Paranormal Productions: Reinventing the wheel with Aether Paranormal

So, if you read this blog you know all about my first love, Lost In Sunshine! When I'm not working on Lost In Sunshine, I'm making paranormal documentaries with my team, Aether Paranormal via our production company, Paranormal Productions in Austin, TX. I'm partners with my husband, Shad, and our best friend, Beaux, to bring you these full length documentaries to enjoy FREE via our website, year round.

The last year has been quite a journey. After Aether signing a right-to-pitch agreement with a production co. in LA for about 6 months last year, and nothing happening, we partnered with a fire cracker of a talent manager, Scottie Ward with CCM in LA, to co-create a new spin on our reality TV show idea, and pitch to new production companies via his connections. Our original slant has been VERY well received, stepping away from the predictability of an over-saturated market now filled with similar 'ghost shows'. So much so, that a top notch line producer has verbally attached himself to pitching our project to a reputable production co. in Hollywood, as soon as all our very specific ducks are in a row. Those ducks may take 6 mo. to get in a row, for all we know. So what do we do in the meantime?

We keep making f-ing documentaries & movies!! What else?

We've made a bold decision to take a new approach with our NEXT film project, to advance our agendas career-wise, and keep the momentum of our Aether Paranormal team's goals on the rise. We'll still be preforming real investigations with our team throughout. But this experimental project will start from the ground up. We'll forget all the stuff we've been told by Hollywood that we can and can't do, and just make an authentic, raw, killer flick. Because we can.

The brain storming session will begin tonight, before we finish editing our latest investigation that was filmed at the Aquarena Center in San Marcos.

I've always been a fan of the Duplass Brothers. And while I LOVE the way Lorie and I are approaching making our feature, Lost In Sunshine, Paranormal Productions thrives on being more experimental.. inventive.. a little more risky, in the grand scheme of things. We can make our films for A LOT less money, using no big stars, and without permission from anyone, especially since we're not asking for investors to fund us.

Instead of creating a business plan, having a tight script, and nearly a year of prep-work, like Lost In Sunshine's had, Paranormal Productions is choosing to make an outline, similar to the way Katie Duplass describes her experience with a 6-page outline before filming her directorial debut with, The Freebie. They had no scripted dialog, and shot it in 11 days. I believe everyone was getting paid on the back-end, too. Their picture was purchased at Sundance this year. Go, Katie!

The Duplass' Baghead was a great example of melting genres, and experimenting, too. I highly recommend any indie filmmakers, seeking an alternative, unconventional approach to doing things HW style, to check out their films! They do a super job of allowing film folks to know what can be done, if you've got the vision & time, and with little money. I've always been fans of their work, particularly because they don't make up excuses for why they can't do something.. they just do it. And they don't apologize for the imperfections, but rather use those as things to make them stand out.

With this paranormal project.. we want to create something that's never been done before. We want to step away from all the copycat versions of scary movies we know will be made.. others trying to recreate a Paranormal Activity success by emulating that style. Screw that. We have our own style and ideas.. so we've made the decision to start from the ground up... no limitations.. just high quality equipment, real people (no actors!) put in an extraordinary situation. We'll focus on story, originality, details, and entertainment value, at low cost - filming over the next year.

Next week, after some brain storming sessions, I'll have more details to share as to HOW we'll be tackling this.. but I'll blog about our journey, how we pull it off, and the fun obstacles we face.

This year, I'll have the luxury of learning how to operate under tight deadlines and regulations while making a low budget, high quality SAG feature, Lost In Sunshine with professional actors, and an experienced crew. And on the flip side, I'll be making a no budget genre film with real folks (no professional actors) using only a comprehensive outline.

Let the unknown begin- again!

You can connect with Aether here. :) Jentri

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