Portland burlesque star featured at Sacramento documentary film fundraiser

The Sacramento-based team behind the forthcoming documentary film “Do the Dance” is proud to announce that a rising star in burlesque and strip will headline the film project’s Feb. 21 launch fundraiser.

Headlining this hot-ticket event is Ivizia, the reigning Miss Exotic Oregon. The event will also feature performances from Sacramento’s Midtown Moxies burlesque troupe.

The evening, at Midtown Sacramento’s Clara performing arts center, will premiere the film’s preview trailer, feature the presiding Judge Earl Warren Jr, an auction of “free expression” art and small bites from celebrity chef Adam Pachal.

Ivizia is a Portland-based entertainer who has been thrilling audiences around the world since 2001. With over 15 years of specializing in fire performance, she has also become a premiere variety entertainer and is guaranteed to ignite your fantasies. In addition to her hotter talent, Ivizia's repertoire includes roller-skating, cube spinning, comedy and a unique puppetry performance that may just give you a “religious experience”.
Ivizia holds the title for Miss Exotic Oregon 2016 and is crowned "Queen of Roses" for 2016 Oregon Burlesque Festival.

The Midtown Moxies Burlesque troupe were formed in late 2014 and have been packing the house ever since! You can see them every 1st Saturday at Midtown Barfly and every 3rd Friday at The Blue Lamp. The Moxies blend classic moves and elements with modern music,  sultry singing and hilarious comedy, creating diverse performances that please every guest.

“Do the Dance” is a feature documentary the uses Sacramento’s infamous “bottomless” stripper trial to tell a broader story about the limits of free expression.

Veteran Sacramento Bee reporter Ed Fletcher is the project’s creative lead. DQ Hayes, formerly of the band Shakedown, is directing and is a
producer.

Get tickets HERE

Cable show: Where are you at with film project?

I recently sat down with Elisia Gonzales and Rafael Siegel, the hosts of the community cable show Sactown Underground, to talk about the exciting updates on my documentary film project "Do The Dance." Do The Dance explores the 1969 Sacramento's strip club indecency trail that wrote the rules in California for exotic dance. The conversation also hits on how to setup the feature film screenplay "Pink."

Pink doc kickoff planned for February

We are still working out the details but look for an official announcement soon on  February "Free Love Free Expression Film Fundraiser" for the Pink documentary. (That name might need help.)
The night will feature a screening of a preview trailer utilizing historic footage, it will also include an auction of "Free Expression" artwork, a chat with Judge Earl Warren Jr. and a burlesque performance.
We're expecting it to raise a significant amount of money towards the project. We have Feb. 21 penciled in.
The night also kickoffs crowdfunding campaign to finish funding the film and expand the market for the documentary and the feature film.
The February event and the flurry of activity after will give the documentary the proper launch it deserves and serves to elevate the entire Pink project.
The documentary uses a look back at quirky 1969 indecency trial to launch a broader conversation about the present state of free expression.
Thank you for following the journey. I'll need your help as I prepare to host this fundraiser then run a crowdfunding campaign. More on that soon.
If you'd like to get more actively involved in event planning, web design, graphic design, marketing, and publicity or any number of other areas please don't hesitate to ask.

Ed Fletcher

Team Pink Documentary Team

Perpetual F Entertainment is happy to announce the following additions to "Team Pink" in support of producing the documentary film "Do The Dance."
Director/producer: Damen Quincy Hayes
producer/editor: Brad Durante
producer: Lauren Brock

Do the Dance uses an outrageous 1969 strip club indecency trial to examine free expression in the modern era. The trial including a performance to the legendary Carol Doda of San Francisco.

Damen will lead the visual development of the film. This includes shooting interviews and live events. Damen will also assist in securing archival footage.
Brad is the lead editor and will assist in securing the finances and connections needed to make the project a success.
Lauren Brock will lead the effort to secure celebrity and other difficult interviews, help secure talent and assist in fundraising.
Ed Fletcher will continue to lead the creative effort, conduct key interviews and work towards the creative success of the overall Pink project.

Naked celebrity selfies suggests time right for free expression documentary

The Pink Pussy Kat in Orangevale went to court over the right to dance fully nude.

In many ways, a documentary was the logical step.
From the moment I pulled the fading stack of newspaper clips on Sacramento's Pink Pussy Kat trial I knew I wanted to tell the story somehow.
I'd brushed aside earlier consideration of doing a documentary, preferring to keep my eye on the prize: a major release feature film.
I'm not saying my initial mission was wrong, but it's time to pivot. This is a story that's ripe for the telling. Big stars like Miley Cyrus, Kim Kardashian West and Emily Ratajkowski are making news by sharing their naked bodies in the name of free expression.
Hey, Emily, Kim and Miley here is a more meaningful way to address the issue of free expression.
Here are some of the questions our documentary will tackle:
Was the push to go full nude at strip clubs in the late 1960' about free expression or exploitation?
How have our social more changed since the flower power movement?
How is it that Sacramento has all but eradicated strip clubs, yet they're all over Portland?
With our the acquisition of KCRA's coverage of the trial, for the first time we're able to see and hear the players first hand. It's 20 minutes of some pretty amazing footage: including some of Carol Doda dancing during the trial.

The question before my cohorts is whether to go after a modest prize of a 20-minute documentary or to develop the plan for an hour-long version that could land on HBO or Showtime?
Secondary question: How do we get Emily, Kim or Miley involved?

Don't miss future developments sign up for the Perpetual F mailing list . See out other project at Perpetualf.com 

Fashion short film happy detour from feature project

In my perfect world, I'd be an idea man.
I'd dream up applications, inventions,  movies and a team of engineers, scientists, planners and artisans would execute the plan.
The closest I ever came was when I mused about putting our female high school principal's head on playboy spread's body and a classmate brilliantly executed that idea in an era before photoshop. (But I digress. )
The point is I get a lot of ideas.
And with my "you can't do that filter" set to "off," I tell myself I can do a lot of things.
Time and money define my limits.
New to this world of "yes, you can" my natural tendency is to flit. Start a script, begin a project, plan a revolution.
(But) Success isn't the number of ideas you hatch, it's the number that survives.
It's dogged determination (and positive encouragement) that have got me this far with my film project and script "Pink."
But at the same time bring an evolved artist means knowing how to juggle. Using other parts of the brain is helpful. So is thinking about another work. Sometimes a short project is just the distraction that shakes the mind into seeing the evasive solution to your original story.
So it was with that I launched "le chapeau genial."
You can hardly tell by looking at me, but I've never been into fashion.
Several years ago, I left a film mixer determined to come up with a viable idea for "Fashion on Film," an exhibit of films created through the California Film Foundation for Sacramento Fashion Week.
I can't remember exactly how the idea hit me, but I remember it being clear. Based on a story my dad Joseph Fletcher told me, the script wrote itself.
Then it sat for multiple years.
As this year's "Fashion on Film" approached, I had plenty of reason to let it go, again.  I'm in the middle of a rewrite. I couldn't find fashion partner. We got a late start. We had no budget, couldn't get key prop, the location fell through and snowstorm came rolling in.
But there were plenty of good reasons to do it.
Fashion week would/will provide another opportunity to seek support for the feature film.
On a more personal level, it would provide an opportunity to do something suitable for my two school age nieces to see -- something I can't say about earlier projects.  It would also feel good to do it for my dad. He's a storyteller. Sometimes a long and meandering storyteller. I'm listening, Pop.
Several times in the one-week preproduction, I thought "well this is when we quit." I'm not sure if director DQ Hayes thought the same thing. But he didn't say it. And I didn't say it. And we just kept putting our head down and finding solutions.
A storm Friday dropped heavy rain in the valley and snow in the mountains. But by 8:30 a.m. Saturday I-80 was clear and our caravan of parents and crew arrived in Soda Springs without incident.
The shoot went great and we even had some time for sledding afterward.
Le chapeau génial is expected to screen Feb. 24 during Sacramento Fashion Week. It features fashion from Girly Sparkles & Handsom Shop and stars Alexandria Williams.
"Le chapeau génial" (the funky hat) tells the story of a little girl who decides the hat her mother wants her to wear isn't cool.

Dancer's memoir reveals church, closer Sacramento connection

"Take It All Off" by Susanne Haines Register, 1978

"Susanne wrote a memoir."

That's was the new fact staring at me via a facebook message.
It would have been nice to know that three years ago when I started this screenplay.
"Take It All Off," by Susanne Haines Register, was released by Beta Books of San Diego in 1978.
The book covers her early life, the Sacramento indecency trial, her reign as Miss Nude Universe and more than a year traveling the country as a headlining exotic dancer.
For the uninitiated,  my screenplay "Pink" focuses on Susanne's 1969 arrest and trial. The case became national news when the trial judge decided that for the jury to determine whether the dance violated community standards they'd have to see it.
News clips and the accounts of the reporters that covered it form the bulk of my research. When the script started it was a 15-minute short film I expected to produce for a few thousand dollars. But when I embarked on expanding it, it never occurred to be to exhaustively research the story before leaping into the feature length version.
Reading the news clips gave me the rough outline of what happened, but not much of a sense of the person. The Bee and other news outlets covered the story, but kept their toe in the shallow end. I knew a little more about details about the Sheriff Misterly and trial Judge Earl Warren Jr., who happens to be son of the former Supreme Court Justice, but as the story went through revisions it was clear Susanne was the star.
Why did she get arrested seven times for performing bottomless? I didn't know for sure so I filled in the blanks. I gave her voice.
The book -- somehow invisible to google searches -- provides tantalizing new details. Susanne was born Susanne Tropper (March 13, 1947) to Frank Julius Tropper and Alice May (Simpson) Tropper. Family tragedy forced her to harden fast as she split time growing up between Sacramento's suburbs (Fair Oaks and Roseville) and Provo, UT. After a tumultuous childhood, she won Miss Placer County at age 16 before finding her way to the stage of Orangevale's Pink Pussy Kat.
While the book is lacking in literary grace, it's a flashlight into the shadowy '70s strip club circuit. Susanne represented the highest ideals of the craft in fighting for free expression, but also saw the lows exotic dance.
My task now is to see how the new facts fit into my pre-existing world.

New tools allow screenwriters to pitch from home

Sites take the travel out of pitching film, television

In Hollywood, like most industries, it's about who you know.  That gives people living and toiling in LA a huge advantage over people living elsewhere.

Since most agents won't take submissions, most connections come via a friend-of-a-friend (as so I'm told). To give folks like me access  (and to take our money) the pitchfest was born.

Fade In's Hollywood Pitch Festival and Scriptfest.com are two of the larger ones. The Hollywood Pitch Festival is July 24-26 in Los Angeles. A three-day pass costs $495. The 2015 Scriptfest was May 29-31 in Burbank, with tickets ranging from $300 to $750.

Each pitchfest is a little different, but most involve standing in a hotel ballroom trying to make small talk as you wait your turn to talk to your chosen film exec. All told, you're looking at spending $800 for a day of workshops and five minutes with eight agents, managers or production company execs.

I'm not passing judgment on whether that's a good value, I haven't been to either of those events. They might be worth it for the seminars and networking alone. But in that the information age there are new routes to get your film or television pitch before Hollywood types.

Here are three at to get your pitch to Hollywood:

Virtual Pitchfest 

Virtual Pitchfest allows users to pay to submit a query letter to selected Hollywood agents, managers, and production companies. The cost is $10 a pop, lower if you're buying in bulk. The service guarantees a response within five days.

Greenlight My Movie

Greenlight My Movie allows users to submit a completed short, a recorded pitch or a synopsis to selected agents, managers, and production companies. The cost is $29.95. Most responses come within 14 days according to the service.

Stage 32/Happywriters 

Stage 32 is a multifaceted social network for the world film community, so virtual pitch sessions are just part of what they do.  Stage 32 pitch sessions are sporadically held opportunities to engage in a live video chat with a specific film professional. The 8 minute skype session costs $45 but comes with the added benefit of live feedback without having to fly to Los Angeles.

Sacramento film project in the media, party Friday

 'Tower' guitar finds home 

Ed Fletcher snags one-of-a-kind guitar

Pink screenwriter went from a party spectator to celebrity after he snagged the "Tower Records" Gibson Les Paul Guitar at a post-screening auction. The one-of-a-kind guitar is signed by Tower founder Russ Solomon and "All Things Must Pass" filmmakers Colin Hanks and Sean Stuart. Proceeds benefit the Tower Records Project. 

Party for Pink set for Friday

Film community, supporters, public invited 

Join us for an exciting night of music, dance and comedy at Party for "Pink" May 1 atVega's Underground in Old Sacramento.
It's an opportunity to share the path we're on with the public and Sacramento International Film Festival attendees. The night will include music from '70s rock cover band Lane 5, period burlesque performances from  Sugar Cane Cheeks and Vivienne Fuego of The Golden Poppy Revue and comedy from Diane Hong. The fun starts at 9 p.m.

Pink in the media

Digital-first strategy takes process to the people 

So many great things happening lately, the media department can hardly keep up. Since our strategy is to talk "Pink" into existence, I'm more than happy to share the process with anyone who will listen. Three great media hits this week:

• Fellow writer/reporter Rich Ehisen published an inciteful Q & A. He and I talk about how the writing process, film-making, and of course Pink.
• I sat down with the Junior and Leo Show Podcast talk about everything from how I got into the project to our digital-first strategy. We even talked a little about the news game and new media.
• Finally, a piece I wrote explaining why the Sacramento film community should be rooting for the web series "Rellik." 

May busy, exciting time on film front

By Ed Fletcher
Early May looks like it's going to be an incredibly busy and exciting time for me. In a matter of days, I'm throwing a party in Old Sacramento, staging a photo shoot and my film short "Goldie" is screening in Seattle.
May 1: Party for "Pink"
May 3: Pink photoshoot
May 4: "Goldie" screening

Party for "Pink" is a chance to generate excitement around my feature film project "Pink" among Sacramento International Film Festival attendees and general Sacramento public.
The free event at Vega's Underground in Old Sacramento will feature 70s rock from cover band Lane 5, burlesque performances and comedy. The fun starts at 9 p.m.

On May 3, I'm turning Sacramento's Blue Lamp back into a strip club for a photo shoot. Behind the camera will be Sacramento photographer and visual artist Melissa Uroff.

Then on Monday, May 4 I fly to Seattle to be on hand as "Goldie," the short film I wrote and produced, screens as part of the Seattle Transmedia & Independent Film Festival. It's part of a night of LGBTQ-friendly films and live drag show.

Whew!

13 Things I think I learned at Santa Rosa Story Expo

Committed to keeping my foot on the gas in turning my screenplay Pink into a feature film, I attended three-day weekend storytellers expo in Santa Rosa.
What the Storytellers Expo lacked in star power, communication and polish, it made up for in intimacy. There is not one reason any attendee should have left feeling like their questions were not answered by real writers, publishers, script consultants, or producers.
It's wasn't cheap, but you'd pay four times that much for the same offerings online.
The following are 13 thoughts, lessons or reflections from the two days of classes and day of pitching Pink at Storytellers Expo produced by the Santa Rosa-based "Northern California Writers" group:

1. The Sacramento film community would be smart to shift some instruction towards writing for television and web series. 
2. Breakdown episodes of television shows I liked, then follow the formula to write a spec episode.  
3. I'm well ahead of the curve in term of branding, social media and the business of film.
4. Re-read/edit scripts with different lenses: think like director, actor, producer
5. People love the true story/premise of Pink.
6. Write your first logline at the idea stage. 
7. Thanks for the instruction on how to write a film query letters, but what's the point if agents don't read them? 
8. Tension = hope v. fear.
9. Seek rising and falling tension through each mini movie. 
10. Author Dale Brown spent a lot of time in Sacramento and is a nice dude.
11. Practice funny by jotting down one funny thing a day. 
12. In packaging start with directors and talent with production companies.
13. In seeking agents and production partners, look to those judging screenplay contests, those are the people open to finding material in unusual places. 

When Sunday's pitch session came, I was at ease and confident. Participants stood in line for five minutes of one-on-one time with the assorted (8) book and film experts.
Making the best of meetings means setting reasonable expectations of learning something, building rapport, and achieving a small "ask."
And while I wish script consultants would use their connections more liberally to help non-clients,  I totally understand the folly of their ways. All of the pitch recipients were willing active listeners who surely would have benefited those at the early stages or those with a polished project.
Now time to email Pink to a Los Angeles studio.

Film research trip ends exotic avoidance

I wonder sometimes what people think about a guy who would devote years of his life writing a screenplay and producing a movie about a strip club.
 "Some big perv."
Fact is, until last night, I hadn't been to a strip club for at least five years -- including the entire time writing "Pink."
For those new to the blog, "Pink" is my sexy dramatic comedy about Sacramento's 1969 "bottomless" stripper trial. The indecency trial became a national story when the judge decided in order for the jury to determine whether the dance violated community standards they'd have to see it. The girls won the trial but the government changed the law making it a health code violation to consume alcoholic beverages in establishments that allow full nudity.
So what's a guy who doesn't care for spending money on exotic dancers doing writing a screenplay about exotic dancers? The short answer is because it a local story that needed to be told. When you strip everything else away its a story about free expression dressed up in late 60s attire.
Think "American Hustle" meets "People vs. Larry Flynt."
Most of my research came from old fraying newspaper clips. I didn’t set out to write a strip club screenplay. It started as a short term project and has steadily grown.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a prude (though "Blue Lagon" was too much for me went I saw it as a boy). I’ve been to strip clubs and enjoy seeing women naked as much as the next guy, probably a little more. The bulk of my strip club experience came from Bourbon Street excursions during college and the rush of bachelor parties one endures in their early 30s.
But I could never justify expending money on the experience.
More than the money, the transactional relationship bothers me.
While I firmly believe performers should have the right to dance naked in exchange for money, I much prefer nudity without compensation.
Pink can be a beautiful movie that makes audiences laugh, causes a modest arousal, says something about art, freedom and culture -- and makes money.
So for the sake of research I, joined by a female friend, went to Gold Club Centerfolds. After an absence of half a decade, the adult establishment seemed remarkably the same in all its soft skin and curvaceous glory.
I'll spare you the details (good and bad) other than to note I drank hot tea, a legacy of the "Pink Pussy Kat" decision.

Taking script notes from strangers

Request for opening pages of script triggers rewriting rush

For an unpublished screenwriter: "Is it done?" is the question that looms, never quite answered.
I've spent months cautiously getting feedback from progressively critical/expert sources. In the last year,  to prepare "Pink" for the prime time its undergone four official rewrites, been table read with real actors twice and workshopped by my screenwriter's group.

But even as I shook a man's hand assuring him, "It's ready" during my time at AFM, I knew I wasn't sure.

Screenwriter Ed Fletcher

I don't think I'll ever be sure until a Hollywood player says: "I'll make that movie with you."

For those new to this blog, I'm talking about my feature length dramatic comedy "Pink," which is based on a 1969 strip club indecency trial.

In my fantasy version of my "How it Happened Story," I befriend a Hollywood white knight. My aging B-player would then introduce me to the right people -- an agent, a business-minded money guy and a gal to get me to all the right parties.

That hasn't happened yet. Instead, I've turned to strangers for screenwriting advice. Not street-corner strangers, rather the screenwriting contest feedback stranger.

For an extra fee, many screenwriting contests will provide detailed feedback. The catch is you're not given any information about the source of the feedback.

Script feedback emails are something you sit down for.

The words can send you into a funk or to the moon with excitement. Since January, I've received notes from the Screencraft Fellowship, Beverly Hill Screenplay Contest, BlueCat Screenwriting Contest and The Blacklist.

Three of the emails sent me into a full-day of happy dancing.

One, I could barely finish. I set it aside with the others for processing once there were time and enough data decide what needed to be done. I've considered hiring a script consultant, but kept putting it off out of a combination of poverty, pride, naivete and indecision.

The feedback notes come weeks or even months before the final decision on contest winners are announced. Awaiting the results of the contest was a good enough reason as any to procrastinate on addressing issues raised by the mysterious readers. If Pink placed, I'd soon have plenty of real people asking to read it, I had decided.

But then the email.

On Friday, a major independent film player, responding to my pitch submission, asked to read the first 10 pages. I didn't think much of Greenlightmymovie.com. For $30 a pop, film or television writers can send a video to Hollywood studios and talent management companies. I skeptically bought three submissions in late January. The first rejection came within three hours of submission. The third company has yet to respond.

The email asking for the pages was a lovely am inbox surprise. I sent off the pages as quick as my fingers could carry me. Then I promptly told the world. Each like of the facebook post was like a warm welcoming pat on my shoulder.

But then came Saturday. Saturday is when I decided as soon as Monday the company could ask for the full script and by the end of the day my script could be in the hands of the pre-screening intern.
My fate my soon by in the hands of a junior employee hoping to impress his or her boss with their keen discerning eye.

Suddenly, now was the time to settle into the chair and ignore social media long enough to re-acquire the characters voices, get back into screenwriter mode and fix any obvious issues. As I poured over each word of their analysis, I struggled to picture the author in my head. Are they old, young? Do I listen to the more critical voice or say forget her? Why do I even think it is her? (cus I'm sexist.)

Sunday, my wave of panicked self-doubt subsided.

No art is perfect and while surely the story and the script will continue to be refined, I'm confident it's close enough warrant collaboration toward a shared vision.

The Monday agenda: hire a script consultant.

Grateful for support of short film campaign, future film plans

I’ve been stumbling around my keyboard for some profound way to say “thank you” to all the people that supported my Goldie crowdfunding campaign and to put this all into perspective.

On Wednesday, Feb. 4, the “Sharing Short Film Goldie” collected $766 or nearly 77 percent of it's $995 goal. For days, I had feared that the campaign would cause me stress as it limped along.

It’s by no means a large sum, but it money you earned and have plenty of other uses for. It  means a great deal that you would give money you earned to support me and my film efforts.

I one day soon hope to be asking high wealth individuals to invest a great deal of money into my projects. It means a lot and does a great deal to my confidence that you would support me.

As of the time of this publishing the campaign remains open. 

Tale of Pink AFM pitch earns local press

My employer The Sacramento Bee graciously allowed me to write about my experience pitching "Pink" at American Film Market in November. So far the feedback has been outstanding. It's a great boost to the effort. Now I need to capitalize in this good press and keep pressing. Here is the top of the story and a link to the full story which I would really encourage you to enjoy.

The film-pitch session – the one in which I’m one of 10 pre-selected participants – has began and I’m not there.
I’m in the bathroom frantically trying to free my new pink tie from the coffee stain it just acquired. I consider taking it off, but that would ruin my plan to brand myself as the guy pitching “Pink” by wearing a pink tie each of my four days at the American Film Market.
“Pink” is a dramatic comedy based on Sacramento’s 1969 “bottomless” stripper trial, which made national news when Judge Earl Warren Jr. temporarily moved proceedings to a strip club so jurors could fairly determine whether the nude dancing violated community standards.

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/entertainment/movies-news-reviews/article8218959.html#storylink=cpy

http://www.sacbee.com/entertainment/movies-news-reviews/article8218959.html

Slipping Backstage to get The Dude my Script

Ed Fletcher with a look-a-like The Dude at the Jeff Bridges concert. 

It’s the morning after but I still buzzing from my clandestine operation to get Jeff Bridges a copy of script “Pink.”
Bridges, who despite many great roles will always remembered as “The Dude” from the Big Lebowski, has been on my short list to play Sheriff Misterly from the beginning. When I saw he was coming to Sacramento to play music with his band I took it as a sign. After a fair amount of waffling, there I was watching the show strategizing how I’m going to get backstage.
When the show ended I caught a moment when one of  guys guarding the door to backstage left his post and walked right back. The second wave of security wasn’t interested in doing his job so I walked past him.
When bridges who played a great set and a four song encore with his bandmates finished posing for a picture with some legitimate VIPs, I went in. I told him he seemed like a guy who believes in signs and that I took it as a sign that he was here to play and told him I wanted to give him my script.
By that point security was on to me, but Bridges said I was “Ok” and let me pitch him the movie as he walked to his dressing room. I gave a copy of the script to his guy and was on my way.
It was a beautiful end to a good week for Pink, my feature script about Sacramento’s 1969 “bottomless” stripper trial.
I was extremely happy with the turnout and energy of the Jan. 14 screening of my short film Goldie and others I hosted. It was good experience for myself as a film producer, good for the local film community and good for a local business.
With that behind me I decided it was time to refocus and prioritize my energy. I found that I’d been spending far too much time doing social media and not enough time doing. While there is a real potential upside of a large social media following, at times it feels a lot like a never ending online game. Social media is important but action is more important.
On the action front in recent days, I had my first meeting with an investment club, reached out to a new Hollywood friend and finally move my office out of my bedroom and into my spareroom.
The investment club isn’t ready to move yet and the overture has yet to bear fruit.
Each of those actions seemed at one point worthy of a blog post, but now seem overshadowed by “The Dude.”
I have no idea what will become of my move to get Bridges, but I’m happy fear didn’t prevent me from taking an affirmative step in response to the universe bringing Bridges to my town at the exact time my script was ready for him.
Go team Pink.

Highlights of January screening short film "Goldie" and more from Ed Fletcher on Vimeo.

Screenwriter Ed Fletcher Talks About His Dramatic Comedy "Pink" from Ed Fletcher on Vimeo.

Crowdfunding Campaign on for LGBT-friendly short film

It's with great humility that earlier this week I launched a crowdfunding campaign to support marketing and distribution of my LGBT-friendly short film Goldie 48 hour film. The short was shot and edited for the Sacramento International Film Festival 48-hour competition where it won "audience choice." Director Matthew Gilliam lovingly reedited it, then Brandon Oreno scored it and now we want your help submitting it to film festivals and marketing it's digital release.

I'll be honest, I agonized over whether the campaign would flop. We're wired to be afraid to ask for money, but rather than being governed by fear I choose to trust in the law of abundance. As author Keith Ferrazzi suggests in his book "Never Eat Alone", rather than thinking of support as something one uses up, think of it as something that grows as you earn it by doing good work and supporting others. 

My primary goal remains moving my feature length script Pink forward, but I think supporting, marketing and attending festivals in support of Pink will set me on the path. Pink is based on Sacramento 1969 "bottomless" stripper trial. 

Sick for Kevin Jonas twitter power

Kevin Jonas (right) talks twitter with Ian Ziering and
Johnny Damon on NBC's Celerity Apprentice 

I’m not ready to check myself into a facility quite yet, but I’m showing early signs of social media addiction.
Checking my facebook and twitter are the first and last things I do with my day. Seeing new “likes” to my facebook movie page brings me more joy than reasonable. I have five twitter accounts.
I may be lapsing towards the excess, but its not like playing “Angry Birds” or “Candy Crush” there is an end game in play, even if there is no end to the social media game.
In this age, a large social media following is power. That power was a major subject line of the first episode of Celebrity Apprentice. While both project managers pushed their team to take full advantage of social media to drive attendance to their charity pie sale, the other celebrities rightly feared that even their combined energies were no match for Kevin Jonas’ 4.7 million twitter followers.
I’m a long long way from 4.7 million, but I play to employ social media to organically grow a following for my film “Pink.” Most cited example of a twitter feed being harnessed successfully launch a movie was the 2014 “Dear White People.”
Each new follow puts me one step closer.
With that in mindset, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to not let to consume too much of my creative energy.
In the near future, I hope and expect “Team Pink” to grow and much of the social media heavy lifting will fall to others but in the mean time it's important to for me as the screenwriter/creative lead to keep my focus on the big picture and creating content worthy of attention.
Its all well and good to ask people to follow you, but if you don’t know where you’re leading them, we’re all lost.

Dance Step of Death

Zombie Comedy

Dance Step of Death 

Some people are content to watch bad things happen in their neighborhood. Not these guys. Armed with good intentions, they spend after work hours fighting crime, corruption and suffering. But this investigation my turn out be more than they bargained for. They'll need some fancy footwork to survive.




Zombie comedy "Dance Step of Death" from Ed Fletcher on Vimeo.

"Dance Step of Death" premiered at the Sacramento Film and Music Festival in 2012. After a good run on the Amazon Marketplace, if was launched for free on Vimeo Jan. 1, 2015.