I got this email from Mitch a few months back, detailing the status of the doc.
Greetings,
Happy New Year. I hope this update finds everyone well in ‘09. A lot has transpired since my last contact, so I’m writing with an update about the project.
In early 2008 we began the long process of reviewing the 80+ hours of footage with a fine-tooth comb pulling out the story and outlining the film’s structure. During the review of our great footage, our general outline is as follows…
- The basis of the study – what drove Dr. Strassman and how he manifested the study
- A short history of psychedelics in society, specifically looking at 1960’s – present day
- Explain DMT – what it is, indigenous and modern history/use
- Explain the human connection and endogenous nature of DMT
- With the study as the backbone, look at the DMT (and Ayahausca) experience as experts discuss fact and speculate on the nature of the experience
- The future of psychedelics – how can we re-contextualize the dialogue of psychedelics and create workable/positive research models
2008 also took us to the Peruvian Amazon for Convergence (amazonconvergence.com), an Ayahuasca Shamanism Seminar, Retreat and Gathering. The film greatly benefited from the trip. We were able to work with, and film, one of the most revered Shamans in Peru. During the shoot, we captured footage of the ceremonies, the preparation/explanation of Ayahuasca, rain forest plants and animals, and several new interviews, including French filmmaker Jan Kounen, Visionary Artists Martina Hoffman and Robert Venosa, and the anthropologist, Jeremy Narby. All are great additions to our already groundbreaking list of participants.
On the music front, Derek Beres has agreed to take on the roll of Music Supervisor/Composer, creating the auditory environment for the film. We are very excited about having Derek’s expertise on the film. His short bio below, but if you have some time, I recommend visiting Derek’s website (derekberes.com) for a more detailed look at his work and credentials.
“Derek Beres is one of the leading figures in international music in America, working in numerous facets of the industry, from journalist and DJ to producer and presenter. He has published four books to date, and has contributed to dozens of magazines and websites regarding the traditional and digital realms of global music. He has toured internationally, playing alongside some of the most important figures in the scene today. Well versed in international music, he is equally adamant about world cultures, devoting his life to the path of yoga, Eastern philosophies and world mythology.”
Our online presence and grassroots marketing in ’08 is beginning to pay off. Our MySpace and Facebook pages have grown substantially, and our wonderful website by Hugo Amadeu (a.k.a. Globoocular - globoocular.com) continues to get heavy traffic and praise from around the world. Additionally, Hugo has been working on a complete redesign and launch with more content (videos and stills), animations and functionality. The new site should launch in March.
We’ve experienced a slow down with our fundraising efforts over the past six months, but have recently been in contact with several new investors. To combat the slowdown of fundraising I’ll be in Minnesota for the month of February to complete the picture/story rough cut. Matt Ehling, our Director of Photography, will assist me in this endeavor. Our goal is to fully wrap up the rough cut by the end of February, which will allow us to begin the visuals, compositing and music this spring.
Our anticipated timeline through September is as follows. Matt and I will cut through early March. In mid-late March we’ll begin the development and storyboarding of the visuals, as well as begin music selection and recording. This process will take us into the summer as we tweak and tighten the film. Finally, our last shoot will be with our host/narrator. We are aiming for the Sundance deadline in mid-September.
As I mentioned above, we are still looking for investment, and would like to ask all of you if you know anyone that may be interested. Also, if you know anyone that would be interested in the project, please forward the website, MySpace, and/or Facebook info. Thanks again for your continued support, your encouragement and kind words go a long way in the success of this project.
Warm Regards,
Mitch Schultz
