In independent filmmaking, as in life, people often shy away from talking about money. Nobody wants to talk about where they got it because they're paranoid that someone may steal their connection à la Derek Foreal in "Blow". It is also considered rude to ask the specifics of a film budget and the figures are rarely volunteered unless they are being boasted for effect. Some filmmakers are embarrassed that people will think they either overspent for a mediocre looking final product or were too inept to raise a sufficient amount. But being vague and mysterious about money only serves to distance the independent filmmaker from colleagues as well as anyone with a genuine curiosity about the process.Our first short film in 2004 "The Clockmaker" cost about $1000. That money went to buying an $800 camera, DV tape stock, and any props and wardrobe that we couldn't beg, borrow, or steal. We didn't even have money to feed the actors, who were of course, unpaid.7 years later, we spent $1000 to shoot a 2 minute teaser scene for "Dysphonia", the feature film this blog is dedicated to. This time we fed and paid the actors and crew that we could. Others worked for free out of kindness and because they liked the script and wanted to help to get it made. The teaser was produced to introduce people to the look and feel of the script and hopefully create interest in the potential for the full film. The budget of "Dysphonia" as detailed in our business plan is $187,000. This is a loose figure based upon similar films with a comparable number of locations, actors, makeup FX, and shooting schedule (4 weeks). We believe we can produce the 114 page script for this amount of money and convince both cast and crew to work for a lower or deferred salary based on the strength of the material and the ability to secure distribution when the film is completed.
We were realistic when we released the teaser that while we hoped people would respond positively to it, nobody was going to write a check to a company unproven in producing a feature film of that scale and budget size. So, we have decided to produce a feature horror film cheaply ($2,000-$5,000) that we could raise the money for quickly, produce independently, edit, and self distribute. Any money made from this smaller film would go toward the production of "Dysphonia". It would at least show we could handle production of a feature length horror film and prove I could direct it. In the coming weeks, we will be launching an Indiegogo page to help raise the funds to produce "Veil". There will be information about the film on the page as well as our website www.tensundays.com/veil.html. We've refrained from using crowdfunding sites in the past but we think this is the perfect project to try it out. Production will take place in Virginia & West Virginia this summer and of course there will be excellent perks for those who donate. Anyone interested in helping but unable to donate money can contact me @ pbusetti@gmail.com. 
I'll be a guest on FilmSnobbery Live! tonight @ 10PM EST(7PM for you gay commie bastards out in California). I'll be chatting with host Nic Baisley about Dysphonia as well as past projects. The show is live, but if you can't tune in tonight, you can always catch it in the archives.
http://live.filmsnobbery.com
Gavin Schmitt gave my previous horror effort "Cannibal Cheerleader Camp" a phenomenal review 2 years for the website Killer Reviews. With the "Dysphonia" teaser having been released last week, I figured it would be a good time to do an interview with him and shoot my mouth off about the upcoming flick. Gavin has interviewed everyone from Noam Chomsky to Meir Zarchi and I thank him for taking the time to do it.
http://www.killerreviews.com/dispinterview.php?intid=1897
I remember telling people about "Dysphonia" before I had a name for it. It was and will probably continue to be referred to as "the evil twin movie". Samantha & Sophie were originally conceived to be two halves of the same person. There were no characteristics to differentiate them. The more I wrote, the more I found them becoming their own characters. One was cruel and the other used violence as a reactionary measure to protect her sister. One was emotionally stuck in childhood while the other wants her own child so she can feel complete. Above is the first sketch ever done of the twins and it has kept be excited about working on the film for the last year when I easily could have abandoned it. They are beautiful but also have the dead eyes of someone under a spell. The Manson girls were used as a visual reference for any artwork involving the twins and Helter Skelter will be required reading for anyone considered for the parts. When it comes time to cast the film, I don't yet know if we'll be able to find actual twins who can handle the acting and match the part physically or if we'll have to employ Dead Ringers style trick photography to make one actress appear to be both sisters. All I know is that the twins are going to go down as classic horror villians.
More Dysphonia artwork can be seen @
http://www.tensundays.com/dysphoniaartwork.html
Today we launch the Dysphonia Teaser Trailer. I hope everyone digs it as much as I do. More details about the film available @ www.tensundays.com/dysphonia.html
Thank you to an excellent crew that worked in the cold. J.Michael Whalen, Chris Kiros, Ian Albetski, Habib Awan, Brigette Proctor, Amy Lawrence, Sarah Oliveros, Tori Nelson, and Riane Hoffman.
I'll go over the details of making the teaser in the next entry.
Located a block away from my childhood home in Alexandria, Virginia was Power Video. It was open from 1987 until September 2010. It was easy to be overwhelmed in the small store that at its peak held over 30,000 videotapes/DVDs and 10,000 different titles squeezed into identical white bookshelves. It housed softcore pornography, graphic horror, nunsploitation movies, foreign films, offbeat documentaries, and every episode of The Twilight Zone, Dark Shadows, The Outer Limits, and Star Trek on VHS. I worked there from 2000-2006, some of that time with Ten Sundays co-founder Ian Albetski. I watched from the back office as Bush stole the 2000 election. I was there on September 11th. I met my wife there. When I produced my first feature film "Boxing Day", Power Video was the first place to put it on the shelf. I worked for minimum wage for 2 years and never made more than $9/hr. when former classmates of mine were in law school. But I didn't care because all the movies I took home were free and I could cancel late fees for my friends. At night when it was last call and the few remaining customers couldn't take the hint, we would "play the Wagner". The back lights would be turned off and the air cavalry scene from "Apocalypse Now" would be played. Loud. When I was young, I couldn't even walk past "Jaws" because the box art was too scary. At 7, When I finally worked up the courage to watch it, it was from behind the couch in my living room. That way there was something between me and the shark.
