Randall Blaum Back From the Edge Film Blog

New Working Title Chosen for Film

Namaste Everyone,

We held a board meeting today and it was decided that the working title for the film is, "Back from the Edge."  This represents how "on the edge" we are as a society right now and that only through our own decisions about our health and future can we come "back" from that edge.

Last night at the UR Pre-Approved premiere we screened for the first time the new teaser trailer for Back from the Edge.  It was well received and we received good feedback from the audience.  The trailer should be finished this week and we will send an email out shortly to everyone that is signed up on the www.MeetMeattheTop.com website so they can see the internet premiere of the trailer.  If you have not signed up on the web site, do so now so you can be kept up to date.

In the upcoming weeks we will do a final tour of the country to complete our interviews for the film.  We are procuring and shooting B-Roll footage now and are creating the library of footage.  Our next major step is to have all of the expert interviews transcribed so we can read what they said and begin to place of that information into the context of the film.  We have about 30 hours of footage from the interviews, so this will not be a short process.

After the interviews are transcribed, David Scotland, our producer and screenwriter will take the reigns and create the working script for the film.  Once we have that we'll begin editing the film together and our hope is to have a rough cut sometime in March 2008.

It is a fun time and the fun is just going to get bigger and better.  As a reminder all posts from now on will be found in the folder marked "Back from the Edge."  All the blogs from the Everest trip up to a few days ago will still be found in the Everest folder.

Be well and I shall write more soon-

Randall

World Premiere of UR Pre-Approved a Success

Last night was the world premiere of "UR Pre-Approved" at the UltraStar Poway 10 in San Diego.  I have to admit that after years of creating and executing theatre openings, premieres, and personal appearances for others, it was decidedly different being at the premiere for my own film.

Several of the crew from the film were also on hand to share in the excitement.  David Scotland, the screenwriter, assistant director, and producer mingled with the audience before and after the show.  Mike Wood, the assistant editor, was there as well as Patrick Wenk-Wollf who played one of the lead characters. "Father."  Patrick is also credited with some of the writing for the film and was also an assistant editor.

As the lights went down and the audience settled in, the URPA logo came on screen as the showing got underway.  It's been several months since the film has been finished and it was both interesting and fun to see it again, but for the first time on the big screen.  Fun, because our team's efforts worked well.  The film is funny, entertaining, and educational.  I'm proud to have my name on it.  And interesting, because I saw many things I would change in the film given the chance now, but perhaps that's the way it's supposed to be.  The more you grow the more you know.

After the film was over a good portion of the audience came up to me and told me about their own credit nightmares and how they are dealing with them.  Others said the film, "scary," and they had no idea things were so crazy.  One person even said that they would stop using credit cards altogether.  I have a video testimonial from him and we'll post it here once we get the footage from the tape and into a digital format.  The photo here is Mica, the projectionist and Jess, the district manager fine tuning the projector and sound for the premiere.

The film is getting good buzz in the press, the public, and on the Internet and because of that buzz members of the press like the San Diego Business Journal and prominent attorneys that help people through bankruptcy were at the premiere. 

The film opens today exclusively at the UltraStar Poway 10. The show times are 10:00am, 5:15pm, and 7:00pm now through Thursday September 13th.  The film will play other theatres and college campuses over the next several weeks.  For more information, please go to www.urpreapproved.com.

This was an important night as in less than a year we'll be holding another world premiere for our film, Back from the Edge, our new working title.

While all of the blog entries from the Everest trip through today will be found in the Mount Everest folder, I am beginning a new folder which will be filled with all the updates and new adventures as we proceed through the production process of the film. 

I am yours in success,

Randall

New Trailer on Web Site

Namaste Everyone...

It's been a while since I reported in and I regret the length of time, but we have been very busy filming and editing.  If you have not had a chance to see the teaser trailer entitled, "The Climb," go to www.MeetMeattheTop.com and check it out.   Click on the Media tab at the top and then scroll down to the first video.  It is labeled as Teaser Trailer.

This is a 3 minute trailer that showed Werner's determination and success while climbing Mount Everest.  It has been shown across the country to standing ovations.

We are in production of the next trailer which will have it's world premiere in San Diego this Friday at the UltraStar Poway Ten Theatres.  It is on the head of my previous film, "UR Pre-Approved" which has an exclusive showing at the same theatre for the week of September 7 - 13, 2007.  I have to say its pretty cool to have a trailer for my current project playing on the head of my last film.  Just a great feeling.

My previous film, UR Pre-Approved (www.urpreapproved.com) is about how people get into credit card debt and how they are taken advantage of by the credit card companies.  It shines the light on many of the major issues, like interest rates that have no cap and fees that keep people spending more money they don't have.

Speaking of which, I have a favor to ask of you.  There are so many high school and college students, as well as lower income families that cannot afford to pay to see the movie that can help them actually get out of debt.

Through a special arrangement with the people at UltraStar I have negotiated a $3.00 ticket price if people buy at least 20 tickets at a time.  If you have $60.00 and can afford to buy a set of group sales tickets, I will personally deliver them to those people who need them and will benefit from seeing the movie.  All you need to do is call 760-597-7777 extension 18 and talk to James as soon as you can.  The film opens on Friday and I need to get the tickets to people on Wednesday and Thursday.

If you live anywhere near San Diego, you can buy tickets at the theatre box office, or by going to the UltraStar website and buying a tickets for you and your family.  By the way 30% of all tickets sales for UR Pre-Approved for the first week benefits the Newspapers in Education Foundation at the North County Times, so by getting a ticket you help those in debt, get out and a great charity as well.

Thank you for your consideration and time.

I am yours in success,

Randall