The only constant...

First of all, thank you to everyone for your interest in working on this film. We were flattered by the number of qualified and talented individuals. So, again thank you and we look forward to working with you.

To update everyone, the script has undergone some significant changes, resulting in the need for new locations, cast, new everything. After much debate, rewriting, and outside input, we have collectively decided this is the one. We all felt that moving forward before the script was ready, was an exercise in the accoutrements of filmmaking, and storytelling was our aim, not experience.

We have faced the challenges that every independent filmmaker must. Hearing no. Challenging no. And then hearing no again. In retrospect, this experience has been filled with highs as well as lows. So we move forward with our victories and keep on. As always, a huge thank you to our supporters and financiers.

Currently we are securing locations, which is taking us up and down the eastern seaboard. We will update the blog regularly as we progress.

Help Along the Way

We've been very fortunate to meet some of the people that we have on the path to getting our first film in the can. Sometimes people see young artists and want to help pass along knowledge, or make sure they make the right decisions. Three such individuals that we are very lucky to have met are David Wyat, Keith Sherer, and Russ Schaaf.

David Wyatt is an entertainment lawyer based out of Greenville, SC. I met David on a trip he took to Charleston. After talking with David, he definitely seemed interested in what we were trying to do. He explained that he understood what we were doing, and what it's like to get a business off the ground. Being sympathetic to our cause, David offered his help. David is not our lawyer. One might say he's mentoring us through the legalities of starting a business, and producing a film. This is a first for David as well.

Another individual that we call a mentor, is Keith Sherer. Keith has had an impressive career in the film industry. With films like Driving Miss Daisy under his belt, Keith intrigued us. Keith was a beauty unit director of photography for The Notebook, and was most recently the cinematographer for an independent feature length film titled, Shanghai Hotel. He has an extensive knowledge of the film industry and pledged to mentor us as we make this film. We welcome his support with open arms.

We must also give a very big thanks to Russ Schaaf, Program Coodinator and Instructor for the Film Production Program at Trident Technical College. Russ was interested in helping our cause from the moment we first spoke with him about using TTC's equipment package to make our film. He's be a great guide and a very good source of support.

Until the next post, Cheers to David, Keith, and Russ.

Who is Hank?

I met Kristen Vincent in 2004 and realized that we both had aspirations of pursuing careers in the film industry. Luckily for the both of us, we hit it off. Through constant discussions on the matter, Kristen and I decided to start our own production company. With our respective knacks for creative talent and business, we were a winning combination. We also came to realize that we share the same ideas about the types of movies we would like to make.

Kristen and I founded Empire Zero Productions, LLC in December 2005. We then began working on the arduous task of producing a film to be shot with the 35mm that she and Jen had purchased. We had no idea how much we had in store. The Line Producer must also help with locations. The writer also has to call catering companies. It is a wonderful experience, and all three of us are excited to get this story shot.

Lesson Learned on Producing: Few people means filling multiple roles.

the wonders of ichat...

how excited am i for this film?! it's been almost a year since kristen and i decided to take the plunge into making a short on 35mm. i may have moved during our writing process, but we never let that stop us. though separated by coasts we have discovered our love of ichat. it has helped us stay away from racking up those dreadful cell phone minutes. it has been the best form of communication... and free!

these past months we have been getting good feedback from friends, colleagues, and different writers we have met along the way. i for one love honest critique because it will only help make our script stronger or push us in another direction that we may need to go. there are so many different elements that need to come together the next months it's exciting and a bundle of different emotions all in one.

cheers to kristen and hank for the idea of setting up the site!

The Writing Life

Something we both agreed on was wanting to produce an original script. In early January 2006, Jen flew to South Carolina and we spent that week writing, and before she left we had our first draft. Over the next several months, we continued to perform rewrites. Until, we had created something we felt (note: subjective emotional context) we were ready to have judged.

We have had many helping hands through the writing process, one of which I feel greatly indebted to is Dr. Franklin Ashley. His guidance, humor, and support have been unflinching. Thanks, man.

Lesson learned: Write often, write well.

-Kristen Vincent

The Beginning

It's only fair to start at the beginning, so here it goes. Jennifer Fodor and I worked on a feature film shot in Charlotte, NC last fall called The Ultimate Gift. We both worked in the production office, and towards the end of filming we were charged with the task of finding someone to buy back the 35mm short ends. The bids from short ends companies were coming in low, and joking around we tossed around the idea of buying them back and making our own movie. Well, it took us about two minutes to decide that was a brilliant idea, and we would do just that. Two weeks later, we returned to our respective homes with 13,000 feet of 35mm short ends.

-Kristen Vincent