Birthday Blog

I am celebrating my birthday today. Honestly, for many years I have not been into my birthday. I tend to keep it low key. I am content keeping it small. I guess you can say I am in a better place right now, so I am being a little more open with it this year. My friend Paul J. Alessi wanted to reward me for helping him out with his recent Los Angeles so he set up an encore screening of Night Before the Wedding which sold out it's World Premiere at HollyShorts on August 11th.

The screening that Paul set up for me just happens to fall on my birthday. So it makes tonight's bonus screening that much more special. Everything before and after our NBTW World Premiere has been a big blur. There is a lot I am involved with right now so it is difficult for me to keep up.

Cast and Crew from Night Before the Wedding

Let me start with the World Premiere which I have not been able to write about. We were thrilled to have such a successful event. Tickets sold out the day of the screening. It ended up being standing room only in the back of the theater. It was an extraordinary night. The turn-out and support that we got was such a thrill for me, the cast, and the crew. We were each touched by those who joined us on that night. It is a great start for us and our small film.

The crowd was into the film itself as well. There was a lot of laughter and at the very end, the audience really seemed to connect with the messages of the film. There is this one part of the film that I always believed would go over well in front of a larger audience. My intuition proved to be true as many in the theater will literally broke into applause as that scene came to a close. That provided me with a memory that I will long remember. Something that occurred to me a couple of days after the screening was that I have never had so many people come out and see my work. Although I often wonder if anything I do ever has an impact, this was some form of proof that interest in my work is growing. I am certainly thankful for that.



Living out here in Los Angeles can be difficult. There are so many distractions and the grind and cost of living here do in a lot of people. In that vein, the birth of my second feature is now in the works. In the last few weeks, not only have I been preparing for the NBTW World Premiere, I have also been in Pre-Production on Goodbye Promise which is going to be an experimental, exploratory, improvisational film that I am working on with Actor/Producer Gregor Collins. It's the story of a man who hasn't been able to fulfill his dream and is less than 7 days away from calling it quits.

The inspiration behind 'Goodbye Promise' is that I don't know what is going to happen with Nigth Before the Wedding or with anything I am doing. I certainly have my self-doubts that I battle on a daily basis. I want to explore some of these thoughts and inner conversations I have with myself. The constant struggle of what the heck am I doing here.

We have just finished with casting which has it's share of awe, fun and awkwardness. I am feeling good about the casting decisions we have made and I am looking forward to keeping the creative energy flowing. Another aspect of 'Goodbye Promise' that I haven't touched on is that part of the idea is to have a scaled down production. There will be no crew and no lighting. Just me, my actors and a camera. It is going to be a challenge for me, one that I am certainly nervous about. There is potential for this project to be something that really strikes a chord with it's audience and at the same time it can be a total disaster. There is no script. Like I said, this is not going to be easy. No matter how it turns out, it is going to be a valuable learning experience for me and one that I will grow from.

The rest of the year is going to be busy. Most of which I am going to spend editing. Karen and I are having a great time doing our 'Film Courage' radio show on LA Talk Radio where we interview other filmmakers. It has been such an education for me. Every week I am able to pick the brains of those making a career for themselves in film. If you are a filmmaker or someone involved in film, I certainly encourage you to listen.

To make things even crazier, Karen and I are also planning to Create and Executive Produce a reality-based Web Series that should be fun.

I am doing my best to stay as active as I can and to keep putting things out there. In recent weeks, Karen and I have been covered by 'Behind the 4th Wall,' have been interviewed by 'Steve Nguyen Flip HD,' interviewed by 'BiPolar Nation' and featured inside of Studio City Lifestyle Magazine.

This is the first time I have kept so many things going that it is hard for me to keep up with promotion. I just feel that urgency and a sense that it is do or die time for me. I hope with this kind of action that things will begin paying off.

With that, I am off to celebrate at least for one night. Be back with you soon.

The Night Before...Night Before the Wedding

This blog wouldn't be much of a blog if I didn't write my thoughts on the eve of the World Premiere of my debut feature film. And with that, I begin writing this at 12:27am. Let me calculate that for us. If I am not mistaken, I am now 19 hours away from standing in front of what I hope will be a sold-out crowd at the Sunset Laemmle 5. It is certainly a scary proposition, though an exciting one to be sure.

I was on the phone today with several of my actors. Half-jokingly Frantz Durand told me he was going to throw up. Michael Shaun Sandy, who is one of the biggest and most intimidating actors you will find, confided to me that he is nervous, yet thrilled. Karen and I interviewed Actors Johnny Giordano and Chad Davis on our radio show yesterday where they were both candid about their acting journey's. Both admitted how hard it is for them to watch themselves on-screen. This is a common sentiment amongst all the actors I know. They have a very hard time watching themselves on screen.

With that in mind, I am a little uncomfortable finally releasing Night Before the Wedding to the public. It is unlike anything I have done. Those who know me closely will very likely be shocked by the film's content which could easily be summed up as a cross between me and Howard Stern. As I wrote the script and as I went through the process of making this film, I have often found it hard to believe that I was the one responsible for bringing this thing to life.

Overall I am feeling pretty good. This is an exciting time for me and I am doing my best to cherish it. Believe me, I went through years of feeling I didn't have what it takes to make a feature film. Years of struggle and self-doubt. Not that the struggle or doubt has gone away. It hasn't, yet these days I keep myself busier than ever before. Also I have really focused in on the things that I need to do. My mind is constantly gravitating towards the bigger picture and what I have to do to get there.

I really feel like this past year has been a do-or-die time period for me. Kind of a put-up or shut up situation. That has caused me to accelerate my efforts. It is part of the energy behind Karen and I beginning our Film Courage radio show on LA Talk Radio. It is also in that spirit that I have been in Pre-Production on my second feature film, Goodbye Promise, even before my first one has screened. I am actually jumping into the casting process shortly after the World Premiere of NBTW. I anticipate being able to begin filming in September. If everything stays on schedule, I very well may have what I call an Inspirational Trailer online in late September or early October. Will certainly keep you up to date on those developments.

Let's rewind back to me walking the Red Carpet at Opening Night of HollyShorts, which if you read my previous blog, you would know was my first time having such an experience. It certainly wasn't what I anticipated, but that doesn't mean it wasn't a blast. We started out in this massive line waiting to get on the carpet. I was joined by cast members Karen Worden, John Keating, Mopreme Shakur, Sarah Ronaghi, and Gregor Collins. All of us except Mopreme were making our first trip into this kind of spotlight. Finally we got near the carpet. We all watched Ben Lyons being interviewed by E!. Then next thing you know I turn to talk to someone, look back and Gregor was being interviewed by E! and moments later he is pulling Mopreme into the interview. After that we were all on the carpet, amidst the chaos, not knowing what was going to happen next. From what I had heard, we would walk across the carpet and the various media outlets would select us if they were interested in interviewing us.

On this night, the carpet was too crowded to simply walk through. We quickly observed that if we were going to be interviewed by any of the press on this night, we were going to have to initiate it. Thankfully Gregor, was up to the task. All in all, we ended up with 6 video interviews, from E! to Indie Express to Naturally Savvy TV. As we got into it, it wasn't surprising that we had to hustle on that Red Carpet. When isn't it a hustle? I do want to make special mention of Lara Berman from Indie Express. She had done her research and was already familiar with Night Before the Wedding, which was a joyous surprise for all of us. She conducted a great interview as well. Check it out below.

Hollyshorts 2009 Red Carpet Part 2 from Indie Express on Vimeo.

That brings us back to this morning where I planned on spending a majority of my day hunting for a Blu-ray export for tomorrow's screening. Previously, I spent about a week investigating an HD Cam export. Trying to work out deals and barter arrangements but no one would bite. The standard HD Cam was out of our price range. All the post-houses I contacted were stubborn and wouldn't budge on their prices. Then, I found out on Friday that Blu-ray was another option and would be in our price range.

Then a miracle happened, as Gregor worked the phones, he contacted Dave Rosen of Absolute Post. Dave wasn't able to take us on under such short notice, but he referred us to Salem Rabadi of New Generation Media Services (http://www.newgenmediasrvcs.com/) who was willing to work with us and our budget! Salem came to our rescue and provided us an HD Cam export a day before our World Premiere. Here I was getting nervous about being stuck screening on DVD because we weren't able to make any magic happen. In addition, DVD's are more prone to have problems. Salem was super cool and our savior. I plan to thank him and Dave tomorrow night in addition to this space. So now we will screen on glorious HD Cam.

I have never seen my work screen at a legitimate movie theater. I am certainly going to grow as a Filmmaker tomorrow night watching my work on the big screen, especially the fact that it will be on HD Cam. Thank you again Salem.

As this blog comes to a close, there is one last thing on my mind. And that is of the outpouring of love happening. I feel the love as I ready for bed for the night. Outside my circle I am not sure how much awareness there is of the Night Before the Wedding screenings tomorrow. I can say that within my circle the support has been phenomenal. Whether it's friends from the east coast calling me to tell me they wish they were here, letting me know they are here in spirit...to those locally who have already bought their tickets and cannot wait to come out and see the film. Let me shout out to David Mullin, Neil D'Monte, Sal Vernali, Johanna Park, David Spaltro, Gary King, Jamin and Kiowa Winans, Scott Mossman, Robert Katrini, Steve Kreiztin, Bryan Carter, Benjamin Pratt, Angie Palmer, David Estes, Darrell Womack, Sam and Dina Hasson, Parrish Gocha, Matthew Prater, Chris Kelly, Eme Ikwuakor, Jessica Duffy, and Brian Durkin to name a few. We have sold more than half the tickets for the 7:30pm showing, and we have a ways to go on the 9:45pm showtime. My hope is that we will sell-out the 7:30pm which will then force late arrivals to buy the 9:45pm tickets so that we can have two strong showings. Please wish me luck.

On the Eve of HollyShorts (What I Have in Common With Demi Moore, Eli Roth and Kirsten Dunst)

The Opening Night of HollyShorts 2009 is set to be another fantastic extravaganza. The film festival has grown tremendously in just 5 years. Festival organizers Theo Dumont, Daniel Sol, and Erica Sardarian work on the festival year round and it shows in its development.

Tomorrow is going to mark my first appearance on the Red Carpet. It is quite a surreal thing for me. Honestly, I could easily do without walking the Red Carpet. It doesn't matter to me the way it does to so many people who seek fame. What I seek is to be a working director. To earn my living through the films that I make.



The truth is that no one knows who I am. So as long as people do not know me and do not know my work, when a Red Carpet opportunity comes along I am going to seize it. I am going to embrace the experience, have fun and live it up. I want Night Before the Wedding to succeed and we will not have a better opportunity to promote than what we will face tomorrow night. All the major media outlets will be on hand. Though they are there to interview Demi Moore, Kirsten Dunst, Eli Roth, Jason Biggs, Jennifer Love Hewitt, not David Branin. Though that is nothing for me to be concerned with now. As I said, I am just going to go out and have some fun and soak it all in.

The hardest part so far was decided what to wear on such an occasion. Karen loves HollyShorts and she wants us to get really dressed up. In my mind, I am thinking it is going to be hot, so I wanted to dress a little more casual. Guess what happened? I bought a new suit today. If you can guess how much I spent on my suit today (if I didn't already tell you : ), I'll send you a Free DVD Copy of my short film Shoot-Out.

I am not sure what shirt I am going to wear with it, that's one of my main tasks for tomorrow. Guess you will know when photos begin popping up online.

I have been juggling various NBTW pitches and ideas in my head. I am trying to anticipate some questions that may be asked. Of course it could get really embarrassing if no one wants to interview us, so I do not want to get too far ahead of myself. Though I have to be prepared just in case.

I hope to have a whole new batch of red carpet photos and stories from the to share with you very soon. Wish me luck.

Immersed in Fog

I was a wreck today. Maybe not a wreck, but it was certainly one of those days where I battle my own demons and insecurities. A day where I question myself. Where my inner voice screams out, "What the hell are you doing with your life?"

Things are not bad in my life. I am however feeling stressed. I am overwhelmed. So often there are a million things I want to get done on any particular day. And then I get stuck on one minor task or another. You can guess the rest.

Today is one of those days. I sit here at night and I feel unaccomplished. I would love to only report the exciting and glamorous things that are happening as I move forward. It is not my intention to bring you down. At the same time, I need this as an outlet, a release. Maybe you will find some kind of comfort to know of my struggle. So I write these thoughts. I am attempting to find truth in my journey. To get out of my head and just let words pour out from my soul. When we can do that is when the real magic happens. I am not sure if I have ever reached that pinnacle here in my blog, though it has happened in my scripts.

This reminds me of 'The Right to Write' by Julia Cameron. A book I read years ago, where she advocates 'Morning Pages.' Simply allowing yourself to write in a stream of consciousness without any censoring first thing in the morning.

With everything I work on, it feels like it takes a mountainous effort just to build a mole hill. Seriously, most days seem to have no effect on the bigger picture. Somehow, I have to block it out and keep finding a way to move forward. And when one way is closed off, to find another way. I choose to have hope and faith, even if it doesn't make any sense.

Our tickets to Night Before the Wedding went on sale two weeks ago. Now with two weeks until the World Premiere, we have sold 55 combined tickets for our two screenings. The theater holds 198, so in two screeings we have 396 total seats to fill. That means we have sold about 14% of what we need to. I am hoping we will see a significant rise in the next week. Tickets are only $10, there is no service charge if folks order online. Each screening will feature a Q&A with the cast and crew and be moderated by Mark Stolaroff, founder of No Budget Film School. Also, let me announce here that I am going to give away free dvd copies of my film 'Shoot-Out' to those who sign onto our mailing list. I know it is going to be a fun night.

I have been purposely avoiding watching NBTW so that I can watch it with fresh eyes and hopefully with a full audience on August 11th. It's an experience I will cherish. For years, I have been deep down in the struggle. Immersed in fog, I wasn't sure if I could ever finish a feature film. I would doubt myself daily. You can say I have had many days like the one I had today. Maybe, just maybe, it is almost time for the sun to break through...

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.

Night Before the Wedding to be 1st Full-Length Feature Premiered at HollyShorts

FOR IMMEDIATE DISTRIBUTION

NIGHT BEFORE THE WEDDING TO BE 1ST FULL-LENGTH FEATURE PREMIERED AT HOLLYSHORTS

"The truth is that, ultra-indie or not, Branin's Night Before the Wedding is a complex and deep work that easily transcends any initial impressions its subject matter might give."
J.C. Macek III, World's Greatest Critic

"David's ability to direct a group in a totally real and naturalist way was daunting. It reminded me a great deal of Robert Altman."
Jamin Winans - Director, INK, 11:59, Spin

Hollywood, CA (July 8th, 2009)— After many months of great anticipation, the racy and funny film NIGHT BEFORE THE WEDDING will finally make its world premiere. The setting in which it is doing so has many talking, as NBTW becomes the first full-length feature to ever premiere at the prestigious HollyShorts Film Festival (HSFF), a festival that, as its name suggests, is traditionally where the biggest short films in the world premiere.

“Hollyshorts has chosen to screen Branin’s gem of an independent film as a way to begin the process of showcasing our alumni growth, as Branin is a past Hollyshorts award winner, along with showcasing our growth as a festival to look out for” stated Theo Dumont, co-founder of HSFF. NIGHT BEFORE THE WEDDING will screen on August 11 at Laemmle Sunset 5 as part of the week-long events of the festival “I have long believed that NBTW would play best in front of a ‘live’ audience. Now that idea will be put to the test. I am so honored and humbled to be presented with this opportunity by HollyShorts, Theo Dumont, and Daniel Sol. Tuesday August 11th is going to be a night that I am going to cherish.” says David Branin, the film’s director.

The buzz around the film revolves around the topic of the film itself. NIGHT BEFORE THE WEDDING portrays a realistic look into what occurs at a bachelor party and how the celebration of a man’s “last night of freedom” can ultimately become the demise of his beginning. Film reviews have commented how this film has been able to set aside the “indie” judgment and make its way to the viewer’s eyes as a movie of great thought, superb plotline and strong realism. It is with that realism in mind that Branin decided to cast La’rin Lane, a real life porn star, as herself. The cast also includes John Keating, Gregor Collins, Christopher Guckenberger, Mopreme Shakur, Sarah Ronaghi, Kevin Deen, Chad Davis, Johnny Giordani and Kristen Sullivan.

For more information on the film please visit www.nightbeforethewedding.com

The 5th Annual HollyShorts Film Festival will be held Aug 6-13 in Hollywood, CA. For detailed schedule of events, tickets, location, or more information, please visit www.hollyshorts.com


Press Contact: 22 Entertainment
Isandra Gonzalez
isandra@22entertainment.net
818.668.4718

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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