Apollyon Case File #20110611PSC : ECHELON Capture

The only difference...is Perspective

For the 12th time today I've checked my Task Calendar and realized that, while technically On Schedule, I have miles to go before I sleep. Very soon Victims of Circumstance will debut to the world and I can't tell you how terrifying and invigorating that fact is. It is the double-edged blade that calms my nerves and keeps me up at night.

At the moment I am staring down notes...lots and lots of notes. Notes from the Editor. Notes from the Social Media Marketing Firm. Notes from the Executive Producer (though to call those Notes is somewhat misleading; Mike Trentz deals in Volumes). Notes from musicians. Notes on the pending website. Notes on the pending marketing blitz. Notes on things I'm not free to talk about at the moment (but trust me, they're very, very groovy). It's gotten to the point that even my legal pad has hired an assistant and my wife has resigned herself to the fact that, after the children are put to bed, at least 2 hours of my night is devoted to VOC.

Considering everything going on at the moment I realize that it would be all too easy for me to let Frustration overwhelm me and alter my perspective for the rest of eternity. Don't get me wrong, I've tight-roped that line once or twice but one of the things that brings my feet back to the ground is my memory; specifically my memories of the first day of the VOC shoot.

Almost 12 months ago the cast and crew assembled on a frigid and blustery morning. Hot coffee turned cold within minutes. Fingers were thawed through the windows of parked cars. Actors were bundled with blankets in between shots. The wind was painful. Our throats were raw from speaking through the cold. And I was never happier while working on a project.







The adrenaline. The anticipation. The knowledge that I was starting something I knew would be amazing. Those are the memories that keep me grounded and those are the memories that make me enjoy every second of my current chaotic existence.

Amidst the mountain of notes on my desk, one stands out amongst the rest. It is a weathered and beaten post-it that I stuck to my computer almost a year ago today.

It reads:

And that I do.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have some work to get back to.

-paul

#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