Spent a little time filming a quick video about how to make a Big Kahuna Burger. Enjoy it. It’s made with those of us who are broke in mind.
I’m so broke.
Film
Is it the Shoes? Kicks (2016) Review
It’s just like the time I went searching for the perfect DDR shoe.
Except it’s not like that at all.
What we do have is Justin Tipping’s first big foray into the wide world of features (welcome yo).
I’ll keep this spoiler free as always.
The movie follows 15 year old Brandon. He’s not that special a kid. He’s really small and he doesn’t have the nicest shoes. He and his two friends hang out everyday, doing the same thing a lot of us high school kids did. Go to the corner store, smoke, play ball. That shit.
But a chance encounter gets him a pair of red Jordans. Yes, the originals (Being from Chicago, I know them well.) And people start to notice him finally. That is, until he gets robbed by a thug named Flaco and his goons. So after feeling sorry for himself, he decides to go find his shoes and get them back. Setting him on the most epic adventure your average 15 year old can get.
On the way, he learns about what really matters, friends and just doing the right thing. Not continuing the violent cycle.
The film really spoke to me not only because I was a nothing special kind of kid. I’m a nothing special kind of adult to many. We have this greatness inside of us all the time that we know is there. It’s just a matter of getting someone else to see it as well. And that’s what Brandon does, even if he’s not feeling the results of the matter.
At the end of the day, it’s one of the things I like best. Just a modest story, told on a modest budget. That’s where the real human stories are.
Check it out on demand right now. Or you can come to my house and watch it if you want. But I’m kidding, don’t come to my house.
Can’t wait to see how Lowriders comes out, and hire me. Please. lol.
And now, A Project you might really like.
Very quickly before we get back to business.
Our own Beka from C-Block has a new film coming out. Something About Henry. Not to be confused with Regarding Henry or Hardcore Henry (which was awesome by the way.)
They need the help of the film watching public. Yes, that’s us.
Wow this site has changed since about 6 months ago, I need to take a look around it myself. So many buttons.
Anyway.
The project itself can explain it a lot better than I can. Hopefully the embed will actually work today too. But this is a capable pack of individuals from what I’ve seen. And of course things can change but it’s always for the better.
They need 8k. Let’s get em to 8k or something. Twitter, don’t you fail me today. Maybe 9000, hopefully 9000 because I have memes for that .
Hopefully we can see it whenever it’s all done and out.
Edit: Embed doesn’t want to play nice with WordPress. But you still got that link.
In fact. Let me link you again.
The Journey Some Of Us Go On.
It really took me a while to truly understand it. But I’m feeling much better since. It’s about who exactly I am… not just as a filmmaker, but as person as well. And that’s simply the fact that I’m not a popular guy. I may be nice and funny and all that good stuff. But I’ll never be popular. But this really isn’t a bad thing at all. It only leaves you free to be the person you’re meant to be.
I look around at other people in the business. A great number of them are “friends” with one another. I’m really not. But it’s just as well. Even the ones I do know and work with frequently, will never mention my name or admit that they know me. Yeah, that kinda hurts and it’s really not honest. But you can’t let it change who you are and how you treat those people. Sure it would be nice if those people would speak up for you and have your back every now and again. But not everyone does the right thing. Some people would rather see you fail for whatever reason.
I’d rather have two or three friends give me a high five or a hug or something instead of some online cheering section of suck ups who stare down at people they find “unworthy”. I think that’s a good way to view things. I know that’s not how it is, but maybe I can set a good example for those younger than myself starting up in the business. Be there… and be there for people, for real.
My parents really didn’t approve of what I wanted to do. Okay, maybe I’m being too nice about it. They said I would fail, and laughed at me. As did most of the people I know (those idiots still do that.) Mostly because there’s not boatloads of guaranteed money in it right away. But with some hard work and a couple of friends… I’m still broke as hell. But I’m happy and I’m doing things no one has ever done. Folks like us have ambition, and for some reason, others tend to hate that for one reason or another. But just remember that you’ve got something that no one else can have.
It’s hard, and it hurts, a lot. But you’ll come out of it better and ready to improve. Just stay the course and keep working hard. Someone has to.
Why Shouldn’t We Give Up? Your Life is a Team Effort
A little pep talk for you all.
I was talking to a younger colleague of mine not too long ago. They were asking me why we need to keep pressing on, even when things get awful and unbearable. When it seems like everyone has left you and no one seems to care or just flat out don’t care. Well the answer honestly isn’t so easy. The world is mean and awful and dark place.
However, it really doesn’t need to be that way for you. I’m sure there are many wonderful people out there who feel it’s their job to just spread all the wonderfulness around. Why shouldn’t that person just be you?
Everyone in this world is important to somebody. I use this analogy when I talk about making movies. It’s all one big team. Like when you’re playing Basketball… if you only have a team of 4 guys on the court instead of the normal 5. Yes, you may be able to function for a little while, but eventually, that 5th person is going to be needed. You don’t know what exactly it is you’re going to be needed for, but you have to be there for when the time comes.
I have to tell myself this from time. I believe that hard work is important. In making movies, you have many many people who depend on you to do everything to the best of your abilities. You have to be there for those guys so they too can do exactly what they have to do. It’s my only purpose of being on this earth and it’s the only way I can justify my existence. It’s not just a hopeful career for me, it’s more like life support. That’s why I care so deeply for my work, and moreso the people I work with whether they know it or not.
But yes, it’s rather discouraging when people don’t see it or don’t think you’re trying. That’s always the worst. The most you can do is continue to go on about your work, whatever it might be. And just try to brighten the world around you just that much every day. We’re here to make things better right?
I’m here to make these movies and help people have a good time. The world sucks and if I can stop people’s lives from sucking for a little while, that’s just grand. It’s even more than grand… dare I say it’s blessing on both fronts. And I hate that word so you better believe it’s a big thing.
So, just knuckle down and do whatever it is you have to do. It’ll build a better you. A better you is good for everyone around you. That goodness will spread and before you know it, you’ll be living a wonderful life.
This is how I hope things will go for me. Maybe it’ll kill me or maybe it won’t. But frankly I’m not the judge of that.
Merry Christmas you guys.
Why Indie Filmmaking is Just High School All Over Again
It’s just me, doing that dangerous “Thinking” thing again as I struggle with my own self to make it from movie to movie without going completely crazy. It’s a tough thing sometimes and I try to rationalize it into something I’m familiar with.
And it came to me.
High School. And I’ll give you two reasons why
Okay, but there’s fewer catchy tunes and we all can’t be as photogenic as ol Zac.
1. Money
-In high school, you had two types of people. Those of us who are broke. And those that are rich and have things just given to them. I , despite rich parents was a victim of tickle down economics. So I was poor and had to work for everything that I got. But you had the rich kids that would go to fucking McDonalds for lunch every day. I was fucking jelly with my PB&J. But Goddammit it was the best fucking PB&J on wheat bread and I was still fed in the end.
-Same goes for making movies. You have people like me, who are trying to make really cool shit out of nothing. It’s quite a feat to even get a movie off the ground when you got no money. Money talks. Then you have those white suburban people with the parents that love and support their career choice to go into filmmaking. Again, I envy those people. But I know my hard work is truly going to pay off someday so it’s okay. It only helps me appreciate things more when I do get them and puts more weight on surrounding myself with good people. Which again, is good for the long run.
2. Cliques
– Damn, I never thought I’d have to use that term again. But we all remember those groups that tended to hang out together. Usually during lunch. Then you had people like me who were sort of an outcast, but had your other outcasty friends and you all formed your little outcast group out of pure survival. All the while, you had the popular kids who had big tables full of friends simply because they were “The Guy”
-Same thing happens in indie film world. Literally. You have groups of actors and stuff that stick together. This is all good and healthy. Just like high school. However, you do see a ton of worship somethings and it just makes you sit back and just watch in disbelief. If this person wasn’t doing all these things, would you even talk to them if you saw them on the street somewhere? The answer is always no. These groups, like in high school will single people out and basically tell them to fuck up. Even if they don’t even really no the person at all and that’s just fucked up. That’s part of the reason why I’m reluctant to go to these artists meetings. No one is leveling up. Everyone is just stroking their cocks and showing fucking suicide movies. Everyone thinks they’re being artsy but they’re really just forgetting they’re in the fucking entertainment industry. Entertain and/or move people or get the fuck out of the way and let someone else do it who truly wants that shit. It’s a hard world out there and we need to stick together.
That’s all I really have to say on the matter. I just have to work a little bit harder.
Wolfen Films 