Who I Am

I'm the author of fifteen fantasy, scifi, and horror novels and almost forty short stories of many dark and crunchy flavors. I'm a member in Active standing of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) and the Horror Writers Association (HWA). I've written several short and feature-length screenplays on my own and in collaboration.

Here's a selection of film festivals and screenwriting contests where my screenplays have been recognized.

Making a movie, however small, has been a dream of mine since I was probably twelve years old. But it's only been in the last decade that I've incrementally, by baby steps, come to believe I could make it happen. I've spent the last several years going to film festivals and events trying build my know-how and network of friends, professionals, and passionate filmmakers, and now I've invited some of them to join this project.

Your help is critical to making this the best project it can be. Filmmaking is expensive, and while this is strictly micro-budget, I feel strongly about paying artists and professionals for their work.

I'm a jack of many trades -- in the publishing industry, one has to be, plus I was an engineer in a previous life -- so I'm going to do a lot of the work myself, but I still need the help of skilled people to help shepherd the project. To that end, I've assembled a super-team of Horror Avengers.

Why this Project

When I made the decision that 2021 would be the year I made a movie, I needed a story, then a script.

I love cosmic horror. I love dark comedy. I love the Muppets. And I love social commentary. Mashing up all of these with a little blue puppet came in a burst of inspiration that told me I was onto something.

We have a script, and we have a team. Full steam ahead.

Inspirations

To give you sense of where this film is coming from, and what to expect when it's finished...

Why Now?

How many of us spend years waiting for something? The time isn't right. Too much in the way. Fear of risk or failure. The older I get, the less patience I have for things that stand in my way, including myself.

By now, it's a cliche to say the year 2020 was utter hell, and it's not over yet. But it was the kind of hell that can focus one's priorities. I'm an artist and a storyteller, and the world needs more art. It is how we cope with hell. As endless crises stacked up on top of each other over the last year, art and entertainment became our lifeline. How many hours have we all spent trapped at home bingeing shows and movies?

This project is your opportunity to bring more of that into the world, with new faces and voices.

So the question should be: why not now?

What We Need

I believe very strongly that creative people should be paid in more than exposure, and those costs are reflected in our wishlist.

With your help, we increase production value at every level. The more money we raise, the slicker and more professional everything will look. If we meet our goal and go beyond, the stretch goal funds will be used to enhance post-production and to pay festival entry fees so that our movie gets seen.

We'll do our best with every penny we have.

What's in It for You

Aside from the obvious benefits of getting to see the final film (on DVD or by digital access) and the satisfaction that you helped bring it to life, you'll get updates throughout the course of making the film. You'll be able to watch it happening.

The goal is to be open, honest, and having fun with making a movie we'll love, and then sharing all that with our supporters at every step of the way.

We also have some amazing incentives, as you can see right here.

Pandemic Problems

Everyone on set will be required to have had their COVID vaccinations. We're going to be shooting in late July and early August, so our hope is that everyone will have had the opportunity by then, and the crisis will have largely subsided. We'll be following whatever the current public health guidelines are at that time.

Other Risks & Challenges

If I've learned anything since I started learning filmmaking is that it's literally a miracle that any film gets made. Filmmaking is an enormously collaborative endeavor, and the multitude of ways a production can go disastrously off the rails, human-caused or otherwise, makes any filmmaking project an effort of will, determination, and the shared belief in doing something cool/meaningful/artistic.

My first experience on a set was as a production assistant on a music video. A few hours into the prep for shooting, some personal drama among performers emerged on set, which threatened to torpedo the entire production. It was only the quick thinking, empathy, and quiet determination of the director that got things back on track and finished the shoot. I intend to emulate that approach if adversity arises.

I'm old enough to have a firm grasp on the long list of things I don't know. Filmmaking is such a collaborative endeavor because there's so much to know, a huge array of very specific skills, one person simply can't do it all. Fortunately, I'm putting together a professional team.

Other Ways You Can Help

If you can't contribute right now, but you still want to help, here's how:

• Follow this project.
• Please share this campaign with friends who love horror and indie filmmaking. Tell them about it. Instagram it. Tweet it. Share it on Facebook. Tell your parents, your sister, your cousin, your comic shop friends, your roleplaying group, your co-workers, whoever you geek out with when you're excited about horror movies and creative indies.