INDUSTRYINSIDER
AMERICAN BRED continued
BROKEN ROADS
I have been so blessed to experience things I never thought I’d get the opportunity to experience. My film seen all over the world, renting it, buying it off the shelf in stores, premieres and screenings all over the nation. It’s all just been a blessing. We worked so hard, I mean as we speak it’s 3am and I am working. It is the constant work we had to do to take this film from page to screen. People ask me all the time, “how did you do it?” Honestly it was spending every waking moment working on it. I remember I would be on Facebook and see people spending time at the beach, clubbing it up, traveling, mind you all these people claiming wanting success in this business… And I go how the heck do they have time to do all that stuff when I can barely find the time to spend with my fiancé. Then I realized, obviously success is going to take a little bit longer that way, than this way. So that tamed the envious spirit that had a tendency to build up in me when on Facebook. Really understanding you have to wait till your tree grows before it bares fruit. Now, you don’t have to sacrifice your life, or personal life, completely. I’m not saying that. But you do have to let everyone in your personal life understand that your work is just as much part of you as they are, and they will have to accept that, if they are going to be a part of it. Takes some very strong people to be friends or love someone like that. But the future success will be a
direct result from that belief. So when you’re sitting in the theater with everyone around you, all your friends and loved ones, they will all agree, it was worth it! Something that was unexpected, is after thousands of people have seen your film, every one of them is going to have an opinion. Now your film is like your baby, it’s so wonderful when you get the messages from people on how your film has changed their life and how beautiful and proud they are of you etc. etc. But the people who feel you need to know how much they disliked your film; you want to pull your hair out and go why waste your time? In my case since I don’t have hair, drink or do drugs, you can imagine I probably take these things a bit more to heart than the next guy. I mean people tell me you have got to put the haters and the people that don’t like you behind you. I tell them the problem with putting the “haters” behind you is it makes it easier for them to stab you in the back. So over time I had to learn to just look at them dead in there face and say, “You’re not going to defeat me.” As well as distance myself from reading that crap and also understand that you can’t please everyone. So it honestly just made me a stronger person and filmmaker.
honest. So we needed Broken Roads just as much as Broken Roads needed us. Broken Roads taught us the ins and outs of making a motion picture and everything we needed to know to make a good film. That’s why I feel Broken Roads led us to American Bred. Immediately after we filmed Broken Roads, I put pen to paper and penned the script for American Bred in 5 weeks. A story that truly centers on family, trust and what defines us. American Bred is something we have never done before. I think people are going to be shocked. It’s a complete departure from Broken Roads. It’s me developing as a filmmaker, taking a peek into my dark side (Laughing). I think I’m breaking more into my artistic arena as well. Feeling as though I’m waking up from a comfortable and safe place within myself. Trying to push my limits, not playing it safe. Everything about American Bred makes me uncomfortable, from the graphic scenes, bl ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????e??????????????????????$??????????%?e???????????????????????????????????$?????e????????????????????????????????
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