A Busy Year So Far!

2012 has beeen a good year for filmmaking, but not for blogging.  My apologies for failing to update more often.  I will confess, I should make a better effort!

A great deal of my time has been devoted this year to the feature film Susie's Hope, which tells the true-life story of Donna and Susie Lawrence.  The survivor of a vicious pit bull attack, Donna finds her purpose in life when she adopts Susie, a pit bull mix who was abandoned in a park-- beaten, burned and left for dead.

I served as the Screenwriter for the film, developing the structure and first draft of the script.  (It was then rewritten by the film's director, Jerry Rees.)  I continued to serve the film throughout the year as a Producer.

The film was shot in May and early June, then went through a long post-production process that reached "Picture Lock" in mid-October.  Final processes, like ADR, Sound Mix and the Credit Sequence, will be taking place over the next few weeks.

We are all very excited to share the film with audiences in 2013!  Information about the film's release can be found at:
www.facebook.com/susieshope

I hope you will support the film!

During this time, I have also continued to pursue my MFA in Screenwriting at Hollins University.  Schedueld to graduate in May, 2013, I will have completed 5 screenplays and 2 television pilots during my time at Hollins University.

It has been a wonderful experience, and I will miss the program when I graduate. (But I will be eager to move on with my professional career!)

The feature-length script Ocean Drive, which I co-wrote with Brad Yoder, has been garnering some great reviews.  Fred Roos of American Zoetrope (and producer of films like Apocalypse Now, The Godfather II and The Virgin Suicides) had this to say about the screenplay: "With the lightness of a John Hughes’ movie, Ocean Drive delivers a touching tale of two teenagers from different sides of the track that refuse to accept what everyone says to be right, when they know in their hearts it is fundamentally wrong. In the right hands, it
could be a rare gem, a teen movie with heart that delivers a serious message."

You can learn more about the film at:
www.oceandrivemovie.com

We are proud to have found our first investors to the film, and we hope to be shooting soon!

The last nugget of news I have for this post is personal:  my wife and I are expecting our second child in early December!  It is a privilege and a delight to serve in the best role I've ever had:  Dad!

I truly appreciate the support and encouragement I receive from everyone!  I am only able to continue to pursue my passion for filmmaking because of the positive energy I get from you.  Thank you!
--DARK