Hello to Goodbye by Brian Durkin

It is guest blog week here on this Film Courage blog. I am really proud to introduce you to a close friend and colleague. He started his own blog on March 10th, entitled "Taking The Last Shot." His talent level is through the roof. If you are a fan of this blog, I highly recommend you also follow his blog. It is possible that you may have already come across the following blog in other places as I posted it on Facebook and Twitter. In case you have not, hoping you will enjoy this guest blog by Brian Durkin.

Hello to Goodbye

Guest Blog by Brian Durkin

This past fall I was asked by a close friend, director David Branin, to take a part in an indie feature he was planning to shoot around the Los Angeles area. The concept surrounds a man, played by Gregor Collins, who has reached the end of his seven year promise to "make it" and travels around LA to say good bye to those he has known and loved over the course of his efforts.

It was an idea close to my heart because I had experienced it. Not only from the perspective of the person thinking of hanging em up, but from the view point of the man who had had to say goodbye and let so many friends and loved ones go as they took that drive out of town.

I've thought of that drive "back east." I think of it vividly as the inverse of the drive "Out West." It's hard for us as we get older to remember the energy we had at that waking age of the early twenties. All promise and spark and fire. The world was going to be glittering sapphires on the bottoms of our conquering feet. Things were easier, decisions a bit quicker...the consequences seemed small...and anything bad, surmountable and laughable. What could happen? Like young marines told to take that hill, we were going to take it. No matter what career we decided to pursue, we felt this conquering, bright eyed belief.

And so it was on my drive out West. The sun was out there setting on the land that held a future I saw so clearly. Everything was set. I even had my inspirational mix tape planned out...a tape...cough...pencil at the ready in case any re-spooling was needed. Zepplin's "Going to California" was cued up first. Then Petty's "Running Down a Dream." If you give your self five minutes and a chug of cliche, you can probably conjure up ten more of those songs. They were obvious, I was obvious...but man did they work and wow did I believe.

The first shot of the Mississippi, the impossible horrifying claustrophobic flat of the Mid West, the relief of the Rockies, the Roadrunner cartoon Buttes and rock formations of Utah. All leading to the bursting green video game freeways of LA. I wasn't even sure where I would live and it didn't matter. I had hope.



This film "Goodbye Promise" is about the other end of that necessary hope, a hope we all had that is the engine that turns a better world. The other end fills the eyes with a haunted quality, something Gregor Collins brings in spades. The other end tests belief. The other end makes a person question every decision, beginning with the first one...the decision to believe in the big dream.

I believe this film will act as medicine. To anyone, anywhere, who is in the midst of their career, their lives, their dream...to those maybe wondering if that dream has faded, this film demands you question if you should give up or find a new. This film lays out in stark terms the consequence of walking away and urges you to take another look at the costs of one more shot.
Are you committed? Committed to living your best life? In every respect? Committed to your loved ones? Committed to your health? Committed to bringing your best everyday?
If you are reading this I think you are or are finding your way back to that place, back to a grounded and directed rebirth of your first "waking" energies.

I'd like to ask you to visit "Goodbye Promise" on Facebook or follow the link to their Kickstarter campaign.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1231856438/goodbye-promise-an-exploratory-feature-film

Take a look, take a listen. This film represents the effort of many folks giving it their all and the filmmakers David Branin and Gregor Collins could use some encouragement, maybe just by you becoming a fan, leaving a note or donating a few dollars to help them finish the project through KickStarter.

Going from 'Live' Radio Show to 'Live' Event

Things have not come fast nor easy as I begin this new decade. Free time has been hard to come by. I have started two blogs since my last entry and I have been unable to finish off either. Seems silly to now post a new year's resolution-esque blog.

My thoughts and energies have been concentrated on opening up revenue streams which will allow me sustain myself. This long-lasting drought of revenue streams is now going to get some much needed water. It would be great if the water came pouring in the way it is right now on Los Angeles. (For the first time ever, I saw at least a dozen cars pulled over within a quarter mile of one another on the 405 last night. Los Angeles folks do not know how to drive in the rain. Or should I say they do not know how to drive period? )

I would like to mention that John Keating, Gregor Collins, Richard Jacob, Michael Shaun Sandy, Thomas Corkran and myself had a great time at the Idyllwild International Festival of Cinema where Night Before the Wedding was showcased. Idyllwild is a gem of a town. We were embraced with open arms by the many gracious locals. I certainly want to thank Stephen Savage, Julia Countryman, Ashley and Traci for being such wonderful hosts. And a special thanks to Filmmaker Phil Calderone who made it all possible for us.

Thomas Corkran, David Branin, Michael Shaun Sandy, Gregor Collins, John Keating

To see all of our Idyllwild photos, please click HERE

Our next screening of Night Before the Wedding is going to be on Thursday February 11th in Orlando, Florida at the Enzian Theater. Please visit www.NightBeforeTheWedding for details.

Lastly, Karen and I are extremely excited to announce what we are calling the Film Courage Interactive which is set to be a monthly event at the Downtown Independent in Los Angeles. We believe it will serve as an extension to our show and provide us the opportunity to bring filmmakers together on a consistent basis. Our aim is to build up the appetite for smaller films along with building up the community itself. Karen and I feel grateful that we are in a good position to unite filmmakers and that is what we intend to do. I believe the event will be inspiring for many and I envision a new synergy will come out of it that is desperately needed. This is something that is certainly going to evolve over time. That makes it quite thrilling.

The Downtown Independent

The plan is host the Film Courage Interactive the last Monday of each month. Our first one is this Monday January 25th at the Downtown Independent (which is a gorgeous venue) from 7pm to 11pm. The event will showcase an independent feature film, Q&A with the filmmaker, and then a group meet & greet with various indie heads.

The first film we are going to showcase is Jake Barsha's EUGENE. For more information you can visit either page below.

Facebook Event Page

Downtown Independent Event Page

Goodbye Promise

A tale of two lives. That is the struggle of being an independent filmmaker. On the surface everything looks Lobster, with closer observation you will find Tuna Fish.

It is an insane world to live day in and day out as one who makes films outside of the studio system. It is also a terrifying and lonely place. I know my plight is no different than the thousands of actors, writers, musicians who flood the vast corners of Los Angeles and beyond. But this isn't the blog of those thousands of folks, it is my blog. And here I will share my realities, hopes, hardships and triumphs.

I can't help but think of the Film Courage interview with In Search of a Midnight Kiss Director Alex Holdridge where he says "In LA there is so much pressure put on this perception of your success that people do not open up about how scared they are about money." (Here is a quick video/audio clip of this quote http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQpdssJOD5Q)

Another moment that captures this perfectly is when I shared the Red Carpet recently with an Actor from a prominent independent film. He said the whole experience was surreal because he has never been so broke. Yet here he was being interviewed, having his picture taken. It is all so glamorous.

I have spoken to dozens upon dozens of filmmakers over the past year and I have learned that yes they have made a film but they haven't necessarily made a living off of that film. Forget the living, they haven't even made anywhere near one year's salary.

The common perception is that anyone who makes a film has to be making money. In a few cases they are, but in most they are not. In my case, I have not made one dollar for Night Before the Wedding. Though, I should point out that the film is in the very early stages of making it's money back. I will not see any money until the film is paid in full. That of course is a great motivator for me to keep pushing and promoting it. Though it will very likely be quite some time before any money is put directly into my pocket or bank account. In the meantime it is an uncertain journey ahead. These present circumstances have me questioning what I am doing with my life.

All this leads me to my next film project. What am I to do? I have a finished feature film, but it is not paid for and I have made no money from it. On top of it, we all hear the screams and shouts that indie film is dead. Distribution models are collapsing, the economy still hasn't recovered, and getting money to make a film is as tough as it's ever been. Just in case you are on the fence about what the pundits say, allow me to clearly state that INDIE FILM WILL NEVER DIE! I could go on a side rant about this alone which would cover a full blog but I want to stay focused here.

I have chosen to not allow the circumstances around me to prevent me from growing as a storyteller. I have decided to embrace my current situation and go and make a film anyway. I will just embrace all of the current challenges and infuse them into my story.

Like I said, my path ahead is uncertain. I do not know if I can cross the threshold to become one who earns a living through my filmmaking. This through-line leads me to the idea for my next film. The lead character will be at a crossroads with his life's dreams.

I do not have time to write a full screenplay right now, so it will be an improv-based project that will rely on the talents of actors along with my story instincts and of course some creative editing.

The thing that makes this go is that I have my own camera. Though it is not an expensive one. I will once again use what I have...which is key. I own an HV30 so that is what I will shoot on. If I didn't have a camera, and I was determined, then I would borrow one.

I do not have money to pay a crew or for production equipment. So that means I will shoot it myself as a one man crew and I will embrace natural lighting.

I do not expect to 'wow' folks with this film. It will serve as an experimental, exploratory film that is certain to teach me a lot. I would rather keep working on films within my means than sit around waiting, talking about my next project.

With that, here is a test poster for the project that features Actor Gregor Collins. It is certainly not the final poster. Would love your feedback. What do you like about it? What do you dislike? What story do you see? What images come to mind? Is there anything you would do to improve it? Thanks in advance.

A New Way To Connect With and Build Your Audience

Building an Audience/Connecting with an Audience has been a hot topic for not just me but the entire movie industry. Guess what, I have something fun to share with you.

As you may be aware, Night Before the Wedding just screened in Columbus, Ohio. It was a screening that I knew I would not be able to attend. When brainstorming on the phone with our Social Media Manager, Angie Palmer of Skye Public Relations months before our screening, one idea I had was to do a 'Live' Q&A through my computer. We weren't sure if we could pull it off, get the proper permissions, etc. but it was something I really wanted to do.

Thank goodness that Angie is so resourceful and amazing at what she does. And thanks to some gracious folks at the Arena Grand Movie Theater in Columbus, the Mid-Ohio Filmmakers Association and again to Angie's dedication, we were able to test and eventually execute a 'Live' Skype Q&A from Los Angeles to Columbus following the screening.

I am not sure how often this has been done. I imagine plenty of times. For whatever reason I just haven't seen it implemented after a movie screening. Thanks to Actor Kevin Deen flying out to Columbus and documenting his whole experience, I now have the power to share with you what it was like for us to Connect with our Columbus Audience.

Immediately following our screening, I was projected onto the theater screen along with Filmmakers Gregor Collins, A.J. Rickert-Epstein, and Actor Michael Shaun Sandy. Although we were staring at a black computer screen, it was just a fun and fantastic experience to know that we were being seen and heard inside a movie theater a thousand miles away. Okay, I admit it was a little odd from our side of the equation. We had no idea how many stayed for the Q&A, or whether it was having any impact.

It wasn't until I was able to watch the footage that Kevin Deen shot that I realized just how powerful our Q&A had been. For you filmmakers wondering how you can connect, build, and grow your audience. The evidence can be seen clearly in this video. I believe this will be a big part of the present and future for ALL independent filmmakers. It is a no-brainer. It's something that smaller films which are screening in one theater at a time can accommodate with enough planning and effort. It gives smaller films a huge advantage over our blockbuster counterparts. Karen and I just went to see A Serious Man, but the reality of the Coen Brothers popping up on the screen right after the credits role and having a chance to ask them questions about their film just isn't going to happen.

I found out later that our Columbus crowd absolutely loved the interaction we had with them. None of them had ever experienced this before. It endeared them to us and to our film. We are now hoping to duplicate this with our next screening December 3rd in Washington D.C and beyond.

Please share your thoughts, ideas and reactions.

Jubilation Vs. Anguish

I know things have been quiet here on the Blog front. It actually pains me that I have not been able to write here as often as I would like. I had jotted down a few ideas that I hoped would turn into blogs, yet those never manifested.

Here is an update on my first feature film, Night Before the Wedding.

It is set to World Premiere at the Sunset Laemmle 5 at 7:30pm and 9:45pm on Tuesday August 11th. Of course this is a day I am extremely excited about, and at the same time I am petrified.

My purpose in making Night Before the Wedding was not just to make my first feature film. I wanted to create an entertaining movie with it's share of surprises. A film if done right, would get people talking. The challenge was to do it with limited resources and one location. Another focus was to deliver a film that would feature some fun characters and top-notch acting. And at the end of the day, I wanted to display how much I have learned as a writer and as a director.

Making this film has been the most grueling and demanding project I have ever taken on. The challenges and hurdles never seem to end. It is the degree of difficulty that makes me appreciate and respect the task of completing a feature film. I am proud of what I have been able to create. Yet film is a collaboration. I am so grateful to the team I have in place. All of my producers, all of the crew, and my hard-working cast. And everyone who has helped over the past year, I thank you. Completing this film would have been impossible without your contributions.

Now just over the horizon in less than one month, an audience of more than 10 people will see the film (I hope). There is pressure to fill the theater. Will there be enough interest? Do people really want to see this film? Will they pay to see it? What if no one shows?

Our aim is to sell out both screenings. Can we make that happen? How do we get people to come out?

Beyond getting people to the see the film, the fear is how will the audience respond? Will they react favorably to the film? Will they tell their friends to see it? Are they going to bad mouth it? Who's going to Twitter and Facebook their friends about it? Will they say anything at all?

I try to block this stuff out of my mind and just stay focused. Deep down my belief is that most will enjoy the film. I know there will be detractors and those who trash the film. Being criticized is nothing new to me. I am ready for the criticism.

The priority is just to keep making people aware of August 11th and getting them to come out and see the film. What happens from there is what happens.

Though in the back of my mind, I must admit that I wonder if my life can change. Am I close to getting paid to make films rather than paying to make them? Will Night Before the Wedding put me on that path or will I be exposed as someone who doesn't have what it takes. That is where my true fear lies. That is why I hope we can get you and your friends to come out and see our film. That is why I hope it will resonate with you as a human being. Maybe I will be blessed with the opportunity to make more films and build a fan base of people who want to see them.

Thank you for accompanying me on this journey. I should have ticket information where you can buy your tickets in the next couple of days. I leave you with this World Premiere promo video that I shot with Actor/Producer Gregor Collins.

To Blog Or Not To Blog?

I apologize to my faithful followers and readers. In these recent weeks it has been harder for me to keep up with the various forces I have in my life. I have jotted down a few ideas for Blog Posts that I have not been able to fully write yet, and then new things keep happening and I find myself falling further behind.

Night Before the Wedding is just about done. We put in the final sound mix a couple weeks ago. I am going to finalize the ending credits today (just have to verify and add some new names along with some logos.)

The most exciting news that has happened that I haven't been able to report is that the Official Website for Night Before the Wedding is now 'Live.' Please visit the site and 'click' around if you haven't already done so.

Night Before the Wedding Official Site http://www.nightbeforethewedding.com/

All the thanks in the world go to Web Designer and Online Consultant Wendy Shepherd of StudioMatrix.com. Wendy got the site done in 1 week while entertaining family visiting from out of town. She is tremendous and a pleasure to work with.

The other exciting news is that we have finally been able to release the Official Trailer for NBTW. Now you can finally have your first glimpse of what we have been working on all this time. For the trailer we must thank Filmmaker A.J. Rickert-Epstein.



Night Before the Wedding is set to World Premiere in a Double Feature presentation courtesy of the HollyShorts Film Festival on August 11th at the Sunset Laemmle 5 located in West Hollywood, CA. Showtimes 7pm and 9:30pm. Ticket information should be available soon. I will keep you posted.

Things have been exciting on the Film Courage Radio Show front. We have some great guests coming your way in Filmmaker Steve Nguyen, Actor/Producer Jeff Grace, Filmmaker Lynn Shelton, Actor Johnny 'Roastbeef' Williams, Filmmakers from 'The Cove', and Actor Clifton Collins, Jr. just to name a few. There is so much happening with the show that we have created a new blog just to that. It is more likely to be updated by my lovely co-host Karen Worden. Believe this is my first time promoting it. We are hoping to get it up to speed and bring you behind the scenes with everything happening related to the show.

Film Courage Radio Show Blog http://filmcourageradioshow.blogspot.com/

Glad I was able to squeeze out this blog. There is a lot more I want to be able to share with you and will do so as soon as I can. I will leave you with one last bit of news that I am now in Pre-Production on a new Exploratory, Experimental, Improv Feature Film entitled Goodbye Promise that I am making with Actor/Producer Gregor Collins. For the latest info on this new project, please visit our Facebook Fan Page, http://www.facebook.com/pages/Goodbye-Promise/83737838211?v=wall&viewas=1619390513

My Radio Appearance on LA Talk Radio!

I had a Call-In Talk Radio Show for 3 years when I was in college. And for the first time since I did my last show, I once again appeared on the radio...to promote Night Before the Wedding.

I wasn't alone. Also appearing with me were my fiance Karen Worden and Actor/Producer Gregor Collins. We had a blast. The show is called In the Can hosted by Kip Brown on LA Talk Radio.

Kip was positive in his reaction to the film. As a matter of fact, he sent us this quote today.

"Night Before the Wedding is a funny film with a great cast and a storyline that is FULL of surprises"
Kip Brown, Radio Host LA Talk Radio's In the Can

I didn't quite say everything I wanted to say and I certainly stumbled here and there. I still loved it though. There is a part of me that would love to be back hosting a radio show. If I could find some sponsors to help support my show, it is something I would definitely do.

In the meantime, hope you enjoy listening to this interview and finding out a little more about my story and hearing about Night Before the Wedding.

Here is the link - http://www.latalkradio.com/Kip.php
(Click on the show from March 14th, 2009)

Would love to hear what you think.

The day is almost here

My first feature film is now in crunch time. And as such, producer Gregor Collins and myself spent about 9 hours with our Sound Designer Thomas Corkran today. We made good progress. I had to postpone a meeting with my Colorist as the file was still rendering. It could have easily been a 12 hour day for me.

I am as anxious to finish Night Before the Wedding as I have ever been. Of course it has never been this close to being done. Looking at the film for the first time in a little while, I can say I am proud of this work. I know not everyone is going to like it, but at the same time there will be a lot of people who will love it. I hope the film connects with people and gets them talking. So much more I can say.

The day is almost here.