This year has been a year of growth and promotions. Our short film "Hut Hut" has made it's rounds at some festivals and will soon be appearing on Season 36 of the PBS show THE TERRITORY. For folks in the Houston Public Media broadcast region, the air date will be October 7th. When we hear new dates, we will try to post them to the Facebook page quickly (which, honestly, is the best way to keep up with Pine Heart Productions!)
Producer/Co-Director Courtney Sandifer and actor Jeffrey Baker were able to attend the screening of "Hut Hut"at HollyShorts in Los Angeles, at the famous Chinese Theatre. It was a wonderful festival experience, and a really cool venue, to say the least!
In June we shot our 6th short film, a 5-minute drama called "Pulling Away". This one stars Gary Smith and Grace Powell. We are polishing it and submitting it to festivals currently, but you can view a quick trailer below.
Last but certainly not least, feature film GETTING SCHOOLED has now been sent of to the distributor after about 10 festival screenings (with more still coming in). We are very happy with the way the score, audio and color work polished the finished cut. Hopefully, we will be able to share many places where you can view it by the beginning of January 2017. The next place you can see Getting Schooled is in Greensboro, NC at the Wreak Havoc Film Festival. Saturday, October 1st, 2016 - 5:15 pm (Tickets here)
This year is shaping up to be a very successful one for Pine Heart Productions. We have had some pretty cool screenings, met some awesome new people and kicked off the next big project.
Our short film "Hut Hut", written and directed by Michael Allmon, with Courtney Sandifer as producer and co-director, officially made the TOP 5 at the Louisiana Film Prize Festival. The top 20 films were judged by super-uber-highly-qualified judges AND over 2000 festival attendees. We were VERY happy to be ranked among the best. Read more about the LaFilmPrize in the Shreveport Times HERE.
Feature horror/thriller/80's throwback film "Getting Schooled" has reached picture lock and recently screened to a private group of filmmakers near Houston - the Spring Film Group. We got some great feedback, and the polishing is in progress. Be on the lookout for more info in coming months! Last, but not even remotely least, we are now raising funds for our FAMILY film "Kids vs. Zombies"! This is a very unique project, with lots of potential, and we are trying to get all our zombie ducks in a row just right before starting production. You can help us and become a part of the project by going to www.kidsvszombies.com or checking out SAVE THE ZOMBIES! ON INDIEGOGO.
ABOUT KIDS VS. ZOMBIES:
Logline: A young brother and sister work together to outwit a barrage of peculiar zombies, rescue their mom and save the town. KIDS VS. ZOMBIES is a fun, full-length family movie written for kids, but with their parents in mind, too! Zombies are a big part of pop culture these days, especially with shows like “The Walking Dead”, movies like “Zombieland” and “World War Z”, and video games like “Plants vs. Zombies”. Courtney Sandifer wrote this story to reflect her own kids’ fascination with zombies, but in a way that her kids (ages 8 and 10) could actually WATCH the movie. Action will be full of wacky, slap-stick sort of “Home Alone”- type traps and defense techniques. Before you go, watch our latest reel of short film productions!
A lot has been happening with our short films in the past few months. Here's the scoop! A short but sweet, 3-minute-movie we produced called "My Eyes" has made its mark at a couple of events - on two separate continents! This short film is based on a poem by Andy Smith, who beautifully and descriptively shares his perspective as a man with Asperger Syndrome (an Autism Spectrum disorder). First, it screened in England, at Artsbridge - the Sowery Bridge Arts Festival. It was part of a selection of films in a film festival event. Read more about this festival at http://artsbridge.co.uk. Second, at the Make it Rain For Autism Awareness event in Katy, Texas. The event description reads: "Both filmmakers, Chris Spisak and Courtney Blake Sandifer have children who have been diagnosed with autism. Families with children in the autism spectrum are well aware of the difficulties associated with teaching their children how to overcome their difficulties and integrate into a "normal" environment both in and out of school. Both of the organizations that we have chosen to highlight for our event, The Parish School and Dionysus Theatre, provide education, support, and numerous extracurricular activities to young people in a safe and supportive environment that embraces their differences and helps them grow. We sincerely hope that those who attend and support our event will take note of the amazing work being done on a daily basis at these institutions and have a better understanding of autism, the children who have it, and how they can be supported."
Our short film "Easy as Pie" screened on January 30th, alongside some other lovely local short films at the Spring Film Group Clearing the Slate event at Alamo Drafthouse Vintage Park. The Spring Film Group is a non-profit organization "committed to creating an opportunity for education, experience and exposure in film." Spring is an area on the North side of Houston, TX. It's a very active area for filmmakers! http://springfilmgroup.org
There's always something going on around these piney woods. The past month has been no different.
The Houston Press Arts Blog has again mentioned one of Pine Heart's projects in an article on the 10 Best Houston Indie Film Posters. Not too long ago, Courtney was named one of the 100 Creatives for Houston in 2014, now writer Jef Withonef says about his #2 poster pick, KIDS VS. ZOMBIES,
"Going with green instead of gore, it's like one of those old, cheesy
Nickelodeon Halloween flicks, and frankly there just isn't enough of
that sort of thing in the world any more. Since zombies have gone
thoroughly mainstream, it's nice to see a local filmmaker relegating
them to cheap bogeymen to be fought off by preteens. Man, I can't wait
for this film."
See the entire poster list here, and note that our KIDS VS. ZOMBIES' own Grace Powell is also featured as an actress on the #1 poster - Jacob (on which Courtney also was an assistant director).
Big purchasing news for us lately has been the release (finally!) of Haunted Trailer on DVD. This wacky, trailer-trashy comedy is now available to purchase at several online retail outlets. Pine Heart's Courtney Sandifer served as Producer and Production Designer on this movie, which was Directed by Chuck Norfolk. It's toilet humor at its grossest! If you enjoy that kind of flick, then please, check it out. If not...run away fast! (More info on our Horror/Comedy tab.)
The final bit of news for this month comes in a tiny 3-minute package. You can now view our latest short film, MY EYES, on Youtube and Vimeo.This short film is based on a poem by Andy Smith, who beautifully and descriptively shares his perspective as a man with Asperger Syndrome (an Autism Spectrum disorder). Check out more of Andy's work on his blog: http://andyqby19.com
This was submitted slightly shorter to Project Greenlight. I ran across the poem on the Artists and Autism Facebook page a few weeks ago, and I decided to turn it into a VISUAL arts piece. Michael Allmon came on board as the cinematographer. I cast Dave Maldonado and Shaun Linsey from Dionysus Theatre Houston Texas (Thanks to Deborah Emmy Nowinski!) and then my intern Caroline helped me produce it.
Thanks to my other crew members Nikki Calhoun and Henry A. Bliley, plus Ruthie Ames, Nick Greer, my mom Michele Sandifer and all of the "audience members". And, The Corkscrew!
Please enjoy and have a wonderful 2nd half of August!
Check out this new video for "Trouble" by Nick Greer & The G's
- a Houston based soul/jazzy/rock/awesome band. Pine Heart's Courtney
Sandifer was responsible for the sets and props - which you should
particularly enjoy toward the end of the video!
Remember to contact us for any custom art needs - props, set design or custom wall art with full releases to appear in your film or video. Email courtney@pineheartproductions.com for requests.
NICK GREER MUSIC
In Association with GiddyJ Productions
Executive Producer Nick Greer
Production Manager Jennifer Gidel
Associate Producers: Stacy Zane, Judy Garlow
Supervising Producer Daniel Sanders
Director of Photography Samuel Sanchez Jr.
Editors: Alex Hall, Andres Quintero
June starts with a BANG at Pine Heart Productions! The kids are out of school, the pools are open and summertime is in full swing. To get things started right, we've brought on a new intern!
Courtney and Caroline
Meet Caroline!
She's still in high school, but already has a couple of short films and videos under her belt and plans to be certified in Adobe Premiere Pro and After Effects this summer. She is also a highly-skilled gymnast and tumbler and has competed in World Championships as a level 5 Cheerleader.
This talented young woman will be a wonderful asset to our current productions and all future ones as well! She's already taking to it like a duck to water.
Art Attack! - Houston Press Arts Blog
Another exciting tid-bit this month is the release of the Houston Press Art blog's latest addition to the 2014 "100 Creatives" list. Pine Heart Productions' Courtney Sandifer is featured as one of Houston's top creative people! How cool is that?
Courtney surrounded by zombies - behind the scenes.
Author Jef Withonef writes: "It might actually be easier to list what Courtney Sandifer doesn't do.
The short answer is that she makes films, but the long answer is that
she has been involved in damn near every aspect of filmmaking you could
possibly imagine. Houston horror fans will probably know her best as the
producer of The Haunted Trailer, but her IMDB page reads like
she never sleeps. She's been a producer, a writer, a director, an
actress, worked make-up, managed locations, props... see what I mean?"
Courtney says in the article, "I am a storyteller. It's cathartic, and a way to connect with the world
around me. When someone reads or watches something I wrote, and they
tear up or laugh (in the appropriate places), it's the best feeling in
the world. It's darn near a spiritual experience watching your movie
with an audience."
It's been a whirlwind few months! There are so many things in motion for us right now, it's hard to put it all into words. We've finished up two short films, started into post-production on Getting Schooled, started pre-selling Haunted Trailer DVDs on Amazon.com, and many other super cool things that will be listed below!
Let's start with Getting Schooled. First, the fantastic and much-followed magazine Fangoria featured the exclusive release of Getting Schooled's official trailer on their website! For horror fans, this is VERY COOL. They called us "the Breakfast Club of Horror" - and that's accurate! Check it out HERE.
Then, we kicked off our campaign for finishing funds for Getting Schooled. The elusive financing monster can be a pain in the butt sometimes, and we found ourselves UNDER budget but still needing to round up some cash to finish the movie. Please, please show us some support by clicking the link and either contributing (as little as one dollar helps!) or sharing it with your friends and family! We REALLY need you! UPDATE (6/10/14): We made our goal forGetting Schooled.
In May we also took our movies on the road to Dallas, Texas - to spend the weekend at Texas Frightmare Weekend. At the Lucky Chucky Productions booth, we sold out of the batch of pre-sales Haunted Trailer DVD's that we brought, and saw successful screenings of three "sister" films! Pine Heart's Courtney Sandifer was the Production Manager (and a corpse) on short horror film I AM MONSTER, which screened on Friday night. Then a much-anticipated film, The Pickaxe Murders Part 3, on which Courtney served as Production Designer, screened to a capacity crowd on Saturday night of the event. On Sunday at TFW, Starship Films/Lucky Chucky Productions screened Conjoined, a horror comedy on which Courtney was a set dresser. Meanwhile, throughout the weekend, Courtney talked up and promoted her upcoming film KIDS VS. ZOMBIES - and it was met with overwhelming enthusiasm!
As a horror fan nerd at TFW, Courtney also got to take a break and meet with THE ZOMBIE GURU GEORGE ROMERO and THE WALKING DEAD'S Scott Wilson (Hershel!). Carl Grimes himself, Chandler Riggs was also present, but we never got a chance to meet him! She also networked with fans, filmmakers, distributors, and horror media folk. One of the media outlets, Horror Movies Uncut, interviewed her about recent work, and the whole interview can be heard in the Youtube clip below.
You can also catch a NEW interview on Thursday, 5/29/14 with the guys from "Talking Terror". They will chat with Courtney from 9pm Eastern/ 8pm Central for about two hours! UPDATE: You cango to this link to listen to the recording.
We also have been getting two short films ready for the festival circuit. Courtney directed "Restorative Justice" for Loesch Productions last year, and it's now ready for screenings. This one is a drama starring Getting Schooled's Tom Long and lovely Houston actress Michelle Elaine. We've also almost finished post-production on "Easy as Pie" - a short drama that Courtney wrote, directed, produced and edited that features an Autism awareness theme. This one stars Sara Gaston, Joe Grisaffi, Katelyn Merricks and Sophia Eden. A clip was released in April as an awareness piece, but the entire film is a touching product and worth the wait to see it in its entirety! The clip here is has an added educational element.
Last, but not least, development for KIDS VS. ZOMBIES is chugging along, and about to kick into high gear! Be on the lookout for a chance to support us this summer in our funding campaign. We have some cool fundraisers planned, and not typical ones! We are ALWAYS interested in talking to anyone willing to help us in these endeavors, so if you would like to be a part of bringing Kids vs. Zombies to life, as an artist, contributor, actor or producer of some kind, please email courtney@pineheartproductions.com ASAP!
As the weather warms up and development on "Kids vs. Zombies" continues to move forward, we pushed a short film project forward to production - one that is very close to my heart. "Easy as Pie" is a narrative dramatic short film about a day in the life of "Karen" and her family. It is meant to show just a peek into one family's experience with this great, mysterious epidemic we call the Autism Spectrum.
"Easy as Pie" shows one mother's struggle to deal with the normal stresses of life alongside the routinely erratic (yes, routinely erratic) happenings of a household dealing with the Autism spectrum. This short film stars Sara Gaston, Joe Grisaffi, Katelyn Merricks and young Sophia Eden (pictured below). The cinematography is by Orlando Briones of OC Films. Check back here or our Facebook page for updates.
As a complimentary piece to "Easy as Pie", Pine Heart Productions is compiling home made videos from other families affected by Autism to create a mini-documentary, just in time for "Autism Awareness Month" in April. We are accepting videos from anyone willing to submit! Please see the instructions below to participate.
In the mean time, enjoy this sweet video starring my daughter and her friends! And take their advice, with the help of Sara Bareilles: Be brave - say what needs to be said!
CALL FOR VIDEOS: AUTISM MINI-DOCUMENTARY
Record yourself (or borrow someone else's fingers to hit record!) discussing what Autism/Asperger's means to YOU, choosing 5 WORDS that most describe your experience with it.
This can be done a parent, teacher, service provider, friend or anyone on the spectrum themselves. All ages welcome. Videos can be made on your phone, webcam or a fancy camera. Please make your video between 30 seconds - 3 minutes long & FOLLOW THESE INSTRUCTIONS: 1. Start by introducing yourself. Example: "Hi, my name is ________, and I am a __________ of/with Autism (or Asperger's Syndrome)". 2. Then describe your 5 words that most explain Autism to you. Example: "My 5 words are "She's different but not less." or "Not grief, hope and determination." (Be creative - they don't have to make a full sentence!) 3. Explain your experience with Autism. 4. Either email me the file (.mp4 or .mov) or send through Dropbox.com to: -----> courtney@pineheartproductions.com <----- 5. I will email you back a release form and then let you know when the movie is edited together! You can share it with everyone in time for Autism awareness month (April)!
We've just rounded the corner into November 2013 and things are clipping along at a good pace for us. Courtney has been busy for the past few months producing a feature called "Getting Schooled", alongside Director Chuck Norfolk. She also did double duty as the Production Designer.
Getting Schooled stars the lovely Houston native Mayra Leal (Machete, Playing House) and is about a group of High School students in a day of detention in 1983, who must run for their lives when a teacher in a wheel chair turns out to be an ex black ops soldier having a murderous flashback. Keep an eye on the Facebook page for a soon to be released trailer.
In addition to actively seeking support for Kids vs. Zombies - in preparation to shoot in the Spring of 2014 - Courtney has also been doing some set dressing and prop work on horror films "The Pickaxe Murders Part III", "Killing Mr. Right" and comedy "Bright Ideas" (starring Jeremy London).
Another cool thing happening now is that you can now see another sample of our work online! The first short film Courtney ever wrote and directed is now available on Vimeo (and is also listed under our "short films" tab). Please take 7 minutes to enjoy "Caroline's Masterpiece" at the link below and let us know what you think!
CAROLINE'S MASTERPIECE
A young woman struggles to communicate with her young art students, when someone unexpectedly dances into her life.
KIDS VS. ZOMBIES: Action-packed, gut-busting zombie fun for all ages!
Courtney Sandifer was inspired by her own children to create a world of zombies that kids could be a part of, and even become the heroes. The movie, set to shoot in early 2014, will be one that everyone will enjoy - kids, parents, and anyone who enjoys a good, fun zombie flick! Our heroes will use homemade weapons, clever tricks and traps to conquer a town-full of friends and neighbors who have been infected and now want to eat brains.
Official logline for Kids vs. Zombies: A young brother and sister work together to outwit a barrage of peculiar zombies, rescue their mom and save the town.
Follow us on Facebook & Twitter, to keep up with our progress!
If you'd like to contribute in any way or to be a on our list for actors (zombies and non-zombies!), email Courtney@pineheartproductions.com.
Fans of horror, or comedy, or horror-comedy might enjoy our short film entry for last year's SplatterFest Weekend of Mayhem. It is now publicly available and posted here for your convenience. It stars some of the best Houston-based actresses you can come by. Allison Keogh as the antagonist, Karina Pal-Montano as the hero, and Susan Ly, Brittany Djie, Tracy Collins and Elizabeth Redpath in supporting roles.
"Occupational Hazard" was written, shot, scored and edited over one 54-hour weekend, and included certain elements as designated by SplatterFest (a character, weapon, line of dialog and theme). This version was slightly enhanced by some editing after the competition was over. Thanks for watching! Synopsis:
A car full of girls pulls up to a mechanic shop, where a stuttering woman with a veiled agenda greets them. The girls are tied up and tortured, when one engages a special power that catches the villain off guard.
(Viewer discretion advised: HARSH LANGUAGE AND GORE)
The past few months have been busy for Courtney Sandifer and the Pine Heart Productions crew. Here are a few updates.
In April, Courtney directed the short film "Restorative Justice", produced by Corky and Elda Loesch of Loesch Productions. The 3-day shoot started at an old, local, out-of-commission (reportedly haunted) prison in Sugar Land, TX and ended at an apartment in The Woodlands, TX. Robert Reese of ITH Productions shot the short dramatic piece, using his Sony FS700 and Prime Lens kit. "Restorative Justice" stars Michelle Elaine and Tom Long, and also features Houston area talent, Janell Peyton, Michael Humphrey, Jordan Ogletree and Howard Calvert. Currently, the short is being edited by John DeJesus, but the finished product should be ready for festivals and screenings by mid-summer.
May 3-5, Courtney attended Texas Frightmare Weekend in Dallas, Texas to promote the feature comedy "Haunted Trailer". The movie, which Courtney produced and did production design, was selected to screen at the festival and did so to a supportive crowd of a few hundred fans. The weekend was a success for the production, as they are busy preparing for distribution later this summer.
The Haunted Trailer team, Courtney and Director Chuck Norfolk, also joined their horror friends in a celebration of local indie films at a "Spring Scream" at Outlaw Dave's Worldwide Headquarters in Houston on May 18. This included radio interviews all around (AM 950), including a call-in from California by star Ron Jeremy, and lots screaming by "scream queens".
Pine Heart's documentary project "So, My Mom is an Armwrestler" is still rolling along as well. Michele has competed in both the Arkansas and Texas State Tournaments without Courtney tagging along, and began practicing with a group she found in her home town. The mother-daughter bouts will resume soon, however. This Saturday, June 1st at 7PM, the Houston Armwrestling Association and Outlaw Dave's present an amateur armwrestling tournament, almost exactly a year to the date after our first "comeback" tournament. Houston area friends are encouraged to attend - Outlaw Dave's is located near I-10 at Washington: 6502 Washington Ave, Houston, TX 77007
Pine Heart Productions' Courtney Sandifer will be at the helm of a new short film called "Restorative Justice." Produced by Elda and Corky Loesch of Loesch Productions, this narrative drama will be shot over 3 days this Spring.
There are currently 3 PAID roles open, one unpaid principle role and several extras needed. Southwest Casting is helping with casting. Please follow them for future casting calls as well.
PAID Roles:
Nicole – early 20s, Worldly and sharp, emotional but composed and in control
John – 30s to late 40s, a prisoner for 15 years, weathered, worn and remorseful
Amelia – 50s to 70s prison counselor, sweet motherly type but strong and unyielding
Correctional Officers and Prisoners – At least 7-8 men or women, non-speaking roles
Please submit your HEAD SHOT AND RESUME to rj@loeschproductions.com with the character name (Nicole, John, Amelia, Security Officer or Extra) in the subject.
Auditions will be by appointment beginning January 21st, 2013.
I recently had the pleasure of creating and working with an all-female production for a short film competition called "SplatterFest Weekend of Mayhem". I wrote and produced "Occupational Hazard" alongside my good film buddy Julie Sellers, and I directed a wonderful group of girls. It's something I'm proud of already, and I think the girls all are, too.
Our short film will screen on October 2nd, 2012 at the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema on Mason Road in Katy, Texas (West side of Houston). Please come and support us and check out more info about the whole SplatterFest shindig at www.splatterfest.com. Tickets are on sale, and announcements about guests are posted there, as well. Anthony Michael Hall (the Breakfast Club, Edward Scissorhands, Dead Zone) is going to be present this year!
Enjoy - and not safe for work or the kids - because of bloody gore.
So, I really want to beat my mom at armwrestling. Truly. She and I had a good bout at the last tournament, and it felt good to think, "Hmm...I might be good at this, too!" But - If I can be honest with you - I am much more interested in making a movie about her than beating her at armwrestling. The time I've spent on the film, and NOT on my upper body strength (although I DID get a gym membership), for the past month shows right where my priorities are.
This is where the funny little paradox occurs. My mom and I are different and similar, at the same time. We are together in this. However, each of us have to reach our separate goals for it to be successful. You see, I spend at least as much time on my "craft" as she spends working out and preparing for her sport. I'd rather the film come out looking great than for me to win at armwrestling. She'd rather armwrestle than worry about what looks good on camera.
Essentially, by going forward with this project we are holding each other accountable to reaching our own goals. We made a pact: If she's going to armwrestle, I'm going to make a movie about her. If I'm going to make a movie about her, she's going to armwrestle. We are simultaneously supporting each others dreams, by doing the best that we can on something we absolutely love doing.
Trippy? Yeah...it's neat how life ends up this way sometimes. Onward to Saturday, the next armwrestling tournament and shooting day! Although, keep in mind, I never said I wouldn't armwrestle again. I just said I haven't been practicing...
So, my mom has begun her attempted comeback. She's making contacts with old teammates. The ball is rolling. Footage has started piling up. Why do I feel like things aren't really even started yet? Well, it could have something to do with the fact that I was coaxed into armwrestling her...and proved to be quite the formidable opponent. This could get weird!
The first tournament she attended was on June 9th at Lucky's Pub, hosted by the Houston Armwrestling Association. Unfortunately, the only women competing that day would be my mom and I, and one very sweet, attractive, nurse in a weight class below us. Her name is Courtney Erdmann and she's actually a Texas state champ. She easily took down me AND my mom. Yep, that was quick. (We got an interview and pointers afterwards with her, too. One of the many cool people we met that day.)
The third match was Michele Branscum vs. Courtney Sandifer. Everyone around the table started out giggling and making jokes as we "gripped up". Then the referee said, "Go!"...
My mom and I were locked in the middle of the table for what seemed like forever! The crowd got louder as we went on. I laughed and strained and said, "Oh my GOD!" at least once. About two minutes in, my mom fouled - her elbow went off the table. (You get 2 fouls before you're disqualified.) Wow. I told her I wouldn't LET her win, but I didn't know I'd give her that much trouble. After a 60 second break, we grip up and start again. She started wearing me down and about a minute later, she pinned my wrist down and beat me.
Like the dork that I am, I'm still reflecting on it almost 2 weeks later. I'll save the good stuff for the camera, but I CAN tell you that my mom called me this week - on speaker phone at her sister's house, cousins gathered 'round - and challenged me.
"I heard you were starting to work out now? Are your gonna try to beat me?"
"Well, yes, mother, I am."
"Okay, then. Let's do this."
Please enjoy our pre-production trailer video. Leave us a comment and "like" us on Facebook, too. www.facebook.com/pineheartproductions And, don't forget to give props and check out the band NEEDTOBREATHE (on Jay Leno tonight! 6/21/12). Song used by permission, and we are very gratefull! www.needtobreathe.net
A World Champion Armwrestler. No, I’m not kidding. Yes, my
real mom…in real life.
Her name is Michele. She’s somewhere over 50, a grandmother, recently
separated and lives in rural North Louisiana. She’s feminine, smart,
and very silly. She is known as “the Coke Lady”, because she’s worked for the local Coca-cola
distributor for about 15 years. She’s also a 1999 World Champion arm wrestler,
and going back into the sport after a 12-year hiatus.
A few weeks ago, on the bittersweet birthday of my late niece, I called to check on her. Surprisingly, she was in the middle of
coloring her hair, and she announced she was going to start training to arm
wrestle again. I couldn’t believe the crazy change of direction that day, for
both of us. I was immediately compelled, by common sense and my filmmaker
boyfriend, to find a camera.
My mom is modest. She’s also forgiving – to a fault.
She’s imperfect and yes, even gets on my nerves sometimes. But, she’s
incredibly strong and I can’t think of a better metaphor for what she’s taught
me in life than to do exactly what she’s doing now. Defeated? Then get back up
and keep going. Reach a goal…or completely fail to reach one? Then make a new one and keep going. The
important thing is to see the light at the end of the tunnel and KEEP GOING.
My mom’s story has been in my “filmmaker” consciousness for
a while now. Now, there’s not really an option. I HAVE to do this. I plan to make a feature length documentary that
follows her through the summer as she trains and participates in
tournaments. It will also tell the story of how she got into this whole thing
to start with. Her first tournament is on June 9th, in Houston, TX. The
National Championships are in August. Maybe we’ll even get to follow her across
the globe for another World Championship run later in the year.
_____________________________________
So, my Mom is an arm wrestler. I’m going to make a movie about her. And, I need some help. I’m hoping to raise the first $2500 for the movie before her first tournament (June 9, 2012). This would help pay for food, gas, legal fees for paperwork and production insurance, equipment and a couple of key crew. Any money given will go straight to Pine Heart Productions as a donation, and in return you will get a “Special Thanks” in the credits of the film and on the website. We’ll take anything from $10 to $250. (If you are interested in giving more than that, please email me.) Use the link at the top, right of the page to donate easily through Paypal (it's very secure). Donate in someone else's honor if you'd like. Just send me a message with details. I will personally consider every dollar a vote of confidence. However, spreading the word for us will not be underestimated. Thanks for reading about this project, and I hope to uplift you with good news in the near future!
You've heard the phrase, “It’s not WHAT you know, it’s WHO you know." Well, I like to think it’s really a little of
both. However, this week I am shunning the pro-education side (kidding...kinda), and reflecting on the impact that
professional networking has had on me and will have on my future. It would be
naïve of me to think that I can get to where I want to be by doing everything alone;
with all the books and college degrees around me I can stand. We need people, people. We just have to
embrace it.
To
start my work week, I had the privilege of attending a very organized “business
networking” meeting. This particular group requires membership and has very
methodical ways of making introductions and referrals. It reminded me of all
the leadership trainings and professional workshops I had attended years ago in
college, and as a board member for a state-wide non-profit organization. Name tags. Structure. Hand shakes. Coffee. Business
cards. Bagels. It was pretty laid back for a group of its type though. I
enjoyed it.
On
the other hand, I also network constantly by interacting with others in the
“film community” through local events and especially social media. (AKA – I’m a
raging facebookaholic. I admit it.) Whether you enjoy the many positive and
negative facets of facebookdom or not, it’s part of our culture. Unfortunately,
we still have issues with the “professional” and “personal” realms that sometimes
clash online. Dilemmas abound: To add or not to add those colleagues at your
new job. To post my real thoughts on someone’s offensive rant or not. To quietly
block and curse through a bitten tongue…you get the picture.
Dictionary.com
says that a network (as a noun) is: a “supportive
system of sharing information and services among individuals and groups having
a common interest.” So, in its basic form, “networking” is being part of a “supportive
system”. That means I should try to be supportive, and seek out others who do
the same. We all hold hands and share information, and then pat each other on
the back. Boom. Done. Easy? Not really.
Networking doesn’t have to be some aggressive way
of throwing your business card at strangers foreheads. And,
it doesn’t have to be some big moronic circle jerk (pardon my language). Being part of a supportive network,
and expecting it to help you in your own endeavors, requires us all to act
professionally, with tact, and treat others with some modicum of respect when
interacting with them – whether they are functioning in a role above or below
your own in the hierarchy of an organization AND whether you are in a volunteer
role or paid. Just because you’re an “artist” or working for free or deferred pay
doesn’t give you an excuse to completely ignore a colleague when they are
trying to contact you about a project, or skip out on doing paperwork and making contracts. It also doesn’t give you some “free pass” to
be a douchebag to others, whether on the clock, on lunch break or online – you can actually say
whatever you want, but PEOPLE NOTICE these things and the smart ones will NOT
refer others to you.
Yeah, so there are some clueless people and some
a-holes on almost every job. But, if you want to keep moving forward,
finding people that share the same
values as you and actually want to improve themselves and their work, you need
to treat every “gig” like it is your own personal project. Do your best to follow
through on your word. Keep the public negative, gossipy, whiny, juvenile, useless
chatter to a minimum. Also, it helps to take responsibility for your mistakes, too, instead blaming other people. Defending yourself is fine,
to a point. However, throwing people under busses is a very unprofessional
thing for anyone to do, especially for a person in a leadership position.
Apologize for mistakes, learn from them (which may mean steering clear of working
with certain people again), and move on – and the best parts of your network will
inevitably stay intact.
No, I’m not at the point where I’d call myself “successful”
– or even half way there yet. But, I know I’m not going to get there by just sitting
on my butt alone reading books about how to make movies. And, I don’t have the
money to just pay my way through the crowd and hire all the folks who worked on
Spielberg’s last movie. I’m going to have to make connections with people, and
maintain the relationships I already have with others in my network who are a supportive,
positive influence on me. Hopefully, I’ll serve the same function for the group
around me, too.
When I began pre-production on my first short film, I
started thinking about what to call my budding (or pre-budding!) little
production company. A lot of people use various interpretations of their names
or where they live, and others use some object or term that has some kind of personal
meaning behind it. For me, I went with something that reminded me of home and
who I am at my core.
Like many people that live and work in the Houston area, I
am a transplant. I grew up in North Louisiana, in the middle of the Kisatchie
National Forest. Those gosh-darn pine trees were all around me. As a kid, we’d
throw pine cones and poke each other with the pine needles. That was the extent
of the fun though. You can’t climb them – they just go straight up. This was
also the reason they were pitiful shade-makers. The sap dripped onto the top of
my first car, and one big pine almost fell on our house during a bad storm. My
step-grandpa would carve things out of pine to give as gifts, which, honestly, I
rolled my eyes at as a teenager. When I moved away, those “good-for-nothin’”
pine trees became a kind of symbol for the things I hated about living way out
in the woods. Maybe they are good for burning and making paper, but that’s it.
I ran away from the forest as fast as I could.
However, life has a funny way of bringing things full circle
and teaching you lessons as an adult. (Wow, is that cliché or what?) Almost
exactly one year before I shot my own first short film, suicide caused an emotional
earthquake in my family. My step-mom, who had been married to my dad since I
was a baby, decided to take her own life. I spent 9 days in a row glued to my
dad’s side and with my two paternal brothers. It changed my life, in every
sense of the term “change”. During the healing process, I started to appreciate
the things that came from my step-mother that made me who I am. Those pine
trees are right in the middle of it. I have a small heart-shaped wooden plaque
she gave me when I was young, and when I ran across it while packing last year –
it hit me.
My core, my heart is made of a material that is strong, but
pliable. It is not stone, but it is not mush. I CAN withstand a lot, and I
HAVE, but I have scars there as well. And that’s ok. I want Pine Heart
Productions to be an extension of me, but an outlet for my colleagues as well.
Don’t get me wrong, my products will not all be sappy, life-changing, dramatic,
artsy movies and videos. Some of them
will just be silly! HUMOR is a big part of who I am (I get that more from my
mom’s side), and how I’ve gotten by for so long without going *completely*
crazy. But, I hope to always remember where I came from and how my past will
help me get to where I’m going. As for my audience, I hope that others just
enjoy the ride and learn a little more about themselves in the process. At the
least, I just want to make you smile and think about things a tiny bit
differently.
I am in the process of expanding my empire. Muahahaha! More info coming soon on my short film "Caroline's Masterpiece" and a new documentary project we just started. Check me out on Twitter @iheartpineheart and email Courtney@pineheartproductions.com.
Also, watch for comedy/horror film "The Haunted Trailer" staring Ron Jeremy due out at the end of the year. Www.thehauntedtrailermovie.com. Twitter @hauntedtrailer
Thanks for visiting!
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