AWESOME Lunch!

Quite often, when I sit down to eat with someone, we start talking and talking and talking. That's exactly what happened this afternoon when I met up with Chris Allen at O'Charley's.

Chris and I have been "virtual" friends for a long time. We met on the IndianapolisFilm.NET message board, and we started talking on there. When he premiered his film "A Certain Justice", he was kind enough to send me four tickets to the premiere, which I REALLY enjoyed. Since then, I've been a big fan of Chris' work, and he was even kind enough to send me a copy of "A Certain Justice" on DVD when he released it. (Today, I FINALLY paid him back with a free copy of "Reuion"! Only a couple of years late!). So, we've run into each other at various film premieres and events, and we'd talk briefly and always say that we'd "do lunch" sometime soon.

Well, that meeting finally happened today, and it was as if we were old friends. We spent three hours at O'Charley's (our waitress got an AMAZING tip!) and we just talked film, shared stories, learned about each other and our projects, and discussed our methods and passions. It was great!

It's really cool for me to talk to other people who are on my level. The people who want to make films and are running into the same types of problems I have. Actors. Locations. Money. People to help. Often, I talk to people in L.A. who don't have these problems and it gets me down. It makes me feel like I'm the only one with problems, so it's nice to see others in the same boat. I offered to help in any way that I could his projects, and he made the same offer to me. Thus, giving both of us an extra pair of eyes, ears, and hands if the going gets too tough.

I'm really wanting to collaborate more with people. Get something rolling. I'm tired of the number of "hats" I have to wear on film productions. I still want to produce, but I'd like to get some new writers, some people who want to direct, some other people to help me produce, and I REALLY want to get some people to help with DP-work and Audio. Those are the two places I need to make LEAPS and BOUNDS of improvements. I want help, and it's nice to network with people who might be able to fill those roles.

It appears that I might, once again, be able to spend a couple of monthes away from Indianapolis. My goal is to Detox myself from all the drama that has aroused in my life, and spend September and October in another city. And while I'm gone, I want to do LOTS and LOTS of writing. Most importantly, is the "Christmas Flick". It's an easy and simple concept, and it's something that I really believe will appeal to many families during the holidays, and just be a "Feel Good Film". My dream would be that every Decemeber, some family all sits down and makes a BIG DEAL about watching Shane's Christmas Movie!!!

Second, I'm going to be expanding "No One Dies" into the feature length script that it once was going to be. The first time I wrote it, the flick came out VERY MUCH like "Se7en", so I quit. I just felt like I was being completely un-original, and I didn't want to make a copycat film. So, I took my opening 5 minute scene, and expanded it into the short film we previously shot. Now, with a new storyline, I'll be able to condense the first five minutes back to what it originally was, and make the short film NOT DRAG OUT and make it a part of the whole film. Also, bringing back Papaw's character later on in the film, as he serves a greater purpose now. New ideas are flowing, and it's going to turn out pretty well.

Sadly, as long as I'm in this city, and have to deal with certain people and things, I'll never be able to truly dedicate myself to film, the way I want to. So, after August, I'm going to go "find myself" and in process I'm hoping to complete TWO scripts that I'm really passionate about.

Spending the afternoon with Chris, and hearing his "War Stories" of the past 12 years that he's been trying to make films, was really inspirational to me, and reminded me that things do not come easy. Chris was IN HOLLYWOOD having meetings with Disney, who wanted to option his story, when it all came to an end, and he was lost in the shuffle of corporate Hollywood. But, he's still trying, and his passion and desire is a good example for people like me.