Wednesday, November 29, 2017

Keeping the Dream alive

I want to continue my blog through the post production process. I just don't want anyone to think this project stops with the end of filming. Allen and Tamir are collaborating on new film trailers for the general public and for health care providers now that we have footage from the whole film to work with. Then the marketing begins as we try to get investors to help with production expenses such as editing and obtaining music rights. We hope to have a finished product by March or April. I would like to plan a permit for nurses week the beginning of May. So fingers crossed!!

We will be checking into film festivals and will keep everyone notified of the details. In the meantime we are establishing a corporation  to meet CA business requirements. We took the name "Resilient Hearts Project  LLC". I know real original.

And, final news. Jillian and Niko just finished in the recording stuudio and we now have a useable version of our song "You'll Never Be Alone". Who knew Niko could sing so well? Jillian was awesome as usual. Plans for the song use in the film are being looked explored.

Well more later, just wanted everyone to know we are still around.

Tuesday, November 21, 2017

It's a Wrap

I needed a day to sleep and to get my head around the fact that we finished filming. We had a nice showing of extras to fill in our crowd scenes, Jillian and Niko did a great job with our song "You'll never be alone", and Jacob and Allen did a great job with posters and banners thanks to Craig and Jacob's resources. Everyone in the cast and crew came together to finish and to celebrate. Allen and I did a mock awards ceremony to thank and harass, and Allen put together some film shorts of bloopers and silliness from the cast and crew. It was an awesome night! I cannot thank my clinic friends and Crystal enough for all of their help and for my flowers. Bella brought this amazing cake and we had awesome food donated by JC from Premier and Marci from Assisted. In all it was a great night.

Now we enter the next phase, the post-production. We will be focusing on fund raising and obtaining backing for the project. Lots of legal stuff and editing. I will be keeping you informed of our progress and, I hope one day soon, a date for our Premier.

So enjoy your Turkey day and the Holidays. There is much more to come!

Monday, November 13, 2017

Cannot Believe it's Almost Over!

Final filming at City of Hope clinics ended last night. We said good-bye to many of the actors that I hope will come to the wrap party next Sunday. Lots of plans in place for a celebration. We will be in Cooper Auditorium, how appropriate! The facilities will be awesome for the final "cancer survivor celebration" scene. I need to write a final addition to the script so Niko can introduce Jillian and then they will sing a song together that the three of us will have worked on. The audience will need to brush up on the Flintstones song too.

Filming this weekend was bitter-sweet. We did the outdoor wheelchair race and it was glorious! I will always remember Craig, Megan, and T.J. Coming over the hill with flags waving. The all-terrain wheelchair was amazing and the cast had fun checking it out.  Niko gave it his all as usual, even running laps because the scene required that he be tired out. Niko's mom Marie, joined us too. She was wonderful. We put her to work with walk on rolls and playing a Nurse. She was great

The cast and crew had fun with the rest of the scenes, much of which will totally destroy the PG rating I want! The out-takes and bloopers are going to be hysterical.

I was very humbled with the elephant charm bracelet Niko gave me. It was a perfect ending to an overwhelming project! I don't even know where to start with thanking everyone!! I hope to express my thanks more fully Sunday.

One more scene to go. Come join us for this final crowd scene and celebration next Sunday! I will be posting the invitation soon.

Keep those prayers and positive thoughts coming. We are just getting started with post-production issues and raising the needed funding for music royalties, distribution costs, legal fees, and so much administrative stuffI can't even begin to understand. So stay tuned there will be much more to come on this blog!

Thursday, November 9, 2017

Nearing the Finish Line

I cannot believe we are planning for our last full weekend of filming. This isn't happening without a bit of drama as our Director of Photography, Samuel, had to cancel and caused us to scramble for a replacement. Have no worries we found someone and things will keep going forward as planned. In keeping with tradition, I did one more screen re-write so we could add Clare into the wheelchair scene. I agreed that Michael needed a cheering section and was glad Clare was available. Another fun project we took on a bit late was to get Jillian and Niko together to work on a song for the finale. I wrote some lyrics that they kindly agreed to work with. The sample music is awesome, so fingers crossed it works out. And finally, the most concerning was that Tamir was in a minor car accident this week. He's fine but his nose is not so happy. I am just glad he is okay. Let's hear it for a few more grey hairs!

I want to thank the cast and crew for their continued enthusiasm, and I am starting to believe we will finally finish this project with just a few bruises, but we are going to make it! Keep the prayers and positive thoughts coming!!

Monday, November 6, 2017

Only Three More Filming Days

First, sorry,  I did a blog last week but just now realized I left it as a draft, so that is the other posting for today. I didn't want you to think I forgot about you for an entire week.

Well cast and crew wrapped after another productive weekend. I can't get use to the smaller staff and crew sessions we had and ended up with way too much food, but the floor nurses were happy about their surprise dinner.

We took delivery of the all-terrain wheelchair on Friday. A huge thanks goes out to Don Swenson the dealer from All Out Access in Ramona for lending us the chair, and to Dr. Finly Zachariah (Shane's Dasd) for taking delivery, storing, and helping us get it to City of Hope. Now we just need to get Michael set up and the race will be on for this coming Saturday. It should be fun. We have permission to film in Pioneer Park on City of Hope property and the support of their security department, who by the way have been amazing and so supportive of us over this extended filming project!

We have so many people to thank for helping us get through filming from the cast and crew to nursing and Supportive Care staff, to friends and family. A special thanks to Jeanne and David for use of the Biller Center. We could never of made this film without their help and support! Everyone has just been amazing!

This past weekend we finished the scene when Cooper has his stroke (spoiler alert). So many of the cast and crew were tearful and really saddened by the scene, so it was great to give them the kazoo playing sailor team of David and Jimmy. So, everything seemed to balance out. Now on to getting songs ready for the finale and planning the wrap party.

I decided to check in with a daily tarot reading and here is what I got:
The nine of cups offering a paradisacial (didn't know that was a word) bounty, at last all our hopes are fulfilled, our dreams realized. As well, this card offered an omen that a wish will be granted in the near future. It's as if the world is giving us a reward for sheer persistence. Expect great satisfaction and contentment. How great is this!!!

I can see the finish line! Keep your prayer and good thoughts coming!!

Working on Movie Trailer

Didn't take much time off this past weekend. I helped my Husband Allen put together a movie trailer for Tamir and Genia to show at this movie production/marketing conference in LA that starts tomorrow. They are hoping to meet key people interested in furthering the post production of our film and talk marketing strategies. I am proud of the trailer and want to thank everyone for their in-put. It was tough for us to chose what scenes to work with and how to organize them in a way that explains what Palliative Care is about without putting everyone to sleep. So fingers crossed that we make some positive connections.

I am actually missing the craziness of filming and seeing the cast and crew. I am looking forward to doing the sailor/kazoo scene this weekend, and I am anxiously awaiting the delivery of the all-terrain wheelchair. I want to thank Finly for solving our transport and storage problem!

This weekend also brings a new challenge with the Sunday City of Hope Run event on campus . I anticipate lots of parking issues. Well we can only hope for the best.

Keep the prayers and good thoughts coming!