I am in the beginning stages of shooting a documentary on Forry Ackerman and, as such, had the great priviledge of interviewing Ray with Forry Monday, August 14th in Ray's TV room for a good hour or so. What wonderful stuff came from those two dear friends! And when the camera stopped rolling, Forry would pelt Ray with one pun/riddle after another, to which Ray would chuckle, and say alright, enough - how I wish I had let the camera roll!

RB was very generous to open home and hearth to us for this project, and when and if this doc ever sees completion, I will report it on the board FYI.

Mr Electrico (or should I call you Doug?),

that's great news. Can you tell us some more about the documentary? Is it for broadcast? I teach documentary production (all kinds of film production, actually), so I'm always interested in this kind of thing.

Thank you Phil. Mr Electrico is the fellow who spouts my signature line. Doug Spaulding is my user name, and augustdandelion@gmail.com is my email - but you can call me John, my real name. Confused?

If you teach it, I could certainly use your advice - I'm a novice! A novice with a vision.

This idea came to me initially as one for a book which would collect Uncle Forry's old horror/sci-fi icons stories because he seems to have so many of them. Once he said to squeeze him like a sponge for these stories while he's around to tell them. I asked him on a visit had these stories ever been collected in book form and he said no, so the idea took shape.

The plan was to videotape the interviews so he could tell as many stories as he would, then I would put them together on paper. The idea for the doc came to me when I realized that I would be taping the interviews anyway, and why not turn it into something more?

Although I am a novice in the film business, I have several contacts/friends who have advised me on and will continue to help me with this project. A director friend of mine has told me that he can probably help me get a DVD distribution deal out of this, and a screenwriter friend has told me that he can possible help me get Spielberg as an interview and possibly even Peter Jackson, and that he thinks I could probably sell it to the Sci-Fi Channel.

I also plan to get much filmed at his 90th Birthday Bash in November (he is keen on my filming there). I plan to interview various and sundry celebrity friends of Uncle Forry, and get them to talk about such things as past histories with him, stories about him, whatever they feel like saying.

I would intersperse this footage with scenes, stills, etc. from various films, magazines, or whatever the case may be. There would probably not be a narrator, as I am interested in filming in the style of Errol Morris, a fine documentarian.

I plan to take Uncle Forry out to a couple or three places in the local vicinity to film him talking about certain things. There are some controversial items I would like to include, as well.

Since Mr Harryhausen lives in the U. K., it would be nice if I could get a contact in that realm (God save the Queen) to shoot something for me and send it back (hint) (smiley).

Uncle Forry has participated in many documentaries, but I feel he deserves one all about him, and one of a stature that befits his own. Hopefully this one can accomplish that.

Will keep you posted.

Me_and_Uncle_Forry.jpg (140 Kb, 18 downloads)

Wonderful project! And Enthusiasm! You've got it. Along with a large cabinet full of ideas. Look forward with Great Expectations to what you'll bring forth from all this.

quote:

Originally posted by libRArY:
Wonderful project! And Enthusiasm! You've got it. Along with a large cabinet full of ideas. Look forward with Great Expectations to what you'll bring forth from all this.

Thank you libRArY! Such kind words. Hope I can live up to it!

Good luck with your project, I hope we can all enjoy the fruits of your labor! Very nice picture too. Thanks.

quote:

Originally posted by Robot Lincoln:
Good luck with your project, I hope we can all enjoy the fruits of your labor! Very nice picture too. Thanks.

Thanks Robot! I hope so too.

John (/Doug/etc),

thanks for the information. This does sound like a terrific project. I'd be happy to help in any way I can. Ray Harryhausen is one of my heroes, and if you'd like him interviewed by someone over here, I'd love to help out. I'll email you to discuss further.

Incidentally, although I agree with you about no voice over and Errol Morris, don't rule out having a narrator. It can fix a hell of a lot of problems in getting the story to flow. And if you hope to make a broadcast sale, a celebrity voice-over (especially a genre celeb like Nimoy, Jonathan Frakes or Robert Englund) could be the deal clincher.

Good luck, and keep us informed!

quote:

Originally posted by philnic:
I agree with you about no voice over and Errol Morris, don't rule out having a narrator. It can fix a hell of a lot of problems in getting the story to flow. And if you hope to make a broadcast sale, a celebrity voice-over (especially a genre celeb like Nimoy, Jonathan Frakes or Robert Englund) could be the deal clincher.

Do you know, I was just thinking about this last evening, and while we definitely won't being hearing the interviewer asking the questions, I am still considering having a narrator, and for the same reasons you mentioned. The advice about a celebrity narrator is good advice and welcome!

Regarding Ray H, thanks! I met him last month and got him to sign a couple of old photos featuring the three great men together (or as I call them, "The Holy Trinity" of horror/sci-fi/fantasy), and spoke of the doc, and that I would love to interview him for it, but couldn't make it to London anytime soon, and he said that it was "too bad". I'll ask Forry to mention it to him and see what we can accomplish - he would be an important addition to the doc!

Doug--It sounds like a great project, and I look forward to seeing it one day. I hope you will continue to give us updates as you go, because it's almost as much fun hearing about all the steps involved as seeing the final product. By the way, has anyone ever told you that you have a remarkable resemblance to Sam Weller? What do the rest of you think? Am I imagining this???

lmskipper, you have noticed that Sam Weller has been provocatively missing in the last several months from everywhere. Now suddenly Doug Spaulding appears. Lets not jump to that easy conclusion that this is not Sam Weller himself.

I don't think I look like Sam, but only wish I could write half as good!