"Legend of Black Lotus" was an idea brought to me by Nicole Sessions, an actress whom I've worked with in four of my previous films. It took over two years to write the first draft. I decided to write the screenplay because it was a familiar story with a nice twist. It would be an emotional story that had action but would focus on the mother/daughter relationship. It was an epic project and thus would be biggest most ambitious script I'd ever written.
Legend of Black Lotus is important to me because it represents a new level for me as a screenwriter and director. I'm always trying to push myself towards more ambitious projects. The more experience one has the better they often become. It's one of the reasons why I've made so many films: to gain production experience. Most importantly, LOBL has an incredible heartwarming, engaging and touching story. Films are about stories and I definitely want to be the one telling this story.
With regards to hurdles a better question might be, "what hurdles haven't I faced?" It would be a shorter answer. Money is a big issue for me right now, as it is for any indie filmmaker. Previously, however I've funded all my films out of pocket, on my own dime, so this is very new to me. Casting was simpler than I thought. I have my DP, production designer, art director, hair and make-up person and costumer all in play.
Martial arts and Chinese culture has always has a special place in my heart. I grew up in NY and I remember taking the F train to 42nd street (Forty-deuce we called it) to see double feature Shaw Bros films. I still believe House of Flying Daggers and Hero are two of the most beautiful films I've ever seen.
Years ago, my first thoughts about doing a "martial arts" film were closer to "The Karate Kid." Now I'm more interested in Chinese culture during the the dynasties through an epic fantasy film rivaling Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon.
The main heroine in LOBL is Daiyu, a black girl who was born -- naturally -- to Chinese parents. She is an outcast but not by contemporary standards. In the feature film script I'm able to show that she is loved, respected, admired and not only by her mother but by everyone she comes in contact with. She's the "anti-outcast" because it is the people who shun her who ultimately feel estranged. I share some personality traits with Daiyu in this sense and I'm sure I included some element or essence of my own experiences in her character makeup. I was very shy as a child. You'd never know that now, but it caused me great distress at times. Now I run off at the mouth to complete strangers so go figure. But I worked hard at NOT being shy. I wanted to overcome it. Daiyu works to overcome her shortcomings, and we'll have to see how successful she and I become.
I have lots of projects in the pipeline. When people truly get to know me they know that I'm ALWAYS working on something. January of this year I shot Resurrection of Serious Rogers, a neo-noir action thriller unlike ANY film I've ever made. It's truly a genre film but it's got heart and soul. You can't go wrong making a film with hot women and guns who can cry one moment then kick a man's ass the next. That film should be released soon. I have a couple of treatments that I've written for potential scripts. And I have the second film in the Broken Hearts Club series called, Trouble in Paradise. Originally I'd planned to shoot the film in Hawaii but now I think I'll shoot in the Bahamas or in Bermuda.
Actors should treat this industry as a business. Even standing where I am, on the outside, it's easy to spot the folks who have a better chance at making it. They're always working. They HUSTLE! They're not getting caught up on pay/no-pay gigs when they can be in front of the camera. As a director who does all my own casting I want people to knock my socks off and blow my mind in an audition. But when an actor comes in cold after he/she has had the sides for a week, it stinks of a nonprofessional.
As a director I don't worry about the directors who aren't good directors. I care about the folks who are great directors and great writers. They make me work harder. They inspire me to be better. As a writer, director, actor or producer you should always work to be better, because if you don't someone else will.
