What's on my IPod?

I see this listed for people sometimes and at first laugh. But it is interesting what is at the top of your playlist. I do like ITunes for the sorting and so forth and can tell you the top plays in my music library.

I am one of those old style people who like to have the physical CD. So I have imported most of my library of music only to realize lately I'm really running out of room. So I've gone and pulled some never listened to stuff off.

So here's my top Play Count. Tell me yours.
1. The Imposter, Kevin Max with 138 play counts.
2. Chance to Choose, Jeff Deyo from Imposter movie, actually have several different versions I imported... 2 are at 130 play counts each. If I didn't split it up, definitely would be #1.




3. A Better Way, Downhere with 126 plays. I have a second version with 60 plays. My favorite band. My favorite song from this band. At one point (before Imposter), Downhere had 4 of the top 5.
4. Sanctuary, Kevin Max 124
5. How to Save a Life, The Fray 116
6. Empty, Meredith Mauldin 114
7. Bleed, Downhere, 114
8. My Last Amen, Downhere, 107
9. Cathedral, Downhere, 102
10. The More, Downhere, 102

What gets shipped to the Churches?

When a church goes to our website and orders a license, we get an email confirming an order has been made with all the details. We send a 2 DVD box that contains a DVD with the movie, suitable for projecting in your church, and a second disc containing a bunch of Extras.

These Extras include Scenes from the movie to use as Discussion clips (with the soon to be completed Study Guide), behind-the-scenes, interviews with the actors, and music videos, including the "Carry On Wayward Son" redone by Kerry Livgren and sung by Kevin Max.

We also send out three to five full size movie posters, with an overprint area for listing the details of your church screening. This all gets shipped in a Fedex Tube via Fedex Ground. Your order usually gets filled in a couple of days, then 3 to 5 days to ship-- so we tell the person who ordered to expect it in ten days.

We have shipped faster for those doing a screening in a shorter time. I suggest that when you get your order, to watch the movie all the way through to make sure it works properly on your system.

I also give the churches a special support website that has downloadable posters, pictures, sample bulletin announcements, ticket templates, quicktime video of the trailer and other helpful items.

Fade to Black

So I spent several weeks, writing an extensive outline, so that by the time I began the script, a solid foundation was already written. This allowed my to write what I call the "Zero" draft in one week (with two days accounting for the last 40 pages).

So my first step is to hand the zero draft to my wife. She's not afraid to tell me anything, including if it's awful. And this is important. It all boils down to insecurity. The more insecure I am about my writing, the less I can take any criticism, constructive or otherwise.

So I'm on page 51 of her notes, and so far, out of those 51 pages, there is ONE page with no comments on it. All the rest have tons of ink. Which is great. Her comments and suggestions only make it a stronger script. And since this script is going to other producers (as opposed to most of my stuff that I do myself), it matters a little more to have a stronger script.

And it's been quite a balance in writing everyday and working on getting "The Imposter" out. Our CD Soundtracks are in and I"m getting great feedback. Plus, we're continuing to do a little bit of web advertising.

What's Bothering You?

So what gets under your skin? What rankles you? What pushes your buttons?

Well, what bothers me about something or someone else, is usually based on the fact it resonates with something inside of me. Bummer. You see, if someone called you a little blue man, you shrug or laugh it off (even if you're in the blue man group, because then it would be true and why would that bother you?). But if you're bothered by the comment, then there's something inside of you setting off defense alarms. "No I'm not!!" If you're really not, you wouldn't care so much about convincing the person making the claim.

And when I'm on my soap box preaching about this or that, because it just really gets under my skin, that's a great time to pray and ask God what is in me that's resonating-- so I can kill it.

Challenges of a Two Camera Shoot

When it comes to the number of cameras on a shoot, traditionally, movies are shot with one, while television shows are shot with four or five. Now that doesn't mean movies aren't shot with more cameras-- I think at one point, Cameron had five or six on Titanic and for special effects and stunts, there might be ten or more.

But when someone says "shooting film style" that means that it's mostly going to be shot with one camera. The difference is a film shoot can go 360 degrees. Whereas the normal television show, the cameras mostly make up the fourth wall, with the studio audience sitting behind them.

A great example of a television show doing "film style" is the sitcom "Scrubs." They decided at the get-go they wanted a "film style" sitcom, which is extremely rare. But you get very interesting lighting film style. So the comedy is shot as a feature-- one main camera (although sometimes they might do two or more). To contrast this-- for one episode, Scrubs shot it television style, with big flat lighting and the comparison is interesting.

Now many of the one hour dramas are shot film style, but because of the need for speed, multiple cameras are used. For instance, "24" shoots film style, with one camera on a dolly with a long lens (tasked with the mission to shoot "through" something to get a voyeuristic feel), and the other is usually handheld, wider lens near the actors.

On my films, I have mostly shot with one camera. Although for stunts and effects, we had as many as three. But for the last couple of projects, including "The Imposter," I decided to shoot two cameras almost the whole time (called "A Camera" and "B Camera.") This enabled me to get much more coverage-- which is great if you have to do a lot of takes. DP Ron Gonzalez and I had decided during prep that two cameras would be important.

The downsides are lighting and sound. You have to avoid the flatter lighting-- which is tempting and sound can be tricky. For instance, you've got a scene with two actors. Do you put A on the close up of the first actor while B gets a medium? This two camera technique is better for lighting, but worse for sound. Both cameras pointing the same direction, but whereas the close up the boom op can get nice and tight, now they have to pull back to allow for the medium coverage. Pointing the same direction is the most common use of a two camera film shoot.

But what if (as it happened in "The Imposter"), you're losing the sun and you have 8 minutes to get a two person scene in the can? Now we throw caution to the wind and A camera gets one coverage, while B camera gets the other actor. Exterior day this is okay. But in a lighting situation, you're going to have to work around a lot of boom shadows and such. Plus, now you're seeing twice the amount of background. As in the picture here, we shot A and B cameras, each one covering an actor. Exterior Day (overcast) made it a lot easier.

Over the last few years, I have become accustomed to the two camera film shoot and I like it. On "The Imposter", we ran the B camera probably 70 to 80% of the time that A was running. Most of the time it was pointing in the same direction. I just had a great sound mixer and boom op.

More Love, More Power

I've discussed some aspects of love back a few months ago, but in a recent confrontation, I was amazed that the same 'ol, same 'ol was going on.

First, with all apologies to Miriam Webster, all the definitions of love are fine, but aren't very succinct. Here's how I define "Love" -- seeking the other's highest good in God's Purpose. It's not "Chicken Love". And it's not "Fluffy Love."

"Fluffy Love" is what this person was presenting the case of Christ's love for us. They went on to say that His love wouldn't insult. His love wouldn't confront. His love was all nice and fluffy. (They didn't say that last sentence). They also cut and pasted the old standards of I Cor. 13 and a bunch of others.

But where was the passage on the money-changers? Doesn't Jesus love everyone? So love would include whipping someone who is astray? Or have we finally found someone Jesus doesn't frankly love? (And before you go there, go ahead and discount John 3:16, for God so loved the whole world... Because God=Jesus so Jesus loves the whole world).

What about Matt 19. Didn't he love the rich young ruler? Why did He let him walk away? Didn't Jesus have any compassion for him? What about Peter? Jesus looked him in the eye and called him Satan. And here's a biggie-- What about Matt. 15? The Gentile woman. The one He called a "dog." He insulted her. So love can include insults?

You betcha. Why? Because Jesus was seeking their highest good. Not their highest comfort. Or to make them feel as good as they can.

Love is Truth. Comfortable and feel good. Or uncomfortable causing change. And yes, it's is HARD sometimes to love someone.

I hope when I'm walking the straight and narrow, and when I"m not, that those around me will truly "LOVE" me. That they will have the strength to love me. Like Jesus does... He's not afraid to call me on flesh.

Eschew "Fluffy Love" and "Chicken Love" and pursue "True Love." You'll know by the fruits.

Christian Video Producer

Well, we do have a cover story about "The Imposter" on Christian Video Producer magazine (click here). We've been seeing a dramatic increase in churches that are buying the movie for exhibition at their church and we're hoping to see that increase continue.

Some churches have ordered the movie as a fundraiser. Others as an outreach/message. We've had pastors order it and also a fair number of congregation members buy it for their church. If your church hasn't ordered the movie, please encourage them to do so. We're working hard to get the movie out all over the country this summer.

For the Christian Producers, I hope you find this blog helpful and informative. In between the philosophical and theological, we have posts about the technical aspect of video/film making. I hope you enjoy.

FAQ's about "The Imposter" - Redux

I'm re-posting some FAQ's and adding to them. Here's some of the questions we get:
Here are some of the most common questions I get asked:

* I want to buy the movie for home DVD, can I do that?
ANSWER: Right now, we are in the period known in the biz, as our "theatrical" window. In other words, churches are or theater. We are planning late 2009 to release the home DVD. What some people are doing, and I encourage this, is to contact your pastor and tell him about the movie and see if he'll bring it to the church.

* I'm not the pastor, how can I get the movie to my church?
ANSWER: There are several things you can do. First, email you pastors and tell them about the movie and forward them the link. (Thank you for several who have recently done this). Secondly, some people have purchased the license for their church and gifted it.

* Can we sell tickets or are we not allowed to charge?
ANSWER: You can definitely sell tickets. Or take up a Love Offering. Or show it for free. Several churches recently have used it for fundraising. One church in Tennessee a couple of weeks ago raised $2300 for their youth department's summer missions trip with just one screening. My church raised $2200 at one screening for Teen Challenge.

* How does the "size of the church" work and why do you license the movie that way?
ANSWER: We feel that it's not right for a small church of 100 people have to pay huge exhibition cost to license the movie. So we decided to break the license fee down by size. So how do we determine size? In our license, size is the average attendance of your congregation on a Sunday morning.

* Our church has a CVLI license, so we don't have to pay for a license for "The Imposter", do we?
ANSWER: The CVLI only covers certain films, and "The Imposter" (along with Facing the GIants, Fireproof and many others) is not covered by the CVLI.

* I'm a pastor, and I want to see the movie before I order it. Is that possible?
ANSWER: There are churches all over the country who have now gotten the movie and are showing it, so there are chances one might be showing nearby. However, if that's not available, we offer a complete money-back guarantee-- if you order the movie and watch it and decide it's not appropriate for your congregation, send it back and we'll give a complete refund.

CD Soundtracks are in!!!

Well, they are here and we're shipping out right away to all you who have pre-ordered. Expect it in a few days. For those who have waited, I am asking Jeff if we can leave the PREORDER $5 discount up on the website through the weekend. So hurry!

The CD contains 19 tracks and over 107 minutes of music-- more full than the usual CD album. It retails for $18.99. We don't have it on ITunes yet and the only place to get it is at the website. It has the awesome redo of "Carry On Wayward Son" with Kevin Max singing vocals as well as original songs sung by Kevin and Jeff Deyo.

We hope you enjoy!

Write

I forget the person who said it, but we've used the quote often... something like "Writing is easy. All you have to do is stare at a blank piece of paper until blood drips from your forehead."

Actually, I like writing. I like the writing process. It's the other things of life that get in the way of writing. So writing becomes a huge disciplinary study into managing all the little, and big things that life throws at us on a daily basis.

For instance, I've started the new script. I already have my extensive outline (refer back to that blog if you missed it), so when I exported into a clean, new screenwriter program, I already had 20 pages. This is great fire for internal motivation.

First day, I wrote 8 pages in two hours. A strong start. I like to spend an afternoon (or morning) and sit at a restaurant and just write. I know why this works for me-- usually there's no internet I can tap into and the only real distraction is my phone and the endless trips up to the beverage counter for Diet Coke refills.

But since, it's been fifteen minutes here and 30 minutes there. Not the ideal way to write. But that's okay. I had a very close friend end up in the hospital for an appendectomy. And my wife had to travel to help take care of a newborn the friend was going to do. So life is upside down. And that's good. It's what is.

So today? We'll see. I'll start writing right now and ponder what Paul wrote in Romans 8: All things work together for good for those that love Him and are called according to His purpose.

The New Bake Sale

We had two churches recently use "The Imposter" for fundraising and with great results. In one case, the church charged $10 a ticket and had over 220 buy. So in one evening, they had raised $2200.

In Tennessee, a church sold tickets at $5 each and sold 560! I've been told it was quite an event.

Other churches have charged $2 and many are charging nothing. Tomorrow night in Nashville, CrossRoads will have a FREE screening as an outreach in the movie theater they meet in for their services on Sunday.

I don't find it surprising that I heard another financial report yesterday that the US Box Office continues it's blistering, record pace. In this trying economy, people are seeking an escape. And churches are discovering they can be a refuge-- offering storytelling that can offer much more than a few hours escape from their troubles.

Movie Night-- The New Bake Sale!

Mirror Man

There's a scene in the Imposter where Johnny C studies himself in the mirror and crazy Popeye slaps yet another nickname on him... "Mirror Man."

In James, the first chapter, he writes that a double minded man is one who looks at the mirror and immediately forgets what he looked like.

But just looking at the mirror is a big step. Can I truly see myself as others see me? Where are the mirrors? Are better-- who are the mirrors? In my life, the best, most accurate mirror is my wife. Who better can point out what I look like? And yes, I have fought, defended, denied. But in the end, most of the time, she's right. Dead on.

I do not want to see myself in this or any other mirror and fix it for a week. Or two weeks. That's pretty much forgetting who I look like. I'd like to remember. To remember that sick, nauseating, pit in my stomach, feeling I got when I saw my flesh, my Ego in action. To remember is to remember to kill it.

To walk away forgetting what I looked like is destiny to do it again.

Scriptwriting

Seems I've been asked by a lot of people lately for advice on getting into movies, how to get started, scripts, shooting, etc. So this blog will be a little taste about how I approach scriptwriting. I might also soon put together a DVD on "How to Greenlight Yourself."

For me, I have found the best way to approach a script is to extensively outline. I start with a very broad brush... Roman numeral I, II and III. These are the three acts. I write a one sentence description. For instance, if I were writing Star Wars, it might look like this:
I. Luke accepts a mission to go with Old Ben.
II. Darth Vader and the Empire try to stop them.
III. Luke succeeds in blowing up the Death Star.

Then I go deeper. I start writing sequences inside of each act. Again, as an example, the first sequence in Star Wars might read: A rebel spacecraft is attacked in an effort to recover stolen battle plans.

Then deeper still, I begin to list the individual scenes. EXT. SPACE A rebel spaceship is attack by Imperial starcruiser.

An average drama might have 100 to 130 scenes. Action films might come close to 200. So I might have 70 to 80 scenes outlined before actual scriptwriting begins.

I use Movie Magic Storyview for Outlining. I use Final Draft for scriptwriting.

My preferred atmosphere for writing is a noisy environment. So I like to go camp out at a restaurant for half a day. I might write five pages. On a big day, as many as twenty. I spend less time writing the first draft than the outline. But I spend months re-writing.

When I first started writing, I started a lot of stories and never got past page 20. I'd stop and read what I wrote and get discouraged and quit. I've learned that the real writing is in the re-writing.

Anyway, that's how I do it. But everyone is different and you need to find what works best for you. My wife needs total silence to write. I can't write in total silence. To each their own.

So You Wanna be a Pharisee!

Alright, grab that robe and smug smile, and wrap yourself up in your own puffy shirt of self-righteousness and let's get to it!

Pharisee checklist:
* Remember, it's all about Rules, not Relationship. A hyper-focus on the rules (Law if you will) will get you where you want to go. And if you're going to claim a "relationship" with God (which is a good thing to claim as a Pharisee), then make sure it's nothing more than a ritualistic shopping list kind of relationship... you know the one. You tell God all about what *you* want and then you're done. You've grown so calloused, so it'd be too hard to stick around and hear His voice anyway. And you've got the rules-- heck, since you're not hearing Him anymore, just quote the rules and it's almost like the same thing!

* Be a Lawyer. Know the Law. Study the Law. Make sure the rules apply evenly across the board to every offender. Because one thing we know, our prospective of Fair is the right one.

* While being a lawyer, be a GOOD lawyer. You know what I mean. Find those loopholes. Wiggle through the law like it was swiss cheese and you're the worm. Clinton showed us a prime example, which I won't repeat here. But let's just say someone accuses you of eating the cookies before dinner. Swallow the remaining evidence, run your tongue over your teeth to make sure the crumbs are gone, then tell them that you absolutely did not "eat" those cookies (because you know in your heart, just like any good lawyer, that you didn't eat them, you injested them.)

* You cannot "own" anything. Not your character, not the things you do. To own it, is to open yourself up to liability and possible prosecution. So when someone says "you are a self serving Egotist," just know that they're wrong. I mean, you can say you've had moments, but in no way are you this way.

* Become a Narcissist. Every good pharisee is self absorbed. It's all about you baby. Wear the best robes. Find the best chariot ride. Sit in the most specialist seats. Just remember-- your sphere is the mostest. Repeat after me...

* Practice Safe Denial. Obviously, being a "pharisee" is looked down on-- even by yourself. So make sure you read this and laugh at the appropriate moments, think about a friend or loved one that fits the bill, then go on your pharisaical ways.

For those who think they're exempt, I believe there's a pharisee in each and every one of us. I'm killing mine daily. How about you?

The Two D's

The following is a general missive to young filmmakers about the two hardest phases of filmmaking. It applies to experiences making and distributing a low budget secular movie.

I break filmmaking into 6 phases: The Idea, Development, Pre-Production, Production, Post Production and Distribution. In my opinion, young filmmakers are weakest in the two D's-- Development and Distribution.

Development - This is where the script is written and possibly a name or two are attached. But the hardest part of Development is pulling the funding together. I used to say this was the hardest part of filmmaking-- finding the money-- but now I think it's the second hardest part. So how do you fund your movie? Well, I know people are plopping down lots of green for seminars on this very topic. And what you find at the seminars are directions on how to apply for grants, instructions on how to find investors, and maybe in the better ones, how to setup your business entity.

I do get asked this a bunch. How do I raise the money. And yes, the answer is a hard, narrow path. You have to approach everyone you know and ask them to invest. And then you ask them for referrals. The secret is just tenacity and getting over call reluctance. There's no easy answer. If you're a first time filmmaker, your money will *not* come from Hollywood.

The first step to this whole thing is creating your legal entity and getting the paperwork to raise money. You'll need an attorney and expect to pay $6,000 to $15,000 in fees. So yes, welcome to your first Catch-22-- you need money to get the paperwork, you need paperwork to get the money. See if your first investor will front you the money so you can get the paperwork.

For those DIY'ers out there, there is software and ways to create the entity yourself-- but depending on the state you live in, it will still cost a grand or more in fees.

As for grants, I've found it's more paperwork and hassle to go after a very small amount of money than it is to raise it through private investors. But if you're wanting to do a documentary, it might be the way to go.

I could write a long time on this subject, but then you wouldn't need to go to any seminars.

Distribution -- The other D. If you've gotten a name actor, even B- name actor to be in your movie, getting distribution will be easy. If you have a no-name drama, chances are you won't get distribution. Drama's are the hardest genre to get distribution. And by the way, if you want distribution, the name value of the actors is almost *everything*.

The hardest part of filmmaking is this-- getting the investors money back. You see, the distributors are pro's at covering their bases-- making sure they have lots of profit (as much as they can squeeze out). They will make noise about wanting to help you, establish strong relationships with filmmakers such as yourself, but for the most part, this is the H'Wood snow job. Don't buy into it. They might offer you a small advance... but this could very well be the only money your investors ever see.

So work the best deal you can with distributors. If you're just beginning a movie, keep these things in mind.

Controlling Fear

Know anyone who is considered controlling? I think everyone "controls" at some point. And I believe that at some point, if I control often enough, I am a "controller." Just like someone who is a fisherman, fishes a lot more often than once every six months.

Control is not a good thing. Controlling people around you is not a good thing. So what causes me to want to control? What is at the root?

Fear

I control because I am fearful that ______ will happen. If I want to stop controlling, the first step is identifying the fear. Then kill it.

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind. That person-- the one with power, love and a sound mind, does not sound like a Controller.

I let go of the fear, and the foundation for controlling is gone.

Cam Tech Specs For My Movies

For all the filmmaking geeks out there, here's what we used to make my films:

The Keyman -- Shot on 35mm film using the boat anchor Arri BL4 camera. Heavy, but effective. Remember, as opposed to the electronic world where three years ago is obsolete, the film camera's basic design hasn't changed in like 80 years. We rented our camera, grip and lighting from MPS Studios in Dallas.

As far as special equipment, we used a fisher 10 dolly (the most common in the film industry). I used a crane for the cometary scenes tat open and close the movie. To that point, in my corporate/commercial career, I had used a lot of remote cranes-- it was interesting to use the big cranes that can accommodate the operator and assistant camera on the head of the crane.

A Promise Kept/The Gunman -- For this movie, again we rented from MPS, but we were shooting in Austin. And again, shooting 35mm. Our main camera was the Arri 535 and boy was it nice. Here's a picture of me holding it out of a very small helicopter, shooting the aerial that makes the last shot of the movie. The crew put *two* safety lines on the camera, and *one* on me. Nice camera. On stunts, we sometimes had a B Camera, and it was the BL4. And for the big courthouse, exploding gut scene of Steve Krieger, we had a C Camera, and it was "the pencil sharpener", the Arri 3C.

Here is the 535 pointed towards the lovely Mimi Rogers, who was absolutely wonderful to work with. We had a nice G/L package from MPS in the form of a three-ton package with lots of HMI's. For special equipment, we had the dolly, and for three days, we used a steadicam.

Striking Range -- Back to Dallas, and again 35mm and renting from MPS, we went back to the BL4, but we ran it on a Steadicam almost the whole time. And Big George Neidsen got quite a workout. For some off speed shots, we rented the Arri 435, a MOS camera (seen here with Lou Diamond Phillips). We had both overcranked and undercranked effect shots. We circled a building at 2 frames a second (seen in the movie's opening) while coming out of that at times to slo-motion. I love that effect (which now is easy in Final Cut Pro to emulate.)

Before shooting began, I ran numbers on 35mm versus HD. It was going to cost more for film, but at that point (2005), HD still had a perceived lower value, especially among the foreign buyers. So I chose to stay with 35mm.

The Imposter -- I had shot two cameras for "Inspector Mom" on Lifetime and had really grown accustomed to shooting an A and B camera. Now, HD had come a long way. It was time to try it. I considered the Varicam, but with our budget, I don't think I could have swung the Pro35 adapter for using prime lenses-- which is critical in my opinion. So I talked with Ron Gonzalez, my Director of Photography and put it quite simple: One varicam, no bells or whistles or prime lenses, or two HVX200's with redrock adapters and primes? We both wanted the depth of field of the prime lenses. So that's what we did. And I ran an A and B camera almost the entire time and don't know that I'd do it any different in the future. Ron now has a Red, so I'll have to find a cheap second Red for the next movie.

My favorite camera out of what I used? Well, certainly, the one with the most bells and whistles is the Arri 535. The viewfinder had the Arri glow feature which was novel at the time. It was lighter than the BL4 which counts for something on a 12 hour day. But, even after preaching film over HD for many years, I loved shooting HD. The pictures were better than I thought and the work flow was MUCH easier. And I could shoot and shoot and shoot... With film, there's this pressure as soon as the motor cranks up on the camera. Every foot that flows through the gate is $$$. That pressure was gone for HD.

Another Common Question

Inevitably, when people find out I have worked with a celebrity, 9 times out of 10, the next question is "What was ______ really like to work with?" So I"m going to answer that question with the people on the set of "The Imposter."

Kevin Max -- Kevin really surprised me, and several others by his natural acting abilities. He quickly found a rhythm and was very believable. And he did this in spite of the fact that he was stricken with the flu for most of the shooting. This movie, more than any other I've shot, put so much onto the lead actor-- there were 136 scenes and Kevin's character was in almost all of them. Usually the lead actor will have some days off from shooting. But not so for Kevin. So he had to really dig deep to bring this character to life and I think he did an exceptional job.

Jeff Deyo -- When you work with Jeff, you realize what a presence he has. I can only guess that this comes from his passion for Jesus. But he is a calming, strong force on the set. We didn't have a lot of time to talk on the set, and he would come in for a day, shoot and then fly away for a bit to whatever concert he was performing. What I remember most is that while shooting in the RV for the scene where James takes the call from Johnny wanting money, I had just gotten a call-- my wife and son were in a traffic accident. I was told it probably wasn't serious, but suddenly I was a mess and didn't know what to do. Jeff took charge for a moment and prayed. And God showed up in a real way.

Later, I've gotten to spend more time with Jeff and I truly love him like a brother. I can't wait to work with him again.

Kerry Livgren -- I was probably the most nervous meeting Kerry for the first time. He decided to drive down with his wonderful wife Vicci from Kansas and called me when he was getting close, so we could meet at a restaurant to eat dinner. Kerry is every bit the actual character of Proff-- he really didn't have to act; he just had to play himself. I loved sitting down to dinner that night and asking all the questions I'm sure he's been asked a zillion times. And maybe a few he hadn't. Questions like how COWS came to be and Dust in the Wind. As well as other people in the industry he's met and worked with (pretty sad... he says "I knew so and so" and my first thing is "Really? What are they like?").
In this picture, left to right, Dan Millican, DP Ron Gonzalez, Sound Mike Gonzalez, Kerry Livgren, Line Producer Stewart Young.

Anyway, it was a real pleasure working with these guys. And I hope you get a chance to meet them some day.

Soundtrack Update

Thanks to all who have pre-ordered the Extended CD version of "The Imposter" movie soundtrack. In an effort to ensure the highest quality of each track, it has taken longer to get the master done, but we are nearing the finish line on that. Jeff Rodgers and I are very excited about the results.

All the art has already been sent to the duplicator, so once we have the master in hand, it will go pretty quickly. What you see here is the front cover of the CD (and below is the back booklet panel). And in previous blog posts, I've uploaded the CD Face and the back of the CD case.

My hope is that we will have the soundtracks in hand in a week to ten days and we will ship out all the pre-orders first. In the meantime, until we have the CD's in hand, we will continue to offer the $5 off for pre-ordering, so if you haven't ordered, now's the time at www.theimpostermovie.com.

For those who don't know, the CD will retail for $18.99 and has 19 tracks, which includes just about every song in the movie, including the new "Carry On Wayward Son" by writer Kerry Livgren and vocals by Kevin Max. It will also have Kevin Max singing a new song "Believe (is an Act)" and Jeff Deyo's new song "Chance to Choose." Both of these songs were written for the movie.

We also include the four songs by Kevin, including the title track "The Imposter" as well as all four songs by the awesome group "Downhere" that were used in the movie. Other songs include several by Kerry, Adele Morgan, and some great score tracks by our composer, Josh Goode.

For those that have pre-ordered, thank you for your patience, we're almost there!