Now Showing "Vertical Integration"

Last night I stayed up until three finishing the offline of our new spec commercial. This isn't the final edit, so click on the link and take a look... and don't forget to add a comment to let us know what you think:
"Vertical Integration"
(quicktime file: 33 seconds, 2 megs)

Devoloping A New Strategy

Not getting development money is a funny thing. Basically a company is saying we are not going to pay you to do something that you are already doing and will most likely continue to do without getting paid. I just got turned down for twelve grand that I was planning on putting towards a couple of research trips and using to give myself a little more room to sit down and write. But financing or no financing I'm still gonna write another draft of "Living-Room War" and then another, and another until it's finally a screenplay that I feel is ready to produce. The fear of failure is incredibly high and it's easy to get bogged down and think, "well if they won't support the project financially, it must be no good." But that's just a game of hope and fear.

I made a decision before finding out the results of the grant that I would try some diversification tactics and so I'm going to spend the next couple of months writing the first draft of my second feature length screenplay, "Ten Years In". I've by no means given up on "Living-Room War," but I have lately realized that the plan to raise 2.5 to 3 million dollars in the next three years is a very tough goal, so with that in mind I've decided to make a five to seven hundred thousand dollar Super16mm feature first. I don't want to crush "Living-Room War" into a little box in order to make it for super cheap, so now I'm thinking that it will have to be my second feature. It's difficult to make decisions like this. I feel very ready to make a 90+ minute theatrical film as opposed to pouring more time and resources into more shorts and documentaries, so it's time to step things up and get one off the ground. I'm applying for another development grant next month for "Ten Years In" and I'm feeling really freed up by my new plan.

My Work Here is Done

So after ten grueling days of drinking my face off and schmoozing with industry types... I've actually got a little something to show for it. So here are all 8 entries from my Dose TIFF journal. (My personal favorite is the juxtaposition of the crying Iraqi and my September 15th puff piece). Happy reading:

Dose Journal Introduction - Sept 8th, 2005
Dose Journal Part 1 - Sept 9th, 2005
Dose Journal Part 2 - Sept 12th, 2005
Dose Journal Part 3 - Sept 13th, 2005
Dose Journal Part 4 - Sept 14th, 2005
Dose Journal Part 5 - Sept 15th, 2005
Dose Journal Part 6 - Sept 16th, 2005
Dose Journal Part 7 - Sept 19th, 2005

Party Whores

It's been an insane five days and I am truly beginning to feel like a party whore. I've been to between 3 and 6 parties a night, jumping in a cab to the next venue the second someone tells us there's a cooler spot across town. There are multiple events going on all at the same time and at a guess there are a dozen parties being thrown a night. Tonight I made it home by 2:30 AM and it's the first time that it's still been dark by the time I've made it home. The craziest night was last night at the "One X One" party, a high-profile benefit aimed at raising money for poverty in Africa. I met a bunch of movie stars, the fantastic (and very cool) director Cameron Crow, and got a chance to talk with Kate Hudson and give her a copy of my AIDS doc "Lifecycles: a story of AIDS in Malawi". I'm pooped. I've lost my voice. I'm only half done. But one thing is for sure, Dose Magazine isn't paying me enough for the antics I've pulled to get into some of these VIP and exclusive bashes.

Festival Blog

Durring the Toronto International Film Festival you can check out my Blog for Dose Magazine at www.dose.ca/doug

CHEERS!

A Dose of Press

I got a gig doing a daily filmmaker's journal for DOSE magazine during the Toronto International Film Festival. www.dose.ca. It's pretty exciting because they're a national publication (distributed in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto and Ottawa) and I'm gonna be doing a piece for them every day for ten days. This is the bio that's going to be part of my first entry, and it gives you an idea of the slant I'm taking with the project:

"Writer/director Doug Karr’s adventures are as diverse as his films: hanging out in war torn countries, sneaking into mental institutions, and lighting cars on fire in confined spaces. Karr’s latest project combines an ambitious love story with pyrotechnics and hot young Canadian stars and he’s crashing the Toronto Film Fest to bring his vision to moguls and movie stars alike."

Basically my job for the next ten days is to break into film festival parties and bug producers and celebrities. The last time I did that was a few months ago when I was asked by a member of Kevin Bacon's entourage to take their photograph with him. I took a shot of the group, but Bacon exclaimed, "Now take one of just me!" I snapped a quick flash in his face and then went about my own business... but a moment later I realized that if Kevin Bacon can interrupt my night, I could in all good conscience interrupt his. I stood up and approached him and politely asked if I could ask him a question. I asked if he might be interested in working on a short film with me here in Toronto, something small, minimal commitment. He thought it over for a second, then bit his lip and said, "Right now I'm a pretty booked." I'm looking forward to seeing Kevin again next week.