The Power of Film (and books)

Well!

I am speechless.
No, I'm not really. I'm writing a blog. But it's a cliche expression for someone who has just been knocked silly by an event.

I had my good friend Micheal come by to see my movie DVD as is to date. A real rough cut that is mostly just the scenes in order as they should be. A string of messy cuts, without sound edits, some music, overlapping noise, a project in so much need of work, but still, there it is. The story of CAPITAL GAMES the film.

And guess what?
He cried.
No he didn't cry because it was so horrible to believe. (I know some of you think that, ha!) No. He cried from emotion from the power of the film.

Color me stunned!

As an author, many of us who write for a living or write for fun, get so immersed into our world, we can't see it any longer. That's why many of us have Beta readers, editors, the works, to help an author SEE what we are doing.

I used Michael as my Beta 'viewer'. I didn't know what a Beta reader even was when I first heard about it, but a Beta reader reads an author's draft to give fresh insight. Or at least this is what I've been led to believe. Kind of a first screening of your book. (If I'm wrong, I apologize) I don't use one for writing. I send it to my fab editor and she corrects it and returns it. Job done.

But filming, well, this has become a different animal to me. Being my first feature film based on CAPITAL GAMES my novel, which now is nearly 6 years old, (if you count the first printing) and the beginning of where Steve Miller meets the tantalizing Mark Antonious Richfield. I am so immersed in it, know the book so well, that I was slightly terrified to see what Michael would think of this rough cut.

He knows all my work, and Capital Games the novel, by heart.

Okay, he is a great friend, so I didn't expect him to scowl at me and say, "What a crock of shit." Though he could have. He cried. Oh my Lord, he grabbed a tissue and cried at the end. Wow. The power of film!
He told me I 'nailed' all three leads. Steven Jay Miller, my ex LAPD cop, Mark Richfield, my British snob, and Jack Larsen, Mark's best buddy and gay lawyer roommate.

I had no idea Micheal would feel that way, since the actors didn't fit perfectly to what the novel descriptions were. But, holy crap. He was floored at how well the three characters came across on film, which he felt did the same in my Action! Series.

I fully expect most of the film-goers will not have read my work. But seeing someone like Michael, who knows my men from the Action! Series inside and out (no, really, inside and out) I was very happy indeed.

How did I find three men who were my boys? Well, I did. The three lead actors who played Mark, Steve, and Jack, were my characters come to life for Michael.

Though I could not hold true to every aspect of the novel, I seem to have held onto enough that he was overjoyed and shouting, "I remember that from the book!"

It thrilled me. Because you all know I want both my avid fans and those who have no clue who the heck I am, to really get this film.

Perhaps they will. The fact that Michael cried? Grew so emotional at the ending, got it completely through and through, told ME what I said in the film to get across to the viewer that 'Love is Love is Love is Love' no matter the sex or color.... well.

The power of films. You know and I know, they can make you laugh, cry, or walk out disgusted. Michael laughed and cried, but didn't seem bored or disgusted.

A good friend, you may say, will not tell me the truth.
Well, you don't know Michael. Yes, he would. He'd raise an eyebrow and give me 'a look'. He didn't. He cried!

So, first of all, thank you, Michael, for seeing this rough edit, and reassuring me, all my work is not in vain, and a huge thank you, to the cast and crew of this film, and especially the top three men who made this movie so damn emotional, it made my friend cry.

You are all my heroes.
The power of film.
Who knew??

Be safe out there....

*Capital Games is still in the edit stage. So follow this blog or my Facebook page and you will know when the film is being premiered in LGBT and Indie film festivals.