Produce

“When one door closes, another door opens.  But we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not see the ones which opened for us.” – Alexander Graham Bell

It’s hard to beat fresh raspberries picked right off the bush or broccoli just snapped off the stalk.  I was spoiled as a kid with succulent, fresh produce all summer long.  Of course, this entry’s title is more relevant with a second syllable emphasis.

Frustrated by the seemingly impenetrable shell that protects Hollywood from newbie screenwriters, I figured I may as well produce a movie myself.  That way, I could list ‘produced screenwriter’ on my resume.  The motivation, of course, went well beyond resume boosting.  Truth is, I just want to make movies, and if Hollywood isn’t interested in seeing what I have to offer on the page, maybe I can get them to notice something on the screen.

My research in independent filmmaking made it clear the easiest sell for a neophyte producer is horror.  The foreign markets eat up American scare fare.  Had I avoided a few key mistakes, I think Horror House could have made a bigger dent in the domestic and foreign markets.  I’ll explore those mistakes in upcoming entries.

As it is, I’m proud of my first self-produced feature.  Creating a movie and seeing it through to its completion is an accomplishment of which few can boast.  And I think it was a necessary experience in my growth as a Hollywood contender.

Reflections on the entire production process can be found in my Horror House movie blog.  Shooting the movie was an incredible experience with an incredible cast and crew, and I hope to emulate that adventure again and again.

You can buy Horror House here, or via a forthcoming link in one of the sidebars of this site.