Stuart Land’s new Indie film in pre-production

Hi! Stuart here with a major update to my ongoing life hack. I’m starting something new. Rather, I’ve already started something new. That is, I’m in pre-production on my first Indie film that I’ve already written, and will produce and direct. While it’s true I’ve made short films before and spent several years in pre-production on a low budget film while working in the Film Biz in Hollywood, those were essentially Hollywood films. They, by their nature, were created and advanced as Hollywood productions, which entailed a whole set of special rules and guidelines that were anything but Indie. I’ve worked on films costing upwards of $100,000,000, and can tell you that film costs are blown all out of reasonable proportion.

Most Indie films are created out of love of filmic storytelling. Indie filmmakers love film, storytelling, and every other aspect of the filmmaking process. What they don’t like is the business. Or rather, the business model.

I am going to make an Indie film because of those stated reasons, and because now, during this time in history, the technology will allow my creativity, and those of the many people it takes to make a film, to come to the fore without mortgaging our lives away or taking a huge financial risk with any one person’s money. This is NOT a request for money. I’m not pitching my story here. That’s why I didn’t lead with a logline or story concept.

THE PROJECT

The script is finished, but for polishes that will continue to take place until the particular scenes are in the can (filmed). Yes, the “film” will be shot on digital, but the terminology will always relate to film. By sticking around, you will learn some of it.

The screenplay is tentatively titled, I’M COMING FOR YOU. It’s a Thai horror film that is a combination of Thai and Western sensibilities. What that means is, the story is steeped in the Thai ghost story culture, yet presented in a Western structure that will hopefully crossover cultural boundaries, and entertain everyone without confusion. It’s not a mindless slasher film. It is a horror film, though, with horror aspects depicted, both physically and psychologically. The humor woven through the story keeps the hard edge of terror in precarious balance.

I will reveal the logline (a one or two sentence description of the entire movie) in the next blog.

The movie will be shot completely in the Thai language, but all the subtitles will be accurate as to intent, not necessarily verbatim translation. That’s because Thai has many phrases that have no direct translation, but do have significant meaning that can be transposed into English. The reason the subtitles of most Chinese and Japanese films are so bad, or even laughable, is because the dialogue is translated verbatim by those not fluent in both languages.

What I write here is about me chronicling this adventure on my blog. If you want to learn more about what I’m doing, how I’m doing it, with whom I’m doing it, and other bits of fascinating news, sign up for the newsletter. Though I will relate a lot of what happens in the blog itself (which you don’t need to sign up for), by signing up, you will have access to special information, offers, behind the scenes photos, interviews, advanced sharing of ideas and concepts, music as it’s developed, scene previews and outtakes, and later down the road, opportunities to become part of the production. Because movies are slow moving in pre-production, I will give updates whenever possible, but they will not be on precise days.

Please support this filmmaker by simply following along and telling your friends to come visit too. Free admission to all.