5-15-04:
Think you've seen the Burning Annie Store? Think again! Announcing the NEW BURNING ANNIE MEGA-STORE, featuring everything you've been asking for-- more colors, more designs, more cool items of every kind.
We're so excited about the Store, we're making you a special offer-- for the next two weeks (until Friday, May 28), you can DESIGN YOUR OWN ITEMS. Tell us what you'd like to see-- it could be your favorite line from Burning Annie, a favorite image, an icon from our website, or just something you want to say to the world-- and we'll put it on the product of your choice for you to buy.
As if that's not enough-- the BA Mega-Store is having a SALE through 6/1. Just use coupon code DADNGRAD and save $4 on orders of $40+! There's simply no better time to show your support! (All money raised goes to the expenses that come with screening the movie all over the country and world, such as film festival and press kit fees. Help BA come to your town!)
5-14-04:
A new BA Newsletter just went out, chock full o' updates. Check it out.
5-11-04:
The Burning Annie Store is having a limited-time only SALE-- use coupon code CPNEW25 to get $2 off orders above $15. Through Tues, May 18 so act now...
5-2-04:
A big congrats to one-time BA extra Mickey Fisher, who has written and directed a new feature film called King of Iron Town, which premiered recently. Read about the making of it!
4-26-04:
In addition to the FIRE SALE on select items, the Burning Annie Store is having a Mother's Day sale-- save $4 off orders over $40, with coupon code MOMROCKS. Only through Monday, 5/3. The BA Store finances our film festival appearances, so get yourself something nice today!
4-23-04:
NOW AVAILABLE-- The Screenings page now has Quicktime movies of the post-MassBay Q&A, featuring writer Zack Ordynans and several of the real-life inspirations behind BA's characters! Seven films in all-- check them out!
4-15-04:
BY POPULAR DEMAND, Burning Annie is coming back to Worcester, MA! Another screening has been added-- Saturday, May 22, at 4pm in Razzo Hall (in the Traina Arts Center) on the Clark University campus (during Clark's Reunion Weekend). Pre-show lecture and post-show Q&A to be led by Professor Tim Shary.
Details here.
Read the new Newsletter!
4-13-04:
If you're in Los Angeles, the AFI is bringing ANNIE HALL to the Arclight Cinema on Wednesday, April 21, at 8pm. It's part of their 100 GREATEST FILMS series. Get tickets here.
4-12-04:
Spring Sale time at the Burning Annie Store-- all headgear (hats!) is $2 off with coupon code GOSPRING. Only through Monday, April 19, so get yours today!
4-11-04:
Burning Annie took the top prize of BEST FEATURE FILM at the MassBay Film Festival! Despite being up against considerable competition, our little film prevailed, winning its first award at its first festival appearance. 2004 is off to a great start! Check out the Official Announcement.
Since the film was such a smash hit at last week's screening (see above and below!), we're working on a plan to bring Burning Annie to Clark during Commencement Weekend (May 21-23). DETAILS COMING SOON!
4-7-04:
Apparently BA struck a chord with the students who attended the MassBay screening.
One student's blog says: "4.3.04. Today I went to see Burning Annie at Razzo Hall. It was beyond great. It was made by a couple of Clark alumni and basically inspired by and takes place at Clark. Unfortunately, the administration here wouldn't let them film the movie on campus so they filmed it at a school in West Virginia (which looked eerily similar to this campus)."
Another student blog says: "The script is brilliantly witty and would seem to be begging for comparison to Woody Allen himself, if not for its moments of modesty and self-deprecation. It doesn't take itself too seriously and that is its charm. The film's editing was fun and playful, fitting into the rest of the film perfectly. Absent of any stars, the acting was quite impressive. Overall, this was a superb film, and I hope the best for everyone involved. They are still looking for a distributor, and I hope that a studio is smart enough to pick Burning Annie up for mass distribution. An incredible film."
4-5-04:
A huge THANKS to everyone who helped make our MassBay screenings such a success! Look for a MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT in the next few days...!
4-3-04:
TODAY'S THE BIG SCREENING IN WORCESTER! Two showings-- 1pm and 6pm, at the Traina Arts Center. [More details HERE...]
4-2-04:
Check out the NEW ARTICLE in Worcester Magazine about tomorrows MassBay screening!
3-27-04:
The BURNING ANNIE Store is now having a "March Madness" sale! Get $4 off orders of $40 or more-- that's like free shipping on two shirts, any style! Use coupon code MADMARCH. Only through Monday, 4/5, so don't delay!
3-25-04:
Tickets are now ON SALE for next weekend's MassBay screening in Worcester, MA. Reserve them through this link only. Prices are $5 normal, $3 student, or $8 for both films.
3-20-04:
FILM FESTIVALS GALORE! Our 2004 film festival run has kicked off, and a new SCREENINGS page has been launched to keep track of it all. We're going to be in every fest that will have us, so check back frequently There is going to be a LOT of news in the near future! ;-) :-) Don't miss out on the fun and excitement!
3-15-04:
A new newsletter is out, to let the world know about our upcoming festival screenings!
That's right, after a little break to regroup, we're back and going to be appearing... frankly... all over the damn place! I'll be putting up a "Screenings" page soon, but in the meantime, read the newsletter for the current list. AND CHECK BACK SOON!!!
3-10-04:
And in the category of "better late than never," we have a long-overdue live radio interview with writer/producer Randy Mack, now available at our Hamptons Int'l Film Festival page! Thanks to WWUH-- 91.3 FM, Hartford, CT.-- and Sam and Kevin at Culture Dogs.
3-9-04:
For a limited time only-- save $4 on every purchase at The Burning Annie Store of $40 or more. Use coupon code LUCKYGREEN in honor of St. Patty's Day! Through March 22, so don't delay.
3-1-04:
After discovering some links on the BA Review page were dead, we have converted them into permanent additions to the site. No more relying on others to maintain their archives!
2-25-04:
A SPECIAL SALE on Burning Annie merchandise has begun. Save $2 on all hats with the coupon code "WARMHEAD"... only through March 8. Get yours today!
2-4-04:
The Burning Annie Store is having a special WINTER SALE on all sweatshirts and long-sleeve t-shirts. And to help you stay warm, select coffee mugs now come with a free bag of gourmet coffee. This offer is for a limited time only so act now!
2-1-04:
A televised interview with writer/producer Randy Mack about the origins of Burning Annie is now available on our Hamptons FF page!! (thanks to WVVH!)
1-23-04:
LAST DAY to catch The Dollyrots in their HP.com ad! (see below)
1-14-04:
The Review page now has the full text from our Time Out New York review, which includes a new unedited photo from the Hamptons that has never been available before, as it was viciously cropped in the publication itself. A big thanks to Amanda, the TONY webmaster, for breaking precedent and posting the picture! Check it out!
12-30-03:
More soundtrack news!! LA punk outfit (and BA soundtrack superstars) The Dollyrots are infiltrating movie theaters all over the nation! They've landed a SWEEEEET Hewlett-Packard commercial-- go to any of these movie theaters and listen for "Feed Me Pet Me" before the movie! The Dollyrots will be in theaters until January 23, so get out there and check it out.
12-25-03:
Hey! BA soundtrack favorite Bent Blue is the "Band of the Day" over at GarageBand.com, and the "Song of the Day" is BA soundtrack anthem "I'd Give Anything." Please check it out and give 'em a good review! (You know Jesus would. ;-)
12-18-03:
THIS JUST IN-- more exclusive multimedia from the Hamptons! This time, it's a Quicktime movie of the filmmakers from a HIFF
Q-n-A session. And don't forget to check out all the NEW PHOTOS too!! (Big thanks go out to Mike "Charles" Dorrian!)
12-15-03:
CHECK IT OUT-- now on the HIFF page, a brand new interview with BA star Gary Lundy, recorded LIVE
for the Hamptons Int'l FF. Hopefully, before too long we'll have the rest of the interviews
available for your listening pleasure... including a riotous tv
interview! Stay tuned.
12-3-03:
Just in time for the holiday season, we've finally posted the
somewhat-definitive HIFF journal entry, written by our delightfully preoccupied Executive Producer Dave
Bernstein. It features a bunch of brand new photos, too so go check it out!
11-27-03:
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!
11-20-03:
Check out the IMDB-- our own Kathleen Perkins is the Person of the Day!! It'll be
gone soon, so here is a screenshot...
11-10-03:
Yet another photo update of the Hamptons page. This time, thanks to Dave Bernstein's dad!
11-7-03:
They keep coming! Still yet even more photos have come in! Plus
the recipe to make a "Burning Annie" cocktail.... All on the Hamptons page.
11-5-03:
Another batch of Hamptons photos came in! Check 'em out...
11-3-03:
Another big update to the Hamptons page, plus the whole website, too. Most notably, there is now a Review page for all our reviews!
11-1-03:
MAJOR UPDATE to the Hamptons page! Photos, journals, a NEW REVIEW from Time Out NY... Lots of stuff, with more coming...
10-27-03:
I'm back from the Hamptons! Exhausted to the bone, but I threw
up a NEW Hamptons page to hold y'all over...
10-25-03:
Both our screenings SOLD OUT, and then some! They had to turn away over 100 people on both
Friday and Saturday. Awesome! The film's a hit with the East Hamptonites. I guess there's a
reason this is called "Woody Allen country."
10-23-03:
Holy guacamole! Check out this NEW REVIEW from the East Hampton Independent!
10-21-03:
Well, I'm off to the Hamptons, with 150lbs of promotional crap!
10-19-03:
Thanks to the magical skills and generosity of my man David Orr, we've got some television footage from the making of Burning Annie available for download on the our Press page. Featuring an interview with director Van Flesher.
10-17-03:
Our Hamptons parties are finally locked down! Here is where the action will be at!
* Thursday, 10/23-- Rowdy Hall (10 Main Street, (631) 324-8555). ~7pm, meet for drinks
in the bar area!
* Friday, 10/24-- The Farmhouse (341 Montauk Highway, (631) 324-8585). 8:30pm.
Bar area. Across the street from the East Hampton House, one short
mile from the theater. This is our BIG BLOWOUT!
* Saturday, 10/25-- The Laundry (31 Race Lane, (631) 324-3199). Back patio. 4:30pm-7:30pm,
immediately following our Saturday screening. Just a few blocks
from the theater. Last chance to unwind and knock a few back before
the Awards ceremony (8pm).
10-12-03:
Check out Burning Annie on TV! Back when we were shooting the film at Marshall U., we
made the local news not once but twice. The clips have finally
been located and captured for your viewing enjoyment on the Press page.
10-8-03:
Yes, the merchandising thing is finally up and running, and so far it appears to be
a much bigger success than we ever dared to hope! The baseball
T's are the current fave among men, while the 3/4 T's are the
ladies' choice. Hmmm.... something to do with the Great Underdog
World Series of 2003, maybe? If so, how appropriate!
Money raised goes to feeding, clothing, and sheltering our Volunteers
and Street Teams at the Hamptons, as well as the cost of promoting
the film in NYC, Boston, and so on.
We also need merchandise to give away to judges, jurors, and
celebrities! Wouldn't it be awesome to see (say) a star like John
Cusak wearing a BA hat in the news?? Yes, it would! That is why we're accepting
donations of merch through October 17th. Just buy an item, click
"Gift," and ship it to c/o Burning Annie, 140 E. 40th St, Apt. 5J, NY, NY, 10016.
10-6-03:
We have just learned that we are TEMPORARILY SOLD OUT!! Apparently, the HIFF stops online ticket sales at around 50%,
because of pass-holders, comps, judges, jurors, critics, etc.
YOU CAN STILL GET TICKETS, HOWEVER!!
The remaining 50% are going on sale at the Hamptons box office
in East Hampton when the fest begins, Wed,10/22. Please plan ahead
and get yours ASAP!!
Finally, there is a SLIGHT CHANCE more tickets will go on sale
over the web... I will let the world know as soon as I hear they're
available, promise!
(PSST-- oh, and by the way, check out all the brand new BURNING ANNIE merchandise!)
10-5-03:
Tickets are SELLING OUT!! Here are the latest sales figures--
Friday, 10/24:
87 sold. Capacity: 186. = 47%
Saturday, 10/25: 119 sold. Capacity: 220. = 54%
Needless to say...BUY YOUR TICKETS IMMEDIATELY!! You snooze, you lose!!
10-3-03:
It looks like BURNING ANNIE fever is taking over New York City!!
Read this exciting NBC News article and be amazed at our widespread influence!
10-2-03:
We are already over 1/3 sold out!! We just received the statistics
from HIFF:
Friday, 10/24:
60 sold. Capacity: 186. = 32%
Saturday, 10/25: 89 sold. Capacity: 220. = 40%
And this is after only FIVE DAYS!! (see right below here to buy tickets)
9-27-03:
Tickets are now on sale!
Get yours ASAP, before they're gone!
TO BUY TICKETS:
Click here for ticket information; from there, click "Films" (left menu) and then click "Burning
Annie" in the middle column. A window will pop up with a link
to TicketWeb.
9-24-03:
Finally, the Hamptons Int'l Film Festival (HIFF) has formally
announced their selections, complete schedule, and special events.
** WE MUST SELL OUT OUR SCREENINGS!! The fate of the film is at stake!! **
If you're in the NY area, please tell everyone you knowto attend!
If you're planning on attending yourself-- 1) ACT FAST, because
the hotels are already selling out (no exaggeration!)... 2) we
could really use help promoting the film, so we're putting together
Street Teams to hand out flyers, postcards, matchbooks, and other
BA merch. If you've got a car, you are particularly needed! Email me for details!
9-16-03:
Yay, we have our next screening dates and times-- Friday, 10/24
at 1:30pm, and Saturday, 10/25, at 2:30pm. Hmmm... two matinees,
how odd. [Actually, it's not. Turns out, all the films in competition
screen during the day.]
Anyway, the Saturday screening is the KEY SCREENING in the life
of this film, because that is the one all our potential Distributors
will be at!! WE NEED TO SELL OUT!! Please check out our new Hamptons page for details, maps, etc.
9-5-03:
Max has finally gone and listed his "Top Ten Most Under-Rated Movies," now available for your perusal.
8-30-03:
Check out the new BA FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions), which answers everything from "What
Can I Do?" to "What about Kevin Bacon?"
8-15-03:
The DWF page has just been graced with a hilarious, hard-boiled look at our
LA screening... We are also expecting a MASSIVE influx of brand
NEW photos, so stay tuned and check back often...
8-8-03:
Today brings us a massive update to the DWF page, including over two dozen photos, and special sections for the
After-Party and DWF Awards Ceremonies. New Gen Arts pix, are up, too!
8-1-03:
On Wed, July 30, KUCI 88.9 FM (UC Irvine (Irvine, CA)) dedicated their show "the Celluloid Lounge" to Burning Annie, after DJ DVD attended the premiere on Saturday and loved the
film. Although we had never met him before- -and still have no
idea how he heard about the film-- we gave him a copy of our special
"Radio Promo" CD, which features music from the movie and seven tracks of
Max's radio show, as if Max has just heard about Burning Annie and is appalled that his life is being immortalized...
Now you can listen to the radio program in mp3 form, by going to the "Radio Special" section of the DWF page. (The songs fade out after a couple seconds, for bandwidth reasons)
7-29-03:
Ok, the first of our DWF journals is up, along with a couple pictures from lask weekend! Check
out the new DWF page...
7-28-03:
Check out the new review from Entertainment Today.
New interview with writer/producer Randy Mack has been posted
at Usounds.com .
Finally, some terrific new Comments are up at our IMDB page.
7-27-03:
We had an INCREDIBLE premiere, followed by an amazing party....
but we're too wiped out to talk about it...! But details (and
photos) to follow, promise!
7-24-03:
Only THREE DAYS left to get DWF tickets-- time to get your butt in gear!!!! No tickets will be available
at the door, so order now. If you're one of those people who still
gets the willies about online purchasing, just email me and we'll work something easier out.
7-21-03:
Some Bent Blue news, for those music fans living in the New York City/Philadelphia
area-- they are going to be playing the Cutting Room (19 West 24th Street) on August 8. They're doing a big bus trip
in from PA, so if you want to get on board, email Lee Shaffer.
In other Bent Blue news, their song on the BURNING ANNIE soundtrack "I'd Give Anything" has been released as a single, and it's picking
up airplay in New York state! Call 1800-222-0985 to request it
on stations WKRZ 98.5 FM and WKRF 107.9 FM.
7-15-03:
Check out this follow-up to our MSNBC review!
7-14-03:
The AFTER-PARTY is gonna be the bomb, yo! (That means very good indeed.) There
will be live performances from Get Set Go, the Randies, Pillow of Wrongness, New Maximumdonkey, the Dollyrots, and the Mormons, with surprise comedians and other performance artists. Keep
an eye peeled for celebrities, as we have at least two coming!
As the Tickets page mentions, your one ticket gets you into two shows-- the movie itself (with short film & Q? with the filmmakers)
and then the party. The party is $10 for regular people but FREE for BURNING ANNIE fans, so don't miss out!
7-11-03:
HOLY BEEZ-KNEES! Check out this review at MSNBC.com!
7-6-03:
The after-party for our DWF screening will be at 14 Below, which is ~10 blocks from the theater and has a diner, bar, games,
and a stage, from which a stellar line-up of artists will be performing.
Check this space in the next week for more details, including
the line-up of performers.
7-5-03:
The BBQ was a SMASH!!! Great turn-out and we sold 15% of all
the seats in the 5 hour event. If you think you can wait to buy DWF tickets, think again! They are selling extremely fast. If you are cast,
crew, or friend, we really want you there so GET YOURS TODAY!! Once the tickets are gone, you won't be able to get in to either
the screening or after-party!
6-30-03:
Check out the really nice, detailed write-up of the Had To Be Made Festival in the new issue of Filmmaker magazine. Unfortunately, the article isn't available on their website
(yet?), but if it becomes available, I'll definitely add a link
to it.
6-28-03:
Finally!! GET YOUR LA SCREENING TICKETS!! Seating is limited so act now! (Unfortunately, the festival doesn't
allow any comps, so don't ask!) These tickets are NOT available
anywhere else... unless you come to my barbecue...
I will be hosting a July 5th "Independence Hangover" barbecue at my place. If you're in the LA area, this is a great
opportunity to get some tasty food and get your tickets in person.
I will be accepting cash for tickets! (and maybe potato salad
but don't count on it.) RSVP-ing would be nice!
6-27-03:
THIS JUST IN!! Get a VIP DISCOUNT on tickets to our screening
at Gen Arts' "Ignite!" event in NYC on July 17. HERE'S HOW-- when you go to order tickets, write "guest of Van Flesher" in the "Comments" field, and $5
will be refunded to your credit card. That's how much we love
you!!
6-26-03:
At long last, the final piece of our suite of Interactive Features
is up and running-- Dysfunction Junction, the definitive catalogue of relationship chaos. Contribute your
story today!
SCREENING NEWS-- Tickets for our DancesWithFilms screening (Sat, July 26, 9:30pm) will NOT be available by TicketWeb, as we will be administering them ourselves! If you want a ticket,
we will hook you up! Come back to this site starting this weekend,
and you will be able to get tickets online. They are $11 each
(alas, DWF allows no comps) and well worth it! Tickets get you
admission to our after-party, too.
Those donation buttons seem to work! We've already received
enough money to buy a set of Priority mail stamps (for mailing
packages). Thanks, and keep the love coming!
6-25-03:
Check out the NEW WAY TO HELP THE CAUSE! Click one of the boxes
at the bottom of the main page, and donate a little something! All the money goes to promoting
the movie nationwide! Help an indie find distribution!
6-24-03:
The Relationship Profiler is up and running! No couple should be allowed to exist without
taking this test. It is a perfect activity for when your loved
one isn't around...
Tix to the screening in Santa Monica on July 26 will be available
any day now...!
6-22-03:
The new NEWSLETTER wasn't able to include this late-breaking news-- Gen Arts has put up their "Ignite!" page, which describes this NYC party/screening in detail. Get your
tickets now, they sell out fast!
6-21-03:
The new Newsletter is out, filled with updates about our premiere
in LA at the Dances With Films festival, our NYC screening with
Gen Arts, and our acceptance at the Rhode Island International
Film Fest. Read it!
6-15-03:
Our PREMIERE is going to be in July in LA... More info about
this (and the PARTY) coming next week!!
The NEW YORK CITY screening is confirmed! Mark July 17 on your
calendars, and stay tuned for more details!!!
Several of our Interactive Features are online now, but we've saved the best for last! Look for them
before the week is out!
5-29-03:
The latest newsletter has hit the masses like a nitrous-filled
zeppelin! Read it here!
5-20-03:
The newsletter is a hit!! Tell all your friends to sign up today.
It could seriously help us down the road, as a strong grassroots
showing will impress distributors and help put Burning Annie into
the world faster!
Lots of people write us, asking how they can help the movie.
It's simple! The website is, naturallly, the center of the grassroots
part of our publicity campaign, so one of the easiest things you
can do is help spread awareness of the website. All you need to
do is leave links wherever you go on the web. For instance, nearly
every movie news website has a discussion section (look at "Talkback"
at Aint-It-Cool-News, or Dark Horizons, or the IMDB, or Rotten Tomatoes, etc.) Nearly every site mentioned on our Press page has one, too! Simply post a message and put a link to www.BurningAnnie.com
in it!
This also works for guest books, blogs, and anywhere else you
can write something that is viewable on the web. Just paste in
the following code: <A HREF="www.BurningAnnie.com">BURNING ANNIE</A>
-- it will create a link that looks like this: BURNING ANNIE . In the interest of not being a public menace, try to put links
in places that are at least a little bit relevant to the film,
such as anything about college, romance, sex, film, humor, love,
comedy, psychology, Woody Allen, men and women, dating, independent
film, and so on. If you need ideas for places to put links, try
wandering through our website-- there is a lot of literature here
that could inspire you!
5-7-03:
A huge congratulations to Bent Blue, who just conquered a battle of the bands to open for Matchbox
20 at the First Union Arena in Philadelphia (at Casey Plaza)!!
The show is May 17, and tickets can be purchased through (who
else!) Ticketbastards. Bent Blue's incredible song "I'd Give Anything"
appears in 'BA,' and (on the down-low) rumors abound about a recording
deal with one of Sony's labels. Watch this space for updates on this exciting band!
5-1-03:
The website has undergone some cosmetic surgery, and all those
interactive features will be coming soon! For the moment, though,
sign up for our Newsletter! We will be letting you know about
Burning Annie screenings, shows by bands on the Burning Annie
soudntrack, exciting news on the publicity/distribution front,
and more. And we promise not to send them very often! What a deal,
huh?
4-15-03:
What's next for our masked heroes, now that the work is done,
the bills are paid, the chorus girls have gone home? Why, that's
a darn good question.
The plan at the moment is to hit the fests. The LA Film Festival
looms, and right on the other side of that is Toronto and Telluride.
I'm working doggedly to get a good producers' rep, and at the
same time trying to find the best publicist (next-to-no-) money
will buy. The key is patience, since it will be tempting to jump
into smaller fests just because they are soon, but doing that
might blow our wad too early (that's why this Spring, we're always
thinking of baseball).
If the whole film festival idea blows up in our face, we're
putting together a crazy-ass back-up plan that involves touring
the east coast, bringing the film to the masses. (Anybody got
a camper we could borrow?) Let's hope this never comes to pass.
Finally, this website is under new management and is about to
see some MAJOR changes. Among the features, we're gonna be adding
a mailing list, a showtimes page, several cool interactive games
and features (including the ones mentioned last October!), and
more. Look for an announcement soon and check back here regularly!
4-9-03:
Hmmm... Did I forget to mention... THE FILM IS FUCKING FINISHED!!!
Yeah, you heard me! It's D-O-N-E done! All I need to do now is,
uh... get copies out to all the festivals we've entered, and all
the ones we want to enter, and all the top producers' reps, and
all the actors who need footage for their reels, and all our investors,
and... and... and... gag
4-6-03:
I thought we were going to be done last week, but nope! The gods
of disaster conspired to give us a nasty little sync problem and
several minor but very noticeable color timing errors. So, it's
back into the onlining suite on Monday! A HUGE thanks to Bob Moore
and the nice folks at Bouquet Media. We couldn't have done it
without their patience and understanding.
On the financial tip, we are officially in debt for the first
time! Alas, I have done everything humanly possible (and sometimes
inhumanly possible) to make sure we never had to do this before,
but in order to get these last few weeks of finishing work done,
we had to deficit spend. Fortunately, we're only a few grand in
the hole (amazing considering we've had like $150,000 worth of
work done since January (for under 1/15th the price!), but the
vendors who were nice enough to give us services for a promise
are going to come calling soon. Pray for one last minor windfall!
And then we'll be in the clear.
3-27-03:
Just checking in. After the rough cut screening in San Jose,
I'm eager to get the film finished. Unfortunately, it looks like
it will cost another couple... make that few... make that several
thousand buckaroos. We have raised a little over half the amount
we need, just enough to get started on the final online ("onlining"
is the digital version of negative cutting). The final sound mix
(our fourth, believe it or not) was begun today, and I am trying
to get the people who botched our layback (PostLogic) to admit
it and let us do it again. We owe several vendors for work done
last month, too. Hopefully it will all come together.
In other news, our soundtrack has been finalized and it's just amazing. Featured artists include
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, New Maximumdonkey, the Magnetic Fields, Dirt Bike Annie, the Dollyrots, Self, the Shelley Winters Project, Ani DiFranco, All Your Base Are Belong to Us, Joshe Henry, the Randies, Ben Jaffe (of Skavoovie and the Epitones), Frank Black and the Catholics, Bent Blue, Pillow of Wrongness, the Mormons, A Place of Solace, The Chubb Sessions Band, and many more! Keep your eyes out for a new webpage celebrating
the music of Burning Annie...
3-14-03:
[Special dispatch from Zack the writer!!]
3-11-03:
We're back from our test screening at Cinequest!! It went great,
with an amazing audience response and fatastic buzz!! We're going
to post photos here, just as soon as they are sent in by their
respective photographers (you know who you are!)!
The only bad part of the Cinequest experience was that we had
to show an unfinished version of the film, as I was working on
the film until 2am the day before the premiere (!). There were
a number of minor sound and video problems in the version we showed,
as well as a horrible sync drift. The overwhelmingly positive
response is all the more amazing considering what the audience
had to put up with! Good bless everyone who came to our screenings!
Now it's time for me to get back to the business of finding enough
money to fix the sync... -R
3.4.03
About to enter Week 6 of finishing the film... The Cinequest
premiere is only 5 days away!! Still working, unfortunately....
2.22.03
I've been in the digital lab for four weeks straight (!!) at
this point, trying to prepare the film for its premiere.
The whole film is being finished in Final Cut Pro-- the 24p online
assembly, color timing, digital effects, opticals, titles, credits,
the whole magilla. I have spent more time in the Hi-Definition
Media Suite at Dr. Rawstock in the last month than any of their
employees has spent in the building. It's completely nuts and
overwhelming to even contemplate.
At the moment, I am T-minus four days from being done...!!! (This
weekend I am soundmixing and color-timing simultaneously.) Monday
is "lay-back, sync check, and hi-def re-capture" day, followed
by mad duping and an emergency shipment to the nice folks at CineQuest
who are trying to help us but can't because we have no money for
promotions.
Will we make CineQuest on time? Who knows? It's in God's hands...
Specifically, the God of Money. Send us some. -R
2.3.03
We're in the home stretch!! The film, in one form or another,
should be done in the next two weeks-- barring acts of gods or
gross technical incompetence on my part. In other words, pray
for smooth sailing.
We are able to finish because of the generosity of a small handful
of investors, so let's have a round of applause for them. We're
not out of the woods yet, however-- we have only raised about
2/3 of our finishing goal, meaning we're desperately squeeking
by, cutting certain corners as we go. And we have zilch to promote
the film with-- which could kill us on the festival circuit. (Indeed,
we've already gotten static from Cinequest about our subpar publicity
resources.)
Anyway, we need maybe one more investor to put us over the top!
Any takers!?!?
(See y'all at Cinequest in 4 weeks!! Can't believe it myself)
1.21.03
We just completed our new (and final) Business Plan and Finishing
Budget. The minimum amount we need is almost $30k exactly. We
have to start the finishing process ASAP, because it is several
weeks worth of work, and Cinequest has said that they want the
finished film in the third week of February. (Look at the calendar
for a scare!!)
This also means that this is your last chance to invest! We have
several $5k shares already spoken for, so get on board quickly
while they last. The new Business Plan is incredibly generous
to new investors, and don't forget that we have many producer
credits still available. EMAIL ME for a copy or if you have questions!!!
1.8.03
We are accepted into Cinequest (San Jose), one of the top ten
film festivals in the world [according to Chris Gore's "Film Festival
Survival Guide"]. I am forced to rain on the parade when I remind
everybody (YOU!) that all the acceptances in the world don't matter
if we can't finish making the film!!!!...
1.7.03
We are accepted in the new experimental Had-To-Be-Made Film Festival,
which uses a radical (and ingeniuous) new decentralized scenario
in which video stores all over the nation rent the competing films
to customers, who then vote online. We are one of 12 selections.
They want to use BURNING ANNIE as their debut selection, but as
the film is not finished, we are forced to ask to come out in
April instead.
1.6.2003
We do not make it into No Dance, although we are notified that
we made the final 5%.
12.25.2002
In honor of the holiday season and all its warmth and charity,
here is an update about where the film is at. It is a mix of good
and bad news.
The good news first-- we've started to hear from film festivals,
and the response has been extremely positive (as the update below
indicates). The Cinequest programmer said that we were in the final 5 choices for an unknown-but-small
number of spaces; meaning that if another venue (ie. theater)
can be found, we're a lock for this world-famous festival. Similarly,
our friends at Slamdance said we were on the final short-list as well. This bodes extremely
well for the many prestigious festivals on the same tier, such
as Florida, Seattle, LA, Chicago International, and South-By-Southwest (or SXSW) in Austin. In fact, I've spoken to programmers with
GenArts (NYC) and LAFF and the early word is very encouraging... (damn, now I've gone done and jinxed us! Okay,
I take it all back!)
The BA festival strategy: There are two festival seasons: Feb-May, and Sept-Oct. The former
kicks off with Sundance (and the other 19 -dance fests) in late
January, and ends with the LA Film Fest in early June. About half of these festivals are already closed
for submissions, and the very soonest ones (ie. the -Dances) have
begun announcing their selections. In other words, we've just
just started hearing back! We have applied to 24 winter/spring Fests (so far),
and only officially heard from two (so check this page regularly).
In the next 4-6 weeks, the fall Fests will begin accepting submissions
and we will hit them hard, too-- this time with the recommendations
of the Festival friends we made this winter.
What's the point of all these festivals, you may ask. The point
is money.
Yes, now for the bad news. The film is in the very last stages
of completion... and we don't have the money to finish it. How
close are we? For about half the price of a new SUV, we could
be done within two weeks, that's how close. We did 75% of our
sound work back in August, so we need little outside of mixing
time. And then finishing to 24p HD-Cam, which includes opticals
& color timing, is a five-day technical exercise.
We're working very hard to find the money... but it's a tremendous
uphill battle given that Republicans are in office (ie. the economy),
plus we're facing a potential deadline crunch. To wit-- if we
get into No Dance, we have to be finished by January 16 if we want a Park City
premiere. That means we have to begin finishing the day after New Year's. Failing that, the San Francisco Independent Film Festival begins February 6; the Santa Monica International Film Festival starts Feb. 12; and after that, it is wall-to-wall film fests
through June. Every festival is a chance to sell the film to a
distributor and make everybody's dreams come true... and every
festival we miss kills a puppy. The clock is ticking!!
Please email me with any questions or leads regarding financing. (We have plenty of producer credits for
sale-- hint, hint, Joe Carnahan)... --Randy
12.12.2002
After our nix from Slamdance, I popped into their offices to see if I couldn't learn anything
more, and damn if I didn't get an earful of really encouraging
news. First, we made it to the last round of judging. Apparently,
if Sundance had let them have one more venue in Park City, we
probably would have made it. That's cool. But even better than
that-- Slamdance is putting actions in front of words, because
they're writing us a recommendation and are going to help us get into other festivals! The programmers
all know each other, so it's easy for them to do, I hear. Finally,
Slamdance has teamed up with the American Cinemateque (the great folks who run the glorious Egyptian Theater in LA)
to host a film series called "Alternative Screen," and I was told
that we're a leading candidate for that! I'll keep you posted,
it's still early (they haven't even set the dates yet).
More good news: I spoke to a programmer at Cinequest (San Jose, CA), which most of you probably never heard of, but
which is actually one of the top ten film festivals in the world
(according to Chris Gore, editor of Film Threat and author of "The Ultimate Film Festival Survival Guide.").
They are supposed to be announcing their selections this week,
but are delaying because they have a few films-- including Burning Annie-- that they are trying to make space for in their line up. We'll
know next week whether we made it. Still, it's great that we made
it into the film round!
Finally, I spoke to Jim Boyd, Director of NoDance, and he said that he saw our film and really really liked it!
He says they only have one theater, so they're gonna have a small
line-up this year. They are announcing their selections on 12/23,
so keep your fingers crossed!
12.10.2002
Surfing the web at 2am, I stumbled on a press release from Slamdance,
issued mere minutes before. Skunked again! Hard to compete with
Steve Odenkirk, I guess. If anyone needs me, I'll be swinging
in the closet, slowly... (If I'm not dead yet, shoot me.)
12.2.2002
We just got an email from Sundance chief Programmer Geoffrey Gilmore-- we didn't make it. Naturally,
we figure there must be some kind of mistake and are demanding
a recount.
Ironically, we also heard from the Gen Arts festival in New York, and although it's too early for promises,
we understand we've been given a very high recommendation by their
head programmer. They won't be announcing their final selections
until January or February, however.
The big thing right now is waiting to hear from Slamdance... They're one of my favorite fests and our last best hope for
representin' in Park City this January. (That is, unless we get
into "Tromadance," run by the people who brought you the Toxic Avenger)
11.19.2002
We're in fucking Film Threat! How'd that happen???
11.17.2002
Movie stills online at last! Now available-- a number of tasty
new images from the movie. Just go to About the Movie and click the links in the summary. All updated, all new!
Meanwhile, our Icon Gallery just grows and grows. It's now divided into four pages, each
with a different type of icon. Choose from logos, banners, icons,
and animated gifs. A big thanks to Tom "Scott" Gibson, whose effort
represents the majority of these pages!
10.27.2002
Help us make an icon! Apparently all the movies at film fests
have icons that they put on hats, totebags, stickers, etc. (Yes,
just like a hardcore band.) Anyway, we've put up a new Icon Gallery because we're generating lots of ideas but no decisions... email me with your feedback... -Randy
10.19.2002
Hello again! Big plans are afoot-- we're going to be installing
some fun new interactive features here, while we wait for Sundance, Slamdance, and the other Dances (Dances with Wolves indeed)
to get back to us about our submission. Yes, that's right, we've begun the harrowing Gaunlet of Film Festival
Submissions, even though the film isn't completely done! Yes,
deadlines suck. Fortunately, if we can raise some money (EMAIL ME!!) we can send them the finished film, and they will disregard
the original submission. So it's down to the wire for us, as Sundance announces their selections in December!
Meanwhile, this site will soon see a few new fun features, including "Ask Max" (for relationship advice), "The
S.O. Profiler" (to find out what your current relationship is
really like), and "Dysfunction Junction," where people post their most
fucked-up relationships, and we'll give a prize for the best one! So stay tuned.... -RM
09.08.2002
Hello, and welcome to Max's World of Comedy and Despair. Expect
many new cool features in the near future.
In movie news, Burning Annie recently completed the first of two very secret test screenings
in Los Angeles. Yes, with a rough sound mix complete, some basic
color correction applied, and the editing tightened, it was time
to let the strumpet strut her stuff at the ball. Or something.
Anyway, we're in the home stretch. A small financial windfall
and we should be home free. -RM
