Support Local Theatre! THE GIVER NEEDS YOU.

Instead of Uncle Sam, it MJ Slide and and Katie Payne need YOUR help. I'm currently seeking out local businesses and inviduals who might be interested in sponsoring a stage play I'm producing. The Giver, a stage adaptation of Lois Lowry's Newberry Award winning book and adapted by Eric Coble will be presented at the Furman Playhouse Theatre August 18th, 19th, and 20th, directed, produced and performed by an ENTIRE teen cast.

The cast and crew have banded together to cover a lot of the expenses out of pocket including royalites to use the script, funds to cover cover set construction, costuming, and promotional materials but we could seriously use your help to cut some of the heavy expenses in half. 

Director Katie Payne

Both this project and its Director Katie Payne I truly believe in, the story alone deserves your attention and I believe its a great way to unite the arts community around a group of young people who are defining the norm that medocity is ok and stepping above and beyond and making something that can and will have an postive impact. If interested in becoming a sponsor of the project I will send you the various information needed to complete the sponsorship. In return for the different level of funds we can offer advert space for your local business or charity of your choice in our playbill as well as promient advertising space on our official Facebook page and twitter stream. Basically its a crowdfunding campaign without kickstarter or indigiegogo as a platform. 

All the information for the production company on FB "That Awkward Stage Theatre Project" can be found here!  http://www.facebook.com/ThatAwkwardStageProject)

And THE GIVER official event page: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=134272379991995

Spread the word about the project and how people can get involved. Lets rock this folks! This is a joint effort, bringing the arts together on a level that can really make a difference.  Feel free to contact me directly at mj@magnoliahideout.com and I can fill you in on all the details.

Every $$ counts and affords a production that is clearly going to make some waves further its reach and impact our local theatre and audience for many years to come. Will you join us?

MJ Slide

Producer 

In which i write stuff about filmmaking at 2 in the morning.

Bit of a micro blog or sorts to get off my chest and off my mind but hopefully its sentiments will ring true with my fellow filmmakers. 

Some people sell insurance, others are florists, run ice cream businesses or raise families. I make movies. Its what I do. I literally cannot see myself doing anything else, or even half as well and with that amount of passion. I just came off a teaser trailer shoot yesterday and I'm on still on this high. My brain won't function properly, it keeps rehashing, learning from what I did right and what i could do better and most of all, i feel amped up, itching to get back on set again. This sense of longing, returning to the hustle and bustle, the constant intake, processing ,and bringing of ideas to life in the form of collaboration between mind, camera, and actor. There is seriously nothing like filmmaking. I brought on half a dozen extras who has never stepped foot onto a film set before. Noted we were shooting gureilla but they just went with the flow with these fantastic grins on their faces. They got bossed around, drank pop and ate crafty, played fake chess, watched other total strangers make out for the camera, run around in a crowd with a girl who looked like she just got the crap beaten out of her and you know what they said? That it was pretty much the coolest experience they had had in a long time and they couldn't wait to do it again. 

I tell ya, its like a frakking drug. Once you're hooked you just can't let go. To bring those many different types of people together, with all their imput, perspective, and creative ability that they willingly infuse into a project happens rarely and when it does it tops the certfied "Made of Awesome" list.  I'm gushing I know but I'm hoping my brain will let me sleep once I get this all out. 

So many people have asked why I've taken on a feature length film. Deep down it might be for an extremely selfish reason but basically I want to work on a story i love and care about and so does everyone else whose a part of the team and get to work on that story with those characters and those awesome peeps as long as I possibly can.  The world needs the florists, the homemakers, the insurance sales reps, and the world needs filmmaking. I know I do. 

A little house cleaning

 More like blog cleaning but you get the idea. I decided to start a new blog after purchasing the official URL and rebranding my production company which in now "JUNK INK FILMS" cause I feel like indie film can be considered one man's trash and all the cool people's treasure.

Anyhow, if you're interested in checking out my old blog with almost a year and a half of blog posts chronicling my journey through the entire creation of THE SAVING and all the ins and outs of that production, you can find that HERE.


In the mean time I've included below the last post I wrote concerning twitter and the first of a three part series concerning Social Media and the indie filmmaker/screenwriter. Feel free to check out and I hope all my readers can make the switch between blogs simply and without pain. Thanks so much for reading! - MJ Slide

---------------

This is the beginning of a three part series concerning my experience on twitter and the benefits of being on and staying on.  Bullet points today of general thoughts and the next post will be concerning #Scriptchat and other good stuff.

1. You can form real lasting friendships with 140 characters as your format and all those who say you can't are either ignorant or just haters. Probably both.

2. Forget watching the news, I realized i check my twitter feed for all the latest updates of things brewing around the globe.

3. You cannot run a successful film and or build an audience without a faithful twitter presence.

4. Twitter is a two way street. You wanna get something out of it, be willing to invest your time, energy and personality and you know, genuinely care about people, their projects and how you can help them succeed.

5. You shouldn't be a screenwriter or filmmaker and not be on twitter. You're cutting your legs out from under you. The bevy of advice, feedback, and all around good times is a steady encouragement to my muse and all its ramblings.

6. The people on twitter are cool. Where else can you carry on a conversation with a producer, photographer, actor, small business owner, screenwriter, and stunt guy all in one false swoop? Film school does not offer this sort of access at all times.

7. Twitter is about giving back. Its a give and take. You make DVDs for me, I send a Mac your way so you can finish coding a nifty pre-production software that will blow minds. You should WANT to give back.

8. Twitter is for people who never want to stop learning. I have an awesome infographic of the History of Science Fiction posted on my wall in my office because some nerd like myself had to share it in his feed. (its AWESOME btw) I've benefited in so many different ways, that being just one of the examples. Be it people like Sheri Candler, Jon Reiss, Edward Burns, Chris Jones, Film Courage Radio, or just any filmmaker/screenwriter I know whose posted something, a helpful link to film budget legal documents, QR code generators, or the newest episode of Script Cops, they're there and they're helping and guiding to greatness. Even if they don't know it :-)

9. Your logline for your screenplay is only short enough when you can post it in one tweet. #Screenwriting and social media working hand and hand, who knew.

10. Twitter has taught me to care more and hate less. Its opened my eyes to how many different cultures operate even within the boundaries of 140 characters and I feel like if you want to learn about the world from the confines of an office, twitter is the way to go.

Next up: #SCRIPTCHAT and other awesomeness.

Seattle and then some.

post interview photo with an indie radio station about STIFF

EMP: Tower of Guitars. Now this was cool.

EXT. EMP - DAY

EXT. EMP - DAY - CONTINUOUS 

This one pretty much explains itself.

Pimping THE SAVING yo.

Seattle has some truly bad arse graffiti artists. 

STIFF Awards Ceremony!

Swag!

Some of the things you guys helped purchase :D
1. Nifty water bottles
2. DVDS!!
3. STICKERS

Paper Heart - a Tribute

A one page screenplay I wrote in honor of my older brother Stephen who is currently serving in the US armed forces. Happy Memorial Day One and All!



EXT. SIDEWALK - DAY


KATIE,(17) bundled up against the cold has her head buried in a book sitting at the edge of the sidewalk.


She taps her right shoe in time to an unheard tune. 


The foot suddenly stops.


Katie's eyes appear above the book. 


Another girl stands in front of her. MJ (18). Katie smiles up at her friend. MJ doesn't smile back. She looks like she's been kicked straight in the gut. Katie's face falls. MJ hands over a note.


Katie lets the book slide into her lap and she takes the note.


INSERT - NOTE


We are very sorry to inform you that Staff Sgt. Stephen Eastin has been injured in the line of duty.


BACK TO SCENE


Katie's hand reaches out for MJ's but she shrugs it off and flops down next to her friend on the sidewalk curb.


MJ leans over and rests her head on her Katie's shoulder. She's fighting back tears.


Katie stares at the letter and then quietly takes it in two hands and starts folding it into intricate forms. 


MJ glances over and pulls herself up off Katie's shoulder.


Katie finishes folding and hands the paper back to MJ. 


MJ holds it up to the fading sunlight. Its shaped like a heart.


A weak smile slips onto her face. She and Katie share a knowing look and then embrace in a hug. MJ digs a pen out of her jacket and scribbles something on its exterior.


Katie pulls herself to her feet and offers MJ her hand. MJ takes it.


INT. HOSPITAL ROOM


A pair of manly hands opens a sealed envelope. The paper heart slides out. On its surface it reads "I love you."


FADE TO BLACK

First Look

Here's the DVD cover art for the official STIFF student block compilation DVD. Whatcha guys think?