December 31, 2005
Happy New Year!!!!!!!!
Cheers to all... Have a safe and happy holiday...
... and for me, writing more in my blog is my #2 resolution. My reader and I think that the fourth draft of "Produced By Jimmy Wade" is THE ONE... keep your fingers crossed.
Posted by ethan at 05:11 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
September 09, 2005
OK... OK...
... I know that I haven't been posting as of late and all but I promise to the one of you readers out there...
...that it will get more prolific. I know how much I've been bitching about hating re-writing and that I'm trying to get through my page one re-write... well, I still am.
I'm taking this Friday night and am going to finish the last 10 or so pages so I can then go through it with a fine tooth comb, send it back to my reader and then wait to get slashed and burned again into more changes. I've been stuck on these last 10 pages for about two weeks. There are any nubmer of ways to end the thing but what I've been doing is waiting for my gut to speak to me about which way to go... and now, I think I've got it.
It is all very frustrating but the reason for being slow and taking my time is to do it right... I know in my gut of guts what is and is not working and I have a feeling most writers do. The problem is that making changes to one little itty bitty thing leads to any number of changes throughout the entire piece... that's what scares us away from listening to those nagging gut instincts. This time, I'm not going to shy away from them... taking them straight on.
I'll let you know how it turns out... keep your fingers crossed. EB
Posted by ethan at 04:15 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
July 08, 2005
MAJOR tax incentives for film investors…
When I was finishing the first draft of “Produced By…” and planning the creation of CREATEABULL FILMS LLC along with this site, I came across the Jobs Creation Act of 2004… and I fell off my chair…
After picking myself up off the floor and reading for a second time that any film produced in the United States for up to $15 million is allowed to write off 100% of its production budget the year it is incurred instead of deducting it over a number of years, I was floored again but managed to stay seated. After conducting further research, I realized 1. That this is legit and I’m not dreaming and 2. This is a MAJOR incentive for any investor thinking about making a play in film... just our luck.
“Runaway production” (productions made in Canada due to their tax incentives and favorable exchange rate) was driving productions out of the country throughout the ‘90s and into the beginning of this century, costing the country jobs and local businesses revenue. This legislation was enacted to stop runaway production.
From a company in our position, it gives us a great incentive to offer our investors from day one of physical production. Who’s to say how much easier raising money for our production will be due to this incentive but I know it will help in at least opening the door for consideration. Also, in addition to this Federal incentive, New York State/City also offers another tax incentive that amounts up to a 10% state tax break and a 5% city tax break. Bring ‘em on!
Additional links for information on this incentive are here, here and here. EB
Posted by ethan at 03:30 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
May 25, 2005
Why CREATEABULL FILMS LLC and Why Now?
Welcome to our site and my inaugural blog post! My name is Ethan Bull and I started this company, CREATEABULL FILMS LLC, this site and blog because I have pulled the trigger and am moving ahead with my debut feature film, “Produced By Jimmy Wade”. Think of this blog as a way to track our progress with this project… being able to see the ups, downs and everything in between from day one through the premier.
By no means is this an easy task… from financing, getting the script in shooting form and finding other creative talents who want to be a part of this endeavor… to the actual production, post-production and finding the right distribution, we’ve got a long and exciting road ahead. What better way to document this than through a blog, right?
But before we move on, here is some background information…
I came up with the name “CREATEABULL FILMS” about three years ago one day while I was writing… or procrastinating, whichever sounds better. The logo with the bull horns on the bull horn, came about a year and a half later in a bar, over beers with a couple of friends of mine on the back of a cocktail napkin. Now you may be asking yourself, “Why did it take another year and a half to get this company going?”… the answer is the script… the story. No use starting a film production company unless you have a script to produce that you’re passionate about, right? Up until a year ago, I wrote stories and scripts that I NEEDED to write… stories sometimes have a need to get out and they did. What these previous stories required however were big fanciful sets, expensive props and grand ideas which make them very costly to produce as films… not debut independent feature material. With that in mind, I began writing “Produced By Jimmy Wade” knowing 1. I do have a sustainable passion for this story and that 2. This was going to be made on a tight budget as my feature debut. Now that the first draft is finished and while I wait on feedback from my reader and representation, I’ve had some time to work on this site and the formation of this company.
Having worked in the independent film community in New York City since ’96, I hope to share some of my experiences, filmmaking knowledge and the trials and tribulations of our debut film, “Produced By Jimmy Dowd”, to anyone interested in stopping by and reading our blog. If you’d like to ask a filmmaking question, suggest a topic for a future blog post or bounce an idea off me, please email info@createabullfilms.com.
Thanks for stopping by and check back soon for updates. EB
Posted by ethan at 11:33 PM | Comments (0)
