Dennis Spielman

Pre-2014 deadCENTER Film Festival Thoughts

On June 11, 2014

For the first time I’m going to Oklahoma City’s deadCENTER Film Festival and I’m getting to go in style with an all-access press pass! For those not in the know, deadCENTER is Oklahoma’s largest film festival, recognized as one of the “Top 20 Coolest Film Festivals in the World” according to MovieMaker magazine. More than 15,000 people attended deadCENTER Film Festival screenings last year. I wrote this Uncovering the 2014 deadCENTER story if you want to know more.

Since this is my first time going to the festival, I thought I would share my before and after thoughts. I will start with the Opening Night festivities, which begin with a rooftop party, open to all pass holders, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art. I’ve been told from Lance McDaniel, executive director for deadCENTER Film Festival, that “It’s the perfect environment for our local and visiting filmmakers to meet deadCENTER supporters and festival goers, and toast the beginning of a crazy, beautiful week.”

What exactly I’m going to see will be planned day by day. (I would go to almost everything if I could.) There are three feature movies I do want to see for sure that I have been keeping tabs on during their production.

First off is teen superhero movie, The Posthuman Project. In my Uncovering Oklahoma interview with Director, Kyle Roberts, he described the movie as “a teen superhero film with the heart of a 80s John Hughes movie and the flare of JJ Abrams. Oh and let’s go ahead and o that on a micro budget!” The effects and the movie itself look great. The song from the trailer, “There’s So Much Energy In Us” by Cloud Cult, is beautiful. Introduced to a new group. Awesome.

Next is Army of Frankensteins. The movie is “a fun and exciting adventure/horror movie about a guy who accidentally ruptures space and time and winds up fighting in the civil war with an army of Frankenstein monsters from parallel universes,” Director/Producer Ryan Bellgardt said in my interview.

From the trailer, the movie seamlessly features an Army of Frankensteins played by one actor. I also always get a kick when I watch a trailer and I recognize one of the locations, like the Crest that used to be across my street.

Finally, there’s Rough Cut. It’s a comedy about making movies. Hey, I can relate to that! However, Adam Hampton said in my interview that Rough Cut is more than a comedy and that “it’s an underdog story about chasing your dreams that anyone can relate to in one way or the other.” The screening at deadCENTER is going to be the first episode as Rough Cut will be an episodic series. Best of luck to them.

There are some shorts I’m interested in as well. What I end up seeing and who I interview will all depend on everyone’s schedule.

I am excited! This deadCENTER is going to be a blast and someday I’ll have a movie there.

Take 9 Video Interview

By Dennis

On May 15, 2014

In Real

For Uncovering Oklahoma, I interviewed some of the cast and crew behind the variety show, Take 9, in Norman, Oklahoma.

This video features a fast-cut, multiple people style edit that I’m proud of how it turned out. It went so fast, I couldn’t really leave people’s names on the video.

Take 9 borrows the hilarious cast chemistry from Carol Burnett, adds a touch of Saturday Night Living, and finishes with the irreverent audience interaction of the Rocky Horror Picture Show. With recurring characters and themes along with some exciting new elements, this is not a sit-and-watch show — it’s dynamic!

Progress: May 12, 2014

By Dennis

On May 12, 2014

In Real

Most of my creative energy has been spent toward Uncovering Oklahoma.

Over the past month, I overhauled the web site. It features a responsive design — looking sexy for any device, magazine style front page with featured images, and in short, it looks much nicer. I’ve had popular articles, like this one, that got an insane amount of shares. I’ve been building relationships with media managers. I’ve been having fun taking a typical press release like this one and turning it into something like this story. I’ve done several fun interviews, like with the band, Team Nightstand; director/writer, Brandon Bergin; and singer/songwriter, Audra Elizabeth. I have a new video in the works on the Take9 variety show in Norman, which I should finish this week. Plus, so much more.

I feel like Uncovering Oklahoma is going somewhere positive and I feel great about it. I just got to do something big to give it a popularity boost. I’ll keep working on it and see where the site goes.

While Uncovering Oklahoma and my day job has been getting my focus, other projects…not so much. I’ve done little creative writing. I have been researching for a new car though. The Crashing of Heaven and Hell is now available for the Nook. Shelved a private investigator romance series for another time along with story connecting to The Time Travel Troupe. I did come up with a few ideas for new projects. That’s good!

And I’ll be sharing one of those new projects soon! Good night!

Five Years of Uncovering Oklahoma

By Dennis

On April 15, 2014

In Real

The first day of filming for Uncovering Oklahoma

Five years ago today I filmed the first video for Uncovering Oklahoma. It’s been an incredible adventure thus far and to celebrate I’ve made a free book about some of my Experiences of Uncovering Oklahoma. The pdf book contains a journal about the first day, my interview questions, history of the date idea book, some of my favorite photography, and questions I’ve been asked. The book is short, around 30 pages, and I may flesh it out in the future for print. For now, it’s a free ebook to celebrate five years.

Let’s keep Uncovering Oklahoma!

Free Book this Week!

By Dennis

On April 14, 2014

In Real

For the week of my 30th Birthday, I have a present for YOU! My sci-fi/fantasy novel, The Crashing of Heaven and Hell, is free Monday through Friday for the Kindle! If you enjoy it, please rate and review it to help with future sales.

Get the book for free for Kindle

Here’s one positive review of the book:

Leave all of your preconceived notions of Heaven and Hell at the door, but do hang on to your sense of fantasy as you enter the universe created by Dennis Spielman in The Crashing of Heaven and Hell. Two young lovers get caught up in a bizarre series of events through an act of human concern and kindness. They have become pawns in a battle of the gods as a plot unfolds to unleash havoc on the Green Planet (one of five planets in another star system named by color.) Heaven and Hell are “islands” shrouded from the eyes of the living, what would happen if they were both brought together, and this tale is narrated by the God of Egos as he watches Virus and Jet take on supernatural forces intent on playing with fate. One will become a force to be reckoned with, one will be the catalyst for that change. Will the Green planet be saved from insanity? Will the islands of Heaven and Hell return to their rightful places? Are Heaven and Hell what our minds envision them to be?

The day Dennis Spielman was born, there must have been a generous helping of imagination dished out, because the world he has created can only be related to our reality in a very general way! Virus and Jet are completely likable, actually seem very “normal” and most definitely have grown to their full potential, one becoming something far greater and more powerful than a mere mortal! I pictured myself using Ego’s eyes to see the events unfolding, until it almost seemed normal to talk with a gorgon, pet Cerberus and see the guy in the potholder suit walking down the street! Did I mention the vampire, who cleared up a few things about vampire culture, myths and mysteries? there is no point A ending at Point B…the reader will travel through a maze of characters, twists and turns before arriving at”The End.”

As I read, I began to feel I was seeing a message in this farfetched tale, I could be wrong, but its extreme stretching of plausibility in this fantasy world seemed to mirror some of the excesses of “our reality.” Or was that a result of my own imagination on hyper-drive?

I read to be entertained and even to think/learn in the process, and Dennis Spielman did amuse me with his far out events, people and descriptions! Is this mainstream fantasy? Probably not, but there is a niche for it and I’m sure Mr. Spielman’s fan base will swell! If you are looking for something off the beaten path, cleverly written, with some snarky dialogue, a strangely foreign world and quirky characters hiding a possible deeply hidden message about our society’s state? Its all there in The Crashing of Heaven and Hell!

Now, go get the book for free for Kindle or buy the paperback.