Fundraising adjustments for the film

 If your ideas are any good, you'll have to ram them down people's throats. ~ Howard H. Aiken


I used this quote to keep me inspired once. Just wanted to post it because it reminds me of remaining value during times of challenge (and Glo has hit some along the way). But it is a reminder that stigma really exist as it has charged more responses than one would have expected, plus there is unexpected stigma rearing it's head in forms and actions no one could have imagined.


I believe this is no reason to back down from a difficult angle or subject. We live in difficult times, and sure we can serve up total entertainment, but if a film doesn't have a reason for existing besides eating popcorn, people sometimes actually get annoyed. I believe people want their films to illuminate something. No they don't want a loud thumping "message," in narrative but they still want one.


So I don't think backing down is the issue - however I am aware that this film like anything else I decide to tackle, 
won't be without the 'Why would you stir this up,' and  that the decision to fund should not enter the hands of those who get angry by transgender anything or LGBT anything. After the film is made, controversies can draw attention to it, during the funding, it stalls it.


So our planning and deadlines around fundraising have changed to deal with - what we've learned.


Written by the director, Tanyeno Wotorson

An Interview with Robert

Another one of our Glo supporters, Robert, sits down with Tanyeno to discuss stigma in the LGBT community. He speaks about the difficulties of sharing his lifestyle with his family. Watch the video here:

http://youtu.be/szmP0khi3io

Thank you, Robert!

Glo pre-production note

We are in talks to bring on an Executive Producer, Music Supervisor and a Head

Production Assistant.

"Glo," hopes to welcome newcomers to the production within the week.

An Interview with January

Check out another one of Tanyeno's video interviews!

January talks about "stigma," as it affects the transgender community.

http://youtu.be/TiNj7u4sEjU


We sincerely appreciate everyone who took the time to give us an interview. Each was powerful and insightful and having people stand behind us and support this project means more than one can imagine.

THANK YOU, January!

*A BIG, BIG, THANK-YOU!!!*

More Donations come in.

A sincere thank-you to Garland Guidry and James Fischetti for their recent donations to the project!

Every dollar helps and we are so appreciate you remembering this project!!!

A generous gesture indeed.

Thank-you from the entire GLO TEAM!!

An Interview with Kwesi...

Video interview by director about stigma in the LGBT community. This is what we would like to impact with "Glo."

 http://youtu.be/wUufuh6xvds

A very big THANK YOU to Kwesi for supporting our project. Keep checking back, we will be posting more videos from Glo supporters every week.

Partnerships

To potential investors & Sponsors,  a warm welcome.

Thank you for responding with enthusiasm and excitement to the project. We are equally excited regarding your interest and look forward to the partnerships.

This film has strong DANCE elements and will definitely be of interest to the Club and Dance music festival crowds, the 18 to twenty-something year olds because of the dubstep, progressive, trance and house music artists combined with an appearance by two of those artists (your choice), the appearance Go Go dancers, Glo twirlers, and more in the general night club settings.

In the latter half of the film 30 yr old Simon leaves his Go Go dancing fiance for his older brother's set, where the issues of the film truly take flight and the film engages with the thirty and up crowd, as it delves into an issue that steps across generations.

Through out the entire story we hope to have arresting visuals working in tandem with music creating that not only helps create the setting and mood, but which elevates an emotionally affecting story.

Brands who explore this unique opportunity will enjoy the chance co-branding offers, a shot at cross marketing coupled with the start of a new client relationship.

Each company involved will reintroduce their brand  to communities allowing a shift then renewal in how they are known, due to brand involvement in this effort to take on a serious issue.

We thank-you and we look forward to further talks.

Combating the Naysayer

The other day I entered a conversation full of disdain for what I am doing - making a film with a transgender character in it. I was told, all sorts of things, including I shouldn't, that I am trying to make people think another way about transgender people and that it is an 'abomination to God.'

I asked if what they believed meant not doing anything about the transgender individuals that are getting murdered, then went on to explain the high rate of homicides transpiring and the ways in which some of the murders I have learned about occurred. I then got a slightly different reaction.

Sometimes I think people are so busy being resistant or trying to swing this as a joke they forget that transgender people are just that - people. So it alienates them from the reality of being human beings who are living their lives in the best way they can.

I'm a writer/director so the best way I could find to impact this issue was to write something I might direct. That involves having a transgender person in the story as someone - simply living life and yet not have that be the main point of the tale.

This way I haven't created the pressure cooker that message films can sometimes be and yet folks are free to get the message.

I hope we have the opportunity to shoot this, because I've created an experience I think will be fun to enter - making it easy for me to tell this story and talk folks through the situations of the characters.

Written by Tanyeno Wotorson, the Director of "Glo."

Early contributions are the best!

As the Producers work on the main fundraising site - Glo has attracted a few early contributors we would like to thank.

In this world, making good on your promise or taking a leap of faith is everything. We want to thank each these contributors for believing with us:

Anthony Wollor Doe, Michael Wotorson & Perthrina Pegus

We hope future contributors will be just as bold. Every penny counts!

The present "Glo" Team

Producers:
Tanyeno Wotorson (Director)
Jaime Block
Renee Rodriguez (Outreach)
Thavma Phillips (Consulting)

Production Coordinator:
Marcelo Dos Santos


DP/Editor:
Nnamdi Ejim

Casting:
Impossible Casting (Casting Director)
Emily Sclar (Casting Coordinator)
BJ Evans (Casting Associate)
John Sundholm (Casting Associate)
Kira Dudley (Casting Associate)
Laura S. Packer (Casting Associate)


Bennie Coleman (Casting Assistant)
Hayley Lemkin (Casting Assistant)
Avi Edelman (Casting Assistant)

Choreographer:
Simone Sobers

Costume Designer/Stylist:
Nicholette Mohabeer

Pre-production Assistants:
Kevin Mahoney
Anna Montas

Stills:
William Downey

Promotional Materials:
Frédéric Renosi

About the Filmmaker

Director Tanyeno Wotorson is building a body of work which centers around the human condition - our ideas of it and who we are as part of it.

She was once known for her elaborate theatrical productions as a film student and a mood she injected into her films (even having been dubbed the “Female Edgar Allen Poe” for the same perspective and aesthetic.)

After leaving school,Tanyeno took numerous production jobs, collecting experiences to help her as a filmmaker. She eventually returned to her passion for writing and directing with the film "Mask."

Tanyeno is presently completing her third short film in two years, and hopes to direct her first feature in 2012. Her storytelling has already earned a reputation for leaving an imprint, no one can shake.

Watch some of Tanyeno's previous work:

Plot Summary...

SIMON, a successful nightclub owner is engaged to ALISHA, a masterful Go Go dancer and his match. Pushed to travel to an estranged brother who has been the victim of a hate biased crime SIMON meets ERTIA, a woman who makes him confront his prejudice because of hers. Every moment is hard won, every decision defended, but their love/hate dealings coupled together with a devastating performance he watches her do, leaves him defenseless to the charm of challenge and allure.

*Special Note - By Go Go, we mean the following (not stripping also called Go Go sometimes):

More responses and inquiries arrive

Glo the film is thankfully receiving offers to help with some falling by the wayside and some following up.

The presence of stigmas associated with the LGBT and Transgender community is an important enough concern for many organizations and individuals to respond and investigate our aims and plan.

We are happy to share these with any individual or community linked to a community that can be engaged in the effort.

We sincerely want to thank all serious inquiries into our film and invite you to speak with one of the producers of the director concerning your organization's or group's interest.

Thank-you again

The Glo Team

Support was slow but finally...

People are coming forward, offering advice... forwarding... taking a look at the project.

It's been slow moving, but it's beginning to pick up and those who were introduced to the project early on -warming. We're very happy for that!




Because we need help, donations and support. Well donations...lol. But also shares, vlogging and blogging. As we know getting this film shot will take a community. National & international, but a community of alot of caring people.

And we believe that begins with you.

Transgender Law Center - Our Thank-You!

We really want to say a BIG THANK-YOU to Mark Snyder the Communications Manager at Transgender Law Center for his support regarding the film.

Mark will be getting the word out and we recognize has the means to do so!!!

So, we say a hearty welcome to anyone who read about the film via any of his communications.

Please check out our film and support by sharing and donating - if you can!!!

~The Glo Team

Lady In Waiting Blog -- LENDS SUPPORT on Youtube!

We just want to say a HUGE "thank-you," to the young lady who goes by the name "Lady In Waiting," on YouTube.

This was a really generous gesture and a great telling of all there is to tell!

*Just wonderful*

And yes--PLEASE DONATE IF YOU CAN.



THANK-YOU.

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And if you'd like to learn ore about Lady In Waiting, go here:

http://www.youtube.com/user/LadyInWaitingBlog

Or here

http://ladyinwaitingblog.wordpress.com/

Thank-you, Scottish Transgender Alliance and Equality Network

We are receiving great feedback from the Scottish Transgender Alliance and Equality Network, possibly the UK Trans Media watch.

The visits to this blog have spiked since we contacted Equality Network, so we definitely want to say thank you for the interest!!

Feel free to explore our different web pages and to join or follow our blog...

To add us on Twitter:
http://twitter.com/#!/glothefilm

Like us on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Glo/104700986306571

To those who decide to donate, your donation of any size is very, very, appreciated, without it a film is not possible. Please let us know with your donation if we can acknowledge you as a supporter in a thank-you on the blog & Facebook. If you'd like to help in other ways, we encourage you to share our page.

Have a wonderful day everyone each and everyone of you who visited!

~The Glo Team

Call backs for Lead Actors

Tonight is Halloween. I understand that people were partying the night before yesterday and may have started whenever. I do.

However an audition on Saturday is potential work, actors who just didn't make it in are not on my radar. If they were out of town or there was an emergency, a real one - I respect it.

But not showing cause they were tired, because it's the holiday? Yikes.

Anyway, I have to say I really respect the people who showed up today (not letting the holiday, an early audition time, or the day-before-Halloween idea rule). Each is a fore runner for that alone.

But beyond that, each actor displayed a unique commitment in the role. One actor didn't use the sides at all, which for me gives him a little advantage. Fewer people than one would think embody this kind of work ethic. But I respect it as much as the talent. But, another who did look at the sheet had a great inner life. The emotion that surfaced from his choices had you feeling "for," him. *Always funny when that happens, cause you become you WROTE IT AGAIN. Lol.*

Both actresses who auditioned for the role of the transgender performer, were very, very, good. Each was on time and ready to roll! But they were so drastically different (and I loved both portrayals). So I have to see them with the potential male leads - for certain next time.

I can't wait.

~Tanyeno Wotorson
Director, Glo

Random.

I just read this and loved it.

Be dangerous. Be subversive. Be unique. Confound and confront. Have an agenda. Have a mission and stick to it. Be ready for a fight. ~Johnny Hardstaff

~Tanyeno Wotorson, Glo Director

Frederic Renosi - New Poster Design

This is the poster for my new film, "Glo," which I am trying to raise funds for. It was done by Frederic Renosi, a designer across the seas in France. People might say, why use him? It's so far!! Well, because Frederic is very, very, talented and I have followed his designing since the days of Myspace where I met him. He is flawlessly hard-working, respectful and profoundly innovative.

And our working relationship never has a stressful moment, as he is careful to listen and craft along the lines of what I seek to express, while bringing his own sensibilities to the affair. He is also quick. The minute I comment, he is on it. Extraordinary integrity with a lack of ego and highly unique work? I study people who are this talented without the fanfare.

I find it really rare. But it gives space to the work.

His previous work for me:

Tanyeno Wotorson
Director - Glo

When a writer commits an idea to paper beyond a stream of consciousness - there is passion and thought put into it. When they seek out others to support the vision through technical assistance there is courage there. When they seek out collaborators in generating revenue - to do the thing? That is a whole different skill set. A person has to be open to all types of feedback and be willing to navigate through it. It's not the easiest nor the quickest route, and you have to know when and when not to listen. But the lessons are almost as valuable as the successes (hopefully) in revenue one raises. I feel like I've come a long way, and I feel like there is a long way to go. Figuring out how you get someone to give instead of just giving a kudos is tough. I mean we want to get our film made, so there is no crumbling. But I'm seeing three dimensionally - stigma is another word for shame. People not only shame other people but they are afraid to be shamed.

So I am getting the secret kudos and words in hidden inboxes and texts, but barely a comment on the public postings.

Both gay and straight individuals, have shown themselves to be impossibly hands off - when it comes to a story that is representative of both.

The reactions proving what the intro video tackles - shaming and stigmatization is very, very, real.

On the other hand, I have the promise of donations from some brave few and a promise of help - that is nothing short of spectacular.

We will be posting those names as soon as they are received, as a warm "thank-you," and acknowledgement of their courage. They did the very thing I was trying to encourage with the work.

Blog post by: Tanyeno Wotorson - Glo Director