Let's go inside a private practice of mine. The end of the year has always been a time of reflection and setting goals. I set aside some quiet time to examine what's worked, what hasn't, and what my goals are for next year. And this time, I will invite you with me.
We filmmakers need to build together and put things in perspective. So I hope sharing this will help with that.
Now get ready because this is going to be a long one.
REFLECTIONS
I always start by looking backward. In 2024, much was accomplished. But also, there was much left to be done. So let's dive in:
2 YEARS IN BUSINESS
This was my second year running The Blended Future Project as a registered LLC. The first year was, well, barely survivable. The second year, we managed and even made some progress both creatively and financially. And it ended up being the first year that 100% of my income came through my business, which is great! But also has its challenges.
Now, we won't get into profit and loss overviews because this isn't a business newsletter. But I will say that officially creating a business has been extremely positive for my filmmaking career. Simply because it makes you take it seriously. Like a film, you've birthed something into the world that needs to be nurtured and improved, which helps you focus on the long term rather than simply the project in front of you.
You are now thinking about the big picture and building for the future.
SHORT FILM SUCCESS
Two shorts continued their festival runs. The first being Gabriela by Evelyn Lorena:
And the second Forbidden Fruit by Isaiah Forte-Rose:
I produced both of these films back to back in 2022, and they continue to have incredible reach. Gabriela was screened at the Smithsonian Institute, Forbidden Fruit at a local chapter of the NAACP, and each has been accepted at countless festivals. Gabriela qualified for Awards Consideration, which is an amazing achievement for the team.
But more than all the accolades, these two shorts mark the beginning of something important for me:
Continuing to tell stories that matter.
Gabriela showcased the experience of an undocumented woman. Forbidden Fruit gave us a look inside the life of an unfed child. These are characters and stories we don't hear about very often. Or when we do, the focus is on their misery. But even though they have large challenges, they live each day with grace, determination, and beauty. Their stories are part of all of us.
THE UKRAINE DOCUMENTARY SAGA
Since the middle of 2023, I have been working as an editor and producer for the documentary Creative Force (aka UKR). The film showcases artists in Ukraine that are using their everyday skills to support the war effort. In the middle of last year, Alex LeMay (the director) and I were convinced that we had a finished edit to begin selling.
But then, we had an actual screening.
An audience of 50 people was not connecting with one of the major elements of the story. And normally, we filmmakers would say, "This is my story. I'm going with my gut." But when you hear the reaction from everyone:
You have to realize there's a pattern, and you owe it to your film to listen.
This involved a slightly new approach. But also meant, in a sense, starting over. Now, as the year has come to an end, the film is in a much better place.
And we even had a few interested buyers for the New Year.
CONCRETE RIVER
I've been writing a script for what feels like a decade. It's called Concrete River, and it's a feature film about an unhoused hip-hop music producer who tries to reconnect with his estranged daughter but meets a teenage drifter who changes the way he sees the world. It's a story about the America we encounter every day. The part we want to forget or look past. But like Gabriela and Forbidden Fruit, we are going to that dark, hidden place to show people who hope, dream, and build community despite their circumstances.
The script received two Finalist considerations and is currently ranked in the Top 20% on CoverFly. I got a deck made for it, hired a casting director, and began building some momentum. But I had to take a little break because I wasn't sure how to proceed exactly.
I'd been speaking with my DP (who gave me the idea for the story) about making a short version, which has been written. And my casting director began looking for talent to make it. But with a budget of around 20K or so to shoot the short, the question remained:
Was this the right thing to do? Should I simply be focusing on making the feature instead?
So there's a lot of overthinking about what the "right way" forward is for Concrete River.
I found the answers. Which I'll reveal later on.
A SCREENPLAY ABOUT LOVE
Before the Blended Future Project was a company, it was a blog where I wrote about being multicultural. After a year, I put out a call for short stories by other authors to go on the blog (which I would like to do again later). One of them really stood out. A 20-page true story titled Someone Like Me about a Navy vet's first true love, which also happened to be her first interracial relationship. I reached out to the author and received permission to develop her story into a film.
Which finally began last year.
I tried to write this script on my own but quickly got overwhelmed. There was simply too much story for me to wrap my head around. So I asked another longtime collaborator Chris Hall to help. And we got a great first draft done just before the end of the year in just a few weeks (cumulatively) of work.
EMBRACING THE CALLING
Last year I tried a lot of things. I started this Substack, tried consulting, and got a few more editing projects. And I came away with the following focus:
I want to tell stories about people and culture.
Storytelling has always been my strength, and I believe it can change the world. So this upcoming year, I will be doubling down on telling stories that help us understand people. I will be playing to my strengths.
And with that, let's move on to next year's:
GOALS
IMPROVING THE SKILLSET
I've always continued to learn. Filmmaking is a craft that can always be improved upon. There are more skills I want to learn in the world of post-production, specifically motion graphics and color work. I want to get back to directing actors more, as it's something I haven't done in quite a while. And I want to conquer what has been somewhat of my Achilles' heel—cameras. Working with cameras has been hit or miss for me. I definitely know my way around them, but I'm not quite confident in my camera work yet. Which is surprising given how great my father was at using them.
But the improvement isn't just with the technical skills of filmmaking. To me, it means continuing to connect with people (both old and new) and having great experiences. Continuing therapy and making sure my mental health is in order. And also getting back in the habit of exercise. The skillset is not just about getting better at your craft, but getting the best out of life.
THE RELEASE OF CREATIVE FORCE
This year, Creative Force will be released into the greater world. We are close to finishing the edit of the full 90-minute version. But also, we have a pending screening for a 60-minute version at Notre Dame at the beginning of this year!
This film is going to be distributed very much in a hybrid model—mixing traditional and grassroots methods to screen it for audiences. With a film as important as this one, we want to ensure we're getting the message out there and making an impact. And as this process moves along, I'll be giving frequent updates on what we're doing and how it's working.
SHOOTING CONCRETE RIVER
After months of overthinking, the universe forced my hand.
Part of the film involves the creation of a song. Our hero, Travis, is listening and remixing a song that he wants to give to his daughter, Noelle. Now, I frequently make playlists to write. During this process, I stumbled across the song that was absolutely perfect for how Noelle would sound. The artist's name is Lexa Gates, and I thought:
It would be amazing if her song was Noelle's.
So I asked my casting directors to reach out, with no expectations of what would come of it.
I was sitting on the couch watching Netflix on my laptop over the holiday break. I received a phone call from a Los Angeles number I didn't recognize. It was Miriam, my casting director, and she announced, much to my surprise, that Lexa's team was very interested. They had seen the deck and wanted to know more (which is why decks are important). The next step is to meet with Lexa on Zoom and see how we get along. But it let me know that Concrete River has to be a priority this year.
A FACE TO THE NAME
I've had a Blended Future YouTube Channel for a little over a year, but it's mostly been abandoned. As we created more press around Gabriela, the channel gained a little traction. Mostly from the trailer, which has been seen over 3,000 times!
So again, I think this is a sign that I should pay more attention to creating videos and using YouTube to grow a presence. Not just as an advertisement of what I'm making, but for the same goal I have with these articles:
To provide a blueprint on building a non-dependent ecosystem for filmmakers.
NOTES FROM THE FIELD
I know that films can create empathy and change the world. And they can do that by presenting the truth as it is. But we also need to have the truth, and the data, in order to make that happen.
Dija Henry, a frequent collaborator and fellow Substacker (yes, that's a word), and I have been speaking about how filmmakers need a space to get inspiration, share data, and information in order to build their own ecosystems. She mentioned how scientists will share their findings in order to advance the medium because it's for the greater good. But filmmakers are conditioned to hoard what we know in order to make sure we're getting the best deal. Dija and I want to change that and use Substack as the platform to do so. We're still figuring out how it will work exactly.
But as soon as it's ready, everyone will know.
THE ROAD AHEAD
There's more ahead for me, but these are the major points. The key focus is to continue building and connecting. The world tells us that it's every person for themselves. But the truth is we're stronger together than we are apart.
I was just speaking with Alex LeMay the other day, and we both said that now is the time to say yes (within reason). Find your focus and say yes. Say yes to growing, say yes to learning, and say yes to helping. Think 10 years ahead in reaping your rewards and just keep pushing.
Take it from me, you'll be pleasantly surprised with the results.
Before we wrap up, I want to invite you to join me for something special. Releasing tomorrow at 8am, I will have a special podcast version of this article.
It will require a paid subscription to access:
We’ll dive deeper into the challenges, the victories, and the lessons I’ve learned this year. Plus, I’ll share some personal stories and actionable insights you won’t find here.
Including:
How to easily get a casting director for your film.
Why creating mutiple versions of your film can help with its distribution.
It will be well worth the subscription fee. I’ll see everyone there.
Get full access to The Blended Future Project at marislidaka.substack.com/subscribe
