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Saturday, November 30, 2013

Thanksgiving Weekend in Vegas




Well, it's Thanksgiving weekend.

And I'm back in Vegas.

Just got back here from farm country in the boonies about a week ago. And it feels great.

I was out in the middle of nowhere in farm country at my shack for about 7 months. And it felt great. Couldn't believe everything I got done in 7 months. It's great to go from a ghost town of rednecks with less than 30 people to the entertainment capital of the world. Talk about a culture shock.

I wouldn't want it any other way.

Being truly independent. Living a free life. You can't beat that with a stick.

Back in April, I took the Greyhound bus from Las Vegas to be back home in my shack in Southwest Missouri for the summer. Sometimes, you just have to get away from everything to get things done. I can't tell you how grateful I am to own that shack back home. To be able to live on nothing, and be cooped up in the country. It's amazing what all I got done in 7 months:

- Shot and made 4 short films
- Wrote 2 books
- Read the Bible, the Upanishads, Aristotle, Plato and Ayurveda books
- Shot material for 4 different web series to edit and distribute over the next year
- And had our films screen over 20 film festivals over those 7 months

Truly underground, independent, no budget filmmaking and living. In the middle of nowhere.

Now that I'm back out west, I've got a lot to do over this next year before returning back to my shack in the middle of nowhere:

- Need to wrap up, edit and release my new book The Vegan Cookbook
- Edit this brand new shocking short film
- Start back to releasing weekly web series episodes
- Release the new No Budget Filmmaking book trailer online

Plus, there's some major things coming up this next week:

- Will find out if our award winning short film TITS makes Sundance or Slamdance in January
- REDNECK ROADTRIP premieres in Vegas at the Nevada Film Festival
- Opal's new film TITS screens in Santa Domingo at the Pride Film Festival
- The news release comes out about our book event at Sundance for the No Budget Filmmaking book

Tomorrow starts December. Tomorrow is the last month of 2013. Wow. I looked at my New Year's resolution list from the beginning of the year, and everything I had written down, I got done this year. This year has been one for the books. And there's still another month to go.

What am I thankful for on this holiday weekend here in Sin City? Being free, independent, healthy, liberal, vegan, living my life my own way, making movies with no money, and opening people's eyes.

I love my life.



Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Underground Filmmaking: Wrapping Up 2013




What a year.

That's the simplest way to wrap up 2013.

I love being an underground independent filmmaker. And I'm living proof that any one can make a movie. Anywhere. With no money.

This year is no exception:

In 2013, 4 films have been made. And by the end of the year, at least 5 will be done. The films:

TITS
THE DEADBEATS
REDNECK ROADTRIP
LIVING GRAVES
THE HERMIT

In 2013, 2 books have been written. By the end of the year, I'll have 3 written:

NO BUDGET FILMMAKING
POEMS FROM A LIFE LESS TRAVELED
THE VEGAN COOKBOOK

Over the last 6 months, I've read 5 major books: The Bible, The Upanishads, Ayurvedic Medicine, Aristotle's Complete Writings and the Great Dialogues of Plato.

Our films have screened at over 50 film festivals worldwide this year alone: over 15 festivals in just the last 10 weeks.

November will also be a month for the books.

Can't wait to see what December holds.

Then it all starts over with returning to Park City again in January 2014 for Sundance and Slamdance with some major stuff.

Life is good.