New Camera!

I had to purchase some Canon equipment due to the exorborant rental fees. They wanted $250/day and considering we will be gone for 18 days it just didn't make sense. We figured, "just buy the stuff". I always wanted to see how the Canon 5D operated and now I get a chance. I also got 4 pro lenses that are considered to be Canon's legends. We need to balance the Nikon dominated line up of equipment that we currently have with other camera brands to show a non bias. Never shot Canon but I am looking forward to it. Well, I did shoot Canon in the past, it was a small one.

So no new pics, no new ideas, and no new news.

1st Meeting W/the Crew

We all met at Canters in Hollywood last night (Luann couldn't make it) for the first time. We met Corinne once but that was during the auditions and Ron met with the production team by himself last week. This was the first time we all had a chance to gab and get to know one another. Ron was his normal very informative self providing them with endless amounts of information regarding the locations and what to expect. The next time we all meet will be next week in Hawaii.

Ron and I worked on the new wireless flash that was sent to us by Nikon earlier in the day. It was a great new toy but our other great new toy, the D200, was a lemon and had to be returned. Considering this camera is sold out everywhere throughout the U.S. we were concerned that we may not be able to get a replacement in time. Tim at Samy's Camera was able to exchange the body for us at no charge. The next few days Jag and I will be getting our proper attire for the Big Island and for the Southwest.

We Are Almost There

We made the reservations today for Hawaii and the Southwest. We are traveling to the Big Island first. Jag and I will be out ahead of the main group by 5 days to scout out locations with our location guide, Nancy. Nacy has worked with the Travel Channel, Saks Fifth Avenue, Bloomingdale’s, LL Bean, Volvo, Universal Studios, Eddie Bauer, Warner Bros. Pictures, and Neiman Marcus to name a few. She will be instrumental in assisting in the setup and the location "feel". From there it's off to the Southwest where we will be stopping at Bosque Del Apache and end up at Monument Valley. The cast and crew will be meeting on Saturday (except for Luann. We meet her tomorrow just before she leaves on a G3 for the Sundance Film Festival) to get acquainted with one another and to go over the overall strategy. It should be tons of fun.

I will be documenting the events of our travels on this blog on a daily basis when it all starts so check back regularly.

The Three Finalists

Okay! Here you go!

From left to right:

Luann - 1987 Playmate of the Month, Beverly Hills Cop 2, Volcano, Terminal Velocity, Good Morning America Co-host, and much more.

Corinne - Several film credits that include Beatiful Mind, Catch Me If You Can; TV credits include Sex and the City, Law and Order, Biography -"Shape Up Week". New York runway model.

Tiffany - TV credits include The O.C., American dreams, 8 Simple Rules, Arrested Development.

So who did we choose? Well, it was difficult but we felt that we needed someone who was mature and articulate. As a result Luann will be with us in a role of student AND co-host. She just has that mature feel to her as well as the mere fact that she can sell!!! She's articulate and very intelligent. We also chose Corinne. We felt that Corinne would provide us that contrast and balance that the shows would need. She's smart and believable as well as motivated. She was very excited and eager to take on the role. Tiffany is our backup and though it was close between Corinne and Tiffany we felt that Tiff's "younger" look would not serve us well in the advanced part of our DVD.

In the end it was tough. I didn't know hiring talent would require so much involvement. So our crew is set. We all fly out on Jan 31st and it's up to me now to make all the reservations. Room, air and car. It appears we have a pretty fun group which is very important when you will be together for 2 weeks 12 hrs a day. I'll release the schedule soon.

Congrats!!!!!!

He helped found Adforce in the mid 90's that was eventually sold for $500,000,000 to CMGI in 1999. Later that year he helped start Toucan Media (same people who started Adforce). Toucan sold for $50,000,000 to no other than CMGI in 1999 as well. He co-founded Winstar and helped bring it public but finally met his match and lost a bit. A couple of years later that same group decided to start Dmarc. Well, Google bought Dmarc last night for 1.4 billion, that's billion dollars! Why am I posting this? Well he's my friend AND I just found out that he is part of another business. Seems like he knows what he's doing. If you knew what company he was involved with right now wouldn't you strongly consider getting involved with it???? Shhhhhhhh, I know the company he is involved with. It's it's it's it's.....Big Picture Enterprises! That's right! Eric K. is a major shareholder with us and we are proud to know he did VERY WELL with Dmarc. Congrats Eric! You deserve it. Now bring some of that luck our way and let us make you more $$$$$$$$.

You Have Got To Be Kidding Me...

Here is something I thought I would post. I was on the phone yesterday confirming the site locations we are going to be shooting at. One of the sites is a lavish resort in Oahu. Can't say the name but it's a big name. When I called to confirm them, the Director of Marketing told me that, "...after careful thought they would not like us to shoot on their property." I said, "What happened?" You'll love what she says next. She said, "It scares us that potentially 60,000,000 people will hear about our resort through your infomercial. We don't want that many people knowing about us." What the...? I thought the point of building a business is to market and advertise to INCREASE your customer base not hide behind a rock and hope people show up.

We are holding a casting call at Disney's Burbank studio tomorrow. We have been dealing with the head of talent scouting for Disney and we have managed to get the conference room for 5 hours, HD cinema cameras, and a look at their actresses for the entire time we are there (5 hrs). All this would be normally be very very expensive. We got this for....get this....FREE! Why? Could it be that Disney may be interested in working with us with regards to our continuity product? That's the buzz.

Some have asked if we are having a pre-launch party. Given that this weekend is likey to be the last weekend we can do something I highly doubt it. Too many things to do still. If there is one I can't make it. My weekend with the kids and I promised to take them places. And since I am the one supposed to coordinate, if I can't go then guess what? It aint happening. Unless all of you would be interested in having a pre-launch at CEC!!!

We are working out the details to the actual Launch Party. Should happen while we are in post production.

Big Picture Enterprises, LLC

We've been up and running since the 3rd of this month. With the engine primed and all cylinders opened, this juggernaut is operating at full speed no longer recognizing "stop signs". It's all green from here on out. The entities aligned with us are HUGE to say the least. Nikon has hooked us up with the gear (we'll be shooting Canon gear as well albeit Canon isn't on board) and Eizo our monitors (super high end stuff). The team which brought names like Cortislim and Hooked on Phonics to the masses are on and excited to say the least. Their expertise in the Direct Response (informercial) arena is the match we have been looking for. Filming starts in 3 weeks and we are putting the finishing touches on talent, location, website, and radio. We're also under budget by ALOT! We start in Oahu making our way to places like North Shore, LaniKai, Pali, and Turtle Bay. From there we head to the Big Island. Volcano National Park, Black Sand Beach, and waterfalls. Go home, rest, then it's off to the Southwest where we will be filming at Bosque del Apache, Anastase Ruins, Choco Canyon, and Monument Valley. Tiring to say the least but well worth it. Once we are done with post production it'll be time for the launch party so stay tuned. Our logo includes a shot from Monument Valley. What do ya think? By the way, Monument Valley happens to be a site where many if not most Westerns are filmed (outside a studio location ofcourse). You will soon see why it's a favorite amongst movie guys like Eastwood and John Ford.

Our final casting call for both the Hawaii and Southwest sessions will be this week. If there is someone you may feel fits what we are looking for e-mail me. Remember, for Hawaii she must have an "island" look to her but not overly Asian. And for the Southwest...well, you know. The camera has to love them! Email me!

Melissa and Jay

This wedding was fun to shoot. Melissa and Jay are very nice people and they had a great time throughout the day. The camera just loved Melissa and her sisters. They couldn't take a bad shot! The bridal prep was at the Cerritos Sheraton, across the way from Fridays. I hung out at Fridays for a bit before the meeting with Greg just to collect my thoughts and think back a bit. Melissa and Jay were very poised and calm. They had tons of fun and I know they will have a great life together. Have fun in Thailand guys! The reception was at the Summit House. Greg, thanks for calling on me once again. Let me know anytime! Click here to view their slideshow.

Location Scouting

I was on the Island of Oahu last week scouting out locations to shoot for an upcoming project. The sunsets in Hawaii are just stunning. There wasn't a bad sunset the entire time I was there (4 days). Unfortunately, there weren't enough clouds to add any drama to the scenes either. My friends, Pete and Jill, showed me around the island. Pete was sick and I appreciate that he still spent time with me. We should be going back to Hawaii later this month to begin our project. The top picture was taken at The IhiLani Resort at Ko Olina. The below shot of Pete silhoutted was taken at Puente Point in North Shore.