knock. knock. gets first review

in
http://diyfilmmaker.blogspot.com/2007/05/knockknock-review.htm

Here is the the first write up/ review of knock. Knock. over at Sujewa's DIY Filmmaker Blog.  The funny thing is that while the write up went up, i was on a slight vacation.  But i came back to find that someone was writing comments up on that blog, signing it as Amir, but through an anonomious account.

Funny that people have nothing better to do.  But if you ever read this, show yourself, and lets set up a little fight in a backyard somewhere.  I've been training dummy.

New "Still Lover" distro deal

in
Joe and Harry Gantz, the boys that brought you HBO's Taxi Cab Confessions just aquired "Still Lover" for an exclusive one year deal for there new website called crushedplanet.com

The film will play in the Tellavision sister site. So, go and check it out again, or watch it for the first time, again. Anyways, its a pay per play site that launches May 15th i believe, but its up and running now. Go support my habit.....

Knock. Knock.

in
Yes, so it is finally done. The new short film that i directed and developed with writer/actor/comedian Chris Manz is titled "Knock. Knock." Damn those periods sure make it sound indie...haha. Anyways, ready for the festival circuit, so if you are in need of screeners, and you are legit, hit me up. What is the film about?

________________________________________________________________________
Knock. Knock.
A struggling internet comic gets his show picked up by a larger website. During the taping of a segment gone horrible wrong, he gets a surprise visit, who makes him confront issues in his own life that he's been running away from.
________________________________________________________________________
OK, so writing these things might not be my thing, so i'll ask another writer to bring fourth a better synopsis, but hell, who knows, maybe this is the one, the special one......

oh the things, i love things

in
Things to do, things to do......where shall i begin? Ok, so, a new short film is done, but the damn title keeps changing. Dont know what i called it last, but it can be called "Knock Knock, or "in spite of everything" or something else. If there is a suggestion, i am open. Been editing my feature film, "whale", which will have a fine cut ready in the summer. It has been coming along nicely, and trailers will be up soon.

Also, i am still waiting to get the artwork finished for the Shanks and the Dreamers original album. I promise it will be finished and ready before this month is over, like tomorrow.

Ok, so i have been working on a new web show called the Chris Manz's show which is in essence a continuation of the new short film that should be coming out in a few weeks, when the titleing and audio sweetning is finished. The show will start airing next week.

In other news, am going to be writing/directing another feature this summer tentatively titled "Micro". More on that in the future.

As always, stay up, and for godsakes, i need someone to fix my damn site. That shit is old school now...

updates on new releases for the first half of 07

in
Ok, so "Shanks and the Dreamers" album "A Day Late: Instrumentals for Illegal Aliens" will be released on April 17th.

A new film, tentatively titled "In Spite of the Laughs" will be ready to tour the festival circuit on May 15th. The rough cut is done. It was shot on S16 and the master is on D5. The run time is about 20min.

The feature film "whale" i concieved of will be ready in July.

I am planning on shooting another feature in August/Sept, an ensemble piece, in HD, on a shoestring, so if you are interested, find me, call me, grab me, and we can talk. I am in the process of writing the sceneario as they used to say.

And also, if you are a man/women with some money, and would be interested in a more high profile film, i am finishing up a new feature script. Established or ambitious up and comer actors/actress's would be very pleased to take a look at this script, and so would the money folks.

Also, shooting a short on 35mm from a script i wrote late 07 or early 08.

Filming Mid Week Notes

in
So, filming is happening and i am now 6/8 done with the film....Lene Pederson who plays Sharon was a pleasure to work with.  I have known her for a few years now, as we were training as actors at the Stella Adler years previous, then we lost touch, then a photography friend referred her to me for another role i was casting for last year, and too my surprise, it was the same Lene that i had lost touch with.

Chris Manz who is playing "Chris" is doing his thing.  I will talk about it more as time passes.

And Keaton Shyler who is playing Carla or Karla, well she is a pleasure to work with.

filming tomorrow

in
So, i will be filming "Knock Knock" come tomorrow.  What's it about you might ask, well its about "Chris, a young struggling comedian who finally has found some fame on an internet comedy site.  But during a somewhat disasterious taping session with an actress who thinks she's being exploited, Chris's ex girlfriend Karla shows up to tell him some good news of her own.   With a load of resentment and hard feelings, will this passive aggressive comedian find a way to move forward?
Goddamnit!  Someone get me a good logline writer....Anyways will keep you posted.

In other news, sometimes i rhyme slow sometimes i rhyme quick.

Shanks and the Dreamers

in
Yah, i got a band, so what. The album we are releasing is called "A Day Late: Instrumentals for Illegal Aliens" and features 6 tracks. This album was recorded from the summer 05 to summer 06 and was mixed down and mastered and complete on Dec 20th 2006. It will be released soon after my new film "Knock Knock" is done, which if i were to speculate, March 2007.

The artwork design and layout for the CD was co authored by graphic artist Martin Nilchian who also played Marteen in my very first film Dino Adino.

The material on this release is a bit different, well alot different then where Shanks and the Dreamers is now adays. These recordings are more intimate and the album is more conceptual then the newer stuff. "A Day Late" was really a solo instrumental album with help from friends who eventually became Shanks and the Dreamers. But, because it is the birth of an idea, it will retain the same name.

There will be a limited pressing and will be available online, some stores, and here i guess. But i will let you know where you can grab a copy.

For now, here is the fantastic link to the place you spend all day, myspace....

Shanks and the Dreamers

a year in review, that year being 2006

in
So, i guess it would be good to list things of importance work wise that occurred in 2006 for personal perspective.  So here goes in a structrualist listing of importance, of which all things lead to the same objective nevertheless.  Things also might be bleeding into this new year as well, so i will mark with an astricks like this *.  Or like this ** of that means anything different in the footnotes of your head.
1.  whale (shot the feature film) * In Post Production, will be finished June 2007
2.  Shanks and the Dreamers (album finished and mastered) *Will be released in March/April 2007

3.  "Astonishing Experience Box Set" installation ran for three months(oct-dec) at The Seed Design Gallery in Santa Ana.

4.  Finished a short film titled "Tracing the Edges" in July.

5.  "My break Ups into a Million Pieces" continued the festival tour.

6.  "Still Lover" continued to play in several theaters

7.  Directed a music video for the band UnFamiliar Occurrence

oh man, i will continue this later, i believe i'm missing stuff.