Starting a web series! Touring acting job! Film festivals!

So since my last post I've completed 3 film projects: Demons in Disguise (shown above), a children's dark comedy, plus the first two episodes of my new co-directed, co-starring, musical comedy series called Absurducopia. Wayne Culpepper and I both have many random musical comedy ideas and are both interested in acting- so the logical conclusion was to start our own web series. Additionally, lately I've been experimenting with making electronic music, so I have a lot of new tracks that need vocals... or better yet, I have a lot of tracks that want to be in some movies! Ha. We are about to start shooting the third episode starting tomorrow. This episode involves zombies. Of course. Well, it involves tubing-zombies floating down the French Broad River in Asheville... Before I give too much away, here is the first episode (originally made for the Charlotte 48 Hour Film Fest a few months ago).

Episode 1- Big: Chris tries to find his voice with a little help from Indigo the voice coach genie... but Indigo has big plans of her own.



Episode 2- ALS Ice Bucket Challenge Fail - The Musical: In the second episode Wayne gets nominated to do the ALS ice bucket challenge, amps it up by locking himself in a vat of ice at the gas station, and, well, has an epic fail: he dies.



If you're interested in seeing more and want to show us your support of Absurducopia, feel free to subscribe to our channel on Youtube!

My caterpillar costume!

So I got the coolest job ever: I am acting for Brightstar Touring Theater. I am touring all over the U.S. doing two 45 minute anti-bullying shows for children. So far I've had shows in NC, MI, KY, NJ, and PA. October 1st I go to OH for some more shows! It's been a great experience and has really stretched me. I did not know I had the capacity to memorize as much as I did as quickly as I had too! Normally I would assume that that sort of thing would be impossible for me, but I proved myself wrong. And although the process was very difficult, it has been such a rewarding experience spreading the anti-bullying message. I have been bullied and I know many children have been as well. It's important they know how to protect themselves and that they do not need to accept mistreatment.






Film Festival Travels:

I am going to be traveling to three festivals starting at the end of October. October 24th-26th I will be at the All American High School Film Festival in NYC where 5 of my films will be shown and I will be performing my song Warm Rush live at the opening night party. My best friend Abbey Sacks also got two films into the festival and is actually my backup vocalist for Warm Rush. As of a few days ago we are officially going to be staying together in NYC and performing together! I haven't seen her since graduation so it will be a fun reunion. After this fest I will be traveling to Grand Rapids, MI for the Mosaic Film Experience Film Festival around November 7th and 8th. I won 1st place at the film fest last year with my film Girly and they have asked me to be a guest speaker at the fest. They are paying for my travel & accommodations! I feel like I'm living the dream. And then November 12th-16th I will be in Wilmington, NC for the Cucalorus Film Festival where We're Okay will be screening. They are paying for my plane ticket, accommodations, and food! Again: I feel like I am living the dream. I am in awe! So happy.

Film Festival Acceptances and Various Updates:

"We're Okay", "Girly", "Hello From Malaysia", "Beautiful Creature" and "Warm Rush" are Official Selections for the 2014 All-American High School Film Festival! The festival takes place October 24­27th at the AMC Empire Theaters in New York City's Times Square.

Warm Rush is an official selection at the Grenada Afterglow Film Festival in Grenada, MS October 18th.

We're Okay and Warm Rush are official selections for the Highway 61 Film Festival in Pine City, MN, October 3rd-5th.

Hello From Malaysia has been accepted to the 2014 Chicago International Children’s Film Festival (CICFF). It is the largest annual festival of films for children ages 2-18 in the world. Hello from Malaysia has also been accepted to Guam International Film Festival (Guam, September 23rd-28th) and The International Children’s Television Festival “Dytiatko” (Kharkiv, Ukraine, September 24th-27th)!

We're Okay has been chosen as an early selection for the 20th annual Cucalorus Film Festival, November 12-16 in Wilmington, NC.

What Are You? has been accepted into Cine Probe 2015, May 5-7 in La Paz, Mexico

“Big” won for Best Special Effects after being screened to a nearly sold out audience of 650 people at the Charlotte 48 Hour Film Project Premiere.

Here is an interview Dan Thornton did with me about "Big" and "Demons in Disguise."
http://www.gigspotting.net/this-is-big.html

I have decided to start writing one of my feature ideas. Everyday my craving to make my first feature film grows stronger and stronger. Additionally I have a short film that I would like to shoot in the next 2 months. It has to do with the messed up romance between a girl... and a tree. I'll leave it at that!

I am thinking about going to a Buddhist retreat in upstate NY sometime in December for 1 week and then traveling to NYC to do some film work. We will see if I can solidify these plans!

Until then: everybody remember to stay hydrated! Woo hoo!