That's what I'm talkin about!

Releasing your film: DVD vs. Theatrical

There is a lot of talk going around the film community regarding DVD vs. Theatrical releasing. Robert Iger, CEO of the Walt Disney Co., has expressed an active interest in releasing films on DVD WHILE they are still in their theatrical run. This would basically use movie theaters as a marketing tool for DVD. Granted, studios make a helluva lot more cash on DVD sales than theatrical runs, but does this seem right? Wouldn't this bankrupt movie theaters? As an independent filmmaker I am very pro-DVD. Gaining theatrical distribution is next to impossible, making DVD a viable source for releasing your film. However, I want to see IceBreaker on the big screen! In my opinion, there is no better way to watch a film than in a proper movie theater (the Lakeville 18 is my personal fave). I don't own a plasma screen or DLP projector, nor do I have a THX surround system in my house. Films may look and sound amazing on these products, but I doubt I would get the same satisfaction from seeing a film in the theater. This is a tough one for me. If Sin City came out on DVD two weeks into it's theatrical run, I would buy it immediately. I may or may not have seen it in the theater then (I'm glad I did!). What do you all think? Are movie theaters a thing of the past (ticket sales are WAY down)? Will DVD or some other new medium reign supreme?

Ok, so the following post is awesome. Chad sent me some reports he ran from Final Draft on our screenplay. This is by far the most interesting: (certain words and how many times they are used in the screenplay) ***Sorry Mom!

ASS - 38
BITCH - 22
BULLSHIT - 4
CRAP - 7
DAMN - 25
DICK - 3
FART - 2
FARTED - 1
F*CK - 37
F*CKED - 8
F*CKER - 3
F*CKING - 12
PISS - 5
PISSED - 6
SHIT - 70

Final Draft is amazing. I recommend that you rush out and buy it now! Okay, just buy it if you plan on writing a screenplay. Pretty impressive vocabulary Chad has, huh? I'm kidding, these words only account for 0.87% of the screenplay! Chad is a fantastic writer and has probably the most extensive vocab of anyone I know. Taking your vision and trimming off the fat is no easy task, and that's exactly what Chad is doing right now.

Just a quick update- Chad is plugging away at polishing up the script; he is doing an amazing job. I am working on the budget- we are going to have two separate budgets: one for standard DV shooting, and one for HD shooting. We are looking at promoting the latter. We believe that not only will the quality be better by shooting in HD, but it will be more appealing to investors.

A few other notes: Chad is using Final Draft software to write the screenplay, I will be using Gorilla Pro software for budgeting (and eventually scheduling), and we will be using Frame Forge for storyboarding.

WORDS TO LIVE BY:

"I dream for a living."

- Steven Spielberg

"I'm going to die behind a camera."

- Martin Scorsese

DEVELOPMENT / PRE-PRODUCTION

We are starting to experience first hand just how strenuous and meticulous this process is. We have drafted a business plan for IceBreaker, but it is only an outline. There are still several empty slots that must be filled before it is presentable. Right now I am currently trying to compile a list of similar films and their pertainable information (budget, returns, etc.) as well as compile a budget for IceBreaker. This my friends, is not an easy task. We are looking at using Gorilla production software (see link on right) as our budgeting/scheduling medium. I have read very favorable reviews on forums and from the MN IFP chapter. The Independent Filmmaker's Manual from the IFP is also proving to be a valuable resource. Although these tasks are difficult, Chad and I love it. There is nothing else in this world that we would rather be doing right now (well, except for maybe watching IceBreaker on the big screen!). I will keep you all posted on our progress, and will post a list of films that I will be using in the final business plan. Thanks for reading!

THE STORY

All he wants is a date. That's it. Nothing serious, nothing terribly substantial (at least, not yet) - just a simple date. But Gary has hit a small streak of bad luck - three years and counting. To him, being rejected by women is as inevitable as gravity itself. Now he sets his sights on Lindsay, a friendly door hostess at the local pub. Will she be the woman who finally gives him a chance at romance, or will she be just one more name to add to his list of rejections? With the help of his best friend Eric, and Roach, an old college buddy, he intends to find out.

All she wants is an adult relationship. Not yet ready for marriage, but long past the point of casual sex, Samantha is learning that her two-year relationship with Keith is going nowhere fast. Her mother thinks it's time to move on, and her friend Tina is more than willing to introduce her to new men. But does Sam really want to throw herself to the wolves and subject herself to an onslaught of idiot men? Keith might not be the answer, and being alone isn't much of an option, but is it worth it? All of those jocks, all of those fools, all of those dimwitted hormones with legs -- all of that -- just for the small chance that she might actually meet a man with a brain?

You think war is hell? Try dating.

Streckfus Entertainment, behind the scenes: Part 1

Some of you may have seen this image on our website (if you haven't, click on the picture above) and wondered to yourself, "Why are they with Sean Astin?" Well, through a connection we were able to meet Sean for about five minutes while he was in town promoting his book, There and Back Again: An Actor's Tale. Few people realize that Sean starred in a little known flick called, you guessed it, Icebreaker. We thought that this was a pretty awesome coincidence, or a sign from God. Probably just a coincidence though. We told Sean about our project and he thought it was great that two regular guys like us were making a film. He signed the front page of the screenplay, congratulating us and wishing us good luck. The last thing he said to us was, "See you up on the big screen", which was incredibly encouraging. Unfortunately we weren't able to talk with Sean very long, his schedule was tight and he had his family along to tend to as well. It was definitely a high point in the developmental stage for both Chad and I, and a moment neither one of us will ever forget.

1923 - 2005

One of my inspirations to become a filmmaker died today. Tonino Delli Colli was one of the world's greatest cinematographers. I remember watching The Good, The Bad & The Ugly as a young boy and being captivated by the perfectly composed images that seemed to stretch wider than the television screen itself. When I was a freshman in college, I saw The Good, The Bad & The Ugly on the "big screen" at the Heights Theatre in Minneapolis. It was at that moment that I decided to focus on cinematography. I watched as many of his films as I could, trying to focus on each shot individually. I came to the conclusion that any single frame from one of Delli Colli's films could be framed and hung in a museum. Delli Colli never won an academy award, he was never even nominated, but few other cinematographers have a complete body of work as impressing as Delli Colli's.

I recommend the following:

The Good, The Bad & The Ugly (Leone 1966)
Once Upon a Time in the West (Leone 1968)
The Name of the Rose (Annuad 1986)
Life is Beautiful (Benigni 1997)

Related news story.

There have been some updates to the IceBreaker movie website. Check out the News section for the perils of "development hell" and be sure to click on the new Producer's section to find out how you can become an Executive Producer for a feature length motion picture! The website again is www.icebreakermovie.com . Enjoy!

Now that the deadline for submissions has come and gone, here are a few screen caps from our Grain Belt Premium commercial:

Tommy Lonergan...actor

The unbridled passion...

Pretty amazing what you can do with a $6 light & a $5,000 camera...

On August 7th, Chad and I shot and edited a commercial for the Grain Belt Premium commercial contest. The concept we came up with was conceived in 2 weeks, shot in 5 hours and edited in 3 hours. I don't want to divulge any details at this point (the deadline for entries ends tomorrow), but it turned out great. If used properly, this concept could be a marketing monster for Grain Belt. The top 60 entries will be screened at the Oak Street Cinema on September 14 at 7:30 and 9:30 PM. 1st place wins $1,450 (it is the 145th anniversary of Schells Brewery) and a one-year supply of Grain Belt Premium. 2nd place wins $400, and 3rd place wins $145. The winners will also be screened at the Sound Unseen Film Festival which runs from October 7th-16.

We shot the spot using the Panasonic AG-DVX100a set in the 24pa mode in a letterboxed format. We used two 500 watt shoplights as our primary light source. The resulting images were fantastic. The audio was recorded in camera using a Sennheiser ME-40 shotgun microphone rented from the local IFP chapter. Both picture and sound was edited using Sony Vegas version 6 editing software on HAL 9000 (Chad's computer). The finished product was exported to a mini DV master and DVD.

A huge thank you goes out to Tommy Lonergan, our dedicated actor who brought the role to life, right there on the set. Thanks again Tommy.

Stay tuned for screen shots in the near future...

Check out these pics from a recent location scout in Faribault, MN.














Chad (Grain Belt Primo in hand) and Nick (Uber-cool blue bowling shirt) mix it up with the locals.















A potential location for IceBreaker. The patrons in the bar actually thought that we were there to buy the place!
















The final scene??? Maybe!

Welcome to the Streckfus Entertainment blog. We will use this blog to update our fans and friends (hopefully our friends are fans!) about what is going on with Streckfus Entertainement. We will try to update the blog as much as possible, so please bear with us.

As most of you know, Streckfus Entertainment was created by Chad Martin and Nick Evert with the means to create original, thought provoking, and most importantly, entertaining motion pictures. Our first film IceBreaker is currently in development. We have a script and a basic plan of action, but as most indy film producers will tell you: MOVIES COST MONEY. We have a few ideas up our sleeves as far as funding goes, so hopefully we will have some good news to report soon.

If you would like to know more about the history of IceBreaker, check out our website at www.icebreakermovie.com .

Additionally, Chad and I will include sections on what our inspirations are for IceBreaker, and offer select commentary on the filmmaking industry. I hope two young guys realizing their dream is as entertaining for you as it is for us.