The Soundtrack...and some more news.

Well by now you know that you can buy Victims of Circumstance on DVD.  But did you know that the score will soon be available for digital download?  Look over there...I don't sit around playing with Photoshop for my health.  I want things to look cool.  To fit in with the idea, the brand, and the look that Matt Wineke created all those months ago.

This is not the final artwork for the CD, but it is getting close.  It very much resembles the DVD (do you have yours yet?).

If you did, you would find this next piece, the DVD one page...or as it is in my case...that piece of paper that falls out of the DVD case as I try to put the movie in.  This is just another Thank You to the hard working folks both in front of and behind the camera.  You know at the end of the movie...all those names, yeah they worked on that movie.  So I wanted to make sure that when you opened up you copy of the DVD they were listed prominently there for you. 

Thanks for letting me take a minute out to talk a little bit about the upcoming score, some of the look and feels of the artwork, and of course a huge Thank You to those of you who have supported us.

Oh...and while I'm on the subject of supporting things...did you know that Paul is out filming something right now?  Do you know it has some tie ins to Victims of Circumstance?

He is, and it does.   Keep your eyes peeled for a cool action short headed your way in the very near future called Deadly Memories 3.  It brings back an old friend, who you may have noticed in the "9-11 Speech" montage.  It's a quick scene, why don't you take a second to watch it again on your brand new DVD.  Go ahead, I'll wait here.  Seriously, I won't leave.

Back?  Good.  Did you see him?  Kind of a badass, right?

Well. that's all I'm allowed to say in this post...more soon!

With regards,

Mike

#vocfilm, #deadlymemories, #victimsofcircumstance, #jilangeproductions

For Immediate Release: VOC News.

So why the heck has the blog been so quiet of late?

What's been going on?

We've been crazy busy.  What do you think of the image below?  What could it mean?  It looks so...familiar. 

Well, a couple of you already know, and may in fact already have in your hot little hands a copy on DVD!  Yes, the little indie film that could is officially for sale.  We are still waiting on the some On Demand/Download Direct options are not fully reviewed and available just yet, but we do have DVDs!  They look pretty dang sexy too...

What do you think?

Drop us a line...

Or were you waiting for me to tell you where you can buy one?

As of this week, both Mike and Paul will have them for sale...

Remember Christmas is just around the corner!  Victims of Circumstance would make a great Christmas gift!

This is more then just a cool indie film made locally!  There are great bonus features too...  A candid interview with Paul and Buddy, a sneak peak at the joys of making the sound track, and of course, the outtakes.  How many takes of a scene are required to light a Zippo on cue?  You can find out. 

We're for sale...buy us!

And while we're on the subject...look for some more information on Apollyon, Jim Blades, Carter, Charlie and the gang in upcoming posts!

All the best,

Mike

#vocfilm, #deadlymemories, #victimsofcircumstance 

Advanced Screening!!! April 17th

Well here’s the news of the week.........

Victims of Circumstance 

Advanced Screening 

April 17^th at 7pm 

AMC Showplace 16 in Schererville, IN

Want to come out and see it?

Please do!  

You are cordially invited to catch the screening and afterwards hang out with the cast at Northwoods in St. John, IN.  They may even show you where some of the scenes were shot for the film.

AMC Showplace 16                                                      Northwoods Restaurant

875 Deercreek Drive, Schererville, IN                            8101 Wicker Avenue, Saint John, IN

And many many thanks to all of our fans, supporters, and members of the Cast and Crew!

-Mike

www.vocfilm.com

#vocfilm

Who is...Buddy Wayne Goettsch?

When I first began writing the treatment for what would become VOC I knew instantly that I wanted Buddy Wayne Goettsch to be the one to bring Devin to life. I've had the luxury of knowing Buddy for well over a decade and while we have tackled various projects over the years none of them were as intense as what VOC would become.

For those of you who don't know, Buddy Wayne Goettsch is a force of nature in the entertainment world. His career began at the age of 5 when his parents would invite friends over and have Buddy perform for hours at a time on the piano and organ. From there, music and theatre became his passion. He has fronted, birthed and taken part in more musical acts than I have room to list (Lock the Gate, Time Peace, The Current and The Strugglers just to name a few) and is a musical jack of all trades, playing guitar, bass, drums and piano. And then there's that Voice. Buddy is hands down one of the best vocalists in the business and he has made opportunities to flaunt and hone his craft across the country and throughout Europe. Rumor has it he may be jumping back into the studio in the very near future to begin work on a brand new cd.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, Buddy devoted a solid portion of his life to the theatrical stage. As with his bands, the shows he's participated in over the years are far too numerous to list but, as evident by his performance in this film, it was truly time well spent.

What makes Buddy invaulable to any project he puts his hands on, however, is his Dedication. Buddy's prints are all over VOC. In the beginning, he was my sound board for character and story ideas. He willingly threw himself into an intense rehearsal schedule, never complaining about the long hours, late nights and lost weekends. As time went on he played a pivotal role in organizing the raw footage of the movie and supplying me with screen captures that I get to show off here. And as if he didn't have anything else to do, Buddy is currently working on the score for the film.

On top of all of that, in spite of all of that, Buddy amazed me at every single shoot. For those of you who know him, and those of you who are soon to meet him, you know that Buddy is a shot of energy, plain and simple. He brings a party (and an after-party) to every situation. In many respects, Buddy is the antithesis of Devin Reeves, which is why I was so impressed. Devin is dark in ways that most people can't comprehend, let alone bring to life. In the beginning, Buddy let me know that he had concerns regarding the emotional doors he would have to open to properly give Devin life. He had to go to several dark and scary places, places that took days to shake off, but he never complained. Not once.

For that alone I consider it an honor to have had the chance to work with him on VOC...and I can't wait to start rolling on the sequel.

(Just kidding)

(sort of...)

-paul

#vocfilm

VOC in Print...The hell you say?

Well good morning True Believers! It was a long night, in part to Paul calling to say "Oh yeah, the interview for Victims of Circumstance got printed and is out right now!" That sort of derailed my night...where could I find this article...is it online? No, not til Friday....well I can't wait that long. I hop in the car and head out to Northwest Indiana, where I find cast, crew, director, and groupie hanging out reading their own personal copy of a story on VOC. Not to be out done, I have to read it myself.

First of all...thank you Stephanie Vega for the interview! I know Paul is good at putting words to paper, but you made him sound all polished and professional. Thanks. Also...Aaron Brown's poster featuring Buddy Wayne Goettsch looks more impressive in print then it does hanging on my wall (of course I got a movie poster printed...it looks cool). The article is kind enough to mention some of our generous partners, who have opened their establishments as filming locales and lent their immense talents to our project.

So please support Northwest Indiana Entertainer (www.nwientertainer.com) and pick up a copy. For those of you outside of the Chicago metro area, the article will appear on line later this week, please check it out.

Mike

#vocfilm

The True Believers of VOC

There is so much information that I want to write in this post that I just can't...Victims of Circumstance has this peculiarly semi-charmed life.  I don't want to jinx it by breaking news too early.

When you listen to the story of how this movie got made, I want you to realize that you, good reader, were here...when it all happened.  I wish I could tell you the great news we got this weekend, but the time is not right.  Up to this point our little circle....you, me, and Paul have been had this lovely little secret.  A story that Paul wrote and with the hard work of some amazingly talented people was able to capture "on film" to share with the world.  Well later this week, our little secret is about to spread to a slightly larger audience.  Paul and VOC are going to be featured in an article that will drop online and in print and we are thrilled.  

This is just the tip of the iceberg.  You have been privy to a family secret and now we are about to share it with a few more people.  Will you please help welcome them?  Share it with your friends and your family.  You were the first to know, to be aware of this great little project.  As Paul likes to say, you are a part of the True Believers.

For those of you who don't know...J.I.Lange Productions is managing this whole process.  Mike and Paul are excited to be apart of a great production team and have faith that we've partnered correctly to bring VOC to the national and hopefully international stage.  J.I.Lange has added a forensic technical consultant, marketing managers, social media consultants, graphic artists, and industry professionals to help pave the way to seeing VOC on the big screen.

The last thing I would like to add is a big thank you to our international audience!  I never would have thought that the little film that could would have followers in the UK, India, Japan, Russia, Poland, Germany, Australia, Canada, Mexico, Columbia, and our humble respect to the service men and women who are taking time out in Afghanistan to read the blog and ask about the movie.

Thank you all...and we'll see you at the movies!  Mike

#vocfilm, #indiefilm, #chicagomovies, #indiemovies

Yin and Yang: The Women of VOC

Any way you cut it, people in general are obsessed with the concept of Love. They live for it, strive for it, long for it and pine for it when it is no longer theirs. The interesting thing to me, however, is that Love always gets such fantastic "press". It is viewed by many as the entire point of mankind's existence and yet, when you really think about it, Love has the capacity to be far from pure.

Love the right person and you can make dreams come true. Admittedly, I believe that. What happens, however, when the wrong person Loves you? What happens when True Love becomes motivation for truly dark and unthinkable actions? More importantly, what happens when you come face to face with both sides of Love, the Light and the Dark?

At its core, VOC is a love story; a love story that explores many facets of my favorite emotion. On screen, the second character we are introduced to is Agent Charlamagne "Charlie" Medina, played by the uber-talented Amanda Maul. Charlie is Devin's handler and the two of them share a...well...it's complicated. Charlie is dark, vicious and calculating and she knows better than anyone else exactly how to throw Devin off balance. This is a dark, almost suffocating expression of when Love goes bad.

(Side note: Thanks to Amanda's talent as an actress, Charlie became my favorite character to write for. Some of my favorite lines of the film are delivered effortlessly by Amanda and I still get tickled every time I see the footage.)

On the opposite end of the spectrum lies Dr. Caitlyn George, brought to life by Sarah Moore. Caitlyn, like Charlie, is a woman of high intellect and intense strength of character. She has the ability to cleave through Devin's bravado and misdirection, something no one else has ever been able to do. Caitlyn represents Love in a pure form and offers a glimpse at a future Devin has never allowed himself to imagine.

Two women, similar yet not, as flawed as they are refined.

They have the capacity to empower or destroy Devin; to save him or damn him; to Love him or...Love him.

And Devin? Well, all he has to do is make a choice and then try to live with it...or through it.

-paul

#vocfilm, #indiefilm, #chicagofilm, #indiemovies

First Look: Meet the Characters

Today is a very good day, True Believers. 

It is with great honor and immense pride that I officially introduce you to some of the characters from Victims of Circumstance. 

Buddy Wayne Goettsch as Devin Reeves

Sarah Moore as Dr. Caitlyn George  

                                      Dan Maul as Carter

Therapy...

Work...

-paul

#vocfilm

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#vocfilm

An Original Sin

The other day I was asked to pick out a few of my favorite scenes from VOC and while the task was daunting to say the least, I was able to settle on a Top 5. In the #2 spot is the fight-scene discussed earlier. Of the remaining 4, I realized that most of the scenes I chose had one (additionally) common thread: they were all filmed at Northwoods Restaurant & Bar in St. John, IN.

Jeff Fryzel, owner/operator of Northwoods, is pretty much a Super Hero, and I mean that in every sense of the word. His joint is not only one of the best restaurants in Northwest IN but at night it turns into one of the hottest clubs around. Every year he hosts a spectacular tribute to the Fallen of 9/11. There is hardly a charity within dreaming distance that he does not contribute to in some fashion and in the middle of it all he is one of the funniest, most insightful, individuals you'll ever meet, not to mention the life of every party. Ten minutes of Jeff's time is enough to make you feel good for the rest of the week. Oh, and did I mention that he loves Original artists?

Northwest IN is a tricky region when it comes to live entertainment. 99.9% of bars and clubs want bands who are going to play Top 40 hits and stand-by favorites; music that is good for crowds and good for business. Jeff Fryzel, however, is the only bar owner in the area who understands that musicians are Artists, not Jukeboxes. That being said, once a month Jeff and Northwoods host an All Original Music Night, where locals bands are able to come in and perform a night of their own material. To an artist, there are no words that can express how grateful they are to have this opportunity. But that's part of who Jeff is: he understands people and gives them what no one else will.

In the early stages of writing the VOC script I bounced a few ideas off of Jeff and sheepishly asked if I could potentially film one scene at Northwoods...in the parking lot. Jeff responded with a perfectly deadpanned "Absolutely not." And then he laughed the way only Jeff can and he opened the doors to his club, his Baby, for whatever I needed to nurture mine.

At the end of it all, VOC filmed in Northwood's parking lot, the banquet room upstairs, the VIP room and in the bar.

The climax of the movie, one of my Top 5 picks, was filmed over the course of six hours at Northwoods on a Monday night, a night the bar should technically have been closed. When I was enroute that night with cast and crew I called Jeff just to offer a sincere "thanks in advance." He waved it off and said, "Hey, you needed a place...I have a place. It's all good."

And that is what makes Mr. Fryzel a Super Hero.

That being said, don't take my word for it. Next time you're looking for a spectacular meal or an insane night out on the town, head on over to Northwoods Restaurant & Bar. No doubt you'll see Jeff there. And when he walks up to introduce himself, as he always does, do me a favor and tell him Paul said Thanks.

Catch all the details of the Northwoods party schedule at: http://www.nightwoods.com/.

-paul

#vocfilm

For immediate release: VOC Movie Poster.

In this day and age, we are bombarded by visual images. We make snap decisions on whether to buy, date, pursue, or ignore based on first impressions. We are proud to present our first serious representation of Victims of Circumstance. This poster was photographed and laid out by Aaron Brown, logo designed by Matt Winecke, and features Buddy Wayne Goettsch as Devin Reeves. Paul and Mike have discussed at length the tone and message we wanted the poster to convey. 

Now it is your turn...

What do you think of the poster? What do you think Devin is feeling?
What emotions does the poster convey?

Add your comments below.

Thanks for stopping by.

#vocfilm

The Art of The Kill...Aaron Brown shoots Devin

This is what happens before I had an Art Department!

Assuming there is truth in the statement “every picture tells a story” one can only surmise that photographer Aaron Brown is a man of very many words. I’ve had the luxury of knowing Aaron for more than a decade and his work behind the camera is nothing short of phenomenal. He’s travelled the world and has captured real Life, real Stories every step of the way. To call Aaron a shutterbug is almost an insult. He is a director, an artist, a dreamer, a cynic and a poet.

When it came time to find a photographer to shoot the VOC movie poster, Aaron was my first and only choice. Yes, I entertained offers from other folks (all fine photographers, too) but Aaron brought a sense of understanding to the table that no one else could mimic.

During our initial meeting, I walked Aaron through my thoughts on what I wanted the poster to look like. Admittedly, I am not a photographer. I tell my stories with hundreds of words or with hours of film. However, trying to be as helpful as I could, I designed a movie-poster concept and did my best to sketch it out, hoping that Aaron could use it as a frame work. My artistic endeavor left very little to the imagination. I believe Aaron still has a copy of this on his refrigerator.

After a good laugh, Aaron let me know that he understood what I was going for. He also recommended that we capture the feel through a minimalist approach.

Devin Reeves, our movie’s lead, is a complicated man. He exists 100% in that grey area between Right and Wrong, Good and Evil, Life and Death. The day of the shoot, I challenged Aaron to capture all of that; the duality of character, the dichotomy that is Devin, and I was not disappointed.

Over the course of a few hours, in one of the most appropriately mind-blowing settings I could have imagined, Aaron set his lights and conveyed in a single shot the story it will take me more than 60 minutes of film to tell. But that’s Aaron’s gift.

Scattered throughout this post are outtakes from the movie poster shoot. It was a very dark and intimate affair with only myself, Aaron and Buddy Wayne Goettsch on set. The session was….inspiring. That really is the best word I can use. The only real difficulty came days after the session when I had to select one single photo to become the centerpiece of our poster. If I could have, I would have used them all.

The official VOC movie poster will drop here this coming Wednesday, kids. In the meantime, head on over to http://www.aaronbrownphotos.com/ to see some more of the man’s work.

-paul

Buddy Wayne Goettsch as Devin Reeves

"Something wicked, this way comes..."

#vocfilm

Who do I have to kill to get this movie made?

Hi!

I’m Mike.  I am the Executive Producer of “Victims of Circumstance”.  I was recently asked why I got involved with VOC.  So I’ll do my best to explain the set of events that led me to this project.  In a weird way, I was the first “Victim” of circumstance.

Twelve years ago I was fortunate to meet a talented artist named Buddy Wayne Goettsch.  Over the years, we’ve kept in touch and I recently needed to book some performance talent.  So I called Buddy and he said he had the perfect guy to work with for the small production I had going.  Buddy introduced me to Paul Celestin and here is where "chance favors the prepared".  It turns out that Buddy and Paul were exactly what I was looking for and we immediately clicked.  A few weeks later, I was dropping off their paychecks and Buddy happens to mention this other project that Paul wrote and directed.  I ask for some details like why it wasn’t done yet and Buddy tells me I should talk to Paul for more information.

So Buddy sends me a copy of the script, and swears me to secrecy.  I read the entire thing in an hour (and loved it!) and dropped Paul an email.  We chat that evening and he fills me in on what the current state of the project is.  From his description “Indefinite Hold” would have been an understatement.  I make him an offer to help get the project moving again and he agrees.

Here is where things get weird.  We made a short list of ideas to self-promote the film.  Maybe 3-5 things total on the list.  I won’t share it with you here because some of the ideas got shelved or replaced and now the running list is much closer to 30 things.

Needless to say… if you every see me doodling on the back of a napkin….

Well let me put it another way….as I am writing this post, I have a napkin hanging from my refrigerator that calls for some VOC material to be released on YouTube in the very near future.  Stay tuned!

Everything we have done to date has brought more energetic and creative people into the VOC fold.  And more ideas crop up daily. 

So I would like to take a moment to say “Thank You!” to all of the people who have given time and energy  to get VOC to where we are now: Paul, Andi, Jeff, Sarah, Buddy, Amanda, Dan, Matt, Randy, Geoff, Aaron, Robby, Chad, Kristel, Brandon, Dan R, Michael, Tom, and all the friends and family who take the time out to ask how it’s going, give a word of encouragement, and stop by to read this blog.

Thanks to stopping by, we have more First Look material coming your way!  -Mike

#vocfilm

Robby Celestin...'nuff said

At least once every day I have the honor of saying the words: Yes, Robby's my brother.

For those of you still living in a cave, or on the Moon, or in Iowa, Robby Celestin is hands down one of the greatest vocalists and performers ever. Bar none. For over 20 years (he started his first band at Age 5) Robby's music has served as the soundtrack to thousands of lives all across the world.

When I was writing the VOC script I developed a key scene between Devin and Caitlyn, a moment of raw emotion that I knew would transcend words. I realized that what the scene needed was something deeper, something personal, something that would reach people in a completely different way. What I needed was a song by Robby.

Working with one of his favorite musical collaborators, the uber-talented Buddy Wayne Goettsch (who has his hands all over VOC, by the way), Robby set to work crafting what promises to be a truly fantastic, new original song. This was new ground for him as I challenged him to write a song about longing for that which you cannot have, a theme he had yet to explore in his music.

The tune is being written as I type and based on the preliminaries I've heard I believe it is going to be more than I was hoping for. But that is one of Robby's greatest assets as a singer/song-writer: He always gives you more than you thought you needed.

Don't take my word for it, though. If there is any truth to Nepotism I could possibly be biased. So do your ears and soul a favor and head on over to http://www.robbycelestin.com/ to see what the man is all about.

-Paul

#vocfilm

"What in the hell is V…O…C?" A graphic interview with artist Matt Winecke and director Paul Celestin.

Graphic artists are like ninjas or special forces sent in before the army to soften up enemy defenses.  Their work is the tip of the sword in a marketing war.  For every product brought to market there is some thought put into, who are we selling this to?  With that in mind, a film is no different, but adds a layer of complexity because a film has an inherent visual style that needs to be captured and communicated by the graphic artist.  The logo for Victims of Circumstance went through a few versions before it was ultimately polished and locked.  My first notes were, “definitely something strong, I’m seeing black and red”. 

“What the hell is V…O…C?” was Matt’s first question.

But he set to work and within a couple of days he produced some first pass ideas.  One of which you can see below on the left.  A few weeks later we had the final on the right.

The following is taken from an NSA intercept transcript:

 

Unidentified Agent:  What’s your favorite part of the logo?

MW:  Typography, the fonts are my favorite.  That’s the coolest thing I like about the logo.

PC:  The letters look like weapons, totally fits with the theme of assassination in the film.

Unidentified Agent:  Well now that the logo has been launched and has gone international, how do you feel about that kind of pressure?

MW:  I don’t view it as a pressure.    I view it as a challenge.  I think ‘how can I build them an image that meets their needs’?  It’s very cool.

As it turns out the O was a creative lark that ended up being a key component in the final design.  According to director Paul Celestin “[It’s] such a catchy logo….it just pops.  Whether I’m two feet from it or twenty it just catches the eye.”  If you like Matt’s work, drop us a line.

#vocfilm

Victims, aren't we all...

Greetings True Believers,

Paul Celestin, here. I wanted to take this opportunity to introduce you to a new world, a new experience, a new story I call "Victims of Circumstance." VOC is my debut film as a Writer and Director. Very soon the wired-world will be set ablaze with our marketing campaign but before you find yourself completely engulfed in our viral flames I wanted to take a second to offer some details.

"Victims of Circumstance" is an independent feature film that will debut for purchase (dvd's and digital download) in early 2012. The movie tells the story of Devin Reeves (Buddy Wayne Goettsch), an assassin for hire currently working for Apollyon, a shadow-division of Homeland Security. A career criminal, Devin is experiencing a crisis of conscience as his past and current sins are slowly beginning to catch up with him. As a result, he is in a constant state of conflict with his handler Charlamagne "Charlie" Medina (Amanda Maul). Charlie knows that Devin is Apollyon's finest asset but believes that his current state of mind is keeping him from reaching his full potential. As a means to get him past his dilemma, Charlie forces Devin to begin sessions with Caitlyn George (Sarah Moore), a brilliant psychologist who specializes in Post Traumatic Stress disorder. Right and Wrong become blurred as Devin embarks on a quest for identity, torn between these women who come to represent the two worlds he needs to choose between.

A dark and gritty character drama, VOC takes the audience on an almost documentary-style trek through the dichotomy that is Devin Reeves. The limited number of actors involved helps to create the sense that Devin's world has almost completely closed in around him.

Rounding out the cast are Dan Maul as Carter, Charlie's #2 assassin; Brandon Berk as Hantover, one of Devin's marks; Paul Celestin as Anthony, another of Devin's targets; Kristel Pischner as Tara, Anthony's wife; Tom Petrizzo as Doc, a mysterious player on the board; Robby Celestin, Chad Celestin and Daniel DeRousseau as a trio of adversaries and Michael Gutierrez as an agent of Apollyon.

The film was stunningly shot by the fantastic Jeff Moore, scored by the multi-talented Buddy Wayne Goettsch and Executive Produced by the evil genius known as Michael Trentz.

More information is on the way. Stay tuned to this blog for the pending details.

And remember to keep your hands and feet inside the vehicle at all times. This promises to be one hell of a ride.

-Paul

#vocfilm

VOC: An Insider's Look

A professional assassin working for a shadow division ofthe government is faced with a crisis

of conscience and must choose between the man he is and the hero he longs to be.

The lines of Good and Evil become blurred on his moralcompass as the

clock ticks down to his final, life-changing decision.

J.I.Lange Productions Proudly Presents:

“Victims ofCircumstance”

a film by Paul Celestin

Starring: Buddy Wayne Goettsch, Sarah Moore, Amanda Maul, Dan Maul

Director of Photography: Jeff Moore        Musical Score: Buddy Wayne Goettsch 


Director: Paul Celestin


Executive Producer: Michael Trentz        Screenplay: Paul Celestin

#vocfilm