Thankful to Be a Poor, Free-Thinking Filmmaker

I'll tell you....

I have to be honest. I take living in this country of ours WAY too much for granted. Just look at what's in the news right now....violence and death in Tehran because your vote is not counted with their government corruption; those 2 girls filmming a project for Al Gore's film company in North Korea, and being sentenced there to 12 years hard labor....and the list goes on...

It's things like this; simple things; like being able to vote; being able to freely speak your mind; being able to just live and let your independent voice be heard; that make really value living in this country. Granted, people around here think I'm a nut; a freak because I'm a vegan in Bible-thumpin' cattle country; a pervert because I film truly alternative movies about my liberal, outspoken Mother, an old stripper; a bum because I'm not working a regular 9-5 job for the next 50 years; a queer because I'm in my 40's, never married, being a single independent hermit, and not already a Grandpa, married for the last 25 years...I could go on and on....

But I can't say how happy I am that I'm able to live this life, and let people make their judgments about me the way they do.

I wouldn't want it any other way. And to be honest, it truly scares me the direction our country is heading.

Look at this culture. The reality show loving, internet crazed, obese, lazy, self obsessed, fast paced nation we're living in. Everything's all 'Me, me, me'....the only time you hear from someone is when they need you for something and can use you....people would rather be fat, lazy and live a short life, instead of being healthy, vegan, environmentally active, and trying to save the planet. Those 2 girls in North Korea...over there filming about modern day slavery....they knew how that country thinks about that....should have never gone over there. I think there's enough going on in our own country that filmmakers can keep busy with getting their messages out before risking their lives globally. I think we need to start with our own country...then go from there.

That's what makes this country of ours so great. You may not agree with everyone; in fact, you may be like me; and not agree with about anyone; and be in a deep minority; but we have the right to think the way we want, and live our lives the way we want.

I'd rather be a poor, liberal, vegan, broke filmmaker in the most obese per capita area in the country, saying what I think, living how I want, and getting my messages out....

Thank God, if there is one, that I'm a poor, free-thinkin' filmmaker....

My Mother, Opal, THE X-RATED GRANDMA, talking about shit:



Get Mother's new STRIPPER book only online at:

http://thoughtsofastripper.webs.com

Our new documentary film THE OLD STRIPPER:

My Current Film Projects...and Being Broke

I'll tell you...it's tough times as a filmmaker.

I don't think I'm alone either. I see it all over the country.

To be honest, I'm broke. I don't any money coming in. Don't have a job; and can't find one here in farm country. Want to move somewhere to get some work; but can't afford to move. So for now, I'm stuck out here in the boonies, with no money.

But I am getting things done.

Thankfully, my Mother Opal is a great film subject! It's hard as hell to manage all these projects....it's maddening, really.

I've been trying like hell these last 2 months to sell Mother's new STRIPPER book online. We aren't making money yet; but at least it's getting out there to the world for them to know about it.

Trying to find a good agent for our new feature screenplay PHONE SEX GRANDMA, based off the hit short...

Working as much as is possible on production of THE OLD STRIPPER, my first feature documentary, about Mother's old stripping days....been shooting this going on 3 years....

Trying to get pre-production done for JUNK, a feature unscripted comedy that can be filmed easily out here in the boonies....plus trying to sell the pilot TV script for JUNK...a rockin' script, if I can say so myself....

Working here and there on self-distribution of THE X-RATED GRANDMA....

Finishing post for our new comedy short PAYDAY LOAN, which we'll be pushing this next year as our Oscar qualifying short....

And working my first 5 short films worldwide on the festival circuit; along with getting ready soon to making 4 of the shorts available online on DVD through self-distribution!

Busy times, huh?

Along with all of this, when I can find time, I need to start writing my upcoming book NO BUDGET FILMMAKING....who knows when that'll be!

I'll tell ya...it was so much easier when I just had my first film, the hit short PHONE SEX GRANDMA, that I was working. Now I can't seem to get about anything done. But I keep busy non-stop, with film projects, even though I am broke.

John Steinbeck was right...he said 'Ideas are like rabbits. You get 1 or 2, get to know how to handle them, then pretty soon, you have a dozen."

How true that is....

Get Mother's book STRIPPER at:

http://thoughtsofastripper.webs.com

Watch the new Book Trailer for STRIPPER on YouTube at:



Find out more about our first feature film THE OLD STRIPPER at:

The Dentist, Mother's Book, and being numb.....

What a day....

I've been over in Pittsburg....you talk about a dead town, in the friggin' boonies of S.E. Kansas...just got back here to Lamar....and just as dead....

Had to come over here to Pittsburg today to go to the dentist and get a tooth filled. The left side of my face is totally numb from novocaine....it'll probably be numb all day. Won't get back out to the shack until later today...and by then, probably'll need to rest off this numbness. We'll see if I can get anything done today. Doesn't look likely...

Wanted to spend today promoting Mother's new STRIPPER book online at http://thoughtsofastripper.webs.com . No time today to work online! Maybe tomorrow...

Gonna try to work her book hard tomorrow. Have about 15 mailings of festival waivers for our hit shorts to put together and send out; get distribution screeners sent out for THE OUTHOUSE, ACCEPTABLE SIN and 60 YEAR OLD STRIPPER to start making distribution money online with those hit fest shorts; gotta pick an Oscar qualifier to have the premiere of our upcoming short PAYDAY LOAN; find time to shoot a little bit of THE OLD STRIPPER documentary; and get pre-production wrapped up for JUNK...

Busy times!

Get Mother's new book THOUGHTS OF A STRIPPER online at:

http://thoughtsofastripper.webs.com

Watch the new YouTube Book Trailer for STRIPPER at:



Our new film JUNK on INDIEGOGO:

PHONE SEX GRANDMA Updates....

We've got a lot going on with PHONE SEX GRANDMA!!!!!

After going on 4 years since this hit 9 minute short film premiered at the Slamdance Film Festival, PSG is still rockin' around the world!!!!

A lot continues to go on, and new things are coming! Here's the latest:

To date, PSG has played over 100 festivals worldwide, and continues to rock the festival circuit. This week, PHONE SEX GRANDMA opens San Diego's OutFest Gay Film Festival! And more fest screenings are coming up! Stay tuned...

We have the feature script written! In fact, we just submitted the feature script to Slamdance's Screenplay competition. You can find out more about the upcoming feature film on our Indiegogo page at:

http://www.indiegogo.com/phonesexgranny

Also, we are trying to make a television series of PHONE SEX GRANDMA! On cable! The pilot script for PSG is being submitted to TV series competitions. Keep posted on updates for the upcoming TV series!

And finally....

You can own the hit short on DVD! We have partnered with Createspace, and PHONE SEX GRANDMA is now available to own on DVD. With each sale, we receive a substantial amount of revenue. And all income we generate from each sale will go directly to production of the feature version!

Buy PHONE SEX GRANDMA now on Createspace at:

https://www.createspace.com/255255

If you don't know yet, Opal, aka PHONE SEX GRANDMA, has written a book! Her new book THOUGHTS OF A STRIPPER, an autobiographical journal of her intense thoughts as a burlesque dancer while on a 6 year dancing circuit in the 1970's, is now available online. Check out the new book at:

http://thoughtsofastripper.webs.com

Lots going on with PHONE SEX GRANDMA!!!!!

Watch Opal, aka PHONE SEX GRANDMA's new Book Trailer of STRIPPER at:

Trying to Make a Buck....

It's hard trying to make a buck out here as a filmmaker in the middle of nowhere...

But I'm trying.

I'm working hard every day promoting Mother's new book THOUGHTS OF A STRIPPER online; for hours every day. Been doing this for over a month now. And have now sold one book yet. I don't know what I'm doing wrong. But I'm trying.

I've got 5 short films that have played over 200 festivals worldwide, and continue to play. Last week, one played Pennslyvania. This week, one in Florida. Next week, one in California. Festivals are already lining up for the summer. 5 internet distributors selling our short films; and I'm trying to sell them myself. Haven't made a dollar yet with them this year.

No jobs around here....scraping by financially day to day....

But at least, if nothing else, I'm making my movies.

I've now got the new book trailer made for Opal's new STRIPPER book. Hopefully, that will start generating some sales. Just created a new YouTube site to promote the production company, and try to get work making films. Got a lot I need to try to do to make money. I don't want to have to move back to a big city right now. I'm working these things too much. I know I could do a lot of this anywhere, but if I was working a regular job, it'd take away a lot what I'm doing.

Every day is a struggle....but it's worth it.

Been shooting a lot of footage these last couple of months for the OLD STRIPPER documentary....but there's not much to film right now, until I can raise some money for the footage of the road trips...

And suddenly, there is interest in getting my narrative feature film JUNK made....so at the same time, I'm working pre-production for JUNK at my own pace...and if everything goes as planned, we will be able to make this no-budget narrative feature this summer out here in the middle of nowhere.

I'm living proof that anyone can make a movie with no money, anywhere, find an audience, and become a well-known filmmaker....

Trying to make a buck.....

Our New Book Trailer of STRIPPER:



Jack and Opal's weekly Podcast:

THE OLD STRIPPER on Indiegogo:

Tough Times as a Filmmaker in the Boonies

These are really tough times....

To be honest, I don't know what I'm going to do. I don't have any money coming in. Deep in dept, living out here in these shacks....here at the library right now on wi-fi to write this....trying to figure things out.

It's amazing what you can get done with next to no money. My 5 short films are still exploding on the festival circuit worldwide; I'm coming into town every couple of days or so here at the library to update a few of our social networks online; trying to promote my Mother Opal's new STRIPPER book as much as I can on the internet; and trying to shoot footage for THE OLD STRIPPER whenever I can. When you're wanting to get things done, you can find ways to get things done. But sometimes, like now, financially, money plays too much of a part sometimes.

Until I can get some money coming in, our mass email service will have to be cancelled. We may have to cancel the dial up internet service out at the shacks. 20 bucks here and there make a difference in these times.

In fact, I don't know if I'm going to be able to stay around here. I'm seriously considering moving back to a big city. I've got to start making some money. And there's no jobs around here. If I want to work, I'm going to have to move to a big city. And just try to do and make these projects as I can.

I've got to figure out what to do....

Watch our new BOOK TRAILER of Opal's book THOUGHTS OF A STRIPPER at:




Click Here for Opal's new book STRIPPER: A MOTHER'S STORY
Jack's new V-Log SON OF A STRIPPER:



Jack and Opal's new Podcast of THE OLD STRIPPER:

Jack's feature film THE OLD STRIPPER on Indiegogo:

Being the Son of a Stripper....

These are some busy times....

I've got to find some time to re-structure and organize everything I'm doing right now. My hands are full. I'm trying to do the jobs of about 5-10 people here in the boonies....these last 2 weeks, I've been working hard online promoting, advertising, networking and trying to sell Mother's new book STRIPPER: A Mother's Story. We're also starting a new podcast of Mother as THE OLD STRIPPER to try to build an audience on the podcast and audio networks online; trying to find time here and there to shoot a little footage for our upcoming feature documentary of Mother called THE OLD STRIPPER; still getting all my short films out on the festival circuit; beginning to make Filmmaker Video Blogs of me as a filmmaker out here in the boonies, and sharing them with a worldwide internet audience; and this week, working hard with Mother making her new upcoming book 100 SHORT STORIES OF AN OLD STRIPPER. This is hard...but it's personal, and I love it....

It's been a little while since I've written a blog. One thing I think I need to start writing about more is about what it's like being the son of a stripper. I try to share as much as I can about my Mother, and about my filmmaking; but don't share as much with others what it's been like being the son of a stripper all my life.

I am the son of a stripper. And I have loved it. I wouldn't trade it for anything. I owe the way I am and the life I've lived to growing up around the burlesque industry. If I hadn't grown up around nudity and pornography, I wouldn't be where I am today, I wouldn't have done all the things I've done, been all the places I've been, and seen all the things I've seen.

My best memories are those of when I was a kid, traveling with Mother on the road during her burlesque circuits in the summers of the 1970's. See, I grew up around nudity and pornography. My Mother started stripping when I was 5 years old. I went to a military school the first thru fifth grade. This was in the early 70's. Burlesque and stripping then was an art form. Not like the strip clubs today. You had burlesque theaters, where the porn films would play on the big screen. And between the films, the dancers would strip on stage. They would have 20 minute burlesque shows, like the Gypsy Rose Lee days. I remember being 6, 7 years old, backstage with the other dancers while Mother was dancing onstage. I could see her onstage from a distance backstage, while I was on the floor with the other dancers. They were always nude. We'd be on the floor playing board games, like checkers and monopoly. This is what I grew up around. Nudity and pornography was nothing.

That's how I've always felt. I think that's why I am the way I am. And why I'm the kind of filmmaker I am. I'm free, independent and open minded. I don't think much about anything. Nothing really offends me. I like to speak my mind, open people's eyes, shock them, make them talk and make them think. And as a filmmaker, I want to be a philosopher through film.

I owe the way I am to being the son of a stripper....

Jack's new Video Blog SON OF A STRIPPER - Jack the Filmmaker:



Get the book STRIPPER: A MOTHER'S STORY by Jack's Mother, Opal at:

http://thoughtsofastripper.webs.com

Hear Jack and Opal's new podcast THE OLD STRIPPER at: