Posts Tagged work
Forward Progress
I got up earlier than I wanted to today but (if you can believe it) I woke up freezing! It was so cold in our bedroom. We’re now on an air mattress since my mom came to pick up our bed (which was hers) so we’ll be buying a new set in GA ($$$). For some reason that room just gets super cold and because the mattress is made of plastic I guess it’s just harder for me to warm up on it because by morning I was shivering. Denise was fine, I guess that’s what body temperature boosts from pregnancy will do for you. Normally I’m a furnace.
I worked from 10;30am or so until midnight on the new Praise Pictures website. It’s funny how I catch a fire of an idea and just run with it and POW in a day you got something to see. :P I just sorta knew what needed to be done and got it done. I’m happy with the design for the most part. It’s a little crowded compared to the older site but I needed to increase the companies online prowess and offer more to visitors. That’s why I’m starting to put up articles again and how-to type things to help other filmmakers and consumers. It helps bring in traffic and new people, and helps inform people at the same time. As I had mentioned before I’m also looking into setting up online rentals for Standing Firm and digital download options for a small fee. I hope these are successful because it’s just another way to help generate revenue. If attacked properly on the next film, we could see a great opening not just on DVD but in other areas like that. I’ve been emailing with a guy who found a service that (for a fee of course) could get your film listed on various different things including iTunes, Amazon VOD, Netflix Instant, etc. I have to wait to check that stuff out, but it looks promising. Even if it doesn’t work out for Standing Firm, as I said, future films like Chasing Glory could benefit from the research. We’ll see what happens.
Tomorrow we’re going to have dinner at my grandparents house. I haven’t seen my grandfather since he had his accident so it’s going to be difficult I think. It’s likely the last time I see him. Maybe I’ll see him a few more times, but the number is short. After we move, unless we’re in NY for holidays or specifically plan to visit…we won’t see everyone much. This isn’t a surprise though. I don’t share this information that much but, I barely know my family. I know pieces of it better than others, but it’s always been a here/there thing without much time invested on my end of theirs. Certain issues I’ve had socially have kept me away as well (not with them even just in general). I’ve never been one to reach out and take the initiative in every relationship I have, and generally I get exhausted trying with too many folks. I should know my family better, but we all seem to just be disbanded and disconnected. Part of me will miss everyone, and apart of me looks forward to GA where Denise and I are going down to break that trend (at least for my end of the family). It’s a new start in many ways with this first child and new beginning down there socially and spiritually with a new church family. Lots of pieces to the puzzle here in why I look forward to moving, I’m scared, nervous, excited, depressed, etc. It’s a mix of everything, but God is in it…so we’re in.
A very busy week and weekend ahead. Four days in a row we’re having some sort of dinner type thing or get together with people because of moving. Five if you count the birthday party today for my niece. I just look forward to that moment when all our stuff is in the new place, the AC is on, the U-Haul has been dropped off, and I get to plop down on my couch and just acknowledge that “we’re done.” Even with all the boxes yet to be unpacked I don’t care, the harder part has been done. It’ll still be an expensive month in August (July is going to be a killer too) but it’s all worth it. Pray I can get all these jobs done in the next few weeks, it’ll help pay for things.
Off to bed, a long productive day.
One Week To Go
Well, we move in a week. Friday the 29th we pack up our U-Haul and head to Buford, GA taking Praise Pictures and everything else along with us. It’s weird knowing that I have 7 more days left to live in the state I’ve lived my entire life. I do welcome the change though and know better things are ahead. It’s been a really busy number of weeks and the last week especially has been pretty crazy.
I met with my business/tax guy Vince for almost 3 hours the other day to get things worked out with Praise Pictures. The company is officially being moved to Georgia so figuring out the proper way to do things tax wise is essential. We will officially begin a payroll system as well after we move which is a first. Taxes last year were murder, so at least it will be taken out gradually from now on like normal.
I’ve caused quite the ruckus it seems the last week as well with the issue of illegal downloading and viewing of Christian movies on the web. Most posts gathered some encouraging responses mixed with some starkly opposing views. I was stupid enough to post on the Standing Firm page only to get bombarded by disappointed fans who called me things like “greedy,” “selfish,” “putting money before the message,” and various other things. I shouldn’t be surprised, unfortunately. When anything involves money everybody tends to point fingers and pull out the “greed” card. It’s also easy to say “give it away for free” when it’s not your pregnant wife, your checkbook, your rent, your food, etc. that depends on sales to be taken care of. It’s not a lack of trust in God, it’s standing up for what’s proper and right conduct amongst Christian brothers and sisters. Lots of people refused to see that and instead see it as my way of protesting that I’m not selling enough product. Of course…right?
I also spend about 48 hours after finding Standing Firm on Youtube emailing other filmmakers and companies warning them about certain users, filing copyright infringement complaints, contacting Google. One of the benefits of knowing pretty much everyone is if I have a legitimate concern, I can let them all know right away. Major distributors, CEOs, directors, retailers, new sites, etc. It’s a goldmine to take down sites like this. Within a day Youtube had removed one account that had dozens of Christian movies uploaded over the last 3 months and all Standing Firm content on other places was removed. There’s still some stuff available but I can’t do much about it. I’m thankful to God for that victory with the other stuff, and so soon.
I created a page on the Praise Pictures website I shared around today that specifically answers the questions and accusations I’ve received and warns others who might be stealing Christian movies to stop. With some luck the page will get an OK ranking on search engines for those looking for free Christian movies online. ChristianCinema.com within 4 hours of me emailing them wrote a special article highlighting the debate which was great. I look forward to seeing how this develops.
The apartment is full of boxes right now and everything is a disaster. We have a lot of packing to do still but I know we can get it done. We got tons of bubble-wrap to cover furniture and we have a 17 foot U-Haul to fill which will be pretty full but we’ll pack it. We can also fill my entire car and even the passenger seat in the U-Haul.
I’m trying to figure out some new ways to distribute Standing Firm to those who can’t get it, especially international people. I want digital download options for smaller fees, online rental, and things of that sort. I’ve found some options but I can’t work on it right now with so much going on. I look forward to putting these things to use with Chasing Glory as the marketing develops for that. It’s all one long mind-job of a process figuring all this out, but it paid off on Standing Firm as the film continues to hold well wherever it’s for sale. ChristianBook.com even featured it a week ago and holds it in the same position here boosting the sales. We’ve now #29 under “Movies” as opposed to 35 or whatever we were for months, can’t remember. We’re extremely Blessed to have a film in the market doing this well. Bigger movies sell far more than we are, but for a movie of our budget, it’s incredible to me what’s been accomplished.
Looking forward to our future in Georgia…great things ahead of us. Pray for me as I have a TON of work to get done besides the move before AND after we get there. The next 30 days is going to be exhausting on every level.
We’re Moving…wait, HUH?
Yep you read correctly, we’re moving. Where? To Georgia, more specifically Atlanta and even more specifically Buford, which is a north-eastern suburb outside the city. Moving wasn’t really a secret, but how soon is. By the end of July…the secret’s out. We’re moving almost 2 months sooner than originally planned. We already have an apartment that’s really great and about 30minutes from everyone we want more immediate contact with including our church family, the friends I’ve made already, and Denise’s sister Stacy. The apartment complex is $300 cheaper than our current apartment in NY and that’s with an extra bedroom putting us at 3 and not 2. It’s on the first floor (thank goodness) and includes a much better kitchen and interior (in my opinion) and nice big tubs in both bathrooms (yay!). Overall I was pretty floored by the apartment complex and its surroundings. We’re about 2 minutes from the biggest mall in the state along with everything else down the road. It’s also a stone throw from the more country type areas. I was glad because after driving around the Atlanta area, most of the suburbs within 40minutes of downtown are insanely busy. We’re just far away enough to avoid the business on backroads. It’s still busy mind you, but some of the closer towns were a little too much so…at least for my taste.
Moving means a lot of changes and a lot of things to do in just a number of weeks. Denise and I already made a list of things to handle with lots of it checked off already. We need to buy a few things (lots of bubble wrap) and start figuring out what to pack up and in what. I don’t like moving, but I’ll be glad to move this time and get down south. Both of us are really excited and relieved to be going. It’s just going to be a new future for us and in my opinion a better one. Family was at the center of this decision and we’re certain that where we’re going is a better place to raise our kids, including the church we found down there. It’s reformed and makes no butts about that, and it’s family integrated which was something I specifically wanted. The pastor’s are amazing guys and both have web/tech development businesses. A relationship there between both of them is already growing so God is doing great things. Hopefully my area of service can include growing some sort of media type ministry at the church to help it grow. We’re going to be happy there, and it’s a good environment to raise a family.
All in all, opportunity is calling in more ways than one…and we’re answering. Who knows what is ahead of us, but I have a feeling it’s good things. God has really answered our prayers here, and our hopes/dreams all at once….surreal and satisfying.
After doing like 200 revisions and talking to many folks for feedback, I’ve put up a more legitimate and longer synopsis for Chasing Glory on the movie’s site. Give it a look if you want. I look forward to how the film develops. Work has been relatively slow still but I see some pickup coming…it’s a matter of time. Standing Firm continues to sell pretty well all things considered as we move towards the 1 year mark in August. Amazing what God has done since then and continues to do. Good reviews stream in every once in a while and surprise me, but it shouldn’t. God had his hand on that film from the start and he’s using it…I shouldn’t be surprised! I’m glad to have been apart of it, and will keep doing what I can to make sure it keeps moving out the door. The marketing never stops…not with movies this small in nature.
Prayers appreciated for everything going on…
