Johnny Derango's gonna shoot Sam Bailey!!!

"Your director of photography is named Johnny Derango?"

If you think his name is something, you should check out his reel: www.johnnyderango.com.

Working with Johnny somehow turns every problem into another one of life's poker-faced incredulities, to be greeted with enough disbelief to make it funny before pouring on the coals. One of the things I've learned from Johnny is that many of the challenges we face can be solved just by laughing at them long and hard enough.

At the same time, he's one of the hardest workers I've ever met. In less than one day, Johnny and I nailed over twenty-five shots for Farther, spread across over a mile of rugged, rocky, windy desert. Looking back at that shoot I remember the risks we took, the amazing scenery, and the sensationally good time we had. Oddly, I don't remember feeling tired.

When we got back and went through the footage, everything looked fantastic. We've cut together an amazing 8 minute short with only one real day of shooting. Frankly, it's a wonder.

Just prior to the recent reading, Johnny confessed that he's eager to dig into Sam Bailey and Heartsgaard, and that on top of his camera duties he wants to put his hands on the experience, the credit, and the rewards of our success as a producer. Johnny knows that he brings a host of production and post-production contacts and relationships to the table. On top of that, our viral and guerrilla marketing stands to benefit from his creativity, his fearlessness, and his sense of humor.

Look, these aren't films that will land a fella on Michael Bay's camera team. From a production standpoint, the challenges are pretty straightforward. Our success will be in the details, and I'm extremely confident that Johnny will master those details thoroughly. On the other hand, our business plan absolutely relies on a certain degree of recklessness. Pulling off a stunt like Sam Bailey or Heartsgaard demands wit and no small amount of courage. For those reasons alone, having Johnny join Sam Bailey's team of producers is a perfect match.

We're going to laugh our way straight through this. Once we've pulled it off, we'll be an independent film company. We'll remember the risks we took. We'll remember the beauty we found along the way. We'll remember the people, and the amazing time we had together. We'll have a major motion picture making money in US theaters, and it'll be about time to start laughing off the next set of challenges.

To check out Johnny's commercials, his trailers, his music videos and his reel, visit www.johnnyderango.com.

Johnny Derango, welcome to 8 Sided Films!

Sheila Daley, welcome to the 8 Sided Ensemble!

Last night, the 8 Sided Ensemble got our Mona DeStefano for Sam Bailey, and our Simone Goddard for Heartsgaard. Dear reader, allow me to introduce Sheila Daley!

www.sheiladaley.com

Within the community Aaron and I share, Sheila Daley is an actress everyone fantasizes about working with. On the one hand, she's incredibly generous and giving. Every moment she's performing, whether it's a rehearsal, an improv performance, or the thirtieth take of some droll student film, Sheila brings 100% of herself and somehow scrounges an additional 10-20% from God-knows-where.

When a woman is as beautiful as Sheila, that kind of generosity can make a set and carry a film.

Between takes, she'll randomly start picking up lighting equipment or announcing call times, chipping in so her co-workers can focus on other things. Her attitude is notoriously positive, her smile is contagious, and her biggest problem is keeping her damn make-up and hair straight!

If you found a way to splice Eleanor Roosevelt with Sally Fields, and the resulting youngster was raised by that one unknown, unheralded high-school theater teacher in some Massachusetts mill town who quietly perfected the art of breaking and liberating the very best young actors, you still couldn't replace Sheila Daley. Her honesty and her work ethic are unparalleled. Her passion comes across with a simplicity that no director can mess up. Sheila Daley is the real deal, and we're very proud to have her.

On the other hand, Sheila is one of the most humble actors I've ever known. Right now, she's reading my praise and wondering what the hell she did to earn it.

Let me tell you how Sheila Daley earns praise like this.

When you give her a challenge that's outside her "type", it takes a moment for her to process what's happening... and then her eyes light up. All at once, the opportunity sets in. Suddenly she's beside herself with giddiness, playing with her new character in total, selfless confidence. Forgive me an example, if you will:

When we got into a discussion about the glib humor of Heartsgaard, she couldn't see how her natural performance worked for Simone. Why not cast someone with more electricity and color? Because that actress won't have to stretch, and the role will come off flat.

She caught my drift and threw it back at me like a twenty pound medicine ball. Whereas two seconds ago she wasn't sure she could do it, now she's giving me sass, playing with the dork culture of it... Simone was sitting right there next to me! Unreal! God, I love actors.

Then, I told her about a piece of street art Simone pulled in college called "Signs of Struggle". Her reaction was so awesome I had to call Gerard as soon as I got home:

TENNY
I think she actually demanded to have blue paint dumped on her naked body in the middle of Harvard Square, so the cops can drag her away and we can film it.

GERARD
Um... Did you marry her?

TENNY
Her boyfriend was there.

GERARD
So did you punch him out and marry her?

This, from a girl who ten seconds ago was questioning my casting choice! Are you starting to get the picture? Are you starting to see how lucky we are?

In less than thirty seconds, Sheila Daley became Simone Goddard. Simone then proceeded to tell me exactly how this movie is going to work. Hey, that's the character I wrote! I love it.

If Sheila's really down for something as daring as the stunt we discussed, I promise to get it on the DVD. Then, we'll get a fantastic photographer to do proper stills of the paint smears, so we can get her an art opening in character. If she puts on an evening playing the punk-rock performance artist, we'll even get the opening reception on tape! Everyone's drinking cheap wine, and Simone has her PBR as she chats up snooty art people... Already, the Heartsgaard DVD has the potential to be way cooler than I ever imagined.

Kids, here's a free lesson: Never waste a talent like Sheila Daley.

Don't wait for someone else to show you how brave she is. Don't let someone like me take all the risk, because I'll take the rewards. Give her all the challenges that fertile actors demand, and the payoff will be even more profound than you imagine.

Plus, you get to watch her face light up! Trust me, it's worth it.

As soon as I have my new computer, we'll be getting Sheila's info up on all the sites. In the meantime, check her out at www.sheiladaley.com.

Sheila Daley, welcome to the 8 Sided Ensemble! You're pure magic, and we're proud to have you.

Reasons to see The Brothers Bloom

Theft of illuminated manuscripts... a movie after my own heart.

Trains. God bless European train scenes.

Adrian Brody, Mark Ruffalo, and Rachel Weitz.... juggling chainsaws. Seriously.

A tiny, spunky, Asian explosives expert with no dialogue, great wardrobe, and a purse full of hacksaws, blowtorches, and whatnot.

More quotable dialogue than any other movie in the last ten years.

Demolition of European cars.

Demolition of European landmarks.

Booze-obsessed camels.

Exploding barbie dolls.

An ending that will make you cry.

Um... can we go back to the exploding barbie dolls?

Let me emphasize that there is not just one exploding barbie doll in this movie. Blowing up barbie dolls is this movie's hobby.

It's like... Rachel's still eating her lunch? She sprained her wrist juggling chainsaws? While we wait, who's for exploding some more barbie dolls? It's true that we already have exploding barbie dolls, but I don't think anyone will mind.

And they're right! I don't mind! Hot dog, were they ever right!

And did I mention Rachel Weitz? Rachel Weitz juggling chainsaws? Good God, I love this movie.

Do lurid intentions cheapen art?

Let me tell you a story.

By the Grace of God, I'll be making my first spec sale in a few weeks (having already done some work-for-hire). Of all the infinitely more marketable things I've written, this is the screenplay that finally commands the right kind of attention. If I'm loathe to mention the name of the script, it's because I don't want to injure the deal... but guess why I wrote it?!?

At the time, I was sleeping with an actress. I desperately wanted to make a movie with her.

This screenplay is all mysteries and cagey power relationships crackling between good looking young people and dangerous looking older folks, and the sexual tension boils over in every direction. Every actor in the film gets their chance to chew scenery and turn the tables, and it's loads of fun for everyone involved - and there she is at the center of it all, the puppet master and the victim, at once powerful and vulnerable...

Speaking frankly, it's WICKED HOT! Just thinking about making this movie with her turns me on, and I wrote it over two years ago. Sitting down in a theater and watching her up on the screen, nailing this part... it's very much a sexual fantasy of mine.

Long after we broke up I kept pushing the film with her in the lead. I believed in her, and still do. At the same time, making a movie without name talent takes a lot of commitment and entrepreneurism and she wasn't pitching in.

When she turned out to be less than reliable, I pushed the script in front of producers as part of my spring cleaning, and it's getting more traction than projects that are much more broad in their appeal, and that are just as cheap to make.

Something in that script connects with people. What could it be?

There is nothing - NOTHING - wrong with art as sex. What do you think was on Shakespeare's mind? Whether or not you like Woody Allen, you've gotta admit that he makes a hell of a movie! Is there any doubt why he does it?

We are the new way to go. We are the way of the future.

Today, Variety had a great article on how the collapse of studio financing is affecting the industry. Keep in mind that most of the people reading film trades are heavily invested in the studio business models, and that the bulk of the news comes from studio sources. In many respects, Variety and the Hollywood Reporter are "by the studios, for the studios." To me, this constitutes brave reporting:

"Everybody is trying to come up with a new business model," says Robbie Little, the British-born founder of Los Angeles-based the Little Film Co.

"At the moment, the model is a vertical one -- a waterfall of people from writer to distributor where everyone is tying to make money from the process of making the film rather than the success of the film."

The signs are of a shift toward a horizontal model, where each part of the chain works together to make the film profitable and earn their cut from its sales.

In other words, people are used to getting paid lots of money for making movies. Now, things are getting more entrepreneurial. More and more film companies are involving actors and production heads as business partners, and tying their financial rewards to the success of the film. In turn, the actors and production people are getting smarter about handling their own business.

As this trend gets further and further along, what will all the middle-management do? What will the agencies do as talent starts taking accountability for their own business? What will publicity guys do when actors take it on themselves to book interviews for their films? What will the execs and MBA's do when directors and producers start pulling together their own projects? What happens when the connection between a filmmaker and an audience is direct, without a studio or marketing company running interference?

Some of these guys will let go of the power they accumulated on the '80's and '90's, as talent takes that power for themselves. Those that hang on too tight will just wither away.

I love it.

As those of us on Sam Bailey and the other 8 Sided Films take one step after another towards self-sufficiency in business, we can rest assured that we are already ahead of the curve. When Sam Bailey hits theaters, our contemporaries will be pointing to us as an example of how business is done. What's more, we'll be positioned to help the rest of our industry's talent catch up. Each of my actors will be producing their next feature, and keeping their fair share of the equity. If we do this right, directors and producers will be looking to us to make their future projects happen.

In his blog on our reading two weeks back, Gerard mentioned feeling like something powerful was taking shape between the people who were there.

If we stick with this, if we really embrace the challenges of making these films successful... This article suggests that our "powerful something" is nothing less than a leading role the future of American film. That's pretty exciting!

For me, reading these words highlighted everything we're doing right, and fueled my conviction that Sam Bailey, Heartsgaard, and the rest of our projects are well-positioned to succeed - not just on indie terms, but as films in the global marketplace. If you're involved in these films, I urge you to check it out for yourself!

What would I have done about the famous Terminator rant?

Depends on the situation. Depends on the set culture the director is looking to create. Also depends on what you're shooting.

If the scene was supposed to be super tense, I would have bottled Christian up and made him save it for the next take. If he's worn out and tired, I would have let him exhaust himself and then taken credit for the bad set experience, like McG did.

Either way, that set has to be a safe place for everyone to work through their creative process.

Sometimes those processes conflict with one another, and that's fine. We all lose it sometimes, and we deal with it on a case-by-case basis. There's a bump in the road, and we move on.

I'll tell you one thing, though. That on set space has to be safe for the work to happen, conflicts and all. If the world is constantly looking over your shoulder, how are you supposed to take the big emotional risks? No. You can't.

Set privacy is sacred and inviolate.

On my set, the little shit who violated that trust and leaked the audio would be strung from a very tall boom by his genitals. One word - "Traitor" - would be carved into his chest with a wood chisel, and then his legs would be fed through a pipe threader. Then, he gets shipped back to New Jersey, Iowa, or wherever he came from in his brand-new wheelchair, to live out the rest of his trailer-ridden days with a computer constantly playing various YouTube renditions of the Christian Bale rant in the background. Over, and over, and over. My only question is whether to leave him with a mercy bullet. On that, I am undecided.

Any questions?

Cat, Bag, and Whatnot

For the second time, I've had someone I respect urge me to keep the fact that Sam Bailey is a movie completely a secret. Do like they did on Blair Witch! Both times, my gut has told me not to be so secretive, and today I put my finger on where this marketing campaign is actually going.

That's a good thing to know, by the way.

Unlike The Blair Witch Project, Sam Bailey is not a fake documentary. Sam Bailey actually looks like a movie.

With a movie like Blair Witch, people realize they've been duped AFTER they buy the ticket. When you look at the DVD sales of that particular film relative to the box office, it's clear the movie lost some appeal when that realization hit home.

With Sam Bailey, they're going to find out the moment they see a trailer. As soon as they find out this film is coming to theaters, they realize that Who is Sam Bailey, the Church of Sam Bailey, and all the rest is a hoax. If that moment makes them feel stupid, they won't come to theaters.

Letting people's degree of curiosity determine how much they find out, at this stage, seems like a natural way to play things. In that regard, this marketing campaign is more akin to what was done with The Dark Knight.

By putting Sam Bailey in the audience's world, what we're really doing is bringing the audience into Sam's world.

That attraction, in turn, allows us to enlist our audience in the marketing process. That's exactly what The Dark Knight did right. Spreading the word becomes a game of tag. Folks who know what's up are "it".

Once you're "it", you know something others don't. Folks don't feel stupid, it makes them feel smart. When people take advantage of their insider information, it spreads word about Sam Bailey even further.

For those people who don't know about the film, who take the viral elements of the marketing campaign seriously... Those people are passive viewers. They get introduced to this world of mystery and magic. As time goes on, it seems like it's becoming a bigger and bigger deal until finally, at the end, they get a whole story. They get a movie. At that point, it's a movie they've already connected with and invested in.

Even better, Sam Bailey has enough fantasy and magic going on that either process, the enlistment or the passive reception, becomes a whole lot of fun.

This way, nobody gets cheated. Nobody gets duped.

For those people sitting back and watching, the viral content about Sam's history and nature offers an ever changing picture - but how do I keep the interest of people who find out?

Right now, we're thinking the best thing is to involve them in the details of making this movie, from start to finish. If you're rooting around for behind-the-scenes information, that's what we give you.

Ultimately, we'll get to see for ourselves what people respond to, and what they don't. We've got two years before we'll be ready to release the film. We've got time to see what works.

What we don't have is time to waste. If you have any thoughts of your own on all this, please share them.

Because while this makes sense, and while it definitely feels right, people I respect very much are telling me I'm nuts!

Actors, be Sam Bailey!

Actors, think you have what it takes to play Sam Bailey?

If you do, you could wind up with your own DVD feature on a theatrically released motion picture!

For those who haven't heard, Sam Bailey is an upcoming independent film about a six hundred year old man looking to erase the very last record of his existence. Through the friendship of a salt-of-the earth cabbie in Boston, he winds up reconnecting to the world instead.

Over the last few months, internet speculation about the existence of Sam Bailey has been growing. Websites like http://www.whoissambailey.com/ have been generating theories about the nature of Sam's unusual longevity. Evidence has come to light regarding Sam's history and influence. More than that, people are actually claiming to be Sam Bailey on social networks like Facebook and Twitter.

Now, it's time for the REAL Sam Bailey to step forward... and that's where you come in!

Who is Sam Bailey? If he saw the world waking up to the truth of his existence, what would he tell them? What would you say?

Put it on video. Tell the story of Sam's life as you see it, refute the conspiracies and nonsense, or just greet the people of the world! Put together a video message that really shows your stuff as an actor, and put it up on YouTube. Make the title of the video "I AM SAM BAILEY."

Then, e-mail a link to scoop@whoissambailey.com along with your name. Make sure to put "I AM SAM BAILEY!" in the subject line.

As we put together the DVD package, we'll be selecting at least twelve of our favorite Sam Bailey monologues for inclusion as a special feature!

See you round, Sam Bailey.

Thought for the Day

We can make movies deserving of greatness, but it's the audience that makes movies great. Whether a movie is important or not depends on what the audience does with it.

Somehow, I managed to spit this little pearl out during the Sam Bailey reading. In hindsight, it's something I should think about tattooing onto my retina.

Max DeStefano weighs in on the reading...

"The cast is extremely talented and I feel blessed and honored to be a part of the production..."

Chris is a very talented actor, a dedicated producer, and an incredibly generous friend. Read the rest of his comments on Sunday's reading at http://sonofachris.blogspot.com/!

Marzilli on Sam Bailey

"I had an excited feeling that I was at the start of something special, something that would have reverberations down through cinematic history."

Gerard had some very nice things to say about his fellow cast members as well, and I urge you to check them out:
http://gerardmarzilli.blogspot.com/

My Sunday with Sam Bailey

For the better part of this Sunday, I was working with some of the very finest actors in Los Angeles, hashing through the sixth draft of Sam Bailey. Most of the table readings I've witnessed bave been basically vanity affairs. Actors are assembled to lend a sense of import to the screenplay, and to give the writer something to talk about at cocktail parties. Feedback and the following rewrites are often treated as an earnest but ultimately useless formality. Who knows? Maybe an agent will show, you know?

Maybe my actors know me better than that. Maybe they're just good to me. Whatever the reason, I thank God they showed up.

Contrary to our suspicions, the comedy is the part that works. Most of the afternoon, we were laughing our asses off. On the other hand, I've been way too relaxed with Sam's motivations and urgency, and the characters coming from his "world," like Samantha and Father Phillip, have all suffered for it. It's the mystery that needs punching up. Naturally, the laughs and the warmth will become even more meaningful as the tension improves.

This amazing group of professionals helped me dig down to the roots of the problem, as well as finding a terrific number of details to prune. As I locked the doors of Unified Pictures, an hour and a half after I'd promised everyone they could leave, I was still cramming notes into the corners of a scribble-stuffed script.

Which leads me to the point I'd really like to bring focus to. True masters have a passion for discovery.

My reading was so productive because these amazing actors are all working to take their talents and experiences in ever new directions. Before we started, I listened in as two of my actors, taking a sign-language class together, shared their knowledge with the group. Sign-language? What actor needs to know sign-language, right?

These actors do. In fact, that's what makes them special.

Openness is only the beginning. When it comes to new skills and experience, hunger and total attentiveness are the hallmarks of a professional actor, and these actors are more than professionals. Each of these miraculous individuals is a budding master of the craft. For all of it's convolutions Sam Bailey is actually a very simple story, and that's what makes it beautiful. With a grace far beyond their years, these actors brought the breadth of their experience, their unwavering attentiveness, and their open hearts to help clean and polish that simple beauty until you can see your own reflection in it, clear as day.

That is, after all, the point.

I'd like to express my deep respect and gratitude for Sheila Daley, Irina Bjorklund, Christie Insley, Liz Southard, Dave McCallum, Shawn MacAulay, and Mikaela Jones, as well as my co-producers Aaron Lyons, Chris DeChristopher, and Gerard Marzilli.

Thank you.

Facebook or Twitter your way into the credits of a film!

At it's core, Sam Bailey is a movie about a 600 year old immortal who is drawn out of hiding and forced to confront his past... with the help of a salt-of-the-earth cab driver from Boston.

My best marketing hook is the mystery of who Sam Bailey is, how he got this way, and where he's been. The more conflicting information there is out there, the deeper the mystery of Sam Bailey gets... and that's where you come in.

What I'm asking is this:

First, take one of these images:
http://www.8sidedfilms.com/sbfinal15border.jpg/
http://www.8sidedfilms.com/samstencil.jpg

Using that image, open up a Facebook, MySpace, or Twitter account under the name Sam Bailey. You'll need to use a different e-mail than your normal account.

Make up your own story about Sam Bailey's long history, his interests, what have you...

Then, connect the page to all your own contacts. Send an e-mail to scoop@whoissambailey.com. Put "I AM SAM BAILEY" in the subject line, and your name and a link to the profile in the e-mail body.

In return, I'm putting all my "Sam Bailies" in the credits of the movie.

As I've said, my commitment with Sam Bailey is to bring my own creative community into the limelight. Personally, I have the resources to get amazing production value on a tight budget, and access to a limited platform theatrical release. Achieving numbers like Napoleon Dynamite or Fireproof without a name cast or the benefit of the churches means starting my viral network early, and starting strong.

At this stage of the game, that avalanche of awareness begins with the question "Who the hell is Sam Bailey?!?" In fact, if you'd like a little inspiration for your page, please visit another other viral site at http://www.whoissambailey.com/.

For more about Sam Bailey, visit my site at http://www.8sidedfilms.com/ - and definitely join our e-mail list!

In the meantime, thank you for your help!

What does a producer do?

As a rule, the job of a producer is to make sure whatever needs doing gets done - either by himself, by someone more qualified, or by someone less busy.

Of course, there are always tons of people credited as producers on a feature film. Executive producers address financing and exit strategies, or in other words, finding the money and the distribution. Line producers are specialists in keeping the budget. Co-Producers are what they sound like: they take some of the producing duties from the lead producer. Associate producers are basically those people who contribute something the producer really needs along the way.

These aren't defined "jobs" that every film needs filled by a different individual, so much as the tasks that tend to get delegated first. Generally speaking, the more independent the project is, the less strict the "job descriptions". Clear delineation of responsibility tends to be something one finds in corporate environments. When the money and the structure of an HR department isn't available, you need to be a lot more flexible in what you're willing to do.

I hope this answers some questions!

Sign up for the Sam Bailey Bulletin

After a weekend of flashtastic toil, I proudly unveil the new and improved Sam Bailey Bulletin! Sign up on our homepage, at http://www.8sidedfilms.com/.

Last night I had a productive (if beer-filled) meeting with Aaron and Chris, and there are many more updates and whatnot coming your way. In the meantime, be sure to visit us!

www.8sidedfilms.com

Your name in the credits of Sam Bailey?

Maybe immortality IS all it's cracked up to be! You won't know for yourself until you've got your name in the credits of a major motion picture!

By now, you've at least heard me mention my upcoming film, Sam Bailey. At it's core, Sam Bailey is about a 600 year old immortal who is drawn out of hiding and forced to confront his past... with the help of a salt-of-the-earth cab driver from Boston.

My best marketing hook is the mystery of who Sam Bailey is, how he got this way, and where he's been. This is where you come in!

What I'm asking is this: take one of these images (www.8sidedfilms.com.sbfinal15border.jpg or www.8sidedfilms.com/samstencil.jpg) and open up a Facebook, MySpace, or Twitter account as Sam Bailey, Samuel Bailey, or Samantha Bailey.

Make up your own story about Sam Bailey's long history. his interests, and anything else you like. Put it all into the profile, and connect the page to all your friends.

Then, send an e-mail to scoop@whoissambailey.com with "I AM SAM BAILEY" in the subject line, and your name and a link to the profile in the body. Be sure to send the e-mail, because that's how we know who to thank at the end of the movie!

Have fun with this - and thank you for your support!

Sam Bailey is coming to LA!

In two weeks, I'll be having a table reading of Sam Bailey up at Unified Pictures. Since sending the word out, I've had a tremendous outpouring of support from my actors. This is a quick note to express my appreciation and gratitude.

Conventional wisdom suggests that the marketability of this film, particularly when it comes to foreign licensing, rests in the hands of one or two name actors who believe in the project enough to take a ginormous pay slash and sign on. Most films in this budget range make their money overseas, and take what they can get when it comes to domestic distribution. Foreign sales are about cast, cast, cast.

My intent is to use my viral campaign and the relationships I have to bring Sam Bailey to domestic theaters first, and let the box office be the star that drives foreign revenues. This allows me to bring my cast into the limelight with the film. Films like Bottle Rocket, Sideways, and Napoleon Dynamite have done it before, but the risk can't be ignored.

The plan works if the film is excellent, and if the marketing takes hold. Both of these elements depend on the active involvement of wonderful collaborators like these, and of people like yourself.

If you haven't yet, please head over to www.8sidedfilms.com, click on "Sam Bailey", and click on "Who is Sam Bailey" or "I am Sam Bailey" to help spread the word!

My deep thanks go to the amazing, beautiful actors who are making this possible, and to you for the same reason!

Again, that site: www.8sidedfilms.com

Yours truly,
Tennyson E. Stead

The Young Gerard Marzilli Chronicles

On his blog this morning, Gerard Marzilli shared his thoughts on how the Heartsgaard play differs from the film. I really liked how he put things, and I'm posting a link where you can check it out:

http://gerardmarzilli.blogspot.com

and Boris

Ladies and gentlemen, I'm going to do something I've never done before: I'm going to recommend a web series:

www.andboris.com

Generally, webisodes are poorly ill-conceived attempts by frustrated artists to capitalize on the success of YouTube. Occasionally they wind up being something stronger, but miss the mark as a result of dire over-ambition. By trying to rise above their production challenges and their running times, they skip out on the opportunities those limitations can provide. Instead of being a great web series, it winds up being cinema, television, or theater that's been squeezed into the wrong box.

By contrast, "and Boris" is an action comedy series that takes full advantage of its production limitations, using the homemade look of the series to arrive at a quirky brand of comedy that defies logic at the most perfect moments. I was introduced to the series by Christie Insley, who plays a KGB kung-fu pixie of death - an effect achieved entirely through chinsy camera work and clever editing that made me laugh something fierce!

Basically, the web series is about a washed up KGB defector who's wound up bumming through Los Angeles looking for terrorists to bring down with a gang of underfunded NSA washout-types. Most of this stuff is vaguely defined at best, and that's fine! It leaves more time to talk about jumping off the edge of the world, corn dogs, and the other secret desires of the main character.

Through heaps of cleverness and a little introspection, "and Boris" delivers a surprising amount of entertainment with no money on the table. I really like this web series!

Check it out for yourself:

www.andboris.com

The Charitable Mr. Bailey

If you've read the script, I think you'll agree it is ultimately Sam Bailey's charitable nature that opens the door to his happiness. After all, isn't Mona's education how he meets Max in the first place?

Today, it occurred to me that signing over 1% of the movie to a suitable charity would be a very good idea, and would make the film that much more worthy of your support.

My favorite charity has always been Phillips Andover Academy, and I'd love for Sam Bailey to benefit the Andover community. If Sam Bailey performs at 10% of what movies like Sideways have done, that 1% could wind up being well over a hundred thousand dollars. In addition, it could provide alumni interested in film with internships and valuable work experience!

Sam Bailey is steeped in European tradition and mythology, and it makes that heritage relevant and real in a hands-on kind of way. At the same time, Sam Bailey doesn't back away from liberal or controversial ideas about how those traditions work. That's Andover!

What's more, Andover is founded on the principle of service, and thrives on investing in people from all walks of life. What Sam Bailey does for Mona DeStefano, Andover does every day. They did it for me.

If you'd like to see Andover for yourself, check out www.andover.edu.

Do you know of any institutions I should be checking out? I haven't made up my mind, and I haven't contacted Andover about this. I'd love to hear ideas!

If you know of a charity that would be a good match for Sam Bailey and that you'd like to see supported, please let me know.


Yours truly,
Tennyson

So how do I make it as an actor?

Boy, is this a popular question!

Look, guys. Forget "trying to make it as an actor." Just start acting, anywhere and any way you can.

On the downside, you'll have to come face-to-face with your inexperience. Acting is absolutely a craft. Even the "naturals" have to study for years and years to get good at it.

If you don't put in those years, why would you expect yourself to succeed?

Then again, there are loads of people who don't really want to succeed. For some, to "say they tried" is enough. We live in a generation where kids are taught that effort is as good as achievement. As a result, we've learned to exercise effort in ways where it won't do any good. Why not? We may not succeed, but we'll get the attention and the credit for trying, right?

Not actually. Nobody cares about the non-achievers.

What is it you want? Do you want to act, or do you just want to say you tried? Are you looking for a distant dream to keep you company while you work on whatever it is your life is really about, or are you looking for a life of rehearsals, performances, and entrepreneurism?

Make up your mind. When you do, the next step will more than likely be obvious.