That's it, folks.  Production on BLACK PAPER wrapped on Sunday the 18th.  It was a wild ride, but we got through it.

I am so very proud of my cast and crew.  These are some talented, hardworking people, and I would be glad to work with them again.  I am eternally grateful to my director of photography Anthony Griffin, the 1st AD John Kangas, and the production manager Liz Merriman, as well as all of the other crew members who put so much work into this project.

These actors are among the finest I've worked with.  David Gries, Joseph Scott Anthony, and Robert William Ford lent brilliant subtlety to their supporting roles.  And then there are the leads.  Dana Blackstone and Jack Michael Findley.  Good grief, are those some talented performers.  It's thrilling to see such dedication and commitment on set.

I'm pretty well exhausted now.  It was an intense eight days of shooting, and I basically collapsed when it was all over, particularly since the final day was such an emotional roller coaster.

Still, the footage looks great, and I'm eager to start editing.

Again, thank you to everyone who has supported this project -- whether by direct participation, through financial support, or just by praying like the dickens for us.  I feel truly blessed to have been surrounded by such a great team both on and off set.  Here's to the future of BLACK PAPER ...

Yesterday we wrapped on the fifth day of production on BLACK PAPER.  It's been a roller coaster so far.

Every day throws new challenges at us -- difficult lighting or camera set-ups, challenging scenes for the actors, scheduling issues -- but we're all eager to tackle those challenges with gusto.  I can't tell you all how proud I am of my crew, and I'm humbled by the superb performances of my extraordinary cast.  They're all great, but I have to give particular credit to my two leads -- Dana Blackstone and Jack Michael Findley -- for so skillfully bringing insight and nuance to two of the most difficult roles I've ever written.

Today we're all resting ... or at least trying to.  There have been some late nights and tensions have run high more than once, but we're taking it in stride.  Tomorrow, we'll be back to work and eager to finish up production on a feature film that I truly believe we will all be proud to have worked on.

Well, production on BLACK PAPER begins tomorrow.  I don't know how often I'll get to post on here during the shoot, but I'll at least try to update on our day off.

Things are moving well.  We have a great crew.  Pre-production is progressing well.  The actors are top-notch.  But on this last day before we gather on set, rather than dwell on these logistical things, I'd like to share something that just happened on my lunch break.

A colleague and I left work to grab some pizza-by-the-slice at a little local place that we frequent.  We were walking downtown talking about the frustrations of making this film when I heard someone calling to me.  I looked up and saw my old buddy Justin.  He works not far from my place of employment, and I've been meaning to stop in to say hi for the last two months.  And naturally, I've just been way to busy to do it.

I met Justin when we were in third grade, and he was a huge part of my early filmmaking endeavors.  All through junior high and high school and even into college, when we weren't playing "Super Mario Kart" or "GoldenEye," we were collaborating on silly little video projects.  He's a hilarious guy and has great comic screen presence.  I can't even count the number of movies we made together in those days.

But of course, the years pass, and lives take different paths.  We keep in touch -- sometimes on Facebook or occasional birthday phone calls or texts -- but it's been probably three or four years since the last time we met in person.  And today of all days ... the day before I'm on set for my first feature film ... that's the day I happen to see him on the street.

All the stress, all the chaos, all the uncertainty ... and then that moment.  I felt like God just sort of patted me on the back and reminded me that this is the path I was meant to take.  All those silly films all those years ago were leading to this day -- this time in my life and vocation.  And in that moment, the frustration left me.

I'm about to take a huge step as a filmmaker.  Yes, it's a very small film.  Yes, it's a story with a small, niche audience.  But the thing is, I'm producing and directing a feature.  And how many of all those kids who play with their parents' camcorders in junior high make it to this point?  Not many, I'd wager.

I feel honored and privileged to be working with the enormously gifted cast and crew that have joined the BLACK PAPER team.  And I'm certain that this film, whether it turns out beautifully or horribly, will lead to even better things farther down this path.

Thanks to everyone who is supporting me and this project.  I couldn't do it without you.

BLACK PAPER begins production one week from today!  It's coming up fast, but the team is pulling together to make this feature film happen.

Liz Merriman has recently come on board as our production manager, and she's doing a bang-up job helping to find people to fill the remaining crew positions.

I think we pretty much have our locations figured out now, too.

More rehearsals this week.  Scheduling tomorrow.  Magic on the 10th.

Last Tuesday night, we had our first rehearsal with Dana Blackstone and David Gries.  It was great.  They both have a solid understanding of their characters.  Rehearsals will continue on Monday, and this weekend I'll be meeting with John Kangas, the first assistant director, and Anthony Griffin, the director of photography, to work out the schedule for each day of production.

I finally have a location for the mental hospital.  It definitely has more of a rest home vibe, and I think that's totally appropriate.  There are some fun visual elements there that I'm eager to play with.  I also have a good option for the art gallery now thanks to actor Bob Ford.

So now my shot list is basically locked, and we're making good progress in each department.  I still need a few more crew members, but we'll get there.  The IndieGoGo fundraising campaign didn't go as well as I'd hoped, but it did bring in some funds.  I've also been able to raise some additional money outside of IndieGoGo.  If you'd still like to contribute, please let me know, and we'll arrange something.

I can't believe we start shooting a week from Saturday.  This is nuts, and I love it.