What an amazing weekend! This past weekend was our very first shooting and I’m very pleased with the results. I must thank my crew people for contributing their talents and their expertise to the film, “I Sign and I Live.” I really enjoyed directing this past weekend, as well. The actors were very committed to breathing life into the printed page and bringing the characters alive. It will be very interesting to see how the audience will react to the movie.

At first, I envisioned that the completed film would follow more of the Hollywood standards of female and male appearance, but then I faced issues of prejudice and even racism from the original actors who were cast who follow those Hollywood stereotypes. That experience caused me really change my view on Hollywood standards of weight and appearance. I chose not to have my film to be part of those unhealthy stereotypes perpetuated by Hollywood. After I made with these changes, I’m proud to say that the diversity of the actors is contributing to the film achieving its message.

As the producer of the film, “I Sign and I Live,” I’m searching for actors who live in the Maryland and DC area. The film’s shooting dates for the Maryland area are: March 14 and 15, 2009, Saturday and Sunday, at the Maryland School for the Deaf. The kind of actors needed for the filming that will be done in the Maryland and DC area include both children’s and adults’ roles. For the children’s roles, we’re looking for children who are between the ages of 9 and 12 years old, including Deaf children, CODA children, and children with cochlear implants, too. If you’re the parent of a child who is interested, please contact us at isignilive@gmail.com and type “Child Actor” in the subject line of the e-mail. I really hope to hear from you! It will be fun for the children and will be a good experience for them to be involved in the film.

For the adult roles for the filming that will be taking place in the Maryland/DC area, we are searching for six actors who are hearing and who can sign “sim-com,” (meaning “simultaneous communication”, what people do when they attempt to speak and sign at the same time.) Actors for these roles do not need to be skilled signers. One actor for one of these roles does not need to know any signs at all. There are three characters that do not have any lines, and these three could be Deaf or hearing people. I hope to hear from you. It will be fun. Students from ASL programs or interpreting programs are welcome to act in the film. If you’re interested, please send me an e-mail to this address: isignilive@gmail.com and write “Adult Actor” in the subject line. For more information about the roles, please click on the link to read about the MD/DC acting roles on the menu on the right-hand side of the screen. I hope to hear from you.

Please don’t forget to donate! And please also spread the word about the film to your friends, your family, and colleagues.

Cinematically,

Aidan

Here are the names of the special contributors that have supported the film. New names will continue to be added until the contribution period ends on the last day of April. Thank you in advance for your support!

 Hi Friends, Actors, and Crew Members,

It’s an exciting time for the film, I Sign and I Live, because the film has now finally entered the production stage, which means that the film is ready for actors and crew members to work and bring this visual story alive, with all the moving images being created.

Please click on: “Actors Wanted Now” and “Crew Members Wanted Now” and you will be linked to the appropriate webpages to see more information. I look forward to working with all those who are interested in working with me in creating this film, as part of a collaboration with the goal of making a high-quality and professional-looking film.

One thing that I learned about filmmaking is that funding is crucially important to a film, just as the heart, as an organ, is an important part of the human body. With financial support, a filmmaker can obtain the use of high quality equipment for video, sound, and lighting, as well as obtain the expenders, props, and wood necessaary to build the sets–all through the financial support of individuals.

I won’t lie to you and say that I don’t feel awkward needing to keep reminding people. I didn’t want people to pick up on any hint of any kind of irritation, but I came to the realization that it is not a bad thing to pleasantly bug people, if it’s for a good purpose. All that might happen is that a couple people might shout back in response, maybe even at a loud volume that causes my hair to fly back, saying “No thanks”–right? It’s a good thing to have an attitude based on a strong level of determination. That way the film will get to be made. So I intend to continue to achieve this goal by persisting in seeking donations and contributions.

Now I’m willing to set an example by overcoming that awkward feeling and issue another upbeat reminder by saying…Please don’t forget to make a financial contribution to this film!

To make a donation, please go to the home page of this blogsite: http://isignilive.wordpress.com, then click on the “Donation” icon on the right-hand side of the screen, or you can also click on the “Donation” icon below this message.

It feels good to overcome that awkward feeling, knowing there are people who appreciate being reminded. We will accept ongoing contributions and donations until the end of April. Thank you so much!

This weekend, I will be adding names of donors to the Contribution webpage, to recognize the donors and show my appreciation to them for their finanical support.

Cinematically,

Aidan Mack

Happy New Year Friends!

Welcome to the year 2009. We are all looking forward, I’m sure, to what good things will come our way in 2009, such as, “I Sign and I Live,” my upcoming film. I’m very excited about producing this film. I intend to focus all the creative energies that I have in making this film to be the highest quality and the best professional, artistic-looking cinematic production possible. At the same time, we have to acknowledge that the current economic climate does create a challenge when requesting donations and sponsorships from individuals and corporations.

Let’s take a look at the big picture. The fact that there are financial institutions collapsing every day makes it all too easy to see the metaphorical glass as being half-empty. Fear can easily take over and we could choose to stop spending while waiting for the economy to rebound. But doing so would only lead us to limit our creative problem-solving skills and freeze the cycle of earning and spending. That kind of thinking would only lead to an unnecessary downward spiral being created. What we should do instead is bravely forge ahead together, knowing that the economy will eventually recover, by continuing to contribute to people who are ready and willing to work hard to make their productive dreams come true.

When I first saw that the economy was on the downturn, I thought, “Oh, no. Maybe I won’t be able to make the film! How will I be able to find people and companies to contribute to finance it?” Then I realized that I’m just happy to have a “glass,” no matter how empty or full it is. The key is not to lose hope. I’m not saying we should be Pollyannish about it, but that we should stay engaged with our work and our dreams. I chose to stay engaged. I chose optimism in knowing that there must be 1,500 people in the world who would be willing to contribute $20 to the financing of my film. We, as human beings, often find that giving can be an integral part of our being. Once we give to enable worthy projects to succeed, we feel good, right?

I would like to thank to those people who have already made contributions. Their names will be posted shortly as my way of thanking them.

To those of you who have a little extra to spare, I would appreciate your help very much. Every contribution helps! Your contribution will be very useful and worthwhile. Your contribution will allow my film to be released to the larger mainstream film festivals. Those festivals require high quality, professional-looking films, and that means we need to use higher-end equipment for filming, and that costs money. Your contribution will give me a chance to make my dream come true by being able to produce a film in the highest professional style that we can muster.

Please don’t feel bad if you can’t contribute due to the tough economic times. One thing everyone can do is help spread the word about this I Sign and I Live blogsite. Spread the word to your friends, colleagues, employees and your family through emails, word of mouth (or hand!), or by printing out the flyers to pass out to ASL students, or leaving them on tables where people can pick them up and read them.

Thank you for your support! And thank you for helping to make this the greatest community on the Internet!

Cinematically,

Aidan Mack

Dear Friends,

My name is Aidan Mack, and I’m majoring in filmmaking at School of Visual Arts. I’m writing you to request a special favor, that you might consider making a contribution to a worthy cause, the production of a 25-minute dramatic film that I have planned for my thesis project. I hope to raise $30,000 to make this film.

The film, “I Sign and I Live,” is about an impassioned Deaf teacher, Daisy, facing a dreadful situation that deals with the prejudice that exists in the larger society toward Deaf people. She has to fight against the powers that be who are engaged in a misguided effort to try to “cure” Deaf children and eliminate sign language.

The film, “I Sign and I Live” will be submitted to various important film festivals, such as the Dusty Film Award Festival, the Sundance Film Festival, the Gallaudet University Film Festival, the Cannes International Film Festival, the Tribeca Film Festival, and the Toronto Film Festival.

If 1,500 people contribute $20 each, that would cover the budget and the film will be able to be made! Will you be one of 1,500 people to offer support and help make the dream of completing this film become a reality?

I’ll even add your name to the credits at the end of film and in the program book in recognition of your contribution, as a way of saying thank you from the bottom of my heart.

With your support, this film will build awareness of Deaf people’s struggles with the majority. Viewers of the film will likely compare the film to experiencing an “emotional roller coaster”–of a good kind, I trust, when all is said and done–which will bring out new perspectives on how Deaf people and the majority can work together in new and productive ways.

Contributions can be made through paypal or by money order or check. Please mail to Aidan Mack, 484 Albany Post Road #13, Croton, NY, 10520. Please feel free to contact me at isignilive@gmail.com for more information. Without your generosity and support, none of this would have been possible.

 Cinematically,

 Aidan Mack –Filmmaker