Sunday, April 29, 2012

Here comes Michael's Ride

Well friends, here it is almost May and we at Highland Light are getting ready to move from the development stage to pre-production on Michael's Ride. The financing is coming together now and the Wa.State Legislature just gave us a big hand by passing a new Film Incentive program which will rebate 30% of our Washington spend.
This will allow us to do some real risk management for our investors.
In addition, our distributor has offered to supply the last 20% of the budget if we can raise the initial 80% and sign the 'stars' we are now in negotiations with. I have just finished the last major revision to the script and it is better than ever.

Marleah Stout, HLP's new Exec.VP and co-producer on this film , and I had a very successful trip to LA in late March. We acquired the rights to produce a wonderfully exciting feature film "Victory Girl", in partnership with Bernie Fried who wrote the story and with Peter Myer the screenplay. We also set the ground work to produce what may well be the biggest motion picture event of the decade. This will be an amazing sequel to one of the greatest films ever made. That's all the detail I can release about this project at this time but the wheels are already in motion with one of the biggest stars and studios in Hollywood.

What fun it was for us to spend ten days on Bernie's 45 foot Beneteau sailing yacht in Marina Del Rey!

Unfortunately, I had to with draw as Producer of "Three Times A Lady" to be shot later this year in LA because of time constraints. Yet this allowed us to put together a three picture package with a bigger distributor using HLP's own properties and they will co-produce.

One of the best times we had though was the wonderful dinner party that my literary agent Sherry Robb arranged  and hosted by beautiful veteran actress, Lisa London and her Director husband Barry. Two more gracious hosts  I've never known! The reception and love shown by Sherry and all the rest of my fellow agency actors so moving for me. And it was so nice to see my friend Corbin Timbrook, a wonderfully gifted Director now shooting his next picture in Texas.

Soon we were back home with a ton of work to do and opportunities for Highland Light we wouldn't have dreamed of a year ago.

On a sad note we bid farewell to Tom Zalutko, the incomparable Darryl Farmer of "Dancing on the Edge" fame who has moved on to pursue new opportunities as a writer for a film producer in LA. We wish you the best Tom. Put that new degree to work.

We now have to get the financing solidified and get stars on board and we're off to the races. We expect to cast supporting roles in June and Begin shooting mid-July.

So that's all the news that's fit to tell.More fun to come,
Sandy