My Blackbox is:

 The student film festival that I decided to put together.  It seemed like a simple idea.

 I Started planning & things got pretty complicated.
     I asked:  What would get people interested in this festival?

     The answer I decided, was CASH – I’d give $1000 bucks to
     a UT filmmaker, and a non-UT filmmaker.

     Plus:  $500 bucks for the writer of the best screenplay.

     And:  I’d give away lots of other prizes, not only for the filmmakers
     but the audience members too.


 All great ideas, but things started getting really complicated, really quick.

 Challenges:
     CASH
     Prizes
     Sponsors
     What if nobody submits material?
     What if nobody shows up?
     & tons more!

 To make a long story short:
     I made flyers and started passing them out.

     I sent flyers and emails to over 320 professors at over 25 different
     universities across the US.
    
     I made & distributed over 15,000 flyers.

 Finally I started getting videos & scripts.
    
     When I had my great idea, I knew I’d have to watch a lot of movies, and
     read a lot of scripts, along with my judging panel, but I had no idea of the
     reality of it all.  Two words sum it up TIME CONSUMING!

 My simple idea now became even more overwhelming.

 But at least I knew I had the movies & the scripts, but I still needed money, sponsors, and things to give away, and a lot of help.

 I started getting really scared when it came time to try to get sponsors.  I heard a lot of this word – NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO and NO

 PLUS, I GOT SICK IN THE MIDDLE OF IT ALL….REALLY, REALLY SICK!

 But, the show must go on.

 Finally, I got some sponsors, cash & some help.
     My Sponsors & Associates included:
     Lake Austin Asthma & Allergy
     GEAR
     Glidecam Industries
     Jen Allen Design
     The Austin Chronicle
     The Alamo Drafthouse
     KROX 101.X
     Moviemaker Magazine
     Videomaker Magazine
     Production Update Magazine
        

 After many sleepless nights, countless technical difficulties, and the fear of no one showing up at the festival, oh plus HUNDRES OF EMAILS, it was finally show time.  We had our program put together with 18 student films, and on October 16, at 8pm at the Texas Union Theater we had our show.

 The Student Filmmaker’s Showcase with Austin Music Network asked to do a special on the festival, and to interview me.  So, to give you an idea of how the festival went I have part of that program, and the two shorts that won the audience pick for best film, and the festival pick for best film.

 After the video tell them what you ended up giving away:

 I ended up giving away:
  $2850 in cash
 2 Glidecam 4000 Pros
 10 subscriptions to Production Update Magazine
 5 subscriptions to Video Maker Magazine
 5 subscriptions to Movie Maker Magazine
 6 different software programs
 7 DVD’s
 350 T-shirts, gift bags, and refreshments for the entire audience.
 3 Revere Awards (that I made)
             and 7 certificates for other achievements.

 Click on this "LOVE YA LIKE" link to watch Rene Pinnell’s  award winning film from the festival.