IMAX Show: Sold Out in 3.5 Days!

What?! We sold out in 3.5 days! That's is thrilling! Thank you all for the overwhelming support. Because of the response, we're working on additional screenings. 


If you want to see the film, be sure to add your name to the wait list here: http://alliesatimax.eventbrite.com/. If you registered for tickets but can't make the show, please let me know so we can have a full house.


As always, stay tuned for information as it develops. You can sign up for e-news or visit the website, Facebook, Twitter, or blog. Thank you all for the encouragement, support, and congrats. 


More news soon!

What We're Made For - A New Song by Natalie Royal

Services for Katherine R'Com and her cousin Johnny Nay were held last weekend. (Related news story here.) The 10 year old girl was the daughter of Vien Siu, who is featured in Abandoned Allies. 


Vien and his family have been to our private screening events, often brought food with them to share with everyone, and gave honest and gentle feedback about how to improve the film. I'm a big fan of their family, and feel so lucky that I've gotten to know them while working on this film.


My heart goes out to the families who suffered such an untimely deaths last week, including the victims in the theatre massacre in Colorado. Losing someone you love is so tough.


That's why I want to share a song by Natalie Royal. When folks see Abandoned Allies, they often ask me about the music. Natalie Royal's incredible voice is the one you'll hear a few times in the film. Big props go to Annie Beth Brown Donahue, the music supervisor for Abandoned Allies, who arranged to have Natalie's music in the film. It's so powerful.

Natalie has been working on her full length album, and raised money on Kickstarter. (Her campaign has ended, but you can scope it out here.) As part of her fundraising efforts, she offered to write and record a song for financial backers. 


The song What We're Made For was recorded specifically for Sam in Portland, Oregon, but has a special meaning for me today because of the events that transpired last week. The past week has been tough for people suffering tragic, unexpected losses. I find this song especially comforting right now.


Natalie introduces the song and starts singing at 3:24 on her video. She also has a free download of the song available here. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

"Some times when we are at our lowest points and when things are the absolute worst, the only thing that makes anything better is another person ... The human race is really not so bad... if we look at the positives that are happening ... we'll realize how wonderful people truly are." 

Natlie Royal 

On IndieGoGo: Digitize 100 Miles of the AV Geeks films

While working on Abandoned Allies, one of my biggest challenges was finding archival footage. When we finally did find it, we had no way to digitize it. How in the world was I going to get this footage in the film? It was a stressful, uneasy time with no solution in sight.

Then I met my hero: Skip Elsheimer.

Skip and I met one afternoon at his office. I stopped by with a basket full of moldy 8mm film. He looked through it, and said he thought he could help. Then he walked me around, showing me countless shelves stocked to the ceiling with old films. It was absolutely fascinating!

He's working on a new project now, digitizing some of those films so others can enjoy them. These efforts are incredibly important. He is preserving our past and making it accessible to people who want it and need it. People like me, who had no other way of getting the footage when it was needed.


If you want more info about this, Skip has an IndieGoGo page: http://www.indiegogo.com/avgeeks100miles. Donate if you wish. Share with others who may be interested. 


Skip's a great guy, who's working on a really cool project. He's done a lot to help me make Abandoned Allies, and I'll be forever grateful. Show him some support, won't you? 

Screening of Abandoned Allies at IMAX

It's a great joy to announce that on Sunday, August 26th at 3:00 p.m., we'll be screening Abandoned Allies at the Wells Fargo IMAX Theatre at Marbles Kids Museum in downtown Raleigh. We'll have a question and answer session following the screening, so stick around. See you there!

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