In January of 2013, when I became convinced that I had found my two lead actors, I decided to try again (see the history page) to make this movie, but this time with me directing it. The first thing I had to do was make a budget and thus enlisted the help of Rob Yoo as a line producer. After that, I actually had to raise some money to make that budget concrete.

To convince folks to contribute to the “All Things Chicken” crowdfunding campaign, I wrote and directed this pitch video in March of 2013.  (It also functioned a dry run for the movie.)  Like the movie, the pitch stars Matt Mercer and Drew Nye as Dave and Ray, but interspersed with my on-camera narration.  Matt Cooper was the cinematographer – shooting on a Canon 7D; Lenore Eklund edited and Rob Yoo was on location with us:

I’m very grateful to those generous people, most of whom are not genetically related to me, who contributed money (and/or locations / time / labor).  Here is that list of supporters.

But in the end the campaign failed to make its goal, so I had a choice thus I financed 85% of the cost from, and decimated, my own personal savings.  Frankly those savings only existed because my dad had passed away and I was a beneficiary of some pension and life insurance policies.  That’s why I particularly wanted to honor my father in the end titles of the finished movie.

Pitch video producer Rob Yoo on location

While Rob had to drop out of the project due to illness, he was a huge help in getting this movie off the ground.  I took over his line-producing duties in mid-April.

Matt Mercer and Drew Nye during shooting of the pitch video – photo by Julius Galacki

Matt Mercer and Drew Nye just after filming in the Sepulveda Basin; Matt Cooper in the distance – photo by Julius Galacki