The Water Cooler

Indie Marketing at SXSW

noreply@blogger.com (Roman) — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 20:48:00 +0000

SXSW is held in Austin, TX, and combines a film festival, interactive festival (technology, gaming, etc) and a huge music festival (1400+ bands). This was my second time attending, and the show seems to grow exponentially. The marketing tricks grow at the same rate, with bigger and more extravagant ploys to get the attention of the thirty thousand or so attendees.

The gambits range from fleets of cars covered with logos (this year was "Kick Ass" the movie), to marching bands beating their drums, to graphics being projected on the side of buildings. Add to that hundreds of folks giving out rides in their bike carts, energy bars, green tea and more.

How can a little indie movie like "Standards of Ethical Conduct" stand out among all the noise?

I've always liked more subtle marketing campaigns, ones that reward the curious among us. So I left the following email among stray papers on lunch tables, food carts and crumpled in the corner of couches.

Here are some of my drops.

The question is, did anyone find these? Leave a comment if you did.

For those pranksters, feel free to download the doc and modify it to your heart's content. I know a couple folks who will probably push it much further than I did. Please share your stories.

Get your popcorn ready, it's movie time!

noreply@blogger.com (Roman) — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 14:53:00 +0000

The wait is finally over. Click below to watch the full movie. If you're feeling randy, leave a comment and/or rating on YouTube.

The FCT Corporate Store is also open for business starting today.

That means you can have your very own copy of the movie, with the following special features:

Deleted scene - Ok, I deleted several scenes from the movie, so why is only one on the DVD? Well, most of them weren't very good, so I didn't see the point in making you sit through the agony of watching them. However, one deleted scene was really good, but just didn't fit into the storyline after I made some script changes. You get to see Tab Chester and Franklin trying to solve an army captain's (played by the BLF) power issue on the ground in Iraq. Nothing is better than watching a couple of incompetent corporate dweebs stumble over each other when faced with a real problem. Plus any scene with a synergy line is always worthwhile.

Goof video - This video gives you a behind the scenes look at the reality of a cash-strapped indie production. Be prepared to see a lot of Chuck Roy.

Director interview - What you've been waiting for. You get to hear me blather on. Courtesy of The Signal on WYPR.

Movie posters - All 6!

Trailer

And more!

If you're really getting into the moment, I'd suggest also picking up your own corporate dweeb t-shirt, in either pink or white.

Meet Bill LeVasseur, aka Staff Sergeant Mothershead

noreply@blogger.com (Roman) — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 20:04:00 +0000

You know Bill LeVasseur, you just don't know you know him. If you've seen "Standards of Ethical Conduct", you know Bill as Staff Sergeant Mothershead.

However, even if you haven't seen Standards of Ethical Conduct, you know Bill. I guarantee it. Remember these Coors ads?

If you somehow missed those, perhaps you've seen him sell Dish Network, or as a Dish customer, you've seen him help you with your remote.

Or, if you're a fan of Crash (the TV series), perhaps you saw Bill get his ass chewed by Dennis Hopper.

See, you recognize Bill now right?

I met Bill when I was a producer of "Spotless", where he played a cold-blooded hitman named Jackson Hash. When it came time to shoot Standards, he was one of the actors I had in mind, and he knocked out the role of Staff Sergeant Mothershead. And no, that's not some made-up character name, although it sounds like one. That's the real name of the guy that let us borrow his uniform for the movie. Since you can see the name written on the uniform, we changed the character name to match. So there is a real Staff Sergeant Mothershead, and if he is out there, thank you for the uniform!

It makes me wonder though, since our last names are mostly related to what our ancestors did. You know, a blacksmith become Smith or the guy who ran the grain mill became Miller. Let's hope that "Mothershead" wasn't earned in the same way. Anyway, I digress.

Since we had much of the same crew on Standards as we did on Spotless, Bill was familiar to all, which gave us some entertaining moments on set. Boom operators are often the target of on-set hijinks, as they wear headphones attached to their boom mic with the volume turned way up so that they can pick up any sound that might ruin a take. So you might abruptly talk real loud or make a fake hissing sound to mess with them. Or, some folks just like to tap on their mic to piss them off. In this clip, the foul mouthed boom operator is played by Patrick Hackett.

You can read more about Bill at his website, billlevasseur.com, check out his profile at IMDB, and see him as host of the Vail Film Festival.

“Standards of Ethical Conduct” to Premiere Online, Worker Productivity Predicted to Fall

noreply@blogger.com (Roman) — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 21:22:00 +0000

Arlington, VA – (March 5, 2010) – The highly acclaimed office comedy, “Standards of Ethical Conduct”, will make its online debut on March 11th, 2010.

Office managers around the country are embracing for the predicted fall in worker productivity as cube-toilers watch the film in full resolution, for free, while pretending to do work.

“Standards of Ethical Conduct” made its theatrical debut in 2009, in Baltimore and Denver, to rave reviews:

“disarmingly sweet and funny” and “a refreshingly piss take on office culture”
- Bret McCabe, Arts Editor, City Paper

"It's a tightly scripted and well acted exploration of the absurdities of the corporate world..."
- Lisa Morgan, Co-Host of "The Signal" on National Public Radio

“this comical and tightly woven office film has universal appeal”
- 5280 Magazine

In “Standards of Ethical Conduct”, a 45-minute office comedy, filmmaker Roman Hardgrave presents the story of Heff, a cubicle-dweller who finds himself in conflict with his company's nightmarish Standards of Ethical Conduct after an unfortunate incident at the annual company Halloween party. “Last Comic Standing” semi-finalist Chuck Roy co-stars as Heff's stoner roommate, a man pursuing a very different sort of American Dream.

What the hell is going on?

noreply@blogger.com (Roman) — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 22:00:00 +0000

Ok, I've been bad about updating the blog and in general, getting "Standards of Ethical Conduct" wrapped up. Between moving to DC, starting school again at George Mason and some family issues, I allowed myself to get distracted. It's time to put my foot back on the pedal.

Soon you will be able to watch the movie online, for free. Where? Right now its YouTube vs. Babelgum. Stay tuned, I'm hoping to have it online in less than two weeks. Two weeks!

In other news, the DVD is being worked on and should hopefully be finished in the next several weeks. On it will be a goof video as well as a deleted scene that I wish I could've kept in the film. It's where the "synergy" line in the trailer comes from. Franklin and Tab Chester were great in the scene, but I had to drop it after I made a major story change during editing.

Keep checking the blog, Twitter and Facebook pages, there will be a lot of updates over the coming weeks. I'll have funny clips, behind the scenes stuff, pictures and more. You can also sign up for the email updates on this site, or on http://standardsofethicalconduct.com.

Also, "Standards of Ethical Conduct" has also made its way onto IMDB, here: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1557747/. So if you appeared or worked on the film, you are now immortalized at IMDB alongside Hollywood's stars. I anxiously await any comments you want to leave on the film there.

The last bit of news is that I've started studying Economics at George Mason, which has been outstanding. It's the first time in my life that I'm taking classes in a subject that I love to study. I know, I know. You just re-read that and said, Economics? That's what he loves studying?

Economics is like engineering for the gears of the world. Its insights into how and why things work like they do is both fascinating and frustrating. It's fascinating to understand social systems and how they function or break down. It's frustrating to hear how little of this understanding is conveyed through our media. More on that another day.

What's next?

noreply@blogger.com (Roman) — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 02:06:00 +0000

It's been a quiet month on the movie front. Our family is moving to Northern Virginia, and between that and a busy work schedule, Standards of Ethical Conduct has become the forgotten child in our family, starving and shivering in the corner.

Yes, we're moving from the bright lights of the city to quiet suburbia. I have often bemoaned the soul-crushing stripmallization that is typical surburbia, but after having a baby, I can't wait to have some extra room and a backyard. And I love the new menu at Applebee's! Come by and you'll see me mowing the lawn in my black socks and sandals.

As for the next viewing of Standards of Ethical Conduct, I'm not sure. It's been submitted to several film festivals, but I worry that its length is going to make it difficult to program. Festivals usually like their shorts under 20 minutes and their features over 60, and at 45 minutes, Standards of Ethical Conduct might be the gawky teenager that no one invites to the party.

I'm also working on getting it online, but I have some updates to my website I want to get done beforehand. Stay tuned.

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Check out my groundbreaking IM interview with Radar Redux. Yes, the interview was done completely via instant message. I just sat there in my boxers on the couch, typing while working away on a wheel of cheese. You'll be moved.

Packed House!!

noreply@blogger.com (Roman) — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 14:49:00 +0000

The Denver premiere of "Standards of Ethical Conduct" went well, with so many people showing up that the Bug Theatre had to pull out the folding chairs to add seating.

Chuck Roy kicked off the evening with an impromptu roast of yours truly, mostly due to the fact that it took four years to go from shooting to screening. "The movie was originally intended to go straight to VHS. However, four or five technologies have emerged since the shooting of the film."

It was a raucous crowd, cheering loudly throughout the credits. And yes, the same scene got the loudest laugh in Denver like it did in Baltimore. The elephant.

Thanks to everyone who helped out, including Alice, Poo and Joni, who jointly managed the door. Thanks to Jenny and Brian for the pics.

Pictures are posted on Facebook. Below is one of the cast and crew at the pre-party. And yes, we did a post-party as well, which ended by seeing the zoo that is the Denver Diner at 3 am. Nice work Damon, who ordered shots of Jamison at 2 am, and than was ruled too drunk to take it by his girlfriend, who took it herself.

TV, Print and Web Oh My!

noreply@blogger.com (Roman) — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 21:34:00 +0000

I woke up giddy this morning, which for those who know me, is a rare thing. I ran down to a local coffee shop to get the Denver Post, excited to see what was in store. And there Chuck Roy was, on the cover of the Entertainment section, right next to a piece about "Land of the Lost". Click here for a larger, more readable, picture.

The teaser directed readers to the Denver Post's Get Real Denver blog, which did an interview with me and put up a nice post, including the trailer. Thank you John Wenzel, Lisa Kennedy and the Denver Post! Way to support the local artists.

And if that wasn't enough, The Donnybrook Writing Academy reviewed the film, and had the great idea to do a contest for free tickets to the premiere and a t-shirt. Go here and come up with new FCT positions for hire. The winner not only gets to go to the show, but the winning position will go on the next FCT flyer. The ones on the current flyer are Senior Douchebag, Conference Call Security Officer (which was submitted by blog reader Fluffhead), Executive Cropduster, Whorish Marketing Gal and Expense Abusing Salesperson.

"Standards of Ethical Conduct" also made its first TV appearance, on NBC Channel 9 in Denver. Go here to watch the E-Block, the movie bit is after the David Carradine coverage. I can't believe Bill is dead.

Also, I forgot to put a note on the blog that earlier this week a bunch of film stills were posted to the Facebook page. Become a fan and you'll be the first to see stuff like that in the future. Here's one of them.

I hope everyone is ready for the big show tomorrow night! We are about 20 tickets away from being sold out! Buy your tickets at http://www.standardsofethicalconduct.com/.

Finding Chuck Roy

noreply@blogger.com (Roman) — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 20:30:00 +0000

The role of Binger was the hardest to cast in "Standards of Ethical Conduct". Unlike some of the roles, where I just wanted a believable reading of the lines, in Binger, I wanted an actor to take the lines and run with them. He is the funny guy of the film. Plus, I wanted someone with a different look who would stand out from the other actors.

I had at least a dozen actors read for the role, and none of them brought the personality and comedic timing I was looking for. Some people just have the same sense of humor as you do, and some don't. I can make a "Major League" or "Seinfeld" reference and some people will find it hilarious while others will think I'm an idiot. Several of the actors who read were funny, but with a different style of humor, so their timing was off. Either you get the jokes or you don't, it's hard to coach someone in that regard.

Plus, it was obvious that a couple of the actors were guessing at what being stoned was like, rather than relying on experience. Yes, some actors aren't rampant drug abusers. It surprised me as well.

I kept bringing in more actors, with no luck. We were days from shooting, with the entire cast set, except for Binger. I was getting desperate, so I went to Comedy Works, the local stand-up joint, to see if they could help me. Wendy Curtis, the owner of Comedy Works, told me that Dr. Kevin Fitzgerald would be the man to contact. I called Dr. Fitzgerald. He quietly listened as I described the role, and then immediately recommended Chuck Roy as my man.

Chuck showed up at a reading and I knew we had one thing...a different look. Chuck is a tall, big guy, with a face-full of fur. He was at least 6 inches taller than the other actors in his scenes. The basketball scenes between Jason Coviello and him took on a whole new life with Jason standing 5'7" and Chuck at about 6'3".

As for understanding pot, in Chuck Roy, I didn't have to worry about someone unfamiliar with the effects of the sweet cheeba. He, after all, is the creator of the Crop Report.

A lot of the actors that read for Binger did the stereotypical stoner: slow, bleary eyed, raspy voice, etc. To me, that's been done over and over and wasn't all that interesting. I was looking for Binger to be the philosophical stoner, who gets into "enlightened mode" when stoned and likes to share his wisdom. Some of his philosophy was wise, but he was also a lazy stoner, so maybe all his facts weren't spot on.

Chuck's reading went great, he immediately understood the jokes, added his own twist, and voila, here's Binger.

You can get your own taste of Chuck by going to his site ChuckRoy.com.

The Denver Examiner Reviews "Standards of Ethical Conduct"

noreply@blogger.com (Roman) — Wed, 27 May 2009 19:54:00 +0000

Erik Buckman just reviewed "Standards of Ethical Conduct" for the Denver Examiner. Read the review.

It looks like Erik has spent his share of time in a cube and has the same romantic memories as the rest of us.

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If you're planning on attending the Denver premiere, I encourage you to buy tickets beforehand here. It's a small theater and the cast & crew will eat up half the seats.

Silly Marketing Tactic #27 - Muddy Buddy

noreply@blogger.com (Roman) — Thu, 21 May 2009 16:39:00 +0000

My good friend Brian Dutton (aka The Executive Douchebag) had the great idea of promoting "Standards of Ethical Conduct" while participating in Muddy Buddy several weeks ago. Muddy Buddy is a run/bike race that you do in a team of two, with the end of the race being an army crawl through a gigantic mud pit.

Brian thought it would be a good idea to sport the "FCT - an URBM Company" t-shirts while participating in the race, to help spread the word about the film. Of course he meant the ladies version of the t-shirt (ie in pink), two sizes too small.

How did we do? Squarely in the middle of the pack in terms of time, but in the top 10 in terms of flamboyant spirit.

Enjoy the pictures below, more are posted on Facebook here.

Do you have any other silly marketing ideas? As I've proven time and time again, I'm not afraid to make a spectacle of myself. Shout them out in the comments.

Are you intrigued by our skin-tight pink t-shirts? Want your own? Stay tuned to the blog, they'll be available soon. Gut is not included, you have to bring your own.

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Buy Denver Premiere Tickets for Standards of Ethical Conduct

Denver Premiere! June 6th at the Bug Theatre

noreply@blogger.com (Roman) — Sat, 09 May 2009 09:23:00 +0000

Mark your calendars! June 6th, 8 pm, at the Bug Theatre.

It's been a long road from the production of the film in April 2005 to finally being able to show the cast and crew the fruits of their labor. Plus, Chuck Roy is going to host the event, which should provide some surprises.

For our actors, this will be an opportunity to see how much they've aged in four years. I noticed that I had quite a bit more hair back then.

I'm sure it's both exciting and nerve-wracking for an actor to see himself or herself on screen, watching their performance for the first time in front of a room full of people. I personally think they'll be thrilled, as I've heard a lot of compliments so far on the acting in this movie.

I'll be working on some press over the coming weeks. Pam (ie Marge the HR Lady) and I already have an radio interview setup for the Friday morning before the premiere. Thanks Pam!

The Bug Theatre is fairly small, and given the large number of cast and crew attending, I'd recommend buying tickets early if you want to come. Click the link below to buy.

Tickets are $10 - Buy Tickets

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If you're on Facebook, go to the Event page, and let me know if you're coming. Click "Invite Others" on the right-hand side and tell your friends.

Addiction to Attention

noreply@blogger.com (Roman) — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 16:20:00 +0000

The Baltimore premiere of "Standards of Ethical Conduct" was an unique experience, and now that I've had a little time to think about it, I wanted to share some thoughts. They might surprise you.

I've never had that much attention directed towards me before. Over Friday and Saturday of the premiere, because of the press and the actual show, I had an overflowing of congratulations and support from all sorts of people from the past and present of my life. I never had a shining moment in sports, academics or work that prepared me for the mental consequences of that rush of attention. I never hit the game-winning home run or pulled off the 60 second kegstand.

Don't get me wrong, the attention I received was not significant in the big picture. Maybe 75 people contacting me at over a couple days. But that's a lot for me.

The attention is like a drug. You want more and more. The week after the premiere, as I got back to the grind of my life, I found myself uneasy, looking forward to the Denver premiere as my next fix of excitement. I constantly checked my email and webstats, waiting for the next rush of traffic.

I came away unhappy when there wasn't anything there. The emails stopped coming and my web traffic slowed. I couldn't adjust to the normal pace of life. It was strange, only days after a perhaps the most significant personal accomplishment of my life, I'm moping around. Those couple days of attention had shifted my focus from what I do that makes me happy. Making the movie wasn't about getting a bunch of attention, but rather trying to create something personal and unique.

I had the good fortune of reading an article on Tim Ferriss' blog about the philosophy of stoicism, and it made me do a bit of self-reflection. All that attention creates a momentary thrill, but it really has no longer term significance.

This experience gave me a new perspective on how easily the events around us can change us. I don't think anyone thinks, "once I succeed, I'll become an asshole". That's not saying my demeanor changed; I wasn't gallivanting around in a fur coat and snapping at people or anything. But it did change my focus, and if it had continued for a longer period, who knows how that would have affected other things. Never for a moment would I have thought that something like that would affect me, yet I can't deny that they did.

Multiply my experience by about 100,000 and you might have what an actor experiences after his first hit movie. If you don't get a moment to take a breath and reflect, I can imagine how you might lose sight of who you are and let yourself get carried away in the excitement.

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My interview on "The Signal" on National Public Radio can be heard here.

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If you're on Facebook, become a Fan of the movie.

My Baby Is All Grown Up

noreply@blogger.com (Roman) — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 02:18:00 +0000

After four years of having my baby all to myself, I finally released "Standards of Ethical Conduct" into the world on Saturday night. First, let me thank all the friends and family who made the trip to see the movie. It was an unforgettable night because you were there.

Also, if it wasn't for Patrick Hackett and Tage Plantell, this movie wouldn't have been made nor been the film it is. They stuck with the project throughout, and helped me tremendously along the way. Thank you.

One more round of thanks goes to my wife Jenny, who was by my side from day 1, supporting me in hundreds of different ways. She helped in every way imaginable, from the big decisions on the story and the cut, to the details, such as how the bebovka cart should look and what the cast/crew was going to eat for lunch.

Back to the show. We had almost a full house and everyone seemed to enjoy the movie. Of course there is a selection bias in that those who might have hated the movie probably wouldn't have come up to me afterwards to tell me that.

There was plenty of laughter throughout the film, which was a nice contrast to the viewing of my first cut with Patrick, Tage and Cam, where I got to enjoy the sounds of crickets and pins dropping. Of course, I could be accused of cheating, as I had about half the crowd out for drinks beforehand at NcDevin's.

Here are some more pics.

"Standards of Ethical Conduct" Hits the News!

noreply@blogger.com (Roman) — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 03:00:00 +0000

"Standards of Ethical Conduct" gets its first written review in the City Paper by Arts Editor Bret McCabe. He calls the movie "disarmingly sweet and funny" and "a refreshingly piss take on office culture". The City Paper chose "Standards of Ethical Conduct" as an "Editor’s Pick" event.

My interview with Lisa Morgan at WYPR airs at noon and 7 pm ET time today on 88.1 in Baltimore, or online, at wypr.org. Morgan is a fan of the film, saying "Standards of Ethical Conduct is a tightly scripted and well acted exploration of the absurdities of the corporate world in these days of mega-mergers, company takeovers, and downsizing. It’s a funny, gentle reminder that the pursuit of happiness is often more valuable than professional success."

Click here to hear the promo WYPR has been running.

Also, I did a mini Q&A with the folks at the Creative Alliance, which can be seen here. Last, baltimore.about.com writes a post on the premiere here.

Thank you to everyone for taking the time to watch the movie and spread the word.

I'm looking forward to seeing everyone tomorrow evening. It'll be nice to take a deep breath after a crazy couple weeks and catch up with friends and family.

Remind me to watch my drinking, I need to be on my toes for Preston's first birthday on Easter Sunday. Remind me - Beer Water Beer Water Beer Water...Shot Shot Shot Chugcontest - Hey NO! - Beer Water Beer Water - there ya go.

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Click below to help promote the film!

If you have an account at Facebook, Digg, Delicious, Twitter, Stumbleupon, Yahoo or any of the many other social networking sites, share this story by clicking SHARETHIS below. Yahoo users click "Buzz Up!". That will share this story and the film with everyone on this thing called the "internet" :-)

If you're on Facebook, become a Fan of the movie. Thank you!

Radio Interview on WYPR

noreply@blogger.com (Roman) — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 15:58:00 +0000

Several weeks ago, I sent out some screeners of the film to the local Baltimore press, to see if anyone wanted to cover the premiere of "Standards of Ethical Conduct". Lisa Morgan, co-host of "The Signal" on WYPR 88.1, the local National Public Radio station, responded within a couple days, wanting to arrange an interview!

When I received her email I was simultaneously struck with excitement and anxiety. It was a great break for the film, as getting the first piece of media coverage for a film is the hardest part. Plus, it was one of the first people who had seen my film that had no connection with me, so I was excited to hear she liked it.

On the flipside, I had never been interviewed before nor been on the radio. Well maybe I had briefly been on the radio as a kid, when we used to call into DC101 to request songs like "Cherokee" by Europe to see if they'd play them (seriously, click on that link, its worth it).

My palms began to sweat when I thought about blathering through the interview, blowing a great opportunity for the project. At least it wasn't live radio, I'd have a chance to do-over any screw-ups.

Luckily, my work schedule didn't give me much time to dwell on it. I was traveling all over California in the days leading up to the interview. I had just enough time to ponder over the likely questions, like, why did you make the film? Surprisingly, it took a little thinking to clarify my reasoning. It had been four years since I started the project.

Last Thursday was the big day, and I arrived at high noon for the showdown. I met Lisa, who was so gracious and friendly that my nervousness quickly dissipated. We chatted for a bit, and then the interview began. We covered a range of subjects, and it was actually a lot of fun to do.

I have yet to hear it, so who knows how it'll turn out. I'll probably sound like a total cheeseball.

If you're in the Baltimore area, tune in to 88.1 at noon or 7 pm ET on Friday. If you're elsewhere, go to www.wypr.org and click the "listen live" link.

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Click below to help promote the film!

If you have an account at Facebook, Digg, Delicious, Twitter, Stumbleupon, Yahoo or any of the many other social networking sites, share this story by clicking SHARETHIS below. Yahoo users click "Buzz Up!". That will share this story and the film with everyone on this thing called the "internet" :-)

If you're on Facebook, become a Fan of the movie. Thank you!

URBM Is Hiring!

noreply@blogger.com (Roman) — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 13:56:00 +0000

Check out the flyer I've been posting up around Baltimore to market the premiere. It's not your normal promotion, as it doesn't say anything about the premiere on it. No date, time, or name of the movie. I've posted them at five local coffeeshops.

I'm considering this an experiment, to see if flyers are worth the time down the road. I'm skeptical that anyone pays attention to them. The flyer says urbmcorp.com, which redirects to standardsofethicalconduct.com. I can track how many people come to the site through urbmcorp.com, which will tell me how visitors these flyers generated.

Here are the five job postings on the flyer. Which one is your favorite? Have a better one? Post it in the comments.

Executive Cropduster - Do you like to walk around the office, pretending you're going somewhere, while all along, you've got a dirty little secret? Did someone burn baby food in the microwave? Don't turn and look, just keep on walking.

Senior Douchebag - You must lead a team of visionaries to define the strategy of the company. Apply by sending an one sentence statement of purpose using the following phrases: "peel back the onion", "blocking and tackling", "straw man" and "long pole in the tent".

Expense-Abusing Salesperson - It's a business lunch!!! Hahahaha. Order another Chardonnay Bob!

Indecipherable Foreign Support Agent - Is English your 2nd or 3rd language? Can you read a script and not deviate regardless of the question asked? If yes to both, we've got a low paying, unrewarding job we'd like to offer you.

Whorish Marketing Gal - Nothing covers a lack of talent like big boobies.

If you're feeling randy and want to participate in the experiment, print the flyer out and post it somewhere. Put it in the comments if you do, so I can calculate hits per posting. If you stumbled onto this blog because of the flyer, post a comment telling me where you saw it and why you checked it out.

Is that pot they're smoking?

noreply@blogger.com (Roman) — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 19:08:00 +0000

That was the first question from a couple of people upon seeing the trailer, including my mother-in-law. My actors already had a enough trouble remembering their lines without adding weed into the equation.

Here's a glimpse of what they were smoking...

Welcome to the Water Cooler!

noreply@blogger.com (Roman) — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 02:01:00 +0000

So I'm back at this blogging thing, although this time the range of topics will be a bit wider than one particular football team. I'll be touching on a bunch of stuff here, but many of the first posts will be about "Standards of Ethical Conduct", a film being released in April. You can check out the website at standardsofethicalconduct.com.

The movie will be premiering at the Patterson Theater in Baltimore on April 11th, at 8 pm. See here for more info and to buy tickets. If you're in the area and not a crazy person, drop me a note and I can keep you up to date about the premiere party. If you're crazy, or think you might be a tad crazy, or people hide their children when you come near, please just buy a ticket and come to the movie and then leave.

For all those Denver folks, a premiere is in the works, stay tuned for details.

I'd love to hear some topics of interest in the comments. I can talk about how long it took me to make this movie (4 years, or about 1 year for every ten minutes), or I can just make fun of my actors (or as Patrick likes to call them - DDUs - dialogue delivery units).

Let's get started with an acting lesson. Here's a video of the famous Chuck Roy working through a mistake with nary a misstep. Young actors, watch closely, and you might be able to catch where he forgets his line.