Adventures in Self-Releasing: DVD Cover is Here!

Today I might go for a little less of an essay-style entry. There are many small things I want to mention:

1. We just finished the front cover of our upcoming DVD, and I wanted to give you all an early look at it. I’m totally psyched with the way it turned out.

2. Everyone thinking about self-releasing should probably take a look at Matt Tyrnauer’s approach with his documentary Valentino: The Last Emperor. To date, the doc has grossed over $1.5M in a self-release and is definitely one of the DIY stories of the year. Tyrnauer chose a very commercial topic, granted, but he has also been tireless in his promotional efforts. I receive his e-mail blasts and am incredibly impressed with the campaign he has crafted for his movie.

3. We’re still working hard trying to determine the next move with Lullaby. Right now, I really want to try to bring the movie to San Francisco. Many of my conversations at the moment are with San Francisco exhibitors, trying to see if I can find a theater that’s a good fit.

4. We’ll be showing Lullaby in New Orleans on July 18 as part of a Louisiana Indie Filmmaking Screening/Panel. I can’t wait to bring the movie back to the New Orleans area, as many people missed it last October when it screened as part of the New Orleans Film Festival.

5. So far, I must say that I’m immensely impressed with the world of exhibitors. Every theater owner has gone out of his way to spread the word about Lullaby, and every exhibitor has been upfront and diligent about reporting our numbers and delivering payment.

6. If you haven’t already, I wanted to encourage you all to also check out Tom DiCillo’s blog here on MovieMaker (www.moviemaker.com/blog/category/notes_from_overboard). Here’s a guy with more experience than most of us (much more than I have, at least) shooting you straight and really telling the truth. It’s tough to find these sorts of accounts from the trenches, and I really applaud Tom for doing this.

7. I’ve decided to take some of the ground I cover in this blog and offer a two-day workshop. On September 12-13, I will be offering a 16-hour course in Shreveport, LA (my hometown), focused on the business of moviemaking. Before I directed Lullaby, I participated in Judith Weston’s “Acting for Directors Workshop” (www.judithweston.com/acting.shtml) and thought it was an invaluable experience. I hope that I can fortify some moviemakers in the same way that Judith did for me.

Soon, we’ll be making our next big push. I would love for you all of you to join us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/home.php?#/group.php?gid=36795896621), Twitter (twitter.com/chaillotfilms) and through our monthly update list (send an e-mail to ), if you haven’t already. Thanks for all the support so far.

After living in Los Angeles for seven years, Jeffrey Goodman returned to his hometown of Shreveport, Louisiana to direct The Last Lullaby. Co-written by the creator of Road to Perdition, and starring Tom Sizemore and Sasha Alexander, The Last Lullaby was filmed entirely in and around Shreveport and financed by 48 local investors.