Gregory Lamberson's Blog, page 19

The Next Big Thing: Lamberson on Storm Demon

The Next Big Thing is a meme for writers.  Each participant answers ten generic interview questions, then tags five other writers who will do the same (if they choose), and lists the blogs/social media of those writers so people can read their interviews as well.  I was tagged by Simon West-Bulford (http://www.simonwb.com/); be sure to see who I tagged at the end of my interview.  In the event that any of the authors I've chosen have already participated or don't wish to participate, I offer a polite shrug.  Here we go:

What is the working title of your next book?

The novel I'm currently writing is titled Storm Demon. It's the fifth book in my occult detective series The Jake Helman Files.

Where did the idea come from for the book?

I'm building a universe in which figures from different religions and mythologies exist along with the supernatural to wreak havoc on mankind, and one man in particular, ex-cop turned private eye Jake Helman.  Each novel is a self contained story that serves a greater mythology.  A lot of the ideas for this one were planted in previous books in the series.

What genre does your book fall under?

I call the series supernatural action.  All of the books contain horror, but each one incorporates another genre: Personal Demons was noir; Desperate Souls was crime drama, Cosmic Fores spun Lovecraft's mythology, and Tortured Spirits had elements of James Bond and mercenary movies.  For Storm Demon, I'm embracing the disaster genre.  People who don't care for horror tell me all the time that they like my work and think I'd find more success working in the mainstream, but this is what I love.  Still, any agent or publisher who reads my work will see that I move pretty effortlessly from genre to genre.

What actors would you choose to play your characters in a book rendition of your book?

I try not to think about that, but I'm also a filmmaker and it's hard to avoid; sometimes I see different actors as I'm writing.  Personal Demons was originally a screenplay I wrote back in 1986; at the time, I thought James Woods would make a great Jake Helman.  Since then I've pictured Reed Diamond from Homicide: Life on the Street and even Mark Wahlberg in the role.  The problem is these guys keep aging!  Right now Alex Skarsgard from True Blood would be my choice; if they messed his face up to play Jake he could really stretch, and Michelle Forbes would be perfect for the villainess in Storm Demon.  But when I write these books I don't see an actor, I see Jake Helman, who's more badass than any actor.

What is the one sentence synopsis of your book?

The fate of New York City hangs in the balance when Jake Helman must battle the storm demon Lilith to save a friend.

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

I've never self-published and I don't have an agent.  All of my novels have been published by Medallion Press, and my zombie novella Carnage Road was published by Creeping Hemlock Press. I hope to find time to write a straight crime drama this year, and I suppose I could end up self publishing that as an experiment.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

I just started this book two weeks ago and I'm 25% finisihed.  I expect it will be a two month process.  Six months is normal, but I've waited a long time to write this story.

What other books would you compare this book to within your genre?

I understand there's a pretty good story about a flood in The Bible.

Who or what inspired you to write this book?

When researching two Biblical characters for Cosmic Forces, the third book in this series, I came across stories of Lilith, Adam's first wife, and knew right away that she had to join Jake Helman's gallery of rogue villains. I think I might be creating the coolest dysfunctional family in horror literature.

What else about this book might pique the reader's interest?

Besides sex, violence, action, monsters, and supernatural drugs?  There is a continuity to this series that I think readers will enjoy.  Storm Demon answers a mystery that I laid the foundation for in the second book, Desperate Souls, so there's a real payoff. There's another aspect that I think people will love: I've developed a nice cast of supporting characters in this series, and this is the one that brings them all together, like the Scoobies on Buffy the Vampire Slayer.  Of course I have an agenda that precludes things from working out as expected...

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And now for my list of victims.  Be sure to check out the blogs/social media for these talented authors.  If they choose not to participate, I offer a polite shrug, but you should check out their sites anyway.   I believe they have a week to post their interviews, but if they're like me they don't give a damn about the rules!

Jeff Strand
http://jeffstrand.wordpress.com/

Gabrielle Faust
http://www.gabriellefaust.com/

Jeff Jacobson
http://www.jeff-jacobson.com/

Brian Harris
http://boxsetbeatdown.blogspot.com/

David L. Tamarin
http://www.severed-cinema.com/uglyworld

The Frenzy War Giveaway

I want to thank everyone who participated in my December giveaway of TORTURED SPIRITS, Book Four of The Jake Helman Files. For January, I'm giving away five signed copies of my werewolf novel THE FRENZY WAR, Book Two of The Frenzy Cycle:



http://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/sho...

Dreadful Tales Reviews TORTURED SPIRITS

Review sites for horror literature come and go, and those that stick around change contributors, frequency, and slants.  Since I started writing novels, two of the venues I've most enjoyed having my work reviewed on have been The Horror Fiction Review and a site currently called Dreadful Tales.  HFR is the brainchild of Nick Cato, and Dreadful Tales is a partnership between Colum McKnight (who originally started reviewing my work for his solo site, Paperback Horror), Meli Hooker (who reviewed for This Brain Must Die), and Pat Dreadful.  I admit that one of the reasons I've liked these sites is that they've always been supportive of my work (Cato gave me a boost with his review of my first publication, the small press edition of Personal Demons).  Becuase I primarily write series in which continuity plays a strong role, I like these reviewers because they're familiar with the series, and I genuinely look forward to what they have to say about each new entry.  There are other reviewers I feel the same way about, among them Desmond Reddick from the podcast Dread Media, Colleen Wanglund from Monster Librarian, Bob Freeman from Occult Detective, John Rizo from Horrornews.net, and Norman Rubenstein, who bounces around a lot of review sites.  I also always look forward to reading reviews on Publishers Weekly and Library Journal. 

McKnight is a diehard Jake Helman fan (bles shis heart), and I'm always curious what his reaction will be.  There's some kindred spirituality between us, and I remember when I was a crazy fucker like him.  His full review appears here:

http://dreadfultales.com/2012/12/11/tortured-spirits-by-greg-lamberson/

I'm posting more excerpts than usual because there's a through line here.

EXCERPTS:

I won’t hesitate to say that this is one mean bastard of a book. Easily the longest in the Helman series so far, Tortured Spirits starts off with a bang (no pun intended), and goes straight into a plot full of the author’s trademark intrigue and action. Lamberson knows how to craft a story that reeks of drama, and this one is no different at all. In fact, I’d say that it’s the best example to illustrate his precise attention to detail. But I can tell you this (and it’s a total spoiler), Jake gets laid more than usual in the first 80 pages, so I should have seen a thorough ass kicking coming. It’s in the cards at that point, right?

And if the Helman formula is correct, once you’re on the other side of that first 80-100 pages, you’re into a whoopin’ likely to leave your grand-kids feeling sore.

Having said that, it’s no surprise that Lamberson doles out the brutality to his most well received character. Each installment into this series sees some part of Helman broken, bruised, sliced, chopped, shot, stabbed, slapped, or whatever and, when I spoke to the author earlier this year, he informed me that I’d be in for quite the surprise at how much he laid into the character this time around. To say I was surprised by how true Lamberson’s word were is the biggest understatement of the year. I’m not even going to play games here. I was pissed at Lamberson, but felt like an idiot at the same time because I should have come to expect it.

But now… now I’m at a loss for words, if only because I can’t figure out for the life of me whether Lamberson loves or hates Helman. Time will tell, I guess.

Last year, when Cosmic Forces hit the shelves, I thought Lamberson had done all he could do with the series. I didn’t think the series was dead. No, no, no. But I figured the author would never top a monster so epic and insane as what he presented in Cosmic Forces. Not that there’s anything nearly as huge as the massive religious themed boogey-thing that the author dreamt up for that one, but in terms of action, well damn… I was proven – Oh. So. Very. Wrong.

Savoring the insanity that makes up Lamberson’s character and world-building skill is somewhat a treat to avid readers like myself. Here we have a seasoned author, a very intricate series, and enough storylines just built in to the whole. It’s virtually impossible not to imagine the author having a whole stockpile of baddies in his warehouse, all waiting to pop out and slaughter the reading public, one by one.

Tortured Spirits is a blast. It’s equal parts crime drama and supernatural action-adventure, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see the next instalment of the Helman series blow into other genres and maybe expand on threads left dangling in some of the previous books – one of which I’m absolutely desperate to read about.

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I assure Colum that I love Jake, but you always hurt the ones you love. :)

Going IndieGoGo with DRY BONES

I recently annouced that I'm producing a new comedy horrror film, DRY BONES, this spring.  Michael O'Hear initiated the project whenhe hired me to write the script, and I liked how it turned out so much that I offered to produce it.  Michael is directing and co-staring with Melantha Blackthorne, and we've already cast several other roles and have lined up a crew.  We have an 18 day shooting schedule, which will be comprised of one six-day week and six weekends.  In true SLIME CITY fashion we'll be shooting primarily in my house, but we're building sets as well.  Production begins in late March; we'll finish shooting by the end of May, edit over the summer, and will have a completed film in the fall.  As the producer, one of my responsibilities is to raise the necessary funding.

DRY BONES is budgeted at $10,000 - $12,000, and I've already raised commitments for $7,500, which is pretty good.  That leaves a minimum of $2,500 to raise to make our movie, and I'd really like to make it $4,500.  I'm going to raise the money through a combination of investors and crowdfunding, ie IndieGoGo.

The pitch to investors:

The minimum buy in for this project is $500.  Once the film has been completed, any money generated from exploiting the motion picture from screenings or DVD/VOD distribution goes to investors first.  Once each investor has recouped his complete investment, any Net Profits will be split 50/50 between the investors and the film company.  If the film goes over budget, points will be sold from the company's share, so the value of the investors' capital contributions will not be affected. If the film comes in under budget, the value of the investors' share will increase.  $500 buys a minimum of two (2) Net Profit points.  Anyone can invest more than $500, in increments of $250 (one Net Profit point).  As always, I stress that no one should invest in this or any other film unless he can afford to lose his entire investment.  Anyone who tells you that you're guaranteed to make money on a film is unscrupulous at best.  Investors will receive different producerial credits based on the level of their investment; under $1,000 makes you an Associate Producer, over $1,000 makes you a Co-producer.

Crowdfunding is another story.  Contributors make donations as low as $25 with no expectation or possibility of making money down the road, solely for the satisfaction of participating in a worthy project or helping an artist.  I've been resistant to crowdfunding opportunities because I've seen people abuse the process to the point of harrassment.  A friend of mine calls this "cyber panhandling."  But there is no denying that some people have had success going this route, and I've made a commitment to raise the necessary funding.  So off we go with IndieGoGo; I promise not to be a pain in the ass with this.  Here is my IndieGoGo pitch:

http://igg.me/p/291738/x/78828

DRY BONES is a feature length horror comedy in the tradition of such popular 1980s films as FRIGHT NIGHT and HOUSE.  The film is written and produced by Gregory Lamberson, who is responsible for the cult classic SLIME CITY and its sequel SLIME CITY MASSACRE. The film will be directed by Michael O'Hear, an actor who appeared in SLIME CITY MASSACRE and SNOW SHARK: ANCIENT SNOW BEAST (which Lamberson produced).  It will star cult actress Melantha Blackthorne, who has a strong following in genre circles.

PRODUCTION PLAN

DRY BONES has a budget of $10,000 - $12,000, and already has $7500 raised through investors.  Shooting begins in late March 2013 and will wrap by the end of May.  The money raised through IndieGoGo will supplement the money already raised.  Editing will occur over the summer and the film will be completed in the fall.  Shooting will take place over 18 days: one six-day week and six weekends.  The finished film will be submitted to film festivals, and DVD and VOD distribution are likely.

Our goal is to make a funny, entertaining film.  The content is R rated.  An emphasis will be placed on the quality of the acting, although our production plan calls for some unique set construction and special effects which will add production value. 

The New Republic recently posted an article entitled "The False Promise of Kickstarter," which described how many projects offered for crowdfunding are never completed (http://www.tnr.com/article/politics/magazine/110225/the-false-promise-kickstarter?page=0%2C0).  We're all familiar with self proclaimed artists or entrepreneurs who have squandered capital contributions and the time of volunteers and never even completed their projects, or moved on to the next one before properly exploiting the work.  This will not be the case with DRY BONES.  Producer Lamberson has a proven track record, having completed four feature films of his own as a writer-director-producer (SLIME CITY, UNDYING LOVE, NAKED FEAR and SLIME CITY MASSACRE), all of which were released on VHS/DVD.  He produced SNOW SHARK: ANCIENT SNOW BEAST, partly funded through IndieGoGo; that film will be released on DVD in February 2013.  Lamberson has never started a film project which he did not complete; donations will not be wasted, contributors will have a completed film to show for their generosity.

WHERE DOES THE MONEY GO?

On a micro-budget film like DRY BONES, the majority of the creators, cast and crew are volunteers who are donating their time because they strongly believe in the project.  Those who are paid are professionals who do this kind of work for a living.  Expenses include set construction; special make-up effects; art direction; costumes; equipment rentals; gas money; and food (an 18 day shoot will require at least $1500 for food alone); footage must be stored on an external hard drive; and money will be required for film festival submission fees when the film has been completed.

THE STORY

DRY BONES tells the story of Drew, a troubled man who returns home after 35 years only to discover that the creature he imagined living under his bed is real.  Worse, it's a succubus, and it's been waiting all these years for Drew to come home and release it.  As several frightening and hilarious situations and dehyfrated corpses pile up, Drew comes to realize that the succubus is impersonating several of the key people in his life.  The story builds to an outrageous climax that will leave viewers laughing and screaming.

OUR TEAM

Our key production team consists of people dedicated to their craft, who want nothing more than to make a good movie, with no shenangeans:

Gregory Lamberson: Writer-Producer

Lamberson is the screenwriter, director and co-producer of SLIME CITY, UNDYING LOVE, and NAKED FEAR, all of which have been released on VHS and DVD.  He produced SNOW SHARK: ANCIENT SNOW BEAST, which will be released on DVD by POP Cinema in February 2013.  In 2012, he worked as the Line Producer and 1st Assistant Director on MODEL HUNGER, the directorial debut of Debbie Rochon, and as the 1st AD on the werewolf film WARD'S ISLAND; both films are currently in post production.  In the past, Lamberson worked on Frank Henenlotter's BRAIN DAMAGE as 1st AD; WEST NEW YORK as Associate Producer and 1st AD; I WAS A TEENAGE ZOMBIE as Production Manager; and PLUTONIUM BABY as 1st AD.  SLIME CITY MASSACRE won several film festival Awards, including Best Feature and Best Actor at the PollyGrind; Best Actress at the Eerie Horror Film Festival; Best Scream Queen at the B Movie Awards; and the Polished Apple Award for Best Sequel.  He is the author of eight published books, including CHEAP SCARES: LOW BUDGET HORROR FILMMAKERS SHARE THEIR SECRETS.  In 2012, FANGORIA magazine called him "The Hardest Working Man in Horror," and in 2013 Medallion Press will publish his novel THE JULIAN YEAR, which is thhe first TREEbook (Timed Reading Experience E-book), a cutting edge e-book platform utilizing time triggers and branching technology.

IMDB credits: O'Hear has long been a staple of the Buffalo acting community, and has appeared in 27 films, among them SLIME CITY MASSACRE (on which he also worked as Casting Director and 1st Assistant Director), SNOW SHARK: ANCIENT SNOW BEAST, HOUSE OF HORRORS: THE MOVIE, its sequel HOUSE OF HORRORS: THE GATES OF HELL, MODEL HUNGER and RETURN TO NUKE EM HIGH.  He has also done extensive theatre work.  In 2011, he initiated DRY BONES by hiring Lamberson to write the screenplay, which turned out so well that Lamberson decided to produce the film himself.  DRY BONES will mark O'Hear's directorial deubut, with Lamberson acting as his 1st Assistant Director.  O'Hear will also co-star in the film with Melantha Blackthorne.  As director, he is committed to ensuring the best possible performances from his cast.

IMDB credits: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxmxCcQLO14

 

Melantha Blackthorne: Star

 Blackthorne is a cult actress who has appeared in at least 36 films and video games, garnering a large fan follwoing.  She has also worked as a writer, director, producer and stunt woman.  In DRY BONES, she will play three major roles, including the shape shifting succubus who preys on the sexual desires of men.  Her multiple roles will enable her to showcase her many talents.

IMDB credits: Durick is the author of the instructional filmmaking book FILMING THE UNDEAD: HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN ZOMBIE MOVIE.  He was the special make-up effects supervisor on SLIME CITY MASSACRE and THE FINAL NIGHT AND DAY.  He is the winner of the "Best Western New York Special Make-Up Effects Artist" award at Buffalo Screams Horror Film Festival, as well as the award for "Best WNY Genre Film" for his short THE CAMPER.

Arick Szymecki, Special Make-Up Effects and Special Visual Effects

Szymecki is a special make-up effects artist who worked on SLIME CITY MASSACRE, SNOW SHARK: ANCIENT SNOW BEAST, and other area films.  He is also the effects and actor supervisor at Frightworld Screampark, the largest haunt attaraction in Buffalo.  He is also versed in camera technology and post production.

IMDB credits: McGinnis is a long time actor in the Buffalo theatre community, and the last few years he has been working in local films, including SNOW SHARK: ANCIENT SNOW BEAST and the award winning short SOMETHING AFTER MIDNIGHT.  The role of "Tom" in DRY BONES was written for him to take advantage of his comic skills.  At the 2012 Buffalo Screams Horror Film Festival he won the "Local Hero" and "Best Original Screenplay" awards.

IMDB credits: Gabriel Lopez, Illustrator

Lopez has been making a name for himself as the artist behind several small press, limited edition book covers.  For DRY BONES, he will be contributing creature designs and storyboards; he already created our logo, seen above.

A FINAL NOTE

Crowdfunding for independent films usually consists of "perks" for contributors - a movie poster, a DVD of the finished film, or other merchandise.  But what good are these perks if the film is never finished, or if it's so poorly made as to be unmarketable?  We're not offering any swag - we're offering the opportunity to contribute to a quality motion picture that will be completed and which will generate press and probably a distribution deal; we're offering screen credit at the end of the film, and an invitation to the premiere in Buffalo, but that's it.  The satisfaction will come from the finished project.

 

Greg Lamberson's 2012 Wrap-Up

It’s that time of the year again, which is to say, the end of the year, when we look back on our achievements, acknowledge or failures, and gaze toward the future with optimism.  I tend to wrap my year a few weeks early because once the holidays come crashing down there’s no time for anything else.  Also, I have a book deadline looming, which in itself sums up this year.

Kaelin graduated from kindergarten and started first grade.  She learned to swim, has become an avid reader, loves Spider-Man, and is excelling in school.  My wife Tamar and I don’t have much, but we sure have a great kid (and each other).  

Two friends passed away: Michael Louis Calvillo, whose courageous battle against cancer inspired so many of us who followed it; and Shannon “Spidey” Wheeler, whose death seemed to come out of nowhere but also stemmed from an existing illness.  Michael wrote for me at Fear Zone, and I enjoyed a long distance friendship with him.  Shannon worked on SLIME CITY MASSACRE.  Both were bright, talented, and had amazingly positive attitudes, and they are missed.  On a brighter note, Chuck Sevola, a friend back in high school –many years ago! – learned he had leukemia and beat it – another inspiring fight which had a happier outcome.

At the beginning of the year, I found my work hours cut to almost nothing thanks to the machinations of a woman who wanted me out of the office and her husband in.  A shakeup at the company improved the situation, but Tamar had issues with the same woman and I ended up serving my notice.  Thus we find ourselves gazing at the abyss once more, like Charlton Heston and Roddy McDowell and that great chasm matte painting in PLANET OF THE APES.  We soldier on.

I had three books published in 2012: the zombie novella CARNAGE ROAD, the werewolf novel THE FRENZY WAR, and TORTURED SPIRITS, Book Five of The Jake Helman Files.  I consider the books my three best works, and the reviews they received were stellar (such as the starred review for CARNAGE ROAD from Library Journal), but I’ve become frustrated with the quantity of the reviews, which has decreased each year rather than head in the other direction.  Something’s got to change, and Tamar and I are developing a presence on Goodreads which is already showing positive results.

I worked on two feature films this year.  I was the line producer and 1st AD on MODEL HUNGER, the directorial debut of Debbie Rochon which stars Tiffany Shepis and Lynn Lowry, and then I was the 1st AD on a big werewolf film called WARD’S ISLAND, which stars Dennis Haysbert, Ernie Hudson, Wes Studi, Bill Duke, Craig Sheffer and Ariana Richards.  I can’t say either project was fun, but they were paying jobs, I worked with some great people, and I believe both will be good films, which is all that matters at the end of the day.  Debbie was a pretty phenomenal director, and Lynn and Tiffany delivered two amazing performances (I look forward to seeing Wolfgang Meyer’s cinematography as well).  On WARD’s ISLAND it was exciting to work with that cast, most of whom had great attitudes, but I especially enjoyed working on a professional film with locals Sam Qualiana, Paul McGinnis, Kash Costner, and yes, John Renna. 

I had a great year in terms of print press: FANGORIA ran a long interview with me and dubbed me “The Hardest Working Man in Horror,” and RUE MORGUE just ran a story on my upcoming novel THE JULIAN YEAR, the first TREEbook (Timed Reading Experience E-book).  I spent much of the year working on this project, which in many ways was the most challenging I’ve tackled.

Medallion Press took me to three big conventions this year: Chicago Comic Con, Fan Expo Canada, and New York Comic Con.  All three were enormous and fun.  This was my best year yet at FanExpo Canada, and NYCC was amazing.  Medallion also brought me to their impressive offices to work out the TREEbook – great people, I love working with them and spending time with them at the shows; so does my family.

I injured my shoulder over the summer, and five months later it still hurts; the doctor who told me I didn’t need PT deserves to suffer a similar fate.

We completed SNOW SHARK: ANCIENT SNOW BEAST, which I co-produced and Sam Qualiana wrote and directed, and had a DVD distribution deal lined up even before we premiered.  The film screened in Buffalo three times, Canada twice, and at Horrorfind Film Festival and the PollyGrind, where it won an award for “Best Title.”  Not bad for a $7,000 film.  It will be released in February.

This was the third year for Buffalo Screams Horror Film Festival.  In terms of the films we screened and the filmmakers who attended, and in the exceptional work done by Debbie Rochon as our Honorary Chairperson, it was another victorious celebration of independent genre filmmaking.  But we moved to a venue downtown that we hoped would increase our attendance and it did just the opposite, and some behind the scenes issues almost sank the event; it’s a miracle we still pulled it off.  Next year’s festival will be a rebirth of sorts so no weak link can sink the ship.

2013 will see the publication of STORM DEMON, Book Five of The Jake Helman Files; hopefully I’ll write THE FRENZY WOLVES; and I plan to write a non-horror novel.  In the spring I’m producing DRY BONES, which I wrote and Michael O’Hear will direct, and which I’m making primarily to have fun.  I’m also directing a short film based on a feature script I never completed, and a short non-horror documentary.  Oh, and I’ll turn 49 in 2013;  I’m giving myself until age 50 to achieve certain goals.

Rue Morgue #129 and THE JULIAN YEAR

RUE MORGUE #129, on newsstands now, features an article on my 2013 novel THE JULIAN YEAR, for which I was interviewed by writer Charlotte Stear. THE JULIAN YEAR is the first TREEbook (Timed Reading Experience E-book), an e-book platform created by Medallion Press that utilizes tine triggers and branching technology. To learn more, read the article!

Between this and David Goodfellow's interview with me in FANGORIA, it's been a hell of a year for print press. This is actually the fourth piece that's appeared on me in RM: there was an article on JOHNNY GRUESOME and two on SLIME CITY MASSACRE. Hopefully it all increases readership for The Jake Helman Files and The Frenzy Cycle.

I'm jazzed to see that the cover of RM #129 features NIGHTBREED and Craig Sheffer, with whom I worked on the werewolf film WARD'S ISLAND in the fall.

Writing DRY BONES

This week I announced the title of the film I'm producing in the spring, DRY BONES. We'll be going into production one month after SNOW SHARK: ANCIENT SNOW BEAST is released on DVD. I'm willing to bet that around that same time MODEL HUNGER will be finished or close to it, and I can't wait for that premiere. The status of WARD'S ISLAND is completely unknown to me.

About one year ago, Michael O'Hear, an actor friend (He's Roman in the SLIME CITY MASSACRE flashbacks and professor Hoffman, the Ahab like figure in SNOW SHARK) hired me to write a screenplay for him to direct and star in at one of those periodic times when this starving artist faced a financial cliff. Michael had hired me to rewrite a script for him once before; the script turned out well but the film was never finished for many of the reasons that plague indie films - it ain't that easy folks, just ask the myriad people out there who spend two years promoting a film project on Facebook, deluding people into believing they're filmmakers, only to never complete their projects.

Michael had a concept for his project which dovetailed nicely with a concept loitering in my mind already, so I combined the two and wrote the script very fast (I could make a killing as a TV writer). So far I've written about six screenplays for hire, and I was pleased with every one of them on the first draft. This one pleased me even more than the others, though; we decided early on that we wanted to invoke a tone similar to the glossy horror comedies of the 1980s like FRIGHT NIGHT and HOUSE. There's always been a degree of humor in my films, but I've never written an outright comedy before, and I'm happy to report that this one reads funny (and gross and outrageous). It's my belief that for an indie film to generate buzz, and therefore attract a distributor and an audience, it needs to deliver material that an audience won't find in a mainstream flick, and it needs to deliver it well. (SNOW SHARK is an exception; it's fun, straightforward monster movie with a killer title that draws people to it).

Pondering the fates of the other scripts I've written for filmmakers who failed to raise the necessary funding, I told Michael I would produce the film. We've discussed it on and off for the last year; it was always a "go" for us, it was just a matter of clearing other projects (Michael acts in films, I write books and work on films, and we both work on Buffalo Screams). I don't have to direct every film I work on; producing and directing are two full time jobs, and doing both on SLIME CITY MASSACRE was challenging to say the least. I'll be Michael's AD, which is ironic because he was my AD on SCM. I'm also not interested in directing films that cost less than SCM, but I'm happy to produce them, especially for first time directors who need avice; call it paying forward.

DRY BONES is a micro-budget film. I'm hoping to raise $12,000 for it, but will be happy with $10,000. We've already raised $7,500, and without resorting to crowd sourcing or, as a friend calls it, "cyber panhandling." We may yet go that route, but I prefer to raise money the old fashioned way - the best way - which is to offer financiers the chance to own a piece of the film rather than beg them for donations.

To pull off a good movie does not require a lot of money, but it does require a script built around convenience and a primary free location, it requires planning, and it requires vision. I'm confident we have the script needed to make this film special, even at less than 20% of the budget I had for SLIME CITY MASSACRE. In a real return to my SLIME CITY routes, we're going to shoot the bulk of the film in my house, which means that my wife - who created the schedule - and daughter - who has a small speaking role - are in for a whopper of a film education.

The last two films I worked on were hard work, and that hard work is going to result in good films, but they weren't exactly fun (at least from my point of view). DRY BONES is going to be another story. As the producer, I have to make sure everything is hunky dory with cast, crew, locations, and special effects; as the 1st AD, I need to make sure that beyond getting the performances he wants, Michael gets the coverage the editor requires. We'll be using a tiny crew, made possible because the script was written to be shot primarily from one character's POV and most involve only two or three characters; I knew I was writing for a first time director so I kept things simple... for a movie about a soul sucking creature whose lived under a man's bed for 35 years.

Gabriel Lopez, a talented artist who works in small press publishing, created our logo for us; he's also going to do some storyboards. Melantha Blackthorne, with whom I was supposed to work on a film back in. . .2006? is the female lead. Melantha is gung ho for what I think amounts to very challenging work, and she will be the "face" of the film. I wrote two large supporting roles for local actors I know will nail their parts, and Michael is casting now. I'm concentrating on raising the rest of the money ($500 is the minimum buy-in), and then we'll worry about a final schedule, special effects, set construction, crew, etc. Pre-production begins in six weeks! It's going to be fun and I'm looking forward to it.

Here's some press the film generated this week:

Horrornews.net
http://horrornews.net/63020/gregory-lamberson-announces-snow-shark-dry-bones-and-other-slimy-bits/

IMDB
http://www.imdb.com/news/ni41761894/

Dread Central
http://www.dreadcentral.com/news/61959/first-word-and-teaser-art-horror-comedy-dry-bones

Hellnotes
http://hellnotes.com/gregory-lamberson-talks-upcoming-dry-bones-film-and-upcoming-books

TORTURED SPIRITS Giveaway on Goodreads

I'm giving away five free signed copies of TORTURED SPIRITS, Book Five of The Jake Helman Files, on Goodreads:





Goodreads Book Giveaway








Tortured Spirits


by Gregory Lamberson

Giveaway ends December 10, 2012.

See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

Enter to win

New Feature Film Project

I'm producing a new micro-budget feature this spring, a horror film with strong comedic overtones that's a throwback to slick 1980s horror flicks like FRIGHT NIGHT and HOUSE, with some erotic content and a gross out last act. Michael O'Hear commissioned me to write the script a year ago, and it turned out so well that I decided to produce it myself (I've written a number of micro-budget screenplays for hire for filmmakers who didn't realize how difficult it is to raise money, especially in this economy. Michael is directing and I'm assistant directing, which means I'll be involved in the daily set operations. The budget is $12,000, and I've already raised half of it; I expect to raise the balance, or commitments for it, by the end of the year.

I am looking for investors for this project - I'm also inviting them to participate in something special. Anyone who knows me knows that: 1) the film will be completed in a timely manner; 2) the project will likely receive legitimate distribution; 3) the team I put together will strive for a certain level of quality; thhere will be a certain amount of press involved.

We have a good script, we have half our budget, and as soon as we have the other half we'll begin pre-production. I'm only looking for investors at this time, so please wait until we're farther along to volunteer your services (we will be using a small, professionally minded crew). I am not doing a Kickstarter or Indiegogo campaign at this time. I'm not looking for people to donate money, but to invest in it and share in any rewards. Investors will have a legitimate stake in this film, and will receive first money after all expenses have been made, and will receive a producer's credit of some kind based on the level of their investment. I may do a crowdsourcing campaign later, before production or post-production, but that wil only enhance the value of investors' capital contributions.

Interested parties can email me at glamberson@verizon.net or send me a private message through Facebook.

Dread Media 274

On DREAD MEDIA 274 I discuss TORTURED SPIRITS, THE JULIAN YEAR, MODEL HUNGER, WARD'S ISLAND and the film I'm producing this spring.

http://www.earth-2.net/podcasts/dread...