Place was excellent, although Paul Guzzo dumbed it down by editing out much of the exposition, using time limitations as an excuse, and director Damian Kincannon did a poor job translating it for the actors. I suppose that one of the main problems of the film is that it was rushed, although I must stress that, in my opinion, if the film production had been organized properly and directed well, that the two days spent of the film would have been more than enough. I honestly believe that the main failure of The Quiet Place was that there were too many hands in the pot, and that some filmmakers who were involved were out to sabotage the others. Why make a good film when you can blame others?). Another thing about my Quiet Place film, which may be called Quiet Places, is that I may cast the lead actress, Harmony Oswald, from the original in the new film. I should be able to, also, because I was the one who referred Harmony to the original film (I seem to know, and am friends with, all of the best actors).
Another film that I want to do a take on is 100 Tears. I certainly do not want to do a feature film, but a short film, with the premise of a serial killer clown, is just the ticket, especially when everything, including the story, will blow away the other film. I would name it “Chuckles”, or something like that, and make it far more creepy than bloody. After all, it’s all about telling a good story, and I’d rather focus on the characters and the plot than in mindless blood.

Tampa Filmmakers And Me

It could be said that my relationship with Tampa filmmakers has been rocky at best, and that I’m “not well liked”.
I don’t care. Most of this ill will is because people don’t know me. When they do, they will realize that others are lying about me. Slander backfires when people find out the_truth, and then it is the slanderer who’s credibility is in question.
The thing is that I didn’t start the fight. I kept my opinions to myself as I networked with Tampa filmmakers and helped out. Some of them started slandering me behind my back, hoping to destroy my credibility and discourage me from helping. I didn’t take it laying down, and fought back by voicing my opinions.
What would you have done? Would you have let a bunch of insecure idiots gang up on you with slander and bully you from the market?
It’s just that, in my case, I was the wrong person to try this tactic on. I had the resources to address it.
I can understand how people can become hurt and jaded when so many others claim that they have the answers, and then let them down after taking advantage of them. I’m not them, however, and I will certainly not accept the blame for the shortcomings of others.
In my opinion, some Tampa filmmakers are liars and thieves; they are insecure, and use slander and attempts at intimidation as weapons to discredit and discourage competition. This is going to stop.
Of course, knowing them as they are is one of the main reasons why I have not posted any of my main secrets on the Internet. I am working on things right now which are truly revolutionary, and they will be revealed, in due time, when I am in the position to use them myself. Some of these people hate me because they can’t get me to reveal what I am working on; they hate me because they cannot steal from me.
Of course, I will be redeemed in the future, when people find out the_truth. They will also find out, through experience, that I mean what I say. Sure, things are taking a while, but only because I have so many things going on. These things will come to pass, and I will be vindicated as time progresses. People will also discover that, unlike some who claim to but have no real intentions, that I am sincere about helping Tampa filmmakers, and about helping to put Tampa indie film on the map.
First, though, we have to work together to redefine that map. We need to begin to redraw it with new ideas, and innovative, good films.
Oh, and in closing, on the subject of time, I do have an idea of what is going to happen with my schedule. Please note that this is for my use, and it is not an official announcement. All dates are tentative.
This is what I plan on working on.

2011
Photography business work and talent resource sites.

Summer 2011
DJ Cybersuit built. New equipment procured. Online television series Frontier View begins production.

Fall 2011
Two short indie films completed. Halloween Drive-In underground film festival.

Early 2012
New Core production computer built. Studio computers and equipment replaced. More underground film festivals done.

Spring 2012
Eventi Events and Eventi Stage prepare for full rollout. Preparation work for first film festivals. Two to three more short indie films completed.

Fall 2012
Reverence Film Festival debuts. Second Halloween Drive-In underground film festival. Full operational rollout of Eventi Events and Eventi Stage.

January 2013
Tampa Film Showcase Monthly Film Festival and Professional Networking Event Series debuts. There is one Tampa Film Showcase film festival event every month.

Fall 2013
Second Reverence Film Festival. Third Halloween Drive-In underground film festival.

January 2014
Debut of the Frontier Film Festival, an annual film festival which directly ties into the Tampa Film Showcase (which, by this time, had a full run of 12 film festival events, and is on it’s 13th). Frontier Film Festival begins its annual run.

Spring 2014
Debut of the Tampa Film Conference, an annual Tampa indie film industry event. Establishment of the first official Tampa Film Community.

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