Barely Living The Dream

Our first foray into live-streaming wherein we ask the question: what would YOU think would be most valuable to focus on in a "filmmaking workshop" session? We have a couple that we've been asked to participate in, so we decided to brainstorm some ideas.

Info on the Houston area screening of IN THE BLOOD here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/in-the-blood-fka-imago-private-screening-benefitting-upstart-katelynn-tickets-92356118637

Video of this episode can be found here: https://youtu.be/H6iTL0QMZRo

Subscribe to our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkZ1BNnxHjcFLxl9z01iQMg

For more information, visit upstartfilmworks.net

Once again, Mel House, Chris Warren, and Brittany Miles all find themselves in the same room to do a podcast. This time, we have a feature in the rearview to discuss: Mel's fifth feature film, MYSTERY SPOT, which was shot in September 2019.

Unfortunately/fortunately - there's literally nothing to complain about (except for Mel's weird psychological trauma that he had to wade through during production). Accolades abound, however. The team was wonderful, and we are all excited about the future of the project (currently in post).

After that we catch up with Chris, who updates us on the plethora of films he's been working on this year...as well as the impending completion of HIS film - (The Movie Formerly Known As) IMAGO.

Brittany then talks a little bit about her documentary, as well as the state of her previous feature in the post-Distribber debacle landscape.

For previous audio-only podcast entries, see the last two links below.

Please like, comment, share, subscribe, and all the rest! Thanks for watching/listening!

http://www.upstartfilmworks.net

https://www.facebook.com/upstartfilmworks/

https://www.facebook.com/MysterySpot/

https://www.facebook.com/Imago-the-Movie-91101715571/

https://twitter.com/upstartfilm

https://www.instagram.com/upstartfilm/

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/barely-living-the-dream/id1070710324

https://soundcloud.com/mel-house-1

That's a wrap on MYSTERY SPOT! (Actually, we wrapped over a month ago, but I've been busy editing, handling wrap up stuff, and celebrating our 14th wedding anniversary). At any rate, I recorded some post-shoot reflections once I got my wits back about me and with the benefit of hindsight. This one's not too long though, as well...there's not that much to report (for once). Smooth sailing. Now that Melanie and I are back from the trip out to NYC to see the Misfits (who destroyed Madison Square Garden, holy shit), I am neck-deep in getting the assembly edit done - along with some minor wrap up delivery stuff for The Movie Formerly Known As IMAGO. Both are on an accelerated timeline, which is awesome. Listen for more on those fronts and others!

We recently wrapped principal photography on my fifth feature, MYSTERY SPOT. It was a wonderfully harrowing experience - "wonderful" because of the amazing team of people I surrounded myself with, cast and crew alike, and "harrowing" because I didn't realize exactly how damaged and broken I'd become over the last several years of working with much less amazing/competent individuals. (I guess I should have just listened to the old episodes of this podcast). I never would have suspected that the thing I dreamed of most these last few years (directing my own feature again, and not going broke to do it) would also at times become the last thing in the entire world I wanted to do. Totally my own "Splash Mountain" experience (you'll need to listen to unpack that one).

At any rate, this episode just lays out the groundwork and context of how MYSTERY SPOT came together, and I'll divulge some stuff that I haven't spoken about publicly that made the process that much more difficult for me. I'll probably speak to that aspect more in future installments - I need perspective and distance - but I hit the broad strokes here. Hopefully it will strike a familiar chord with those out there experiencing similar difficulties.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

1-800-273-8255 (TALK)

Check out Betterhelp.com if you're looking for counseling (not an official sponsor, but they sure as hell helped me) - they are making professional counseling accessible, affordable, convenient - so anyone who struggles with life’s challenges can get help, anytime, anywhere.

Another Barely Living The Dream podcast - now with video (which you can see at the Upstart Filmworks YouTube channel)! Bear with us as we expand/tweak this new component of our online presence. On this episode, Brittany and Katelynn join Mel as he decompresses after Texas Frightmare Weekend and preps to pull the trigger on his new feature film (which begins shooting in July).

Back after another semi-unintentional hiatus. Upstart Filmworks has a new office, a new lease on life, AND a new employee! Consider it a recharge / renewal / refocus / whatever "re" word you prefer. Anyway, Katelynn the Upstart Assistant joins Mel and Brittany for a recap and rundown of the last few months and what the next few have in store. Chris eventually shows up...just in time for us to read a few pages from Mel's first script! We are planning a full cast read of the whole thing later this year...stay tuned.

Subscribe, rate, review! Find us on the web at upstartfilmworks.net

Complicated question, right? I figure if I've been called it more than 5 times in my life (I have, and with the hard "R" to boot) I can say it. Obama can say it, and we're both half Black, right? (Wait, he got in trouble, didn't he?) Anyway, the whole episode isn't about that. But it DOES talk about what I'm doing now/next, and therein lies the racially charged material. But it's all true, I swear. We officially start on my 42nd birthday (12/27). Concept art of Angelo Moore as himself and Tye Blue as "Zombie Guy" by Matt Orsman of http://mirthquake.net

For this episode, we take a slight diversion in the spirit of the season (and our 13th wedding anniversary). Melanie joins Mel for a round of personal ghost stories - ones we've each told quite a bit over the years. These are all personal paranormal experience that we saw with our own two eyes. Weird creatures on rural Texas highways. College poltergeists. Cable Access Mad Men. Last but not least, a recounting of our anniversary trip out to the Myrtles Plantation exactly one decade ago a.k.a. "The Most Terrified Melanie Has Ever Been In Her Life". Is there life after death? You be the judge.

Here are a few other creepy podcasts we've been rocking that kind of got us into the mood do to an episode like this:

Spooked: https://spookedpodcast.org

The Boogie Monster: https://starburns.audio/podcasts/the-boogie-monster/

Timesuck: https://timesuckpodcast.com

Astonishing Legends: http://www.astonishinglegends.com

The No Sleep Podcast: https://www.thenosleeppodcast.com

This one's kinda late and off of our normal upload time, but we've been busy working on stuff. Most of which we discuss on here. Chris has been working on a bunch of movies, Mel has been re-tooling Chris' movie, as well as laying the groundwork for feature number 5 (among other things). Work work work. (The title refers to how many times Chris gave away too much during his catch-up time.)

WEST OF HELL is currently in Wal-Mart for purchase, so go pick it up!

Support Debbie Rochon's sophomore film here:

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/debbie-rochon-s-sophomore-film#/

Support the David McAbee/Jack Grisham of TSOL project here:

www.gofundme.com/sometimes-i-die

We do a little time travel on this one, as the bulk of it was recorded back in February while Chris and Mel were driving through Kentucky and Tennessee. There's some complaining, some catching up, some real talk, and some staring into the abyss (which of course, also stares back into us). So...pretty much business as usual.

Check out the Oceans of Slumber videos we did here: https://oceansofslumber.com/videos

("The Banished Heart" & "The Decay of Disregard")

Check out the Anova Skyway videos we did here:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGQ9MtiMfpufKKbCknZW9rQ

("Flutters", "Namesake", "Fate Strikes Twice", and "1991"

Support Debbie Rochon's sophomore film here:

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/debbie-rochon-s-sophomore-film#/

Support the David McAbee/Jack Grisham of TSOL project here:

https://www.gofundme.com/sometimes-i-die