Incremental Progress

Well... now Missouri is in the hunt. Being clever, the Film Commission in Missouri went and found some more money to help incent us film makers to bring our crews and cameras there to produce. Also, our hungry mouths, vehicles, sleep-starved heads, and our constant need for something usually findable at Walmart. So, now there is a slight chance we will shoot a film that occurs in Missouri - IN Missouri. Unless the DoD cooperates, that seems less likely.

Texas passed and Governor Perry signed the increase in incentives for Film in Texas last week and it is now even more attractive to consider staying home.

We also got a relatively direct connection to a MAJOR young male star whose career hangs on his ability to find a bridging vehicle that will take him from teen heart-throb to young male leading man. This story would do PRECISELY that. Hollywood pundits say a role like Cruise's turn in TOP GUN is needed and this is certainly along that line but with much less of the brashness and bravado that marked the immaturity of that character. Gray has his head on straight - he is just trying to keep it DOWN when the universe puts him at the cross roads of WW-III.

The downside - if you consider it one - is his "people" might want it handled by a studio, which could affect the authenticity of the film and story that gets made and the honor - or not - which that filme would afford the men who served at that time. I would love to say men and WOMEN who served, but, unfortunately, this story occurs before the service wized up and realized that women would make EXCEPTIONAL Launch Officers. They have since the '80s when they took charge of the capsules in fully equal positions and are on alert as I type this.

On another front -funding is 50% committed by a Canadian group and there are more than sufficient investors ready to make up the other half awaiting confirmation of this young man, a box-office rich equivalent, and/or two or three committed names in the JCS or SAC HQ or Soviet Launch Control scenes. Once two or three of these names/faces join ranks we can close the financial chapter and move into prep.

And decide on - WHERE. :D

Later.

Steve