Journal Entry 7/11/97 - Friday - 11:45pm
Well I had a rough couple of days there since getting that phone call from Matt that he couldn't put in the $8,000 towards my film. I had to modify the budget to compensate for shooting for two weeks rather than the one I planned and even after cutting things like money for insurance ($1900), with the misunderstanding with Matt, I'm short by about $10,000. I tried to talk Spencer Snygg, my Director of Photography, to doing the project for nothing but he needs money to shoot his own film ("The Ring") and could do it for no less than $2,000 (I only had $1,000 in the budget for him so that raised the budget as well).
I asked around for money but only got some, "let me read the scripts" and a tough $1,000 from my Aunt who I'm actually afraid to actually ask for the money from. And with the offer from Nickelodeon International to work for six weeks, I had to
decide to either junk the whole project and start writing a screenplay to just sell, or do the film on my credit cards (at the
moment the budget's at $22,000 and with the $2,000 definite coming from Matt & my Mom leaving $20,000 for my credit cards).
Well I felt sick all day trying to decide what to do and finally I decided "to hell with it, I'll charge the damn thing" so I'm
back in the game now only it's a little more scarier then before.
I do have more possible money coming from my friends Owen Cooper, Tom Lauricella, Jeremy Wohl & Anders Brownworth (the last two
are actually already helping me out a lot by hosting my URL strangepictures.com which is soon to be up and running AND are going to
create my film's credits and opening titles - visit them, they're awesome, at www.evantide.com) so hopefully I won't be that bad off.
I actually have ample credit to pay for the movie plus have cards left over to pay off the other cards if I have to, but it's a scary
notion just the same. I actually went to my bank to see about a consolidation loan to help pay off those cards if I do it that way. Gotta
hand in the application on monday...
So I'm back up and running after stalling for a couple of days and now I have to get the film ready for shooting. I need to see if my main
actors are in (I have to tell them that I unfortunately don't have the money to give them the per diem they asked for and they'll have to except
$100 a week or walk), cast the rest of the parts (I gave a script today to Damian Donach - a guy who works for Dow Jones but played a mob guy for
me in the six minutes I shot for Strangers in a Car and did a great job - to see if he wants to be a mob guy again - type casting, I love it), I
have to hand in and follow up on the bank loan, get a crew, rehearse, break the script down, lock down the shooting dates (August 15-30th I hope),
get a bar to shoot at (call the Perky Pub!!!), get my lawyer to actually call me back (it's tough when you aren't paying for their very much needed
services), see if I can dig up any more cash, get product placement deals, blah, blah, blah. All in one month. I need a partner! Help! E-mail me!
I'll put my budget projection up on the net in a few days, I'm at a remote computer right now and don't have it on me but I'll post it for anyone to
peruse. E-mail me! Especially if you have cash!!!
Editor's note: Mr. Barlin has finished shooting The Pig Farm
but I'm sure he'd still be glad to have any donations to try and find finishing
funds.