Okay, here are posts back a few months from the old blog. I can’t figure out the import right now. I’ll probably move some of the old pages from the old blog to this directory so you can peruse posts from the past.
Tuesday, September 07, 2004
Posted 1:58 AM by Alan The Pilot
I have decided to pursue production of the pilot episode for a series I have tentatively called, The Journeyman. This week, I will be meeting with a producer who has done television development with Jerry Bruckheimer. I am hoping he can point me to some funding options as well as give me the low-down on product placement.
As I seek to “air” this series over the internet, I am also in a position to solicit advertisers. If we shoot this series low-budget and non-union as I expect it to be, we could feasibly shoot the entire 16-episode season for under 100,000. More would be nice and helpful, but it’s possible. If one commercial (positioned at the begginning of the stream, so the show runs uninterrupted) could bring 5,000, that would just about break the series even. It all sounds good on paper, but actually getting sponsors, advertisers, and investors is another story altogether.
Of course, there is the old adage of putting your money where your mouth is. I am going to do that. If I don’t find funding for at least the first four episodes by the end of October, I am going to do my darndest to fund the pilot myself. Doing just the pilot has drawbacks. I’m counting on shooting multiple episodes at the same time to reduce budget and increase story cohesiveness. But with the pilot, we could defer the pay of all the actors, shoot it in a very long and busy week, also picking up crew members who will donate their time for the credit, experience, and the free food on set. Comment (0)
Thursday, August 26, 2004
Posted 8:54 PM by Alan Blogger not working
So why am I posting? Blogger isn’t working right now with the new server, but as soon as it does, these posts will go live!
Get a free iPod? I don’t think so.
Perhaps you have heard of the company giving out ipods in exchange for referrals. It seems too good to be true… and it is. The truth is some people have gotten iPods off of their site, but others legitimately complete their requirements and are rejected. I will go into detail as to why this happens later, but for now, you should trust me when I tell you there is a good chance this company will make money off of you without ever sending you your iPod. A very good chance. I know, because I completed the requirements with valid referrals and I was placed on hold. I am holding out hope that they will actually come through, but if they don’t, you can trust that a lot more people will find out about my story than is worth the cost of an iPod to this company! Comment (0)
Wednesday, August 25, 2004
Posted 9:32 PM by Alan Strength of Faith
I’ve had some serious guilt lately. A lot of it well-deserved. In an effort to make sure I am not overbearing and rude about my faith, I have hidden it at times. I am not ashamed of my faith, but talking about it tends to go too much towards making sure someone understands I am not “that type” of Christian.
For those who know me, they don’t need an explanation any way. Our lives are the real witness with those we are in regular contact with. But when I have the casual conversation with someone… On the one hand, they don’t deserve to have faith shoved down their throat, and on the other hand, if they’re asking, I shouldn’t feel obligated to detail what I am not before telling about who I am. Clarification may be good, but I am too lop-sided on explaining what I am not.
On top of that, I know I do not have even a healthy fervor or passion for God right now. While God is in my awareness often, I know my focus too easily drifts and I can more easily shut off “healthy” feelings of guilt. It is one thing to have freedom in Christ, and it is quite another to pursue freedom at the expense of God. And I’m not taking that back, I do believe we can take things from God.
Fun with the hosting business
Things are finally starting to settle down for me. I just purchased my own server, as before I was reselling off of another server. My business has grown enough that it was time to take that plunge. It has motivated me to start some advertising campaigns, and I am hoping to pick up no less than ten hosting customers a month. I’ve probably sold a little over ten a year the past three years, because most of my business has been design and maintenance. Any way, check out the new website hosting and domain sales site. I just redesigned it… Okay, I am not quite finished with all the pages, but the home page is done… for the most part. 
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Friday, August 20, 2004
Posted 9:48 AM by Alan Cast the first stone
So I was thinking yesterday about Jesus and the woman about to be stoned for her indiscretions. The last thing I want to do is empower the judgmental assholes whose sharp tongues have caused the church to reap a whirlwind of judgment back upon itself, but I was thinking…
Do Jesus’ words get often misconstrued as judgment including the intuitive process of deciding what is good and evil? What I mean is, does “let he who is without sin cast the first stone” mean we cannot make judgments about the sin of others? Or maybe just sin in general, which ourselves and others commit. Perhaps casting the first stone (which could be a metaphorical stone with our words) is not about recognizing sin in others but is more about condemnation for the sin. Our culture wants to focus on not being “judgmental”… which means we can’t tell anyone they are wrong. I am not sure that the story of casting the first stone actually bolsters that feeling towards judgment… Comments (3)
Tuesday, August 03, 2004
Posted 12:24 PM by Alan Where can we escape?
It used to be, you could go to the movies and if you arrive a half hour early get a decent seat, buy some over-priced snacks, and talk to your friend, girlfriend, associate, or whoever before about ten minutes of previews roll when the movie start-time arrives.
Now, more and more theaters are playing advertisements at a volume too high for conversations to be carried on (without raising your voice to annoying levels). Well, at least we can still get a decent seat and buy overpriced snacks.
Something should be done about the advertising overload in our culture. We can’t escape it. I have personally decided to boycott theaters which play advertisements with sound prior to the start-time of the movie. Some of my friends are going to get ticked off, because that means the closest theater with decent facilities will be off-limits for me. I just can’t take it any more. The advertisements are numbing.
It’s amazing how when they are on the screen and blaring, people just watch without second thoughts of how they could be spending their time. I’ve noticed it with my friends when we’re at one of those theaters. We’ll be having a loud, annoying conversation because it’s the only type you can have in that environment, and snap, their attention is drawn to the screen. Conversation over.
Ticket prices have been on the rise, and now the theaters are seeking additional revenue by streaming advertisements to movie-goers non-stop. This isn’t television folks. Ad content is not the reason we are able to watch what is going to be on the screen, your ticket dollars are. Comments (2)
Saturday, July 24, 2004
Posted 5:41 PM by Alan New site ready… almost
The new site is pretty much ready, but I’ve been unable to finish up some minor and not-so-minor tasks before switching everything around. The big issue is that my site is still linked from my acting agent, and I need to get her to change the link to my acting site before moving in the new site.
In the mean-time, I think you can check out the site (some tweaks still coming, as you will see) at this link: http://www.alanhartung.com/content/
Saved! review and article coming soon…
I am working on an article/review of Saved! which begs the question: Where are the door hangers? Saved! is a true evangelistic opportunity
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Wednesday, July 07, 2004
Posted 10:59 AM by Alan So… a new site
I said it was coming soon. Soon appears to be a very relative word.
Good stories and the church
More and more, I am convinced of the need for quality stories coming from individuals within the church. I am not talking Christian movies or tv, per se, but Christians telling quality stories which rise above the level of propoganda.
The issue…
The biggest problem is that Christians are fearful that someone might not get what the story means. As a result, the stories are so divorced from anything resembling reality that it becomes propoganda. A true story will interact with individuals, and that means that often each person will get something different from each story – even if the difference is slight. We need bold filmmakers and storytellers who are not afraid to tell a good story that some may walk away gleaning something totally opposite of our own beliefs or the idea we tried to offer in the form of a story.
The Journeyman
I’ve finished the pilot to my attempt at the above method of storytelling, The Journeyman. This series is the story of a pastor whose wife walks out on him. In the midst of his depression, and a sabbatical from ministry due to the divorce, God begins speaking to him audibly. He can’t escape his calling to help others. The catch… the characters are honest. Some non-church persons are much, much nicer and caring than some of the good ole church folk. This isn’t a villification of the church, there are genuinely good persons in the church as well, but there are some demons in the mix.
Internet Streamed
This show is being develped for the internet. Would you watch a show on the internet (streamed at 150k) for free? Would you purchase a higher bandwidth version? What would you pay? It’s an hour-drama (which means 40-60 minutes per episode… The Journeyman will run without commercial interruption). Comment (0)
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